West Coast Avengers Appreciation

[XPac]

I'd always assumed that the Thing was just an honorary member in the past.

But in the Buskiek story where all the Avengers show up or are mentioned, he along with Reed and Sue cameo via videophone (in comparison, Spider Man and Sandman both show up in person).

So Ben was an offical Avenger even if he was only one for about 5 minutes.

They offered him a position, and Thing did say yes.

He never did anything after accepting, but he did accept. So I think that counts.

[XPac]

To me, WCA had a almost humorous/west coast taking it easy like attitude. Probably had to do with Hawkeye's style. I cannot believe that a serious line like Ultimate could in any way recapture that magic. Even if it's on the west coast.

I think the book initially had sort of a fun casual vibe about it... but that sort of vanished during Byrne's run and never really came back.

Yeah, a BIG part of it was Clint I think. They also had a very stable line up for a good amount of time, and that allowed the team to develop a certain Chemistry.

I definatley would be tough to ever recapture that, especially in the Ultimate Universe.

[Will.S]

Mr Gage has already said pleanty of times that the main focus of the book is on the kids, But I would love it if he would occasionally send the teachers staff on mission as an Avengers representation on the west coast. I mean, you already have Hank, Tigra, Quicksilver and Hawkeye. Add a re-powered Hercules ( to which my appeals have already recieved a "maybe") and perhaps Photon (Monica Rambeau) which I always thought had the makings of a great teacher, and you'd have quite a powerful team. I'm sure that Mr. Gage would write a great Photon.

Peace

Yeah that would be very cool.

Attachment 95984
I love WCA, this little display is one of my favorites.

Awesome collection!

[Valeria Kementari]

WAckos had Wanda and Jan while Eackos had Dr Druid.... is there really anyone who preferred the Dr Druid team to the Jan/Wanda team? If so please burn them until they die

[Nomads1]

I also liked quite a lot the Whacos rougue gallery. Master Pandemonium had a lot of potential, but Milgrom drew him kind of silly with the evacuating limbs. I prefered when Byrne transformed him into a real "abode of demons". Demonicus and the Pacific Overlords were awsome, and a perfect, very different feel for the WCA's own Masters of Evil. Dominus was also cool, but he was a one time deal. Roy Thomas really seemed determined to enlarge the WCA's rogues gallery, with the Night Shift, Death Web and the Bogatyri, Russia's own version of the FF (these guys really deserved to be used more). But my absolute favorites were probably the Hangman's Lethal Legion. They sure were a scary bunch.

Peace

[Nomads1]

I think the book initially had sort of a fun casual vibe about it... but that sort of vanished during Byrne's run and never really came back.

Yeah, a BIG part of it was Clint I think. They also had a very stable line up for a good amount of time, and that allowed the team to develop a certain Chemistry.

I definatley would be tough to ever recapture that, especially in the Ultimate Universe.

Yes, I agree that a lot of the "casual" vibe the team had was due to Clint's management style, and that it was tonned down a little when Byrne took over, but I still think the team retained a lot of it's informal feel later on the book, even when someone like Iron Man was leading it. Maybe the setting had something to do with it.
I also do agree that it won't be something easy to recapture in the serious Ultimate Universe.

Peace

[Vic Vega]

I think the book initially had sort of a fun casual vibe about it... but that sort of vanished during Byrne's run and never really came back.

Yeah, a BIG part of it was Clint I think. They also had a very stable line up for a good amount of time, and that allowed the team to develop a certain Chemistry.

I definatley would be tough to ever recapture that, especially in the Ultimate Universe.

You have all the elements to recapture it with Avengers Academy.

They just need to A) Focus of the Faculty B) make Hawkeye Hank's second in command of the Academy and C) give Tigra some of her old fun loving persona back.

That way you get the "rules are rules" guy (Hank) offset by the "make it up as you go along" guy(Hawk).

As it is now the team/faculty is Hank, Hawk, Tigra, Quicksilver and Herc (as of AA #28).

Persona wise that's a stiff, a law and order type, a daredevil, a misanthrope and a braggart under the same roof.

They really couldn't order pizza without it turning to comedy gold.

[baltiroo]

Attachment 95984
I love WCA, this little display is one of my favorites.

Love it! That is a little piece of awesome!

[Nomads1]

I also liked quite a lot the Whacos rougue gallery. Master Pandemonium had a lot of potential, but Milgrom drew him kind of silly with the evacuating limbs. I prefered when Byrne transformed him into a real "abode of demons". Demonicus and the Pacific Overlords were awsome, and a perfect, very different feel for the WCA's own Masters of Evil. Dominus was also cool, but he was a one time deal. Roy Thomas really seemed determined to enlarge the WCA's rogues gallery, with the Night Shift, Death Web and the Bogatyri, Russia's own version of the FF (these guys really deserved to be used more). But my absolute favorites were probably the Hangman's Lethal Legion. They sure were a scary bunch.

Peace

Yes, I'm quoting myself, because it hit me that I forgot one of Thomas' best inclusions into the WCA's rogue gallery: Alkhema. IMO, that gave the WCA their own Ultron, leaving the original free to pester the ECA. She was a badass bitch, and her ties to Hawkeye and Mockingbird tied her to the WCA as much as Ultron's ties to Hank and Vizh (then with the east coast bunch) tied him to the original Avengers. Plus, the MU could always use another major female bad guy.

Peace

[marshal99]

I like how Roy Thomas brought the mephisto/satannus rivalry from his dr.strange run to the west coast avengers.

[icctrombone]

I have the entire run because I was a BIG Avengers fan back in the day. It always felt like a money grab to place all those D listers together and calling them Avengers but it did have a few bright spots like the Byrne run. The Artwork was average. I was never a Milgrom fan. Even Sinnotts inks couldn't make it better for me.

[Nomads1]

I like how Roy Thomas brought the mephisto/satannus rivalry from his dr.strange run to the west coast avengers.

Yes, I did get the feel that he was trying to set stage for a War in Hell, but never got the chance to develop it further.

Peace

[gforce99]

I have the entire run because I was a BIG Avengers fan back in the day. It always felt like a money grab to place all those D listers together and calling them Avengers but it did have a few bright spots like the Byrne run. The Artwork was average. I was never a Milgrom fan. Even Sinnotts inks couldn't make it better for me.

I was remembered Iron Man being in the title, but I guess he wasn't there that long. Still I never thought of WCA as d-listers even when it was mostly Hawkeye, Mockingbird, Tigra, W-Man or Moon Knight.

[icctrombone]

I always thought of Hawkeye as a bad leader. He's a good guy to have on the team but too much of a hotheaded wiseguy to lead people. The Ironman was Rhody for the beginning and everywhere I've seen Tigra , she's been a poor Avenger.

[Nomads1]

I was remembered Iron Man being in the title, but I guess he wasn't there that long. Still I never thought of WCA as d-listers even when it was mostly Hawkeye, Mockingbird, Tigra, W-Man or Moon Knight.

I always thought of Hawkeye as a bad leader. He's a good guy to have on the team but too much of a hotheaded wiseguy to lead people. The Ironman was Rhody for the beginning and everywhere I've seen Tigra , she's been a poor Avenger.

Iron Man (Tony Stark) was on quite a lot of the WCA run. I'd say at least 50% of it. It also had founder credibilty by having Pym and Wasp be members for a while. Also Avengers mainstays Wonder Man, Vision and Scarlet Witch were part of the team for a good chunk of the run. So I fail to see a basis for the D-Listers comment. It only didn't have Thor and Captain America in it, and the later did show up in a couple of issues. As for Hawkeye being a bad leader, the point was to show character growth, and that with all hios particular failings, he could be a good leader, just a different type of one, then, say, Captain America or Iron Man.

Peace