It was revealed last week that two of the six Secret Avengers are War Machine and Beast. Sure, this came as no surprise to those who were following the teaser ads since February, but the confirmation does set a lot of minds at ease. Add that announcement to the fact that Ed Brubaker is writing Secret Avengers, and you’ve got a ready-made fanbase with their wallets open to swallow this new ongoing series.
Brubaker has this uncanny (pun not intended) ability to capture an established audience and make them his own. He did so with Captain America, restoring a very forgettable run by John Ney Rieber and quickly making waves by returning in a big way to the character’s roots – first by “killing” the Red Skull, and then resurrecting Bucky. It is my hope that he can do the same, at least for War Machine and Beast, who have had rather strange character plots in the recent Secret Invasion/Dark Reign arcs.
The two big questions of course, is who the remaining four Secret Avengers are, and what makes them Secret Avengers?
The latter question may perhaps be answered by referencing the original Secret Avengers, who had essentially gone underground when the Superhuman Registration Act came into play during Civil War. Why would there be a need for a “Secret” roster during the upcoming “Heroic Age”? Why not, I ask? After all the tragedy and the angst that have arisen over the past three years in the Marvel Universe, I doubt a “Heroic Age” will truly change anything. A team of anti-heroes willing to get their hands dirty would be absolutely necessary, now that everyone else is off being extra ‘heroic’ once again.
With that in mind, here are my guesses for the rest:
“I excel through adversity” – It’s obviously a character in flight, and I really want this to be Nova. Yes, he’s never been an Avenger, but with the Stamford incident now firmly in the past, perhaps it’s time this former New Warrior got what he’s earned.
“I strive for redemption” – Mysterious man with a cape… or a cloak? Despite his strange run with the Dark X-Men, Cloak could be the one seeking to restore his fallen past and seek a new life as an Avenger.
“I lead by example” – The whole world seems unanimous on this, and Brubaker is the writer of Secret Avengers, so it would probably come as no surprise if this turned out to be the new identity of Steve Rogers – the new USAgent?
“I am in control of my life” – I hate to admit it, but the quote is rather telling and while I’m really not a fan of hers, having the sole female on the team be the Scarlet Witch seems most probable.
