One of the most famous teenage teams in Marvel, the Young Avengers were the result of Vision's strategy in case the Avengers ever disbanded. The synthezoid's plan was always to assemble them as part of the Avengers Fail-Safe Program. However, a time traveler from the future put them together first. After this, they had to earn their place among many others superteams.
After two different rosters, the Young Avengers have lived through many adventures, some have been street-level, but others have been bigger than Earth itself. Before joining them, any teenage superhero should know certain things about them, their history, and the pros and cons of belonging to this team.
10 Kang The Conqueror Was Their Original Leader
While the Young Avengers were always a contingency plan in case the actual Avengers were M.I.A at any moment, they were recruited way before their time thanks to Nathaniel Richards, the boy that would eventually become Kang the Conqueror. In an attempt to change his own history, Nathaniel stole Kang's armor and traveled back in time.
In the present, Nathaniel took on the name Iron Lad and recruited a new team based on Vision's emergency protocol. Although he eventually had to leave to fulfill his tragic destiny and become one of Marvel's greatest villains, this team is his legacy in many ways.
9 Its Members Are Willing To Work With Loki
As part of the Marvel NOW! relaunch in 2013, Young Avengers, by Kieron Gillen, with art by Jamie Mckelvie, Becky Cloonan, Joe Quinones, and Ming Doyle, featured Kid Loki as a member of the team. While any other supergroup in the Marvel Multiverse would know better than to trust the God of Mischief, the Young Avengers accepted him on the team, only to be betrayed by him.
Aware of his breach of trust, Loki himself chooses to leave the team out of guilt. According to him, they would've forgiven him anyway, but that would've not been fair. So far, Loki hasn't had the opportunity to team up with the Young Avengers again, but if this happens, they will definitely welcome him with open arms.
8 Not All Of Them Are Human
Given the number of superpowered characters in Marvel, it's only logical that many of its heroes aren't even human. Young Avengers isn't an exception to this rule. This team has all kinds of members. For example, Kate "Hawkeye" Bishop and Cassie "Stature" Lang are exceptional humans.
However, Kid Loki is a literal god, while Hulkling, one of its original members, is a Kree-Skrull hybrid with shapeshifting abilities. Given this, the Young Avengers are qualified to deal with all kinds of threats, from small, petty criminals to powerful cosmic-level entities.
7 Some Of Their Members Have Solo Careers
Any superhero looking to become a member of the Young Avengers should know this won't stop them from having their own superhero career. The Young Avengers don't only assemble when necessary like the Avengers. In fact, they're more like a permanent team like the Fantastic Four, only much more flexible.
Despite always being there for each other when necessary, membership with the Young Avengers doesn't stop any members from having solo adventures. For example, America Chavez often travels alone through the Multiverse, while Kate Bishop has teamed up with Clint Barton, her mentor, on many occasions.
6 They're Close Friends With The Runaways
As two of the most important teenage teams in Marvel, the Young Avengers and the Runaways are known to team up often. Even if they come from very different backgrounds — the Runaways are the offspring of criminals, while the Young Avengers have been inspired by other heroes — they manage to work efficiently together.
They had a rocky start when the Runaways thought the Young Avengers were on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s side during Civil War. Still, they teamed up again years later during Secret Invasion, where the Runaways helped keep Teddy "Hulkling" Kaplan safe from the Skrull invasion.
5 Their Names Are Mostly Inspired By Other Heroes (Mainly Because Many Of Them Are Related To Other Heroes)
Anyone who hasn't heard of the Young Avengers may be tempted to believe they're just a carbon copy of the adult version. This makes sense; they have Iron Lad instead of Iron Man, Stature has the same powers as Ant-Man, and Kate "Hawkeye" Bishop is obviously Hawkeye.
Any new member should know they all have strong connections to the Avengers, and some of them are even family. For instance, Cassie Lang is Scott Lang's daughter, Kate Bishop is Clint Barton's protegé, and Eli "Patriot" Bradley is the grandson of Isaiah Bradley, a former Super Soldier who held the title of Captain America. However, this doesn't mean the Young Avengers don't shine in their own right.
4 The Members Of The Team Remain Friends No Matter What
When Iron Man and Captain America disagreed about the role of superheroes in society, the feud led to the infamous first superhero Civil War. Chaos ensued when all superheroes took a side, forgetting their true duty. This would've never happened if the Young Avengers were in charge.
Although they were part of the Civil War, the Young Avengers never took it personally. When Cassie Lang chose to take Iron Man's side and join the Initiative, their friendship with her remained just as strong. In fact, Patriot saved her life not long after. New Young Avengers recruits must learn to cooperate with people who don't share their opinion.
3 They End Up Dealing With Adult Conflict
Anyone looking to join the Young Avengers must know that they will have to work hard, especially when it comes to the adults' mistakes. In fact, since they first assembled, they have been a part of most Marvel Crossovers. For instance, almost all of its first roster — Patriot, Hulkling, Wiccan, Hawkeye, Vision, and Speed — joined the Secret Avengers during Civil War.
During Avengers: The Children's Crusade, they traveled to Wundagore Mountain to find Scarlet Witch (Wiccan and Speed's mother), who had been trapped by Doctor Doom. This whole situation put them on a time-traveling adventure that almost killed Stature.
2 They're Completely Pro-LGBTQ+
Marvel has always had its fair share of queer representation in comics, but Young Avengers take it a step further. Everyone knows Kid Loki is gender fluid. Likewise, America Chavez, one of its most prominent members, is openly a lesbian who was raised by two moms.
Additionally, Wiccan and Hulkling are one of the most wholesome couples in the Multiverse. Noh-Varr, another member, is openly bisexual. In fact, he's currently dating Hercules. Unarguably, the Young Avengers is one of the most open-minded, welcoming, diverse groups in the Multiverse.
1 They Are Official Avengers
Anyone that joins the Young Avengers right now will find it a very easy affair, but for the members who pioneered this team, it wasn't so simple. In fact, the Avengers tried to stop them from taking the job in the beginning. Up until Avengers: The Children's Crusade, the Young Avengers weren't recognized as Avengers.
Fortunately for them, their assistance during this battle proved to be essential, so the adult heroes had to admit they were ready for the gig. Thanks to this, any future member will be a full-fledged Avenger from the moment they join.