Da Vinci's New SHIELD Team Draws From Avengers Academy

Invincible Iron Man #600 brought to a close Tony Stark’s weird and wild journey back from the brink of death, but that’s not all. The finale issue also introduced a new team headed by a time-traveling Leonardo da Vinci. It sounds like that team will be the basis for a new S.H.I.E.L.D., an organization Da Vinci helped found in his own time. But every new superhero team needs one thing: warm bodies (preferably ones with awe-inspiring superhuman powers attached). Invincible Iron Man #600 provides manpower in droves, but you might not have recognized them all on sight.

There are the heavy hitters, of course. Fan favorites like Riri Williams, Miles Morales and Blade all made the cut, but there are some lesser known Marvel characters tucked away in there, too, many of whom were pulled from Avengers Academy and the fallout from the first superhero Civil War. So, who are these characters, where do they come from and what are they capable of? Let’s break it down and see just who Da Vinci is placing at the foundation of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s rebirth, starting with the big names.

Riri Williams

Riri Williams likely needs no introduction. The genius inventor was first introduced as an equal to Tony Stark when she created her own suit of armor and started going by Ironheart. Invincible Iron Man #598 saw Blade encourage Riri to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and, in doing so, recruit her to his cause. We now know Da Vinci was behind that message, and that the cause in question is recreating S.H.I.E.L.D.

Miles Morales

Miles Morales is another Marvel character fans are likely already familiar with. Miles joining Da Vinci’s S.H.I.E.L.D. rebuilding project is a major win for the inventor. Miles was recruited into the new S.H.I.E.L.D. effort after Spider-Man #240, in which he was left battered and bruised in a fight with his uncle, Aaron Davis, who had returned as the Iron Spider. Cable assisted in getting Miles, his mother and his father to the super-secret training facility.

Toni Ho

Toni Ho will likely fit in just fine in Da Vinci’s new S.H.I.E.L.D. Readers paying close attention will likely have noticed Da Vinci’s emphasis on the difference between the new S.H.I.E.L.D. and the old S.H.I.E.L.D. According to the inventor, the new S.H.I.E.L.D. is all about “super science,” something Toni is intimately familiar with as Iron Patriot and the Supreme Leader of A.I.M.

Blade

Blade, the half-human, half-vampire hunter of all things undead (but mostly vampires), looks to be Da Vinci’s new trainer. The slayer can be seen drilling recruits in the nascent S.H.I.E.L.D. base. Blade brings a veteran superhero’s eye to the team. What remains to be seen is just what role the vampire hunter will slot into in the long run. Knowing Blade, supervising isn’t his strong suit. He might be the team trainer now, but, if he ends up sticking around, he’ll surely take to the field in time.

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Reptil

First appearing in Avengers Academy #1, Reptil’s real name is Humberto Lopez. Lopez can turn his limbs into those of a dinosaur at will. This is often depicted as him turning his arms green, scaly and clawed, but in the past he has also grown pterodactyl wings and lizard-like legs, too. He can do this because of a mystical fossilized amulet he discovered at a young age. Reptil was among the first group of students to debut in Avengers Academy #1. He is now a founding member of Da Vinci’s new S.H.I.E.L.D.

Striker

Striker can be seen sparring with Reptil in Invincible Iron Man #600. That’s likely because the duo share a similar background. Like Reptil, Striker also debuted in Avengers Academy #1. Striker’s real name is Brandon Sharpe. Striker can generate massive electrical blasts, produce electromagnetic shields and fly at will. In the past, Striker has been seen as egotistical and difficult to work with. Perhaps some time on Da Vinci’s new team will cool his hot head.

Trauma

Terrance Ward, otherwise known as Trauma, isn’t your typical kind of superhero. First appearing in Avengers: The Initiative #1, Trauma didn’t come from Avengers Academy. Instead, the hero was registered and forced into training because of the post-Civil War initiative. Trauma has the power to turn himself into the thing his enemies fear the most, whatever that may be. When he transforms, he also gains the powers of the person he turns into. In some cases, this is incredibly useful, such as when he turned into Thor or Juggernaut. In other instances, his transformations can be downright disturbing.

Cloud 9

Abigail Boylen is another odd one. While ostensibly the superhero named Cloud 9, Abigail is more interested in doing things her way, with a little heroing on the side. She trained at Camp Hammond along with Trauma, which might explain why the two can be seen walking and talking together in Invincible Iron Man #600. Cloud 9 has a telekinetic link to an alien gas cloud. Her link to the cloud allows her to fly, suffocate aggressors and spread an obscuring mist to cover ally movements. She was a member of the underground movement when Hydra took over the United States, and now she’s helping to put the pieces back together.