After the events of Civil War and Dark Reign shook up the Marvel Universe, it took a long time to pick up the pieces and move on. Uncomfortable memories of the devastation and fights the heroes had with one another created an atmosphere that called out for change for veteran and newcomer heroes alike.
That’s where the Avengers Academy came in. Taking in students who were targeted by Norman Osborn during Dark Reign, the school hoped to steer them away from villainy in the future. Here are the ten most powerful teachers and advisors at the infamous Avengers Academy school.
10 Hawkeye
One of the first teachers that needs very little introduction is Clint Barton, aka everyone’s favorite archer turned Avenger, Hawkeye. The famed archer is well known in the Marvel Community, and was just as affected by the events of Civil War and Dark Reign as everyone else, with Bullseye having taken his identity on the Dark Avengers team.
When the events of Fear Itself were finished, Hawkeye took on the role of a teacher at the Avengers Academy when the school moved to the West Coast Avengers former headquarters, leading to a new prominent role for Hawkeye in the Marvel Universe.
9 Iron Fist
Often during the course of the Avengers Academy storyline, guest speakers or lecturers would arrive at the school to impart lessons or take part in missions or storylines as the need called for it. One of those guests was Iron Fist, aka Danny Rand, the famed hero and member of teams like Heroes for Hire and The Defenders.
The iconic defender of K’un L’un and able to harness the power of chi into a burning fist, Danny Rand also had a connection to one of the students at the school, Victor Alvarez, the new Power Man, who also had a chi harnessing power of his own.
8 Captain America
If any of the original Avengers was going to inspire or bring respect to the students of the school, it would be Captain America. The leader of the Avengers had a prominent role in the events of Civil War and Fear Itself, and would go on to be a guest lecturer at the Academy.
He arrived at the time when the school moved to the West Coast Avengers headquarters, when the first wave of students feared they were being replaced by the new students and a fight broke out between the students and faculty. He was the one who assured everyone no one was being replaced.
7 Tigra
One hero who has a prominent position on the team is Tigra, aka Greer Grant Nelson. A founding member of the faculty at the Academy alongside her onetime love interest Hank Pym, Greer also had a child that was genetically Hank’s when his Skrull imposter changed at a molecular level.
While at the Academy, Greer released the raw footage of her being attacked by the Hood when he threatened to release it on the internet, hoping to use it to inspire others to come forward with their stories. When students did the same thing to a now depowered Hood, she had them expelled, only to reduce it to probation later on.
6 Justice
One unique member of the faculty that has a long history with the Marvel Universe, and the Avengers in particular, while not having the same recognition as many other heroes is Justice, aka Vance Astrovik. Vance is a mutant with the ability of telekinesis, allowing him to fly by lifting himself up.
Vance joined the faculty alongside his former Avenger teammates and his New Warrior teammate Speedball, helping to teach the students there while dealing with one student, Veil, harboring a crush on him. This would complicate the Academy when he began seeing Ultra Girl again, leading to some hostility.
5 Jocasta
One heroic member of the faculty with a unique past is Jocasta, the robotic creation of none other than Ultron. Similar to the Vision, Jocasta was created to serve Ultron and be utterly loyal to him. However the difference was she was meant to be his bride, with the life essence of Janet Van Dyne stolen by a brainwashed Hank Pym to give her life.
However, her heroic nature overruled her love of Ultron, leading her to help the Avengers stop him twice. She faked her demise at the Academy, believing it to be an unsafe environment, but later returned to her duties.
4 Quicksilver
One iconic hero of the Avengers who joined the faculty was Pietro Maximoff, aka Quicksilver. The speedster and son of longtime X-Men foe and antihero Magneto sought to distance himself from the dark legacy his father had created over the years, and so became a teacher in order to help others at the school.
However, his lie about being abducted by the Skrulls during Invasion led to Finesse, a student at the Academy, into blackmailing him into training her the way Magneto had trained him, all while she hoped to figure out if her father was in fact Taskmaster.
3 Hercules
One hero’s guest instructor status took on a powerful story arc in the school’s history when Hercules came into the fold. Featured in a multi-issue story arc, Hercules was asked to join the faculty for a brief time while the majority of the other faculty members helped in the fight during the events of Avengers vs X-Men.
Helping to teach the students and clashing briefly with Tigra when he appeared without clothing to teach the ancient Greek arts of wrestling, Hercules faced a moral dilemma when Captain America asked them to hold mutant students at the school while the mutants fought the Avengers.
2 Speedball
One complex hero who taught at the school was Robbie Baldwin, aka Speedball. The hero was a member of the New Warriors and has the ability to create a powerful kinetic barrier around himself, allowing him to travel at great velocities when struck or hitting a barrier of some sort.
After the events of Stamford, where an explosion caused the passing of over 600 people, Robbie was one of the lone survivors of the New Warriors and called himself Penance to reflect his own guilt. He later joined the faculty and led a field trip to Stamford to showcase the dangers of using powers recklessly.
1 Giant Man
When it comes to the actual running of the school, only one hero was able to call himself the school headmaster, helping to establish the rules and regulations of the school. That hero was Hank Pym, the man who helped establish the school program entirely and received the help of his former teammates.
During the series, Hank readopted his identity of Giant Man, and helped guide the students as they learned more about their powers. His concern for the children and their abilities showed greatly throughout the series, even leading to a fight with the Runaways when he sought to have child protective services take care of them.