WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Thor #18, on sale now from Marvel.
The Avengers are known for being comprised of incredible champions such as Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk and Thor. These aren't the only people to be called Earth's Mightiest Heroes, however, and on occasion, the team has a much more bestial membership. The Pet Avengers might seem like a comedic concept, but their recent reassembly in the pages of Thor shows both their versatility and potential future in the MCU.
Throg unites some of the most powerful animals in the nine realms, with the result being a team equipped for literally any task. Here's how the animalistic Avengers make their triumphant return, and how the team could be adapted onto film in the future.
Pet Avengers Reassemble!
The issue's story has Thor initially trying to bargain with his sinister brother Loki in order to gain his aid in finding his stolen hammer Mjolnir. Loki refuses due to having his own responsibilities, but he does point Thor in the right direction of who he should ask for help instead. This leads him to Simon Walterson, a.k.a. Throg. Once a human, Throg was turned into his current amphibious form and given a fraction of Thor's power, making him easily the strongest toad in all of Midgard.
Thor recounts his current issues with his hammer, essentially begging Throg for his assistance. Throg quickly begins noting all of the many tasks and functions required for such a venture. These include being transported to and fro throughout the different realms, including ones better left unventured through. To do this, Throg recruits Hugin and Muninn, the enchanted crows that formerly belonged to Odin and now serve Thor himself.
A tracking dog is also required to potentially find the lost weapon, which leads Throg to his old ally Lockjaw, the dog of the Inhuman Royal Family. The next recruit is Lockheed, the loyal pet dragon of Kitty Pryde. The final recruit is another canine in the form of Bats, the ghostly dog of Doctor Strange who has experience in the realm of the mystic arts. Finally brought together for the task of aiding a fellow Avenger, these new Pet Avengers have what it takes to not only find Mjolnir but also make the jump to the big screen.
How the New Pet Avengers Could Jump Into the MCU
The different tasks assigned to each member of the team show how this incarnation of the Pet Avengers is more than just a lighthearted confraternity among the animal kingdom. Instead, each of these furry heroes could engage in exciting action in their own right, whether it's within the pages of comic books or in a movie.
Throg, for instance, has already been shown to exist in some way in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Lockjaw was present in the Inhumans TV show. Huginn and Muninn, as well as Bats would be pretty easy to introduce, and a stand-in could be used for Lockheed in a potential Pet Avengers film. This would help to expand the team and its legacy now that the original incarnation is essentially gone for good, as well as make a surprisingly straight-faced movie about the most unlikely of concepts. Likewise, Throg being the team's leader could reflect how Thor is the only original Avenger to have a continuing movie series/major presence going forward.
This would match up with another surprise hit in the MCU, Guardians of the Galaxy. Rocket Raccoon could himself show up in the Pet Avengers' roster, and given that audiences have accepted him and the equally non-human Groot, it might be as easy to get them to do the same with the Pet Avengers. The fact that Throg can talk like Rocket also makes this easier. Hopefully, this will manifest in the team showing up outside of the comics, proving that Earth's Mightiest Heroes can save the day on four legs, too.