Younger counterparts to more established super teams, like the Avengers, have almost always been a part of the Marvel Universe. Today, they take the form of groups like the Young Avengers or the Champions. But there was another team of young superheroes that existed in the Marvel multiverse, first introduced through the direct-to-DVD movie Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow.

But even though they were introduced through an outside media source, the Next Avengers were eventually adapted into Marvel canon, hailing from an alternate future similar to the one the movie portrayed. However, these youngsters were very different heroes when they found their way into the main Marvel Universe.

RELATED: Avengers: Iron Man & Captain America Unveil Dark New Costumes

The Next Avengers were a group of five kids, each of them the child of Avengers. There was James Rogers, the son of Captain America and Black Widow; Torunn, the daughter of Thor and Sif; Azari, son of the Black Panther and Storm; Henry Pym Jr. the son of Giant-Man and Wasp; and finally, Francis Barton, the son of Hawkeye and Mockingbird. Each of them would take up their parents' mantles and some of their powers, but the future they inhabited was a bleak one.

In the movie,  Ultron went rogue and managed to defeat and kill several of the Avengers and take over the world. Iron Man managed to escape, taking the children of his friends away and raising them in a safe isolated environment where they could grow up as normally as possible. But they were still their parents' children and despite Tony's best efforts to keep them safe, eventually, danger would find them.

RELATED: Immortal Hulk Just Revealed the DARK Truth About the Avengers

Through a series of accidents, Ultron discovered their location and attacked. He captured Tony, prompting the Next Avengers to go on a mission to rescue him. Along the way, they met Francis, who was going by the name Hawkeye. After rescuing Tony, they laid a trap for Ultron, successfully bringing the Hulk out of hiding to destroy Ultron's body and then disposing of the remains to prevent his return. From there, the children officially became the new Avengers and dedicated themselves to cleaning up the mess Ultron left behind.

It was a nice little wrap-up to the movie's story, but their adventures continued in the comics. In 2010's Avengers #1 by Brian Michael Bendis and John Romita Jr., the Next Avengers returned, coming to the past to prevent their timeline's A.I.M. from selling future tech to their past counterparts in a decidedly darker, more serious take on their adventures.

RELATED: The Avengers Were Far Worse Than Loki in One Very Dangerous Way

Following Ultron's defeat, Immortus, an aspect of Kang the Conqueror, attacked them, killing not only Iron Man, but also Maestro and Spider-Girl. The Next Avengers killed him in retaliation however and continued their task of helping the world recover from Ultron's reign. This was until they learned of A.I.M.'s meddling in the past. They traveled back in time to prevent future technology from disrupting the timeline. Once they succeeded, the team decided to remain in the past to help safeguard the future.

But since then they haven't been seen. The Next Avengers, while powerful and a lens into the potential futures some heroes could have had, have fallen to the wayside as other teams like the Young Avengers and the Champions cement themselves as Marvel's future. For the moment, those young heroes are the Guardians of Marvel's future. They are here to protect the world that the Next Avengers would one day inherit and then pass along to the future generation.

KEEP READING: How an Avengers Battle With an MCU Entity Reshaped the Team for Years