Location: United Kingdom
First Appearance: Excalibur: The Sword is Drawn
Original Roster: Captain Britain, Meggan, Nightcrawler, Phoenix (Rachael Summers), Shadowcat and her pet Lockheed.
Summary: This UK based team spent a good chunk of their time hopping through parallel universes originally found in the pages of Captain Britain’s UK-only series and swapping through b-list X-men castoffs. Though powerful as a team, Excalibur’s overall lack of direction doomed them to relative obscurity in mainstream Marvel.
My Team Grade:C When it’s all said and done, this was an EX-book, not an X-book.
#4 Alpha Flight
Location: Canada
First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #120
Original Roster: Guardian, Vindicator, Marrina, Northstar, Aurora, Puck, Sasquatch, Shaman, Snowbird
Summary: Originally created as a back story for Wolverine, this feisty bunch of heroes soon launched into their own series, taking the Marvel Universe by storm…well, maybe not by storm, but they did have their own series for a time! They mainly stayed within the Canadian border, dealing with threats that dealt largely with Canadian aboriginal lore.
My Team Grade: C I may have given them a C overall but they’ll always have an EH! In spunkiness! (Bad joke, I know…)
First Appearance: Justice League Europe #1
Original Roster: Captain Adam, The Elongated Man, Power Girl, Flash (Wally West), Rocket Red, Animal Man, Metamorpho, Wonder Woman (left after one mission)
Summary: A spin off of JLA/JLI, mainly due to an enormous members list for JLA, this book represents an era I think DC would really like to forget but I highly enjoyed. The stories were mainly action based but had that humor element that I love in a book.
My Team Grade: B Take a hard look at this roster and everyone that was a member of this book and look where they’ve ended up today…its very surprising.
#2 The Authority
Location: The Carrier, a gigantic interdimensional "shiftship" existing everywhere on Earth at the same time and capable of moving through every imaginable plane of existence.
First Appearance: Authority #1
Original Roster: Jenny Sparks, Apollo, Midnighter, The Doctor, The Engineer, Jack Hawksmoor, Swift, and Rose Tattoo
Summary: Widely considered a spin-off of Stormwatch, this team is notable for its intense graphic violence, grand scale and visual flair. They take a no-holds bar approach to superheroeing…where the ends DO justify the means!
My Team Grade: B Not always the most compelling team but don’t tell them that, if you value your health!
#1 The Invaders
First Appearance: The Avengers vol.1, #71
Original Roster: Captain, America, Bucky, Toro, Human Torch, Namor
Summary: Based on the All-Winners Squad of the 1940’s, this Nazi fighting team is easily the best of the best and could give ANY team in ANY era a run for their money. These characters are the backbone of the Marvel Universe and are pivotal to the success that Marvel is enjoying today. In my book, the gap between number one and the rest on this list is without measure!
My Team Grade: A Cap, 2 torches, Namor and the kid who will be Cap…need I say more???
