Champions Appreciation 2020

[Will Evans]

Locust is from San Diego, California - it's Joaquin who was from Mexico.

https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Ferna...ez_(Earth-616)
https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Joaqu...es_(Earth-616)

Yep. I goofed. Sorry.

[CrimsonEchidna]

So I did like that this issue introduced more nuance to the issue than people were anticipating, like Joaquin getting himself a mentor since doing otherwise could threaten his immigrant status.

Also let's keep it 100%, I see some of you saying that Miles should just become Peter's mentee. There's no way Spider-Man is an approved mentor. That's just true to his character that he'd likely get passed over getting the greenlight from CRADLE. lol

[Nerwrax15]

And there is still the matter even if there are suitable mentors for each of them, that is still them bending a knee to the government/adults to ALLOW them to continue being heroes, even if their mentor is their best friend (some of) the Champions would still be compromising the idea that formed them in the first place.

[CrimsonEchidna]

And there is still the matter even if there are suitable mentors for each of them, that is still them bending a knee to the government/adults to ALLOW them to continue being heroes, even if their mentor is their best friend (some of) the Champions would still be compromising the idea that formed them in the first place.

And I feel like that short scene with Miles trying to stop the mugging kind of proves the flaw with it. Even if it were a trap, are they all expected to just turn a blind eye to something happening in front of them if they can't get their adult supervisor to arrive on the scene to monitor them first? :P

[ZuLuLu]

And I feel like that short scene with Miles trying to stop the mugging kind of proves the flaw with it. Even if it were a trap, are they all expected to just turn a blind eye to something happening in front of them if they can't get their adult supervisor to arrive on the scene to monitor them first? :P

Exactly, there is nothing wrong with these kids having some adult supervision, but the question becomes are they ever allowed to do superhero acts when they are not being directly supervised. Are the adult superheroes liable for actions of their mentees when they are not with them?

[Frontier]

It does make me wonder how strict the mentor guidelines are.

Like, do they need to be approved by CRADLE and the government? Do secret identities discount them from mentorship? Are they expected to be out with their mentee 24/7 or is there a set approved time limit for interaction? Can the mentee not go out on patrol unsupervised or act without their mentor (this is probably the case)?

I guess I can see how some of the Champions are screwed even when they have adult, quasi-mentor, figures in their lives. Like Rich is barely on Earth to be able to mentor Sam, Carol has too much going on to mentor Kamala in a serious capacity (and Hazmat is her current sidekick), Peter's too hands-off with Miles because he never needed a serious adult mentor, and it seems like Tony only has time to video chat with Riri once a week at most.

Nadia was probably in the best situation and she still got arrested because she wouldn't abandon her team.

[skyvolt2000]

My thoughts:

spoilers:

I admit while reading the response against the law and CRADLE I got a "dirty, rotten, adult" vibes. Kamala still hasn't let go of Civil War II even though she and the teen trinity actually joined the adult heroes on one side. Doesn't that arguably make her as complicit? Props to Miles for actually trying to look at things fairly instead of going for an "us against them mentality." Kamala was so righteous but she wasn't expecting Miles to admit that the other side actually had a point. So Joaquin got an out instead of Rayshaun. I doubt Sam had a choice, but it's kind of noticeable that he ended up with the other Falcon instead of his second protege. Is it true all the "major ones" have protege's? I mean, I guess Carol has Kamala, Tony has RiRi, I don't know if Peter "officially" has Miles or anyone, but I don't think Steve, Thor, or Black Panther have anybody. I feel like the mentorship program wouldn't be such a big deal if these kids weren't likely to balk at the idea of an adult telling them what to do. And don't diss D-Man Starling . Oh hey, Could-9 ! I was right about Nadia getting caught. You'd think she would be hard to capture, but she never struck me as being the type who could live as a fugitive on the run from the law, so maybe it's for the best. I'm guessing they'll hold her for aiding and abetting the other fugitive Champions. I wonder what Bombshell being in custody means for her talking to reporters on the cover of that issue. Does she turn around and "drink the cool aid?"

end of spoilers

The from Wakanda did have one back in Fantastic Force.

I am sure Steve would take Sam's buddy.

Just read it. First of all this NEEDS to be an ongoing for me

Marvel keeps selling it as an ongoing in the subscriptions webpage.

[Digifiend]

It does make me wonder how strict the mentor guidelines are.

Like, do they need to be approved by CRADLE and the government? Do secret identities discount them from mentorship? Are they expected to be out with their mentee 24/7 or is there a set approved time limit for interaction? Can the mentee not go out on patrol unsupervised or act without their mentor (this is probably the case)?

I guess I can see how some of the Champions are screwed even when they have adult, quasi-mentor, figures in their lives. Like Rich is barely on Earth to be able to mentor Sam, Carol has too much going on to mentor Kamala in a serious capacity (and Hazmat is her current sidekick), Peter's too hands-off with Miles because he never needed a serious adult mentor, and it seems like Tony only has time to video chat with Riri once a week at most.

Nadia was probably in the best situation and she still got arrested because she wouldn't abandon her team.

Speaking of which, what about her OTHER team - G.I.R.L. Nadia wasn't the only member who had powers, so it's surprising there wasn't a CRADLE squad storming their base at Pym Labs before the Champions meeting that got her apprehended. Do the goons get scared when there's the potential for adult superheroes to be there (Janet and Mockingbird)? Though that didn't stop them attacking the West Coast Avengers HQ at the end of the Outlawed one-shot - bearing in mind that while mostly a teen team, Clint Barton was a member.

Also, some of the kids without secret identities can't even go home - such as Moon Girl, whose home was raided at the end of the one-shot (which took some gall, considering that the Fantastic Four are neighbours of hers). What are the Champions doing in that situation? Lunella does have a secret HQ, but I bet CRADLE are on the look out for Devil Dinosaur, and the big red guy would almost certainly get her caught.

[OopsIdiditagain]

This Champions outlawed event is actually pretty good. Why is Squirrel Girl there though? She's an adult. They way they draw Amadeus I keep thinking he's in his 20s

[CrimsonEchidna]

This Champions outlawed event is actually pretty good. Why is Squirrel Girl there though? She's an adult. They way they draw Amadeus I keep thinking he's in his 20s

I think Dorleen is one of those characters Marvel has quietly deaged, especially after her TPBs took off with yougner readers

[Huntsman Spider]

This Champions outlawed event is actually pretty good. Why is Squirrel Girl there though? She's an adult. They way they draw Amadeus I keep thinking he's in his 20s

College-aged, but still under 21, so the law still applies to her. Same with (Ghost-)Spider-Gwen, and a number of the Young Avengers.

[Digifiend]

I think we can assume that the Future Foundation comes home between Champions #1 and Power Pack #1, considering only Jack and Katie were with the Champions and not Alex and Julie. That'd explain why they've not shown up in Fantastic Four yet since the Future Foundation book ended.

The Power Pack solicits mention them looking for a mentor, so the line about all the good ones being taken doesn't make sense - there doesn't seem to be a limit of one mentee per mentor.

[Frontier]

I think we can assume that the Future Foundation comes home between Champions #1 and Power Pack #1, considering only Jack and Katie were with the Champions and not Alex and Julie. That'd explain why they've not shown up in Fantastic Four yet since the Future Foundation book ended.

The Power Pack solicits mention them looking for a mentor, so the line about all the good ones being taken doesn't make sense - there doesn't seem to be a limit of one mentee per mentor.

Well, the Pack end up with a new hero after looking around for mentors, so it seems like it's harder to snag a mentor than it seems...

[Dylan Davison]

I thought it was a fantastic first issue. I really hope this isn't a miniseries anymore. The art was beautiful and the writing was great. Hard to judge writing in the first issue. I'm really digging this Outlawed story line. I just wish it had a bigger push from Marvel.

[Digifiend]

https://www.cbr.com/champions-1-2020-review/