Young Avengers Appreciation 2022

[Journey]

I know it's not a big deal cause no other YA has appeared in the event but it's crazy to think about how Judgment Day is happening the whole earth about to be destroyed & Billy & Teddy just chilling on they thrones.

[Waking Replica]

Two covers for Billy and Teddy's Unlimited comic are out! Part 1 comes out November 24, and Part 2 on December 1!!

https://www.marvel.com/comics/issue/..._comic_2022_25

https://www.marvel.com/comics/issue/..._comic_2022_26

[Journey]

Two covers for Billy and Teddy's Unlimited comic are out! Part 1 comes out November 24, and Part 2 on December 1!!

https://www.marvel.com/comics/issue/..._comic_2022_25

https://www.marvel.com/comics/issue/..._comic_2022_26

Finally a date we been waiting shit. 1st 1 classic B & T kiss the second IDK either Demiurge BS or Billy's pissed 1 of the 2

[Drops Of Venus]

MCU fans and their “Skaar will replace Hulkling in the MCU” theories are pissing me off. Not just because that idea sucks, but because there is really no basis for anyone to think that other than their obsession with the idea of any young person becoming a part of the team in the MCU. They did the same shit with Lila Barton back when Avengers: Endgame came out, acting like she HAD to be the new Hawkeye in the MCU instead of Kate, and guess who the MCU decided to go with? Yeah, the actual Hawkeye from the comics instead of a totally unrelated character. Imagine that.

I just hope shit about the Agatha show starts leaking soon so we can put an end to this noise already.

Two covers for Billy and Teddy's Unlimited comic are out! Part 1 comes out November 24, and Part 2 on December 1!!

https://www.marvel.com/comics/issue/..._comic_2022_25

https://www.marvel.com/comics/issue/..._comic_2022_26

Well, finally some news about that! Better late than never.

[ComicNoobie]

They better not replace Hulkling with Skaar. I'll be so angry if they do. How can you compare the awesome king of space and emperor of the Kree/Skrull alliance to A Hulk with daddy issues? In a perfect world the Young Avengers would resemble their true team. But given how the Avengers and Thunderbolts have different starting teams I'm not expecting the Young Avengers to get special treatment, though I'd love it. But no Skaar on my YA team please.

[Ibara]

MCU fans and their “Skaar will replace Hulkling in the MCU” theories are pissing me off. Not just because that idea sucks, but because there is really no basis for anyone to think that other than their obsession with the idea of any young person becoming a part of the team in the MCU. They did the same shit with Lila Barton back when Avengers: Endgame came out, acting like she HAD to be the new Hawkeye in the MCU instead of Kate, and guess who the MCU decided to go with? Yeah, the actual Hawkeye from the comics instead of a totally unrelated character. Imagine that.

I just hope shit about the Agatha show starts leaking soon so we can put an end to this noise already.

Yes. So much this.

Warning. Hot take and rant below.





I don't like the current state of Teddy. He is in desperate need of a shakeup and an update (imo). His codename, his status, his powers, his stories all need to change. I have long loathed his proximity to the Hulk family, not out of any negative feelings for them, but rather out of fear/expectation of the scenario unfolding now. Why is he called Hulkling still? Aside from being a horrible codename, it only creates unnecessary confusion. He isn't (and shouldn't be) included in Hulk family stories and is perennially excluded from Marvel family ones. Now we have the twitter gaggle chomping at the bit after seeing some green 15-going-on-50 troll doll (explicitly called Skaar!) pop up on screen and clamoring that, 'that's our MCU Hulkling!'

The frustrating bit is, I get it. They see a young Hulk proxy and think Hulkling. And as it stands he makes more narrative sense for an MCU Young Avengers than plopping Teddy into Agatha's CoC. Every potential YA so far has a connection to an Avenging mainstay (or otherwise). Kate with Clint, Cassie and her dad, the twins in WandaVision, Eli with FalCap, and likely Kang shenanigans for Nate/Jonas. Kamala is the young stand-in for the Marvel family, Mar-Vell never made an impact in the MCU, and the Kree/Skrull conflict is likely still unfamiliar to the casual MCU fan. I'm hoping Secret Invasion will change that, but as it stands there currently isn't a strong tether to introduce Teddy with. That being said, I'd take introducing him as a rando and filling in his backstory later, over Skaar as a Young Avenger any day.

On the comics side, I'm just not a fan of Teddy's 'Queen Elizabeth' era. Is it possible to tell some interesting space opera 'House of the Dragon'-esque stories here? Sure. Thing is it isn't happening and isn't likely to happen either. He's stuck in the cosmic attic and trapped Billy with him. While I'm happy to see their story continued in their upcoming web series, I don't have any expectations aside from it being 'cute'. My preference would be for him to abdicate the throne (and creating a council/senate), finally realizing he's incredibly out of his depth. Allow him to contribute to the unification as a hero, providing him equal opportunity for some cosmic romps and more basic earth fare. Next, make him 'not green' I'll take any other color (except red) at this point. Have him discover that his hybrid nature provides a unique interaction with the negabands, allowing him to create and manipulate cosmic armaments alongside his shapeshifting abilities. Make use of his shapeshifting to alter his look more distinctly - I'd like to see a demon/seraph hybrid look personally. Lastly and most importantly a new official codename.

[Journey]

The problem with Teddy is his status now would be his "Endgame" status he's at that point where say this was a book finally getting the throne & uniting the Kingdom with his Prince Consort is his HEA. Only problem is this is a comic not a book so it's not sustaining but there is room for story I personally would have had Teddy harden a lil bit after all the attacks on his Empire make him more kingly & less believe & all shall suceed!!! Cause his kingdom doesn't need to end look at T'Challa & Wakanda he's been king for decades & manages well so I don't think Teddy should abdicate the throne cause that's his legacy to throw that away would be stupid. Shit I'm here for a monarchy we just need to see more of it.

Also MCU wise you just can't do Billy without Teddy you literally can't I'm not worried in the slightest about that.

[Waking Replica]

I don't like the current state of Teddy. He is in desperate need of a shakeup and an update (imo). His codename, his status, his powers, his stories all need to change. I have long loathed his proximity to the Hulk family, not out of any negative feelings for them, but rather out of fear/expectation of the scenario unfolding now. Why is he called Hulkling still? Aside from being a horrible codename, it only creates unnecessary confusion. He isn't (and shouldn't be) included in Hulk family stories and is perennially excluded from Marvel family ones. Now we have the twitter gaggle chomping at the bit after seeing some green 15-going-on-50 troll doll (explicitly called Skaar!) pop up on screen and clamoring that, 'that's our MCU Hulkling!'

The frustrating bit is, I get it. They see a young Hulk proxy and think Hulkling. And as it stands he makes more narrative sense for an MCU Young Avengers than plopping Teddy into Agatha's CoC. Every potential YA so far has a connection to an Avenging mainstay (or otherwise). Kate with Clint, Cassie and her dad, the twins in WandaVision, Eli with FalCap, and likely Kang shenanigans for Nate/Jonas. Kamala is the young stand-in for the Marvel family, Mar-Vell never made an impact in the MCU, and the Kree/Skrull conflict is likely still unfamiliar to the casual MCU fan. I'm hoping Secret Invasion will change that, but as it stands there currently isn't a strong tether to introduce Teddy with. That being said, I'd take introducing him as a rando and filling in his backstory later, over Skaar as a Young Avenger any day.

On the comics side, I'm just not a fan of Teddy's 'Queen Elizabeth' era. Is it possible to tell some interesting space opera 'House of the Dragon'-esque stories here? Sure. Thing is it isn't happening and isn't likely to happen either. He's stuck in the cosmic attic and trapped Billy with him. While I'm happy to see their story continued in their upcoming web series, I don't have any expectations aside from it being 'cute'. My preference would be for him to abdicate the throne (and creating a council/senate), finally realizing he's incredibly out of his depth. Allow him to contribute to the unification as a hero, providing him equal opportunity for some cosmic romps and more basic earth fare. Next, make him 'not green' I'll take any other color (except red) at this point. Have him discover that his hybrid nature provides a unique interaction with the negabands, allowing him to create and manipulate cosmic armaments alongside his shapeshifting abilities. Make use of his shapeshifting to alter his look more distinctly - I'd like to see a demon/seraph hybrid look personally. Lastly and most importantly a new official codename.

I think a big part of the issue on the comics side is that Marvel seems to not be invested in the cosmic side unless it's an extension of another franchise like Xmen Red and Venom when Ewing writes it. Even the upcoming GOTG is probably only coming out to synergize with the movie, not because they actually want to do something with the property. Remember when Al Ewing was supposed to be the "Cosmic Hickman", and run space? Then the x-office poached him and now he has to do triple duty, balancing xmen space stuff and Venom space stuff, with GOTG and the purely cosmic stuff (where I'd say Teddy and Billy were meant to thrive in) falling down his priority list.

And they won't let anyone play in that sandbox unless it's a nostalgia grab like the Genis book or something to do with Silver Surfer. Like, we literally have Anthony, and love his work or hate it, Josh Trujillo, ready and willing to pick up the slack, but Marvel is too scared of them flopping to give them an actual book and relegating their work to Unlimited.

With regards to the state of Teddy's character, I partially agree. We seem to be getting new outfits at the very least, so that's something changing. I fully expect them to stick with Hulkling tho. I know, I know, it sucks, but like, we saw what happened to America. Comics thought they could get ahead of the MCU, made changes, and are now stuck with an origin that they didn't need to change. I forsee the same thing with Teddy. Sure the MCU is known for changes, but he's known as Hulkling. That's his brand, and with his apparent debut in Agatha, I can see them sticking with what's simplest: the name he's always had if they have him suit up in it. Changing his name this close to his supposed MCU debut probably wouldn't work well logistically, especially if it's completely brand new, and not a former name like how they changed Monica's name recently.

Speaking of, your point about Teddy not having a tether in the MCU, I think it's rather obvious: It's Billy. There has to be a reason why he's not debuting in Secret Invasion, The Marvel's, literally even Ms. Marvel, but he's showing up with Billy (already seemingly a couple based on that casting info) in Agatha.

Marvel isn't dumb, they probably see how LGBT+ YA media like Heartstopper, Do Revenge, or to a lesser degree Stranger Things with the way that fandom acts, perform with certain audiences. They're probably gearing up to make Billy and Teddy the way they are in the comics; the show poney gay couple that gets a special shout-out every Pride and gets a special thing at Disneyland during June. Obviously, they're going to get stories and character work, but the writing is on the walls for what they will most likely do with them. They're a corporation, and they know how to get bare minimum diversity points. It's icky, but that's the world we live in.

[ComicNoobie]

Yes. So much this.

Warning. Hot take and rant below.





I don't like the current state of Teddy. He is in desperate need of a shakeup and an update (imo). His codename, his status, his powers, his stories all need to change. I have long loathed his proximity to the Hulk family, not out of any negative feelings for them, but rather out of fear/expectation of the scenario unfolding now. Why is he called Hulkling still? Aside from being a horrible codename, it only creates unnecessary confusion. He isn't (and shouldn't be) included in Hulk family stories and is perennially excluded from Marvel family ones. Now we have the twitter gaggle chomping at the bit after seeing some green 15-going-on-50 troll doll (explicitly called Skaar!) pop up on screen and clamoring that, 'that's our MCU Hulkling!'

The frustrating bit is, I get it. They see a young Hulk proxy and think Hulkling. And as it stands he makes more narrative sense for an MCU Young Avengers than plopping Teddy into Agatha's CoC. Every potential YA so far has a connection to an Avenging mainstay (or otherwise). Kate with Clint, Cassie and her dad, the twins in WandaVision, Eli with FalCap, and likely Kang shenanigans for Nate/Jonas. Kamala is the young stand-in for the Marvel family, Mar-Vell never made an impact in the MCU, and the Kree/Skrull conflict is likely still unfamiliar to the casual MCU fan. I'm hoping Secret Invasion will change that, but as it stands there currently isn't a strong tether to introduce Teddy with. That being said, I'd take introducing him as a rando and filling in his backstory later, over Skaar as a Young Avenger any day.

On the comics side, I'm just not a fan of Teddy's 'Queen Elizabeth' era. Is it possible to tell some interesting space opera 'House of the Dragon'-esque stories here? Sure. Thing is it isn't happening and isn't likely to happen either. He's stuck in the cosmic attic and trapped Billy with him. While I'm happy to see their story continued in their upcoming web series, I don't have any expectations aside from it being 'cute'. My preference would be for him to abdicate the throne (and creating a council/senate), finally realizing he's incredibly out of his depth. Allow him to contribute to the unification as a hero, providing him equal opportunity for some cosmic romps and more basic earth fare. Next, make him 'not green' I'll take any other color (except red) at this point. Have him discover that his hybrid nature provides a unique interaction with the negabands, allowing him to create and manipulate cosmic armaments alongside his shapeshifting abilities. Make use of his shapeshifting to alter his look more distinctly - I'd like to see a demon/seraph hybrid look personally. Lastly and most importantly a new official codename.

For years I've wanted Teddy to leave the name "Hulkling" behind. He should have retired it after learning about his Kree/Skrull heritage. He is not truly a Hulk family character. That was the twist of Hulkling, and I loved the reveal. By keeping the Hulkling name it confuses new audience members and those who don't know about Teddy and just assume he's another Hulk. It's such a shame because I feel Teddy is so much more unique then that. He should be part of the Mar-Vell family and connected to those stories. I can't see that happening in the MCU for the reasons already mentioned.

And yeah, for the moment Skaar makes more sense for MCU Young Avengers and I hate it! I honestly don't know how much I'm going to like MCU Young Avengers. Call me a stickler for the classics but I wanted my OG Young Avengers represented in the films. All I can do is hope for Teddy to still appear, but this is where the "Hulkling" brand is gonna hurt him. Billy is likely going to transition right into Wiccan, bypassing Asgardian completely with maybe a small lightning nod to it. Eli has potential two Caps to influence him in the MCU. His grandfather and Sam Wilson. Cassie, like Billy, is probably going to bypass Stature and go right to Stinger, but ultimately this one is okay because Stinger/Stature have the same grow/shrink powerset, and as Stinger she can control bugs. And Iron Lad can easily be done with all the Kang variants. It's Teddy who I'm worried for. We'll have to wait and see what they do.

[Ibara]

I think a big part of the issue on the comics side is that Marvel seems to not be invested in the cosmic side unless it's an extension of another franchise like Xmen Red and Venom when Ewing writes it. Even the upcoming GOTG is probably only coming out to synergize with the movie, not because they actually want to do something with the property. Remember when Al Ewing was supposed to be the "Cosmic Hickman", and run space? Then the x-office poached him and now he has to do triple duty, balancing xmen space stuff and Venom space stuff, with GOTG and the purely cosmic stuff (where I'd say Teddy and Billy were meant to thrive in) falling down his priority list.

And they won't let anyone play in that sandbox unless it's a nostalgia grab like the Genis book or something to do with Silver Surfer. Like, we literally have Anthony, and love his work or hate it, Josh Trujillo, ready and willing to pick up the slack, but Marvel is too scared of them flopping to give them an actual book and relegating their work to Unlimited.

With regards to the state of Teddy's character, I partially agree. We seem to be getting new outfits at the very least, so that's something changing. I fully expect them to stick with Hulkling tho. I know, I know, it sucks, but like, we saw what happened to America. Comics thought they could get ahead of the MCU, made changes, and are now stuck with an origin that they didn't need to change. I forsee the same thing with Teddy. Sure the MCU is known for changes, but he's known as Hulkling. That's his brand, and with his apparent debut in Agatha, I can see them sticking with what's simplest: the name he's always had if they have him suit up in it. Changing his name this close to his supposed MCU debut probably wouldn't work well logistically, especially if it's completely brand new, and not a former name like how they changed Monica's name recently.

Speaking of, your point about Teddy not having a tether in the MCU, I think it's rather obvious: It's Billy. There has to be a reason why he's not debuting in Secret Invasion, The Marvel's, literally even Ms. Marvel, but he's showing up with Billy (already seemingly a couple based on that casting info) in Agatha.

Marvel isn't dumb, they probably see how LGBT+ YA media like Heartstopper, Do Revenge, or to a lesser degree Stranger Things with the way that fandom acts, perform with certain audiences. They're probably gearing up to make Billy and Teddy the way they are in the comics; the show poney gay couple that gets a special shout-out every Pride and gets a special thing at Disneyland during June. Obviously, they're going to get stories and character work, but the writing is on the walls for what they will most likely do with them. They're a corporation, and they know how to get bare minimum diversity points. It's icky, but that's the world we live in.

The comics have never been able to properly align with the MCU and they shouldn't. Updating Teddy, evolving him beyond 'Hulkling' would just be a progression of his story. It wouldn't complicate his origin in any way so I don't really see the problem there.

While I'm happy to cede Marvel to their greed and let them take the Heartstopper blueprint. You can never overestimate corporate stupidity, especially when it comes to storytelling they're not invested in (see any woman in the MCU sans maybe Captain Marvel) and young queer romance is something I think the Disney/Marvel brand will struggle over. I just hope HulkKing isn't our Hulkling and that Skaar gets shunted off back to Sakaar sooner rather than later.

The potential problem with making Billy, Teddy's sole tether is that they can preserve their relationship at the cost of the rest of his backstory. The 'boyfriend' can just be Skaar, who Bruce enrolled in school on Earth and takes on the name Theodore. He wouldn't be Kree/Skrull but some Hulk/Human/Alien hybrid. It's the 'easy' route at the moment and gaining traction from many MCU fans too. I hope beyond hope that isn't the case, but unfortunately they've introduced a seemingly teenage 'Hulk'-(young)ling in the MCU.

[Ibara]

For years I've wanted Teddy to leave the name "Hulkling" behind. He should have retired it after learning about his Kree/Skrull heritage. He is not truly a Hulk family character. That was the twist of Hulkling, and I loved the reveal. By keeping the Hulkling name it confuses new audience members and those who don't know about Teddy and just assume he's another Hulk. It's such a shame because I feel Teddy is so much more unique then that. He should be part of the Mar-Vell family and connected to those stories. I can't see that happening in the MCU for the reasons already mentioned.

And yeah, for the moment Skaar makes more sense for MCU Young Avengers and I hate it! I honestly don't know how much I'm going to like MCU Young Avengers. Call me a stickler for the classics but I wanted my OG Young Avengers represented in the films. All I can do is hope for Teddy to still appear, but this is where the "Hulkling" brand is gonna hurt him. Billy is likely going to transition right into Wiccan, bypassing Asgardian completely with maybe a small lightning nod to it. Eli has potential two Caps to influence him in the MCU. His grandfather and Sam Wilson. Cassie, like Billy, is probably going to bypass Stature and go right to Stinger, but ultimately this one is okay because Stinger/Stature have the same grow/shrink powerset, and as Stinger she can control bugs. And Iron Lad can easily be done with all the Kang variants. It's Teddy who I'm worried for. We'll have to wait and see what they do.

I agree. Here's to hoping Feige's gone full 5head here. She-Hulk was about exploring and subverting tropes and expectations. Maybe Skaar is the alias, Teddy is on the run using Bruce as a misdirect and he's just a Kree/Skrull prince in hiding. Might be a nice way to surprise the fans while still meeting expectations. Who knows, I'm just going to enter copium-mode.

[ComicNoobie]

I agree. Here's to hoping Feige's gone full 5head here. She-Hulk was about exploring and subverting tropes and expectations. Maybe Skaar is the alias, Teddy is on the run using Bruce as a misdirect and he's just a Kree/Skrull prince in hiding. Might be a nice way to surprise the fans while still meeting expectations. Who knows, I'm just going to enter copium-mode.

All we can do is hope. The MCU does it's own thing. It's unlikely they are going to do the classic twist with the Thunderbolts team for example. I just hope Skaar stays with Banner's personal story or joins a Dark Avengers or something, staying away from the Young Avengers. But it's hard to ignore things like Tony Stark's daughter, Thor's adoptive daughter, and now Bruce Banner's son. And then spoilers:

the possibilities of a T'challa Jr.

end of spoilers again I just want my OG Young Avengers. They are my team, and they are the ones I geek out over whenever one appears in a MCU project. But it's unlikely they'll split Young Avengers and Champions up and just make them one teen group.

[Sutekh]

The problem with Teddy is his status now would be his "Endgame" status he's at that point where say this was a book finally getting the throne & uniting the Kingdom with his Prince Consort is his HEA.

The go-to story for rulers like Namor, 'King Thor', Tchalla or Doom, or even corporate CEOs like Iron Man, seems to be them getting toppled from their throne / have their company hostile-y taken over. Writers seem to have zero ability to write stories about a leader-type *being a leader.* It's all 'earns the crown' or 'loses the crown.'

And that's super-stale. I'm not 100% thrilled with Teddy getting this fast promotion to 'King of Space,' and some of it, particularly involving the sword and prophecy, feels a touch unearned (since, given a choice, back in Young Avengers own book, he straight up refused to go be Dorrek the Whateverth, and let Klrt pretend to be him and take on the role), but it is what it is, and I'd rather see it carry forward and deal with the adventures of King Teddy, than go to the tired and boring and seemingly inevitable 'X loses every development the new writer doesn't remember from his childhood and goes back to live in his aunt's attic' story arc.

Plus I'd like to see some real exploration of his abilities. We've seen *for years* his Skrull shapeshifting, but other than once, years ago, saying that he didn't have super-strength (or, at least, not enough to rip a bank vault-sized door in Avengers Mansion off it's hinges...), we haven't seen jack or shit of his legacy from Mar-Vell.

Does he have super-strength, and if so, how much? Is he solar-powered, like Mar-Vell was, and perhaps even stronger outside of Earth's atmosphere, with more access to cosmic radiation from the stars (unfiltered by Earth's magnetic field / ionosphere)?

Any cosmic awareness? (Which shouldn't just be inherited, it should be earned, IMO, and there's a story arc waiting to happen, Eon or whomever deciding whether or not he is worthy of his dad's cosmic awareness, maybe some sort of worthiness-proving quest or mission being involved, or Teddy throwing his hand up and saying, 'nah, made it this far without, and if you *need* me to have it, you'll grant it without the jumping-through-hoops entrance exam, talking space-tree-face-dude').

Flight? Maybe just enough flight to let those dinky ridiculous wings he shapeshifts do something other than flap uselessly behind him as he plummets to the ground?

[Drops Of Venus]

The potential problem with making Billy, Teddy's sole tether is that they can preserve their relationship at the cost of the rest of his backstory. The 'boyfriend' can just be Skaar, who Bruce enrolled in school on Earth and takes on the name Theodore. He wouldn't be Kree/Skrull but some Hulk/Human/Alien hybrid. It's the 'easy' route at the moment and gaining traction from many MCU fans too. I hope beyond hope that isn't the case, but unfortunately they've introduced a seemingly teenage 'Hulk'-(young)ling in the MCU.

I agree. Here's to hoping Feige's gone full 5head here. She-Hulk was about exploring and subverting tropes and expectations. Maybe Skaar is the alias, Teddy is on the run using Bruce as a misdirect and he's just a Kree/Skrull prince in hiding. Might be a nice way to surprise the fans while still meeting expectations. Who knows, I'm just going to enter copium-mode.

With the information we have right now, I don't think the idea that the character that they introduced on She-Hulk would turn out to be Hulkling in any way even makes sense. They would not have been casting for Teddy THIS YEAR if they had already decided that She-Hulk would be his introduction in the MCU. And it's not even a case of them just doing CGI and deciding to cast someone later, because they did actually cast an actor for Skaar (Wil Deusner), so that means they had to make that decision long before the ''Patrick'' casting call was even out. As it stands, Teddy and Skaar just do not seem to be the same character in the MCU.

Of course, the one counter argument here is that maybe Patrick is not Teddy, but it's not like there are so many other gay jocks with a boyfriend connected to Agatha Harkness for them to be choosing from. We've had leakers/insiders teasing Wiccan and Hulkling coming to the MCU around the same time those casting calls were out, too. Right now, I'd say it's more likely they are Billy and Teddy than not, so I'm not even gonna entertain the idea that Skaar will have any connection to the MCU Young Avengers until I see evidence of that.

[Digifiend]

But it's unlikely they'll split Young Avengers and Champions up and just make them one teen group.

I assume you meant likely there. No way they have two teen teams at the same time in the MCU. It's viable in the comics (New Warriors and Young Avengers co-existed, though neither have had a print series since Champions launched - and DC have run Titans and either Young Justice or Teen Titans at the same time), but not in the MCU, even with Disney+. As such, yeah, it is possible that they use Kamala, Riri and Skaar instead of some of the actual YAs from the comics. I'd rather see Ms. Marvel just get a season 2 of her own show, and the same thing should happen with Ironheart, whose show hasn't started yet (they are both in movies at least). Maybe Skaar will feature in a long awaited Incredible Hulk 2 movie?