Dave Totally Gets The Avengers

Dave "The Wave" Campbell has posted his Ultimate Avengers Lineup.

His lineup is pretty spot on. I can't argue with most of it. But that's not the point.

"You have to have Cap, or it's not The Avengers. As a matter of fact, in order for it to be a valid Avengers roster, it also has to include either Iron Man or Thor as well." --- Dave Campbell

See that right there? That statement right there is one of Chris' 3 Guiding Principles of the Avengers. Dave gets it. Those three dudes ARE the Avengers for me, and not just because when I was devouring Avengers comics as a kid those 3 were front and center. Well, maybe. But hear me out.








Cap represents the military everyman, the regular joe (his name is Steve Rogers, fer cryin' out loud, the most milquetoast name in the Marvel U, Rick Jones notwithstanding because he's a choad). Captain America is the blue-collar embodiment of regular dudes who slam evil. Cap's the reason the Avengers get called to take down paramilitary forces like Hydra, or AIM, or PETA (I keed! I keed!). Sure, he had a little Super Soldier Serum to help him out, but it's not like it gave him wings or laser beams or the power to wipe out all the mutants on Earth. He's a dude with a shield, some military training, and some steroids. He's a reminder that when it comes right down to it, we can all throw a punch, or, at the very least, join the Army.

(Although I'd give my right eye for that shield, man. That thing is wiz.)






Iron Man represents technology and man's struggle to control it. This is especially easy when you're a billionaire genius, so Tony Stark left the Everyman station miles back. Iron Man is evidence that sometimes you've gotta bring a howitzer to a knife fight, and that when it all comes down to it, a repulsor beam in the hand is worth two spider bites in the bush.

(No, that's not a euphemism. But my God, the possibilities.)

Iron Man is the guy you want on your side when Ultron parks in Times Square. Iron Man is the first one you should call if you ever see the headline, "Reed Richards To Unveil Untested New Space/Time Portal In Area Man's Backyard". Iron Man has mad tech skillz and a gazillion dollars. He's the Avengers' sugar daddy.




Thor --- well, look at the guy. He's got a winged helmet, a shit-hot hammer, and he's a freaking GOD. So Thor is on tap to handle mystical, spiritual, and alien threats, including but not limited to:

• Vengeful gods
• Demonic possessions
• Skrulls
• Anyone who happens to get in the way of the shit-hot hammer

You get the picture. Thor is one bad mutha.

Add to that the fact that he won't ever (really) die. Add to that the fact that his homies are the Norse pantheon of Gods. Add to that the fact that his hammer has a name. Dude! Mjolnir? If there's one thing I know (shaddup), it's that naming your weapon makes you that much tougher. (Unless, you know, you name it something like "Mr. Fluffy Pants". In which case you should probably get out of the hero biz altogether.) Thor is also the Avenger who goes to the trouble of philosophizing when they're about to do something morally questionable, which tends to make writers portray him as an arrogant prick.

Which, of course, he is.

So when I think Avengers, I think these three. The others may come and go --- and be perfectly entertaining --- , but the Avengers have always had a body (Cap), mind (Tony) and soul (Thor).

I think Dave gets that.

He also gets that Vision sucks, which is also 100 percent correct.