Earth's Mightiest Annotations
by Sean McQuaid
Supplemental: The New Warriors

A heroic super-team composed of youthful adventurers in their teens and
early twenties, the NEW WARRIORS are regarded as the next generation of
super-heroes, a sort of junior counterpart to the Avengers. Four of the
Warriors--Rage, Darkhawk, Firestar and Justice--have served as Avengers
members to date (Darkhawk has been an infrequently active reservist with
both teams, while Rage started out as an Avenger but joined the Warriors
after the Avengers removed him from active duty upon discovering that he
was underage). A fifth Warrior, Speedball, once applied for Avengers
membership but was rejected.

     The Avengers and Warriors are friendly allies, despite some tensions
stemming from two unfortunate incidents: Rage, while still serving with the
Avengers, once helped the Warriors steal an Avengers quinjet for emergency
use; and Warriors member Hindsight illegally procured high-tech equipment
for the Warriors using embezzled Avengers funds (the Avengers forgave the
misdeed out of respect for the WarriorsĘ work, and donated the equipment to
the Warriors). Active members of the Warriors at last report included
Night Thrasher, Nova, Kymaera (a.k.a. Namorita), Speedball, Rage, Hindsight,
Turbo, Powerhouse [II] and reserve members Darkhawk and Dagger, though
Powerhouse was considering quitting the group and has not been seen with
them since. Former members of the New Warriors include Silhouette
(resigned), Bandit (resigned after serving on a single mission), Turbo [II]
(deceased), Scarlet Spider (deceased) and Timeslip (retired).

     The New Warriors debuted in Thor [v1] # 411-412 and subsequently
starred in their own series, which ran 75 issues before it ended. The New
Warriors and the Avengers first met just after the Warriors' formation in
New Warriors # 1 and have met on several more occasions since then,
sometimes teaming to battle a common foe. Avengers appearances of the New
Warriors include Avengers [v1] # 332-333 (Warriors members Nova, Speedball
and Namorita among the guests assembled at grand opening of new Avengers
headquarters) and Avengers [v1] # 341-342 (New Warriors [Night-Thrasher,
Marvel Boy [III], Firestar, Namorita & Silhouette] team with Avengers to
battle Sons of the Serpent & Hate-Monger [IV]; Warriors first meet Rage
and invite him to join their team after his removal from active Avengers
duty). The Warriors' more recent appearances include...

Thunderbolts # 1 (New Warriors [Night Thrasher, Kymaera, Speedball & Rage]
     among heroes restoring order in the wake of the Onslaught disaster;
     Warriors offer comments on the debut of the Thunderbolts)

Thunderbolts # 8 (New Warriors [Night-Thrasher, Nova, Justice, Firestar,
     Speedball, Rage & Darkhawk] team with Heroes for Hire, Thunderbolts
     and other heroes to battle the Elements of Doom)

Thunderbolts # 10 (New Warriors [Nova, Justice, Firestar & Turbo] among the
     heroes pursuing the fugitive Thunderbolts after the Thunderbolts
     were exposed as disguised Masters of Evil)

Avengers [v3] # 1-4 (New Warriors members Justice, Rage & Firestar battle
     Asgardian monsters unleashed by Morgan Le Fay; Justice, Rage,
     Firestar & Darkhawk team with Avengers to defeat Morgan Le Fay;
     Justice, Rage, Firestar & Darkhawk participate in Avengers'
     unsuccessful attempt to apprehend Whirlwind; Darkhawk declines
     active Avengers membership during Avengers roster reshuffling,
     and Rage returns to the New Warriors since he is still too young
     to serve with the Avengers; Justice and Firestar capture Whirlwind
     in an attempt to impress the Avengers; Hawkeye nominates Firestar
     & Justice for Avengers membership, and they are awarded membership
     by team leader Captain America)

Hawkeye: Earth's Mightiest Marksman # 1 (New Warriors [Night-Thrasher,
     Nova, Speedball & Rage] serve as backup on an Avengers case for
     Hawkeye, Justice & Firestar at the request of Firestar)