Thoughts on the Current Roster
by Mike McDermott

On the eve of a new Avengers line-up, let's take the time to look back at our current roster, and see what these characters have been up to how far things have come over the past two years.

CAPTAIN AMERICA:
Cap has suffered from the same problem that hits most characters who star in their own series and a team book at the same time. Main creative control belongs to the solo book, so the team book can't really do too much with the character. However, since Cap is team leader, he does get a fair bit to do, even if he doesn't get a lot of character development. Unfortunately, this has not been one of Cap's better stints as chairman. His personal concerns disrupted his ability to lead the team, causing him to make a number of bad calls, from his handling of Warbird's problems, to jumping to the wrong conclusion about Hawkeye and the Thunderbolts, and even ignoring Wanda when she was trying to tell him a vital piece of tactical information in issue 14. However, after Wanda brought this problem to his attention in issue 15, Cap got his act together and has proven once again why he is one of the Avengers' all time greatest leaders. That being said, I'm not too disappointed that he is leaving. I like Cap, but he has his own book, let someone else have a shot at the spotlight.

IRON MAN:
Since Kurt Busiek was writting both Iron Man and Avengers, Tony didn't suffer from the same problem as Cap and Thor. He has been a vital and integral member of the team, and those days of his arrogant grandstanding seem to be long gone. I think one the best things done with Tony in the past two years were in issues 12 and 13. Tony was badly injured, he couldn't be Iron Man, but he is still participating as an Avenger from his bed. Since Tony does have his own book, I won't be too disappointed if he goes, but I hope he stays.

THOR:
Thor is always a character whom I've had a love/hate relationship with, but I don't have a single complaint against him this time. His tendency towards arrogance has been well handled and has not come across as insulting but instead has given us some comic relief, or has made his character more inspiring. However, with everything that is going on in his own book, I think Thor would be well advised to step down to reserve status and get his life in order.

SCARLET WITCH:
Wanda is a character who seems to constantly be in flux. Her powers, personality and history seem to change back and forth every couple of years. With this run however, any "changes" that have been made are logical extensions of what has already been established. Wanda seems a lot stronger and more stable than she has in years, and I'm thrilled. She is also not being limited to a single subplot, she has her developing powers, her romance with Simon, her role as deputy leader and her relationship with Vision. I also really liked the scene in #22 where she accidentally makes Ultron more powerful. It helps to show that Wanda is not infallible and to defuse reader concerns that perhaps Wanda is becoming TOO powerful. Wanda is once again a whole person, and I hope she stays on the roster for quite a while. It has been a long time since I've found Wanda this interesting.

VISION:
Vizh has had his life flipped around about as much as Wanda has, but finally, he is back on track. His personality has been restored, and his origin has been reclarified. And, he has been through an emotional wringer in the past 23 issues! Even though Vizh hasn't got much of the spotlight, he has had a very powerful emotional arc over the past two years. And when he has been given more screentime (issues 12, 22 and 23) he steals the show. His role as an Avenger though, has been less successful. He spent the first year out of action due to severe injuries, and when he came back, he never seemed to be quite the powerhouse that he used to be. Though he is currently on a leave of absence, I hope that the Vision remains a part of the book, and finds his way back to the team before too long.

FIRESTAR:
Angel has come a long way, from a reluctant member, who didn't really want to be there and who was afraid of her powers, to an enthusiastic Avenger, willing to give her all for the team. She really shone in the recent Ulron saga. I have enjoyed watching Angel develop as an Avenger, and I hope she stays with the team.

JUSTICE:
I have always loved this character and was very pleasantly surprised when his dream of becoming an Avenger came true. Although his "stage fright" arc has not portrayed him very favourbly to a number of readers, I think it was a necessary and realistic storyline and I thought it was very well handled. Now that his confidence has been restored, he needs to stay with the team and be the excellent Avenger that he has the potential to be. I also hope that his relationship with Angel will be further developed now that his other subplot has been resolved.

All in all, I think that this roster has been great, and I eagerly await the new roster. Avengers Assemble!