Avengers Assemble? part 5

What's that you say? You want to read the fifth in my series of blogs looking at which Avengers we might see in the upcoming movie? Oh, okay then. Let's start right now, with a character who should need no introduction.

Spider-Man (Peter Parker)
Joined: Avengers #314



Spidey first joined the Avengers during a fight against Nebula and the Stranger, two of the Avengers cosmic foes with the fate of all reality in the balance. However, the massively powerful enemies and universe threatening stakes were too much for Spidey, who at the time felt himself a more street level superhero, and he quit the team immediately after his first mission with them. Subsequently rejoining when Captain America invited him to be one of the New Avengers, Spider-Man has now amassed enough appearances to put him in the top twenty Avengers of all time, and with membership in two current Avengers teams, shows no sign of leaving the group any time soon. He won't be in the movie though. Sony still own the movie rights to Spidey, which means Marvels most popular character is one of the few who can't be a part of their shared universe beyond the odd oblique reference.

Stingray (Walter Newell)
Joined: Avengers #319



Stingray's an interesting character. His powers come from his specially constructed suit, which allows him to breathe underwater, survive in depths which would crush a normal human being and grants him a degree of super strength. But he didn't design it to be any sort of superhero. A marine biologist, Stingray designed his suit simply to aid in his research. Sure, when you have a suit like that and you come across Tiger Shark making mischief, then you would punch him on the nose, but despite fighting a number of aquatic based bad guys, and joining the Avengers, even giving them his artificial island to use as a base of operations at one point, Stingray still doesn't think of himself as a superhero. It's this aspect of the character that would make him a good choice to explore in a movie. If it ever does happen though, it's a long way off. He's just too obscure at the moment. If Namor ever gets a solo movie, Stingray may show up in that before crossing over into the Avengers, but that's a big if.

Rage (Elvin Halliday)
Joined: Avengers #329



The fun thing about Rage isn't that he was mutated by radioactive materials to become super strong, but that he was also a child at the time. The mutation aged his body, but inside, at the time of joining the Avengers, he was only thirteen. When Captain America found out Rage's real age, he reluctantly had to ask him to leave the Avengers, who, not wanting to put children in danger, had a strict rule about only letting adults join the team. Rage joined the New Warriors, a group of superpowered youths, instead, though he has still returned to help the Avengers out on occasion, and has been promised that he can rejoin the team full time when he's old enough. He won't be in the Avengers movie, but don't be surprised if Marvel make moves to get a New Warriors movie out, and for Rage to be a major player in that.

Sandman (William Baker)
Joined: Avengers #329



Yep, not only did this classic Spider-Man villain reform, he actually became an Avenger for a short time. Sandman's reforming and becoming a good guy was a very popular move for Marvel, and his portrayal within the comics as a guy who was actually a good person who had made some bad choices was a very rounded one. So it's a shame that he's a villain again now, thanks to John Byrne's legendarily awful run on the Spider-Man comics in the late nineties, during which the Wizard used a device to change his brain and make him bad again. It sucked, and while later writers have made the most of it and told some good stories with Sandman as a bad guy, and even possibly hinted that he could reform again, it's still not the same. Having appeared in Spider-Man 3, pkayed by a very sympathetic Thomas Haden Church, and been the second best thing in it (J.K. Simmons as Jonah was the best thing), we won't be seeing Sandman in an Avengers movie any time soon. If at all.

Spider-Woman / Arachne (Julia Carpenter)
Joined: Avengers West Coast #74



The second Spider-Woman (there have been loads!), Julia Carpenter first appeared in the Secret Wars mini series, and then went on to join the Avengers and Force Works, and even appeared in the nineties Iron Man cartoon. Having her appear in an Avengers movie could prove complicated though. It's unclear how Marvel want to deal with the various Spider-Women on the screen at the moment, but if one of them was going to appear, it would be almost certainly be the original Spider-Woman, Jessica Drew, rather than Arachne.

Living Lightning (Miguel Santos)
Joined: Avengers West Coast #74



Living Lightning wears massive shoulder pads. And that is why he won't be in the Avengers movie.

Crystal (Crystalia Amaquelin)
Joined: Avengers #343



A member of the Inhuman royal family with power over the elements, Crystal originally appeared in early issues of Fantastic Four as the Human Torch's girlfriend, later joining the FF for a time. When they eventually broke up, she met and fell in love with Quicksilver, marrying him and having a daughter, Luna, with him. She also had a very brief romance with the Black Knight when she and Quicksilver were having some marital problems, though this ended when she and Pietro reconciled, though they are now divorced. Crystal won't be in the Avengers movie. It's far more likely that Marvel will want to use her and her fellow Inhumans in their own film, or a future Fantastic Four movie. Once these have happened, then Crystal could be a character who crosses over to the Avengers, but not for a while.

Thor / Thunderstrike (Eric Masterson)
Joined: Avengers #343



Eric Masterson started out as the human alter ego for Thor, in much the same way as Donald Blake had once been, but things soon changed when Masterson actually became Thor himself. He joined the Avengers at this time, before finally being seperated from Thor. However, so impressed with Masterson was Odin, that he granted him his own enchanted mace, named Thunderstrike, which would grant him powers on a par with that of the Norse Gods. Using the Thunderstrike name for himself, Masterson continued to serve with the Avengers until he died as a result of the Bloodaxe curse. Thunderstrike won't be in the first Avengers movie, but is a likely candidate to show up in a future Thor film.

Machine Man (X-51, Aaron Stack)
Joined: Avengers West Coast #83



Originally created by Jack Kirby to be a robot superheror, Machine Man recently had a bit of an overhaul in the comics, thanks to writer Warren Ellis. These days he's a beligerent drunk whose robot brain runs on beer and who refers to humans as "fleshy ones". If he did appear in the Avengers movie, you have to hope it would be this version. It would be hilarious, especially under Joss Whedon. The chances of it happening though? Not great, but better than you might think. Whedon and Ellis are friends, so there's the possibility Whedon gives us a Machine Man reference as a favour to Ellis.

Swordsman (Philip Jarvert)
Joined: Avengers #357



A Swordsman from an alternate reality, he won't be appearing in an Avengers movie, except maybe as an alter ego for the original Swordsman.

Darkhawk (Chris Powell)
Joined: Avengers West Coast #94



Able to transfer his mind into a powerful android body, Darkhawk is more closely associated with the New Warriors than the Avengers, so is unlikely to appear in an Avengers movie. Actually, what Marvel should do with Darkhawk is make a movie of The Loners, a comic featuring a group of former teenaged superheroes who are trying to stop being superheroes. It's like a superpowered version of alcohoics anonymous, and is an excellent idea for a film. Please Marvel?

Magdalene
Joined: Avengers #363



The lover of the Philip Jarvert version of the Swordsman, Magdalene basically went wherever he went. If he shows up in the Avengers (which he won't), then so will she. If he doesn't (and he won't), then neither will she.

Deathcry
Joined: Avengers #364



No. Just... no.

To be continued...

Avengers Assemble? part 4

Being the fourth part of my look at the Avengers team members and their chances of appearing in the upcoming Avengers movie.

Doctor Druid (Anthony Druid)
Joined: Avengers #278



Doctor Druid may simply appear to be a carbon copy of Doctor Strange, but the truth is a little different. The Silver Age of comics is generally thought to have started in nineteen fifty-six with the debut of the Barry Allen version of the Flash in DC's Showcase Comics. Over the next few years, DC introduced a number of other superheroes before banding them together in the Justice League of America. Their closest rivals, Marvel Comics, wanted a slice of the superhero pie for themselves, and so Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created the Fantastic Four, the first Marvel superheroes of the Silver Age. Except, they weren't. The Fantastic Four debuted in November, nineteen sixty-one, five months after a character named Doctor Droom appeaered in the pages of the premier issue of Amazing Adventures, the title which would later become Amazing Fantasy and see the first appearance of Spider-Man. Doctor Droom, also created by Stan and Jack, appeared regularly for the first few issues of Amazing Adventures, fighting bizarre monsters and aliens using powers taught to him by the Ancient One, but he never really took off. Droom was forgotten, and Stan created Doctor Strange with Steve Ditko, using a very similar origin indeed. Strange caught on, and Droom slipped into obscurity. Until he was revived in the pages of The Incredible Hulk in the seventies, now renamed Doctor Druid to avoid any confusion with the infamous Doctor Doom. Druid continued to appear regularly throughout the eighties and early nineties, to little fanfare or acclaim, and was eventually killed off. We won't see him in the Avengers movie, largely due to his similarities with the much more popular Doctor Strange. It's understandable, but a shame for the character who really was Marvel's first silver age superhero.

Marrina (Marrina Smallwood)
Joined: Avengers #286



Originally appearing in Alpha Flight, Marrina was a member of an alien race called the Plodex. She eventually met, fell in love with and married Namor, the Sub-Mariner, who was himself an Avenger at this time. Marrina joined the team as well, then turned into a giant monster and had to be killed by the Black Knight. It was all very strange, and not something you'll be seeing on a cinema screen any time soon.

Moon Knight (Marc Spector)
Joined: West Coast Avengers #33



Moon Knight was basically Marvel's answer to Batman. A dark avenger who also happens to be a rich millionaire with all sorts of wonderful toys and a butler from Europe? All there. His original tenure as an Avenger was brief, to say the least, though thanks to a recent resurgence in popularity, due in no small part to a successful solo comic which played up Spector's instability and the mystical angle of the charater (he gained his abilities when he was resurrected by the Moon God, Khonshu), Moon Knight is once again working with Earth's Mightiest Heroes as one of Steve Rogers' Secret Avengers. He's a good character, with a pretty cool look, but the chances of him showing up in an Avengers movie are slim to none for the forseeable future.

Yellowjacket (Rita DeMara)
Joined: Avengers Annual #17



The second Yellowjacket was originally a villain, who stole one of Hank Pym's costumes (making her one of three Marvel heroes who have gained their powers by stealing a suit off Pym. He should be more careful) and joined the Masters of Evil. Eventually reforming and joining the Avengers, she was killed by Iron Man when he was being controlled by the time travelling Immortus in one of the worst Avengers storylines ever, The Crossing. Chances of her showing up in the Avengers movie? Actually, don't be surprised. She won't appear as Yellowjacket, but there's a slim chance Rita DeMara could well have a cameo as Pym's lab assistant.

Demolition Man (Dennis Dunphy)
Joined: Captain America #349



A homeless superhero? Yep, that's Demolition Man, also known as D-Man. He was invited into the Avengers after working with Captain America, but didn't stick around for long, preferring to use his powers to help the homeless and the destitute of New York. He still aided the Avengers on occasion when asked, but was last seen in the pages of Daredevil, where he'd gone a bit crazy and was stealing cash and jewellery while talking to voices in his head. He's quite an interesting character, but not one we'll be seeing in the movies.

Gilgamesh, the Forgotten One
Joined: Avengers #300



An Eternal who joined the Avengers for a very brief period, Gilgamesh was another character who was killed during the events of the Crossing, although he has since reappeared in the pages of the Eternals. He won't be in the Avengers movie.

Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman (Reed Richards and Susan Richards)
Joined: Avengers #300



There was a time when Marvel's power couple had retired from the life of superheroes, leaving the Thing to lead a Fantastic Four line-up which didn't include them. Of course, they didn't stay retired for long, as Captain America soon recruited them into an emergency team of Avengers during the Inferno crisis. They stayed on for a short period, before returning to their true home with the other members of the FF. They wont't appear in the Avengers, for the exact same reasons we went over last time around for the Thing.

USAgent (John Walker)
Joined: West Coast Avengers #44



When the US government grew unhappy with Steve Rogers and forced him to quit being Captain America, they gave the costume and the shield to John Walker, who became the new Cap for a short time. Of course, it wasn't long before Steve Rogers reclaimed the mantle, but Walker got a new costume, shield and name, and became the USAgent. A much gruffer character than Steve Rogers, USAgent isn't afraid to get his hands dirty when he has to, and is more than willing to go against his fellow Avengers if he feels the situation warrants it. He won't be in the first Avengers movie, but it would make sense for him to appear later on in a Captain America sequel. If that happens, expect a move to the Avengers to follow.

Firebird / Espirita (Bonita Juarez)
Joined: Avengers #305



While not the most well known Avenger, Firebird is an interesting charater. She may or may not be immortal, but doesn't know for sure. All she knows is that twice now, she has ingested poisonous materials, and is still alive. This aspect of her character is one that could be very interesting to explore in a movie, though it's not likely to happen. Perhaps in one of Marvel's planned short films though?

Quasar (Wendell Vaughan)
Joined: Avengers Annual #18



The man who took up the mantle of Protector of the Universe after Captain Marvel died, Quasar served as an Avenger for quite a long period of time in the nineties. He was one of the more powerful Avengers of the time, and subsequent adventures took him into the far reaches of space on more than one occasion. An amusing side note, Quasar was at one point one of those heroes who don't wear a mask, but still try to keep a secret identity. How did he do this? He slicked back his hair and wore glasses in his Wendell Vaughan identity. It didn't really work though, as everyone who saw him as both Vaughan and Quasar instantly twigged that they were the same person. Quasar's one of those characters who won't show up in the first movie, but will likely appear somewhere down the line.

Human Torch (Jim Hammond)
Joined: Avengers West Coast #50



No, not the more well known member of the Fantastic Four, but Marvel's very first superhero character, from back in the forties when the company was known as Timely. Jim Hammond was an android whose body would burst into flame on contact with the air. Eventually learning to control this ability, Hammond became the Human Torch, and joined with Captain America and the Sub-Mariner to fight the Nazis in World War II. His tenure as an Avenger was brief, and it's unlikely we'll see him in the Avengers movie, but expect him to be mentioned or referenced, either in the Avengers or Captain America. After all, he was there before anyone else in Marvel Comics, and to ignore that would be a crime.

Sersi
Joined: Avengers #314



The second Eternal to join the Avengers, Sersi had a tempestuous relationship with the Black Knight, who also had a thing for Crystal (more on her later), who was married to Quicksilver. Who says superhero comics can't do soap opera? Anyway, Sersi eventually left the Avengers with the Black Knight, and their relationship later ended, though she has returned to help the Avengers on occasion. She won't show up in the first Avengers movie, but the chances of her showing up in a future installment? I'd say about fifty-fifty. More likely, she'll appear first in an Eternals movie. Hopefully penned by Neil Gaiman. What? I can dream.

To be continued...

Avengers Assemble? part 3

What's that? You want more of my thoughts on who will and who won't appear in some form or another in the upcoming Avengers movie? Oh. Well, you're getting them anyway!

Ms. Marvel / Binary / Warbird (Carol Danvers)
Joined: Avengers #171



Ms. Marvel has been through her fair share of problems since joining the Avengers. She was visited by Marcus, a man from another dimension, who lured her to his own dimension and used mind control to make her think she loved him so he could impregnate her with himself, thus allowing him to be born into our world. Effectively being raped, Carol was still under his control when she agreed to return to his dimension with him. But the effects of interdimensional travel proved too much for him, and he died, freeing Carol's mind, but leaving her traumatised. When she finally returned home, she was attacked by Rogue, the future X-Man, who permanently robbed her of her powers and memories. With the help of Professor X, her memories were returned to her, but she had no emotional attachment to them any more. She then gained cosmic powers, which soon began to fade away, and developed a severe drinking problem. All of which makes it all the more impressive that not only is Ms. Marvel stil an Avenger, but one of the best. She, perhaps more than any other Avenger, strives to better herself and be the best superhero she can possibly be. Throw in close ties to a number of other characters (particularly Captain Marvel, who she partnered for a while, Wolverine, who she worked with during their secret agent days, and Spider-Man, who she currently has an on / off relationship with), and Ms. Marvel is pretty central when it comes to the Avengers. Will we see her in the movie? Probably not in a main role, but some kind of cameo for Carol is all but assured.

Falcon (Sam Wilson)
Joined: Avengers #184



Falcon didn't want to be an Avenger originally. He was forced to join by Henry Gyrich, the Avengers government liaison, simply because he was black. Gyrich felt their weren't enough minorities on the team, Falcon happened to be around. Simple as that. Falcon has a much longer history as Captain America's partner, and it's for this reason that we won't see him in the Avengers, but an appearance in a Captain America sequel is almost certain.

Jocasta
Joined: Avengers #211



Another android created by Ultron to defeat the Avengers who ended up betraying him and joining the team, Jocasta was given the brain patterns of the Wasp, who just happened to be the wife of Ultron's "father" Hank Pym, giving Ultron the mother of all Oedipal complex's! See what I did there? Huh? Huh? Oh, never mind. Anyway, Jocasta won't be in the Avengers movie. If they're going to use any of Ultron's creations, it'll be the Vision. Jocasta may show up in a future movie, but not yet.

Tigra (Greer Nelson)
Joined: Avengers #211



Tigra won't appear. She's a cat lady, and if Marvel are going to put a cat lady in the Avengers, it's much more likely to be Hellcat. Sorry Tigra!

She-Hulk (Jennifer Walters)
Joined: Avengers #221



A blood transfusion from her cousing, one Doctor Bruce Banner, gave Jennifer Walters green skin and super strength, which she put to use fighting alongside the Avengers as the sensational She-Hulk. While a very popular character, it's unlikely we'll see She-Hulk in an Avengers movie before seeing her in a Hulk movie, so don't expect her to show up. That said, don't be surprised if her alter-ego, Jen Walters, shows up to provide some kind of legal aid. She's one of the Marvel Universes premier lawyers, after all.

Captain Marvel / Photon / Pulsar (Monica Rambeau)
Joined: Avengers #227



The reason we probably won't see Photon in the Avengers movie isn't because she isn't a good character. She lead the Avengers for a while in the eighties, and has a cult following to this day. It's her powers. Basically, she can become and manipulate any form of energy. Light, heat, lasers, electricity, even the energy from a Green Lantern ring, it doesn't matter. While this might seem cool, it does make her quite hard to write effectively. How do you stop someone who really, when you think about it, has no limits? The writers of the comics have come up with some imaginitive ideas in the past, but I sincerely doubt we'll see any of this on screen any time soon.

Starfox (Eros)
Joined: Avengers #232



Starfox has one of the stranger power sets in Avengers history. He can make women fall in love with him. Sure, he's super strong and can fly too, but it's mainly the love thing. Often played for laughs, you feel like Starfox would be quite a good fit for Joss Whedon's Avengers. He won't be there though. He's too obscure.

Moira Brandon
Joined: Avengers West Coast #100



No. When even I have to look up an Avengers character to find out who they are? No chance. Of course, it's Joss Whedon, so watch her not only appear, but have a major role to play.

Mockingbird (Barbara "Bobbi" Morse)
Joined: West Coast Avengers #1



A founding member of the West Coast Avengers, and Hawkeye's wife, Mockingbird is also a SHIELD agent, so an appearance isn't out of the question. Yes, the sexy, ass-kicking secret agent lady who works for Sam Jackson's Nick Fury quota has been filled already by Scarlett Johanssen's Black Widow, but we can't have two of them? Don't expect a big part for Mockingbird, but do expect at least a cameo.

Iron Man / War Machine (Jim Rhodes)
Joined: Avengers #231



He may have already appeared in both Iron Man films, but Colonel Rhodes won't show up in the Avengers just yet. Maybe in a future sequel, but for now, one Iron Man will be enough for the Avengers.

Sub-Mariner (Namor McKenzie)
Joined: Avengers #262



This one's tricky. Alongside Captain America and the original Human Torch, Namor, the Sub-Mariner, was one of Marvel's original big three, back in the forties. He was later brought back in the Fantastic Four comic, and eventually joined the Avengers, once again fighting alongside Captain America. An appearance in the Avengers movie isn't entirely off the cards, but it's more likely he'll have a cameo or be referred to in Captain America.

The Thing (Ben Grimm)
Joined: West Coast Avengers #9



Yep, the ever loving blue eyed idol of millions spent a very brief spell as an Avenger on the west coast, and recently rejoined the New Avengers as well. He's one of the most popular characters Marvel has, and with good reason. Strong enough to go toe to toe with the Hulk, yet also one of the most caring characters going, Ben Grimm is everyone's favourite member of the Fantastic Four. Which is why he won't be in the Avengers. At all. More's the pity.

To be continued...

Avengers Assemble? part 2

So here we go, with the second part of my series of blogs wondering who will and who won't make it into the Avengers movie. Let's get on, shall we?

The Black Knight (Dane Whitman)
Joined: Avengers #71



A descendant of Sir Percy of Scandia, the original Black Knight of Arthurian legend, and the nephew of the villainous Black Knight who fought the Avengers as a member of the Masters of Evil, Dane Whitman helped the Avengers out a number of times before eventually joining their ranks in order to redeem the name of the Black Knight. He's actually one of the more interesting Avengers characters, wielding a cursed sword that corrupts its owner when it spills blood, and has a pretty cool looking costume to boot. Chances we'll see him in the movie? Slim to none.

Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff)
Joined: Avengers #111



Former Soviet spy turned agent of SHIELD, the Black Widow has not only lead the Avengers, but has a tangled romantic past with Hawkeye. And, having debuted in Iron Man 2 in the shapely form of Scarlett Johanssen, she's also confirmed for the Avengers.

Mantis
Joined: Giant-Sized Avengers #4



To say Mantis has a complex history is putting it mildly. She's one of only a handful of characters who has appearances considered to be "in continuity" spanning over three seperate comics companies, all written by her creator, Steve Englehart. Appearing first in the Avengers, she then appeared in DC's Justice League of America (under a different name, for obvious legal reasons), then showed up in Eclipse Comics Scorpio Rose book, before finally returning to the Marvel Universe. Mantis is a key figure in one of the most popular Avengers stories, The Celestial Madonna saga. She's a key part of Avengers history, and while a full appearance is highly unlikely, don't be surprised if "this one" (as she always refers to herself) shows up for a cameo role or is referenced somewhere in the film.

Beast (Henry "Hank" McCoy)
Joined: Avengers #151



Nope. Won't happen. Despite being tied to the Avengers almost as much as he is to the X-Men, Beast won't appear in the Avengers movie, largely down to a rights issue. The X-Men film franchise, as previously noted, is still owned by Fox, so while vague references aren't out of the question (Wolverine was sort of mentioned in the Incredible Hulk), a full appearance isn't on the cards. And that's a shame, as Kelsey Grammar was one of the things which made the otherwise disappointing X-Men: The Last Stand worth watching, and any excuse to see him back in the role would be fine by me!

Moondragon (Heather Douglas)
Joined: Avengers #151



The daughter of Drax the Destroyer, raised by Mentor on Titan and gaining psychic powers after a battle with the Dragon of the Moon, Moondragon is one of the weirder Avengers characters going. She's also a bitch, with a massive superiority complex who once mentally enslaved Thor to be her lover. Chances of her appearing or even being referenced are firmly zero.

Hellcat (Patsy Walker)
Joined: Avengers #144



Patsy Walker orginally appeared in self-styled teen humour comics (think Archie) published by Marvel's predecessors, Timely and Atlas Comics throughout the forties and fifties. It was with some surprise that Marvel brought the character back in the seventies, and then turned her into a superhero! It was a bold move, but one that paid dividends, as these days, Hellcat is one of Marvel's more popular female heroes. She's a firm favourite of mine, and I'd love to see her on screen. It's not likely to happen, but a cameo isn't entirely out of the question.

The Guardians of the Galaxy (Aleta, Charlie-27, Martinex, Nikki, Starhawk, Major Victory, Yondu)
Joined: Avengers #168



A team of cosmic heroes from the far future, the Guardians of the Galaxy helped the Avengers out during the Korvac saga (one of the best Avengers stories of all time, and something any comic fan should seek out), against the unimaginably powerful Michael Korvac, and were afterwards granted official membership. There's not a chance in hell they'll make the movie though (with the possible exception of Major Victory, but we'll cover that when we reach the entry for Justice later), so let's move on.

Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell)
Joined: Avengers #173



A Kree soldier who became the protector of the universe when he was granted superpowers by the Nega Bands, Captain Marvel is that rarest of characters in comics: a superhero who died, and stayed dead. Even more surprising is what killed him: Cancer. Yes, the cause of the cancer was radioactive fumes inhaled during a battle with the supervillain Nitro, but it doesn't change the fact that Mar-Vell didn't die in battle with some evil despot, but on a sick bed surrounded by his friends. Captain Marvel's an unlikely candidate for any Avengers movie, especially given his membership was technically posthumous. He'd helped the Avengers out a number of times, but wasn't officially recognised as a member until after his death. That said though, it wouldn't at all surprise me if he turned out to be one of the characters Marvel was considering for its short film projects.

The Whizzer (Bob Frank)
Joined: Avengers #173



The Golden Age speedster who fought alongside Captain America in the All Winners Squad during World War II probably won't feature in the Avengers movie, except maybe as a reference to Cap's WWII teams, the previously mentioned Squad and the Invaders. That said, I wouldn't rule him out for a cameo in the upcoming Captain America movie.

Two-Gun Kid (Matt Hawk)
Joined: Avengers #174



A time travelling outlaw from the old west, it's a pretty sure thing that Two-Gun will not appear in the Avengers movie. Part of me is disappointed by this.

Wonder Man (Simon Williams)
Joined: Avengers #182



One of the more powerful Avengers, Wonder Man was powered by ionic radiation by Captain America's enemy, Baron Zemo, in order to infiltrate the Avengers, but ended up turning on Zemo (this seems to happen a lot), and die helping the Avengers instead. His brain patterns were then used by Ultron to create the Vision, before Wonder Man himself came back from the dead. Sure, he's died a couple more times since then and come back (up there with Magneto, Jean Grey and Cable in terms of how many times Marvel have killed him), but Wonder Man remains a popular Avenger. When he first came back from the dead, he was so traumatised that despite his efforts, he remained incredibly afraid all the time, causing him to hesitate in battle more than once. He also embezzled funds from his own company, before admitting to his crime live on the David Letterman show! No, really! Wonder Man would be an interesting character to explore in the Avengers movie universe, and while I'd be surprised to see him as a main character in the first film, a cameo is almost assured.

To be continued...