Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Avengers #1
The Avengers are entering an all-new era, and Captain Marvel is already proving herself to be one of the most strategic leaders in the team’s long history by cutting a powerhouse such as She-Hulk from the roster.
In Avengers #1 by Jed MacKay, C.F. Villa, and Federico Blee, Carol Danvers (aka Captain Marvel) is elected the new Avengers chair. Already making waves as team leader, Carol makes some unexpected decisions that may surprise readers just as much as they do her new teammates heading into the next chapter of Avengers stories. Chosen as the new chairperson in the most democratic Avengers leader election ever, Captain Marvel is solely in charge of assembling her ideal team roster. With her own long history with the team and the dozens of heroes that have been on it since its formation, Carol has no shortage of allies to call on. Given that, her lineup is missing some of her closest friends, including most notably fellow Avengers veteran Jennifer Walters aka She-Hulk.
Captain Marvel Cut Her Best Friends From Her New Avengers
The new Avengers roster, which consists of Captain Marvel, Iron Man, Thor, Black Panther, Captain America, Vision, and the Scarlet Witch, reunites some of the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes’ most iconic members. However, some Avengers alumni are left out of Captain Marvel’s vision for the team’s future, including She-Hulk, Spider-Woman, and War Machine. Carol explains to him that she has some people that she goes to for “Captain Marvel business,” and that she wants to build up a team that sees things differently than her to keep the Avengers (and herself) in check. It’s a sentiment that Carol clearly spent a lot of time thinking about in planning her team, but in her attempt at keeping the team from being a group of yes-men, Captain Marvel could be inadvertently leaving some ultra-powerful heroes on the table when trouble strikes.
Captain Marvel may have a long history with the team, going back to 1978’s Avengers Annual #8 by Roger Slifer and George Perez, but discounting She-Hulk simply because she’s a close friend could have some unintended consequences. While the team may not be lacking in super strength with Thor among the ranks, the set-up at the end of the issue hints toward a threat that will likely demand all hands on deck to protect Earth and everyone on it. Regardless, Captain Marvel’s idea of checks and balances shows that she takes her new leadership position seriously, and the rest of her conversation with Iron Man proves that Carol has thought long and hard about what being an Avenger means to her, and just how important they are when it comes to protecting innocent lives, showing readers that she’s ready for the challenge.
Whether Captain Marvel made the right decision in keeping She-Hulk and her other close friends off her Avengers roster is yet to be seen. If the end of the first issue of The Avengers is any indication, the team is going to need all the power they can muster after an ominous message from Kang the Conqueror. Even a team as powerful as Earth’s Mightiest Heroes may not be enough for the teased “Tribulation Events,” and the new Avengers roster assembled by Carol Danvers could come to regret the absence of She-Hulk.
The Avengers #1 is available now from Marvel Comics!