TheAvengershave been a staple in the Marvel Universe for decades, and the roster is constantly evolving - which is why it might be surprising to hear that I think the team was at its strongest underMagneto’sunexpected leadership. It’s hard to top a line-up like Loki, Doctor Doom, Enchantress, Carnage, and even more heavy-hitters, and I believe that the Master of Magnetism recruited the most powerful Avengers ever.
Avengers & X-Men: AXIS#2 by Rick Remender and Andy Kubert is one of the tensest events I’ve read, as Magneto’s rage-fueled murder of Red Skull allowed him to become Red Onslaught and begin using Charles Xavier’s telepathic strength to spread worldwide hatred. As readers, we all witnessed many of themost talented Avengersand X-Men reduced to failed plans and inadequate powers.
Red Onslaught may have emerged victorious hadMagnetonot chosen that moment to rewrite the game. Not only was it incredibly satisfying to see a villain squad save the day, butMagneto’s group went on to be named official Avengers and become the most powerful roster to date.
Magneto’s Astonishing Avengers Bring Together Gods, Magic, Symbiotes, and Violence
Avengers & X-Men: AXIS#2 by Rick Remender, Adam Kubert, Laura Martin, and Chris Eliopoulos
WhileMagneto’s mutant abilitiesalone are impressive,I think he did a commendable job stacking his roster with a full range of abilities. In total, he recruited just shy of a dozen villains to aid the world and was joined by Hobgoblin, the Absorbing Man, Deadpool, Carnage, Enchantress, Mystique, Sabretooth, Jack O’Lantern, Loki, and Doctor Doom. By my account, that means he brought multiple Gods, powerful magic, one of the most powerful symbiotes, and incredible physical strength, speed, and dexterity to the team. By the final confrontation, even the elderly and armored Steve Rogers joined in with the Astonishing Avengers.
AXIS, one of Marvel’s massive crossover events, took place over the course of four months, beginning in September 2014 and ending in December 2014.
When giant red Nazis use telepathic powers to influence the world, villains are the least likely to bow their heads in subservience. Red Onslaught wanted the world to kneel at his feet and help him purge anyone he deemed unworthy - beginning with mutants - andI’d call Max’s last-ditch effort to stop him one of the Master of Magnetism’s most brilliant tactical moves. By selecting the world’s most ruthless villains to stand against Red Onslaught, he assembled a group that wouldn’t hold back. By extension, having their “basic alignment inverted” cemented them as heroes and funneled their potential into good deeds.
The Astonishing Avengers Revealed the True Potential of Its Members
Magneto#11 Cover by David Yardin
I love a good “what if” scenario, andthe AXIS event lets one play out in real time. Carnage, who aims to leave the world bloody, sacrifices himself to save it. Mystique and Sabretooth, two vicious mutant villains, fight for the angels. And Loki, who has spent his long existence opposing his brother, becomesworthy of Mjolnir. I’ll be the first to admit that not only are Magneto’s Astonishing Avengers powerful, but seeing them tap into their heroic potential makes for plenty of emotional moments. To be an Avenger is to be good, but in this case, “good” takes on a whole new meaning.
Working together as a superhero team truly brought their best strengths to the surface.
I’ve watched many times as these same characters fell victim to their own egos and misjudgments as villains, but working together as a superhero team truly brought their best strengths to the surface. The anger and bloodlust that often powers them is often their biggest downfall. In other words, they get in their own way, but those barriers were removed during the inversion. Not only didMagneto assemble the strongest Avengers, but I believe that they all tapped into the reserves of talent they’re typically unable to reach for. The AXIS event truly showedwhat Marvel’s villains can accomplishwith the right goal.
Their Internal Drive Helped Them Become the Strongest Avengers
Along with the sheer power among the Astonishing Avengers, I think thattheir desire to prove themselves gives them the true edge over any other roster.They seize their moment to be free of the burden of hatred and anger. I find it telling that most of the villains even seem grateful for the opportunity and mourn that succeeding meant reverting to their old ways. They go so far as to shoulder blame for the heroes, rather than seek the gratitude that they earned. In my eyes, their truest demonstration of strength is their willingness to fight for something that could harm them.
At Last, the Avengers Feel Equal to the Justice League
The Avengers have always been Marvel Comics' Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, but they have never felt as big as the Justice League - at least, until now.
The AXIS Avengers were never meant to last, but even though their existence was merely a symptom of Red Skull’s interference, they answered the call to save the world when it needed heroes. This unexpected team embodied what I believe to be the very essence of the team, making the sheer power among their ranks even more impressive. In their short time, they were Steve Rogers-approved and did exactly what the world needed of them. In forming the Astonishing Avengers,Magnetounited supervillains, Gods, symbiotes, sorcerers, and more for what I believe to be the greatestAvengersteam.
Avengers & X-Men: AXIS#2is available now from Marvel Comics.
Magneto
The oldest and best-known adversary of the X-Men, Magneto has been a part of Marvel Comics since the mutant team was introduced. Bearing powers over magnetic fields, he views mutants as superior to normal humans, and aims to build a world where humans are dominant. The only thing stopping him is Professor X and his team of heroes.
