Hulk is the strongest one there is. The gamma-powered green goliath has smashed heroes and villains alike, throwing down with heavy hitters like the mighty Thor and the Avengers, the unstoppable Juggernaut, and the human rocket Nova. But the Marvel Universe’s newest teen triumph packing a rocket-powered punch can smash a Hulk, as shown in New Champions #3 from writer Steve Foxe (X-Men ’97) and artist Ivan Fiorelli (Fantastic Four).
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The San Francisco-based teen team debuted in the pages of Foxe’s Spider-Woman run as The Assembly, a Hydra program targeting teens with special abilities. After Spider-Woman freed them from Hydra’s brainwashing, they formed the New Champions: a new superhero team that includes the spellcaster Hellrune; Moon Squire, a tactician with light-absorbing abilities; Liberty, who wields cybernetic wings and creates hard-light constructs; and the jet-powered heavy hitter Cadet Marvel.
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After Hellrune magically summoned everyone with the potential to become a Champion — including the demonic derby girl Fantasma, the web-less wonder Spider-Boy, the gamma-charged Hulkette, sleight-of-hand street magician Monte, the stampeding Kid Juggernaut, super-genius Nightshade, the skateboarder Deadpool Boy, the golden-clawed Gold Tiger, and the Scarlet Witch’s magic-neutralizing apprentice Amaranth — the core four extended an invitation to join their ranks. (Only Fantasma, Gold Tiger, and Amaranth accepted, while the others are reserve members.)
Monte is secretly in league with a physiology-disrupting villainess from the Hydra program — the helmeted, mysterious Magnetrix — who has the emotion-manipulating Psycho-Man freed from the Raft. Magnetrix then lures the New Champions into a meeting with the old Champions, the other teen team consisting of the super-smart and just-as-strong Brawn (Amadeus Cho), the human rocket Nova (Sam Alexander), Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan), Viv Vision, and Spider-Man (Miles Morales).
Magnetrix manipulates the Champions and the New Champions into fighting over who has the rightful claim to the title, using the Psycho-Man’s device that amplifies feelings of fear, doubt and hate. An embiggened Ms. Marvel takes on Amaranth, Liberty goes head-to-head with the synthezoid Viv, Spidey webs up the roller derby demon, and the Hulk-like Brawn battles the hard-hitting Cadet Marvel.
Cadet Marvel also rockets into a fistfight with Nova, who was able to go toe-to-toe with an evil version of the Hulk known as Kluh (in 2014’s Nova #23), although that fight ended with the rampaging Kluh hitting Sam so hard that he shattered his helmet.
Before there can be a definitive winner in this meeting of teen titans, the Champions and the New Champions snap out of their emotional manipulation and new BFFs Ms. Marvel and Liberty apprehend Psycho-Man. Cadet Marvel tells the similarly-powered Nova that he would have kicked his butt, and the new Champions explain that they were inspired by the Champions.
It’s decided the New Champions can keep the name, and Monte and Magnetrix plot their next move. New Champions #3 is on sale now from Marvel Comics; see what’s ahead in the solicitations below.
New Champions #4
ORIGIN OF GOLD TIGER! Who is the cheerful young Wakandan with the Midas touch? And how did she link up with the New Champions? Find out what everyone is talking about with this new hot series!
On sale: April 23
New Champions #5
LOVE IS IN THE AIR! As Amaranth returns to help the team with some magical problems, a team romance begins to bud! But is everyone on board with this tryst? Or is trouble bubbling right below the surface for our teen team?
On sale: May 28
New Champions #6
MEET THE AVENGERS! The New Champions finally get a chance to meet their heroes – but will they like what they discover?
On sale: June 11
