Marvel has no shortage of memorable teams, groups of heroes who come together to create something greater than the sum of their parts. Arguably, these teams are the mainstay of Marvel Comics, standing at the front of both sales and public awareness, and prominently featured in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
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Whether you’re a fan of cosmic adventures, street-level stories, or something in between, there’s probably a Marvel team for you. If you’re new to Marvel and looking for teams to start with, read below to see some of the best.
10
Alpha Flight
Canadian Crusaders
The superheroes that see the most focus in comics are generally American, so Alpha Flight is a nice change of pace. A team made up of Canadian heroe offers the chance for fresh stories separate from the United States.
Even some hardcore comic readers haven’t given Alpha Flight the chance it deserves, but there are some excellent stories in the team’s history. Do yourself a favour and see what Alpha Flight has to offer.
9
Inhumans
Inhomo Supremis
The Inhumans have had a troubled few years as a team, struggling with one of the MCU’s only flops and a push in the comics that many readers felt was engineered to replace the beloved X-Men but don’t let that deter you.
The Inhumans have a stellar roster of characters with both interesting abilities and personalities. The Lee and Jenkins run from 1998 is a particular high point to seek out if you can.
8
The Runaways
The Perfect Teen Team
The Runaways, first debuting in 2003, were a breath of fresh air for Marvel Comics at the time. An original team, with all-new characters and a compelling hook. Seven teens who only know each other because their parents are friends, discover that those parents are secretly supervillains.
They go on the run and resolve to take their parents down, and it’s a great read to this day. Although The Runaways have mostly gone their separate ways, you could do a lot worse than checking out the original run.
7
The Exiles
Before The Multiverse Caught On
It feels like you can’t look at a Marvel comic, movie, game, or TV show without the multiverse at least being mentioned, but that wasn’t always the case. The main place to get multiversal content was with The Exiles, and even today it’s still the book that did it best.
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The Exiles were made up of heroes and villains from different realities. They would then get sent to another alternate reality to set right something that was going wrong, before moving on to the next. It’s a wild ride and well worth your time.
6
The Thunderbolts
Justice Like Lightning
There have been many iterations of The Thunderbolts, but they’re almost always a great time. Whether they’re villains disguised as heroes, outlaws trying to make things right, or something else, they’re usually different from any other team in Marvel.
What the Thunderbolts do best is spotlight characters who are otherwise seen only in passing, raising their stock. Songbird is probably the best example, but even villains like Moonstone have benefited from their time in the team.
5
Guardians Of The Galaxy
Ass-Kickers Of The Fantastic
The Guardians of the Galaxy rocketed from relative obscurity to global fame thanks to the incredible MCU movie of the same name, but they always deserved the attention. The Guardians are the perfect team if you want some sci-fi in your superhero comics.
They’ve gone through many iterations, some featuring unexpected characters like the Venom symbiote or even Iron Man, although almost every version has been excellent in one way or another.
4
The Defenders
Dynamic And Daring
The Defenders have been a lot of different things over the years. Mystical guardians, street-level protectors, cosmic warriors, and more. Through it all, they’ve remained a mainstay of Marvel since first forming in 1971.
Your mileage may vary with The Defenders depending on which version you dive into, but that variety is also a strength, meaning there’s something for everyone somewhere in the storied history of this team.
3
Fantastic Four
First Family Of Marvel
Although The Fantastic Four haven’t been pushed as prominently as other teams in recent years, that looks like it’s set to change with their MCU arrival. It’s about time too, since they’re instrumental to the success of Marvel.
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Although other heroes have sometimes filled out the ranks, the team is at its best with the original lineup of Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and The Thing. Sometimes the classics are classic for a reason, and that’s certainly true here.
2
The Avengers
Greatness Assembled
The Avengers are considered the premier team of Marvel and with good reason. It’s usually where you’ll find the grandest stories played out, often with the most powerful characters possible involved.
Whether you want to see Spider-Man and Thor together or watch Captain America take on the villainous Doctor Doom, there’s no place outside of the MCU where you’re likely to see these sorts of crossovers happen.
1
The X-Men
Children Of The Atom
It really doesn’t get much better than the X-Men. Whether you want action, mystery, romance, or social commentary, you’re covered. Whether you want to see fights against giant robots, dinosaurs, or psychic entities, you’re covered.
The X-Men have probably produced as many truly memorable characters as the rest of Marvel combined, and with more spin-off teams than even Cerebro could keep track of you could quite comfortably read only X-Men books for the rest of your life.
