A present-day incarnation was introduced by writer Chuck Austen and artist Scott Kolins in The Avengers (vol. 3) #82 (July 2004).
Fictional team history
The prototype for the Invaders, the All-Winners Squad, created by publisher Martin Goodman and scripter Bill Finger, was a comic book feature published in the Golden Age with only two appearances, in All Winners Comics #19 (Fall 1946) and #21 (Winter 1947; there was no issue #20).
This team had much of the same membership as the Invaders, but had its adventures in the post–World War II era, the time that their adventures were published.
This group was also notable as its members did not entirely get along, prefiguring the internal conflicts of the Fantastic Four in the 1960s.[citation needed]
World War II
The Invaders team first appeared in flashback stories set during World War II, and comprised existing characters from Timely Comics, the 1940s predecessor of Marvel. Originally, Captain America (Steve Rogers), his sidekick Bucky (James Barnes), the original android Human Torch ("Jim Hammond"), the Torch's sidekick Toro (Thomas Raymond) and Namor the Sub-Mariner were together as heroes opposing the forces of Nazism. When these superheroes saved the life of British Prime MinisterWinston Churchill from Master Man, the thankful Churchill suggested that they should become a team, known as the Invaders.
The Invaders fight the Axis powers over the world until eventually finding themselves in England, where they met Lord James Montgomery Falsworth, the original Union Jack. He joins the team and provides them with a base of operations in England.[2] Eventually, Falsworth's children Brian (Union Jack II) and Jacqueline (Spitfire) become members.[3] The team later adds Miss America (Madeline Joyce) and super-speedster the Whizzer (Bob Frank), during a battle with the Super-Axis.[4] Later, against the threat of the Battle-Axis, the team is assisted by the Blazing Skull and the Silver Scorpion.
The team continues to fight against several threats, (including a Nazi occupation of Atlantis and the emergence of HYDRA backed by the time-travelling Baron Strucker) and faces an emotional trauma with the apparent deaths of Captain America and Bucky in a droneaircraft's explosion near the end of World War II, as first described in The Avengers #4 (March 1964). After the war's end, several members—including the second Bucky and Captain America (respectively, Fred Davis and William Naslund, formerly the superhero known as the Spirit of '76)—created a new team, the All-Winners Squad. When that team dissolves, Marvel retroactively changes the continuity ("retcon") of several members, having them join Citizen V's V-Battalion.
After the Invaders' introduction in the pages of The Avengers, the team appeared in its own try-out title, Giant-Size Invaders #1 in 1975, followed by the ongoing series; The Invaders later that year, and a single Annual in 1977. Issues #5–6 of the series introduced another retroactively changed World War II team, the Liberty Legion, in a two-part story arc, "The Red Skull Strikes", interlaced with another two-part story in Marvel Premiere #29–30.
In 2004, a new Invaders team was created in the four-issue story arc "Once an Invader...", beginning with The Avengers (vol. 3) #82, written by Chuck Austen.[5] The revived team was spun off into its own title, The New Invaders, running 10 issues (August 2004 – June 2005) beginning with issue #0. It was written by Allan Jacobsen[6] with artwork by C. P. Smith.[7]
The new team consisted of the Blazing Skull (Mark Todd), a flame-generating girl named Tara, former Liberty Legion member the Thin Man (Dr. Bruce Dickson), the U.S. Agent (John Walker, a.k.a. Captain America V), Union Jack III (Joey Chapman) and returning members Namor and Spitfire. Later, the ageless android the Human Torch I joins the team, feeling an affinity for Tara, revealed as an android herself. The Invaders are also assisted by former Golden Age hero the Fin and his Atlantean wife Nia, although they did not officially join the team.
They are formed by the supposed U.S. Secretary of Defense Dell Rusk—in actuality the Red Skull—who coerces the Thin Man into gathering this new team, which the Skull intends to use for his own goals. The new Invaders eventually learn of the plan, however, and thwart it. The apparent "death" of the android Human Torch came as a result of the betrayal of the Skull-planted Tara. The majority of the members quit the team after this incident.
The 2007 12-issue crossover series Avengers/Invaders saw the original WWII team of Captain America I, Bucky I, Namor, the Human Torch I, and Toro (leaving Spitfire and a wounded Union Jack II in the past) brought to the present-day Marvel Universe by the Cosmic Cube, which had fallen into the hands of the demon D'Spayre. His use of it to draw on the grief generated by Captain America's death had unintentionally caused it to grant the wish of those who wished for his return.
Upon arriving in the present day, the Invaders battled the Thunderbolts and The Mighty Avengers, believing them to be Nazi agents. Eventually, the Invaders came to trust the Avengers teams (both Mighty and New versions) and agreed to go back to where they belonged. The teams collected the Cosmic Cube and an American soldier who traveled into the future with the Invaders. However, the soldier took it upon himself to steal the Cosmic Cube and save his dead friends in the past.
This triggers an alternative reality to emerge where most of the Avengers are wiped from time. Doctor Strange manages to send the Invaders and the surviving members of the Avengers into the past before being wiped from time himself.[8]
In the past, the soldier raised his dead friends and healed a dying Union Jack. The soldier then attempted to destroy the Nazis with the Cosmic Cube, but lost it when he was attacked by Red Skull henchmen. The Red Skull I later came into possession of the Cosmic Cube and transformed the world into one made in his own image. Elsewhere, the Invaders and the Avengers arrived in the past, but found that it had dramatically changed. The Avengers took up identities of Golden Age characters so that they could fit into the past without giving the Red Skull I too much information about the future: Luke Cage as the Black Avenger, Iron Man as Electro, Ms. Marvel as the Black Widow, Spider-Man as the Challenger, Spider-Woman as the Silver Scorpion, and Wolverine as Captain Terror. The Wasp uses her powers to stay hidden from sight. They end the Red Skull I's reign of terror and restore the original timeline.[9]
At the end of the series, Toro is revived in the modern era, thanks to Bucky I's temporary acquisition of the Cube.[10] His story is continued in the eight-issue limited series The Torch, which deals with the resurrection of the original Human Torch. In the series, the two Golden Age heroes battle the Mad Thinker and the Inhuman Torch.[11]
Invaders Now!
In September 2010, Marvel launched Invaders Now!, a miniseries starring Captain America (Barnes), the original Human Torch, Namor the Sub-Mariner, Captain Steve Rogers, Spitfire, and Toro. The Invaders are all reunited by the original Vision and Union Jack to face a resurfaced threat from World War II. This threat manifests as a disease that mutates those infected, causing horrible deformation, granting superhuman strength, and driving the victim insane with pain and rage. Those infected are driven to attack and thereby infect others. In World War II this pathogen was created by Arnim Zola, as his last project before suffering the wounds which necessitated his consciousness being transferred into his robotic form. To contain the plague, the Invaders had to kill the entire population of a village in the Netherlands, including some who had been infected, but had not yet transformed. In this miniseries, the infection reappears in the modern era.[12]
In January 2019, Marvel launched a new series written by Chip Zdarsky that saw original members Captain Steve Rogers, the Winter Soldier, and the original Human Torch reunite to stop another original member, Namor the Sub-Mariner who has become a global threat and mentally unstable/deranged.[15]
The Invaders appeared in flashbacks depicted in the Ultimate Spider-Man episode "S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy", consisting of Captain America, Bucky Barnes, Miss America, the android Human Torch, and the Whizzer.
The Red Skull is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and its predecessor Timely Comics. In Captain America Comics #1, the Red Skull's secret identity was revealed to be George Maxon; It would be retroactively established that he was merely a decoy who was working for the real Red Skull. Albert Malik would later adopt the Red Skull mantle, only to be killed in a plot orchestrated by the original.
The Human Torch, also known as Jim Hammond, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer and artist Carl Burgos, he first appeared in Marvel Comics #1, published by Marvel's predecessor, Timely Comics.
Bucky is the name used by several different fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, usually as a sidekick to Captain America. The original version was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby and first appeared in Captain America Comics #1, which was published by Marvel's predecessor, Timely Comics. Following the apparent death of the hero James "Bucky" Barnes, the Bucky nickname and costume have been used by various heroes including: Fred Davis, Jack Monroe, Rick Jones, Lemar Hoskins, and Rikki Barnes. For a time, a child looked after by Jack Monroe was named "Bucky," but she was later adopted and given the name Julia Winters.
Toro is the name of two fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first Toro was originally featured in Timely Comics and later published as a Marvel Comics superhero who appeared as the partner of the original Human Torch.
Union Jack is the name of three fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Roy Thomas and Frank Robbins, the first Union Jack first appeared in Invaders #7. A second incarnation from the same creators appeared in The Invaders #21, and a third incarnation was created by Roger Stern and John Byrne for Captain America Vol. 1 #254.
Young Allies is the name of three superhero teams appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
The Thunderer is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Timely Comics.
The Cosmic Cube is a fictional object appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. There are multiple Cubes in the Marvel Universe, all of which are depicted as containment devices that can empower whoever wields them. Although the first version, introduced in Tales of Suspense #79 and created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, originated on Earth as a weapon built by Advanced Idea Mechanics, most are of alien origins.
Spitfire is a fictional superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Roy Thomas and Frank Robbins, the character first appeared in the Invaders comic book series as an intended replacement for the Union Jack character, but the costume design did not fit the female torso. Instead, the character of Spitfire, named after the Supermarine Spitfire fighter plane, was created.
Vision (Aarkus) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by the writer Joe Simon and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared during the Golden Age of comic books in Marvel Mystery Comics #13, published by Marvel predecessor Timely Comics.
The All-Winners Squad is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The company's first such team, it first appeared in All Winners Comics #19, published by Marvel predecessor Timely Comics during the period fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books.
The Liberty Legion is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team was first created in 1976 and set during World War II. Composed of existing heroes from Marvel's 1940s Golden Age of Comic Books predecessor, Timely Comics, the team was assembled and named by writer Roy Thomas in a story arc running through The Invaders #5–6 and Marvel Premiere #29–30. Inspired by the Liberty Legion, a second fictional team called the Liberteens was published in 2007 as part of the Avengers Initiative.
Baron Blood is the name of several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first incarnation of Baron Blood, John Falsworth, first appeared in The Invaders #7, who has been part of the superhero Captain America's rogues gallery since World War II. The second incarnation, Victor Strange, debuted in Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme vol. 3 #10. The third incarnation, Kenneth Crichton, made his first appearance in Captain America #253.
Jack Frost is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in 1941 in U.S.A. Comics published by Marvel's 1940s forerunner Timely Comics, during the period fans and historians call the Golden Age of comic books.
Aleksander Lukin is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Union Jack is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the third person to take on the role of Union Jack. He first appeared in Captain America #253.
The Crusaders is a group of fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters first appear in The Invaders #14 and were created by Roy Thomas, Jack Kirby, and Frank Robbins.
The Destroyer is the name of three fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The original incarnation was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Binder and first appeared in Mystic Comics #6, being one of Lee's earliest creations during the Golden Age of Comic Books.
All-New Invaders was a reboot of the classic comic book series Invaders
James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Originally introduced as a sidekick to Captain America, the character was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby and first appeared in Captain America Comics #1. Barnes' original costume and the Bucky nickname has been used by other heroes in the Marvel Universe over the years.
↑ The omitted issue #24 was a reprint of the Namor/Human Torch team-up from Marvel Mystery #17 (1941)
↑ Despite being advertised as containing the complete Giant-Size Invaders (1975) #1 and Invaders (1975) #1-41, the published volume omits almost all the re-edited Golden Age material originally included in these issues, i.e., Sub-Mariner (1941) #1, Marvel Comics (1939) #1 and Marvel Mystery Comics (1939) #10, 17
Storylines are listed in publication order. Publications are listed alphabetically by published titles. Compiled without respect for canon or "current" continuity.
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