The Champions are a fictional team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team first appears in The Champions #1 (October 1975) and was created by writer Tony Isabella and artist Don Heck. Their titular series is regarded as an example of a failed superteam comic, suffering from constant turnover in the writers and artists working on the series, lack of a consistent direction or concept, and mediocre sales.

Publication history

According to the letters page of Champions #6, writer Tony Isabella developed the concept of a new team of superheroes and originally wanted the roster to consist of former X-Men the Angel and Iceman, and the newly created Black Goliath. Black Goliath became unavailable when the character debuted in his own title, forcing Isabella to rethink the concept. Captain Marvel, Power Man, and the Son of Satan were all considered for the final place on the roster before selecting the Ghost Rider. Publication was erratic; the series switched between monthly and bi-monthly throughout its run. In addition to Don Heck, artists who drew the series include George Tuska, Bob Hall, and John Byrne. Starting with issue #8, the remainder of the series was written and pencilled by industry newcomers still learning their craft with the sole exception that the final issue was pencilled by Tuska. Though the reason for this is not known, it has been hypothesized that the series was already on the brink of cancellation at this point, making it a less risky place to field rookie creators. the Stranger, and Kamo Tharnn, along with the occasional new foe such as Swarm. The Black Widow is elected the leader of the Champions in issue #6, and in issue #7 the team gets a headquarters. though she never actually joins the team. Loose plot threads left by the last issue were wrapped up in Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #17–18 (April–May 1978), in which the Champions disband.

In the short story "On the Air", published in the 1996 anthology The Ultimate X-Men, an interviewer asks the Angel about the Champions. The Angel defends the group's worth, saying they should be judged not by the short time they were together, but by how many people they helped. The group briefly reunite in an X-Force/Champions Annual. An issue of The Incredible Hulk features an untold tale of the Champions. The 2017 Iceman series included a Champions reunion in which Iceman, Angel, Darkstar, Hercules, and Ghost Rider gather to reminisce about Black Widow, who died during the Secret Empire series.

A new team also called the Champions, composed of teenage superheroes and with no connection to the 1970s team, debuted in October 2016.

Team roster

Trademark dispute

In 1987, Heroic Publishing began using the name "The Champions" for a comic book series based on a role-playing game. In 1988, the United States Patent and Trademark Office ruled that Marvel had abandoned its trademark of the name and could no longer use it, causing a planned 2007 revival of the series to be renamed The Order.

This dispute was later resolved, with Marvel in 2016 publishing a new Champions series that debuted following their Civil War II event. Heroic Publishing's president Dennis Mallonee commented in 2025, "I've always been on good terms with Marvel. We came to a nice accommodation regarding their use of the Champions trademark, and we both ended up happy."

Collected editions

  • Champions Classic Vol. 1 collects The Champions #1–11, 208 pages, July 2006,
  • Champions Classic Vol. 2 collects The Champions #12–17, Iron Man Annual #4, The Avengers #163, Super-Villain Team-Up #14, and Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #17–18, 216 pages, January 2007,
  • The Champions: No Time for Losers collects The Champions #1–3 and 14–15, 100 pages, October 2016,
  • Champions Classic: The Complete Collection collects The Champions #1–17, Iron Man Annual #4, The Avengers #163, Super-Villain Team-Up #14, Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #17–18, and Hulk Annual #7, 472 pages, July 2018,

References

  • Champions series index
  • Champions at Wikia.com