History Main / BadassCrew

* During the Aleutian Islands Campaign of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, the quaintly named ''1st Alaskan Combat Intelligence Platoon (Provisional)'' (aka ''Castner's Cutthroats'') was a unit of just sixty-five men selected to perform reconnaissance missions in the Aleutian Islands during the war. The men -- Aleuts, Eskimos, sourdough prospectors, miners, hunters, trappers, and fishermen -- were chosen for their hardiness and ability to thrive in the harsh cold of the Aleutians. The fact that they survived both the War and the Aleutians (1481 Americans and 4350 Japanese didn't) is testament enough to their badassery.

** The original six members of ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'' consists of [[Characters/MarvelComicsSteveRogers a Super Soldier from World War II with an indestructible shield and well-honed tactical instincts]], [[ComicBook/IronMan a genius billionaire playboy philanthropist in a high-powered suit of armor]], [[Characters/MarvelComicsThorOdinson a Physical God with a mighty hammer who can control lightning]], [[Characters/MarvelComicsBruceBanner one of the smartest scientists in the world who can turn into an "enormous green rage monster" in battle]], and two master assassins and spies, [[ComicBook/BlackWidow one with unmatched martial arts skills]] and [[Characters/MarvelComicsClintBarton one whose primary weapon is a bow and arrow that can fire Trick Arrows]]. Once they finally figure out how to work together, the mere six of them are able to protect the entire city of New York from an AlienInvasion.

** The original six members of ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'' consists of [[Characters/MarvelComicsSteveRogers a Super Soldier from World War II with an indestructible shield and well-honed tactical instincts]], [[ComicBook/IronMan a genius billionaire playboy philanthropist in a high-powered suit of armor]], [[Characters/TheMightyThorThorOdinson a Physical God with a mighty hammer who can control lightning]], [[Characters/IncredibleHulkBruceBanner one of the smartest scientists in the world who can turn into an "enormous green rage monster" in battle]], and two master assassins and spies, [[ComicBook/BlackWidow one with unmatched martial arts skills]] and [[ComicBook/{{Hawkeye}} one whose primary weapon is a bow and arrow that can fire Trick Arrows]]. Once they finally figure out how to work together, the mere six of them are able to protect the entire city of New York from an AlienInvasion.
** In ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'', the team expands beyond the original membership, incorporating both new and old members with each hero bringing something special to the crew. The new members are Iron Man's [[ComicBook/WarMachine best friend, who wears a similarly high-powered and well-armed suit of armor]], Captain America's [[ComicBook/TheFalcon close friend, a former Air Force paratrooper with a literal winged harness, specializing in rescue missions]], [[ComicBook/TheVision an artificial human created by Thor's lightning and one of Iron Man's AI programs, with an Infinity Stone embedded in his head]], and a pair of twins, [[Characters/ScarletWitch one of whom has a wide array of mental abilities such as mind control, telepathy, and telekinesis]], and [[Comicbook/{{Quicksilver}} one with super-speed and reflexes]] [[spoiler:(though sadly, the latter only gets to be part of the team for the final battle before he dies)]].

* The ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica in ''Series/{{Smallville}}''. You've got [[ComicBook/TheFlash The Fastest Man Alive]], [[Comicbook/{{Cyborg}} Victor Stone]], a {{Cyborg}} with both SuperStrength and HollywoodHacking abilities (GeniusBruiser much?), Comicbook/{{Aquaman}}, who manages to hold his own despite the whole WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway situation, and Characters/BlackCanary, an ActionGirl with SuperScream abilities. All headed up by Comicbook/GreenArrow, the biggest BadassNormal in the whole show. And that's when Characters/{{Superman|TheCharacter}} and the ComicBook/MartianManhunter aren't helping them.

* The ''Franchise/{{Transformers}} franchise gives us countless examples, including:

* Team Venture from ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'', the original version at least.
* The entire first season of ''WesternAnimation/{{Young Justice|2010}}'' was about how you could take a RagtagBunchOfMisfits and turn them into a hypercompetent fighting team worthy of their mentors' Justice League. By the [[spoiler:five-year TimeSkip]], the team has grown into this full-time.

** Mess with anyone in Vox Machina and you are in for a world of hurt. ''Everyone'' is a certified badass [[BadassAdorable of]] [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass some]] [[CulturedBadass variety]] in their own right, and they do not take kindly to anyone they care about getting hurt. Even the [[SpoonyBard party]] [[QuirkyBard bard,]] you ask? ''[[EspeciallyZoidberg Especially]]'' the bard.

* ''Literature/BrotherBand'': 'The Herons' - a pretty decent example of RagtagBunchOfMisfits turned awesome.

* ''Literature/MysticAndRider'' has this--the TrueCompanions formed around Senneth is made up of two elite fighters, two shapeshifters, a mind-reader, and Senneth herself, who is not only the most powerful mystic ever, full stop, but is so good at sword-fighting that she can beat the Lirren boys. All of them can hold their own in a fight, ''and then some''.

* Burke's TrueCompanions from the books of Creator/AndrewVachss.
* The Dendarii Mercenaries of Creator/LoisMcMasterBujold's ''Literature/VorkosiganSaga''. From HandicappedBadass Miles Vorkosigan, to [[ActionGirl Action Girls]] Elli Quinn and Taura, to {{Hermaphrodite}} DeadpanSnarker Bel Thorne, the Dendarii are awesome.

* The Antarctic Empire of ''WebVideo/SMPEarth'' is this — they even end up [[TakeOverTheWorld taking over the world]] on Day 8, by overtaking a large amount of the map. They are the most feared faction on the server.

** Shanks' crew are all made up of some of the best men in their respective fields. To further set them apart from the other crews, they are to a man [[BadassNormal Badass Normals]] without a single Devil Fruit user among them, not unlike the crew Shanks sailed under during his youth: [[spoiler: Gold Roger's]].

** The Whitebeard Pirates (pictured above) fit the criteria, even if they don't get as much focus as the Straw Hat Pirates.
** Shanks' crew.

** In fact, of the cast, there are only two who avert the close-knit nature of the series crews. Gecko Moria, who used to have one, but after losing them to Kaido (in what was implied to be an extremely traumatic fashion), his insanity and heartbreak led him to declare he needed nobody's strength but his own before using his Devil Fruit power to create an army of expendable zombies. The only other people he has are the three people he absolutely needs to even ''have'' that army (while he can make zombies by himself, he can't do so at the same pace and power after Hogback, Absalom, and Perona leave, becoming a non-issue every time he appears after). The other one is Hawkeye Mihawk. No reason is given for his lack of a crew aside from an inherent nature as a loner, but unlike Moria who's crippled with no crew, [[OneManArmy Mihawk doesn't need one]].

* Anyone who says the Poles went down without a fight has never heard of the Battle of Wizna. Anywhere from 350 to 720 Poles vs ''42,200'' Germans. And they held out for [[YouShallNotPass three days]] until they ran out of ammo! There's a reason the {{Music/Sabaton}} song based on the battle was called 40:1. And that's a vast {{understatement}}.

* As in canon, in ''Fanfic/ThisBites'', the Straw Hat Pirates are a powerful crew, this version being expanded from 9 members[[note]]Jinbei hasn't been recruited yet[[/note] to 24 members due to the influence of the SI character.

* As in canon, in ''Fanfic/ThisBites'', the Straw Hat Pirates are a powerful crew, this version being expanded from 9 members to 24 members due to the influence of the SI character.

* The crew of the Enterprise in ''Film/StarTrek2009'' most definitely qualifies. Even [[spoiler:150-year-old Spock Prime]] and TeamDad Captain Pike get cool moments. The movie was essentially an OriginStory of how the original Trek Badass Crew came to be.

* ''Manga/SoulEater'' has several, with the meisters paired with their weapons. There's [[MusicalAssassin Soul]] and [[BadassBookworm Maka]], [[BoisterousBruiser Black Star]] and [[TeamMom Tsubaki]], and [[ShiniGami Death the Kid]] with the [[BewareTheNiceOnes Thompson]] [[OnlySaneMan sisters]]. And when all three teams join together to beat the BigBad...well, [[CatchPhrase they're a freakin' lethal team]]. The manga pairs up Maka's group with Ox's to form young elite unit, Spartoi. They get natty new uniforms and everything.

* Most heroes have some sort of support or backup, but in a Badass Crew, ''everyone'' must be capable of a SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome. In fact a given episode may involve the [[WhatMeasureIsANonBadass least]] badass character doing something so awesome the jaws of the others drop in unison.

* [[VideoGame/TeamFortress2 RED and BLU]]. The mercs get even more badass when the two [[spoiler: join forces to fight Gray Mann's [[RobotWar robot army]] and prevent him from wiping out Mann Co]].

* The ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica in ''Series/{{Smallville}}''. You've got [[ComicBook/TheFlash The Fastest Man Alive]], [[Comicbook/{{Cyborg}} Victor Stone]], a {{Cyborg}} with both SuperStrength and HollywoodHacking abilities (GeniusBruiser much?), Comicbook/{{Aquaman}}, who manages to hold his own despite the whole WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway situation, and Characters/BlackCanary an ActionGirl with MakeMeWannaShout abilities. All headed up by Comicbook/GreenArrow, the biggest BadassNormal in the whole show. And that's when Characters/{{Superman|TheCharacter}} and the ComicBook/MartianManhunter aren't helping them.