Run the Mission, Don't Get Seen, Save the World.
The
Secret Avengers is a
The Avengers spinoff featuring a black-ops oriented team of Avengers in the
Marvel Universe which started in the "Heroic Age". Originally led by
Commander Steve Rogers, who was placed in charge of America's superheroes after the deposition of a
drunk-with-power Norman Osborn, the comic deals with the Secret Avengers' "off-the-grid" operations as they seek to protect the world from threats before they reach public attention.
The team's original line-up included
Captain Steven Rodgers,
Beast,
Moon Knight,
Nova, Valkyrie,
Ant Man and
Black Widow. Later,
Hawkeye took over the team, adding Captain Britain, the original Human Torch and even
Venom * Flash Thompson
to the roster. Steve Rogers had returned to his role as Captain America after the events of
Fear Itself.
As part of
Marvel NOW, the title was relaunched in February 2013, with Nick Spencer (
Morning Glories) writing and Luke Ross on art. The new volume focuses on
SHIELD creating its own team of Avengers, starring
Nick Fury Jr,
Phil Coulson, Daisy Johnson/Quake (director) and Maria Hill (acting director) with a team of Avengers consisting of
Hawkeye,
Black Widow,
Mockingbird, and
Hulk who are sent on missions so secret that even they can't know what they've done, requiring them to
submit to a mindwipe afterward.
Currently under construction.
Volume 1 features these tropes:
- Action Girl: Black Widow, Sharon Carter, and Valkyrie.
- Animal Themed Superbeing: The Beast, Ant-Man and Venom
- Badass Bookworm: The Beast and Ant-Man, who serve as the team's experts.
- Badass Crew: This being an Avengers team, not surprising, really.
- Badass Normal: Moon Knight, Shang Chi, Hawkeye, as well as S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Sharon Carter.
- Battle Couple:
- Steve and Sharon, being that they're a long established couple before forming the team.
- Venom and Valkyrie, after his girlfriend broke up with him as an aftermath of the savage six arc in his own book
- Big Damn Heroes: Nova Force-enhanced Steve Rogers saving the rest of the Secret Avengers from a Serpent Crown-possessed Nova. Yep. You read that correctly.
- Venom manages to save Valkyrie from a pair of adaptoids.
- Brainwashed and Crazy: Nova under the influence of the Serpent Crown. Fortunately, Worldmind stayed intact.
- Costume Copycat: One "Point One*
Basically, issues that are meant as "jumping-on points" for a series to attract new readers.
" issue features the team having to stop a man dressed up in the U.S. Agent/"The Captain" outfit.
- Evil Twin: Max Fury, an Life Model Decoy made in Nick Fury's image, and is made to serve the mysterious Shadow Council.
- Later an adaptoid is introduce that has the ability to grow evil miniature versions of its Avenger opponents from her back that act as such with all originals powers and skills.
- Five-Man Band:
- Knife Throwing Act: In #29, John Steele is subjected to one after being captured by the Circus of Crime.
- The Mole: Ant-Man, after his Heroic Sacrifice and subsequent return.
- New Meat: Venom gets treated like this early on, due to being relatively new to superhero work.
- The Omniscient Council of Vagueness: The Shadow Council, who seemingly have ulterior motives.
- Pin-Pulling Teeth: Black Widow does this in #31 as she tosses a grenade into the engine of a plane, her other arm being occupied in clinging to the outside of the plane.
- Psychoactive Powers: Captain Britain
- Put on a Bus: Nova after the first arc.
- Sacrificial Lion: At the end of the first Descendents arc we have Jim Hammond, the original Human Torch critically wounded and placed in stasis after engineering the team's escape along Eric O'Grady killed saving a child and either replaced or converted into a potential Deathlok without anyone knowing.
- Wolverine Publicity: Steve Rogers already serves as the man in charge of America's superhero community, and he also leads the Secret Avengers.
- Hawkeye thanks to the increased profile from the upcoming Avengers movie is showing up in multiple books at the same time with series set to debut later this year.
- Working With The Ex: Hawkeye and Black Widow used to be an item, though that was so long ago that the two barely talk about it.
Volume 2 features these tropes:
- Action Girl: Bobbi Morse/Mockingbird, Daisy Johnson/Quake, Natasha Romanov/Black Widow.
- Author Appeal: Nick Spencer, writer of the Marvel NOW version of the team, admits in interviews that Mockingbird is one of his favourite characters, and wanted to use her specifically because he always tries to use her in his work wherever he can.
- Battle Couple:
- Hawkeye and Mockingbird are a variation; They're broken up now, and Clint's currently sorta-but-not-quite in the middle of a thing with Spider-Woman, but they're still close and can go straight into the thick of things without any issue.
- Dark Action Girl: Yelena, who serves as a contrast to Natasha.
- Five-Man Band:
- The Hero: Nick Fury Jr, being the one with the most to do.
- The Lancers: Hawkeye and Black Widow trade this role, on the field.
- The Smart Guy: Mockingbird, being the most scientifically qualified and the one using cool gadgets.
- The Big Guy: Hulk and Iron Patriot, both being the strongest members, though their roles aren't completely clear as of yet.
- The Chick: Maria Hill and Agent Coulson.
- The Sixth Ranger: Technically, most of the team.
- Token Evil Teammate: Taskmaster, being the only non-hero on the team, and one the others all hate.
- Big Good: SHIELD Director Daisy Johnson, AKA Quake, who authorizes and watches over the team from afar.
- Good Is Not Nice: SHIELD. Even the SHIELD agents admit this, and sometimes regret what they do in the line of duty.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Maria Hill is genuinely sorry about activiating Bruce's memory implant after the Hulk takes out the rogue Iron Patriots that AIM has been controlled.
- The Reveal: At least two in #2. Mockingbird was disguised as the criminal who said he'd deal with Taskmaster, and Taskmaster is not being used on the team itself, he's being put in with AIM as an inside man.
- Another one in #4 when it's revealed that the team is being sent to assassinate the Scientist Supreme, who is running AIM.
- Working With The Ex: Hawkeye and Mockingbird, who used to be married, something Clint lampshades in the third issue. He and Black Widow also dated shortly after he was introduced.
