Champions is the 2020 relaunch of Champions (2019), this time under the pen of Eve Ewing. It is preceded by the events of Outlawed.
In the wake of "Kamala's Law", a Super Registration Act, teenage superheroes have been outlawed, and the Champions now find themselves pursued by C.R.A.D.L.E., a new government agency tasked with hunting them down.
Starting with issue 6, Danny Lore takes over as writer.
This series contains examples of:
- Achilles in His Tent: When Kamala, Miles, and Sam find Riri, she refuses to rejoin the Champions, as she's still angry at them about what happened to Viv, but when their visit brings C.R.A.D.L.E. to Riri's house, she's forced to suit up and fight alongside them.
- The Cavalry: Just as the Champions are about to be arrested, who should show up but Cyclops and Dust, who declare Krakoa has given them amnesty.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: In the second issue, Snowguard and Bombshell are quick to note the parallels between C.R.A.D.L.E.'s "school" and the residential schools and concentration camps that Amka and Lana's respective ancestors endured.
- Everyone Has Standards: Upon learning that the re-education centers are being run by Roxxon, Senator Patrick immediately moves to have them shut down.
- Fun with Acronyms: The Child Hero Reconnaissance And Disruption Legal Enforcement, or C.R.A.D.L.E.
- The Infiltration: In order to gain better intel on what Roxxon's real intentions are with their Roxx On! social media app, Kamala suggests that Miles and Sam apply for an internship with credentials slightly edited by Viv Vision. But when Miles turns out to be the only one Roxxon decided to hire, it causes some turmoil within the team as Sam resorts to desperate measures to prevent being left out.
- Jurisdiction Friction: In the first issue, Miles Morales almost gets arrested by a bunch of N.Y.P.D. officers seeking to prove that they don't need C.R.A.D.L.E. in their city in order to enforce Kamala's Law. This increases in issue #2, as the cops bristle when C.R.A.D.L.E. tries to classify teenage protesters as vigilantes.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: While gossiping about the two new applicants gunning for the Roxxon internship, Miriam Blakemoore doesn't mince words justifying her decision to hire Miles Morales over Sam Alexander. Where as she describes Miles as an intelligent, charming, and magnetic individual who's presence will definitely attract more teens to their app, Sam, by comparison, is described as being a boring unexceptional everyman that lacks the charisma Morales has in spades. This didn't take some readers long to realize that this bit of dialogue was the writers essentially acknowledging how in spite of being regularly marketed together as members of a Power Trio, Sam has consistently struggled as a character to match the popularity of Miles and by extension Kamala Khan, who both are generally seen as beloved legacy heroes that have successfully made their mark in the Marvel Universe and pop culture as a whole.Miriam: Sure. There's space for the everyman type in every marketing strategy. Such a blank canvas that he could be anyone's friend or brother. But there's gotta be more there.Secretary: He seemed sweet.Miriam: Okay, he's sweet. But look at the other kid: He's smart, charming, well spoken...and most importantly he's cool.——No one is signing up to talk to the other one.
- Les Collaborateurs: One of Miles' classmates is trying to start a junior chapter of C.R.A.D.L.E. at his school.
- The Mirror Shows Your True Self: While disguised as an ordinary human, Viv passes through a bathroom. Her reflection shows her actual synthezoid appearance.
- The Mole: Viv turns out to be alive, and is secretly leaking the Champions' whereabouts to C.R.A.D.L.E.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Bombshell is made to make a video supporting C.R.A.D.L.E. and she's shown to be very remorseful over superheroing. When the other Champions in custody call her out on this she's very anxious and fearful that everyone be compliant.
- Police Brutality: Not unlike the last time they tried to register supers the arresting officers of C.R.A.D.L.E. are shown to be very authoritative and threatening over detainees and any uncooperative witnesses.
- Social Media Is Bad: Miriam Blakemoore, the head of Roxxon's Publicity and Marketing, launches a new social media app called Roxx On! as apart of a PR campaign to clean up the mega corporation's public image after it was blown that they were funding the C.R.A.D.L.E. reeducation camps. Not only do the Champions quickly discern that the app is a privacy violating nightmare, it's actually apart of a plot by Roxxon to collect enough data from the general public so that their "Chaperone Model" killer robots can predict where and when a teen hero might show up then intercept them. Miriam also brags to her potential buyers that the app will enable Roxxon to induce just enough apathy and desensitization across it's user base that nobody will care to continue protesting if the Senate fails to overturn Kamala's Law.
- Spit Take: Sam, in civilian identity, is trying to impress a woman in Roxxon to be hired and be The Mole, while Ms. Marvel overhears it all as Mission Control from a cafe. The woman is definitely not impressed by Sam, unless he knew famous people. Ms. Marvel points that no, he only knows other superheroes and that would blow the intended cover. But he manages to save his nomination by pointing that he does know a famous person that Roxxon is unable to get: Kamala Khan!
- We ARE Struggling Together: In the wake of the new law, the Champions are divided about how to respond to it, particularly after Ms. Marvel arbitrarily puts out a video declaring that the Champions will oppose it, without actually asking any of the other Champions first. Moon Girl and Brawn aren't happy about not being consulted, as Kamala has put their own ventures at risk. Meanwhile, Dust and Starling are questioning Kamala's leadership due to her inability to control Viv, Patriot is concerned about how to continue superheroing when the new law makes it impossible to get funding from anyone, Cloud Nine is contemplating getting a mentor, and Falcon has enlisted with the original Falcon, as he feared that he would be deported otherwise.
