History ComicBook / Champions1975

[[caption-width-right:350:[[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHercules Hercules]]! ComicBook/BlackWidow! [[ComicBook/WarrenWorthingtonIII Angel]]! ComicBook/GhostRider! ComicBook/{{Iceman|MarvelComics}}!]]

-->-- '''[[Characters/HawkeyeKateBishop Kate Bishop]]'''

The Champions of Los Angeles -- generally shortened down to simply "the Champions" up until [[ComicBook/Champions2016 another team came along with that name]] -- was a WestCoastTeam of superheroes consisting of [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHercules Hercules]], ComicBook/{{Iceman|MarvelComics}}, [[ComicBook/WarrenWorthingtonIII Angel]], ComicBook/BlackWidow, ComicBook/GhostRider, and a new character named Darkstar. Black Goliath (Bill Foster) also served as the team's scientific advisor. The team was created by Tony Isabella and Don Heck.

The history of why the team exists is interesting: at the time it came out, ''[[Recap/XMenChrisClaremontGiantSizeXMenVol11 Giant-Size X-Men]]'' #1 had come out and the X-Men had become popular again, but, of the original five X-Men, Creator/ChrisClaremont only wanted to use ComicBook/{{Cyclops}} and ComicBook/JeanGrey. ComicBook/{{Beast|MarvelComics}} had already become a member of ComicBook/TheAvengers, leaving the last two of the original X-Men, ComicBook/{{Iceman|MarvelComics}} and [[ComicBook/WarrenWorthingtonIII Angel]], in comic book limbo. So [[ComicBook/BlackLightning Tony Isabella]] came up with an idea to do a road-trip book with Angel and Iceman, but editor Len Wein insisted that the team have at least five members, including [[TheSmurfettePrinciple a woman]], [[TheBigGuy a strong man]], and [[PanderingToTheBase someone with their own book]]. Hence: Black Widow, Hercules, and Ghost Rider.

* ButtMonkey: The team itself after their book ended. For years, whenever the Champions were brought up, people either wondered how they were ever a team or made fun of them, culminating in [[Characters/HawkeyeKateBishop Kate Bishop]] using the apparently arbitrary makeup of the team as a distraction for some {{mooks}}.

-->-- '''ComicBook/KateBishop'''

* ButtMonkey: The team itself after their book ended. For years, whenever the Champions were brought up, people either wondered how they were ever a team or made fun of them, culminating in ComicBook/KateBishop using the apparently arbitrary makeup of the team as a distraction for some {{mooks}}.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHercules Hercules]]! ComicBook/BlackWidow! [[ComicBook/WarrenWorthingtonIII Angel]]! ComicBook/GhostRider! ComicBook/{{Iceman}}!]]

The Champions of Los Angeles -- generally shortened down to simply "the Champions" up until [[ComicBook/Champions2016 another team came along with that name]] -- was a WestCoastTeam of superheroes consisting of [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHercules Hercules]], ComicBook/{{Iceman}}, [[ComicBook/WarrenWorthingtonIII Angel]], ComicBook/BlackWidow, ComicBook/GhostRider, and a new character named Darkstar. Black Goliath (Bill Foster) also served as the team's scientific advisor. The team was created by Tony Isabella and Don Heck.

The history of why the team exists is interesting: at the time it came out, ''[[Recap/XMenChrisClaremontGiantSizeXMenVol11 Giant-Size X-Men]]'' #1 had come out and the X-Men had become popular again, but, of the original five X-Men, Creator/ChrisClaremont only wanted to use ComicBook/{{Cyclops}} and ComicBook/JeanGrey. ComicBook/{{Beast|MarvelComics}} had already become a member of ComicBook/TheAvengers, leaving the last two of the original X-Men, ComicBook/{{Iceman}} and [[ComicBook/WarrenWorthingtonIII Angel]], in comic book limbo. So [[ComicBook/BlackLightning Tony Isabella]] came up with an idea to do a road-trip book with Angel and Iceman, but editor Len Wein insisted that the team have at least five members, including [[TheSmurfettePrinciple a woman]], [[TheBigGuy a strong man]], and [[PanderingToTheBase someone with their own book]]. Hence: Black Widow, Hercules, and Ghost Rider.

Despite the book ending in 1978, the team has occasionally gotten back together again. There was, surprisingly, an ''ComicBook/XForce / Champions'' Annual in 1998 where the team reunited and teamed up with X-Force to battle Pluto again. The entire team has never really reunited since, although most of the members came back together ''ComicBook/{{Iceman}}'' vol 3 #6 to mourn the passing of Black Widow (don't worry, [[DeathIsCheap she got better]]) in a storyline called "Champions Reunited."

The history of why the team exists is interesting: at the time it came out, ''[[ComicBook/UncannyXMen Giant-Size X-Men]]'' #1 had come out and the X-Men had become popular again, but, of the original five X-Men, Creator/ChrisClaremont only wanted to use ComicBook/{{Cyclops}} and ComicBook/JeanGrey. ComicBook/{{Beast|MarvelComics}} had already become a member of ComicBook/TheAvengers, leaving the last two of the original X-Men, ComicBook/{{Iceman}} and [[ComicBook/WarrenWorthingtonIII Angel]], in comic book limbo. So [[ComicBook/BlackLightning Tony Isabella]] came up with an idea to do a road-trip book with Angel and Iceman, but editor Len Wein insisted that the team have at least five members, including [[TheSmurfettePrinciple a woman]], [[TheBigGuy a strong man]], and [[PanderingToTheBase someone with their own book]]. Hence: Black Widow, Hercules, and Ghost Rider.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[ComicBook/IncredibleHercules Hercules]]! ComicBook/BlackWidow! [[ComicBook/WarrenWorthingtonIII Angel]]! ComicBook/GhostRider! ComicBook/{{Iceman}}!]]

The Champions of Los Angeles -- generally shortened down to simply "the Champions" up until [[ComicBook/Champions2016 another team came along with that name]] -- was a WestCoastTeam of superheroes consisting of [[ComicBook/IncredibleHercules Hercules]], ComicBook/{{Iceman}}, [[ComicBook/WarrenWorthingtonIII Angel]], ComicBook/BlackWidow, ComicBook/GhostRider, and a new character named Darkstar. Black Goliath (Bill Foster) also served as the team's scientific advisor. The team was created by Tony Isabella and Don Heck.

The history of why the team exists is interesting: at the time it came out, ''[[ComicBook/UncannyXMen Giant-Size X-Men]]'' #1 had come out and the X-Men had become popular again, but, of the original five X-Men, Creator/ChrisClaremont only wanted to use ComicBook/{{Cyclops}} and ComicBook/JeanGrey. ComicBook/{{Beast}} had already become a member of ComicBook/TheAvengers, leaving the last two of the original X-Men, ComicBook/{{Iceman}} and [[ComicBook/WarrenWorthingtonIII Angel]], in comic book limbo. So [[ComicBook/BlackLightning Tony Isabella]] came up with an idea to do a road-trip book with Angel and Iceman, but editor Len Wein insisted that the team have at least five members, including [[TheSmurfettePrinciple a woman]], [[TheBigGuy a strong man]], and [[PanderingToTheBase someone with their own book]]. Hence: Black Widow, Hercules, and Ghost Rider.

Tony Isabella wrote the first two issues, co-wrote the third with Creator/BillMantlo, and then passed off the writing duties to Creator/ChrisClaremont (which meant that he was now writing ''all'' of the original X-Men in different books) for the fourth issue. Isabella returned with issue #5, with Bill Mantlo taking over with issue #8 and becoming the de facto writer for the rest of the book. The book itself ended with issue #17 and the team officially disbanded in ''Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man'' #18 (also written by Mantlo).

Tony Isabella wrote the first two issues, co-write the third with Creator/BillMantlo, and then passed off the writing duties to Creator/ChrisClaremont (which meant that he was now writing ''all'' of the original X-Men in different books) for the fourth issue. Isabella returned with issue #5, with Bill Mantlo taking over with issue #8 and becoming the de facto writer for the rest of the book. The book itself ended with issue #17 and the team officially disbanded in ''Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man'' #18 (also written by Mantlo).

* SensualSlavs: Both Black Widow and Darkstar.

* AvengersAssemble: [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] by Iceman: "Too bad we don't have a catchy assembly call! Y'know like 'Champions Convene' or something!"

[[caption-width-right:350:[[ComicBook/IncredibleHercules Hercules]]! ComicBook/BlackWidow! ComicBook/{{Angel}}! ComicBook/GhostRider! ComicBook/{{Iceman}}!]]

The Champions of Los Angeles -- generally shortened down to simply "the Champions" up until [[ComicBook/Champions2016 another team came along with that name]] -- was a WestCoastTeam of superheroes consisting of [[ComicBook/IncredibleHercules Hercules]], ComicBook/{{Iceman}}, ComicBook/{{Angel}}, ComicBook/BlackWidow, ComicBook/GhostRider, and a new character named Darkstar. Black Goliath (Bill Foster) also served as the team's scientific advisor. The team was created by Tony Isabella and Don Heck.

The history of why the team exists is interesting: at the time it came out, ''[[ComicBook/UncannyXMen Giant-Size X-Men]]'' #1 had come out and the X-Men had become popular again, but, of the original five X-Men, Creator/ChrisClaremont only wanted to use ComicBook/{{Cyclops}} and ComicBook/JeanGrey. ComicBook/{{Beast}} had already become a member of ComicBook/TheAvengers, leaving the last two of the original X-Men, ComicBook/{{Iceman}} and ComicBook/{{Angel}}, in comic book limbo. So [[ComicBook/BlackLightning Tony Isabella]] came up with an idea to do a road-trip book with Angel and Iceman, but editor Len Wein insisted that the team have at least five members, including [[TheSmurfettePrinciple a woman]], [[TheBigGuy a strong man]], and [[PanderingToTheBase someone with their own book]]. Hence: Black Widow, Hercules, and Ghost Rider.

The book itself begins with Angel and Iceman attending UCLA as students. They quickly get roped into fighting the Greek god Pluto alongside Black Widow, Hercules, and Ghost Rider. After defeating Pluto, they decided to become a team operating out of Los Angeles, while Angel bankrolled with the group. During issue #8, a new member joined: Darkstar or Laynia Petrovna, a Russian superhero who was part of a team that was supposed to bring Black Widow back to Russia. Instead, she switched sides and joined the Champions, where Iceman developed a crush on her. At the end of the series, she told him she didn't feel the same way and then left for Russia again.

* TheSmurfettePrinciple: For the first seven issues, Black Widow was the ''only'' female member of the team. Thankfully, in issue #10, Darkstar joins the team.

Despite the book ending in 1978, the team has occasionally gotten back together again. There was, surprisingly, an ''ComicBook/XForce / Champions'' Annual in 1998 where the team reunited and teamed up with X-Force to battle Pluto again. The team has never really reunited since, although the remaining members came back together ''ComicBook/{{Iceman}}'' vol 3 #6 to mourn the passing of Black Widow (don't worry, [[DeathIsCheap she got better]]) in a storyline called "Champions Reunited."

The book itself begins with Angel and Iceman attending UCLA as students. They quickly get roped into fighting the Greek god Pluto alongside Black Widow, Hercules, and Ghost Rider. After defeating Pluto, they decided to become a team operating out of, basically, Black Widow's apartment, while Angel bankrolled with the group. During issue #8, a new member joined: Darkstar or Laynia Petrovna, a Russian superhero who was part of a team that was supposed to bring Black Widow back to Russia. Instead, she switched sides and joined the Champions, where Iceman developed a crush on her. At the end of the series, she told him she didn't feel the same way and then left for Russia again.

The Champions of Los Angeles -- generally shortened down to simply "the Champions" up until [[ComicBook/Champions2016 another team came along with that name]] -- was a WestCoastTeam of superheroes consisting of Hercules, Iceman, Angel, Black Widow, Ghost Rider, and a new character named Darkstar. Black Goliath (Bill Foster) also served as the team's scientific advisor. The team was created by Tony Isabella and Don Heck.