Line #48 ComicBook/Team7


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/team_7_vol_1_1b_1.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:TheSquad of [=WildStorm=] Universe]]
3
4	''Team 7'' is a comic book series by Creator/{{Wildstorm}} created in TheNineties about a paramilitary group sent by the Intelligence Operations (also known by the initials I/O) to destroy dictatorial governments and possible US menaces during TheSeventies. Then they were sent into a SuicideMission where they were exposed to the "Gen Factor", a radioactive experiment that give them superpowers and convert them into metahumans. The surviving members of the team (that didn't die, go mad or get DrivenToSuicide as a result of the Gen Factor) deserted from I/O and went undercover, being chased in a couple of times. They reunited a couple of times before they split up going every man by its own.
5
6	The title was fundamental to the beginning of the [=WildStorm=] Universe, the title being a kind of {{prequel}} for the various teams in the [=WildStorm=] Universe. Various surviving members of Team 7 either founded or joined teams, with some of their children being born metahumans and forming their own. The title has 3 miniseries: ''Team 7'' in 1994 and two {{sequel}}s, ''Team 7: Objective Hell'' in 1995 and ''Team 7: Dead Reckoning'' in 1996.
7
8	A couple of reboots were made in TheNewTens for Creator/DCComics, both as AllStarCast of both DC and [=WildStorm=] members. The first team was seen in ''ComicBook/{{Flashpoint}}'' as a black ops group killed in Afghanistan with [[Characters/WildCATSGrifter Grifter]] TheLeader and the sole survivor of the attack. Grifter would later found LaResistance against the Amazons. The second one was part of [[ComicBook/Team7New52 one of the titles]] of the ''ComicBook/New52'', also a paramilitary group like the first incarnation but with the difference it was made to prevent future metahuman threats in the first years of metahuman appearances.
9
10	See also ''ComicBook/Gen13'', composed by the offspring of various of Team 7 members; and ''ComicBook/PointBlank'', where Lynch, Cash and Slayton were part as a team again. Some members of this team, [[Characters/WildCATSGrifter Grifter]] and ComicBook/{{Backlash}}, have their own articles here in TV Tropes. Also, the ''New 52'' incarnation has its own page [[ComicBook/Team7New52 here]].
11
12	[[folder:Members]]
13	[[AC:Last active members]]
14	* '''John Lynch:''' Code-named Topkick and former member of I/O's [[PrivateMilitaryContractors Black Razors]], Lynch is TheLeader of the group, who was in constant struggle with the rest of the team because of his unquestioning following of orders and his strict adherence to the rules. He later became the angular stone of [=WildStorm=] Universe: he founded ''ComicBook/Gen13'' with his son Burnout as part of the team, helped Holden Carver in ''ComicBook/SleeperWildStorm'' and eventually became the new leader of I/O after the death of Miles Craven in actual era.
15	* '''Marc Slayton:''' Code-named ComicBook/{{Backlash}}, he's a HalfHumanHybrid who became part of the Team 7 who also was exposed by the Gen Factor, that only awakened his alien heritage, making him unleash psionic whips from his wrists. He's one of the few members who started alone as a VigilanteMan in his own solo series, also being part of ''Team Zero'', the genesis of this group created in the UsefulNotes/WorldWarTwo.
16	* '''Cole Cash:''' Code-named Dead Eye (later changed to [[Characters/WildCATSGrifter Grifter]]), is a early-20s young soldier specialist in guns as a sniper. He gained PsychicPowers and HealingFactor, keeping his 20s appearance for decades. After the team was disbanded, he joined the ComicBook/{{WildCATS\|WildStorm}} as one of his most important members. Also he has some collaborations with his ex-partners Slayton and Cray for certain missions with the [=WildCATS=].
17	* '''Michael Cray:''' Code-named as Deathblow, he's TheBigGuy and the HairTriggerTemper of the group, a big soldier who "shoots first and asks later" and crashed with Cash and Lynch during the first series. Apparently unaffected by the Gen Factor, decades later he became immortal thanks to his advanced HealingFactor, even more higher than Cash, discovered when he died and he came back quickly. With Cash and Slayton, he gained his own solo series.
18	* '''Jackson Dane:''' Code-named Arclight (later known just as Dane), is another member of the team exposed to the Gen Factor and gained even more powers than the rest of the crew, being captured and used as guinea pig by I/O but later rescued by Team 7. Finally he received a symbiote that made him golden metal, and with other symbiote users like him founded his own team: ''Wetworks''. Also, he revived the Team 7 in some ocasions.
19	* '''Christie Blaze:''' Lynch's lover and also part of the Team 7, left apart by Craven, so she wasn't part of the Gen Factor. She joins Team 7 as a member in future appearances along with his lover.
20	[[AC:Former members]]
21	* '''Philip Chang:''' Code-named Bulleteer, he was the bomber of the team and also was exposed to the Gen Factor. He left the group with destination unknown. He's also the father of Grunge from ''ComicBook/Gen13''.
22	* '''Stephen Callahan:''' Code-named Wraparound. The team's only Marine, one of the primary reasons for his agreeing to join was that he wanted his service branch to be represented. Also exposed to the Gen Factor, Callahan faked his death to avoid the persecution. He's the father of Threshold and Bliss from ''[=DV8=]'' and Sarah Rainmaker from ''ComicBook/Gen13'', dying at the first number by saving Sarah when she was a child.
23	* '''Alex Fairchild:''' Code-named Slaphammer, he's the LifeOfTheParty of the team, an easygoing soldier who was exposed to the Gen Factor. As most of the members, he went hiding from I/O for decades with destination unknown. He's the father of Caitlin Fairchild and Freefall from ''ComicBook/Gen13'', who later rejoined his daughters in this series, and eventually dies defending this team in later volumes.
24	[[AC:Other members]]
25	* '''[[OnlyOneName Berckmann]]:''' Died from the side effects of Gen Factor exposure.
26	* '''Robert Diaz:''' Code-named Bloodmoon, was abandoned on a mission and joined the Kindred.
27	* '''Andrew Johnson:''' Shot by Cole Cash for abusing his powers in sadistic ways.
28	* '''Richard [=MacNamara=]:''' Code-named Boloround. DrivenToSuicide after exposure to the Gen Factor.
29	* '''Lucius Morgan:''' Currently known as the Pirate King. Exact circumstances of his time with Team 7 are unknown, but he was not a member when the team was exposed to the Gen Factor.
30	* '''Jack Rhodes:''' Code-named Cyberjack, Rhodes was severely wounded and left the team before Team 7's exposure to the Gen Factor.
31	[[/folder]]
32
33	!!Team 7 provides the next examples:
34	* TheSeventies: The series is ambiented during this decade, being UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar one of the fronts they were sent by I/O.
35	* NinetiesAntiHero: The entire team classifies as this, since none of them can be called as proper heroes.
36	* AlienAmongUs: Slayton/ComicBook/{{Backlash}} is the only member of the team who has an alien origin (a HalfHumanHybrid of a human mother and a [[HumanAliens Kherubin]] father) and was unaffected by the Gen Factor, but his previous powers were augmented by the exposure. Not to mention he's basically immortal thanks to his Kherubin heritage, having [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld more than 300 years old]] at the time he joined Team 7.
37	* BecauseImGoodAtIt: Most of the members don't like to be involved in war, but they do it because they're good at what they do.
38	* {{BFG}}: Used a lot in missions as seen in the main image. Deathblow especially have them as their weapons.
39	* TheCameo: Revealed in ''ComicBook/LoisLane and {{the Resistance}}'' spin-off of DC's ''ComicBook/{{Flashpoint}}'', [[Characters/WildCATSGrifter Grifter]] was TheLeader of [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/team_7_flashpoint_0001.jpg his own version of Team 7]], a paramilitary squad that counted with {{All Star\|Cast}} members like [[Franchise/GreenLantern John Stewart]], [[ComicBook/{{Batwoman}} Kate Kane]] and [[ComicBook/SgtRock Frank Rock]], being the only survivor in a mission during the [[UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror Afghanistan War]] time before the event began.
40	* ChekhovsGunman: Deathblow, the only member who didn't develop any powers after being exposed to the Gen Factor, or so it seemed . When he died during the ''Fire from Heaven'' event decades later, he revived, later revealing that his advanced HealingFactor made him almost immortal.
41	* ChromosomeCasting: All the official versions of Team 7 were men, with the sole exception of [[TheSmurfettePrinciple Christie Blaze]], Lynch's lover, who later joins the team for one of the ensembles.
42	* {{Crossover}}: Surprisingly, with Creator/{{Marvel}}'s ''[[ComicBook/XMen Team X]]'', a paramilitary group formed by Weapon X project, with members like [[ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} James Howlett]], [[ComicBook/{{Sabretooth}} Victor Creed]] and [[ComicBook/{{Mystique}} Raven Darkholme]] fighting side by side with Lynch, Cray, Cash and Dane against an enemy in common.
43	* DadTheVeteran: Various of the members left Team 7 and their military careers to become [[FamilyMan family men]] and live the rest of their lives in peace. In an universe like the [=WildStorm=] one, [[YankTheDogsChain that's too good to last]].
44	* DrivenToSuicide: The newly-gained powers drove various of the members of the team insane. Some ended their lives after being exposed to the Gen Factor. Cash almost suffered this when he got his PsychicPowers, making the decision to FightLikeANormal and using it only in extreme cases.
45	* EliteArmy: The team has selected members who can finish the job where others failed (and died.)
46	* {{Expy}}: Based on classic comic book army teams like ''ComicBook/SgtRock and the Combat-Happy Joes of Easy Company'' and ''ComicBook/SgtFuryAndHisHowlingCommandos''. WordOfGod that Lynch was made as a {{homage}} to ComicBook/NickFury from ''Howling Commandos'', especially by getting an EyepatchOfPower and leading a big organization (I/O in this case.)
47	* FacialMarkings: Every member has a mark in one or both eyes as part of their nicknames to be recognizable in battle. Cash's mark in left eye later would be used in his CoolMask when he takes the identity of [[Characters/WildCATSGrifter Grifter]]. Also Cray is the only one who maintains the markings after the war as part of his attire.
48	* GoodRunningEvil: Decades later this title, Miles Craven died and I/O got a new director in Lynch, who'll lead this organization to something better.
49	* HumanWeapon: For Miles Craven, the main reason to ensemble the team and being exposed to the Gen Factor.
50	* InadequateInheritor: after Team 7 went AWOL, Team 8 was assembled at some point. [[spoiler:It lasted one mission and about three pages.]]
51	* InNameOnly:
52	** The Creator/DCComics' ''[[ComicBook/Team7New52 New 52]]'' version has few to nothing to do with this one, returning only Lynch, Cash and Fairchild to this team, but with different motivations.
53	** Also from DC, "Bulleteer" is the nickname of a superheroine member from Creator/GrantMorrison's ''ComicBook/SevenSoldiers''.
54	** And from anime, the protagonist PowerTrio from ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' is grouped in the [[Characters/NarutoTeamSevenMembers Team 7]].
55	* JungleWarfare
56	* LeaveNoSurvivors: Going to extreme missions, this was the main order in their missions.
57	* MeanBoss: Miles Craven, the head of I/O, who sent the team to {{Suicide Mission}}s where other teams can't survive, exposing them without advice to the Gen Factor, and even chasing them after they deserted (and decades later, going for their offspring.)
58	* MildlyMilitary: As seen in the main image, every member has liberties in their clothing, hair and general look, as long they can do the work. After the team disbanded, the only member that continued with the military clothes is Cray/Deathblow, even twenty years after.
59	* MoreDakka: Deathblow, of all members.
60	* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: WordOfGod. Apart of Nick Fury, Lynch was explicitly modeled after Creator/ClintEastwood.
61	* PsychicPowers: Most of the members received psychic powers thanks to the Gen Factor becoming the first "Gen-Active" humans. But this came with a price: losing their minds and sometimes DrivenToSuicide, so the survivors only used these powers in extreme cases.
62	* RaceLift: Cray reappears in ''ComicBook/TheWildStorm'' reboot and even has [[ComicBook/MichaelCray his own spin-off series]], but now he's a black man instead a Caucasian one.
63	* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: Slayton as the HalfHumanHybrid he is, is around 300 years old at the time he joined Team 7 and was even part of the WWII era Team Zero. And as side-effect of the Gen Factor, members like Cash and Cray got longer lifespans thanks to their HealingFactor.
64	* RedBaron: Every member has his own InSeriesNickname to be easily identified and to avoid exposition of their names in the combat zone. Some of them maintained their nicknames after the team, others changed them for new ones and some others established their identity as [[SecretPublicIdentity their real names instead]].
65	* RogueAgent: After becoming {{Human Weapon}}s against their will during one mission, all the survivor members of the team went rogue and deserted from I/O, killing all their persecutors that went after them. Eventually various of them became VigilanteMan or formed/became part of their own team, becoming the corner stone of groups like ComicBook/{{WildCATS\|WildStorm}} and [=WetWorks=].
66	* SecretPublicIdentity: Of all the surviving members, Lynch, Fairchild and Dane maintain their real names after the team disbanded, with the latter using his last name only.
67	* ShoutOut: Coming from former Creator/MarvelComics creators, this is obvious:
68	** As said before, Lynch looks like if ComicBook/NickFury was portrayed by Creator/ClintEastwood.
69	** Dane looks like a mixture between ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} and ComicBook/{{Sabretooth}}, but with brown hair.
70	** Cray/Deathblow is as big, savage and volatile as ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk (but without the green).
71	* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Christie Blaze, Lynch's lover. Also doubles as the only BadassNormal of the team.
72	* SpinOff: ''Team Zero'' and ''Team One'' are known as this. Also ''[=Gen12=]'', with the survivor members making team with ''ComicBook/Gen13'', a mixture of GenerationXerox and the [[LegacyCharacter New Generation]].
73	* SpiritualSuccessor: ''Wetworks'' became the new version of Team 7 in actual era. Also, ''ComicBook/Gen13'' and ''[=DV8=]'' count as this being these groups formed by the children of members from Team 7.
74	* TheSquad: Of Wildstorm Universe.
75	* TurnedAgainstTheirMasters: Knowing they became guinea pigs for the Gen Factor, the whole surviving Team 7 deserted from I/O and became fugitives.
76	* UnwittingTestSubject: The Team 7 went to a mission which was supposedly to stop a nuclear weapon, but later was revealed as a set-up by Craven to expose the whole team to the "Gen Factor" radiation and give them superpowers to later use them as {{human weapon}}s. [[TurnedAgainstTheirMasters It backfired him later]].
77	* WalkingArmory: Cash and Cray are the heavy weapon operators of the team, usually having a lot of munitions to use ''and'' misuse.
78	* WarIsHell
79	* YouDontLookLikeYou: Decades later, the surviving members of Team 7 (mostly Dane, Lynch, Grifter, Backlash and Deathblow) assembled the team on some special occasions, all of them with their actual superhero costumes. The only one who maintains the same clothing is Deathblow, keeping the military outfit he had during TheSeventies.

Context ComicBook / Team7