New Warriors

• Core Identity: The New Warriors are a dynamic team of young superheroes in the Marvel Universe, often operating outside the sanction of established groups like the Avengers, who champion a grounded, proactive, and sometimes reckless brand of justice that tragically led to one of the most cataclysmic events in modern hero history.
• Key Takeaways:
• Role in the Universe: Originally conceived as Marvel's premier teen super-team of the 1990s, they served as a counterpoint to the established Avengers and X-Men, dealing with more street-level threats and personal angst. Their philosophy has shifted dramatically over the years, from idealistic heroes to reality TV stars, and ultimately to the catalysts of the first superhuman Civil War.
• Primary Impact: Their most significant and infamous impact was the Stamford Incident. While pursuing the villain Nitro for their reality television show, a televised battle resulted in a massive explosion that killed over 600 civilians, including 60 elementary school children. This event was the direct impetus for the Superhuman Registration Act, fundamentally altering the political and social landscape for all heroes in the Marvel Universe.
• Key Incarnations: In the Earth-616 comics, the New Warriors are a dramatic and often tragic institution with a long, storied history. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the team does not exist. A television series was developed and a pilot was filmed, but it was never released, leaving the New Warriors without any official MCU canon presence.

The New Warriors first appeared as a fully formed team in The Mighty Thor #411 (December 1989), with their story continuing in issue #412. The team was co-created by writer and editor Tom DeFalco and artist Ron Frenz. The concept was born from DeFalco's desire to create a new, vibrant team book that could capture the zeitgeist of the late 80s and early 90s, focusing on a younger generation of heroes who weren't sidekicks or students in the traditional sense. Following their successful debut in Thor, they were awarded their own self-titled series, New Warriors (Vol. 1), which launched in July 1990 with writer Fabian Nicieza and artist Mark Bagley. It was under Nicieza and Bagley that the team truly found its voice. Their run is considered the definitive take on the characters, establishing their core personalities, internal conflicts, and their unique place in the Marvel Universe. The series was marketed with the tagline, “Not your older brother's super-team,” emphasizing their edgier, more contemporary feel compared to the Avengers. New Warriors Vol. 1 ran for 75 issues, concluding in September 1996, and remains the longest and most celebrated incarnation of the team.

The formation of the New Warriors was orchestrated by Dwayne Taylor, the brilliant and driven vigilante known as Night Thrasher. Haunted by the murder of his parents, Dwayne dedicated his life and vast corporate fortune to fighting crime. He believed that the major superhero teams were too preoccupied with cosmic threats to focus on street-level justice. Using his company's resources, he meticulously researched and identified four other young, independent super-powered individuals:

• Nova (Richard Rider): A former member of the Nova Corps who had lost his powers and was struggling with a return to civilian life.
• Marvel Boy (Vance Astrovik): A powerful telekinetic mutant trying to escape the shadow of his abusive father and one day join the Avengers.
• Firestar (Angelica Jones): A former member of the Hellions with microwave-based powers, seeking to find her place as a hero after a complicated past.
• Namorita (Namorita Prentiss): The cousin of Namor the Sub-Mariner, a powerful Atlantean hybrid.

Night Thrasher's plan was accelerated when he learned that Terrax the Tamer, a former herald of Galactus, had reformed on Earth. Realizing no single young hero could stop him, Dwayne ambushed Rich, Angelica, and Vance, forcibly bringing them together. He goaded them into action by revealing that his plan was already in motion and that their only choice was to fight. During the ensuing chaotic battle against Terrax, they were joined by Speedball (Robbie Baldwin), a hyper-kinetic hero who stumbled into the fray. Together, this impromptu group managed to defeat the immensely powerful Terrax. In the aftermath, despite the initial friction and forced nature of their alliance, they recognized the potential of what they had accomplished. Under Night Thrasher's leadership and funding, they officially formed the New Warriors, dedicated to making a tangible difference in the world that older heroes were overlooking.

To date, the New Warriors do not exist in any form within the established canon of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Earth-199999). There have been no mentions of the team or its founding members in any MCU film or Disney+ series. However, a New Warriors television series was in active development for the MCU. In 2017, Marvel Television announced a 10-episode, single-camera live-action comedy series had been ordered by the Freeform network. The project was conceived as a lighthearted take on the team, focusing on “six young people with powers living and working together” and dealing with the challenges of being a superhero in the modern world. The announced cast included:

• Milana Vayntrub as Doreen Green / Squirrel Girl
• Derek Theler as Craig Hollis / Mister Immortal
• Jeremy Tardy as Dwayne Taylor / Night Thrasher
• Calum Worthy as Robbie Baldwin / Speedball
• Matthew Moy as Zack Smith / Microbe
• Kate Comer as Deborah Fields / Debrii

A pilot episode was successfully filmed. However, Freeform ultimately passed on the series, reportedly due to scheduling issues. Marvel Television shopped the pilot to other networks and streaming services, but it failed to find a new home. The project was officially declared dead in 2019. With the dissolution of Marvel Television and its integration into Marvel Studios, the status of this version of the team is now defunct. As such, there is no in-universe origin for the New Warriors in the MCU because they have never been introduced.

The New Warriors' core mandate has always been proactive, hands-on heroism. Founded on Night Thrasher's belief that major teams were too reactive, the Warriors' initial mission was to “do the dirty work” and tackle threats that fell through the cracks. They were not sanctioned by the government or The Avengers, operating as an independent entity funded entirely by Dwayne Taylor's Taylor Foundation. Their philosophy was often one of youthful idealism mixed with pragmatism. They saw themselves as more in touch with the real world than the “celebrity” heroes. This mandate, however, evolved and arguably devolved over time. During their second major incarnation, the team embraced a more cynical approach, becoming the stars of a reality television show. Their goal shifted from pure altruism to a mixture of heroism and entertainment, a decision that led directly to their downfall at Stamford.

The team's structure was initially a loose democracy with Night Thrasher as the clear, albeit often challenged, leader and benefactor. Decisions were made as a group, but Dwayne's resources dictated their capabilities.

• The Ambrose Building: Their first headquarters was a secret, high-tech facility located in the top floors of the Ambrose Building in Manhattan's SoHo district, owned by the Taylor Foundation.
• The Crashpad: After the original headquarters was destroyed, the team relocated to a retrofitted firehouse in Brooklyn, which they affectionately named the “Crashpad.” This base was more communal and less corporate, reflecting a shift in the team's dynamic.
• Mobile Command: For a time, the team operated out of a customized Quinjet-like aircraft, allowing them to be more mobile and respond to threats across the country.

The New Warriors have had numerous members over the years. The roster can be broken down into several distinct eras.

As the team does not exist in the MCU, there is no mandate, structure, or membership to analyze. The unproduced television show was planned to portray them as a found family of misfits trying to make a name for themselves, more akin to a workplace comedy than a traditional superhero team. Their “mandate” would have been to gain recognition and prove their worth, with Squirrel Girl positioned as the optimistic leader of the group. Their headquarters would have likely been a shared living space, emphasizing the show's sitcom-like premise.

• Captain America (Steve Rogers): In their early days, the Warriors earned the respect of Captain America. He saw in them the same spirit of heroism he valued and occasionally served as a mentor figure, particularly to Vance Astrovik. The Warriors looked up to him as the ultimate standard of heroism, and his approval meant a great deal to them.
• The Thing (Ben Grimm): Ben Grimm had a brief but memorable tenure as a mentor to the team during a period when they were struggling with their direction. His gruff, no-nonsense attitude provided a much-needed reality check for the young heroes.
• Spider-Man (Peter Parker): As a hero who started young and often operated outside the mainstream, Spider-Man shared a natural kinship with the Warriors. They crossed paths multiple times, sharing a mutual respect built on their shared dedication to street-level crime-fighting and witty banter. Speedball, in particular, looked up to Spider-Man.

• The Sphinx (Anath-Na Mut): An immortal, cosmically-powered Egyptian mystic, the Sphinx was one of the New Warriors' first and most powerful recurring villains. He sought to alter reality to regain his lost love, and his immense power forced the team to use cunning and teamwork to defeat him on multiple occasions, often with devastating consequences for history.
• Psionex: A group of superhumans artificially created by the corporation Genetech, designed to be corporate-sponsored rivals to the New Warriors. The team consisted of Asylum, Coronary, Mathemanic, and Impulse. They were a dark mirror of the Warriors, possessing great power but lacking a moral compass, and they clashed with the team repeatedly.
• Nitro (Robert Hunter): While not a traditional arch-enemy in the sense of a long-standing rivalry, Nitro is unquestionably the most significant villain in the New Warriors' history. His explosive, town-destroying powers and lack of remorse during the Stamford Incident made him the man who effectively destroyed the New Warriors' reputation and legacy, turning them from heroes into national pariahs overnight.

The New Warriors have primarily been an independent organization. Their fierce independence was a core part of their identity. However, they have had significant associations with other groups:

• The Avengers: Their relationship with the Avengers was often one of aspiring juniors. Marvel Boy's primary motivation for a long time was to become an Avenger. While the teams allied on several occasions, there was also a low-level tension, with the Avengers viewing the Warriors as reckless and the Warriors seeing the Avengers as out-of-touch establishment figures.
• The Initiative: In the wake of Civil War, the surviving members of the New Warriors were inexorably drawn into the government's Fifty-State Initiative. Justice and Rage became instructors at Camp Hammond, training new registered heroes. Speedball, as the tortured Penance, was forced to serve on a new version of the Thunderbolts.

This early, sprawling storyline delved deep into Night Thrasher's origins. The team travels to Madripoor and Cambodia, where they are confronted by the Folding Circle, a group of powerful individuals (including Midnight's Fire and Silhouette's brother, Aaron Chord) whose parents were part of a mystical pact in Southeast Asia alongside Dwayne's parents. The Circle reveals a shocking truth: Dwayne's parents were not innocent victims but were involved in the pact and were killed as a result of its dark power. This revelation shatters Night Thrasher's black-and-white worldview and forces him to confront the complexities of his own legacy. It was a major character-defining arc that tested the team's loyalty to their leader.

In New Warriors Vol. 3 (2005), the team, having disbanded and reformed, takes a radically different approach to heroics. With low public recognition, they agree to star in a reality television series that follows their crime-fighting exploits. This era satirized the growing celebrity culture of the 21st century. The team traveled the country in a van, seeking out low-level super-villains to apprehend on camera. This pursuit of ratings and fame directly contributed to their increasingly reckless behavior and poor judgment, setting the stage for the single most important event in their history.

This is the New Warriors' defining, tragic moment. The story is detailed in the opening pages of the Civil War (2006) crossover event. The New Warriors—Night Thrasher, Namorita, Speedball, and Microbe—stake out a house in Stamford, Connecticut, where a group of C-list villains, including Nitro, Cobalt Man, and Coldheart, are hiding. With their reality show cameras rolling, the team decides to storm the house for a dramatic takedown. The plan immediately goes wrong. The villains are more formidable than anticipated. During the chaotic brawl that spills out onto the lawn of a nearby elementary school, Namorita slams Nitro against a school bus. In a desperate act, Nitro unleashes his ultimate power: a massive, self-detonating explosion. The blast vaporizes Namorita, Microbe, Night Thrasher, and the villains instantly. It obliterates the elementary school, the surrounding neighborhood, and kills over 600 people, most of them children. Speedball is the sole survivor from the team, his kinetic field propelling him hundreds of miles away but failing to contain the blast. The entire horrific event is broadcast on live television. The Stamford Incident sends a shockwave of grief and rage across the United States. The New Warriors are vilified, becoming symbols of reckless, unaccountable vigilantism. Public opinion turns violently against superheroes, directly leading to the United States government passing the Superhuman Registration Act (SRA), which requires all powered individuals to register with the government, reveal their identities, and act as official agents. The heroes' debate over the SRA is the core conflict of Civil War, a conflict ignited entirely by the New Warriors' actions in Stamford.

The aftermath of Stamford was brutal for the survivors. Speedball, blamed by the public and wracked with guilt, is imprisoned. During his incarceration, he discovers his powers have changed. The trauma and constant physical abuse from his guards cause his kinetic field to internalize; instead of protecting him, it now causes him excruciating pain whenever he uses his powers, manifesting as energy blasts. He adopts the name Penance and designs a new costume lined with 612 internal spikes—one for every victim in Stamford—to constantly feel the pain he believes he deserves. He becomes a tormented, near-silent figure, a tragic icon of the war's cost.

The most significant “alternate version” of the team is the one from the unproduced 2017 television pilot. This incarnation was a radical departure from the comics' dramatic tone, re-imagining the team as the subjects of a half-hour comedy. The roster was eclectic, pulling from different eras of Marvel Comics, and led by the famously quirky and optimistic Squirrel Girl. This version would have focused less on world-saving heroics and more on the daily struggles of being young, super-powered, and trying to find your place in the world. Its failure to launch remains a major “what if” for fans of the characters.

In the alternate future of the MC2 universe, a new generation of New Warriors exists. This team is led by a future version of Jubilee of the X-Men and includes members like Spider-Girl (Mayday Parker), Wild Thing (Wolverine's daughter), and the Buzz. They are a more traditional superhero team, carrying on the heroic legacy of the original group without the dark shadow of the Stamford Incident.

Following Civil War, a new team calling themselves the New Warriors emerged, operating as unregistered, rebellious heroes fighting the SRA. This team was secretly founded and led by Donyell Taylor, Dwayne's half-brother, who took on the mantle of Night Thrasher. Its members were mostly depowered mutants who had regained abilities through technological means, including former X-Men members like Jubilee (as Wondra) and Angel Salvadore (as Tempest). They fought to prove that the spirit of the New Warriors was about heroism, not recklessness.

In 2014, a new New Warriors series launched as part of the All-New Marvel NOW! initiative. This team brought together veteran members Justice and Speedball (once again a hero, not Penance) with a new, diverse cast of characters, including:

• Scarlet Spider (Kaine Parker): The gruff clone of Peter Parker.
• Hummingbird (Aracely Penalba): A mysterious girl with divine connections and powers of empathy.
• Sun Girl (Selah Burke): A brilliant scientist's daughter using light-based technology.
• Haechi (Mark Sim): A young Inhuman with energy absorption and projection powers.

This series focused on the team battling the High Evolutionary and dealing with the emergence of new super-powered beings across the globe.

• Civil War (Comic Event)
• Night Thrasher (Dwayne Taylor)
• Speedball / Penance (Robbie Baldwin)
• Nova (Richard Rider)
• the_avengers

^{2) 3) 4) 5) 6)}