Over the course of comic book history, the superhero team has played a vital role. These groups of superheroes have allowed for character development, and bigger and better adventures for the superheroes involved. It is sometimes hard for a single superhero to singlehandedly take on the entire universe and stay believable. However, when an entire team of superheroes are up against anything, the feat seems possible. Which superhero teams over history have had the biggest impact? More importantly, who are the top five comic book superhero teams of all time?
5. The Avengers - This is certainly one of the oldest superhero teams of all time, and they have had many different rosters and variations. Virtually every major Marvel Comics superhero has been on the roster in some form or another, and this makes the Avengers a veritable who’s who of superhero teams. While the Avengers are certainly large and dynamic, they are just too variable to keep any major interest for me.
4. The Super Friends - This is DC Comics’ version of the Avengers. Superman, Batman, Aquaman, and many more have all been on the roster. The only reason they rank higher than the Avengers is because they have maintained a fairly stable roster over the years. The truth is they also had the Wonder Twins, and that is worth big points to me. Wonder Twin powers, Activate!
3. The Fantastic Four - The Invisible Girl, The Thing, The Torch, and Reed Richards have all been a team for a very long time. That said, it has been a lot of fun to read their stories and keep some continuity. Though the movies bit the big one, the Fantastic Four comics are still outstanding reads. This is one superhero team that keeps to themselves, and rarely accepts new members. Having had She Hulk on the roster once nearly dropped them out of the rankings though.
2. X-Factor - This group of superheroes were always very interesting to me, and the books were simply the best reads around at the time. Though they do not have the longevity of the other books on the list, they certainly are off to a great start. The simple fact that they competed heavily with the X-Men for a very long time speaks volumes about just how good X-Factor was. And speaking of the X-Men….
1. X-Men - Though it is the obvious choice, it is hard for me to imagine anyone challenging this pick. The X-Men are simply the greatest super hero team of all time. The biggest reason for this in my view is simply the fact that they continuously find new ways to perpetuate the human mutant issues and keep their stories fresh. Each X-Men comic finds a way to mirror the times in real life through the relationships in the comic. Go back and read the old X-Men titles and you will see the world at that time reflected in the story. The X-Men is not only the greatest superhero team of all time, they are the best comic period.
Surely there are others that could have made the list, and I am sure you will tell me who they are. Please feel free to leave your lists in the comments below.
