Avengers She Wrote

By now, everyone who has been following the disassembling and reassembling of the Avengers by Brian Michael Bendis knows the line-up. However, there is one more spot left in the team, described as a mystery character.

Whilst speculation abounds as to the identity of this character, I can reveal that it is actually a guest spot, with a rotating cast filling the hole when required depending on the arc.

However, those joining the ranks of Earths Greatest Heroes are not staples of the Marvel stable. Whilst the team has might and right, wisecracking and snikt, they are missing the deductive mind of a master detective, something which DC has aplenty (Batman and Ralph Dibny being the most recognisable) but which is thin on the ground around the House of Ideas. However, Marvel don't want to introduce a character just to fill the criteria, because... well, basically because they know that Fanboys will be up in arms due to these new characters not being Avengers material and there being plenty of other established Marvel properties ripe for a place in the line-up.

So Marvel have gone for fictional TV detectives.

Not only are they established characters, but they are also a potential draw for fans outside the comic medium.

The first arc has Jessica Fletcher; the second Ironside and the third (rounding out year one and making for a fine HC collection) Magnum PI and Jim Rockford. No word on Hercule Poirot, however a time-travelling story may allow Cap et al to hook up with Miss Marple at some point, to tackle the might of Kang. It is also believed that Mark Millar is working on Ultimate Taggart, bringing the rugged Scottish detective in to assist The Ultimates.