While you may assume that the Avengers, the Fantastic Four or the X-Men are the strongest group of superheroes in the Marvel universe, one team has them beat, at least according to a new theory over on ScreenRant. Based on the individual and combined powers of the characters, the theory goes that the Great Lakes Avengers are actually Marvel’s secret MVPs. With most of its members not widely known though, it’s worth looking at the team in more detail to see if the idea holds up.
For those not in the know, the Great Lakes Avengers began as a semi-serious and unofficial band of superheroes based out of Madison, Wisconsin. Originally tied to the West Coast Avengers title, the GLA were initially taken to task for borrowing the Avengers name, but were revived in Dan Slott’s GLA Misassembled miniseries, which brought in some heavy hitters to make them a legitimate force.
Among the most powerful sometime-members of the GLA is the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (aka Doreen Green) who has, over the years, taken down the likes of Doctor Doom, Galactus and even Thanos. As well as her hand-to-hand combat skills, Squirrel Girl also has an army of loyal squirrels to help her in battles. Similarly impressive is Mr. Immortal (aka Craig Hollis), who can recover from any wound due to a rare mutation that makes him impervious to death.
Other impressive contributors to the GLA include Doorman, who can teleport people into the next room, albeit via use of a dimensional portal, and has been resurrected as the Angel of Death. The GLA has also featured Big Bertha, whose ability to rearrange her body fat makes her a significant opponent and an occasional supermodel, as well as Flatman, who has similar powers to the Fantastic Four’s Reed Richards.
Taken together, the GLA might represent a surprising source of power, but arguably lose points against more established Marvel teams for their occasional difficulty in organizing themselves into a consistent team (many adventures see them playing cards at their HQ). It’d certainly be intriguing to see how these characters would work in the MCU though, possibly through a Disney Plus series.
The closest we’ve had so far to an on-screen GLA has been a New Warriors series that didn’t make it past a pilot, while Squirrel Girl’s been popping up in various animated Marvel properties. The Russo Brothers have also expressed enthusiasm for tackling the GLA, so we wouldn’t rule out seeing some version of the team or its characters in future on-screen adaptations.
