Young Avengers #4 (2005): Side Kicks (Part 4 of 6)

The Young Avengers are finding themselves dealing with newfound stressful situations, as they learn to prioritize their time and make tough decisions that will affect everyone around them. There are feelings of conflict within themselves and their mentors, but we find that this may be the basic building skills for a strong team as they find their place in this superhero team and within the Marvel Universe. Struggles of a teenager can be a b*#@%, especially facing truths and making hard life altering decisions. In Young Avengers #4, Allan Heinberg continue to provide realistic personalities and individual uniqueness as he adds growth to each character from an independent stand point to a strong team member.

Eli, aka; Patriot, is definitely a lion in this team. He has a personality that naturally takes charge and can be quite assertive. Patriot enjoys taking the lead and generally knows which way he wants to go. That natural ability and confidence to move toward a goal or objective is a great strength for this self-starter. At times when under pressure, Patriot can be so decisive that he struggles with slowing down to listen to or seek input from others before making a decision. Throughout Young Avengers #4, we begin to see Patriot gaining the wisdom to slow down and seek to include others — proactively asking for their input and valuing their insights. In my eyes, Patriot is already leadership material. There is another lion that he seems to admire, Nathaniel, aka; Iron Lad. I have a feeling that Eli will be the most devastated if Nathaniel (I want to call him Nate) returns to his natural timeline. Fortunately, Eli will have an otter named Kate Bishop to offer support.

Kate Bishop, aka, well; she’s still trying to figure out her superhero name. Kate is creative and full of energy, enthusiasm and life. She seems optimistic when things are bleak and often see the potential in ideas they take to heart. This otter has the skill to know how crucial it is to value people around her; who are great at following through, being sensitive and setting a clear path. Kate has an act of motivation while not objecting to taking risks. Like Kate, her new found BFF, Cassie Lang, Ant-Man’s daughter, is trying to find her way and has the same personality attributes as Kate.

Let’s continue and talk about two of my personal favorite members of Young Avengers, and how their personalities apply to teamwork. Golden Retrievers rock! For example, they’re world-class at seeking peace and harmony with others and in wanting to see closeness and caring in a home, marriage or workplace. Teddy, aka; Hulkling is a perfect fit for this personality trait. Just observe his body language and verbiage as he effectively communicate to others. Teddy is naturally considerate, good-natured and a strong team player. However, he also tend to avoid prob­lems (or downplay issues) at all costs, saying things like “Here we go…” Thankfully, Teddy’s BF feeds the strengths while he is there when Teddy falls…literally, check out pages 19 and 20.

Billy, once known as Asgardian, but now goes by Wiccan portrays the beaver personality trait. I believe this is a major factor that brings these two souls together. (Sorry, it hasn’t happened yet. However, how can you not know?) Billy’s attention to detail and desire to do things in a quality and correct way makes him so incredibly beneficial in a relationship and in a teenage superhero team. He can spot problems early on, even when an idea is being shared initially — which is one reason it’s a good idea to invite the personality of a beaver into a conversation. They can help others limit risk and identify challenges that can block or keep some­thing from being successful. Billy has a great skill of wanting issues to be dealt with when they’re small, instead of waiting for small problems to turn into crisis.

Did I say “crisis”? We are seeing in Young Avengers #4 some major timeline alterations and this has everyone nervous. Young Kang, has been outside of his time for too long causing major changes to their mentors and Kang the Conqueror is not going to allow this to be his ending. Throughout this book, we see some different sides to the villain of the story. You know, actually, who is the villain here? Pending on the perspective, it could be Nathaniel instead of Kang. Like Eli, Nathaniel releases his lion personality as he fights to be a better person and not become Kang. This draws a wedge between Captain America, Iron Man, Jessica, and the Young Avengers. Siding with Kang, the rift causes the emotional drama and defensive action. However, Kate is first of the team to recognize that it is best that Nathaniel returns to his timeline. It is her otter personality that speaks out and persuades the team towards the unavoidable and difficult decision.

Best quote; “Kate, if you found out you were going to become… Adolf Hitler, wouldn’t you do everything in your power to make sure it never happens?” — Iron Lad on becoming Kang. Seriously, as the reader, what would you do in Nathaniel’s place? Honestly, I would do everything and maybe accept the timeline alterations to not become an evil person.

In Young Avengers #4, Heinberg has managed to craft a fun story with heart and emotional conflict. His storytelling speaks to the reader, draws us into the story as we feel the tension and experience each character’s perspectives. Heinberg has a skill of a leader, who understands that team members have different personalities that cause conflict. He takes that knowledge and teaches the reader that challenges of teamwork can become their strengths towards the success of their mission and goals. I really enjoyed the humor and incredible action provided by the awesome writings by  Heinberg, along with the great artwork by Jim Cheung & John Dell and the superb coloring by  Justin Ponsor, Talk about teamwork!