Marvel’s ‘West Coast Avengers’ Reveals Their Newest And Most Unlikely Hero
by Tony Thornley
Part of the concept baked into Marvel’s upcoming West Coast Avengers is that the team will serve as a supervillain reformation program. Now, the series plans to introduce a new hero through that program that’s also completely unexpected.
Coming from Gerry Duggan & Danny Kim, Iron Man, War Machine, Spider-Woman and Firestar headline the series, as they attempt to reform one of the Marvel Universe’s deadliest threats, Ultron! But he’s not the only reformed villain joining their ranks, as West Coast Avengers #1 introduces Blue Bolt, a reckless, unrefined former henchman with untested lightning powers who might just be earth’s mightiest jerk.
On the unique role Blue Bolt will serve on the team, Duggan said, “The Avengers have seen a lot of rough customers over the years. Hell, even Deadpool and Wolverine have been Avengers at different points. But the Avengers haven’t seen a bigger @$!&^% than Blue Bolt. He’s mean, he’s self-centered, narcissistic, and he’s only on the Avengers West Coast squad to shave time off his sentence. And wait until you find out what he’s in jail for. Yeesh.”
It’s fun to see this personality type getting introduced as part of the unique concept behind this volume of WCA. Too many reformed villains are instantly noble and heroic, and it’ll be interesting to see what it’s like to have a hero that’ just plain an ass.
Check out Kim’s design sheet for Blue Bolt as well as a promo image by Todd Nauck, and watch for West Coast Avengers in November from Marvel Comics.
