Leader of the Pack Trivia Quiz

Answer: James Hudson

The Canadian team of superheroes called Alpha Flight made its first appearance in "The Uncanny X-Men" in a two-part story in 1979 (issues #120 & #121). The team as first presented was comprised of six members: Guardian (the team leader), Northstar, Aurora, Sasquatch, Shaman, and Snowbird.

The alter ego of team leader Guardian was James MacDonald Hudson, who had previously appeared in "The Uncanny X-Men." His 'power' was based on a manufactured battle suit that could fly and manipulate the Earth's gravitational field.

According to a backstory published in 1992, Hudson had initially formed a team called "The Flight," which included Wolverine. After Wolverine left and joined the X-Men, Hudson (as Weapon Alpha) tried to retrieve him and bring him back ("The Uncanny X-Men" #109). This unsuccessful attempt resulted in Hudson coming back as Guardian, leading the newly formed Alpha Flight team in another effort to capture Wolverine and return him to Canada.

The Canadian team would go on to have their own "Alpha Flight" comic series, which lasted for 130 issues in its first incarnation.

Answer: Tony Stark

The first Avengers team appeared in "Avengers" #1 in September of 1963. The original five members of the team came together to face a threat from the Asgardian god of mischief, Loki. Consisting of Thor, the Hulk, Ant-Man, the Wasp and Iron Man, the original group didn't stay together that long (the Hulk left pretty quickly), but the team DID continue. Using his vast financial resources and high level of intelligence, Anthony Edward Stark... AKA Iron Man... took on the team leadership to start.

When Captain America (Steve Rogers) joined the team in issue #4, replacing the Hulk, he took over the leadership role from Iron Man by team consensus.

Tony Stark was only one of many Avengers team members who took on the leadership role. He came back to it periodically, depending on circumstances, but was also willing to step aside for others, or to even branch out and create his own team (or go off on his own) when he didn't agree with the direction the team was going.

Iron Man has been part of every different iteration (comic book 'Volumes') of the Avengers.

Answer: Stephen Strange

The original iteration of the Defenders appeared in "Marvel Feature" #1 in 1971 with Doctor Strange, the Hulk, and Namor the Sub-Mariner. They teamed up as somewhat of a continuation of a crossover storyline between the three individual hero's self-titled comics, with Doctor Strange bringing them together as the leader.

In three issues under the "Marvel Feature" title, their popularity was such that they got their own title "The Defenders," which lasted until issue #124. After that, the lineup changed entirely, and the team was restyled as "The New Defenders," beginning with #125.

Answer: Reed Richards

"The Fantastic Four" #1 was released in November of 1961. The team consisted of Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic), his girlfriend (and later, wife) Sue Storm (the Invisible Woman), her brother Johnny Storm (the Human Torch), and friend Ben Grimm (the Thing). Reed Richards is acclaimed as one of the most intelligent characters in the Marvel Comics Universe, and it was his development of a spacecraft and its test flight that got all four of them powers, when the ship was bombarded by deadly cosmic radiation.

Answer: Peter Quill

The original iteration of the Guardians of the Galaxy first appeared in "Marvel Super-Heroes" #18 in January of 1969, and included Yondo Udonta. That team was from an alternate timeline (referred to as Earth-691).

The modern team, which first appeared in "Annihilation: Conquest" #6 in April of 2008, was created when Star-Lord (Peter Jason Quill) recruited Adam Warlock, Drax the Destroyer, Gamora, Phyla-Vell, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, and Mantis as a team designed to proactively protect the galaxy (after facing the invading cybernetic species called the Phalanx, led by Ultron).

They didn't actually take on the name of the 'Guardians of the Galaxy' until encountering Vance Astro, one of the original (Earth-691) team members, displaced in time, and 'borrowing' the Guardians of the Galaxy name from him.

Answer: Nick Fury

"Sgt. Nick Fury and his Howling Commandos" was released in 1963 and lasted until 1981, featuring an elite group of World War II soldiers.

Nick Fury appeared differently, this time as a Colonel, in "Strange Tales" #135 (August, 1965). Even though the other series was ongoing, it took place during WWII, while this new rendition of Fury had moved on to become a Cold War spy, with S.H.I.E.L.D. Two serials of "Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D." would follow (1968-71 and 1989-92), with a mini-series inbetween, entitled "Nick Fury vs. S.H.I.E.L.D." (1988)

A new, superpowered version of the Howling Commandos resurfaced in 2015 with "Howling Commandos of S.H.I.E.L.D." without Fury at the helm.

Answer: Dwayne Taylor

The first appearance of the New Warriors was in 1989 in "The Mighty Thor" #411 as a cameo, followed by the main story in #412. Also making his first appearance was the founder and leader of the team, Dwayne Taylor, AKA the vigilante Night Thrasher.

In looking for some superpowered help in his fight against crime (Taylor's billionaire parents were murdered), Night Thrasher recruits Firestar, Marvel Boy, Namorita, Nova and Speedball - all heroes already seen in the Marvel Comics Universe.

Since their first appearance, the New Warriors have had five different comic series, and has featured different characters in different combinations. Taylor quit the group after the first series, but did return on occasion as an ally.

Answer: Clint Barton

As a spinoff to "The Avengers" comic series, "The West Coast Avengers" came out in September of 1984. Established Avenger Hawkeye (AKA Clint Barton) was tasked by the Vision (Chairman of the Avengers at the time) to expand the team's influence by setting up a new chapter in Los Angeles.

Barton recruited Mockingbird, Wonder Man, Tigra, and Iron Man (actually Jim Rhodes pretending to be Tony Stark) as the first team lineup.

Answer: Charles Xavier

The original mutant title "The Uncanny X-Men" #1 came out in September of 1963 and featured Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Iceman, Angel, and the Beast, all brought together and trained by Professor X, AKA Professor Charles Xavier.

Xavier actually established 'Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters,' which seemed like a normal academic school to the outside world, but was (of course) a front for teaching and training young mutants. From this school, he formed the fighting team of the X-Men, to be able to fight threats to humanity - especially those from other mutants.

Answer: Nathan Summers

With the ending of "The New Mutants" in issue #100 (in February of 1991), the existing New Mutants joined together with some new arrivals to form a new team called X-Force, ready and willing to be more militant in their battle against evil.

"X-Force" ran from 1991 until 2002 in its first series, and five more series followed with varying membership and leadership.