Every Member of Marvel’s New Champions, Explained

[[{“value”:”

While the Marvel Universe has always been replete with superpowered teams of heroes, these have historically been composed of veteran costumed crime fighters who have an innate understanding of what any given mission entails. As such, most of these teams are more likely to suffer from interpersonal issues than any overt threats or treacherous learning curves.

Unfortunately for the heroes of Marvel Comics’ New Champions #1 (by Steve Foxe, Ivan Fiorelli, Ig Guara, Arthur Hesli, Kat Walkington, and VC’s Travis Lanham), that couldn’t be further from the truth. Like the Champions before them, this lineup of budding young superheroes have no problem navigating the battlefield, even if they aren’t nearly as adept at navigating the pulse-pounding lifestyle they were suddenly thrust into. Luckily, these New Champions have one another to lean on when things get tough. So far, that has been enough to overcome any odds, although the fact that the team consists of nothing but underage powerhouses probably has something to do with that.

Liberty is the Leader the New Champions Need

Like many of her fellow New Champions, Liberty’s presence in the Marvel Universe was foreshadowed multiple times before her first full appearance in the pages of 2024’s Spider-Woman #7 (by Steve Foxe, Ig Guara, Arif Prianto, and VC’s Joe Sabino). When Liberty first burst onto the scene, she was a member of The Assembly, a team of teenage superheroes based out of San Francisco.

As it turned out, the energy construct-wielding Miranda Monteiro and her fellow members of The Assembly had all fallen prey to the same covert Hydra program as Spider-Woman’s son, Gerry Drew. After being targeted because of their emerging powers, the members of The Assembly were stolen away from their families and brainwashed into serving as so-called superheroes at Hydra’s behest.

Not long after Titan was unmasked as the villainous Kondrati Topolov, best known as Gremlin, the other members of the team were freed from Hydra’s control and given a chance to reunite with their families. Unsurprisingly, they continued fighting alongside one another as the New Champions, all with the bright-eyed and optimistic Miranda leading the charge as Liberty.

Cadet Marvel is an Unfathomable (and Partly Undefined) Teenage Powerhouse

Emilio Gallardo, aka Cadet Marvel, might be the most powerful member of the New Champions. Brash, boisterous, and brazen through and through, Cadet Marvel is always the first to leap into battle, especially if it gives him a chance to prove himself.

However, the poorly defined nature of his powers opens the door for him to become an even more prominent team member. In the handful of appearances he has made, Cadet Marvel has shown himself to be capable of throwing more than mere punches, with his flaming fists clearly indicating something more at play.

His “jet-powered punches,” as described in the pages of New Champions #1, don’t really impart any specific ideas behind how such a power is supposed to work. At that rate, the nuances of Cadet Marvel’s abilities are ripe for exploration, even if he himself isn’t the most mysterious character at the center of the series.

Moon Squire Gives the New Champions a Street-Level Edge

Of all the New Champions, Moon Squire is easily the most relatable and least intriguing member of the team. Like his fellow former Assembly teammates, Moon Squire’s look was modeled after a more recognizable Marvel superhero, specifically Moon Knight.

While all of that adds up to a character who falls right in line with the rest of his previously non-existent kid sidekicks, Moon Squire simply doesn’t have the same vested interest in what the New Champions are trying to achieve.

Although the young Jaren Johnson is happy to help however he can, the great responsibility that came along with his great powers isn’t something he can consistently prioritize above all else. As seen in New Champions #1, Jaren is just as concerned with getting home on time as he is saving the day, speaking to how much better his return to the family who forgot him has gone than what many of his teammates have experienced.

Hellrune Could Be the New Champions’ Strongest Member

The young hero known only as Hellrune shares much in common with some of the greatest heroes ever to call Asgard their home, but what role that same realm has to play in her own life is still entirely unknown to the budding young mage herself.

Imbued with the powers of teleportation, flight, moderate control over the elements, and the ability to summon a plethora of energy constructs, Hellrune is by far the most capable member of the New Champions. Then again, Hellrune doesn’t understand where her powers come from, let alone the cost they might require of her, which means that she could also be the source of some serious problems in the future.

Thankfully, Hellrune can always rest assured that her fellow New Champions will have her back. Hopefully, with the ever-expanding nature of the team, the number of allies she has to lean on will only get bigger over the course of the series.

Fantasma is a Whole New Breed of Spirit of Vengeance

Like the other young heroes at the heart of New Champions #1, Isabella Alvarez’s first appearance in the Marvel Universe came in the form of a vision of the future seen in the pages of 2023’s Timeless #1 (by Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, Juan Cabal, Edgar Delgado, and VC’s Travis Lanham).

At least, not as far as readers have seen from her yet, although her appearance as some form of Ghost Rider implies that the latter of those tragic turns could very well be taking place sometime soon. In her first full appearance in the closing story from 2024’s Ghost Rider: Robbie Reyes Special #1, “A Fantasmic Roller Derby Adventure” (by Melissa Flores, Jan Bazaldua, Luiz Zavala, and VC’s Ariana Maher), a panic attack caused Isabella to open a portal to Hell with her powers inadvertently.

This unleashed a horde of Hellhounds, who were met with fierce resistance from Isabella herself as Fantasma and Robbie Reyes as the Ghost Rider. While Isabella is more than capable of holding her own against infernal foes and even surviving treks back and forth through the pits of Hell itself, she has no idea where her accursed abilities stem from nor where the search for answers will lead her, especially not now that she has crossed paths with the New Champions.

​​​​​​​

“}]] Marvel has a brand new team of teenage superheroes, and none of them have any clue what direction their powers are leading them in.  Read More