The Champions Classic #1
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeThis volume collects the earliest adventures of Marvel's original Champions team, featuring the debut and early issues of the 1970s superhero group. The team, composed of Angel, Iceman, Hercules, Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze), and the Black Widow, formed in the wake of a shared battle against a common threat. The collection reprints the first several issues of their original series, showcasing their dynamic as a unique and short-lived Marvel ensemble.
"The World Still Needs... the Champions!" kicks off a bold new chapter with Bill Mantlo’s sharp writing and John Byrne’s dynamic art, bringing the team back in full force. When Black Goliath saves the Champions’ sky-car from disaster—revealing he designed it—mystery and danger follow as they race to Arizona to aid Hawkeye and the Two-Gun Kid against the Warlord Kaa and his Shadow-Aliens. Back in Los Angeles, a stolen box from Bill Foster’s lab arrives at the base, drawing the attention of the Stilt-Man, who’s hunting it with ruthless intent. Gil Kane’s iconic cover, inked by Dan Adkins, captures the team’s high-stakes return.
In "Divide and Conquer!", the Champions are thrown into chaos when Rampage arrives with a message about Black Widow—only for his exo-skeleton to explode. With the team fractured, Ghost Rider rushes Rampage to the hospital, Iceman and Ivan hunt for Natasha, and Hercules and Angel prepare to unveil the Champions to the world—just as the Griffin, Titanium Man, and Crimson Dynamo descend to disrupt the moment.
In "The Battle of Los Angeles!", the Champions are pushed to their limits as a wave of villains—led by Crimson Dynamo, Titanium Man, and the Griffin—launches a brutal assault on the city. With the team scattered and overwhelmed, Black Widow narrowly escapes captivity just as Iceman and Ivan Petrovich close in on her hidden location.
When a malfunctioning sky-car threatens the Champions, Black Goliath steps in—only to uncover a dangerous flaw in its design. With Darkstar now part of the team, the Champions race to Arizona to stop Warlord Kaa and his eerie Shadow-Aliens, while a mysterious box stolen from Black Goliath’s lab sets off a new crisis back in Los Angeles.
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Reprints
↩ Reprints The Champions #1 (1975), The Champions #2 (1976), The Champions #3 (1976), The Champions #4 (1976), The Champions #5 (1976), The Champions #6 (1976), The Champions #7 (1976), The Champions #8 (1976), The Champions #9 (1976), The Champions #10 (1977), The Champions #11 (1977)
Reprinted in Marvel Masterworks: The Champions #1 (2016), Champions: No Time for Losers #[nn] (2016), Champions Classic: The Complete Collection #[nn] (2018)
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