by James Thornton

Created on: July 23, 2009

Ensemble superhero teams provide some of the most interesting titles in comics. The best teams all have some common features: internal tension or rivalries, love interests, comic relief, and cohesion. The four best teams based on these principles are the X-Men, Avengers, Justice League, and World's Finest.

The X-Men are probably the most popular superhero team in the comics. The internal tension within the team lies with Wolverine against just about everyone else. Wolverine is the reluctant leader of the group and a loner at heart. He is often at odds with Cyclops and Storm. Wolverine is an anti-hero of sorts, and in many ways the X-Men are all about him. He's the outsider who's on the team out of a moral obligation to protect mutants by heading off a human - mutant war. There are also love interests on the team. Cyclops, Jean Gray, and Wolverine all form a love triangle, which was also portrayed in the films. Comic relief in the film is usually provided by Iceman's sarcasm. Wolverine also has a dark sense of humor and it surfaces often. The Wolverine - Cyclops rivalry provides a chuckle or two as well. The X-Men work well together. Their powers and abilities are complementary. Each has a unique niche and well defined personality. The team members don't always get along but when push comes to shove you know they will come together like the dysfunctional family they are.

The Avengers are also a popular ensemble title existing in the Marvel Universe. The core members of the group are Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Wasp, and Giant Man. Recent storylines have killed off Giant Man and Captain America, but a new Captain has been introduced. The internal tension within the Avengers centers on Iron Man and Captain America. This rivalry ultimately resulted in the Civil War story. With the exception of the Batman - Superman rivalry this is probably the best one in comics. Tony Stark and Steve Rogers do not like each other at all. The love story in the Avengers centered on the marriage of Wasp and Giant Man, and grew abusive. With Giant Man's death the main love story has shifted to Bruce Banner/Hulk and Betty Ross. Thor provides a lot of comic relief with a fish out of water story being from Asgard and all. Spiderman is an on and off again member and he is always good for several laughs as well. The Avengers are not as close as the other teams. No one really trusts Hulk and the team fractured even more with actions of Iron

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