The Great Lakes Avengers are a comedic superhero group, fashioned after Marvel Comics’ Avengers. Created by John Byrne and Mike Machlan, they first appeared in The West Coast Avengers #46, July 1989. This article is about the comic book company. ... In comic books, first appearance refers to first comic book to feature a character. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... For other uses of John Byrne, see John Byrne (disambiguation). ... For other places with the same name, see Milwaukee (disambiguation). ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Mr. ... Flatman (Dr. Val Ventura) is a fictional superhero in the Marvel Comics universe who first appeared in the pages of the Avengers West Coast in 1989. ... Doorman (DeMarr Davis) is a fictional superhero in the Marvel Comics universe who first appeared in the pages of the Avengers West Coast in 1989. ... Big Bertha (Ashley Crawford) is a fictional superhero in the Marvel Comics universe who first appeared in the pages of the Avengers West Coast in 1989. ... Squirrel Girl (Doreen Green) is a fictional superhero in the Marvel Universe. ... Squirrel Girl (Doreen Green) is a fictional superhero in the Marvel Universe. ... For other uses, see Dead pool (disambiguation). ... Dinah Soar is a fictional superhero in the Marvel Universe. ... The Grasshopper is the name of three humorous Marvel Comics superheroes who have appeared in miniseries and one-shots featuring the Great Lakes Avengers, all written by Dan Slott. ... Hawkeye (Clint Barton) is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero, a longtime member of the Avengers. ... Mockingbird (Barbara Bobbi Morse-Barton) is a Marvel Comics superhero, a member of the Avengers and West Coast Avengers. ... Squirrel Girl (Doreen Green) is a fictional superhero in the Marvel Universe. ... This article is about the comic book company. ... The Avengers are a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. ... For other uses of John Byrne, see John Byrne (disambiguation). ... The West Coast Avengers was a spin-off superhero team of the Avengers, as well as the title of their comic book series. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ...

The group consists of self-styled superheroes who possess bizarre powers, a lack of common sense and a naive insistence on being superheroes. The group idolizes the Avengers and, seeing as the team already had East and West Coast branches, dedicated itself to defending the Midwestern United States. Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... This article is about the Midwestern region in the United States. ...

They have gone through several names, including Great Lakes X-Men, Great Lakes Defenders and Great Lakes Champions and The Lightningrods, but now they call themselves the Great Lakes Initiative.

The Great Lakes Avengers have appeared sporadically since their first appearance.

Characters

The members assembled in response to a newspaper ad written by Mr. Immortal after he decided that he would need help in his fight against crime.

• Mr. Immortal – Craig Hollis, the team leader, whose only power is the ability to come back from the dead. Apparently this is due to his destiny: he is intended to be the last living being in the Universe. Deathurge, an anthropomorphic embodiment of an abstract concept, has haunted him all his life, preparing him for his lonely fate by killing off all his friends and loved ones in an attempt to harden him. "Mr. I" is the only one who can see and communicate with Deathurge, causing some concern for his friends since they think he is arguing with himself.
• Dinah Soar – a reptilian alien with flight powers and a sonic attack in the form of a high-pitched shriek. Her name refers to Dinah Lance (Black Canary), who possesses similar vocal powers; Dyna-Soar, a U.S. aircraft prototype; and is a pun on both the word dinosaur and actress Dinah Shore's name. Only Mister Immortal was able to understand and communicate with her. She was killed by Maelstrom during a mission, greatly deepening Mr. Immortal's chronic depression.
• Big Bertha – model Ashley Crawford, who can transform into an incredibly fat (but also incredibly strong) version of herself. She must vomit before she can return to normal, spoofing the cliché that models often suffer from bulimia. Her staunch refusal to leave Milwaukee to take part in photo sessions in Rome or Paris is a source of constant puzzlement to her agent. However, Bertha wishes to maintain her role with her team, primarily because she is their financial backer.
• Flatman – Dr. Val Ventura, who possesses an incredibly flat body that can stretch and slip through narrow spaces. He recently publicly revealed that he is homosexual. He has a certain resemblance to Mr. Fantastic, a fact that is often exploited for comic effect.
• Doorman – DeMarr Davis, who can use his body as a portal allowing his teammates to pass through walls. It was revealed in the GLA: Misassembled series that he has a connection to the Darkforce dimension. He is also the most sardonic member of the team. He is currently an angel of death, similar to Deathurge.
• Leather Boy – Gene Lorrene, a leather fetishist and possible sadomasochist, misunderstood Mr. Immortal's personal ad for "costumed adventurers", and left the group soon afterwards. To quote Mr. Immortal: "The less said about it, the better." (Leather Boy was not a member of the team when it was originally introduced in WCA #46, but was retconned into the roster in the 2005 Misassembled miniseries.) He later returned briefly (clad in a leather variation of Doctor Doom's mystical armor), seeking revenge for being ignored during the team's recent recruiting drive, and murdered Monkey Joe. Big Bertha, however, caught and defeated him by sitting on him (though this excited him sexually). His true name, Gene Lorrene, echoes that of Jean Loring, wife of the DC Comics superhero The Atom, who played a central role in the miniseries Identity Crisis, which the Misassembled series satirizes.
• Hawkeye and Mockingbird – Clint Barton and Barbara "Bobbi" Morse, founding members of the West Coast Avengers who briefly also served as mentors to the GLA.
• Squirrel Girl – Doreen Green, a buck-toothed young girl with a long, bushy tail who has the abilities of a squirrel and can summon squirrels to help her. She had a wise-cracking pet squirrel called Monkey Joe, who was also a member until his untimely death. He has been replaced by Tippy-Toe, a female squirrel who has also become an official team member. Squirrel Girl joined the team during the Misassembled limited series. Despite her arguably silly powers, Squirrel Girl has single-handedly defeated Doctor Doom, Thanos, Terrax, MODOK and Deadpool.
• Grasshopper – Doug Taggert, a Roxxon agent with a mechanical suit vaguely similar to that of Iron Man, albeit with an insect motif. He died 5.8 seconds after joining the team--according to Monkey Joe, a new record for the shortest tenure with any superhero team.
• Deadpool (reserve) – Wade Wilson, the wisecracking mercenary, had occasional run-ins with the GLA team due to his offbeat books' tendency to attract similarly bizarre characters. In their most recent encounter, the Deadpool-GLI Summer Fun Spectacular, Deadpool helped them foil an AIM plot to put all the worlds' superheroes into a drunken stupor. As a result, they asked him to join and he agreed to become a reserve member. Ultimately, they had to throw him out of their headquarters due to his odious (and expensive) personal habits, so his present team status is unknown.

Mr. ... Deathurge is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. ... Dinah Soar is a fictional superhero in the Marvel Universe. ... Black Canary is a fictional character, a DC Comics superheroine. ... Artists conception of the X-20 during re-entry The X-20 Dyna-Soar (Dynamic Soarer) was a USAF program to develop a spaceplane that could be used for a variety of military missions, including reconnaissance, bombing, space rescue, satellite maintenance, and sabotage of enemy satellites. ... Orders & Suborders Saurischia Sauropodomorpha Theropoda Ornithischia Thyreophora Ornithopoda Marginocephalia Dinosaurs were vertebrate animals that dominated the terrestrial ecosystem for over 160 million years, first appearing approximately 230 million years ago. ... Dinah Shore (born Frances Rose Shore February 29, 1916 - February 24, 1994) was an American singer and actress. ... Big Bertha (Ashley Crawford) is a fictional superhero in the Marvel Comics universe who first appeared in the pages of the Avengers West Coast in 1989. ... Bulimia nervosa, commonly known as bulimia, is an eating disorder and psychological condition in which the subject engages in recurrent binge eating followed by feelings of guilt, depression, and self-condemnation and intentional purging to compensate for the excessive eating, usually to prevent weight gain (see anorexia nervosa). ... For other places with the same name, see Milwaukee (disambiguation). ... Flatman (Dr. Val Ventura) is a fictional superhero in the Marvel Comics universe who first appeared in the pages of the Avengers West Coast in 1989. ... Homosexuality refers to sexual interaction and / or romantic attraction between individuals of the same sex. ... Mr. ... Doorman (DeMarr Davis) is a fictional superhero in the Marvel Comics universe who first appeared in the pages of the Avengers West Coast in 1989. ... The Darkforce is a fictional concept in the Marvel Comics superhero universe. ... The Leather Pride flag, which has become a symbol of the BDSM and fetish subculture. ... Collars are a commonly used symbol of BDSM and can be ornamental and utilitarian. ... Retroactive continuity – commonly contracted to the portmanteau word retcon – refers to the act of changing previously established details of a fictional setting, often without providing an explanation for the changes within the context of that setting. ... Doctor Doom (Victor von Doom) is a fictional Marvel Comics supervillain created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. ... Jean Loring is a fictional character from DC Comics associated with The Atom. ... DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company. ... The Atom is a DC Comics superhero, introduced during the Silver Age of comic books in Showcase # 34 (Sep-Oct 1961). ... This article is about the DC Comics series. ... Hawkeye (Clint Barton) is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero, a longtime member of the Avengers. ... Mockingbird (Barbara Bobbi Morse-Barton) is a Marvel Comics superhero, a member of the Avengers and West Coast Avengers. ... The West Coast Avengers was a spin-off superhero team of the Avengers, as well as the title of their comic book series. ... Squirrel Girl (Doreen Green) is a fictional superhero in the Marvel Universe. ... Doctor Doom (Victor von Doom) is a fictional Marvel Comics supervillain created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. ... Thanos is a fictional character that appears in the Marvel Universe. ... Terrax the Tamer is a fictional supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. ... MODOK is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. ... For other uses, see Dead pool (disambiguation). ... The Grasshopper is the name of three humorous Marvel Comics superheroes who have appeared in miniseries and one-shots featuring the Great Lakes Avengers, all written by Dan Slott. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... For the upcoming film and video game based on the superhero, see Iron Man (film) and Iron Man (video game). ... For other uses, see Dead pool (disambiguation). ...

The story

Dying after giving birth, Audrey Hollis was led to the afterlife by Deathurge, the embodiment of the latent self-destructive impulses in all beings, who promised to look after Audrey's newborn son, Craig. Deathurge became Craig's supposedly imaginary childhood friend, leading the boy into all sorts of potentially lethal activities until his eighth birthday, when Craig's father Edward died in a fire after Craig and "D'urge" had played with matches. Placed in an abusive foster home with the O'Doughan family, Craig befriended and ultimately fell in love with the O'Doughans' daughter, Terri, outgrowing the need for his "imaginary" friend. Craig and Terri eventually ran off together to Milwaukee, but lingering depression from her upbringing led Terri to commit suicide, and Craig was shocked to see a very real "D'urge" escort her spirit away. Despairing, Craig tried repeatedly to kill himself, but soon realized he had the mutant power to recover from fatal injuries. He decided to become a super-hero as Mr. Immortal, but his self-resurrection power was of little use against criminals on its own. Needing teammates to supplement his passive power, Craig placed a personal ad and gathered a group of local costumed adventurers. The highly malleable, almost two-dimensional Flatman became the team's deputy leader. Big Bertha, a slender supermodel who could morph into a super-obese powerhouse, used her modeling fortune to finance the team. Doorman created Darkforce-powered portals through solid objects using his own body. The sound-manipulating, pterodon-like Dinah Soar (possibly related to the Savage Land's Nhu'Gai race) had an inaudible hypersonic voice that only Mr. Immortal could comprehend, forcing her to use a whistle to communicate with her other teammates. The final member, Leather Boy, was quickly dropped after his teammates realized he was merely a non-powered leather enthusiast who had misunderstood Mr. Immortal's personal ad. They decided to set up shop as the Midwestern branch of the Avengers, (who then had East and West Coast branches), maintaining the coastal theme as the "Great Lakes Avengers" (GLA). After the GLA subdued a group of would-be robbers at the Milwaukee Farmers & Merchants Building, the archer Hawkeye - who had recently left the West Coast Avengers roster - decided to investigate the GLA's unauthorized use of the Avengers' name. Hawkeye and his wife, Mockingbird lured the GLA into a confrontation; but after a brief scuffle, Hawkeye decided his leadership could shape the GLA into a real team - much to the chagrin of Mr. Immortal. Soon detecting an Avengers Quinjet emergency signal, the GLA and their new mentors went to the Absolom College of Robotics in Texas, where they rescued several Avengers from That Which Endures, an unconscious collective sentience which guided evolution and was trying to terminate humanity in favor of mutantkind. While the other GLAers battled That Which Endure's pawns, Mr. Immortal destroyed its Assimilator machinery, freeing everyone from the entity's influence. Though Hawkeye and Mockingbird continued to train the GLA, the team was never fully accepted or endorsed by the real Avengers. Frustrated, Hawkeye soon quit to rejoin the West Coast Avengers.

When the extraterrestrial Terminus terrorized St. Louis, Missouri during an attempt to drain all life on Earth, the GLA - notified of the threat by Hawkeye -fearlessly battled Terminus at St. Louis' Gateway Arch, delaying Terminus until the Avengers arrived. Ultimately forced into space by Thor and deprived of its lance, Terminus was forced to expend energy too rapidly and imploded. The GLA also saved Christmas for a suburb of Muskego, Wisconsin from Dr. Tannenbaum and his giant robot snowman. Later, when schoolboy Stevie found the Crimson Ruby of Cyttorak and sought to steal Captain America's shield with it, he duped the GLA into battling Captain America and the Human Torch until the GLA were defeated and the confusion was cleared up. Shortly afterward, Mockingbird left the GLA to accept a reserve position with the West Coast Avengers.

After many of the Avengers and other heroes seemingly died in battle with Onslaught, the Avengers disbanded and the GLA attempted to fill the void. They abandoned the Avengers franchise and renamed themselves the "Lightning Rods", trying to become the "West Coast adjunct" to New York's new leading superheroes, the Thunderbolts, a team of super-villains who were secretly posing as heroes. While enjoying a day at the Bay City Aquarium, the Lightning Rods spotted and attacked the criminal mercenary Deadpool. After a destructive battle, a freak interaction of Deadpool's teleportation device with Doorman's body transported Deadpool and his elderly associate Blind Alfred back in time. With Doorman's health rapidly deteriorating, Deadpool had to repair his teleporter device in the past and coordinate it with Doorman's powers to reemerge in the present. The Lightning Rods and Deadpool parted as friends, but not before Deadpool detonated a bandoleer of live hand grenades on Mr. Immortal.

After the Thunderbolts were exposed as super-villains, the Lightning Rods wanted vengeance on the team for disgracing them by association. The Lightning Rods cooperated with Commander G.W. Bridge of S.H.I.E.L.D. at the request of the U.S. government to capture the fugitive Thunderbolts. S.H.I.E.L.D. herded the Thunderbolts right into the hands of the Lightning Rods; but after a prolonged battle, the Thunderbolts defeated and stripped the Lightning Rods, using their costumes as disguises to slip away from S.H.I.E.L.D.. Soon after, in Cottonwood, Wyoming, the Lightning Rods caught up with the Thunderbolts while they were battling a rampaging Hulk robot that was designed to collect energy so that the gravity-controlling villain known as Graviton could return to Earth. Thanks to the Lightning Rods' interference, Graviton amassed the energy he needed and easily defeated both teams; but the Thunderbolt Moonstone, a former criminal psychologist, convinced Graviton to leave the planet. With nearly all of the Lightning Rods incapacitated from the battle, Mr. Immortal had no choice but to let the Thunderbolts go.

Changing their names back to the GLA, the team protected the denizens of Medina, Ohio from freak tornadoes caused by Crimson Cowl and her Masters of Evil. Later, the GLA attended Deadpool's funeral, though his death proved temporary

Cover to the GLA: Misassembled trade paperback. Art by Paul Pelletier.

Image File history File links GLA.jpg‎ Promotional cover art for GLA: Misassembled, by Paul Pelletier. ... Image File history File links GLA.jpg‎ Promotional cover art for GLA: Misassembled, by Paul Pelletier. ...

GLA: Misassembled

The title of the GLA miniseries, GLA: Misassembled (2005), written by Dan Slott and pencilled by Paul Pelletier, provided a tongue-in-cheek reference to Avengers Disassembled and the Justice League of America. In a move which satirized the comic book deaths in that book, it was announced that a character would die in each GLA issue. Surely enough, Dinah Soar, Grasshopper, Monkey Joe, and Doorman were all killed, and Mr. Immortal dies many times in the course of the book. However, Doorman was resurrected almost immediately, and Mr. Immortal stays dead for only a few seconds, of course. Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Dan Slott Dan Slott is an American comic book writer best known for Avengers: The Initiative and She-Hulk. ... Sarcasm is the making of remarks intended to mock the person referred to (who is normally the person addressed), a situation or thing. ... Avengers Disassembled, referred to in some participating series as Disassembled, is a crossover event between several Marvel Comics series. ... The Justice League is a DC Comics superhero team. ... Cover to Uncanny X-Men #136 (August 1980, art by John Byrne), the penultimate issue of the Dark Phoenix saga. ...

The book depicts Craig Hollis' (aka Mr. Immortal) childhood, in which he met Deathurge (also known as "D'urge"), the embodiment of death — who ended up becoming his childhood friend. Due to his tragic life, Hollis attempted suicide on multiple occasions, but did not die, despite his concentrated efforts. Realizing that he had superhuman powers, he became a costumed crime fighter. After a disastrous attempt at a career as a solo hero that saw him shot in the head, allowing a group that had just robbed a laundromat to escape, he realized that his power might not be suitable to operating alone, and assembled the Great Lakes Avengers through a want-ad in the local paper. Deathurge is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. ...

Flash-forward to the present, where the team is failing miserably. Given their loser status as a superhero team, team leader Mr. Immortal contemplates closing down the team, until learning of the death of Hawkeye and subsequent disbanding of the Avengers in the 2005 "Avengers Disassembled" storyline (Avengers #500-503). This spurs the team back into action and they confront Maelstrom, who is attempting to build a doomsday device. Avengers Disassembled, referred to in some participating series as Disassembled, is a crossover event between several Marvel Comics series. ... The Avengers are a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. ... Maelstrom is a Marvel Comics supervillain, and an arch-enemy of Quasar. ...

When the GLA take on Maelstrom, Dinah Soar is killed, driving Mr. Immortal over the edge. With their team reduced to three, Flatman and Doorman go on a recruiting drive. After being turned down by everyone they meet — and being mocked on TV for the shame they endure during these emphatic refusals — they are finally joined by the Grasshopper (who is killed exactly 5.8 seconds after joining), Squirrel Girl (a mutant with squirrel powers — an obscure character created by Steve Ditko), and her partner Monkey Joe (a squirrel, not a monkey). Squirrel Girl (Doreen Green) is a fictional superhero in the Marvel Universe. ... Stephen Ditko (born 2 November 1927) is a renowned American comic book artist and writer best known as the co-creator of Spider-Man and Doctor Strange. ...

Given the difficulties in recruiting new members, Mr. Immortal tries to stab himself to death (which of course proves unsuccessful). Big Bertha contemplates quitting the GLA, but decides that saving people is too important to her. Intending to drive her out of the team, Doorman directs a constant stream of sarcastic jibes at Squirrel Girl. However, it is later revealed that Doorman actually likes Squirrel Girl, and wishes only to prevent her from sharing the fate of the other recent recruits.

The GLA investigates the Maelstrom case while enduring a constant barrage of public abuse. They find out where Maelstrom is hiding and deploy their seemingly useless powers to tackle him. Doorman finds out that he may be connected to the extremely powerful Darkforce; Mr. Immortal learns that he is a homo supreme (the ultimate omega of mankind's evolution); and Flatman finally confirms that he is gay (earning an honest compliment from Doorman for his sincerity). The GLA defeat Maelstrom and save the world. However, there is not a single mention of this achievement on TV news. Instead, the team receives a cease and desist order from the Maria Stark Foundation (the organization that funds the Avengers) asking them to no longer use the name "Avengers". The Darkforce is a fictional concept in the Marvel Comics superhero universe. ...

Realizing they are all mutants, the team decides to re-name themselves the GLX-Men. The book's final page depicts them springing into action, each sporting the familiar black-and-gold X-Men colors, save Big Bertha, who has stretched a skimpy Emma Frost costume over her obese frame. (However, when the team later ascertains that Leather Boy had designed the X-inspired outfits, they ditch them.) Emma Grace[1] Frost, formerly known as the White Queen, is a fictional character appearing in the Marvel Comics Universe. ...

Cover to GLX-Mas Special #1, by Paul Pelletier.

Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1280x1960, 673 KB)Art from GLA #4, by Paul Pelletier[1] This image is a single panel from a comic strip or the interior of a single issue of a comic book and the copyright for it is most likely owned... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1280x1960, 673 KB)Art from GLA #4, by Paul Pelletier[1] This image is a single panel from a comic strip or the interior of a single issue of a comic book and the copyright for it is most likely owned...

GLX-Mas

This Christmas Special collects several short stories:

• Squirrel Girl, summoned by Dum Dum Dugan to stop MODOK, Terrax, and Thanos, disposes of each threat with surprising ease. She finds out that she apparently has the ability to take on any supervillain, and is asked by Dugan to join S.H.I.E.L.D. However, Doreen declines, stating she is happy in the GLX.
• Grasshopper II (Neil Shelton) is enjoying his first jumps in his new secret identity, until he tries the Maximum Jump function. This sends him into outer space, and Neil suffocates. He is picked up by Doorman in his new role as an Angel of Death.
• Doorman visits his estranged father, who taunts him for having achieved nothing in life. The reader then learns that DeMarr's visit had an unpleasant reason: his father had actually died setting up Christmas lights, falling from a ladder. When DeMarr escorts him into the afterlife, his father finally expresses his approval, assuming that the position of Angel of Death must pay handsomely.
• Deathurge (trapped in squirrel form) makes a bargain with Oblivion: he will be returned to his original state if he can kill Tippy-Toe before Christmas Eve. Despite his use of an arsenal of devious and lethal traps, he fails. When Tippy-Toe offers him a nut, Deathurge gives up his plans, and falls for her ... only to fall prey to one of Tippy-Toe's own booby-traps.
• The GLX see a shooting star and think it is an omen. Doorman recognizes it as Neil Shelton burning up in re-entry, but says nothing because he does not want to spoil the atmosphere.

Dum Dum Dugan (Thaddeus Aloysius Cadwallader Dugan) is a fictional character who appears in publications from Marvel Comics. ... MODOK is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. ... Terrax the Tamer is a fictional supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. ... Thanos is a fictional character that appears in the Marvel Universe. ... S.H.I.E.L.D. (originally an acronym for Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage, Law-Enforcement Division, changed in 1991 to Strategic Hazard Intervention, Espionage and Logistics Directorate) is a fictional counterterrorism and intelligence agency in the Marvel Universe that often deals with superhuman threats. ... Doorman (DeMarr Davis) is a fictional superhero in the Marvel Comics universe who first appeared in the pages of the Avengers West Coast in 1989. ...

Civil War and The Initiative

During the Marvel crossover event Civil War, it is revealed (in Cable & Deadpool #30) that the GLA (now the Great Lakes Champions) have complied with the Superhuman Registration Act. (They were actually waiting in line to register the day the act was announced.) Civil War is a 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover event built around a seven-issue limited series of the same name written by Mark Millar, and penciled by Steve McNiven. ... Cable & Deadpool is a comic book published by Marvel Comics beginning in 2004. ...

The team, now renamed the Great Lakes Initiative and the official 50 States Initiative-sponsored team for Wisconsin, are next seen in the Deadpool/GLI Summer Fun Spectacular one-shot, written by Dan Slott and Fabian Nicieza. Deadpool/GLI collected a series of short stories set in the post-Civil War Marvel universe: This article is about the U.S. state. ... In the American comic book industry, the term one-shot is used to denote a pilot comic or a stand-alone story created to last as one issue. ... Dan Slott Dan Slott is an American comic book writer best known for Avengers: The Initiative and She-Hulk. ... Cover to New Warriors #1 (July, 1990), one of Niciezas earliest successes. ...

• The GLI and Deadpool team up to defeat an A.I.M. plot to use the Greek god Dionysus, who had fallen from Olympus in a drunken stupor, to power an "inebriation ray" that would induce the effects of drunkenness on all superheroes; Deadpool is immune to the ray due to the unique combination of cancer and a healing factor, while A.I.M. technicians simply forgot about the GLI when programming the ray. After this, the GLI take Deadpool on as a reserve member and show him their new, government-funded secret headquarters.
• An interlude where Squirrel Girl breaks into Thunderbolts Mountain to see her longtime crush, Robbie Baldwin, now known as Penance, and tries to persuade him to revert from his current self-destructive tendencies and return him to his previous identity of Speedball.
• Deadpool and Big Bertha go on a date, with Bertha hoping to persuade Deadpool to stop living at GLI Headquarters and running up excessive bills on their government expense account.
• An interlude where Squirrel Girl, having determined that she can only "save" Speedball from his descent into self-loathing through the use of time travel, travels to Latveria to borrow Doctor Doom's time machine.
• Flatman attempts to forcibly eject Deadpool from GLI Headquarters due to his odious personal habits and rampant waste of government funds that have the team greatly exceeding their approved budget.
• Squirrel Girl, meaning to travel back prior to before the start of the events of Civil War #1, instead travels to the year 2099, where she encounters an alternate version of Speedball, and while content to stay with him, is persuaded by Mr. Immortal (who was, of course, still alive) to return to the present to carry out one task that only she could accomplish--kicking Deadpool out of GLI Headquarters.

The "Great Lakes X-Men". Art by Paul Pelletier.

A.I.M., or Advanced Idea Mechanics, is a fictional group in the Marvel Universe. ... Dionysus is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. ... The Drunkenness of Noah by Giovanni Bellini Drunkenness is the state of being intoxicated by consumption of alcohol to a degree that mental and physical facilities are noticeably impaired. ... For other uses, see Thunderbolt (comics). ... For the mutant formerly known as Penance, see Hollow (Marvel Comics) Robert Robbie Baldwin is a fictional superhero character that appears in Marvel Comics. ... Dating redirects here. ... Time travel is a concept that has long fascinated humanity—whether it is Merlin experiencing time backwards, or religious traditions like Mohammeds trip to Jerusalem and ascent to heaven, returning before a glass knocked over had spilt its contents. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Doctor Doom (Victor von Doom) is a fictional Marvel Comics supervillain created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. ... Civil War is a 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover event built around a seven-issue limited series of the same name written by Mark Millar, and penciled by Steve McNiven. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1280x1960, 673 KB)Art from GLA #4, by Paul Pelletier[1] This image is a single panel from a comic strip or the interior of a single issue of a comic book and the copyright for it is most likely owned... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1280x1960, 673 KB)Art from GLA #4, by Paul Pelletier[1] This image is a single panel from a comic strip or the interior of a single issue of a comic book and the copyright for it is most likely owned...

Team name

Originally carrying the Avengers banner, the team has co-opted other names in the past. This is a running joke, as each name tends to be transitory.

• Lightning Rods — first alternate name, a take on the Thunderbolts.
• S.W.O.R.D. — briefly suggested as a counterpart to S.H.I.E.L.D. in the pages of the Thunderbolts comic. This is also the name of an actual subdivision of S.H.I.E.L.D. that monitors extraterrestrial intelligence, but without the GLA's involvement.
• Great Lakes X-Men — Taken at the end of the Misassembled limited series, when the group realized that they were all mutants.
• Great Lakes Defenders and Great Lakes Champions — Names considered in Dan Slott's Thing #8 (2006), during the first Superheroes' Poker Tournament. After Marvel Girl psychically rebuffs Mr. Immortal's use of the GLX-Men name, he suggests the Great Lakes Defenders, only to be promptly silenced by Doctor Strange. At the end of the issue the team comes upon the name Great Lakes Champions after Flatman wins the Tournament, and the team starts singing "We Are the Champions". Although this elicits a strong protest from Hercules, (a member of the defunct Champions of Los Angeles), the She-Hulk calms him down and Luke Cage remarks: "Let 'em have it. Not like anybody's using it." In their following appearance in Cable & Deadpool #30, the team operates under the Champions moniker.
• Following the Civil War, the team operates as the Great Lakes Initiative in Wisconsin. (As part of the "50 State Initiative" a government-regulated team of superheroes is established in each state; a team already called the Champions is headquartered in California.)

S.H.I.E.L.D. (originally an acronym for Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage, Law-Enforcement Division, changed in 1991 to Strategic Hazard Intervention, Espionage and Logistics Directorate) is a fictional counterterrorism and intelligence agency in the Marvel Universe that often deals with superhuman threats. ... S.W.O.R.D. (an acronym for Sentient World Observation and Response Department) is a fictional counterterrorism and intelligence agency in the Marvel Universe which deals with extraterrestial threats to world security. ... Rachel Grey (born Rachel Summers) is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superheroine created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne. ... The Defenders are a Marvel Comics superhero group — usually presented as a non-team of individualistic outsiders each known for following their own agendas — that usually battles mystic and supernatural threats. ... This article is about the Marvel comics superhero. ... We Are The Champions is a power ballad written by Freddie Mercury, recorded and performed by Queen for their 1977 album News of the World. ... Hercules is a fictional character, an Olympian demigod and superhero in the Marvel Comics Universe, based on the mythological demigod and hero called Herakles by the Greeks and Hercules by the Romans. ... She-Hulk (Jennifer Walters) is a Marvel Comics superheroine. ... Luke Cage, born Carl Lucas and also called Power Man, is a fictional superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. ... Cable & Deadpool is a comic book published by Marvel Comics beginning in 2004. ... The Champions was a short-lived fictional comic book superhero team in the Marvel Comics universe. ...

Membership?

The question of whether the GLA count as "actual" Avengers is a complex one. The Maria Stark Foundation has issued cease and desist orders concerning the use of the Avengers name, leading them to several name changes. However, they have been trained by Avengers Hawkeye and Mockingbird (which implied permission to use the name), fought alongside the East and West Coast branches on several occasions, possessed a limited-access Avengers computer, and when the Scarlet Witch summoned all Avengers in the final issue of JLA/Avengers, the GLA showed up. The Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe, a mutant who was introduced as a super-villainess before reforming and becoming a superheroine early in her history. ... JLA/Avengers is a crossover limited series published by DC Comics and Marvel Comics, and features two teams of superheroes, DC Comics Justice League of America and Marvels Avengers. ...

Equipment

When first formed, the team depended on Big Bertha's modeling income to provide all funding, especially the headquarters and Bertha's private jet. The GLA also had the aforementioned Avengers computer, as well as the Quin-Jetta, an ordinary Volkswagen Jetta with the GLA logo on its sides. The Quin-Jetta was lost during the battle with Maelstrom. The Volkswagen Jetta is an automobile produced by German automaker Volkswagen since 1980. ... The Volkswagen Jetta is an automobile produced by German automaker Volkswagen since 1980. ...

In Deadpool/GLA Summer Fun Spectacular, Mr. Immortal is shown showing off the new 'state-of-the-art, top-of-the-line, fully-loaded, duly-funded incredibly cool secret Initiative headquarters'. A few pages later the hangar is shown, featuring Squirrel Girl's Squirrel-A-Gig and Big Bertha's Bumper Buggy. Four other vehicles are visible: a green minivan, a single-seat jet with its wings folded, a purple copter-like craft, and a hovering blue and red craft. Doorman in the panel mentions Flatman's Flatamaran; the blue and red craft looks flat, but its color scheme is more akin to Mr. Immortal's costume. For other uses, see Helicopter (disambiguation). ... Dune buggy George W. Bush in a Dune buggy A dune buggy is a recreational vehicle with large wheels, and wide tires, designed for use on sand dunes or beaches. ...

References in other comics

• In New Warriors (Vol. 3) #5 the Mad Thinker's Intellectual Robots lay a trap for the Warriors and state that in order to subjugate humanity they must eliminate "super-humanity," starting with the least powerful super teams. They would then move up to the Great Lakes Avengers. Understandably, this made the team very angry.
• In Marvel Knights Fantastic Four #30, the Fantastic Four travel to the Savage Land to destroy a killer satellite. When the team learns that they are, essentially, serving as garbage men, Ben Grimm's response is, "No disrespect to the, uh, Great Lakes Avengers or whatever, but don't they usually handle stuff like this?"

The New Warriors is a Marvel Comics superhero team, traditionally consisting of young adult heroes. ... The Mad Thinker is a Marvel comics supervillain. ... Cover art from Inhumans #1 (Nov 1998) by Jae Lee. ... For other uses, see Fantastic Four (disambiguation). ... The Savage Land is a hidden prehistoric land within the fictional Marvel Comics Universe. ...

Bibliography

• West Coast Avengers (2nd series) #46, 48-49, 55, 60, 64, 69
• Avengers (1st series) #309, 313
• Avengers Annual #19
• Deadpool #10-11, 61
• Thunderbolts #15-17, 25
• JLA/Avengers #4
• G.L.A.: Misassembled (ISBN 0-7851-1621-4)
• GLX-Mas Special
• I Heart Marvel: Masked Intentions
• The Thing #8
• Cable & Deadpool #30
• Deadpool/GLI Summer Fun Spectacular

The West Coast Avengers was a spin-off superhero team of the Avengers, as well as the title of their comic book series. ... The Avengers are a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. ... For other uses, see Dead pool (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Thunderbolt (comics). ... JLA/Avengers is a crossover limited series published by DC Comics and Marvel Comics, and features two teams of superheroes, DC Comics Justice League of America and Marvels Avengers. ... thing, see Thing (disambiguation). ... Cable & Deadpool is a comic book published by Marvel Comics beginning in 2004. ...

External links

• Great Lakes Avengers