Busiek Avengers H.I.T. Squad Pitch

**Spidey616** · 02-07-2010, 08:52 AM

Kurt Busiek recently posted on his blog some artwork and a pitch of an Avengers series that never came to be. Quite an interesting lineup

http://busiek.com/site/2010/02/hit_squad.php

Spoiler:

The Liberty Project was my earliest take on super-crooks redeeming themselves as heroes, inspired by the era of Avengers that featured Captain America and the what-us-villains-that-was-yesterday lineup of Hawkeye, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. The Thunderbolts were the third try.

This was the second, an unsuccessful series pitch I did with Karl Kesel. The "H.I.T." stood for "Heroes In Training," and the picture explains the concept about as well as I ever could. Art by Karl, from a rough and inadequate sketch by me; click on it for a closer look. The guy at the top had nothing to do with the Shi'Ar, but was an Amerind mutant (I think), who had such natural talent that he was cocky and didn't feel he needed to train, which would have been an ongoing source of irritation for Hawkeye.

There was another never-sold series I cooked up about a criminal trying to go straight, Sirocco. But that was inspired by the TV show Alias Smith & Jones more than anything from comics. What can I say? I like redemption stories.

**The Zevad** · 02-07-2010, 08:55 AM

Interesting. I dig the design for the birdman and I recognize Rhino and the late female Yellow Jacket.

**artimoff** · 02-07-2010, 11:06 AM

Busiek & Oliffie should do an Avengers First Class book with Cap teaching Hawkeye, Quicksilver & Scarlet Witch about being a hero while they teach him about the 21st century.

**Supreme Convoy** · 02-07-2010, 12:25 PM

On a related note I'm currently reading the old Thunderbolts comics. Never read it before.

Pure Busiek & Bagley greatness.

**bartleby** · 02-07-2010, 12:52 PM

I'm not surprised Marvel passed on it. There's no way they could have gotten DC to let them use Hawkman.

**Lord Jermaine Retail** · 02-07-2010, 01:42 PM

Originally Posted by artimoff

Busiek & Oliffie should do an Avengers First Class book with Cap teaching Hawkeye, Quicksilver & Scarlet Witch about being a hero while they teach him about the 21st century.

I would buy that. I've liked the Earth's Mightiest minis, but they gloss over too much (namely Wonder Man). I've never really seen anything expand on Cap's acclimation to the modern world and I think that would be a good story to tell. A lot of things that Cap knew to be standards, whether he agreed with them or not, would have changed over the decades.