Young Masters
The Young Masters are a fictional comic book supervillainous team created by Paul Cornell and Mark Brooks. The team first appeared in Dark Reign: Young Avengers #1 as the doppelgänger to the Young Avengers.
Publication history
Dark Reign: Young Avengers is a limited series written by Paul Cornell, with artist Mark Brooks, which introduces a new group of powered teens calling themselves the Young Masters, but controlled by Norman Osborn. The new team is a twisted version of the Young Avengers, much like the Dark Avengers are to the original Avengers. The Young Avengers confront them, agreeing to field test the new teens for membership into their group. The final decision by the Young Avengers to only allow a select few into their ranks results in a battle where Osborn's team of Dark Avengers are ultimately involved. The Young Avengers manage to defeat both Osborn's team and their teenage counterparts, causing Osborn to withdraw and the others to stand down. Escaping, the new team dub themselves the Young Masters.Fictional team biography
Originally assembled by Coat of Arms as an examination of superheroism art project during the Dark Reign storyline, the group was largely motivated by Melter II's desire to be real heroes, but hindered significantly by unclear and conflicting ideals including Executioner II's Punisher-style ruthlessness, Big Zero's racism and violent tendencies, Egghead II's psychopathy and hedonism, and Coat of Arm's distorted view of ethics. Only Melter II and Enchantress II showed much interest in actual altruistic heroism. The team began calling themselves the "Young Avengers," but were only active as superheros a short time before being confronted by the real Young Avengers. The Young Avengers fought their darker counterparts where they vetted each member. Although Enchantress was a possible candidate for the original Young Avengers, she was rejected due to having a history with Loki. Displeased with the Young Avengers' decision, the team decided to become the Young Masters. Executioner contacted Norman Osborn to gain his support and the backing of the Dark Avengers. When the Young Avengers returned to their headquarters, the Dark Avengers showed up. The Young Masters aided the Young Avengers into fighting the Dark Avengers. After the Dark Avengers were repelled, the Young Masters left.Following the "Siege of Asgard" storyline and the beginning of the Heroic Age storyline, the Young Masters laid low following Norman Osborn's defeat. They ended up compromised when Enchantress became weak and ill in the wake of Loki's death.
The Young Masters returned with Executioner and Egghead joined by new recruits Mako, Radioactive Kid, and a female Black Knight in a plot to target older villains for assassination. It was later revealed that they had a mysterious benefactor in the villain called Zodiac. No explanation was given for the absence of the other founding members of the group, but at the conclusion of the storyline Zodiac revealed that he only needed one of them to join him where he chose Egghead.
Big Zero, Enchantress II, and Coat of Arms later appeared in the employ of Jeremy Briggs having grown tired of their lives as supervillains. They battle the students of the Avengers Academy in order to allow Briggs to complete his goal of depowering every superhuman on Earth and giving their powers to people who are worthy of receiving them.
In the pages of Avengers Undercover, Black Knight V, Coat of Arms, Egghead II, Executioner II, Mako, and Melter II later appear as members of the Shadow Council's incarnation of the Masters of Evil. The Young Masters make their headquarters in Constrictor's Snakepit in Bagalia. During this time, Excavator, Snot, and Mudbug are shown to have joined up with the Young Masters. During the time when Constrictor had sent Chase Stein and Deathlocket to A.I.M. Island, Enchantress II and Radioactive Kid are shown to be in the company of the Young Masters. At the close of the series, Alex Wilder joins the Young Masters.
Members
The original members of the Young Masters were:- Melter – A superhuman who can cause objects to melt. His real name is Chris Colchiss and he is the team leader.
- Enchantress – She claims to be an Asgardian and is Melter's girlfriend where she uses magic. Her real name is Sylvie Lushton.
- Executioner – A vigilante with no superpowers. He is the son of Princess Python.
- Big Zero – A Neo-Nazi who can alter her size and is in a relationship with Egghead II. Her real name is Amity Hunter.
- Coat of Arms – A swordswoman whose magic coat grants her six arms.
- Egghead – A robot who wants to understand humanity.
- Alex Wilder - A former member of the Runaways who was resurrected by Daimon Hellstrom.
- Black Knight - A female incarnation of the Black Knight. She deserted the Young Masters, but later returned to the group.
- Death Locket - Rebecca Ryker is the daughter of a brilliant cyberneticist who saved her life after an explosion by merging her with Deathlok technology. Survivor of Murder World/Avenger's Arena.
- Excavator - The teenage son of Piledriver and a temporary member of the Wrecking Crew. Excavator wielded an enchanted shovel. He later appeared as a member of the Young Masters in the pages of Avengers Undercover.
- Mako - A test tube Atlantean who was grown from the cells of Attuma, Orka, Tyrak, and U-Man. Mako was killed by Lady Bullseye. He later turned up alive in the pages of Avengers Undercover.
- Mudbug - A mutant with a crayfish physiology who was a former student of the Hellfire Club's Hellfire Academy. He later appeared as a member of the Young Masters in the pages of Avengers Undercover.
- Radioactive Kid - A young criminal in a hazmat suit has demonstrated the ability to melt and mutate human flesh with a touch. His very flesh glows and his eyes glow visibly through the visor of his suit.
- Snot - A former student of Hellfire Academy. He can propel large amounts of snot from his nose.