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Avengers West Coast
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First Appearance
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The West Coast Avengers #1 (September, 1984)
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Creators
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Roger Stern, Bob Hall
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Members
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Hawkeye, Mockingbird, War Machine, Wonder Man, Tigra, Iron Man, Thing, Yellowjacket, Moon Knight, Firebird, The Wasp, Scarlet Witch, Vision
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HQ
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Avengers Compound, Los Angeles
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Rallying Cry
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Avengers Assemble
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Paraphernalia
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None
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Aliases
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The West Coast Avengers
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The Avengers West Coast (AKA the West Coast Avengers) are a superhero team faction of the Avengers in the Marvel Universe.
Origin
The superhero Hawkeye, inspired by fellow Avenger Vision's desire to expand the Avengers' influence, creates a new team to fight crime on the American west coast.
History
During an event known as the Secret Wars, a large number of superheroes where taken off planet by the entity known as the Beyonder, including a number of significant members of the superhero team The Avengers. With the superhero the Vision taking over as chairman from previous chairwoman the Wasp, the decision is made to expand the ranks of the Avengers with the incoming threat of the Dire Wraiths, a group of alien invaders. After being given government permission to do so, the Vision appointed Hawkeye the chairman of the new West Coast Avengers, who set about forming a new team and headquarters. There was also an attempt to form a Midwest Avengers team at the time, though was aborted when Vision's choice for leader, the super-powered psychiatrist Doc Samson, declined. Hawkeye was able to convince a number of heroes to join his team including hia wife Mockingbird, the half-human/half-feline Tigra, the super powered actor Wonder Man and James Rhodes, who had taken up the mantle of Iron Man. Together, the team defeated the villain known as Graviton and proved to themselves they could work as a team.
Though the West Coast Avengers proved their mettle, they were also aware that they were somewhat more irreverent than the original Avengers and sometimes referred to themselves as "Wackos". During a time travelling adventure, they were assisted by the heroes Hank Pym and Moon Knight, both of whom accepted membership invitations to the team shortly thereafter. However, the events of their time travelling adventure put a rift between Mockingbird and Hawkeye when Hawkeye learned that she allowed the Phantom Rider, a former western hero who kidnapped her and used drugs to brainwash her into being her lover, to fall to his death following a battle between the two. Mockingbird ended up leaving the team with Moon Knight and Tigra and formed a new team with Bill Foster, though Tigra and Mockingbird would later return.
As the Avengers were a government sanctioned team, the US government eventually placed the arrogant patriotic hero U.S. Agent in the role as leader, causing Hawkeye to quit in protest.