The List
7 Anime Counterparts to Marvel's Avengers
by Lynzee Loveridge,
Now that the Avengers: Infinity War memes have begun to die down, I can finally launch into my picks for the Anime Avengers. No, no, I don't mean Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers or Iron Man: Rise of Technovore. This is the most ambitious crossover in history! I drummed up this idea trying to see if I could find an anime counterpart for each of Marvel's main heroes, and the answer was definitely yes. So, here's my list, but feel free to assemble your own anime avengers in the comments!
Black Widow: Mireille Bouquet (Noir) When looking for the best counter-intelligence agent with agility in spades, look no further than assassin Mireille Bouquet. She can fire off her Walther P99 with pinpoint accuracy while simultaneously back-flipping through a dark room. She's got the icy personality down pat and can track down targets thanks to training by her foster caretaker, Claude Feyder. If you need to find someone (and kill them) Mireille is your woman.
The Hulk: Guts (Berserk) There are a couple of anime characters that have powers similar to Bruce Banner, but for this list I decided to focus on a character whose size and power invokes the same kind of fear. The so-called Black Swordsman, Guts's body is huge and his sword is nothing to scoff at either. Also like The Hulk, Guts's power is driven by a deep-seated emotional need. Banner is "always angry" while Guts is always searching for vengeance. Guts masks his own inner turmoil, dubbed the "Beast of Darkness," that is always there to tempt him into revoking his humanity and giving in to his hatred.
Captain America: Saitama (One-Punch Man) It's hard to cast a character as charismatic and goodhearted as Captain America, but Saitama is a decent stand-in. Sure, he's not as squeaky clean as Steve, but after overcoming his own ennui, he's a powerful member for any team. Saitama doesn't see himself as an ideal mentor, but he inspires other heroes likes Genos and Mumen Rider to fight harder. Despite everything else, he cares about the other citizens and heroes he protects. He just happens to love a good fist-fight challenge, too.
Iron Man: Priss (Bubblegum Crisis) Priss Asagiri is the de-factor leader of the The Knight Sabers. She doesn't sport an elaborate goatee but she's got Tony Stark's moodiness down and I'm willing to swap out the genius billionaire schtick for bad-ass front lady for a pop-rock band. When it comes to her suit's powers, Priss is nothing to scoff at. Her exo-armor comes with railgun, laser gun, and explosive knuckles for an effective one-two punch. It can also work in conjunction with her motorbike.
Thor: Sailor Jupiter (Sailor Moon) One of my long-time favs can throw hands with the best of them. Sailor Jupiter is one of group's tallest guardians and her hair wave could give Chris Hemsworth a run for his money. She derives her electric powers from the planet Jupiter (duh) which is affiliated with the Roman god of the same name. So while not literally the "God of Thunder" like her Marvel counterpart, this is pretty dang close. As a fighter, Jupiter is brawler. She's trained in judo techniques that work as a back-up when she can't throw an electric blast in the enemy's face.
Dr. Strange: Edward Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist) The world of anime has plenty of magic users to choose from, but when I thought of the studious magician, only Ed came to mind. Edward is a prodigy in the world of alchemy and achieves recognition for his abilities by becoming the youngest State-certified Alchemist at age 12. He's trained in martial arts combat by Izumi Curtis as a precursor for his magical training, similar to Stephen Strange's regimen under The Ancient One. Ed's high intelligence also enables him to quickly discern alchemical solutions to problems, crack codes, and escape from precarious situations.
Spider-Man: Marcos Eringrad Garcia (Terra Formars) Garcia's origin story is far and away from Peter Parker's, but they both end up with strange spider powers as a result. Garcia agrees to undergo experiments for a chance at American citizenship and finds himself imbued with the abilities of the Huntsman spider (which, just for reference, I don't recommend Googling if you suffer from any kind of arachnophobia). He becomes super fast, aggressive, and strong, making him a formidable opponent against the invading Roach humanoids. In addition to these abilities, he can also fight in closer quarters using a staff-like weapon. Due to the Hunstman spider's size, they don't utilize webs, and so neither does Garcia. He's not the high-flying type of spidey, but he's a pretty formidable opponent.
The new poll: What is your favorite Square-Enix RPG franchise?
The old poll: Which summer 2018 anime are you most looking forward to watching? Attack on Titan season three took the lead by a huge margin, but coming in second is Banana Fish followed by the next season of Overlord! Here's the top 20!
- Attack on Titan
- Banana Fish
- Overlord III
- Free! Dive to the Future
- Gintama
- Cells at Work!
- Sirius the Jaeger
- How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord
- Angels of Death
- Grand Blue
- Fate/Extra Last Encore: Illustrias Tendōsetsu
- Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs
- Happy Sugar Life
- Harukana Receive
- Back Street Girls
- ISLAND
- Planet With
- Chio's School Road
- Hanebad!
- Hi Score Girl
When she isn't compiling lists of tropes, topics, and characters, Lynzee works as Managing Interest Editor for Anime News Network and posts pictures of her sons on Twitter @ANN_Lynzee.
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