The Champions #1-3

The Champions #1-3

Originally released in 1975

Written by Jenny Isabella

Art by Don Heck (#1-2), George Tuska (#3)

I'm familiar with the 2016 incarnation of the Champions - a team of teenage superheroes - but not the 70s version. I mainly know that incarnation for its rather eclectic roster; it feels like they picked five superheroes that didn't have solo books and weren't active on a team out of a hat and decided "these five characters are a team now." (Which, to be fair, could be a fun writing exercise, and the Avengers started out in a similar way with those five characters being the main ones who weren't already on a team and weren't drawn by Steve Ditko)

As Iceman and Angel are walking through their university campus, they are attacked by harpies who appear from a portal, looking for Venus (the goddess, presumably, not the planet).  Black Widow also happens to be on campus, waiting for a job interview as a teacher. (apparently, her usual line of work doesn't pay the bills very well)

The woman who's supposed to be interviewing her is Venus in her human guise, so when various forces from Greek and/or Roman mythology show up to capture her, Widow takes her away to protect her.  Hercules is also present on campus to give a lecture on mythology (one that was more than likely boastful or self-serving), and Johnny Blaze happens to be passing through.

All of these forces were sent by Pluto, the god of the underworld, who serves as a messenger for Zeus - Venus is to marry Hercules's enemy Ares, while Hercules is to marry Hippolyta. (Greek and Roman myths are used interchangeably here; otherwise, you would think that he would be Hades rather than Pluto)  If they resist, as Pluto so dramatically puts it, the universe dies! (so no pressure)

It quickly becomes clear that the relationship between Hercules and Hippolyta is very different here than it is in DC.  A large part of that comes from Hercules being heroic in Marvel and villainous in DC, but going by Hercules's response to the marriage, it doesn't seem like a life with Marvel's Hippolyta would be a pleasant one.

As it turns out, Pluto is running something of a protection racket and forcing Zeus to make these marriages happen.  Pluto made deals with the rules of other underworlds (Mephisto and the like) to form an agreement of mutual protection; it would be a shame if all of those forces were to turn against Mount Olympus. (though it seems clear that the exact moment that it would benefit them, every single one of these devilish figures would betray the others)

With Hercules and Venus knocked out, but the gods forced back, the other four have to defend them from the forces sent by Zeus. The heroes' teamwork could use some work, though, and it's clear that they're out of their league when it comes to dealing with beings from ancient mythology.

Despite Johnny's dramatic proclamation at the end of issue 2, it turns out that Iceman's attempt at freezing a portal shut prevented Pluto from being able to close it, giving the Champions an opening to get to Olympus and prevent the weddings from happening.

Over the course of this impromptu team-up, Black Widow is declared the team's leader, though I'm guessing Hercules will object to that when he has the opportunity. (He's something of a chauvinist and seems like the type who'd think that he'd be the best possible fit for a leadership role)

Once it becomes clear that the various lords of Hell agreed to work together in exchange for Zeus's death, Zeus calls off the weddings. (This doesn't address the problem of those Hell lords teaming up to tear down Olympus, but that could have been a bluff)

As far as team-ups go, Ghost Rider felt like the most random element here, though it's not as strange of a team as the Defenders. (Where it's almost a running gag that the members of the Defenders are objectively terrible at working as part of a team) It's a solid introductory arc with a fairly standard story to establish this new (and short-lived; the series only lasted seventeen issues) superhero team in the Marvel universe.