Who the Clix? is a series of articles featuring information on comic book characters that have been made into figures for the popular tabletop game Heroclix. These articles are meant to help Heroclix players learn more about the characters behind their favorite pieces.

Today we look at the team that has a rich history from World II up to today: The Invaders

Appearances in Heroclix: Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD, Age of Ultron: Storyline Organized Play, Fast Forces: Original Avengers, Avengers Assemble, Avengers vs. X-Men, Chaos War, Galactic Guardians, Captain America, Secret Invasion, Avengers, Armor Wars, Fantastic Forces, Universe, Infinity Challenge

First Appearance: The Avengers #71

Notable Members: Captain America , Bucky, Human Torch (Jim Hammond), Toro, Namor the Sub-Mariner

Created by: Roy Thomas, Sal Buscema, Bill Finger, and Martin Goodman

The original Invaders form after Captain America, Bucky, the Human Torch, Toro and Namor save the life of Winston Churchill during World War II. Churchill suggests they form a team and so the Invaders were born, battling the regular and super forces of the Axis powers. Their ranks grew as they met the original Union Jack who offered his home as a base of operations in England. The second Union Jack, son of the first, as well as Spitfire, Miss America, and Whizzer eventually join the team. When the team faces the Battle-Axis, the Blazing Skull and Silver Scorpion aid them.

The team continues battling the Axis through World War II and the emerging threat of Hydra, but are struck a vicious blow when Captain America and Bucky both appear to die while stopping a drone attack on America. Once World War II ended, the remaining members form the All-Winners Squad and later the V-Battalion.

Some time later, a new Invaders team is formed by the Blazing Skull, Tara, Thin Man, John Walker and Union Jack. They are later joined again by Jim Hammond, the android Human Torch. This team is formed by the Red Skull disguised as US Secretary of Defense Dell Rusk. They eventually learn of the Skull’s manipulations and get out from under his thumb. However, the Human Torch is killed by Tara, an android planted on the team by the Red Skull. This leads the team to disband.

After the death of Captain America in the present, D’Spayre uses the Cosmic Cube to pull the Invaders (consisting of Bucky, Captain America, the Human Torch, Namor and Toro) into the present by drawing upon the wishes for Captain America to return to life. The Invaders battle both the Thunderbolts and Mighty Avengers, mistaking them for Nazi agents. They eventually learn of the machinations of D’Spayre and gather the Cosmic Cube together as well as a soldier that had come through with the Invaders. Intending to return to the past, the Invaders are interrupted when the soldier uses the Cube to save his dead friends. This creates a new timeline with most of the Avengers wiped out in the time storm. Doctor Strange manages to send the Invaders and a handful of the Avengers back into the past before being wiped out of existence.

In the past, the soldier succeeds in bringing his dead friends back from the dead and healing a dying Union Jack. The soldier then tries to destroy the Nazis only to lose the Cube when he is attacked by the Red Skull’s henchman. The Red Skull then gains the Cube and uses it to remake the world in his image. When the Invaders and Avengers arrive, they find themselves in this remade world. The Avengers adopt the identities of heroes from the past to avoid the Red Skull learning about the future. Together, the heroes of yesterday and today thwart the Red Skull’s plan and regain the Cosmic Cube, restoring the timeline. Just before they all return home, Bucky uses the Cosmic Cube to resurrect Toro in the modern era.

The Invaders are again reunited by the original Vision and Union Jack. This time it’s Bucky Barnes as Captain America, Jim Hammond, Namor, Steve Rogers, Spitfire and Toro battling an infectious disease that gives its victims super strength while driving them insane. A creation of Arnim Zola, the disease had laid dormant since World War II before resurfacing. The Invaders are ultimately able to quarantine it. The original Invaderrs reunite one more time, this time joined by the granddaughter of Golden Girl: Radiance.

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