The moody Marvel characters are on a mission to save the world from an alien invasion

The team spirit of the latest group of Marvel superheroes has vanished before their first adventure.

Meet The Union, a fractious British quintet of muscle-bound and tricksy characters on a mission to repel an alien invasion.

The five were greeted with angry howls by some supporters of Scottish independence. But comic book fans welcomed them as a bold innovation in the crowded world of action heroes.

The unlikely team comprises Union Jack, an unflappable Englishman who has served his time with MI5, while the sulky Kelpie represents Scotland. Snake, dark and forbidding but with piercing red eyes, is from Northern Ireland, while the Choir represents Wales.

Britannia, strong-jawed but with a worried frown, is the leader of the gang. The five will star later this