Published Oct 2005 by Marvel
Written by Allan Heinberg
Pencils by Andrea Divito
Cover by Jim Cheung
32 pages, full color

"SECRET IDENTITIES" Part 1 (of 2) The newly reconfigured Young Avengers prepare to make their public debut, but first they have to face a threat more powerful than Kang the Conqueror, more dangerous than Mr. Hyde, and more cunning than the Masters of Evil: THEIR PARENTS. For these brand-new super heroes, fighting super-villains is child's play compared to maintaining their alter egos!

At Avengers Tower, Steve Rogers, Luke Cage and Peter Parker discuss the Young Avengers' defeat of Kang the Conqueror and recent capture of the Shocker, and Rogers threatens to call the teenagers' parents again before opting to call "backup" instead.

On "the Upper West Side," Billy watches a television news report on the Young Avengers before Teddy arrives, encouraging Billy to reveal his superpowers to his parents. When he tries to, his parents assume that he is trying to come out as gay, and they show their unconditional support for Billy and Teddy's relationship.

On "the Upper East Side," Peggy Rae and Blake Burdick watch the television news report on the Young Avengers, and discuss the possibility that Cassie is "the Giant Girl" while Cassie eavesdrops on their conversation.

In "the Bronx," Elijah finds a plastic baggie in bureau drawer empty before heading out to school, lying to his grandmother about his activities the previous night. Before leaving the house, Elijah stops in to see his grandfather reading a newspaper article on the Young Avengers and crying proudly at Elijah's part in the team.

At Avengers Tower, Rogers meets with Tony Stark and Jessica Jones in a laboratory where Stark explains that the Vision operating software that has taken over the Iron Lad armor is "essentially...an incredibly powerful, super-intelligent...kid." Jessica suggests that outing the Young Avengers as superheroes to their parents may be unwise, and Rogers decides to contact the Bradleys himself while sending Jessica to speak with Peggy Burdick.

In "the Meat-Packing District," Cassie describes her mother and step-father's conversation to Kate Bishop before the two of them meet up with Teddy and Billy, and the four decide to head to Avengers Tower and stop Captain America from contacting their parents once they Elijah joins them.

On "the West Side Highway," Elijah spots a pair of drug-dealers heading into a warehouse and climbs onto the roof where he is ambushed by the dealers and crashes through a skylight into a drug-production facility.

In the Meat-Packing District, Teddy and Kate discuss the possibility that Elijah may have "done something stupid," and Billy casts "a locating spell" to track Elijah's whereabouts.

At the West Side Highway warehouse, Elijah wakes up to see the two drug dealers being beaten savagely by Mister Hyde.

In the Bronx, Rogers meets with Faith Bradley who greets him graciously and welcomes him into her home, while in the Upper East Side, Jessica meets with Peggy who is decidedly less enthusiastic when she realizes that Cassie has taken up her ex-husband's role as a superhero.

At the West Side Highway warehouse, Hyde chokes Elijah as Stature, Hawkeye, Wiccan and Hulkling arrive to rescue him. Wiccan is shocked to find Elijah bleeding, but Elijah flees into an adjacent room where Wiccan finds him about to inject himself with a dose of mutant growth hormone.

It is again implied that Wiccan and Hulkling are dating. Also Wiccan comes out to his parents accidentally while trying to out himself as a superhero.

On the news Kate Bishop is identified as "Female Archer" and Stature is identified as "Giant Girl".

Patriot is sixteen years old at the time of this issue.

Marvel’s MCU Young Avengers Cast (As We Know It)
The MCU is getting closer to assembling a new generation of superheroes. These are the Young Avengers that have already been set up for Phase 4.

Several Young Avengers members are already set up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a team for Phase 4 or beyond very much possible. With multiversal threats and unknown villains more dangerous than Thanos just around the corner, new heroes have to step up and fill the gap that Tony Stark, Captain America, and Black Widow left after Avengers Endgame. Thankfully for the universe, a new lineup of young Avengers, aptly called the Young Avengers, may assemble soon.

The Young Avengers were introduced in 2005 as an amateur team of vigilantes who were eager to live up to the legend of the Earth's Mightiest Heroes. At first, they're cast aside due to their lack of experience and their troubled past, but they soon prove their worth as capable heroes. With the help of a resurrected Vision and with Iron Lad (who eventually becomes the time-traveling villain Kang the Conqueror) as their founder and leader, the Young Avengers officially begin their career as superheroes.

Although the vast amount of characters the MCU has introduced has made it easy to miss clues about their eventual team-up, most of the Young Avengers members have either been introduced already or are set to arrive soon in Phase 4. Some of them have already appeared in previous titles as supporting characters, while others have been referenced and others even have their own Disney+ show on the way. Plans for the MCU's Phase 4 don't seem to include any full-fledged ensemble movie for the next few years, but the full Young Avengers lineup could be completed sooner rather than later with the following heroes.

Kate Bishop (Hawkeye)
Hawkeye Kate Bishop Hailee Steinfeld
The opening sequence of Avengers Endgame showed Clint Barton training his daughter Lila with a bow and arrow. Despite what her new skills may suggest, it's actually the unrelated vigilante Kate Bishop who adopts the Hawkeye moniker and joins the Young Avengers. Hailee Steinfeld is set to star alongside Jeremy Renner in the upcoming Hawkeye Disney+ show, drawing from the acclaimed 2012 Hawkeye comic book run, where Clint Barton takes Kate under his wing and trains her to be the next sharpshooter Avenger. The first Hawkeye trailer already revealed many key pieces of information about Kate's MCU introduction, such as how Clint trains her to be the next Hawkeye after finding out Kate Barton is impersonating Ronin, and how she's naturally skilled with the bow and arrow. After her Disney+ show, expect Kate Bishop to enter the ranks of the Young Avengers and become one of the most active members.

Cassie Lang (Stature)
First portrayed by Abby Ryder Fortson, Cassie Lang was a breakout character in Ant-Man. Cassie is Scott Lang's daughter and the reason he became a superhero in the first place. After Thanos wiped out half of all life in the universe in Avengers: Infinity War, Cassie, now played by Emma Fuhrmann, spent five years without her father, as he got trapped in the Quantum Realm during the post-credits scene of Ant-Man & The Wasp.

When Scott Lang escapes from the dangers of the Quantum Realm thanks to a very convenient rat, the first thing he tells his grown-up daughter is "Wow, you're so... big!". This is a nod to Cassie's eventual transformation into Stature, a size-altering superhero that joins the Young Avengers in the comics after Scott dies. Kathryn Newton is confirmed to take over the role of Cassie Lang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, where she will likely get a hold of some Pym Particles for the first time. If a Young Avengers movie or Disney+ show arrives in the near future, it's probable that Stature will already be an established superhero once she joins the team.

Elijah Bradley (Patriot)
Elijah Richardson as Elijah Bradley in Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Young Avengers
Elijah Bradley is one of the founding members of the Young Avengers in the comics. He joins Iron Lad even before getting his own superpowers, which he finally receives after receiving a bood transfusion from his grandfather, the super soldier Isaiah Bradley. The MCU introduced Elijah in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, where he met Sam Wilson when the Avenger pressed Isaiah for information about his life story. Elijah Richardson will likely reprise his role as Elijah Bradley in a future movie or TV show, where Eli may gain his abilities the same way he did in the comics. Eli, dubbed "Patriot", could also possess Captain America's first shield by visiting the Smithsonian, which now honors Isaiah Bradley.

Tommy & Billy (Wiccan & Speed)
WandaVision Tease Tommy Billy Young Avengers
Thomas Shepherd and William Kaplan are the twin children of Scarlet Witch and Vision. In the comics, William is a magic-wielding founding member of the Young Avengers who goes by the name of Wiccan, while Thomas is a speedster who gets recruited by Vision and adopts the name of Speed. Wiccan and Speed discover their lineage when they meet for the first time and become very close while dealing with personal struggles like their convoluted origin and social acceptance.

WandaVision introduced Billy and Tommy as Vision and Scarlet Witch’s twins born from Wanda Maximoff's reality-warping powers. Although fans theorized that Wanda would draw upon Mephisto's life force to bring them to life like she did in the comics, the MCU has chosen to ignore Mephisto's existence. Nevertheless, it seems that Scarlet Witch will actually get in touch with Marvel's darkest entities to bring her sons back after her fake Westview reality came to an end. Julian Hilliard and Jett Klyne will likely reprise her roles as Billy and Tommy once Scarlet Witch finds a way to bring them back to life with the spell-filled Darkhold.

America Chavez (Ms. America)
The Baby-Sitters Club's Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez in the MCU
Xochitl Gomez will play America Chavez in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. America Chavez, who goes by the superhero moniker "Miss America", is closely tied to the multiverse, as she’s capable of kicking holes in the very fabric of reality. In the comics, America Chavez  joins the Young Avengers when the reincarnated Loki tries to persuade her into killing Wiccan, another Young Avenger. America Chavez could easily become one of the most powerful MCU characters in the future, not to mention one of the most influential in matters of Marvel LGBTQ+ representation.

Kid Loki
After the Void kills him, the original Loki cheats death and resurrects as a boy. In need of a fresh start, Kid Loki becomes a hero and joins the Young Avengers. The Loki Disney+ show introduced Kid Loki, played by Jack Veal, as a pruned variant of the God of Mischief in the Void. Little is known about the MCU's Kid Loki and his motivations are yet to be confirmed, but he revealed that he was pruned from his timeline after killing Thor. Although he decided to stay in the Void, a future movie or show could feature him entering the MCU's main timeline alongside Loki and Sylvie. This would allow him to join the Young Avengers either to betray them or help them fight powerful threats like the ethereal "Mother".

Harley Keener Or Nathaniel Richards (Iron Lad)
Harley Keener as Iron Lad in the MCU
Iron Lad is the founding member of the Young Avengers, as he's the one who recruits the first members of the team. In the comics, Iron Lad is actually Nathaniel Richards, a superhero from the 31st century who travels back in time to prevent himself from becoming the villain Kang the Conqueror. The MCU can handle Iron Lad's connection with time travel in quite a few different ways given the infinite possibilities that Kang the Conqueror has opened up after the death of He Who Remains in the Loki finale. The most likely scenario is that Nathaniel will be a young variant of Kang who was able to travel to the main MCU after Sylvie unleashed all of his other multiversal counterparts. Hence, it could be one of the few Kang variants not played by Jonathan Majors.

Another Iron Man successor who could take up the mantle of Iron Lad is Ty Simpkins' Harley Keener, who was introduced in Iron Man 3 as Tony Stark's protégé. He also made an appearance at Tony Stark’s funeral in Avengers Endgame. Iron Man 3 already set up Harley Keener as a possible Iron Lad when Tony Stark gifted him some of his technology in gratitude for the kid's invaluable help during Tony's unexpected adventure with the damaged MK-42 Iron Man armor. Using a time-traveling Harley Keener as the character who gathers the Young Avengers would be a clever way to continue Tony Stark’s legacy, but having Nathaniel Richards become his own archenemy still remains the most likely possibility.

Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel)
Iman Vellani as Ms Marvel Kamala Khan
Iman Vellani will make her acting debut in the upcoming Ms. Marvel Disney+ show as Kamala Khan. Kamala is often associated with another group of young Marvel superheroes, the Champions. However, the MCU will probably want to keep its newest generation of live-action heroes limited to a single team at first. Ms. Marvel will likely center on Kamala trying to live up to her idol, Captain Marvel, and adapting to her new abilities before she joins the Young Avengers. Her powers are a mix of superelasticity, shapeshifting, and size alteration — which she calls "embiggening". In other words, she's a very dangerous combination of Mystique, Mr. Fantastic, and Ant-Man.

Riri Williams (Ironheart)
Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams in Ironheart
Despite inheriting all of ther Tony Stark's wealth and Iron Man technology, Morgan Stark may not want to follow the dangerous footsteps of her father after his bittersweet sacrifice. Therefore, Riri Williams may be the one to take up the mantle of the Young Avengers' main armored superhero. In Marvel comics, Riri Williams is a supergenius who catches Tony Stark's attention when she reverse-engineers one of his Iron Man armors. After Stark falls into a coma, Riri becomes the superhero "Ironheart", Iron Man's official successor. Dominique Thorne will make her MCU debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, where she may receive cutting-edge technology from Wakanda to create her armor, before starring in her own Disney+ show, Ironheart. Like Ms. Marvel, Ironheart is a member of the Champions in the comics, but she may join the Young Avengers in the MCU instead.

Miles Morales (Spider-Man)
Miles Morales Into the Spider-Verse
Miles Morales, the successor of Peter Parker as Spider-Man, is another young superhero who has already been set up in the MCU. In Spider-Man: Homecoming, Donald Glover's Aaron Davis mentions how he has “a nephew in the neighborhood.”  In the comics, as well as in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and the Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales video game, Aaron Davis is a villain named "The Prowler" and Miles Morales’ uncle. Miles is a kid from Brooklyn who develops Spider-Man's powers and dons the mask after Peter Parker dies.

With Miles Morales’ surge in popularity in recent times, it's very probable that the MCU would want to introduce him sooner rather than later. Having him as a member of the next big-league team of MCU superheroes is the perfect opportunity to do it, much more so after Tom Holland's time to hang up the spider-shooters arrives (or when he departs to Sony's Spider-Man Universe, it those end up being the long-term plans of Disney and Sony). This moment could lead to Miles Morales' transformation into the MCU's Spider-Man — an event that could be set up as early as Spider-Man: No Way Home. Like Kamala Khan, Miles Morales is also a member of the Champions in the comics, but the Young Avengers would gladly welcome him.

Vision
Lastly, Vision may be the connecting tissue that keeps the Young Avengers fighting together. In the comics, Nathaniel Richards retrieves a copy of the original Vision's operating system and downloaded it into one of his own armors, creating a brand-new Vision with a different identity. This Vision tried to be more "human" than his predecessor, but was tragically killed by his own creator before he could enjoy a more normal life. White Vision's introduction in WandaVision leaves the door open for the mind-wiped synthezoid to receive a new consciousness (or create his own) before teaming up with the Young Avengers.