A-Next

J2 is the only minor in the team, Zane Yama is a 15-year-old high school student and the son of the original Juggernaut (Cain Marko) and district attorney Sachi Yama. Picked on by bullies at school, he manifested the ability to grow to a huge size, in which he gains super strength and invulnerability. His uniform, which includes his father's favorite flannel shirt tied around his waist over his armor, manifests itself automatically upon metamorphosis. He can only stay this way for about an hour.

Mainframe is a self-aware computer program, created by Tony Stark, which inhabits a series of identical armors. When an armor is damaged or destroyed, he simply transfers his consciousness to another body. His robot body utilizes Stark technology similar to the one found in the Iron Man armor. His personality is based on his creator's, possibly created by the same process as the Vision's.

Dr. Cassandra Lang is the daughter of the second Ant-Man, Scott Lang. Although she is the oldest member, in her mid-20s, and the only one on the team with a professional life and a scientific background, she is still doted on by her father, who constantly worries about her new-found superhero life. She possesses many abilities originally engineered by Henry Pym, including resizing, flying, communication with insects and artificial "stingers", all based on her costume and helmet.

18-year-old Kevin Masterson is the son of the original Thunderstrike. He absorbed his father's mace into his body, and has gained the ability to produce "thunderclaps"; bursts of concussive force from his hands. He can use them to simulate super strength or to propel him in huge Hulk-like leaps. Although he doesn't possess real super strength, he has limited invulnerability. In his civilian identity, he is a college student.

The Dream Team is a fictional group of heroes in the Marvel Comics MC2 universe. They first appeared in A-Next #4, and are based upon the "kooky quartet" of replacement Avengers introduced in Avengers #16. In their first appearance, Mainframe accepts them as members of the Avengers without consulting the existing members, which initially stirs some antagonism between the original A-Next team and the Dream Team.

The team roster comprises:

Shannon Carter is the niece of Sharon Carter. Her uniform is visually based on Captain America's and includes a set of stun discs (similar to Nomad's) that can be thrown against an opponent. She does not possess any powers, but is an Olympic-level athlete, a skilled fighter and a strategist. American Dream was later rewarded for her dedication by receiving the shield of an alternate-reality Captain America after saving that world from destruction.[12]

Blue Kelso is impatient and a person who likes to get to the point.[14] Bluestreak has powers to match her nature, namely superspeed. She was once affiliated with the X-People (successor to the X-Men), though she joined the Avengers once she realized she would not get much publicity.

Aerika Harkness is related to the witch Agatha Harkness, former teacher to the Scarlet Witch. Like her ancestor, she possesses control over magical energies, although the exact nature of those energies is not known. They appear similar to the way the Scarlet Witch's powers were originally portrayed, and she appears to control them with relative ease. She died stopping an alternate Doctor Doom from attempting to use the Cosmic Cube to invade the Avengers' Earth.[11]

Brandon Cross was trained by Hawkeye and Swordsman and has shown proficiency with a variety of weapons as well as athletic skills. His costume takes visual cues from both Hawkeye and the Swordsman. Freebooter was romantically linked to Crimson Curse.

Kate Power was originally known as Energizer, the youngest member of Power Pack, a team of pre-teen superheroes made up of herself and her three siblings who gained their powers from a Kymellian named Aelfyre Whitemane. Her abilities involve disintegrating matter, absorbing its energy into herself and unleashing the energy as powerballs. Kate joined the Avengers after Franklin Richards recommended Kate to them in their search for Thunderstrike.[15]

Hudson Logan is the son of Wolverine and half-brother to Wild Thing. He possesses claws and a healing factor similar to Wolverine's. He was once a member of the Revengers, but joined the Avengers when he claimed to have reformed.[2]

Thena is the daughter of Thor. She came to Earth searching for Kevin Masterson, sent by her father to restore his powers. Initially, she showed great dislike for J2, especially after she broke her hammer on his helmet, and her strongest blows had no effect on him. After J2 saved her from Sylene's cauldron, though, she warmed up to him considerably, even giving him a kiss.

Warp is a thief with the power to teleport. He originally worked for Sylene (the daughter of Loki) and Ulik. When he learned that they planned to turn Earth into a new version of Asgard, he defected to the Avengers.

Argo is the son of former Avenger Hercules. Argo is trying to find his missing father and, needing help, turns to A-Next. Using their S.H.I.E.L.D. contacts, the team is able to locate Hercules, who is suffering from mental trauma from witnessing an event which nearly destroyed the Avengers. Argo attacks his father, enraged that his father "abandoned" his mother and his son, but Thunderstrike intervenes. When Argo sees the emotional state his father is in, the two share a tearful reconciliation. Argo states that he was going to help his father recover, and try to bring his family back together. Later, when A-Next is attacked by a rival team of villains called the Revengers, Argo fights for his friends (along with other allies of A-Next) and when the battle is won, Argo accepts membership in A-Next.

Blacklight (Kandra Freeman) is the daughter of Photon and Derek Freeman. Blacklight has the ability to manipulate solid light constructs, and use it to fire blasts of destructive energy. She can also focus her energies into solid form and create energy-constructs in virtually any form she can envision (ramps, stop signs, giant shovels, etc.) out of dark force. She can also use her energy powers to fly at high speed.

Coal Tiger is the son of Black Panther, named after his grandfather and the prince of the technologically advanced land of Wakanda. He is able to transform into a humanoid cat-like being. In this feline form, he has superhuman strength and agility, as well as enhanced senses and retractable razor-sharp claws on his fingers and toes.[16][17]

The character has received accolades from critics.

• In 2020, CBR.com ranked Coal Tiger 2nd in their "10 Most Powerful Alternate Versions Of Black Panther" list.[16]
• In 2022, Screen Rant included Coal Tiger in their "15 Most Powerful Variants Of Black Panther In Marvel Comics" list.[18]

Earth Sentry is the son of Bill Foster. When John and his father Bill were investigating a UFO crash site, they discovered a Kree space probe. Upon nearing the ship, the automated defenses activated, and a robotic sentry was released. Bill activated a distress signal which was picked up by Mainframe and the rest of A-Next.

Spider-Girl is the daughter of Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson.