THE WORLD NEEDS CHAMPIONS (1975-1976)

The Black Widow has decided to stop playing sidekick and broken up with Daredevil in order to pursue a career teaching Russian at the University of Columbia, Los Angeles (UCLA). Iceman and Angel have left the X-Men (during SECOND GENESIS) and gone back into full-time education at the UCLA, with their tuition fully covered by Charles Xavier. Hercules has spent a little time in California and liked it so much, he's decided to stick around and give talks about his incredible life. And Johnny Blaze has been taken under the Stunt-Master's wing, setting him up as a Hollywood stuntman. Everybody's doing great!

However, fate is about to bring these disparate heroes together. Or, more accurately, old foes are about to return to their lives. The Orb recently died in battle with the Ghost Rider, but he's about to start meddling in Johnny Blaze's life from beyond the grave. And Pluto (the ruler of Hades, not the Disney dog) is about to put a plan into action that will bring all of these heroes together in the hope of some Avengers-level sales figures.

The Champions appeared to be doomed from the start, with some lacklustre art and story-telling on the initial issues. Creative legend John Byrne provided art on some of the later issues in the series, but the group didn't click with fans like the Avengers and Defenders did and the series would be cancelled after only 17 issues. Maybe the world didn't need Champions, after all.

While a new team of Champions made up of Spider-Man (Miles Morales), Ms Marvel (Kamala Khan), Nova (Sam Alexander) and others have had more success in the modern era, this is how the original line-up came together...

Related Events: The Ghost Rider issues take place around the introduction of the Champions, though each title can be read completely separately.

• Ghost Rider #14
• Champions #1-2
• Ghost Rider #15
• Champions #3

Ghost Rider #14

From the great beyond, the Orb possesses members of the cast and crew on Johnny Blaze's latest film set, leaving him no choice but to bring out the Ghost Rider to save them and defend himself. Later, after asking stuntwoman Katy Milner for advice on how to hook up with leading lady Karen Page, Johnny pulls a pretty basic stunt in Ghost Rider mode to escape the Orb's next attack. Katy asks Johnny to pick up a package for her from her kid brother at the UCLA (University of Columbia, Los Angeles - see the next chapter). After costing his newest allies victory in a battle against Olympian gods, the distracted Johnny Blaze finds himself in Karen Page's sights, but not in the way he'd hoped...

Champions #1
Harpies, Amazons, Mutates and Cerberus himself emerge on the UCLA campus in search of the goddess Venus who's posing as a lecturer. The job-hunting Black Widow, guest speaker Hercules, students Iceman and Angel and courier Ghost Rider come to her aid. Despite fending the attackers off (and Iceman using his powers to block one of their portals with an ice mountain), the true villains of the piece - Pluto, Hippolyta and Ares - emerges from a portal claiming victory...

Champions #2

Pluto immediately reveals that he's duped Zeus into decreeing that Hercules will marry Hippolyta and Venus will wed Ares, unaware that the two villains will join Pluto in assaulting Olympia and Zeus will be unable to do anything about it due to the marriages. Somehow. Despite this, Hercules and Venus resist. Pluto sends the Huntsman to subdue them and casts an illusion to trick Ghost Rider into believing Black Widow, Iceman and Angel are Pluto and the others. Ghost RIder defeats his 'enemies', then realises his mistake while Pluto makes off with Hercules and Venus...

Ghost Rider #15
Back on set, Karen Page starts shooting at the cast and crew while under the Orb's control. As Ghost Rider, Johnny Blaze works through his recent defeat to save Katy Milner, then pursues the Orb through Los Angeles on his bike. Now fully aware that the Orb is very much alive, Ghost Rider beats him into submission and saves Karen. Meanwhile, Katy Milner's recovery takes an odd turn when she's controlled by the Possessors...

Champions #3
Johnny Blaze realises the heroes can get to Olympus is they travel up inside Iceman's ice mountain and through the open portal. Ghost Rider, Black Widow, Angel and Iceman break into Olympus and fight their way though Pluto's mutate warriors. Ghost Rider reveals Pluto's lies to Zeus who puts an end to the wedding. Venus offers the villains forgiveness rather than vengeance, allowing them to leave unpunished. Venus remains on Olympus, but Hercules returns to Earth with his new allies...

Champions #4 (1976)
Hercules, Black Widow, Angel, Iceman and Ghost Rider officially form the Champions of Los Angeles.

Ghost Rider #17 (1976)
Ghost Rider and the Son of Satan free 'Katy Milner' from under the spell of the Possessors (aka the Legion) during SALVATION RUN.

Ghost Rider #19-20 (1976)
'Katy Milner' is revealed to be Roxanne Simpson after the defeat of the Challenger; Death-Stalker (Phillip Sterling) is revealed to be the one who was funding the Orb's attack on Karen Page and Johnny Blaze during SALVATION RUN.

Champions #10 (1977)
Darkstar joins the Champions.

Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #17-18 (1978)
The Champions disband (as revealed in a series of flashbacks) during WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE CHAMPIONS?

Daredevil #155 (1978)
Black Widow is reunited with Daredevil.

New Defenders #125 (1983)
Iceman and Angel join the Defenders during ASHES, ASHES...

X-Factor #1 (1986)
Iceman and Angel rejoin their old X-Men team mates - Beast, Cyclops and Marvel Girl - to form X-Factor during THIRD GENESIS.

X-Men #1 (1991)
Iceman and Angel finally rejoin the X-Men during MUTANT GENESIS.

X-Force/Champions Annual (1998)
The Champions come together one last time, teaming up with X-Force against Pluto.

X-Factor #250-256 (2013)
The truce between the Hell-Lords finally breaks down, resulting in the Hell on Earth War.

See how this story fits into the wider Marvel Universe continuity with these reading orders:

• GHOST RIDER: Johnny Blaze (1972-1985)

Champions Classic vol.1
Champions Classic: The Complete Collection
Champions: No Time For Losers
Marvel Masterworks: The Champions vol.1
All include... 

Champions #1-3