The West Coast Avengers are an underrated team despite how fun their roster can be compared to the main Avengers team. Fielding oddballs such as Moon Knight, Machine Man, and Jeff the Baby Land Shark might make them seem like a D-lister team to some, but they have had some heavy hitters on their ranks before.
In fact, some of the West Coast Avengers boast powers far beyond any of the main Avengers roster have ever had. They might be an expansion, but these powerhouses stand toe to toe with some of the strongest in the Marvel Universe.
War Machine
One of the few other Iron Man suit wearers besides Tony Stark, Rhodey proves better than anybody how effective sheer firepower can be in a fight. Rhodey’s years of military experience under his belt also give him an edge in terms of experience and fighting ability even without the suit.
War Machine might be one of the best at raw firepower but he is still a man, and unlike Iron Man, he doesn’t have an arsenal of suits. However, War Machine was built for one purpose, and he fulfills that one purpose really well. If it’s not clear, the purpose is shooting things.
Hank Pym
Hank Pym, a.k.a., Ant-Man, Goliath, Giant-Man, Yellowjacket (almost as many personas as Moon Knight at this point) is one of the greatest minds in the Marvel Universe. His versatility on the field of battle as a size-changer is invaluable, but it’s his brains that make him such a valuable addition to the team.
However, Hank is often a victim of his own self-doubt. He considers himself a scientist first, and a hero second for the most part, and that means he isn’t as dedicated to fighting as the rest of the team. That being said, he’s still one of the most powerful members of the team thanks to his intellect and versatility.
Firebird
Firebird is the team’s resident firestarter, and she is really good at that role. After a burst of energy from the sky granted her powers, she’s dedicated her life to fighting evil. In fact, fighting evil actually makes her stronger. She’s got the usual array of firepowers, but what lands her on this list is her surprising durability.
Many times, she has been the last woman standing in attacks that have taken out most, if not all, of her other fellow Avengers. It’s a fact that Thor is quick to pick up on, who believes she may be immortal. However, immortals get knocked out, and there are a few powerhouses who’ve done just that to Firebird.
Iron Man
While Hank Pym considers himself a scientist first, hero second, Iron Man considers himself a genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, and also a superhero. Unlike Hank, Tony is fully immersed in everything he does, for better or for worse. His grasp of technology has allowed him to craft suits that can withstand powerhouses like Thor.
However, Iron Man is also incredibly arrogant, and that makes him susceptible to making mistakes. It’s a flaw that many villains use to get to the man inside the iron suit. Good luck getting him out, however, because Iron Man might be careless, but he’s a quick thinker with billions of dollars worth of technology at his beck and call.
Vision
As a fragment of Ultron, the same robot that defeated every single Avenger, Vision’s plethora of unique powers were already expected. Vision is a fully artificial being who can shift his density at will. That means he can hit someone like a truck, and as they retaliate, phase through their counterattack and hit them again. His intellect is also greater than almost all humans.
However, any character who can get past Vision’s density shifting is capable of hurting Vision badly, and he’s been defeated this way many times in the past. It has to be said, however, that the people who best Vision tend to be beings that throw down on the cosmic scale.
Wonder Man
In terms of raw physical power, few on the West Coast Avengers team could hold a candle to Wonder Man. He boasts super strength that has defeated the likes of Abomination and Red Hulk, which makes him the resident heavy hitter of the group. The ionic energy that flows through his veins makes him a force to be reckoned with.
Unfortunately, that also applies to his teammates. When Wonder Man’s ion energy starts leaking, he turns unstable and often starts fighting his own friends against his will. Although it often takes the whole team to put him down, the inherently self-destructive nature of ion energy means he can’t be mentally stable enough to use his powers to their best potential.
Kid Omega
Quentin Quire holds the distinct title that the likes of Magneto, Legion, and Jean Grey have: an omega-level mutant. His telepathy and telekinesis have been the match against other psychic powerhouses such as M.O.D.O.K. and Emma Frost. Kid Omega is essentially an unrefined Jean Grey.
Kid Omega’s power is vast to be sure, but his arrogance and youth make him vulnerable to smarter opponents. His power should make everything a breeze, and Kid Omega agrees. However, that arrogance often leads to being surprised before his powers can do anything. That being said, outsmarting someone who’s bested Charles Xavier is a tall order.
Scarlet Witch
Despite being both an Avenger and X-Men regular, Scarlet Witch oftentimes doesn’t need her team when she's throwing down on the cosmic and supernatural scale. Her ability might seem like telekinesis and telepathy powers at first, but it’s actually the manipulation of hex power. She manipulates probability, meaning that she’s Murphy’s Law personified.
Whatever can happen, will happen, especially if Scarlet Witch wants it to. Adding to that her mastery of chaos magic, there are precious few who are fast enough to knock her out before she does severe damage. Even fewer are capable of matching Scarlet Witch in pure power, except for perhaps a fellow reality-warping West Coast Avenger.
Gwenpool
Gwenpool is the ultimate wolf in sheep’s clothing, if the sheep was a gaudy pink Deadpool cosplay and the wolf was a nerd who could take advantage of the fact she knew she was in a comic book. Gwenpool’s meta knowledge (up to a certain point) means she truly knows everything about every Marvel hero.
In addition to that, she’s capable of just pushing people outside of the page if they’re too much of a hassle. Sometimes, she just walks to the next issue to avoid a fight altogether. She’s essentially the closest thing to Bat-Mite in the Marvel Universe, and she’s fully aware of that fact. The only reason Gwenpool doesn’t conquer the world is that she just wants to chill out with her fellow Avengers.