"It was only when we got together that the problems really started. I sometimes think without the Minutemen we might have given up and called it quits pretty soon. The costumed adventurer might have become quietly and simply extinct. And the world might not be in the mess it's in today." -- Under the Hood.

In honor of the Minutemen and the Crimebusters, I present you with seven superhero teams in search of a movie. Forget thoughts of "too obscure," "too impossible" or "too expensive" -- there are no limits and no end to the studio's hunger for superheroes. After all, studios are buying up Valiant comics now; Youngblood is coming ... and any one of these teams is a far, far better option than that.


The Justice League of America
The first pick has to be the most obvious. While the film exists in a hazy status of pre-production, the idea seems downright impossible, largely because of a guy named Christopher Nolan, and a Batman that doesn't mesh well with the fantastic elements of the JLA. Despite that many fans have clamored to keep the team in the realm of animation, all this Avengers talk will force the hand of Warner Bros. They'll find a way, with or without Batman.

Alpha Flight
One of the only Canadian superhero teams, and one of the many superhero teams to enjoy the membership of Wolverine, Alpha Flight is just waiting to be picked up and meshed into Fox's X-Men universe. I'm surprised there hasn't been more talk of doing just that, particularly since the series has a pretty strong fanbase, and a nice dose of diversity: The series features two Native Americans, and the first openly gay superhero.


Birds of Prey
With everyone turning such longing glances to Gotham City and Metropolis, I'd like to think that it's only a matter of time before Birds of Prey get their own film. Then again, it's an all girl team (shock! horror! ugh!), and we know how studios feel about the marketability of a solo superheroine, let alone a whole pack of them. But we can dream ... and even stick them in Nolan's Gotham for kicks.

Doom Patrol
This is another team to languish in pre-production (Warner Bros announced plans to make a film in 2006). It's a problematic one, since it was inspired by the Fantastic Four, and its creator always maintained Stan Lee had ripped X-Men off it. However, the similarities could be neatly sidestepped if a writer tackled Grant Morrison or Rachel Pollack's run. Pollack's run in particular would be a brilliant way for the studio to follow up Watchmen, since it tackles all kinds of dark and sexual themes.

The Outsiders
Joss Whedon's assertion that DC characters are "too godlike" has a lot of weight to it -- so why not introduce audiences to the DC outcasts? A black ops version of the Justice League, every storyline seemed to involve vast amounts of horror, personal tragedy, betrayals, and defeat. You could even loosely tie it to Nolan's Batman, and have a bunch of Eastern Europeans inspired by events in faraway Gotham.

X-Force
With everyone wanting to go dark and gritty with their superheroes, and no X-Men allowed to roam solo, it seems only a matter of time before Fox does some X-Force recruiting. The latest incarnation is a black ops version of the X-Men that is authorized to use any means necessary, including lethal force, to deal with threats to mutants. Naturally, it's led by Wolverine. While it lends itself to a lot of brainless hacking and slashing, the concept of an assassin team that exists purely to keep the name of the X-men shiny and clean could have a lot of depth to it.


Thunderbolts
Supervillain stories are destined to become the next trend -- and the Thunderbolts would make a hell of a franchise, especially alongside the Avengers. Audiences would expect just another superhero team, only to find our own trust in capes and latex exploited. Subsequent movies could be about redemption, rebirth, and the nature of heroism ... something the post Dark Knight and Watchmen world should really be craving.

Green Lantern Corps
I think a police force of Green Lanterns is like eating a giant sized bag of M&Ms -- it's just too much, and it probably shouldn't be done. But if they did the Hal Jordan led chapter, there would be something terribly appealing about seeing him destroy the team he helped create. Of course, we still don't have a single Green Lantern, so this is a pipe dream.

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