The Magneto's unexpected leadership. It's hard to top a line-up like Loki, Doctor Doom, Enchantress, Carnage, and even more heavy-hitters, and I believe that the Master of Magnetism recruited the most powerful Avengers ever.

Avengers & X-Men: AXIS #2 by Rick Remender and Andy Kubert is one of the tensest events I've read, as Magneto's rage-fueled murder of Red Skull allowed him to become Red Onslaught and begin using Charles Xavier's telepathic strength to spread worldwide hatred. As readers, we all witnessed many of the most talented Avengers and X-Men reduced to failed plans and inadequate powers.

Red Onslaught may have emerged victorious had Magneto not chosen that moment to rewrite the game. Not only was it incredibly satisfying to see a villain squad save the day, but Magneto's group went on to be named official Avengers and become the most powerful roster to date.

Magneto’s Astonishing Avengers Bring Together Gods, Magic, Symbiotes, and Violence

Avengers & X-Men: AXIS #2 by Rick Remender, Adam Kubert, Laura Martin, and Chris Eliopoulos

While Magneto's mutant abilities alone are impressive, I think he did a commendable job stacking his roster with a full range of abilities. In total, he recruited just shy of a dozen villains to aid the world and was ed by Hobgoblin, the Absorbing Man, Deadpool, Carnage, Enchantress, Mystique, Sabretooth, Jack O'Lantern, Loki, and Doctor Doom. By my , that means he brought multiple Gods, powerful magic, one of the most powerful symbiotes, and incredible physical strength, speed, and dexterity to the team. By the final confrontation, even the elderly and armored Steve Rogers ed in with the Astonishing Avengers.

AXIS, one of Marvel's massive crossover events, took place over the course of four months, beginning in September 2014 and ending in December 2014.

When giant red Nazis use telepathic powers to influence the world, villains are the least likely to bow their heads in subservience. Red Onslaught wanted the world to kneel at his feet and help him purge anyone he deemed unworthy - beginning with mutants - and I'd call Max's last-ditch effort to stop him one of the Master of Magnetism's most brilliant tactical moves. By selecting the world's most ruthless villains to stand against Red Onslaught, he assembled a group that wouldn't hold back. By extension, having their "basic alignment inverted" cemented them as heroes and funneled their potential into good deeds.

The Astonishing Avengers Revealed the True Potential of Its

Magneto #11 Cover by David Yardin

I love a good "what if" scenario, and the AXIS event lets one play out in real time. Carnage, who aims to leave the world bloody, sacrifices himself to save it. Mystique and Sabretooth, two vicious mutant villains, fight for the angels. And Loki, who has spent his long existence opposing his brother, becomes worthy of Mjolnir. I'll be the first to it that not only are Magneto's Astonishing Avengers powerful, but seeing them tap into their heroic potential makes for plenty of emotional moments. To be an Avenger is to be good, but in this case, "good" takes on a whole new meaning.

Working together as a superhero team truly brought their best strengths to the surface.

I've watched many times as these same characters fell victim to their own egos and misjudgments as villains, but working together as a superhero team truly brought their best strengths to the surface. The anger and bloodlust that often powers them is often their biggest downfall. In other words, they get in their own way, but those barriers were removed during the inversion. Not only did Magneto assemble the strongest Avengers, but I believe that they all tapped into the reserves of talent they're typically unable to reach for. The AXIS event truly showed what Marvel's villains can accomplish with the right goal.

Magneto’s Avengers Had Something to Prove

Their Internal Drive Helped Them Become the Strongest Avengers

Along with the sheer power among the Astonishing Avengers, I think that their desire to prove themselves gives them the true edge over any other roster. They seize their moment to be free of the burden of hatred and anger. I find it telling that most of the villains even seem grateful for the opportunity and mourn that succeeding meant reverting to their old ways. They go so far as to shoulder blame for the heroes, rather than seek the gratitude that they earned. In my eyes, their truest demonstration of strength is their willingness to fight for something that could harm them.

The AXIS Avengers were never meant to last, but even though their existence was merely a symptom of Red Skull's interference, they answered the call to save the world when it needed heroes. This unexpected team embodied what I believe to be the very essence of the team, making the sheer power among their ranks even more impressive. In their short time, they were Steve Rogers-approved and did exactly what the world needed of them. In forming the Astonishing Avengers, Magneto united supervillains, Gods, symbiotes, sorcerers, and more for what I believe to be the greatest Avengers team.

Avengers & X-Men: AXIS #2 is available now from Marvel Comics.