The AvengerZ - Part II

Last time I talked about which of the Z-fighters from Dragon Ball Super I'd consider recruiting into a theoretical super-team. This time out, I'm expanding my recruitment drive to consider, not only the core DBZ/DBS series, but some of the spin-offs and alternative versions of characters. As discussed last time, I'm not necessarily looking at raw power, but also genuine heroics and good team players. 
Before I get going, let's talk about the Sayians, Goku and Vegeta and why they're not good team members. Sure, either or both are the most powerful fighter around, but their arrogance and monomania put their friends and allies at risk as often as they save the universe. How many times does Goku's desire to fight stronger opponents or Vegeta's insistence that he is superior lead to more deaths? Frieza, Cell, Buu, all of these threats went on to do more harm because either Goku or Vegeta failed to do the right thing when called upon. That works in DB because of the serial nature of the programme, but it would get either of them kicked out of the Avengers or Justice League faster than you can say "Deadpool's membership application". 
Anyway, on with the show.

Future Gohan 

A true fan favourite, the alternate version of Gohan that meets his end at the hands of the Androids is far more that just the "Badass Alt" that the internet likes to think of him as being. Much like Future Trunks last time, this version of Gohan has suffered terribly and kept going, driven by guilt and the tiny glimmer of hope that remains. Contrary to popular belief, this Gohan isn't driven to be a warrior because he failed to be strong enough to fight the first time, it's because he's inherited the legacy of Goku and realised it was the last thing he wanted. What happens when you force Gohan to step up into the role left by his father, rather than letting him find his own path? You get a broken man using his trauma to continue a losing battle. This Gohan isn't Superman, he's Spider-Man.

Yamcha Reincarnated

I haven't had a chance to read a lot of the Yamcha manga as of yet, due to the slow translation process and my annoying habit of paying for media because I like to support artists. However, one of my favouite comics of all time is an issue of The Simpsons Comics I picked up when working at a supermarket. In it, a supervillain figures out how he can get the better of Radioactive Man by traveling to a parallel universe where he is a fictional character. Bart Simpson becomes a powerful character simply because he's read the comics and knows what's happening. I love that concept. I'd love to see Thanos or Mongul dragging some poor sucker out of a line at Comicon and forcing them to reveal the heroes' darkest secrets. Naturally, a DB fan being stuck in the body of Yamcha and forced to use every single loophole and piece of trivia to stay alive is something I find fucking brilliant and can't wait to read more. He may not be the best fighter, but a person with all of the knowledge of an audience member and the passion of a die-hard fan would be a hell of an ally.

The Great Saiyaman

I can have two Gohans on my list, why the hell can't I? This one's a bit obvious, when putting together a superhero team, why not include the one major superhero in DB? I won't wax lyrical again over how good the Saiyaman Saga is and how close to Silver Age comics that it sticks, but there's more to my love of Gohan's costumed identity than that. This Gohan is closer to the classical Superman, stopping bank robbers, rescuing small animals and just generally being a super-decent person, despite the fact he could wipe out the planet with a stray punch. Also, Gohan doesn't go "on patrol" or do other "typical" superhero stuff, but still keeps the costume and identity on hand for when he needs it. It never gets confirmed, but I can imagine Hercule calling up Gohan for an assist and having The Great Saiyaman arrive so that Gohan can keep his family out of the spotlight. Again, how are we not watching a programme about this guy instead of Goku?

Pan

I still like Dragon Ball GT, deal with it. I'm hoping she gets a better run of things in Dragon Ball Super, but Pan is still an interesting character in her own right. Although, with her headstrong attitude and quick temper, she seems like Goku's inheritor, Pan is introduced stopping a bank robbery just like her father did in his teens. Throughout her adventures in space and battle against Baby, Pan learns that she doesn't want the kind of power her grandfather wields and that her family is far more important to her. Good heroes have a motivating factor beyond power or ambition, and 'family' works well for many, including the Teen Titans, Fantastic Four and Runaways. DBGT ended before we could see a more mature Pan (the film notwithstanding), but I believe she would have grown to be one of the world's greatest defenders; hopefully we'll get to see that at some point.

Android 16

Another character beloved by fans who is never likely to make a comeback, Android 16 is so beloved that he's received extra backstory in Dragon Ball Multiverse, DBZ Abridged and Dragon Ball FighterZ. I personally think his tragic yet heroic end makes for a good story as it is, but I certainly wouldn't be adverse to exploring the character a little more. A robot made only to destroy, who defies his programing to save lives is a comic trope as old as the medium, but the Toriyama spin is still a lot of fun. Had the character continued on, having him wrestle with his programming to kill Goku and his desire to protect the planet could have made for some interesting storytelling. I mentioned Multiverse above, hopefully we see some development of the "Universe 12" Trunks/16 story-line at some point and where that goes in terms of narrative.

That's about all I can milk out of this one, however, I've missed out on at least one important aspect of the series; villains! Next time we get to this, I'll talk about some of my favourite DB villains and how they could work in your supers games.