A Promise Or A Threat?

During his recent Twitterfest, Bendis declared that the post-Siege Avengers and their lineup will see "the biggest change in over a decade."

Really?

Obviously, the limitations of Twitter sometimes make precision of statements difficult, and doubtless there's some amount of hyperbole involved here. So we shouldn't be too picky in evaluating Bendis' declaration.

But the biggest change in over a decade??

Marvel has said that the Big Three (Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America) will be together during the Siege, and has been dropping many hints that they will stay together in whatever the post-Siege incarnation of the Avengers might be.

Well, that would hardly be the "biggest change in over a decade", since the three were together as Avengers as recently in 2003. So bringing them back together wouldn't really be the biggest change in a decade...unless they're all coming back in drag or something.

Let's see, what else has happened in the last decade?

The United Nations put the Avengers in charge of the entire world...

One of their own members went crazy and killed several Avengers (although some of those got better), and the entire team dissolved...

Three separate and competing teams of Avengers formed, including one formed entirely of villains...and that's not even discussing the Young Avengers, or the Initiative...

One of the Avengers (who was on two different teams!!) turned out to be the Skrull Queen...

Many, many (MANY!!) "non-traditional" Avengers have joined the teams, including Spider-Man, Wolverine, Luke Cage, Doctor Strange, Iron Fist, Spider-Woman, the Sentry, Ronin...(not to mention Bullseye, Venom, Norman Osborn, etc from the Dork Avengers)...

So what, exactly, could be done to result in "the biggest change in over a decade?"

A restoration of the Big Three wouldn't come anywhere near that, either in terms of "over a decade" or "biggest change." And given the eclectic mix of characters Bendis has brought in over the last 4 years, it's hard to think whom could be brought on that would justify the "biggest change" description. He'd have to work pretty hard to come up with an odder line-up than this one, anyway.

Maybe he's reviving the West Coast Avengers??

Anyway, you're on the clock now, Bendis--you've made one hell of a big promise, and set the bar pretty high for yourself. Here at Slay Monstrobot we'll be watching to make sure you really do give us the biggest change in a decade. So this had better be bigger than the Avengers becoming the de facto world government and a sovereign entity, bigger than the dissolution of the entire team, bigger than the death of several long-time Avengers, bigger than one of the team being an alien traitor, and bigger than filling 2 of the 3 teams with people who have never been Avengers before.

Good luck...