New Avengers

A friend of mine is posting a question on Facebook everyday for the month of November. All of them have been pretty brilliant but today's really made me think.

The world needs a team of Avengers!
Crime is rising and supervillains are concocting dastardly plans. We need some heroes - and you're the Nick Fury of the group, putting the team together. You can choose any 4 people who have ever lived to be granted superpowers related to what they were known for and become The Avengers.
You're going to want a good mix of brawn, intelligence, and innovation. And, of course, entertainment value.

It's time to assemble the team! Which 4 people do you pick?

Brawn
I had some pretty decent choices between professional athletes, buff celebrities, and fitness experts. Contenders included Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, Michael Clarke Duncan, a few famous historical fighters, and about half the NHL.

Bruce Lee. He was one of the most skilled martial artists of his time, possibly ever. He played ping pong with nun-chucks!  Lee could have taken out anybody, including guys twice his size. He's a fighter you want on your size.

Brains
The world has seen some incredibly minds like Stephen Hawking, Marie Curie, and Albert Einstein. There are also some brilliant and charismatic minds now like Neil DeGrasse Tyson and Michio Kaku.

Nikola Tesla. When Einstein was asked what it felt like to be the smartest man alive. He said you have to ask Tesla. I choose you Pikachu. 

Innovation
Coming up with brilliant inventions is no small task. Thomas Edison, Alan Turing, and Alfred Nobel will agree with that.

Leonardo Da Vinci He came up with things that are still viable in this century. Can you imagine what he could create with modern technology.

The Wild Card
The two things I noticed about my list thus far is that it's all men and it's all people who might be a little socially awkward. This team needs the voice of a woman and someone who does well with other people.

Do I go with a historical bad ass like Anne Bonny, Mata Hari, or Nellie Bly? Should I opt for a classic feminist like Gloria Steinem? What about modern funny, feminists like Tina Fey, Amy Poehler or Rebel Wilson?

After some thought and research, I think my final person will be Wanda Sykes. She'll bring a non-white male perspective, is a great performer, and understands how the average mind works. Comedy requires a lot of performance, body language, audience reading. It only looks easy if you're doing it right.

My modern Avengers is Bruce Lee, Nikola Tesla, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Wanda Sykes. I think they could save the world.