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{{short description|Fictional comic book group}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{lead too short|date=January 2016}}
{{Notability|date=January 2019}}
}}

{{Infobox comics organization| <!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics-->
image=Rangersmu0.jpg
|caption=The Rangers.<br>Art by [[Steve McNiven]].
|name= Rangers
|publisher= [[Marvel Comics]]
|debut= ''[[Hulk|The Incredible Hulk]]'' #265, (November 1981)
|creators= [[Bill Mantlo]] (writer)<br>[[Sal Buscema]] (penciller)
|base= [[Texas]]
|members= [[Firebird (Marvel Comics)|Firebird]]<br>[[Living Lightning]]<br>Fifty-One<br>[[Red Wolf (comics)|Red Wolf]]<br>[[Shooting Star (comics)|Shooting Star]]<br>[[Texas Twister]]
|subcat=Marvel Comics
|hero=y
|villain=
}}

'''The Rangers''' are a fictional [[superhero]] team appearing in [[American comic book]]s published by [[Marvel Comics]]. The team first appeared in ''[[Hulk|The Incredible Hulk]]'' #265 (November 1981) and was created by writer [[Bill Mantlo]] and penciller [[Sal Buscema]]. The title page of ''The Incredible Hulk'' #265 also credits Mark Gruenwald with co-creation of The Rangers.

Team members usually hail from [[Arizona]], [[New Mexico]], or [[Texas]].

==Publication history==
In the story "You Get What You Need!" published in ''[[The Incredible Hulk (comic book)|Incredible Hulk]]'' vol.1 #265 (November 1981), writer [[Bill Mantlo]], penciller [[Sal Buscema]], and Mark Gruenwald created the superhero team Rangers. The team consists of western characters [[Firebird (Marvel Comics)|Firebird]], [[Shooting Star (comics)|Shooting Star]], [[Texas Twister]], the [[Phantom Rider (Hamilton Slade)|Phantom Rider]] (Hamilton Slade, then called Night Rider), and the contemporary Red Wolf.<ref name=EWW168>{{cite book |last1=Green |first=Paul |date= |title=Encyclopedia of Weird Westerns: Supernatural and Science Fiction Elements in Novels, Pulps, Comics, Films, Television and Games |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HDnHo993Dv0C&pg=PA168#v=onepage&q&f=false |page=168 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=9780786458004 |accessdate=December 2, 2013}}</ref>

The members of the team have been identified in the 142 registered superheroes who appear on the cover of the comic book ''[[Avengers: The Initiative]]'' #1 (June 2007).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://marvel.com/news/story/947/avengers_the_initiative_1_character_map |title=Avengers: The Initiative #1 Character Map: Who's who on this cover packed with 142}}</ref>

==Fictional team biography==
[[Image:Rangersmu1.jpg|thumb|left|120px|Incredible Hulk #265, artist [[Al Milgrom]]]]
The Rangers began by accident. [[Rick Jones (comics)|Rick Jones]] was being held captive by the villainous [[Corruptor (comics)|Corruptor]], who had the [[Hulk]] under his influence. Rick sent a shortwave radio message to attempt to contact the [[Avengers (comics)|Avengers]]. The message never reached the Avengers, but instead five individuals intercepted the message and responded: Shooting Star and Texas Twister, Firebird, the Phantom Rider (Hamilton Slade, then called Night Rider), and the contemporary Red Wolf.<ref name="EWW168"/><ref name="IH"/><ref name=YBLC33>[https://books.google.com/books?id=BaIP7O8u15UC&pg=PT43#v=onepage&q&f=false Your Brain on Latino Comics: From Gus Arriola to Los Bros Hernandez], p.33</ref>

Although the five Southwestern adventurers were unable to stop the Hulk's rampage, they did enable him to defeat the Corruptor. At the battle's end, Texas Twister suggested that the five of them get together whenever a threat to the Southwest crops up. They agreed and took the collective name of the Rangers.<ref name=EWW168/><ref name="IH">{{Cite comic
 | Writer = Sal Buscema (plot) | Cowriters = Bill Mantlo (plot, script) | Penciller = Sal Buscema | Inker = Sal Buscema | Story = You Can't Always Get What You Want, But If You Try Sometime You Just Might Find You Get What You Need! | Title = Incredible Hulk, The | Volume = 1 | Issue = 265 | date = November 1981 | Publisher = [[Marvel Comics]] | Page = | Panel = | ID = }}</ref><ref name=YBLC33/>
However, because of the geographical separation among the members, they rarely acted as a team.  Additionally, Shooting Star was revealed to be possessed by a demon at the next meeting of the team and the demon had acted against the team meeting.<ref name=Riglevio>{{cite web |url=http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/riglevioss.htm |title=Riglevio |last1=Christiansen |first1=Jeff |website=marvunapp.com |publisher=the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe |accessdate=December 1, 2013}}</ref>

Shooting Star's identity was at some point taken over by an unnamed demon in the employ of Master Pandemonium, who believed Firebird to be one of the possessors of his fragmented soul. To keep the Rangers from meeting regularly and perhaps posing a threat to him before he had completed his study of Firebird, Pandemonium dispatched the demon to take Shooting Star's place. Firebird nevertheless believed the demon to be hiding among the Avengers' West Coast branch and with her guidance the Rangers confronted the heroes, only to flush the demon in Shooting Star out of hiding. The demon claimed that Shooting Star was a human guise it had taken long before, that there never was a Victoria Star. The Avengers imprisoned the demon at their Compound and began an investigation of Master Pandemonium, but the Texas Twister, demonstrating a curious lack of concern, did not accompany them.<ref name=Riglevio/> Soon, however, Texas Twister returned to the Avengers Compound at a time when Hawkeye was alone, demanding to see the captive demon. Twister declared his love for the demon, which turned back into Shooting Star. Texas Twister went on to explain that the demon had come to him months ago when Twister's powers seemed to be fading, making him afraid that he would lose Shooting Star if their rodeo act broke up on account of his lost powers. The demon offered to augment the Twister's powers in exchange for his soul, and the Twister agreed, but after his powers were restored he begged to be spared, so the demon possessed Shooting Star instead, casting a spell that prevented Twister from telling anyone about this. Twister studied the occult until he found a means to expel the demon from Star.<ref name=Riglevio/> The demon then possessed Twister himself and battled Hawkeye and Shooting Star. Ultimately, Star threatened to kill the demon rather than allow the possession to continue, and the demon reluctantly imprisoned itself in a statue. Texas Twister and Shooting Star were reunited.<ref name=Riglevio/><ref>{{Cite comic  | Writer = Steve Englehart  | Penciller = Al Milgrom | Inker = Joe Sinnott  | Story = A Bird In The Hand | Title = West Coast Avengers  | Volume = 2  | Issue = 8  | date = May 1986  | Publisher = [[Marvel Comics]]  | Page =   | Panel =   | ID =  }}</ref>

The Rangers next appear as a team towards the end of the ''[[Civil War (comic book)|Civil War]]'' storyline, in which it seems they have been reformed as the state superteam for [[Texas]]. The original five members have been joined by [[Armadillo (comics)|Armadillo]], a reformed [[supervillain]], as well as [[Living Lightning]], a former Avenger.<ref>{{Cite comic | Writer = Mark Millar | Penciller = Steve McNiven | Inker = Dexter Vines | Story =  | Title = Civil War | Volume = 1 | Issue = 7  | Date =  | Publisher = [[Marvel Comics]] | Page = | Panel =  | ID = }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix3/armadillocap.htm |title=Armadillo |last1=Carter |first1=Madison |website=marvunapp.com |publisher=the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe |accessdate=December 2, 2013}}</ref> Armadillo later quits and joins the Hood's Crime Syndicate, though it is possible he later rejoined the team after several of the villainous members of the team were recruited to pose as heroes in Taskmaster's Initiative. The Rangers next assist in protecting the President from [[Hydra (comics)|HYDRA]]'s attack. There are injuries but no fatalities.<ref>{{Cite comic  | Writer = Dan Slott  | Penciller = Stefano Caselli | Inker = Stefano Caselli  | Story = Hero Moment  | Title = Avengers: The Initiative | Volume = 1 | Issue = 2 | date = June 2007  | Publisher = [[Marvel Comics]] | Page =  | Panel =  | ID = }}</ref>

During the ''[[Secret Invasion]]'' storyline, the Rangers are seen battling a [[Skrull]] that had been impersonating Red Wolf's wolf Lobo.<ref>[[Dan Slott]] (w), [[Stefano Caselli]] (a), "V-S Day", ''[[Avengers: The Initiative]]'' #19 (January, 2009)</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=preview&id=1606 |title=Preview: Avengers: The Initiative #19 |date=December 11, 2008 |website=comicbookresources.com |publisher=[[Comic Book Resources]] |accessdate=December 2, 2013}}</ref> They come into conflict with [[Kaine Parker|Kaine]] alias [[Scarlet Spider]] in [[Houston, Texas|Houston]],<ref>[[Chris Yost]] (w), Khoi Pham (p), [[Tom Palmer (comics)|Tom Palmer]] (p), ''[[Scarlet Spider (comic book)|Scarlet Spider]]'' #8</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=user_review&id=5043 |title=Review: Scarlet Spider #8 |first1=Doug |last1=Zawisza |date=August 10, 2012 |website=comicbookresources.com |publisher=[[Comic Book Resources]] |accessdate=December 2, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://sciencefiction.com/2012/08/11/comic-book-review-scarlet-spider-8/ |title=Comic Book Review: ‘Scarlet Spider’ #8 |first1=Scott |last1=West |website=sciencefiction.com |publisher=SF |accessdate=December 2, 2013}}</ref> then they joined forces with him to battle a monster made of pure energy.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://uk.ign.com/articles/2012/09/13/scarlet-spider-9-review |title=Scarlet Spider #9 Review: Kaine plays the reluctant hero once more. |first1=Jesse |last1=Schedeen |date=September 12, 2012 |website=uk.ign.com |publisher=[[IGN]] |accessdate=December 2, 2013}}</ref>

==Membership==

===Founding members===
* '''[[Firebird (Marvel Comics)|Firebird]]''' - Bonita Juarez is a [[pyrokinesis|pyrokinetic]] and may be immortal.
* '''[[Hamilton Slade (Rangers)|Phantom Rider]]''' - Hamilton Slade is the latest [[Phantom Rider]].
* '''[[Red Wolf (comics)#Red Wolf II|Red Wolf]]''' - William Talltrees imbued with the spiritual legacy of Owayodota.
* '''[[Shooting Star (comics)|Shooting Star]]''' - Victoria Star uses a pair of specially-designed "star shooters".
* '''[[Texas Twister]]''' - Drew Daniels has the [[psychokinesis|psychokinetic]] ability to form tornadoes.

===Post-Civil War recruits===
* '''[[Armadillo (comics)|Armadillo]]''' - Antonio Rodriguez is a mutate given super strength and durability by [[Karl Malus]]. He was removed from team for sexually harassing teammate Shooting Star.
* '''[[Living Lightning]]''' - Miguel Santos is an electrical manipulator.
* '''Fifty-One''' - Alien telepath.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://marvel.wikia.com/Rangers_%28Earth-616%29 Rangers] at Marvel Wiki
* [http://www.comicvine.com/rangers/4060-42383/ Rangers] at Comic Vine

{{Fifty State Initiative}}

[[Category:Marvel Comics superhero teams]]
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