Archetypes....
Hurm. Does JSA have archetypes? The core team in All-Star Squadron had two strong guys, a fast guy, a female leader and a guy who shot spiderwebs. There are no real archetypes in this sense in Top Ten (save perhaps for Jetman), or League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (which is filled with classic archtypes, but not in the sense we're describing here).
Archetypes kind of get around the idea of characterisation, and I like ambiguities in characters. I really like dysfuctnional teams, too, like Suicide Squad and the LOEG, in which archetypes don't really work. One of the worst things about the otherwise good series The Losers is an over-reliance on archetypes.
Still...my favourite type of line-up would be:
1. The Reformed Villain. This is the person the others don't really trust. Examples: Rogue in X-men (early days none of the team trusted her at all, as a former member of the Bortherhood of Evil Mutants), Deathstroke the Terminator, Aisha from Losers.
2. The Traitor. This is the person the other guys trust but will let them down for whatever reason. We're talking Terra in New Teen Titans, Roque from Losers, Scarlet Witch in Avengers, Element Lad in Legion.
3. The Weak Rock. This is the backbone for the team - maybe even the reason for existence. The Weak Rock is physically vulernable, but is the heart of the team. Raven fulfilled this role best in New Teen Titans. Kitty Pryde was this in X-men for a while. Captain America, hardly weak but next to powerless, was this for the Avengers.
4. The Uncertain Powerhouse. This is the person who kicks arse, but is easily spiritually overcome. Examples: Cyborg in New Teen Titans, Colossus in X-men, Mazikeen in Lucifer, Green Lantern in JLA.
5. The Player. This is a different person from a leader type - this is the one who considers the team expendible to the mission. Examples: Amanda Waller in Suicide Squad (the best one by far), Lucifer in his series. Batman was a little like this in Batman and the Outsiders. Oracle is the antithesis of this - she is out to graft a conscience on Savant and Huntress.
6. The Mystery. The reason for the existence of this person on a team is not certain. Examples: Black Orchid in Suicide Squad, Wolverine in X-men (especially the early days), Magik in New Mutants, Sentry in the New Avengers.
7. Cannon Fodder . Every superteam should suffer a casualty in their first outing. Examples: Thunderbird in X-men, Aztek in JLA, Zeitgeist in X-Statix.
