Well done with the Good Omens suggestions.
I take it Percy Jackson is fair game?
Fair game. He lives in the present.
As long as we’re going fantasy…
I would definitely take Hermione over Harry Potter, but I’d prefer Dumbledore over either one.
And how about Russell Edgington from the Sookie Stackhouse books (I think Charlaine Harris originally called the series “Southern Vampires”)? He’s a serious badass.
Good choice, but I seem to remember reading those books in the 1970’s, and they weren’t new then, so the OP’s rules would exclude Slippery Jim.
On the one hand, I see your point.
On the other hand, Soon I Will Be Invincible.
Sadly, he neither lives in modern times, nor was first introduced after the mid nineties, both requirements from the OP.
No one has mentioned the Twilight series or Fifty Shades of Grey? Good!
Can’t remember when Remo Williams (The Destroyer) was introduced, but I suspect it was before 1990. If not, then add him.
The Remo Williams movie came out in 1985, and the books predate it by quite a distance. Too bad. I’d be more interested in adding Chiun.
IIRC one of the modern teams alluded to in Moore’s books included Bo “Bandit” Darville, so films weren’t ruled out.
How about Media from Neil Gaiman’s American Gods (2001)?
At that, “Emma” – the British operative who excels at everything from chemistry to fencing, as befits the daughter of industrialist Sir John – is clearly Emma Peel.
Christopher John Francis Boone from The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. A young autistic man with the power of SOLVING MYSTERIES!!! WITH MATH!!! somehow. - The brains.
Ernessa Bloch from The moth diaries. SHE’S A VAMPIRE! AND A GHOST! SHE’S A GHOST VAMPIRE!!! - The rogue.
Piscine “Pi” Molitor from Life of Pi. a troubled young man with a traumatic past and the ability of MAGICALLY CREATING A GIANT TIGER TO LAUNCH AGAINST THE BAD GUYS!!! - The enforcer.
Call “Callie” Stephanides, from Middlesex, who can CHANGE GENDERS AT WILL!!! and with that he/she can. Um. Use any bathroom? - The spy
Henry DeTamble, from The time traveller’s wife. He can move around the timestream… BUT HE HAS NO CONTROL OVER HIS POWERS!!! Also, he’s a bit on the whiny side. - The Redshirt (the character who dies unexpectedly during the first act.)
Together they must fight the spreading of the SHEVA virus from Darwin’s Children.!!!eleven
You want a proper combat specialist? Gotta go with Michael Harmon. Former SEAL in John Ringo’s Ghost and sequels. The BAMF killed Bin Laden years before he really died.
Ok. So it seems Moore may have alluded to a character that wasn’t strictly literary, so ill open it up to tv as well as books. But, in order for this not to be a super hero free for all, no comic book characters. I’m hoping we can be creative enough to put together a cool, effective team that doesn’t rely on getting bit by a radioactive spider.
Some really great suggestions. Since I’ve broken my own rule and allowed tv…Buffy must make the list then.
With TV, Capt. Jack Harkness (Torchwood) is a must. And maybe Patrick Jane, the Mentalist.
Nimbly bodyguarding, and going snark-for-snark with, brilliant diagnostician Gregory House MD.
They’ve already had Orlando who in addition to gender-swapping is, if not immortal, incredibly long-lived.
Anyway: I nominate Harold Finch off “Person of Interest” - or perhaps just The Machine. In a similar vein I’m also tempted to add the eponymous Chuck, although he is a bit silly.
Lord Havelock Vetinari. While “the Patrician” existed earlier, he wasn’t really fleshed out until the 1990s so I’d argue that he qualifies, and he is the Chessmaster par excellence along with being surprisingly dangerous in his own right (more so before being shot in Men at Arms, admittedly).
A number of other Discworld characters would also make the shortlist, but I assume we’re rationing ourselves.
Not contemporary. Or in our world.