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The Avengers are a team of fictional comic book superheroes published by Marvel Comics.

The Avengers is the primary team of the greatest heroes in Marvel Comics, sort of their version of DC Comics' Justice League.

The Avengers first came together to fight the Hulk in Avengers #1 (September, 1963). When it was discovered that the Hulk's actions were being manipulated by Thor's arch nemesis Loki, the Hulk ended up joining the group, an alliance that lasted about two issues. The original team was composed of Iron Man, Thor, Ant-Man, and The Wasp, though the Hulk is considered a founding member as well. In issue #4, the team found Captain America frozen in an iceberg, preserved in suspended animation. When defrosted, he became the first member added to the group.

The first major roster change had everyone leaving the Avengers but

Captain America, who was then joined by ex-criminal Hawkeye, as well as the mutant siblings Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. This would be the first of many roster changes, as the original members would eventually return, and future rosters would include the Black Panther, the Vision, Wonder Man, the Black Widow, Ms. Marvel, the Beast, She-Hulk, Firestar, Justice, the Swordsman, Starfox, the Black Knight, Tigra, Moon Knight, Hercules, Quasar, Mockingbird, The Falcon, USAgent, Moondragon,and many others.

The Avengers for years lived in what was referred to as Avengers Mansion, actually the house in which Tony Stark (Iron Man) grew up. Stark has provided the headquarters and funding for the Avengers as well as the butler Jarvis, who takes care of all domestic needs at the mansion. We all thought this Avengers, with varying rosters, would last forever. Then came the tragedy which changed everything.

The tale was told in the crossover series, Avengers Disassembled which ran through Avengers #s 500-503 (2004) and crossed over into Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and the Spectacular Spider-Man Comics Series. In this storyline, the Scarlet Witch has a mental breakdown, and destroys Avenger's Mansion and kills a number of Avengers including

Hawkeye. In the next big limited crossover seres, House of M, it is shown that she has gained almost unlimited power. The Scarlet Witch remakes the world ( as a mutant dominated society. Things are eventually put right, but the Avengers, as we know it, are over. The comic book series is discontinued with Avengers #503 (2004).

Iron Man, however, will not let the dream die. In New Avengers #1 (2004), there is a major break out at the Raft, a prison facility for super-villains. Superheroes helping to recapture the escapees are Spider-Man, the Sentry, Luke Cage, Wolverine, and Spider-Woman. Iron Man and Captain America are also on the scene. Looking at this gathering of heroes, Iron Man sees a new team of Avengers. He proposes the idea, offers to finance it, and it happens. The New Avengers make the luxurious Stark Tower in Manhattan their new headquarters.

This new group continued in the new comic book series entitled The New Avengers. Things seem to be working fine, until tragedy changes everything once again.

There is a disaster in Stamford, Connecticut involving the superhero team the New Warriors and the super-villain Nitro. Hundreds of people are killed, including most of the New Warriors. The public is outraged, and "costumed vigilantes" in general are blamed. Congress passes the Superhuman Registration Act (SHRA) which now requires all costumed heroes to register with a government agency (including their secret indentities), and be trained, licensed and regulated. It is hoped that this will help hold superheroes accountable for their actions, like police officers are.

The superhero community is split down the middle by this. Some register and reveal their secret identities, some refuse. The ones that register are then expected to track down and arrest the ones who do not. This is the basis for the next great crossover series,"Civil War (2006)".

As a result of the events of the storyline, there are now two groups of heroes, one sanctioned by the state, and another operating underground, fugitives due to their unwillingness to comply with the new SHRA. Iron Man leads those who register and support SHRA. Captain America decides to oppose the act, and goes underground with others who feel the same.

Iron Man and the other pro-registration heroes, try to capture their old colleagues to force them to comply with the new law. Captain America is the underground group's leader. There are many skirmishes, and some heroes even lose their lives. Finally, there is a big showdown between the two groups. Captain America, at last feeling the cost of this battle is too high, surrenders to stop the violence, intending to oppose the act through legal and peaceful means. Cap is assasinated by an agent of the Red Skull while in custody. It is with this new tragedy that Civil War comes to an end.

In the meantime, Iron Man builds up his own group of Avengers who are legally registered, as per SHRA. This group is given its own comic, called The Mighty Avengers (2007). The Mighty Avengers consist of Iron Man, Ms. Marvel, the Wasp, Wonder Man, the Black Widow, Sentry, and Ares. They continue to use Stark Tower, as well as the flying S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, for their base.

The non-sanctioned group continues to be published under the title The New Avengers. This non-sanctioned group has been using the abode of Doctor Strange in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan as a secret headquarters. This group now includes Spider-Man, Luke Cage, Spider-Woman, Wolverine in addition to Iron Fist, Doctor Strange, Echo, and the new Ronin.

Inspired by the death of their fallen leader, Captain America, the underground "New Avengers" have vowed to fight on without him.

Traditional Avengers Enemies: Loki, Kang the Conqueror, Immortus, The Grim Reaper, Ultron, Space Phantom, The Supreme Intelligence, and many others.

Media Adaptions

• The Avengers appeared as supporting characters in the 1966 animated series, The Marvel Superheroes

• The Avengers had their own 13 episode animated series in 1999.

• A version of the Avengers was featured in the straight to video animated movie, Ultimate Avengers: The Movie in 2006 and its sequel Ultimate Avengers 2: Rise of the Black Panther. These movies are based on "The Ultimates" which is a special line of Marvel Comics that present a more modern and (slightly) more realistic take on the traditional Marvel super-heroes and their history.

To see specific information on the individual Avengers, please click the Avengers (Comics) category link at the bottom of this article or the individual links within the article. To see other articles that reference the Avengers, please click the What Links Here tool in the toolbox at the bottom of this page.