The Avengers are Earth's Mightiest Heroes and the premier team of the Marvel Universe. For years, they've been defending the innocent from the most dangerous threats, battling against everything from supervillains to alien invasions to rogue gods. The team has counted some of the greatest heroes ever among its number and has found big-screen stardom that eclipses every other superteam ever created.
The Avengers are icons, and their comics have contained some wild adventures. The Avengers comics have produced moments that are unlike any others at Marvel, breaking ground in a way that is fitting for a comic with its pedigree.
10 Avengers #1 Was The First Time All Of Marvel's Greatest Heroes Were Together In One Place
By the time the Silver Age dawned, Marvel had long been an afterthought among superhero comic fans. DC's success with new superheroes spawned the Marvel Universe indirectly, as the company decided to give the whole thing one more try. Creators like Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and others populated the Marvel Universe with characters, but readers didn't have anywhere to go to get all of Marvel's solo heroes in one place.
Avengers #1, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, changed all of that. It was the first Marvel book that took all of its solo stars and put them together. This was a big deal and the beginning of Marvel printing team books starring its greatest heroes.
9 It's Been The Exclusive Home Of Good Ultron Stories
Ultron is one of the Avengers' most iconic villains, but he doesn't have a lot of luck outside of the Avengers books. Take his appearance in Daredevil #275, by Ann Nocenti and John Romita Jr., where Daredevil, Karnak, and Gorgon somehow defeated the adamantium-clad android. Another example is Age Of Ultron, by Brian Michael Bendis and Bryan Hitch, Brandon Peterson, and Carlos Pacheco. Despite the name, the titular villain barely even appeared.
For fans of Ultron, the only place to find good stories with the villain is in Avengers books. It's where he's most at home and where his threat level is treated with the fear it deserves.
8 Uncanny Avengers Was The First Comic To Meld The Avengers And The X-Men In A Meaningful Way
The X-Men and the Avengers have always had a somewhat contentious relationship, which came to a head in Avengers Vs. X-Men. After this book, Rick Remender and John Cassaday would team up for Uncanny Avengers, which combined the two teams for the first time. While they had crossed over before, this was quite different.
It was the first time members of the two groups shared the spotlight in any meaningful way. While mutants had long been a part of the Avengers, this was different. The team worked to both defend the world and work for mutant rights, something that had never been tried before.
7 It's The Only Team That Ever Included Eternals Among Its Number
The Eternals have become a big deal in Marvel again since the debut of their movie. The Eternals stayed in their own lane for a long time, but several Eternals would eventually branch out and join the Avengers. Gilgamesh, Starfox, and Sersi have all been counted among the Avengers, making the team the only group to ever have Eternals among its number.
Eternals are quite powerful, but they don't fit in very well on other teams. The X-Men wouldn't take them, and the Fantastic Four have a set membership most of the time, so the only team they'd be welcome on is the Avengers.
6 It's The Only Marvel Team With An Actual Mythological God In Its Roster
The Marvel Universe is full of gods, but the most well-known is Thor. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby had no problem borrowing from Earth's mythology, and Thor became the most popular mythological god in comics. While other mythological beings have appeared in Marvel's comics, only the Avengers have a mythological god as a core member of their team.
While Hercules was a member of the original Champions, he's not actually a god. Thor remains the only mythological god on a superteam. The only other was Loki, and he was a member of the Young Avengers, so the Avengers keep the title of being the only team with a god in their roster.
5 They Were The First Marvel Team To Bring Villains Onto Its Roster
Avengers #16, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, was a milestone. It was not only the first big roster shake-up for Marvel's premier team, but the first time villains would join a superhero team in the Marvel Universe. This would start a revolution, as Marvel would continually have villains turn into heroes over the years.
Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and Scarlet Witch would become Avengers icons and multimedia stars. If Lee and Kirby had made the safe choice and never had them switch sides, fans would have lost out on years of great stories.
4 They Brought Captain America Back To The Forefront Of The Marvel Universe
Captain America was Marvel's most successful Golden Age hero, an inspiring fan-favorite that eventually disappeared in the Marvel superhero drought of the '50s. Cap would be brought back to the Marvel Universe in Avengers #4 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, an iconic story that set up Cap's new status quo and tweaked some of his past.
Cap actually had adventures in '50s comics, which this book retconned away. It also established the death of Bucky and set Cap back on the path to stardom. His time as an Avenger would make him one of Marvel's greatest heroes and the person everyone looks up to today.
3 Wasp Was The First Women To Lead A Marvel Team
Like many Silver Age Marvel women, Wasp wasn't written the best, but that changed as time went on. In Avengers #217, by Jim Shooter and Bob Hall, Wasp called for an election of a new Avengers leader and nominated herself. This hubristic move actually paid off; Wasp won the election and became the first Marvel woman to lead a team.
Wasp remained Avengers chairman until the Masters of Evil attack in the Avengers classic "Under Siege." Wasp paved the way for Storm to become the leader of the X-Men and started a legacy of superheroic women leading Marvel teams.
2 Vision Tried To Take Over The World In Avengers Comics
Vision has long been one of the most powerful Avengers. Ultron created him to battle the team, but he overcame his programming and joined the Avengers instead. However, that doesn't mean he stayed good. As time went on, he developed a plan to take over the world, a plan which came to fruition in Avengers #253-254 by Roger Stern and Bob Hall.
The Avengers would foil their friend's plans, and he would be taken apart. It was the only time the Vision ever went full-on evil, and it happened within the pages of Avengers. While it's not surprising it happened there, Vision's background makes him an excellent candidate for villainy, and he'd be more than a match for most other teams.
1 They Let Scarlet Witch Rejoin The Team After Killing Multiple Members
Avengers Disassembled by Brian Michael Bendis and David Finch was sold as the Avengers' worst day, and it's hard to argue with that assessment. Long-time member Scarlet Witch snapped and attacked the team, using her reality-altering powers to throw threat after threat at them. By the end of the day, the Vision was destroyed, and Scott Lang and Hawkeye were both dead.
Eventually, the Avengers would actually allow her back on the team and defend her from anyone who said she committed any evil acts. Even with the reveal of Doctor Doom's manipulation of her, Scarlet Witch still committed those acts herself. Yet, the Avengers went to bat for her in a way no other team has in Marvel history.