The Avengers are Earth's Mightiest Heroes, and have counted the most powerful heroes on the planet and beyond among its roster. The team has faced threats like no other, and is the first into breach when the greatest threats come calling. The Avengers need to have powerful members when someone like Thanos or Loki comes on the scene.
Not every Avenger has mind-numbing power, but that doesn't mean they don't bring something to the table. Even the weakest Avengers' abilities come in handy during battle. Heroes like Scott Lang's Ant-Man or Black Widow have found ways to make a difference, proving to everyone they belong with the Avengers.
10 Quicksilver
There have been some unlucky Avengers, but few of them can match Quicksilver. The former villain is arrogant and mouthy, but doesn't deserve the hate he gets from his teammates, the same teammates who bend over backwards to make excuses for his sister's crimes. Quicksilver's mutant powers give him super speed, but it's not all that fast, topping out at Mach 5.
Quicksilver's speed makes up for his relative physical weakness. Quicksilver is a little stronger than a regular human, but not much. However, he can land a hundred punches in a minute, or zoom in and pull a teammate out of harm's way. He's an experienced hero and an expert at using his speed.
9 Spider-Man
Spider-Man's powers are pretty good, but on a team with Thor, he's in the lower to mid-range. He's capable of some hardcore feats when pressed, but most of the time he's closer to the weaker Avengers than the stronger ones. However, power has never been why Spider-Man is such a great hero.
What makes Spider-Man such a potent hero, and a top Avenger, is his spider-sense and the skill it's engendered in him. Spider-Man can get in quick, avoiding attacks, and land some hits. He's also an expert at surgical strikes, making his strength count.
8 Ant-Man II (Scott Lang)
The first Ant-Man, Hank Pym, abandoned the moniker and its exclusively shrinking power set not long after becoming an Avenger. Later, Scott Lang would join the team as Ant-Man, rarely if ever using his Pym Particle based powers to grow. Lang has since made the mantle of Ant-Man his own, using that particular set of skills very well.
Ant-Man is all about infiltration and sneak attacks. Shrinking isn't a surefire way to avoid detection, especially against the high technology the Avengers often deal with, but it does give Ant-Man the chance to make sneak attacks.
7 Wolverine
Wolverine's powers are very cool, but they aren't exactly the most powerful. Wolverine's adamantium claws are nearly unbreakable and can cut through anything, but their only useful within a couple feet. However, his healing factor, adamantium skeleton, and super senses are pretty useful in battle.
Wolverine is a tank. He's able to survive long enough to get in close to an enemy and his tenacity is second to none. He's able to take shots for his teammates, saving them, and is stronger and faster than he seems. On top of that, his super senses are great for scouting out enemies, allowing the Avengers to know what they're getting into.
6 Black Panther
There have been many Black Panthers, but T'Challa has set himself apart from the rest. He's a genius that is counted among the smartest people on Earth, a brilliant leader and statesman, and a ferocious and skilled hand-to-hand combatant. Black Panther is an enhanced human, thanks to the heart-shaped herb, but he's definitely on the weaker end of the spectrum for the Avengers.
Black Panther's greatest attribute for the Avengers is his intellect. He's proven to be an adroit leader, making plans that impressed everyone on the team. This has also made a huge difference in battle. Panther is an expert at identifying weaknesses, getting in, and doing damage.
5 Black Widow
Many Avengers are quite lucky, like Black Widow. That's not to say she isn't skilled, but an enhanced human armed with bracers that fire energy blasts and harpoons and sometimes guns should have died many times over in Avengers level conflicts. Dosed with the Infinity Formula to keep her young and in her physical prime, she's an enhanced human who was trained in the Red Room to be an amazing spy and assassin.
Technically, Black Widow has no powers, but her spy skills are pretty amazing. It's these that make her such a great Avenger. Black Widow's spy proficiency has allowed her to scout out enemies for the team, giving them the information they needed. She's also quite good at striking enemies when they're at their weakest.
4 Captain America (Steve Rogers)
Captain America is an inspiring hero, and the heart and soul of the Avengers. The super-soldier serum gives Cap amazing agility and near superhuman strength, which has come in handy over the decades. He's a great leader and an extremely skilled fighter, but what has always made him a great hero and Avenger is his defensive skills.
Cap has mastered his shield's offensive and defensive uses, his powers and skills allowing him to do amazing things with it. Cap is quick and agile, able to get in, use his shield to defend his teammates, and get out. On top of that, if Cap can't get there in time, he's a master of throwing his shield and saving his friends.
3 Hawkeye
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Hawkeye doesn't have any superpowers, although he has been known to use Pym Particles in the past. He mostly depends on his fighting skills and mastery of multiple weapons, his bow and arrow being chief among them. His various trick arrows pack the extra oomph he needs, but he's still nowhere near the most powerful Avengers, as he's just a normal human.
However, his preternatural marksmanship has made him clutch for the team. He can hit any target the team needs him to, which can make a big difference with his trick arrows. This skill has allowed him to take down all kinds of targets, letting Hawkeye punch way above his weight class.
2 Ant-Man/Yellowjacket/Giant-Man/Goliath (Hank Pym)
Hank Pym has used many costumed identities during his time with the Avengers. The founding member of the team started out as Ant-Man, but decided he needed a little more offensive power as an Avenger. He modified his Pym Particles so he could grow, which allowed him to increase his strength and durability.
Pym's growth ability isn't the best power in the world, but he knows exactly how to use shrinking and growing to his advantage. When the team needs a scout, he's there. When the team needs some extra muscle, he's ready. Pym's an adaptable hero, which makes up for his comparative lack of power.
1 The Wasp
Relationships between Marvel's heroes aren't always the best, something that has effected Pym and his longtime girlfriend/ex-wife/lover, the Wasp. Wasp is always better off when she's not with Pym, rising to the status of Avengers leader. Unlike Hank, she rarely used Pym Particles for growing, instead preferring to work microscopically.
Beyond that, Wasp can also fly and fire wasp stings, powerful energy blasts that can incapacitate foes. Wasp is extremely skilled with her shrinking powers, and the addition of flight and her wasp stings makes her even more dangerous. Her sneak attacks are more powerful than the various Ant-Men because of her sting blasts.