The Avengers is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics that features the superhero team Avengers. The series first appeared in The Avengers no. 1 in September 1963, created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. It was developed as a team title that brought together established Marvel characters. It has since become one of the publisher’s longest-running and most prominent franchises.

The series has been relaunched and renumbered multiple times, reflecting changes in creative direction, continuity and publishing strategy. Its roster has included various characters, including Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, Ant-Man, the Wasp, and Captain America, along with many others added over time. Stories usually focus on large-scale threats which individual heroes cannot face alone, a structure that helped define the team’s role in the larger Marvel Universe.

Publication history

In 1960, DC Comics launched a comic book series featuring a team of superheroes called the Justice League. Impressed by that book's strong sales, Martin Goodman, the owner of Marvel Comics predecessor Timely Comics, asked Stan Lee to create a title featuring a similar team of superheroes for Marvel. Lee recounts in Origins of Marvel Comics:

Much like the Justice League, the Avengers were an assemblage of pre-existing superhero characters created by Lee and Jack Kirby. Kirby did the artwork for the first eight issues only, in addition to doing the layouts for issues #14–16. This initial series, published bi-monthly through issue #6 (July 1964) and monthly thereafter, ran through issue #402 (Sept. 1996), with spinoffs including several annuals, miniseries and a giant-size quarterly sister series that ran briefly in the mid-1970s. Marvel filed for a trademark for "The Avengers" in 1967 and the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued the registration in 1970.

Between 1996 and 2004, Marvel relaunched the primary Avengers title three times. In 1996, the "Heroes Reborn" line, in which Marvel contracted outside companies to produce four titles, included a new volume of The Avengers. It took place in an alternate universe, with a revamped history unrelated to mainstream Marvel continuity. The Avengers vol. 2 was written by Rob Liefeld and penciled by Jim Valentino, and ran for 13 issues (Nov. 1996–Nov. 1997). The final issue, which featured a crossover with the other Heroes Reborn titles, returned the characters to the main Marvel Universe.

The Avengers vol. 3 relaunched and ran for 84 issues from February 1998 to August 2004. To coincide with what would have been the 500th issue of the original series, Marvel changed the numbering, and The Avengers #500-503 (Sept.– Dec. 2004), the one-shot Avengers Finale (Jan. 2005) became the "Avengers Disassembled" storyline and final issues. Avengers vol. 4 debuted in July 2010 and ran until January 2013. Vol. 5 was launched in February 2013. After Secret Wars, a new Avengers team debuted, dubbed the All-New, All-Different Avengers, starting with a Free Comic Book Day preview.

1960s

In the first issue, the Avengers team began with Ant-Man (Hank Pym), Hulk (Bruce Banner), Iron Man (Anthony Stark), Thor, and the Wasp (Janet van Dyne). The roster changed almost immediately after the first issue; in the second issue, Ant-Man became Giant-Man, and at the end of the issue, Hulk quit the team. Issue #4 brought the title's first major milestone: the revival and return of Captain America (Steve Rogers).

1970s The creative team of writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema introduced new characters such as Arkon in issue #75 (April 1970)Sanderson, Peter "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 145 and Red Wolf in #80 (Sept. 1970).Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 146: "Red Wolf was Marvel's first Native American super hero." The team's adventures increased in scope as the team crossed into an alternate dimension and battled the Squadron Supreme,Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 148 and fought in the Kree-Skrull War,Daniels p. 150: "This wild tale ... attempted to tie together more than thirty years of the company's stories ... More than any previous work, 'The Kree-Skrull War' solidified the idea that every comic book Marvel had ever published was part of an endless, ongoing saga."Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 150: "Unprecedented in Marvel history, this epic spanned nine issues of The Avengers. The saga began in The Avengers #89." which guest-starred the Kree hero Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell). Novelist Harlan Ellison plotted two stories for the series. The first ("The Summons of Psyklop") was published in issue #88 (May 1971)Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 149: "Ellison devised a plot for a two-part story, scripted by Roy Thomas, that began in The Avengers #88 and led into The Incredible Hulk #140." and the second ("Five Dooms to Save Tomorrow") in #101 (July 1972).

Writer Steve Englehart introduced Mantis, who joined the team along with the reformed Swordsman.

During the summer of 1973, Englehart and artists Bob Brown and Sal Buscema produced "The Avengers-Defenders Clash" storyline which crossed over between the two team titles.Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 160: "Loki and Dormammu manipulated two super-teams into the Avengers-Defenders war, starting in The Avengers #116 and The Defenders #9 in October ." This eight-issue story was the first summertime cross-title event, and was very popular with readers.

George Pérez became the title's artist with issue #141 (Nov. 1975) which saw the start of a seven-part story featuring the Squadron Supreme and the Serpent Crown. In 2010, Comics Bulletin ranked Englehart's run on The Avengers eighth on its list of the "Top 10 1970s Marvels".

After Englehart departed and a seven-issue stint by Gerry Conway, Jim Shooter began as writer, generating several classic adventures, including "The Bride of Ultron", the "Nefaria Trilogy", and "The Korvac Saga".Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 184: "Writer Jim Shooter and artist George Pérez began their saga pitting their seemingly omnipotent villain, Michael Korvac against Earth's Mightiest Heroes in The Avengers #167." Shooter introduced the character of Henry Peter Gyrich, the Avengers' liaison to the United States National Security Council. The true origins of Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch were revealed in a three-part story that ran in issues #185-187 (July-Sept. 1979).Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 190: "Readers learned how a mysterious woman, Magda, gave birth to the mutant twins at Wundagore Mountain before disappearing into the wilderness."

1980s The first major development was the breakdown of Hank Pym, which writer Roger Stern resolved by having Pym outwit Egghead and defeat the latest incarnation of the Masters of Evil single-handedly. Pym proved his innocence.

Stern developed several major storylines, such as "Ultimate Vision"; the formation of the West Coast Avengers;DeFalco "1980s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 219: "Hawkeye and his new wife, Mockingbird, were given the job of running the West Coast branch ... The initial four-issue limited series proved so popular that it became a regular monthly book that ran for 102 issues." and "Avengers Under Siege". Rogue, who would later become a member of the X-Men, was introduced in The Avengers Annual #10 (1981) by writer Chris Claremont and artist Michael Golden.DeFalco "1980s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 203: "When she first appeared, Rogue was a member of Mystique's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants."

Stern created the villain, Nebula, who falsely claimed to be the granddaughter of Thanos. Following Stern's departure, Walt Simonson wrote the series briefly but left due to editorial conflicts.

John Byrne took over writing both West Coast Avengers and The Avengers and merged the two separate Avengers teams into one team with two bases. Byrne's contributions included a revamping of the Vision, and the discovery that the children of the Scarlet Witch and the Vision were actually illusions. The Avengers titles in late 1989 were involved in the major crossover event "Acts of Vengeance".

1990s

Bob Harras and Steve Epting took over the title in the summer of 1991 and introduced a stable lineup with ongoing story lines and character development. Their primary antagonists in this run were the mysterious Proctor and his team of other-dimensional Avengers known as the Gatherers.

This culminated in "Operation: Galactic Storm", a 19-part storyline that ran through all Avengers-related titles and showcased a conflict between the Kree and the Shi'ar Empire.Manning, Matthew K. "1990s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 258

Marvel contracted out The Avengers and three related titles — Captain America, Fantastic Four, and Iron Man to former Marvel artists Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld, two of the founding creators of Image Comics.Manning "1990s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 280: "Another Heroes Reborn title, The Avengers was plotted and drawn by Rob Liefeld with a script by Jim Valentino. and additional pencils by Chap Yaep." While The Avengers was relaunched as a new series, the "Heroes Reborn" line ended after a year as planned and the license reverted to Marvel.Manning "1990s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 282: "Although the flashy excitement of the Heroes Reborn event had given fans a nostalgic visit to the early part of the decade, by the end of the year, Marvel had set the stage for the return to its time-honored classic lineup."

Writer Kurt Busiek and penciler George Pérez launched a new volume of the series with The Avengers vol. 3, #1 (Feb. 1998).Manning "1990s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 289: "At the top of [Marvel's] short list of dream artists for the Heroes Return project was George Pérez ... But when asked to both write and draw the title, Pérez declined the invitation, stating he would rather just pencil the book ... He did, however, suggest a writer that he wanted to work with - Kurt Busiek." Busiek concurrently wrote the limited series Avengers Forever. Busiek's run included many of the Avengers' traditional villains.

2000s Successor writer Geoff Johns dealt with the aftermath of Busiek's Kang arc, as the Avengers were granted international authority by the United Nations. Chuck Austen followed as writer. Writer Brian Michael Bendis then rebooted the series with the "Avengers Disassembled" storyline.Manning "2000s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 323: "Writer Brian Michael Bendis would turn the Avengers' world on its end with this shocking new crossover event drawn by artist David Finch. "

2010s

All four Avengers series (The Mighty Avengers, New Avengers, Dark Avengers, and Avengers: The Initiative) were canceled, and a new ongoing series titled Avengers was launched in May 2010, written by Brian Michael Bendis and penciled by John Romita Jr.

In 2012, a biweekly Avengers title was launched, written by Jonathan Hickman and drawn by different artists for each story arc. After "Secret Wars", a new Avengers title (vol. 6) dubbed the All-New, All-Different Avengers launched in 2015 written by Mark Waid, with alternating artwork by Mahmud Asrar and Adam Kubert, and covers by Alex Ross. Mark Waid and Alex Ross continued with Avengers vol. 7, which launched in 2017, with artwork by Mike del Mundo.

It was relaunched once again in 2018 as part of Marvel's "Fresh Start" relaunch featuring a creative by Jason Aaron (w) and Ed McGuinness (pen).

Contributors

Vol. 1 (1963–1996, 2004, 2017–2018)

Writers