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The Avengers premiered in the 1960s and were instantly Marvel’s version of DC’s Justice League––an assembled team of the universe’s greatest heroes at the time: Iron Man, Hulk, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Thor, and eventually Captain America. Over six decades later, the Avengers have changed and morphed to fit the times and the ever-changing status quo of the Marvel Universe.
The best Avengers eras came when the team was often at their lowest, disassembled due to internal conflict, like in Civil War, or driven apart by the strategic strikes of villains like Doctor Doom and Norman Osborn, as seen in the Dark Reign saga. The best Avengers eras have evolved the team while staying true to their fundamentals, proving they deserve the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes moniker.
10 The Original Avengers Helped Launch Marvel’s Silver Age
Classic Avengers
Notable Comics:
“The Coming of the Avengers!” “Kang, the Conqueror!” “Behold… The Vision”
The first Avengers era––the book that launched Marvel’s Silver Age alongside Amazing Spider-Man, Uncanny X-Men and Fantastic Four––is also one of the best. The original Avengers lineup (Iron Man, Hulk, Ant-Man, Wasp, Thor, and Captain America soon after) was iconic.
DC had already brought their biggest heroes together in the Justice Society and Justice League, and now it was Marvel’s turn. The Avengers became Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and the original era saw them battling classic foes like Kang, Loki, Ultron and many other significant villains who would become household names after the start of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
9 Marvel Relaunched Avengers & Many More Titles
Heroes Reborn
Notable Comics:
Avengers (Vol. 2) Fantastic Four (Vol. 2) Heroes Reborn: The Return
Several years before the successful Ultimate Universe, Marvel Comics attempted to relaunch many of their under-performing titles, including books like The Fantastic Four and The Avengers. The Avengers were transported to a pocket universe used by Franklin Richards where Marvel Comics had free rein to retcon their origin stories and change aspects of their characters, considering these were essentially alternate universe versions of Marvel’s heroes.
The “Heroes Reborn” era of the Avengers comic was akin to the X-Men’s Age of Apocalypse, though nowhere near as successful or critically acclaimed. Still, “Heroes Reborn” was an interesting era that ultimately increased Avengers book sales for a time.
8 New Thor, New Captain America… All-New Avengers
All-New, All-Different Avengers
Notable Comics:
Secret Wars All-New, All-Different Avengers Civil War II
The X-Men’s Most Powerful Villains, Ranked
The X-Men need every omega-level mutant on the team to deal with powerful Marvel villains like Nimrod, Apocalypse, or the unstoppable Juggernaut.
Following Secret Wars and the destruction of the Ultimate Universe, Miles Morales officially joined Earth-616, standing shoulder to shoulder with Peter Parker’s Spider-Man. The All-New, All-Different Avengers lived up to their name. At first glance, they looked like the Avengers readers knew.
However, this Captain America was Sam Wilson, this Thor was Jane Foster, this Ms. Marvel was Kamala Khan and this Spider-Man was Miles Morales. Led by Iron Man, the All-New, All-Different Avengers embodied Marvel’s legacy, starring a roster of heroes who carried the torches passed by the original Avengers who came before.
7 The Avengers Fought The X-Men — a Lot
Avengers + X-Men
Notable Comics:
Avengers vs. X-Men AXIS A+X
In the early 2010s, Marvel paired the Avengers with the X-Men more than ever before, though these meetings were rarely “team-ups.” Despite being the two premier superhero teams in Marvel Comics, the Avengers and X-Men were at each other’s throats, with Avengers vs. X-Men being the primary example.
The emergence of the Phoenix Force caused much conflict between the two teams. While some alliances existed in books like AXIS and A+X, heroes and villains were forced to choose a side in an Avengers era fairly reminiscent of the Civil War period.
West Coast Avengers
Notable Comics:
“Armor Wars” “Lost in Space-Time” “Vision Quest”
The First 10 Marvel Villains to Defeat The Fantastic Four (in Chronological Order)
Some of the Fantastic Four’s earliest villains, like Mole Man and Doctor Doom, were also some of the First Family’s first foes to ever defeat them.
In the 1980s, both Marvel and DC experimented with offshoots of their most successful franchises. While the Justice League was the premier DC Comics team, superhero groups like Justice League International formed, using B-list heroes like Guy Gardner, Blue Beetle, and Booster Gold. Marvel similarly created an Avengers offshoot team, the West Coast Avengers.
While Captain America and Thor remained on the main Avengers team, the West Coast Avengers starred B-list characters like War Machine, Hawkeye, Wonder Man, Tigra, and Vision. The West Coast Avengers was one of the earliest successful alternate Avengers titles, allowing Marvel to tell even more Avengers stories.
5 Marvel’s Villains Became The Dark Avengers
Dark Reign
Notable Comics:
Avengers: The Initiative Dark Avengers Siege
Dark Reign lived up to its name as one of the darkest periods in Avengers history. After many events divided the original Avengers, Norman Osborn and Marvel’s villains, like Loki, Emma Frost, and Doctor Doom, seized their opportunity to take control of the Marvel Universe away from its heroes.
As Iron Patriot, Osborn led a team of Dark Avengers (villains posing as heroes). This era placed the heroes as the underdogs, and watching them climb out of the hole they dug for themselves was truly enjoyable. The Dark Reign event culminated in Siege, one of the most epic Marvel events, and a titanic clash between the Avengers and Dark Avengers, with Asgard caught in the middle.
4 Spider-Man, Luke Cage & More Joined The Avengers
New Avengers
Notable Comics:
New Avengers Mighty Avengers Young Avengers
The Avengers’ Greatest Victories In The Past 5 Years
The past five years have been some of the most trying times that the Avengers have ever faced, and a handful of battles prove it.
The New Avengers roster varies depending on the comic volume. However, Wolverine, Luke Cage, Ms. Marvel, Spider-Woman and Spider-Man are frequent members, instantly creating a unique voice for this Avengers team. The New Avengers were the face of the “Heroic Age” era of Marvel Comics, which occurred during the Dark Reign era after Civil War and Secret Invasion.
While Norman Osborn and the Dark Avengers reigned over the Marvel Universe as villains, the New Avengers and Mighty Avengers were the small spark of light left over. Seeing such a varied, diverse group of Avengers pulled from both the cosmos and the streets of New York brought a breath of fresh air to the franchise.
The Ultimates
Notable Comics:
“Super Human” The Ultimates 2 The Ultimates 3
The Ultimate Universe was one of the most successful relaunches in comic book history, mostly because Marvel’s original 616 Earth was still intact during this era. The Ultimates were a modern, more brutal version of the Avengers intended for 21st-century readers. While many of the ideas for the Ultimates looked good on paper, they were executed in strange, often unsettling ways.
Character deaths were shocking for added shock value, and many readers weren’t happy with how certain characters were portrayed. Regardless, the Ultimate Universe is iconic, and the original Ultimates run breathed new life into Marvel Comics, so much so that the Ultimates have returned in a brand-new Ultimate Universe.
2 Jonathan Hickman Expanded the Team During His Avengers Saga
All-New Marvel NOW!
Notable Comics:
Uncanny Avengers Infinity “Time Runs Out”
10 Best Avengers Time Travel Comics
The Avengers have faced Kang the Conqueror and other powerful villains for the fate of the universe’s timeline in several time-spanning adventures.
During the Marvel NOW! era, Jonathan Hickman, presently known for his incredible X-Men reboot in House/Powers of X, created a soft relaunch for Avengers books. The Avengers were again divided into smaller groups, including the Illuminati with Namor, Iron Man, Professor Xavier and more.
This Avengers saga was epic and could have served as an even greater cinematic saga than what fans saw in the MCU. The entire run culminated in two epic comic events: Infinity, which saw the return of Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet, and “Time Runs Out,” which served as a prelude to the 2015 Secret Wars event that merged the Ultimate Universe and Earth-616.
1 The Avengers Weathered Civil Wars & Secret Invasions
Avengers: Disassembled
Notable Comics:
Civil War “Avengers: Disassembled” Secret Invasion
The greatest Avengers comic book era saw the Avengers almost entirely divided. Following the superhuman civil war, Iron Man and Captain America created their own Avengers teams. This divide would have massive effects on the Marvel Universe. The Avengers were disassembled for years during the Secret Invasion and House of M eras.
This Avengers era was only possible thanks to the decades of continuity and established relationships. The Iron Man/Captain America feud was heightened due to how well the two heroes worked together in the past. Norman Osborn taking over S.H.I.E.L.D. was just the final nail in the coffin. Thanks to Civil War and Secret Invasion, this Avengers era spawned some of the most iconic moments in Marvel Comics.
The Avengers
Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, Marvel’s Avengers first appeared in 1963. While Marvel Comics premier superhero team has boasted a rotating cast of heroes, and even spinoff franchises like the West Coast Avengers, heroes like The Hulk, Iron Man, Captain America, The Wasp, and Thor are mainstays of this potent franchise that has helped defined Marvel Comics and the MCU.
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