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The Avengers are Marvel’s premiere super team. While they haven’t always been the publisher’s top-selling book, especially in the last thirty years, they hold a special place in the history of the Marvel Universe that few other books can match. While the idea of the Avengers was basically just the Justice League but with Marvel characters, creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created something that allowed writers and artists to tell intriguing stories for decades.
Over the years, Avengers books have been very important to the Marvel Universe. In fact, many famous firsts came about because of the team, and they have changed the Marvel Universe in many ways over the years.
10 New Avengers Made Brian Michael Bendis A True Superstar And The Architect Of Marvel’s Line For Several Years
New Avengers was Marvel’s attempt to get eyes on the team again after years of not exactly being the biggest book at Marvel. Writer Brian Michael Bendis, who had been building his career at Marvel on books like Ultimate Spider-Man, Daredevil, and Alias, got the call up to the big leagues with this book. He was given the keys to the Marvel Universe, and he used them.
Bendis was a rising star before New Avengers, but he became a superstar because of the book. For years, Bendis was the architect of Marvel’s entire line, using New Avengers to build the event books that would set the publishing initiatives for the entire Marvel Universe.
9 The Introduction Of Cap’s Kooky Quartet In Avengers #16 (1963) Was The First Time Villains Switched Sides
Nowadays, villains becoming heroes is pretty commonplace. However, there was a time in comics that such things were completely unheard of, but Avengers #16 changed all of that. The remaining Avengers founders, Iron Man, Thor, Ant-Man, and Wasp, all quit the team, leaving Captain America to build a new group. His choices were revolutionary, to say the least.
Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, and Hawkeye were all villains before they joined the Avengers. The Maximoff twins were former members of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and Hawkeye formerly battled Iron Man. This group would open up the floodgates, as villains ended up joining superhero teams for all varieties of reasons over the years.
8 By Taking The Rein From Fantastic Four, It Changed The Way Readers Perceived The Marvel Universe
There was a time when Fantastic Four was Marvel’s biggest comic, with the tagline “World’s Greatest Comic Magazine” emblazoned on every cover. The team’s sci-fi stories and American exceptionalism narrative spoke to readers. However, as time went on, and especially after Lee and Kirby ended their run on the book, its star faded.
The Avengers took its place, becoming the premiere Marvel book. Its superhero shenanigans would replace the big sci-fi of Fantastic Four, and the Marvel Universe shifted with it. While the sci-fi theme was always there, it was dealt with in a different way, and big action became the name of the game for Marvel.
7 “Under Siege” Was The First Time A Marvel Team Had Been So Thoroughly Brutalized
Villains getting wins over the superheroes is no surprise, but it was usually simple. Some heroes would get captured, and the rest would ride in and save the day, rinse and repeat. “Under Siege” changed all that. Taking place in The Avengers #270-277, by writer Roger Stern and artist John Buscema, the story had the Masters of Evil thoroughly defeat Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in a way no other Marvel team had been defeated before.
It was a huge deal, and it remains one of the Avengers’ must-read stories. It would change the way writers wrote team book stories in the Marvel Universe forever and made a star of Baron Zemo.
6 “The Kree/Skrull War” Was Marvel’s First Big Cosmic Story
While Fantastic Four had been telling sci-fi stories for pretty much its entire run, most of its stories were short one or two issues tales. “The Kree/Skrull War” took another approach and became Marvel’s first big cosmic story. Running through The Avengers #89-97 by writer Roy Thomas and artists Neal Adam, Sal Buscema, and John Buscema, it put Marvel’s greatest heroes in the middle of a cosmic war of epic proportions.
“The Kree/Skrull War” changed Marvel forever. Big multiple issue arcs with huge stakes would become the norm, and the Marvel Universe’s cosmic side would get bigger and bigger. “The Kree/Skrull War” is in the pantheon of Marvel greats and is a story every Avengers fan should read.
5 The Book Created Some Of Marvel’s Greatest Villains
When one puts together a team consisting of all the biggest heroes, they need threats that match them. Over the years, creators have hatched some of the most dangerous villains for the team and those villains have proven to be some of the most iconic in Marvel history.
Villains like Kang and Ultron became huge villainous exemplars in the Marvel Universe, and they’re only the beginning. The Avengers has always called for special threats, and those enemies have spilled over into the rest of the Marvel Universe, spreading havoc and challenging every hero they battle.
4 Bringing Wolverine And Spider-Man On The Team Changed The Way Everyone Looked At The Avengers
The Avengers was always where Marvel’s biggest heroes were showcased, but there were two notably glaring exceptions: Wolverine and Spider-Man. The two were easily Marvel’s most popular characters and eclipsed even the Avengers’ big three of Cap, Iron Man, and Thor in popularity. Putting them on the New Avengers was a big moment that changed the Marvel Universe in many ways.
While Spider-Man wasn’t a stretch for the team, Wolverine was, but he ended up fitting in better than anyone expected. Bringing the two onto the team opened up the floodgates for other characters no one thought would ever join the Avengers.
3 They Made Scarlet Witch Into A Huge Factor In The Marvel Universe
There are few Marvel heroes out there like the Scarlet Witch. While one can look at many aspects of the character’s life as an example of why male comic writers use the “hysteric woman” trope way too much, there’s no denying the massive effect she’s had on the Marvel Universe. Her biggest impact came in the 2000s when she basically destroyed the mutant race.
Scarlet Witch’s star only rose so high because of her years as one of the biggest characters in Avengers history. Many of their most well-loved stories have revolved around her, and she’s become a much bigger character than anyone could imagine.
2 The Avengers #4 (1963) Brought Captain America Back To The Marvel Universe
Captain America’s return to the Marvel Universe was a substantial change. He became the leader that everyone looked up to and one of Marvel’s top heroes again. He made a massive mark on Marvel, and while he isn’t the sales leader, he’s still the biggest icon.
1 It Changed The Way Marvel Approached Superhero Teams For Years To Come
The Avengers wasn’t a revolutionary idea in theory; it was literally just the Marvel Justice League. However, the success of the Avengers, a team that combined Marvel’s biggest heroes, changed the way the publisher approached teams. Instead of joining related groups like the X-Men and the Avengers, groups of heroes like the Champions and the Defenders would come together.
Marvel realized that putting its biggest characters together in one book definitely drove sales, so they tried it multiple times. This change in the way the publisher made team books lasted for years and is responsible for some great stories and comics.
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