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The Avengers have saved the world more times than fans can count. Earth’s Mightiest Heroes have come together on many occasions to face what no ordinary person can face, and the world is better off for it. The people of Earth (and several other planets) owe the Avengers a huge debt of gratitude. However, that isn’t always what these heroes receiv.
Despite having the seemingly-impossible task of defending the Earth from constant threats, the Avengers also have to deal with the harsh realities that come with their Avengers membership card. They endure specific kinds of struggles that only true Avengers-sympathizers will understand, along with some inconvenient truths that come from saving the Marvel Universe.
10 Spidey Can’t Get Paid
Spider-Man only officially joined Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in the 2000s, becoming a member of Brian Michael Bendis’ “New Avengers.” Since then, he’s been included in a variety of Avengers lineups and retained a friendly rapport with the team. However, as a member of the Avengers, Spider-Man learned the hard way that the infamous “Parker’s Luck” also applies to the world’s premier super-team.
Since the Avengers are government-funded, members of the team receive a proper paycheque from the federal government. However, since Spider-Man is one of the few members of the team who’s retained his secret identity, if he wants to get paid, he has to unmask himself. As he won’t do that, he has to serve on the team as a volunteer and stay broke.
9 Government Involvement
The Avengers are government-funded. Consequently, there have been several issues with federal bureaus getting involved in Avengers business. As seen in the MCU’s Civil War and Earth-1610’s version of the Avengers The Ultimates, government involvement in superhero business gets sticky.
While saving the world is one thing, government agencies telling heroes where to go and who to save becomes politically charged. And with larger-than-life federal agencies calling the shots, enemies and villains have found infiltrating and corrupting these agencies easy – as seen with S.H.I.E.L.D, H.A.M.M.E.R, and S.W.O.R.D. Maybe the government doesn’t have a place in superhero business after all?
8 Public Scrutiny
As the world’s premier super-team, the Avengers are constantly in the public eye. As a result, many of the team have been scrutinized by the people they’ve sworn to protect and serve. Everyone has their own opinion on whether or not the Avengers are doing as much as they can. After all, it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture when the Avengers spend an entire day tearing apart a city while fighting off bad guys.
This often leads to the Avengers being targetted by the general public, including protests, petitions for certain Avengers to step down, and sometimes the whole team itself to be disbanded. While it’s an impossibly difficult situation to rationalize with regular civilians, it makes it difficult for the Avengers to keep doing their jobs – especially if they start to feel like the public doesn’t trust them or believe in what they’re doing.
7 Celebrity Status
The issue with public exposure of the Avengers is their celebrity. Even if there are petitions against them or people calling for their resignation, the Avengers are mega-celebrities. With posters, billboards, and talk show appearances, the Avengers are superheroes who’ve saved the world time and time again.
Many members of the team, such as Wonder Man, Captain Marvel, and the Wasp, have used their leverage on the team to become huge celebrities in their own right, which has opened doors for them in other industries. The world of fashion and Hollywood has been known to embrace the Avengers, which also makes the heroes tabloid stars, with their every move being watched by paparazzi, and making spectacles out of their often-changing personal lives.
6 Death
As can be expected, death is a common factor in the life of a superhero. With all the world-ending conflicts the Avengers face on a regular basis, many have fallen in battle. The backyard of the Avengers Mansion is full of giant stone statues dedicated to the leagues of fallen Avengers – a touching tribute and memorial to the famous phrase, “Once an Avenger, always an Avenger”.
However, the ghosts of these past Avengers will hang heavy on the collective consciousness of the team. Having seen so many friends come and go, the fear of not knowing who could be next, and the bravery of charging head-first into battle, the acceptance of the role shows the noble character of any and all Avengers.
5 World Ending Conflicts
Between alien invasions, time-traveling conquerors, and the inevitable fellow-superhero-scuffle, the Avengers constantly find themselves on the battlefield. It seems a week can’t go by without them being needed in one crisis or another.
With the constant pressure of the Avengers, many members step down from the team for fear of not being able to cope. Ant-Man and the Wasp, like many others, have been known to take the occasional hiatus from the team to properly recuperate from their Avenging expectations. But despite this option being available, many still take on the role full-time. This raises the question: do the Avengers have an on-call psychotherapist?
4 Insane Team-Mates
The Avengers have such a large and diverse roster that their membership has varied considerably to include humans, gods, and aliens. With such a massive roster of Avengers, it’s obvious that the team will have one or two loose ends among their ranks.
Despite their services and heroics as members of the Avengers, a number have fallen off the wagon and lost the plot, forcing the Avengers to fight some of their own team-mates. Between the likes of the Hulk, Scarlet Witch, Wonder Man, and The Sentry, the team has its fair share of heroes-turned-hazards, which raises questions about the team’s recruitment process.
3 No time To Do Anything Else
It must be difficult to have any semblance of a personal life while being a crime-fighter, and it’s hard to imagine the Avengers having time for regular activities. Between training, public events, and actual superhero endeavors, how could anyone on the Avengers be expected to do a mundane event such as buying groceries or furnishing an apartment?
While the Avengers have the skills of their butler, Edwin Jarvis at their disposal, Jarvis isn’t capable of handling the whole team’s personal business. Realistically, the Avengers need to invest in personal secretaries and assistants, but their lack thereof raises serious questions about their basic necessities. For example, where do they live? Do they have apartments or know how to live on their own?
2 Having To Deal With Iron Man And Captain America’s Beef
Iron Man and Captain America have been the backbone of the Avengers for years. A World War II icon and a man out of time, Captain America wears the American flag on his chest as a symbol for all that is truthful and righteous. On the contrary, a futurist and a genius billionaire, Iron Man represents the possibilities of tomorrow, and the individualist need to wander into the unknown despite what anyone tells you.
These two men share a deep respect and brotherhood. However, their differences have put them at opposite ends on numerous occasions. While their differences are often resolved amicably, they’ve also led to giant conflicts with massive ramifications on the superhero community. This puts the other Avengers in the crossfire and forces them to choose a side, as seen in the Civil War event or Time Runs Out.
1 Hawkeye Is Always There
Clint Barton has been an integral member of the Avengers since he first joined as a member of “Cap’s Kooky Quartet” in the ’60s. As one of the few members of the team who doesn’t possess any superpowers, Hawkeye had to stake his claim next to the likes of thunder gods, armored geniuses, and gamma-monsters. Yet, he’s done just that. And while his continued membership on the team is a testament to his skills and determination, Hawkeye’s tenure has caused conflicts when it comes to “personal engagements.” The Avenging Archer has a long list of ex-girlfriends that overlap with the membership roster of the team, making for awkward team meetings and missions.
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