1st Appearance | Origin Story | Main Publication History | Secondary Publication History | Key Storylines | Media Source Material | Key Issues | Compilations
by snowbi-wan, updated Jan 2020
The Avengers are Marvel's team of superheroes, banded together to tackle large-scale threats that would overpower an individual A-List hero. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1963 from pre-existing Marvel characters, the Avengers have since enjoyed a continuous and vast comic book publishing history. The original Avengers team consisted of Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Ant-Man and Wasp with Captain America joining in issue #4 after they thawed him from the ice for his Silver Age introduction. While there has been a small core of important primary team members, one of the defining characteristics of the Avengers is its rotating roster of all manner of super-powered beings. Members join, leave and return--a precedent set by the Hulk who left the team as soon as issue #2. A scathing fan-based controversy of the time, AVENGERS [1963] #16 contains the Avengers' first line-up change, which was a wholesale roster change where only Captain America remained, joined by some former criminals...Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and Scarlet Witch. They were unceremoniously self-dubbed 'Cap's Kooky Quartet.' There have been many, many line-up changes since.
Another defining characteristic of team-based books is the drama of interpersonal relationships. The Avengers have seen their share of romance and strife. With such a conglomeration of powerful heroes, leadership of the Avengers over the years has been tricky. The Avengers employed a rotating chairmanship during meetings and to make administrative decisions, but Captain America was typically the field leader during operations. Tony Stark donated his three-story townhouse to the team, which became the Avengers Mansion with significant technological improvements and its resident butler, Edwin Jarvis. Stark has also provided high-tech weaponry and equipment for the team over the years. In the early days, the Avengers operated with approval from the National Security Council of the United States, as well as the General Assembly of the United Nations. The team's government approval status has also changed over the years, most radically during 2006's CIVIL WAR storyline. Given the comic book Multi-verse, there have been and are other versions of the Avengers. In the Ultimate Universe, the Avengers are called the Ultimates and have enjoyed success via their modern re-interpretation of the team for contemporary audiences.
Both AVENGERS [1963] #1 and X-MEN [1963] #1 debuted the same month. While the Avengers are enjoying a surge in popularity now, they have historically only been an average seller in the shadow of Marvel's more prosperous X-Men franchise. In the modern era, writers such as Kurt Busiek, Mark Millar, and Brian Michael Bendis would propel the Avengers to a more consistent best-seller status. And Marvel would migrate to centering many of its publishing-wide story events around the team with nearly everyone being or having been an Avenger at one time. The relative popularity of the Avengers and the flexibility of its rosters has allowed them to carry multiple monthly titles at times with different teams. Recently, the Avengers have become even more in vogue, as they are the core of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie franchise. The film version of the team owes much to the modernized, Ultimates comic book version.
1st Appearance
The first appearance of a character in comic book form is often the most valuable issue featuring that character. It's a nice place to get started in Avengers, if it's within your budget. The Avengers were formed from the pre-existing characters of Ant-Man, Hulk, Thor, Iron Man and Wasp. Captain America joined in issue #4 after the team thawed him from the ice for his Silver Age introduction. Issue #16 established the precedent of a rotating roster for the team with a wholesale line-up change, except for Captain America.
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- AVENGERS [1963] #1 (1st appearance/origin of the Avengers)
Origin Story
The original presentation of an origin story or a retelling/recounting of it can be a good place to get started with a character or subject. The Avengers have a simple origin story that has withstood the test of time, as the rotating roster obviates the need for an update to the original story of the team coming together for the first time because each new team line-up is, in fact, writing their own unique origin story. Regardless, a few attemps have been made to update the original team's origin for modern audiences. The first line-up change in issue #16 established the precedent of a rotating roster. This even has also been revisited with a modernization.
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- AVENGERS [1963] #1 (1st appearance/origin of the Avengers)
- AVENGERS [1963] #300 (Ralph Macchio and Walt Simonson recount the origin of the Avengers from Loki's perspective in a 7-page back-up story)
- AVENGERS ANNUAL [1967] #20 (contains brief, 1-page origin summary)
- AVENGERS LOG [1994] #1 (3-page history of the Avengers and individual biographies of all Avengers from the Silver Age to the (then) present)
- AVENGERS FOREVER [1998] #1-12 (Busiek's time travel/manipulation shenanigans induce potential origin alterations)
- AVENGERS: EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES [2005] #1-8 (Joe Casey reveals previously untold secrets surrounding the formation of the Avengers)
- AVENGERS CLASSIC [2007] #1-12 (reprints AVENGERS [1963] #1-12 with new stories from that era)
- AVENGERS: THE ORIGIN [2010] #1-5 (Joe Casey reveals previously untold details of the historic first meeting of the original Avengers)
- AVENGERS [2010] #1-12 (contains serialized 8-page bonus feature AVENGERS ASSEMBLE: THE ORAL HISTORY OF EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES, text articles by Brian Michael Bendis usually with 2 illustrations; chapters alternate with issues of NEW AVENGERS [2010] #1-11)
- NEW AVENGERS [2010] #1-11 (contains serialized 8-page bonus feature AVENGERS ASSEMBLE: THE ORAL HISTORY OF EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES, text articles by Brian Michael Bendis usually with 2 illustrations; chapters alternate with issues of AVENGERS [2010] #1-12)
- AVENGERS ASSEMBLE: AN ORAL HISTORY OF EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES [2012-TPB] (trade paperback compiling the serialized bonus feature from AVENGERS [2010] #1-12 and NEW AVENGERS [2010] #1-11)
- AVENGERS: SEASON ONE [2013-HC] (origin re-interpreted by Peter David, modernizing the formative first days of the Avengers)
- AVENGERS [2017A] #1.1-5.1 (a mini-series within a series of 'point one' issues with Mark Waid's re-telling of the Avengers' first historic line-up change from AVENGERS [1963] #16)
Main Publication History
Series beginnings are always great places to get started in comic books. Here is the Main Publication History for Avengers comic books. There have been many Avengers teams in serveral Marvel continuities, and a comprehensive list of every Avengers series ever would be too extensive to provide much value except to completionists. It's difficult to grasp the extent of the Avengers' vast publishing history. The following list is limited to the primary ongoing series (and their associated annual issues) of the main Avengers team of the main Marvel Universe. See the Secondary Publication history for more ongoing series of other spin-off/secondary Avengers teams.
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- AVENGERS [1963] #1-402 Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS ANNUAL [1967] #1-23 Find issues on MCS
- GIANT-SIZE AVENGERS [1974] #1-5 Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS [1996] #1-13 (Heroes Reborn Universe) Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS [1998] #1-17, 0, 18-21, 1 1/2, 22-84 (relaunch initially from Busiek and Perez) Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS/SQUADRON SUPREME '98 [1998] (annual issue) Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS 1999 [1999] (annual issue) Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS 2000 [2000] (annual issue) Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS 2001 [2001] (annual issue) Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS [2004] #500-503 (return to legacy numbering) Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS FINALE [2005] #1 Find issues on MCS
- NEW AVENGERS [2005] #1-64 (relaunch with the unsanctioned heroes who consider themselves the 'true' Avengers, as opposed to the officially-licensed Mighty Avengers team) Find issues on MCS
- NEW AVENGERS ANNUAL [2006] #1-3 Find issues on MCS
- MIGHTY AVENGERS [2007] #1-36 (team of officially licensed and registered superheroes led (at first) by Iron Man and based in New York City) Find issues on MCS
- NEW AVENGERS FINALE [2010] #1 Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS [2010] #1-34 (Heroic Age relaunch initially from Bendis and Romita Jr.) Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS ANNUAL [2012] #1 Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS [2013] #1-44 (Marvel NOW! relaunch initially from Hickman and Opena) Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS ANNUAL [2014] #1 Find issues on MCS
- ALL-NEW, ALL-DIFFERENT AVENGERS [2016] #1-15 (All-New, All-Different (ANAD) relaunch initially from Waid and Kubert) Find issues on MCS
- ALL-NEW, ALL-DIFFERENT AVENGERS ANNUAL [2016] #1 Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS [2017A] #1-5, 1.MU, 1.1-5.1, 6-11 (Marvel NOW! 2.0 relaunch from Waid) Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS [2017B] #672-690 (Marvel Legacy relaunch with return to legacy numbering) Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS [2018] #1-66 (Fresh Start relaunch initially from Jason Aaron) Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS: BACK TO BASICS [2018-SC] (original material published in softcover format) Find issues on MCS
Secondary Publication History
If you've already enjoyed some of the series listed in the Main Publication History above, series from this secondary publication list are very good places to further your exploration. Where the list in the Main Publication History concentrates on the primary ongoing series of the main Avengers team of the main Marvel Universe, the following list details more ongoing series of other spin-off/secondary Avengers teams. The Avengers first spun off with their West Coast franchise, the WEST COAST AVENGERS. And the trend blossomed from there. The lengthy list give some clue to the Avengers' vast publishing history, but this list is just teams and doesn't incorporate the countless series starring individual Avengers.
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- WEST COAST AVENGERS [1984] #1-4 (the West Coast franchise initially led by Hawkeye) Find issues on MCS
- WEST COAST AVENGERS [1985] #1-46 (continuation of the mini-series) Find issues on MCS
- WEST COAST AVENGERS ANNUAL [1986] #1-3 Find issues on MCS
- SOLO AVENGERS [1987] #1-20 Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS WEST COAST [1989] #47-102 (continuation of WEST COAST AVENGERS [1985]) Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS SPOTLIGHT [1989] #21-40 (continuation of SOLO AVENGERS [1987]) Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS WEST COAST ANNUAL [1990] #5-8 (continuation of WEST COAST AVENGERS ANNUAL [1986]) Find issues on MCS
- FORCE WORKS [1994] #1-22 (Tony Stark forms his own California-based team after the West Coast Avengers disband) Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS UNPLUGGED [1995] #1-6 (bargain-priced, short-lived series of over-the-top Avengers stories) Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS UNITED THEY STAND [1999] #1-7 (Fox animated television series tie-in) Find issues on MCS
- ULTIMATES [2002] #1-13 (Ultimate Universe version of the Avengers from Millar and Hitch) Find issues on MCS
- YOUNG AVENGERS [2005] #1-12 (team of adolescent, unknown characters with ties to established, veteran Avengers) Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS: EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES [2005] #1-8 (retells origin) Find issues on MCS
- ULTIMATES [2005] #1-13 (relaunch) Find issues on MCS
- YOUNG AVENGERS SPECIAL [2006] #1 Find issues on MCS
- MARVEL ADVENTURES THE AVENGERS [2006] #1-39 (all-ages series) Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE [2007] #1-35 (pro-registration recruits for the S.H.I.E.L.D.-overseen state-sponsored superhero teams) Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE ANNUAL [2008] #1 Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS: EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES II [2007] #1-8 (retells the time period when the Vision joined the Avengers) Find issues on MCS
- ULTIMATES [2008] #1-5 (relaunch) Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE SPECIAL [2009] #1 Find issues on MCS
- DARK AVENGERS [2009] #1-16 (team of supervillains disguised as superheroes during the publishing wide DARK REIGN event) Find issues on MCS
- DARK AVENGERS ANNUAL [2010] #1 Find issues on MCS
- SECRET AVENGERS [2010] #1-37 (Captain Steve Rogers' black-ops Avengers team) Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS ACADEMY [2010] #1-40 (young super-powered prospects in training) Find issues on MCS
- NEW AVENGERS [2010] #1-34 (relaunch) Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS PRIME [2010] #1-5 Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS: EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES [2011] #1-4 (Disney animated television series tie-in) Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS ACADEMY GIANT-SIZE [2011] #1 Find issues on MCS
- NEW AVENGERS ANNUAL [2011] #1 Find issues on MCS
- ULTIMATES [2011] #1-30 (relaunch) Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS VS. X-MEN [2012] #0-12 (rotating roster of writers present cool clashes between Avengers and X-Men) Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS ASSEMBLE [2012] #1-25 (Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)-inspired roster in the Marvel Universe proper) Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS: EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES [2012] #1-17 (all-ages series) Find issues on MCS
- UNCANNY AVENGERS [2012] #1-25 (team comprised of Avengers and X-Men following the AVENGERS VS. X-MEN event) Find issues on MCS
- A+X [2012] #1-18 (Avengers and X-Men team-up stories) Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS ARENA [2013] #1-18 (young heroes pitted against one another in a contrived 'Hunger Games'-like show) Find issues on MCS
- YOUNG AVENGERS [2013] #1-15 (realaunch) Find issues on MCS
- NEW AVENGERS [2013] #1-33 (features the Illuminati (Black Bolt, Captain America, Doctor Strange, Iron Man, Mister Fantastic, Namor)) Find issues on MCS
- SECRET AVENGERS [2013] #1-16 (relaunch) Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS A.I. [2013] #1-12 (team formed after the AGE OF ULTRON story event) Find issues on MCS
- MIGHTY AVENGERS [2013] #1-14 (team assembled during the INFINITY story event) Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS WORLD [2014] #1-21 (Avengers as global superheroes) Find issues on MCS
- UNCANNY AVENGERS ANNUAL [2014] #1 Find issues on MCS
- SECRET AVENGERS [2014] #1-15 (relaunch) Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS UNDERCOVER [2014] #1-10 (sequel to AVENGERS ARENA [2013]) Find issues on MCS
- NEW AVENGERS ANNUAL [2014] #1 Find issues on MCS
- CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE MIGHTY AVENGERS [2015] #1-9 (Captain America (Sam Wilson) led team) Find issues on MCS
- UNCANNY AVENGERS [2015A] #1-5 (relaunch) Find issues on MCS
- A-FORCE [2015] #1-5 (Marvel's first all-female Avengers team) Find issues on MCS
- UNCANNY AVENGERS [2015B] #1-30 (relaunch) Find issues on MCS
- NEW AVENGERS [2015] #1-18 (the super-villain group, A.I.M., rebranded as 'Avengers' Idea Mechanics) Find issues on MCS
- UNCANNY AVENGERS ANNUAL [2016] #1 Find issues on MCS
- A-FORCE [2016] #1-10 (relaunch) Find issues on MCS
- ULTIMATES [2016] #1-12 (relaunch) Find issues on MCS
- OCCUPY AVENGERS [2017] #1-9 (Hawkeye leads a small team on social justice missions) Find issues on MCS
- GREAT LAKES AVENGERS [2016] #1-7 (a real--but mostly comedic spoof--team) Find issues on MCS
- ULTIMATES [2017] #1-9 (relaunch) Find issues on MCS
- US AVENGERS [2017] #1-12 (American-themed team of Avengers) Find issues on MCS
- ULTIMATES [2017B] #100 (final issue with legacy numbering) Find issues on MCS
- WEST COAST AVENGERS [2018] #1-10 (revival of a Hawkeye-led team) Find issues on MCS
- WAKANDA FOREVER: AVENGERS [2018] #1 (third of three interconnected one-shots featuring team-ups with the characters from Black Panther) Find issues on MCS
- MARVEL'S AVENGERS: ENDGAME PRELUDE [2019] #1-3 (official adaptation of AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR film) Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS HALLOWEEN SPECIAL [2018] #1 Find issues on MCS
- MARVEL ACTION: AVENGERS [2018] #1-12 (IDW all-ages series of original material; 1st series) Find issues on MCS
- AVENGERS: NO ROAD HOME [2019] #1-10 (spin-off sequel to the NO SURRENDER story arc) Find issues on MCS
- MARVEL ACTION: AVENGERS [2020] #1-3 (IDW all-ages series of original material; 2nd series) Find issues on MCS
Selected Key Storylines
This section contains a curated list of some of the best storylines for the Avengers, any one of which can be a good place to get started. The Avengers has restarted its flagship series several times. The start of each new series tends to start off strong, so many of the first story arcs are worth checking out, even if you don't want to stick with a particular, whole series. The classic story arcs are historically important, but, like all Silver Age gems, may lack a comparatively modern feel.
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| 1971 | AVENGERS [1963] #89-97 (THE KREE/SKRULL WAR, one of the finest and most important sagas in Marvel history is arguably the forerunner to all comic book epic sagas) |
| 1973 | AVENGERS [1963] #115-118 and DEFENDERS [1972] #8-11 (AVENGERS/DEFENDERS WAR, some now-classic good-guy-versus-good-guy brawls) |
| 1978 | AVENGERS [1963] #167-168, 170-171 (THE KORVAC SAGA, the Avengers prevent one of their most powerful foes from destroying the Universe) |
| 1986 | AVENGERS [1963] #270-277 (UNDER SIEGE, the Masters of Evil at their most evil) |
| 1998 | AVENGERS FOREVER [1998] #1-12 (Kurt Busiek's franchise-spanning galactic romp cleans up continuity, pays tribute to history, and still manages to showcase compelling characters) |
| 1999 | AVENGERS [1998] #19-23 (ULTRON UNLIMITED, Busiek's Ultron arc is probably the finest Ultron storyline) |
| 2001 | AVENGERS [1998] #41-55 (THE KANG DYNASTY, Busiek's best arc starring the time-travelling warlord conqueror) |
| 2002 | ULTIMATES [2002] #1-11 (Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch's definitive, modern revamp of the Avengers for the Ulitmate Universe could be the prime inspiration for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) version) |
| 2003 | AVENGERS [1998] #65-70 (RED ZONE, Geoff Johns' (before he was exclusive to DC) climactic Avengers arc) |
| 2003 | JLA/AVENGERS [2003] #1-4 (Busiek and Perez craft the team-up of the century nobody expected was ever going to happen) |
| 2005 | NEW AVENGERS [2005] #1-6 (BREAKOUT, Bendis' fresh revitalization of the Avengers) |
| 2005 | AVENGERS: EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES [2005] #1-8 (Joe Casey's retelling of the early days of the Avengers with a more modern, dramatic flavor) |
| 2005 | ULTIMATES [2005] #1-13 (Millar and Hitch's impressive follow-up to the first Ultimates series) |
| 2006 | CIVIL WAR [2006] #1-6 (one of the most important mini-series of the modern era from Mark Millar and Steve McNiven) |
| 2007 | MIGHTY AVENGERS [2007] #1-6 (THE ULTRON INITIATIVE, Bendis and Frank Cho launch a strong, new--but, unfortunately, short-lived--team) |
| 2008 | SECRET INVASION [2008] #1-8 (Skrulls are everywhere in another in a string of Marvel's status-quo shattering, publishing-wide events) |
| 2010 | AVENGERS [2010] #1-6 (NEXT AVENGERS, a strong, new start with bold team) |
| 2012 | AVENGERS VS. X-MEN [2012] #0-12 (rotating roster of writers present cool clashes between Avengers and X-Men) |
| 2013 | AVENGERS [2013] #1-3 (AVENGERS WORLD, Hickman's massive team line-up is enhanced by Jerome Opena's art) |
| 2018 | MARVEL'S AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR PRELUDE [2018] #1-2 (official prelude to the MCU movie, AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR) |
Key Issues
A key issue can be an acceptable place to get started with Avengers, but they are more of a collector's checklist, as they can carry high price tags. The Avengers were formed from the pre-existing characters of Ant-Man, Hulk, Thor, Iron Man and Wasp. Captain America joined in issue #4 after the team thawed him from the ice. The following list includes the first appearances of the foundational members from before the Avengers formed and several of the follow-on members. The list would escalate out of control quickly, however, if it tried to include the first appearance of everyone who had ever been an Avenger.
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- TALES TO ASTONISH [1959] #27 (1st appearance of Ant-Man (Hank Pym))
- INCREDIBLE HULK [1962] #1 (1st appearance of Hulk (Bruce Banner))
- JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY [1952] #83 (1st appearance of Thor)
- TALES OF SUSPENSE [1959] #39 (1st appearance of Iron Man)
- TALES TO ASTONISH [1959] #44 (1st appearance of Wasp (Janet van Dyne))
- AVENGERS [1963] #1 (1st appearance/origin of the Avengers)
- AVENGERS [1963] #2 (1st appearance of Avengers Mansion)
- X-MEN [1963] #4 (1st appearances of Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch)
- AVENGERS [1963] #4 (1st appearance of Captain America (Steve Rogers) (in the Silver Age))
- TALES OF SUSPENSE [1959] #52 (1st appearance of Black Widow (Natasha Romanova)
- AVENGERS [1963] #6 (1st appearances of Baron Zemo (Heinrich Zemo), Masters of Evil)
- TALES OF SUSPENSE [1959] #57 (1st appearance of Hawkeye (Clint Barton))
- AVENGERS [1963] #8 (1st appearance of Kang)
- TALES OF SUSPENSE [1959] #59 (1st appearance of Edwin Jarvis)
- AVENGERS [1963] #16 (1st Avengers line-up change)
- JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY ANNUAL [1965] #1 (1st appearance of Hercules)
- AVENGERS [1963] #19 (1st appearance/origin of Swordsman; origin of Hawkeye)
- AVENGERS [1963] #28 (1st appearance of the Collector)
- FANTASTIC FOUR [1961] #52 (1st appearance of Black Panther)
- AVENGERS [1963] #48 (1st full appearance/origin the Black Knight (Dane Whitman))
- AVENGERS [1963] #54 (1st cameo appearance of Ultron)
- AVENGERS [1963] #55 (1st full appearance of Ultron)
- AVENGERS [1963] #57 (1st appearance of Vision (in the Silver Age); death of Ultron)
- AVENGERS [1963] #59 (1st appearance of Yellowjacket (Hank Pym))
- AVENGERS [1963] #71 (1st appearance of the Invaders)
- AVENGERS [1963] #83 (1st appearance of the Lady Liberators)
- AVENGERS [1963] #87 (origin of Black Panther)
- AVENGERS [1963] #100 (cover features everyone who was ever an Avenger)
- AVENGERS [1963] #112 (1st appearance of Mantis)
- GIANT-SIZE AVENGERS [1974] #4 (marriage of Vision and Scarlet Witch)
- AVENGERS [1963] #144 (1st appearance/origin of Hellcat (Patsy Walker))
- AVENGERS [1963] #181 (Avengers line-up change; 1st appearance of Scott Lang)
- AVENGERS [1963] #195 (1st cameo appearance of Taskmaster)
- AVENGERS [1963] #196 (1st full appearance of Taskmaster)
- AVENGERS ANNUAL [1967] #10 (1st appearance of Rogue)
- AVENGERS [1963] #257 (1st appearance of Nebula)
- SOLO AVENGERS [1987] #12 (1st Amanda Conner published work in comics)
- AVENGERS [1998] #19 (ULTRON UNLIMITED begins)
Compilations
In modern comic publishing, it's common (and expected) for individual comic book issues to be collected into compilations of trade paperbacks and/or hardcovers, as well as other special compilations. Unlike the individual source issues, the collected editions typically stay in print for long periods and are less 'collectible.' If individual issues are out of reach or are not of interest to you or if you just need reading copies, the following collected editions of Avengers comic books are the most recent in-print editions and are the perfect alternative to get started right away with Avengers. The following compilations are presented in a chronologically-based suggested reading order with softcover editions before any hardcover editions (unless the only in-print editions are hardcover--these are integrated into the softcover list).
Marvel's EPIC COLLECTION is a series of economy-priced black and white trade paperbacks with up to 20 issues per volume. This successor to Marvel's ESSENTIAL line is not being published in numerical order, so the release months will not be chronoligical, and the beginning of the list will have gaps until all the volumes are published. The following list limits itself to the major ongoing series that have starred the Avengers, such as those found in the Main Publishing History section lower in this guide. Although there is a wealth of Avengers material still in print, not everything that is part of the grand Avengers publishing timeline is always available all at once.
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| Cover | Release Month | Series / Number / Storyline | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Quick View | Nov 2014 | AVENGERS EPIC COLLECTION [2018-TPB] VOL 01: EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES CURRENT PRINTING |  | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Nov 2016 | AVENGERS EPIC COLLECTION [2018-TPB] VOL 02: ONCE AN AVENGERS... CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Apr 2017 | AVENGERS EPIC COLLECTION [2018-TPB] VOL 03: THE MASTERS OF EVIL CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Apr 2015 | AVENGERS EPIC COLLECTION [2018-TPB] VOL 04: BEHOLD...THE VISION CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | May 2020 | AVENGERS EPIC COLLECTION [2018-TPB] VOL 05: THIS BEACHHEAD EARTH | UNAVAILABLE | $25.99 | |
 Quick View | Apr 2018 | AVENGERS EPIC COLLECTION [2018-TPB] VOL 07: THE AVENGERS/DEFENDERS WAR CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Dec 2013 | AVENGERS EPIC COLLECTION [2018-TPB] VOL 09: THE FINAL THREAT CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | May 2016 | AVENGERS EPIC COLLECTION [2018-TPB] VOL 16: UNDER SIEGE CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Jun 2014 | AVENGERS EPIC COLLECTION [2018-TPB] VOL 17: JUDGMENT DAY CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Mar 2018 | AVENGERS EPIC COLLECTION [2018-TPB] VOL 21: THE COLLECTION OBSESSION CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Jul 2017 | AVENGERS EPIC COLLECTION [2018-TPB] VOL 22: OPERATION GALACTIC STORM CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Apr 2019 | AVENGERS EPIC COLLECTION [2018-TPB] VOL 23: FEAR THE REAPER CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Dec 2019 | AVENGERS EPIC COLLECTION [2018-TPB] VOL 24: THE GATHERERS STRIKE! CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Jan 2017 | NEW AVENGERS BY BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION [2017-TPB] VOL 01 CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Feb 2017 | NEW AVENGERS BY BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION [2017-TPB] VOL 02 CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Mar 2017 | NEW AVENGERS BY BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION [2017-TPB] VOL 03 CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | May 2017 | NEW AVENGERS BY BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION [2017-TPB] VOL 04 CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Jun 2017 | NEW AVENGERS BY BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION [2017-TPB] VOL 05 CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Jul 2017 | NEW AVENGERS BY BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION [2017-TPB] VOL 06 CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Aug 2017 | NEW AVENGERS BY BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION [2017-TPB] VOL 07 CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
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Media Source Material
If you've enjoyed non-comic media for the Avengers, this section describes the comic book source material for some of the most popular non-comic media. The Avengers are one of Marvel's most popular teams and have appeared in countless forms of media, including animated television series, books, and movies. This section concentrates only on theatrical movie releases. WARNING: This section may contain spoilers!
The 2012 movie, THE AVENGERS, was written and directed by Joss Whedon and starred Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Chris Evans as Captain America, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, and Tom Hiddleston as Loki. THE AVENGERS was the capstone movie to the first phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), having previously introduced all the top-tier characters in stand-alone films leading up to this team film. The heroes must band together to stop Loki and a fleet of alien spacecraft immerging from a wormhole above New York City from conquering the Earth. The movie owes much to Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch's modernization of the Marvel Universe for the Ultimate Universe with their hit series, ULTIMATES [2002]. The 13 issues of that first Ultimates comic book series--while it begins with some team drama--concludes with the Avengers thwarting a Chitauri invasion. The first appearance of the Chitauri was in ULTIMATES [2002] #8. In the Ultimate Universe, the Chitauri were a modernization of the alien Skrulls from the Marvel Universe proper, however, the Skrulls were eventually introduced in the Ultimate Universe as well. The Stark/Avengers Tower seen in THE AVENGERS comes from the Ultimate Universe, as most versions of the Avengers are alternately headquartered at the Avengers Mansion. Skipping past the first appearances of the major heroes that had already been introduced to the MCU, several new characters and elements of the Marvel Universe were introduced in THE AVENGERS. The first appearance of a Helicarrier was in STRANGE TALES [1951] #135 by Jack Kirby. The first appearance of Hawkeye (Clint Barton) was in TALES OF SUSPENSE [1959] #57. The first appearance of Maria Hill was in NEW AVENGERS [2005] #4. If you want more Avengers like those seen in the MCU, the ULTIMATES series are highly recommended.
The 2015 sequel movie, AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON, was also written and directed by Joss Whedon and starred the same ensemble cast. This time, the Avengers must band together to stop Ultron, an artificial intelligence (A.I.) bent on exterminating humanity. Ultron-5, The Living Automaton is one of the Avengers classic arch-villains. The first full appearance of Ultron was AVENGERS [1963] #55. The A.I. made a cameo appearance in the preceding issue. Each time the Avengers defeat or destroy the construct, it seems to reappear in a more threatening configuration. In its first comic book story arc, AVENGERS [1963] #54-58, Ultron's threat level and its having created the Vision are established. Ultron's next story arc in AVENGERS [1963] #66-68 sees the A.I. upgrade its body with adamantium. In the movie, vibranium is the special metal of interest, but the film's storyline elements are still very similar to these classic comic book story arcs. The arms dealer, Klaw (Ulysses Klaue), made his first appearance in AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON as the source of the stolen vibranium and would go on to play a larger role in BLACK PANTHER. Klaw's first comic book appearance was FANTASTIC FOUR [1961] #53. The Vision was a Golden Age hero who made his first Silver Age comic book appearance in AVENGERS [1963] #57 and is a fixture in Avengers team history. Other important early Avengers include the Maximoff twins, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. They were part of the very first line-up change in the Avengers. After appearing in a mid-credits scene of CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER, the Maximoff twins made their full introduction in AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON. The first appearance of Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch in comic books was X-MEN [1963] #4. They joined the Avengers in AVENGERS [1963] #16.
Two more Avengers film sequels are planned: AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR and AVENGERS: ENDGAME.