Marvel's Avengers
Thomas Sr. (Captain Collector)Last updated: 24 June 2019 approx. 4 min read
In 1963, five already established Marvel Comics superheroes appeared as a team for the first time in issue 1 of the new series Avengers and faced the threat of the supervillain Loki together. They were Iron Man, Thor, Ant Man, Wasp and the Hulk. Jack Kirby and Stan Lee followed the formula they had set up about two years earlier with the Fantastic Four and also borrowed the proven group concept of rival publisher DC, which was very successful with its team, the Justice League.
But the bombshell only really dropped with Avengers #4, when Kirby and Lee decided to revive the American superpatriot Captain America. They came up with a story in which the Captain had been hurled into the Arctic sea by an explosion in the last days of the Second World War and frozen. Frozen in a block of ice in suspended animation and finally thawed out by the Avengers, Captain America's alter ego Steve Rogers had to hold his own in a time that wasn't his. Over the decades he became one of Marvel Comics' most important figureheads and one of the most important members of the Avengers.
A motley crew
The Avengers have always been a dynamic team, its members recruited from every corner of the Marvel Universe. Listing all the superheroes (and supervillains!) who have fought in the ranks of the Avengers since 1963 would go far beyond the scope of this post. I'm always amused when I ask a Marvel comic expert to name 3 Marvel characters who were never members of the Avengers. Many a person starts sweating and brooding.
It's worth mentioning that the writers of the series kept taking supervillains into the team, who could then do penance and were from then on allowed to fight alongside the superheroes. Among the first of these converts were Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver and the archer Hawkeye. The concept of turning a villain into a hero and vice versa has long worked in professional wrestling. And from costumed wrestlers to superheroes in skin-tight uniforms isn't a big leap. Such tricks raise the popularity of individual characters, readers' interest is sparked and that in turn boosts comic sales.
In the anniversary issue 100, all the Marvel superheroes who had ever been members of the Avengers up to that point were honoured once more with guest appearances, which is why this comic holds a special place. The art is by Barry Smith, who at that time already had cult status thanks to his work on the series Conan the Barbarian at Marvel.
Android, time traveller, bundle of complexes
The most significant “villain” who let himself be converted and joined the Avengers is Vision. He is an android, a creation of Roy Thomas and John Buscema, originally built to destroy the Avengers. Instead he let himself be converted and became a loyal, long-standing member of the troupe.
A charismatic arch-villain who keeps coming back in the Avengers comics was introduced in the very early days: Kang the Conqueror. As a man of the 30th century he can travel through time at will and keeps trying to manipulate the timestream in his favour. Kang still turns up regularly in the Marvel Universe today to confuse superheroes, readers and fans (and quite often, no doubt, the writers too) with time paradoxes.
The superhero with probably the biggest identity crisis among the Avengers is and always was Hank Pym, better known as Ant-Man. Or Giant-Man. Or was it Goliath after all? No, hang on, Yellowjacket! All four is the correct answer. With him, writers and artists were never quite sure how to portray him. Sometimes he shrank to Ant-Man, then he developed his growth capsules and became Giant-Man. But that was by no means all: to top it all, his costume kept changing. Sometimes it was red/black, then blue/yellow. Sometimes with, then without a communication helmet. Pretty muddled and, above all, confusing. And finally Marvel went one better and gave him an actual identity crisis, during which he suffered from memory loss and fought his way through the comic pages in a new costume as Yellowjacket.
Flagship team
Above all, though, they are the flagship team of the Marvel Universe par excellence. Without the Avengers, it simply doesn't work. Even Tony Stark's butler Jarvis is an honorary member of the group. What Spider-Man and Daredevil used to represent and symbolise at Marvel as loners and mavericks, the Avengers affirm as Marvel's everlasting superhero team. The members may keep changing, but the Avengers last forever. Avengers Forever!
Did you know that back then the Avengers teamed up rather by chance, when Rick Jones, desperate because of the threat from Loki, contacted every superhero he could?
Thomas Sr. (Captain Collector)Captain Collector's Subtle Superhero TriviaAvengers at AMAZINGTOYS®
You'll find comics from the Silver Age to today under Avengers.
Wonder Woman #187 Comic: Wonder Woman #187 Language: English Publisher: DC Comics Year: April 1970 Condition: Fine Plus, FN+, 6.5 Wonder Woman #187 with a dramatic cover typical of DC Comics from this era. The sensational cover art was designed to drive sales! An exciting story inside the issue rounds things off perfectly. A great comic marking the beginning of the Bronze Age (the 1970s). The issue is in good used condition. Tags: wonder woman, diana prince
Daredevil #34 Comic: Daredevil #34 Language: English Publisher: Marvel Comics Year: November 1967 Condition: Fine Plus, FN+, 6.5 Daredevil #34 is a Silver Age comic by Stan Lee (writer) and Gene Colan (artist). Colan's dynamic action scenes are legendary and rival Jack Kirby's hyper-realistic style. Daredevil battles the supervillain Beetle. The vibrant cover art is also by Daredevil artist Gene Colan. The comic is in good used condition. Tags: daredevil, gene colan, stan lee, marvel
Benni Bärenstark #1 Comic: Benni Bärenstark #1 Language: German Publisher: Carlsen Verlag Year: 2nd edition 1980 Condition: 1 (One) Very Good Benni Bärenstark #1 from the creator of the Smurfs, in the exciting story The Red Taxis. The comic album is in good used condition. Benni Bärenstark is called Benoit Brisefer in the French original (which roughly means "Benedict Ironbreaker") and was already causing mischief on the German comic market back in the 1970s, then still known as Winnie in the weekly Fix und Foxi comic magazines. The super-strong Benni loses his superpowers whenever he has a cold - and this usually happens at the most inconvenient moment! His creator is the Belgian comic artist Peyo (Pierre Culliford), who also created the Smurfs in 1958. Tags: benoit brisefer, benni bärenstark, peyo, winnie, fix und foxi
Benni Bärenstark #2 Comic: Benni Bärenstark #2 Language: German Publisher: Carlsen Verlag Year: 3rd edition 1981 Condition: 2 (Two) Good Benni Bärenstark #2 presents the exciting story Madame Albertine. The comic album is in good used condition. Benni Bärenstark is known in the original French as Benoit Brisefer (which roughly means "Benedict Ironbreaker") and was already causing mischief on the German comic market back in the 1970s, at the time as Winnie in the weekly Fix und Foxi comic booklets. The super-strong Benni loses his superpowers whenever he has a cold - and this usually happens at the worst possible moment! His creator is the Belgian comic artist Peyo (Pierre Culliford), who also created The Smurfs in 1958. Tags: benoit brisefer, benni bärenstark, peyo, winnie, fix und foxi
Benni Bärenstark #3 Comic: Benni Bärenstark #3 Language: German Publisher: Carlsen Verlag Year: 2nd edition 1981 Condition: 2 (Two) Good Benni Bärenstark #3 featuring the comic story Bennis zwölf grosse Taten. The comic album is in good used condition. Benni Bärenstark is known in the original French as Benoît Brisefer (which roughly translates to "Benedict Ironbreaker") and was already causing mischief on the German comic market back in the 1970s, then under the name Winnie in the weekly Fix und Foxi comic magazines. The super-strong Benni loses his superpowers whenever he catches a cold - and that usually happens at the worst possible moment! His creator is the Belgian comic artist Peyo (Pierre Culliford), who also created the Smurfs in 1958. Tags: benoit brisefer, benni bärenstark, peyo, winnie, fix und foxi
Benni Bärenstark #4 Comic: Benni Bärenstark #4 Language: German Publisher: Carlsen Verlag Year: 1st edition August 1980 Condition: 2 (Two) Good Benni Bärenstark #4 with Benni in the comic story Adventures with Uncle Hubert. The comic album is in good used condition. Benni Bärenstark is called Benoit Brisefer in the French original (which roughly means "Benedict Ironbreaker") and was already causing mischief on the German comic market back in the 1970s, then still known as Winnie in the weekly Fix und Foxi comic magazines. The super-strong Benni loses his superpowers whenever he has a cold - and this usually happens at the most inconvenient moment! His creator is the Belgian comic artist Peyo (Pierre Culliford), who also created the Smurfs in 1958. Tags: benoit brisefer, benni bärenstark, peyo, winnie, fix und foxi
Benni Bärenstark #6 Comic: Benni Bärenstark #6 Language: German Publisher: Carlsen Verlag Year: 2nd edition 1984 Condition: 1 (One) Mint Benni Bärenstark #6 featuring Benni in the comic story Lady Alberta. The comic album is in good condition. Benni Bärenstark is known in the French original as Benoit Brisefer (which roughly means "Benedict Ironbreaker") and was already causing mischief on the German comic market back in the 1970s, then still under the name Winnie in the weekly Fix und Foxi comic booklets. The super-strong Benni loses his superpowers whenever he catches a cold – and this usually happens at the most inconvenient moment! His creator is the Belgian comic artist Peyo (Pierre Culliford), who also created the Smurfs in 1958. Tags: benoit brisefer, benni bärenstark, peyo, winnie, fix und foxi
Benni Bärenstark #7 Comic: Benni Bärenstark #7 Language: German Publisher: Carlsen Verlag Year: 6th edition 1996 Condition: 2 (Two) Good Benni Bärenstark #7 featuring Benni in the comic story The Fetish. The comic album is in good condition. Benni Bärenstark is called Benoît Brisefer in the original French (which roughly means "Benedict Ironbreaker") and was already causing mischief on the German comic market in the 1970s, back then still under the name Winnie in the weekly Fix und Foxi comic magazines. The super-strong Benni loses his superpowers whenever he has a cold - and that usually happens at the worst possible moment! His creator is the Belgian comic artist Peyo (Pierre Culliford), who also created the Smurfs in 1958. Tags: benoit brisefer, benni bärenstark, peyo, winnie, fix und foxi
Savage Dragon #200 Comic: Savage Dragon #200 Language: English Publisher: Image Comics Year: December 2014 Condition: Very Fine, VF, 8.0 Savage Dragon #200 is a 100-page anniversary issue of this long-running comic series. Since its beginnings in 1992, Erik Larsen has written and drawn every issue himself. The comic is in very good condition, like new. Tags: savage dragon, erik larsen, image
Planetary #27 Comic: Planetary #27 Language: English Publisher: Image Comics Year: December 2009 Condition: Very Fine Minus, VF-, 7.5 Planetary #27 is the final issue of Warren Ellis' and John Cassaday's masterpiece, whose completion took more than a decade. Planetary is one of the finest comics in the science fantasy genre and brings together many characters of popular culture, similar to Alan Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. The condition of the issue is practically like new. Tags: warren ellis, planetary, elijah snow, john cassaday
Der Heitere Fridolin #5 Comic: Der Heitere Fridolin #5 Language: German Publisher: Semrau Comics Year: 1959 Condition: 2 (Two) Good Der Heitere Fridolin #5 shows the first German-language appearances of Spirou and Fantasio at a time when it was still common to germanise foreign comic characters. Later, in Rolf Kauka's comics, Fridolin und Ferdinand became Pit und Pikkolo, and finally, in the albums published by Carlsen Verlag, the two got their original names back: Spirou and Fantasio. Here, however, it is still the comic booklet Der Heitere Fridolin, and alongside Marsupilami as a guest star, Lucky Luke also appears in the comic. The issue is in good used condition. Tags: heitere fridolin, pit und pikkolo, spirou und fantasio, semrau verlag