The Avengers #94 "More Than Human!"

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The Avengers, who bickered like most Marvel hero groups, proved a popular saleable bunch. Over the next few years there was a considerable fluctuation in the basic membership. In 1965, for example, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and the Scarlett Witch joined on. Later on Hercules, the Vision, Goliath, and Yellow Jacket were added. These last two were other manifestations of Ant-Man. Among the guest stars were Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, and Wonder Man. On the list of major villains were the Living Laser, the Red Skull, Diablo, the Red Guardian, the Mandarin, the Executioner, Magneto, and Klaw.

The creative team changed as well. Other early pencilers included Don Heck, John Buscema, Gene Colan, and Neal Adams. George Roussos, Dick Ayers, and Joe Sinnott all served as inkers. Roy Thomas, who wrote a great many scripts, eventually also became editor in the summer of 1972. The original series reached 402 issues, ending in 1996. The makeup of the gang continued to fluctuate. Hellcat, the Falcon, the Beast, and She-Hulk all were members. Some later artists and writers were John Byrne, Joe Staton, and Walt Simonson.

In 1984 the Avengers set up a branch office that resulted in West Coast Avengers. Among the members were Hawkeye and Iron Man. At the end of the eighties, John Byrne assumed the scripting and drawing. With #48 (September 1989) the title was switched to Avengers West Coast, and as such the magazine continued until #102 (January 1994).

A second series of The Avengers commenced in 1996. Among the members were Captain America, Hawkeye, Thor, and the Vision. Jim Valentino wrote the scripts; Rob Liefeld did the drawing on the first issue. This version continued for thirteen issues. Early in 1998, The Avengers started all over again and continues to this day. Kurt Busiek was the initial writer, George Perez the artist. And the rallying cry, "Avengers assemble!" is still heard in the land.



Credits

Script: Roy Thomas
Pencils: Neal Adams
Inks: Tom Palmer

Reprinted:

• in Kree-Skrull War Starring the Avengers, The (Marvel, 1983 series) #1 (September 1983) [interior, 1/16 page size]
• in Avengers: The Kree-Skrull War (Marvel, 2000 series) #[nn]
• in Essential Avengers (Marvel, 1999 series) #4 [black & white] (2004)
• in Avengers: Kree / Skrull War (Marvel, 2008 series) #[nn]
• in Marvel Masterworks: The Avengers (Marvel, 2003 series) #10 (May 2010)

The Avengers #93: "This Beachhead Earth"

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As the team spirit spread through comics in the early 1960s, a gang of Marvel characters got together and decided to call themselves the Avengers. Perhaps one of them had been over to Great Britain recently and caught The Avengers show on the telly. The original members of the new Marvel group were the Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, Ant-Man, and the Wasp. The plot for "The Coming of the Avengers" was cooked up by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, scripted by Lee and and drawn by Kirby. The premiere issue of The Avengers had a cover date of September 1963.

Touted as a "book-length super-epic" that featured "some of the Earth's greatest super-heroes!" the introductory episode had the superfolks gathering from hither and yon to overcome Loki, the Norse god of evil who'd already frequently troubled Thor. After dispatching Loki, they decided to work as a team. It was the Wasp, the one female in the bunch, who came up with the name Avengers in the final panel. The Hulk observes, "I pity the guy who tries to beat us!" Thor, magic hammer held high, declares, "We'll NEVER be beaten! For we are... THE AVENGERS!"

By the second issue Ant-Man, who'd grown tired of being teenie-weenie, had turned himself into the towering Giant Man, thus revising the Avengers roll call. Over the next two issues a couple of early Marvel heroes returned. This time, however, the Sub-Mariner was in one of his surly moods and did a turn as a villain in "one of the great battles of all time!" Then in #4 (March 1964) the super-patriot Captain America was found floating inside a block of ice in the Atlantic, where he'd apparently been languishing for twenty years. Eventually thawed out, he joined the Avengers, even though he was a bit fuzzy on current events. This represented Cap's Silver Age return.



Credits

Script: Roy Thomas
Pencils: Neal Adams
Inks: Tom Palmer

Reprinted:

• in Kree-Skrull War Starring the Avengers, The (Marvel, 1983 series) #1 (September 1983)
• in Essential Avengers (Marvel, 1999 series) #4 [black & white]
• in Avengers: The Kree-Skrull War (Marvel, 2000 series) #nn
• in Avengers: The Kree/Skrull War (Marvel, 2008 series) #n