The Avengers: Bio, Origin & History

Name: The Avengers

Founding Members: Iron Man, Thor, Wasp, Ant-Man, and The Incredible Hulk

First Appearance: The Avengers #1 (September, 1963)

Created By: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

Did You Know: Captain America was not apart of the original team

 A Little History

Founded by comic book creators from years past, The Avengers has been one of the go-to teams in the Marvel Universe for decades. Initially, The Avengers was created in response to the ever-increasing popularity of superhero teams. This wave of teams, of course, was lead by the Justice League of America. Initially comprised of Iron Man, Thor, Wasp, Ant-Man, and The Incredible Hulk, the roster has continuously changed over the years.

The story of The Avengers was written by Stan Lee, and drawn by Jack Kirby. This story begins with Loki looking for a way to exact revenge upon his brother, Thor.

To do so, he casts an illusion that tricks the Hulk into attacking a nearby railroad. It was Loki’s hope that when Thor arrived to put a stop to the Hulk, he would be bested in battle and laid waste to by the Hulk. Hearing the message on the airwaves, the character, Rick Jones sends out a cry to the Fantastic Four for help. Not wanting the Fantastic Four to show up, Loki diverts the message to Thor.

Unbeknownst to Loki but the other would-be members of The Avengers also heard the message and arrived on scene. The heroes made quick work of subduing The Hulk and eventually realized that it was Loki who was responsible for the rampage. The quintet used their combined efforts to defeat him. Now victorious, the 5 of them agreed to continue working together whenever a time called for it.

This newly formed unity prompted Wasp to name the team The Avengers.

In the second issue, things changed for the team as The Hulk, realizing that he was perceived as a monster, would leave, and Ant-Man became Giant-Man. In issue four, the team finds, thaws out, and has Captain America join.