CBR's Top Fifty Avengers (2011) -- Revealed!

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The Avengers helped save Jessica Drew's life once. Maybe that's why she accepted Wolverine's offer to join the team after she returned from Skrull captivity to learn that their Queen Veranke had posed as her and joined the Avengers during her imprisonment. Despite the fact that Veranke had almost destroyed them, the Avengers accepted Jessica. And she, never having many friends, needed a place where she belonged. Of course she also accepted Agent Brand's offer to join SWORD, but that's neither her nor there. Later, after the fall of Norman Osborn's dark reign, Steve Rogers himself asked to to join his new team of Avengers.

Here's why Spider-Woman is one of lilyinblue's favorite Avengers:

Jessica Drew wondered why she was ever invited to join the Avengers. Captain America said it was because of her willpower. That is probably the most succinct summary I could give of why I consider Jessica do be one of my favorite members of the Avengers.

She's definitely a bit of a black sheep in their line-up. She comes from a dark place, and as the ultimate victim of circumstance, she can never seem to quite pull herself out of it. Yet, she's amazingly still standing as a hero. No matter what the universe throws at her, she has the sheer will to keep fighting the good fight where others may have crumpled long ago. She's not the ultimate example of a shining, virtuous hero. She's far from it. Rather, she's often consumed by self-doubt and anger... but nevertheless, she wants to be better than the circumstances that define who she is. There's a lot going on up in her head. She's a poster child for the damaged psyche of a superhero. She may not be perfect... but I sure find her fascinating.

Spider-Woman currently appears in Avengers.[/QUOTE]

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Natasha Romanoff is a former Russian spy who defected to the U.S and joined the Avengers. They were a trusting lot back then...especially Hawkeye, with whom she was romantically involved.

She also became an Agent of SHIELD, and had a relationship with Daredevil. Later she joined the Champions of Los Angeles, where she briefly dated Hercules.

She later rejoined the Avengers and actually led the team to their deaths against Onslaught. One of the few survivors, she failed to re-fill the team's roster and disbanded the group.

She supported the Superhuman Registration Act and became a member of Iron Man's Avengers team and later found herself assuming temporary command of SHIELD. After the Superhero Civil War, she teamed with Falcon and her former lover, Bucky Barnes, who became the new Captain America, and later posed as Yelena Belova to infilrate Norman Osborn's Thunderbolts. And most recently she was recruited by Steve Rogers to serve on his secret Avengers team.

Here's why Black Widow is Beamish's favorite Avenger:

Avengers #173 introduced me to the world of comic books, and Black Widow, my all time favorite heroine. Sexy, deadly, classy, professional, cold, and when written to my liking - in full spy mode, unpredictable to the reader but in full control of the situation because she has every little detail already worked out. I'm also a sucker for the underdog, which has usually been the case with her affiliation with the Avengers. She should have been made a member years long before it was official. Her status as leader on the team really had her on the sidelines instead of in the field. Blamed for dissolving the team after Onslaught. Her ultimate strength as a spy with her superior infiltration abilities are rarely used in the Avengers. However, it's all of these things that make her a superior character - they make her human, endearing and likeable. For a character who really doesn't make much sense being on a team, or being a super hero for that matter, she has proven her worth time and time again, charging into battle with her fellow Avegers with nothing more than guns, stingers and a hell of a lot of guts. Plus she's HOT!

Black Widow currently appears in Secret Avengers.

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Pietro Maximoff has always been a bit dodgy. Not evil, but his daddy issues and arrogance have definitely led him to make some poor decisions over the years. The one constant in his life has been his love for his sister, which led them to join the Avengers after abandoning Magneto's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. His nature often led him to quarrel with his other teammates, and even leave them once when his sister was injured. But it was after he himself was injured that Pietro met the Inhuman Crystal, who nursed him back to health. The two fell in love and were eventually married and relocated to Attilan on the moon and had a daughter, Luna.

But happiness didn't last long. Magneto soon revealed that he was Pietro and Wanda's father, and then Pietro learned that Crystal had had an affair. And ultimately, Quicksilver was corrupted by Maximus the Mad and he turned on the Avengers.

But he was eventually captured and cured by teh Inhumans, and joined the West Coast Avengers for a time and later X-Factor, but left that team too after learning that Crystal had developed a relationship with Black Knight. But after aiding the High Evolutionary and augmenting his powers with Isotope E, he rejoined the Avengers until they died facing Onslaught, and then he briefly worked with the Heroes for Hire.

It was Quicksilver who convinced his sister to warp reality to create teh House of M. When the truth was revealed, Magneto killed Quicksilver, but he along with the rest of reality was restored by the Scarlet Witch, who also depowered most of the mutant population, including Quicksilver.

Desperate to regain his powers, Quicksilver exposed himself to the Terrigen Mist and gained new time-jumping powers. Shortly after Crystal had their marriage annulled and then the crystals were removed, leaving him powerless once more, but inexplicably regained them again and set out to redeem himself as a hero.

Coming full-circle, he joined Hank Pym's Avengers and blamed Skrulls for his earlier crimes, losing the respect of his daughter. He was among those who aided in Hercules' assault on the Olympus Group and later aided in the defense of Asgard.

Most recently he joined the teaching staff of Avengers Academy to teach young students how to become heroes.

Here's why Quicksilver is among SlightlyMad's favorite Avengers:

His temper may sometimes be as quick as his feet and he can sometimes come of as arrogant and aloof, but the son of Magneto and former member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants has proven his worth as a hero time and time again. When the call goes out for Avengers to Assemble, there can be no doubt as to who one of the first to arrive will be.

Quicksilver currently appears in Avengers Academy.

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Hercules has been an Avenger a looong time, severing several stints with the team. But he's probably best known for being nearly beaten to death by the Masters of Evil. He recovered, though, and rejoined again later aiding against the Collector and during Operation: Galactic Storm. Hercules was off-world during Onslaught, and was despondent upon learning of the Avengers' deaths so he joined the new Heroes for Hire group, but eventually reunited with the returned Avengers to face Morgan Le Fay.

But since then Hercules has often been written as a comedic character, and often as a drunk. But his loyalties have always remained true. During the Superhero Civil War he sided with Captain America, and was instrumental in defeating the Thor clone.

He eventually teamed with Amadeus Cho, and later formed the God Squad to neutralize the Skrull gods during their invasion of Earth. The duo eventually joined Hank Pym's Avengers, but quit when Pym pushed for Loki to join the team.

Since then he teamed with the Avengers to stop Hera from remaking the universe, but was seemingly killed in the process. Cho helped him return, as he wasn't really dead, and Hercules next deeated the Chaos King but was reduced to a mortal in the proess. Since then Hercules has relocated to Brooklyn but it's only a matter of time before he regains his godhood and fights alongside the Avengers once again.

Here's why Hercules is jackolover's favorite Avenger:

Hercules is a great Avenger in that when I saw him Civil War, he played out of his skin. He did things in that which could scare the begeebies out of anybody, when he tore synthetic Thor apart, (like Sentry did the Ares in Siege, and like Jenny Walters did to Vision in Avengers Disassembled). This was my first introduction to Hercules, and his many team efforts after that, with Amadeus Cho, when he attacked a SHIELD hellicarrier on instruction, are things that he has never done to his full potential as an alternative to Thor, who generally does the heavy lifting for the Avengers. Hercules makes the non-magical brute force more violent and damaging, for Avengers smashing, and he brings humor into the room as well as the brawn, something which the New Avengers would greatly benefit from, because he lightens all their sourer banter. We haven't seen the best of Acengers Hercules yet, and it requires one writer to take him on board and use his versatility as it was used in SI, and Chaos.

Hercules most recently appeared in Herc.

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Dane Whitman began working with the Avengers almost immediately after assuming the Black Knight mantle from his uncle. Soon he inherited his family's castle in England and was given the Ebony Blade by the ghost of his ancestor, Sir Percy of Scandia. After helping the Avengers defeat Kang, the Black Knight was made an official Avenger.

The Black Knight later fought alongside the Defenders against the Enchantress, but was turned to stone while his spirit was trasnported into the body of his 12th Century ancestor, Eobar Garrington, to fight in the Crusades. He was eventually returned to the present by Merlyn to help Captain Britain defeat Mordred and Necromon and save Camelot. But once that was done he was returned to the 12th Century. In the past, he protected the mystical island of Avalon from the demonic Fomor, until Garrington's body was eventually destroyed during a battle involving the time travelling Avengers. Whitman's spirit returned to his original body, which became flesh and blood again.

Dane served several tours of duty with the Avengers. Eventually the curse of the Ebony Blade became too dangerous, and Dane eventually abandoned it choosing to use a lightsabre instead.

While an Avenger, Dane was involved in various relationships as time went on. For a time, he was enamored of the Wasp. He was later in a love triangle with Crystal and Sersi, but renounced his feelings for Crystal as she and Quicksilver attempted to reconcile. He agreed to become Sersi's 'Gann Josin', and after Proctor was finally defeated Dane went into self-imposed exile with Sersi.

The two ended up in the Ultraverse and Dane even briefly led the Ultraforce. They eventually returned and, their 'Gann Josin' apparently broken, went their separate ways. Dane joined Luke Cage's Heroes for Hire shortly after his return until that team disbanded.

Recently returned to England, the Black Knight joined MI-13, began a relationship with Faiza Hussain, and eventually recovered the original Ebony Blade from Wakanda.

Here's why the Black Knight is bkdane's favorite Avenger:

The Black Knight is my favorite Avenger. I always liked characters that did not have super powers but had a weapon or skill that made them extraordinary. Although, Dane Whitman was a man of science, the cursed Ebony Blade is what made him interesting. He reached his stardom as an Avenger with the power saber, however, not with the Ebony Blade. I guess the writers had to do something besides turn him into stone because of the blood curse and at the time he was an Avenger, swords were not a favorite weapon of everyone like they are now. His affair with Crystal and his relationship with Sersi was unique for that time period and his nobility always showed up in the pinch. Marvel is making a mistake by not using him and the cursed Ebony Blade in the current Avengers.

The Black Knight most recently appeared in Age of Heroes.

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Is it me or is Beast a completely different person when he's hanging out with the Avengers?

Yes, yes, he'll always be an X-Man first. He was with them at the start, after all. But he had already moved on from the X-Men when he turned himself blue and furry. And it was with the Avengers that he found his place in the world, along with a new best friend in Wonder Man. In fact...he served with the Avengers for quite some time...until it was revealed that Moondragon had been manipulating the Avengers.

After that he joined the Defenders with his old teammates Angel and Iceman and, after that team was all but destroyed, he joined his original teammates in X-Factor and they all went on to rejoin the X-Men.

And Beast was happy...not. His time with the X-Men was wrought with failure, betrayals, divided loyalties, and questionable actions (not to mention an evil alternate version of himself!). While he did help to cure the Legacy Virus, he had no success in undoing the Scarlet Witch's decimation of mutant kind, even with the founding of the X-Club. Beast grew increasingly dissatisfied with Cyclops' leadership and methods and left the X-Men.

He joined SWORD, and returned to the X-Men for Nightcrawler's funeral and to help defeat Bastion and to give Scott some more crap, but departed once and for all when asked by Steve Rogers to serve on his secret Avengers. And most recently, after the separation of the X-Men, Beast joined Wolverine in Westchester to open "The Jean Grey School for Higher Learning"

Beast currently appears in Secret Avengers and Wolverine and the X-Men.

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Luke Cage is a man of the people.

After gaining superhuman powers while in prison for a crime he didn't commit, he's devoted his time to helping others, sometimes for a profit. His career has led him to work alongside many other superheroes. He's a long-time parter of Iron Fist, he's been a member of the Fantastic Four and the Defenders, he briefly worked with the greatest detective in the Marvel Universe, Dakota North, and became a founding member of the new Avengers formed after the Raft breakout.

Cage has since married Jessica Jones (who has also become an Avenger) and had a daughter. Cage went on to lead the team after Captain America's assassination, and kep the team going on its own terms while underground. After the Seige of Asgard, Cage was appointed head of the Thunderbolts by Steve Rogers and was also given the freedom to organize a new Avengers team based out of Avengers Mansion.

Here's why Luke Cage is Just Is's favorite Avenger:

Since formally becoming an Avenger, he's become so much more prominent, has gained a much larger position both within the MUverse and outside of it, has a great morale compass and has just grown a lot as a character since. To the point where he's leading the New Avengers and the Thunderbolts. Not to mention he's easily the best example on how to promote diversity in comics right.

Luke Cage currently appears in New Avengers and Thunderbolts.

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King T'Challa of Wakanda initially met many of the worlds' superhuman heroes as a means to gauge their abilities, but eventually became allies and friends with many of them. In addition to long stints as an Avenger, the Black Panther has also served as a member of the Fantastic Four and Fantastic Force.

While the Panther's loyalty has never been in question, his ideoligies and interests as a monarch have sometimes put him at odds with his teammates.

Recently, the T'Challa has married his childhood love, Ororo of the X-Men, and has passed the Black Panther mantle to his sister, Shuri. While it has been some time since T'Challa has served with the Avengers, it's only a matter of time until he and his queen join them once again.

The Black Panther is Umbra's favorite Avenger:

In [Tales of Suspense ##97-99 and Captain America # 100] Black Panther thwarted the deadly Baron Zemo and his plan to activate an orbital death ray platform, after which a grateful Captain America sponsored and vouched for T'challa's membership in the Mighty super-hero team, The Avengers.

Physically equal to Steve Rogers with an intellect that rivals Tony Stark..Panther accepted Steve Rogers offer, however his true motives— to learn whether or not these American "heroes" were a threat to kingdom Wakanda— remained hidden, until the Panther satisfied himself that the Avengers' motives were good, and he settled in as an Avenger and an American "super" hero, while also adopting a "secret" identity as Harlem school teacher Luke Charles.

Marvel took a giant step when they admitted the Black Panther into the rosters of the Avengers [Avengers #52] in 1968 amongst the Civil Rights Movement, social unrest, racial tension and with the assassination Martin Luther King occurring that year. He was among the Avengers for classic 1st appearances of Avengers characters and villains like Ultron, Vision, Grim Reaper, Jocasta and more. Also as head of the Wakanda Design Group, T’challa is responsible for the design of the Quinjet.

The Panther’s best moments came in Avengers #52 where the Black Panther arrives in NYC and at the Avengers Mansion and decides to sneak in, keeping in mind the later reveal that he was spying on him. Next is World Trust and Redzone where his dynamic with Tony Stark comes full circle. First giving Dr. Doom the access codes to the Avengers network to solve a situation that only Doom could handle and then breaking the Red skull ‘s jaw and defeating him during Red Zone.

And here's what RolandJP has to say:

What do you get when you combine a Superhero with an intellect that rivals Tony Stark, Henry Pym or Doom with the athletic prowess of Matt Murdock, Captain America or Beast?

The Most Dangerous Man Alive.

The Black Panther currently appears in Black Panther: The Most Dangerous Man Alive.

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Simon Williams did some time for embezzling beefore being recruited by Baron Zemo and turned into Wonder Man. Wonder Man joined the Avengers with the intent of betraying them so that Zemo's Masters of Evil could destroy them, but Wonder Man saved them...at the cost of his own life.

Iron Man, always thinking (where's that roll eyes emoticon?) copied Wonder Man's brain patterns, but those were eventually stolen by Ultron and used to create the Vision.

Wonder Man was eventually restored to life, though, and joined the Avengers. During his membership he became great friends with the Beast and became an actor and eventually a founding member of the West Coast Avengers. It was there that, after the Vision was dismantled, he admitted he had feelings for the Scarlet Witch. But the West Coast team was dismantled, and he joined Force Works and was seemingly killed again, only to be resurrected months later by the Scarlet Witch, with whom he became romantically involved until they broke it off during Kang's invasion of Earth.

Wonder Man was the face of superhero registration, but was caught embezzling funds from his own charity and was blackmailed into working for SHIELD. He became romantically involved with Ms. Marvel and joined her and Iron Man's Avengers until that team was dissolved and replaced by Norman Osborn's Avengers.

Wonder Man began publicly lamenting his tiem with teh Avengers, speaking out against their use of violence to uphold justice. He then aided teh Lethal Legion, in order to protect innocents, and ended up in prison until Steve Rogers bailed him out. He refused Rogers' invitation to rejoin the Avengers, stating he was against the reformation, threatened the team, and eventually attacked them. Iron Man and Captain America again later attempted to convince him to rejoin, but he again refused, though Iron Man discovered that Wonder Man's body was leakign ionic energy, which might have lead to Wonder Man's change of attitude and behavior.

Most recently Wonder Man has organized the Revengers, a team of superhuman heroes (and some former Avengers) and led them on an attack against the Avengers.

Here's why Wonder Man is SJNeal's favorite Avenger:

For me, Simon Williams was the first real "Everyman" Avenger. He started out as a normal guy who was given extraordinary power (won't go into the details) and then had to live with who he'd become.

Despite being "almost as strong as Thor", Simon still had to deal with a near-crippling fear of death, which he had for good reason. This is what makes him such a relatable guy in an otherwise unrelatable world. While he can strike a heroic pose with the best of them and jump headlong into danger, we know he's not always comfortable with it and there are real human fears at work behind the mask.

Many readers find the fact that he wears his heart (and fears & anxieties) on his sleeve annoying, but for me a true hero is someone who can admit to having these perceived failings yet rise above them to save the world time and time again.

Wonder Man most recently appeared in New Avengers Annual #1 (2011).

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So here she is, MY favorite Avenger!

Monica Rambeau was a good guy from the start. As Captain Marvel she decided to user her powers to fight crime almost immediately after gaining them, and sought out the Avengers to help train her. She became fast friends with Captain America and the Wasp and was soon made a full member. Her comrades learned early on that she was a level-headed powerhouse. She learned of the original Captain Marvel, and kept her name in honor of him. But she also learned early on that she wasn't unbeatable, namely when Blackout trapped her in the Darkforce dimension.

After Wasp stepped down, Monica was elected team chairman. But her leadership was undermined by Doctor Druid, who was under the influence of Terminatrix (posing as Kang Nebula) and she ultimately lost her powers and had to retire from the team.

Fortunately her powers came back and she returned to super-heroing but also split her time with her own charter business. She did stay connected to the Avengers as a reservist helping in times of need, and even led a reserve substitute roster during the team's first United Nations-backed reorganization and again during the Kree-Shi'ar War.

Monica eventually gave up the Captain Marvel title to Genis-Vell, the original's biological son, and took on the Photon title. Monica also discovered that her mother was intercepting her Avengers calls as a way to keep her out of harm's way. Monica later led a force of Avengers against the Infinites.

Then Genis-Vell changed his name to Photon and Monica took on a name she liked better: Pulsar.

Monica later led the Nextwave team and then supported Captain America's anti-registration forces during the superhero Civil War. Monica continues to superhero, alongside her old friend in the Avengers and her new friends Black Cat, Hellcat, Firestar.

Here's why Monica Rambeau is Dermie's favorite Avenger:

Although I love many of the Avengers, Monica has always been my favourite. It's hard for me to say exactly why though.

I love her strength of will and determination. Even after losing her powers and nearly being killed in the line of duty, Monica still swore to be there for the Avengers if they needed her, and even without her powers she single-handedly took down a squad of hijackers that took over her boat, using just her hand-to-hand skills and some clever thinking.

I love how she grew from being a probationary trainee to chairman of the Avengers, making her the team's first minority chairman and only the 2nd woman to lead the team!

Monica also has one of the most unique and interesting power-sets on the team, and despite being one of the most powerful members she continues to be a down-to-Earth woman who just happens to be able to hold her own alongside gods and cosmic beings.

For all these reasons and more, Monica is my favourite Avenger, and I look forward to her someday returning to active duty!

Monica is also Bolebeau's favorite:

Why is Monica Rambeau my favourite? I didn't get into the Avengers till Kurt Busiek gave the series a fresh start, and even though she didn't appear a lot in that series, there was just something about Monica Rambeau that pulled me in (her interesting power set being one of the most prominent thing) and made me want to read more stories with her in it. Because of her, I read a whole bunch of back issues with her in it, and I really dug her development from newbie to leader of the Avengers. Her position as one of my favourites was cemented by her appearance in NextWave. Yeah, that series played its characters for teh lulz, but that didn't make Monica any less awesome. Actually, the way she handled her teammates and actually got things done in the end kind of just added to her character (and at least she was being USED). She was still focused on being a hero and doing the right thing. Plus, she should call out the names of her moves/the energy type she takes on more often. Microwave Storm!

Monica Rambeau most recently regularly appeared in Marvel Divas and Heralds.

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Spider-Man, Spider-Man does whatever a spider can...

A few posts will complain that Spider-Man is a loner and shouldn't be on a team like the Avengers. Well, they're wrong and clearly in the minority.

Spider-Man has been teaming up with other heroes since the beginning. He tried to join the Fantastic Four early. And, hell, he had an ongoing series that featured him teaming up with other heroes for thirteen years. He's worked with almost every superhero in the Marvel Universe at one point or another.

He sought out membership with the Avengers too, but they rejected him at first. After helping the team defeat Nebula they mutually agreed that the Avengers' level of threats might be out of Spider-Man's league, but he was inducted as a provisional member.

When the Avengers returned from Counter-Earth, where they had been saved by Franklin Richards after their sacrifice to stop Onslaught, Spider-Man was contacted by them but chose to dissolve his ties with the Avengers due to the personal struggles he was facing.

Later still, after a breakout at the Raft Security Prison, Spider-Man joined the new Avengers team. May, Peter, and Mary Jane moved into Avengers Tower after an enemy destroyed both Peter's and May's places. He initially sided with the pro-registration heroes during the superhero Civil War, but switched allegiances. Spider-Man was one of the few heroes who did not accept the general amnesty after Steve Rogers arrest, continuing to work with the underground Avengers. During Norman Osborn's dark reign Spider-Man revealed his secret identity to his Avengers teammates, and soon the Fantastic Four, in order to keep their trust.
After the return of Steve Rogers, Spider-Man was given a continued place in the Avengers and he was also invited to join the Future Foundation.

Here's why Spider-Man is among SlightlyMad's favorite Avengers:

While opnions may be divided on some of the directions Bendis has taken The Avengers in, I think few can doubt that his decision to make Spidey a fully-fledged Avenger is something that was long overdue. Peter Parker is an every-man (albeit with irradiated super-spider powers) that represents the best of humanity, humility and humour which The Avengers need to keep on an even keel. Peter is the heart of the Marvel Universe and what better place for that heart than in the centre of the body of The Avengers?

Spider-Man currently appears in The Amazing Spider-Man, The Avenging Spider-Man and New Avengers.

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Much like Spider-Man, She-Hulk has gotten around the Marvel Universe (in more ways than one). She joined the Avengers just before one of the team's most beloved periods only to be whisked away to Battle World by the Beyonder. Upon returning to Earth she joined the Fantastic Four, taking the Thing's place until his eventual return. She-Hulk re-joined the Avengers just after the Masters of Evil's siege of Avengers mansion and she remained on the team until it dissolved following Terminatix's manipulation of the team.

She-Hulk later returned to the Avengers again, but repeated exposure to the presence of her teammate Jack of Hearts led to her losing control of her changes, which (along manipulations of crazy Wanda) resulted in her tearing the Vision in half. She left the team and hasn't been back since.

Here's why She-Hulk is yvahed's favorite Avenger:

I never liked the Savage She-Hulk all that much but once she joined the Avengers I was an instant fan! Roger Stern and later Byrne (and Slott and David) turned her into one of the most enjoyable three (or is that four)dimensional characters in the MU. Yes she is derivative in origin, being Bruce’s cousin, but she is simultaneously vivacious, intelligent, funny and beautiful. She is one of the unusual characters that love being a mutate. As an Avenger she brings to the table her confidence, strength and experiences as a lawyer. And the Avengers can’t have enough green. ;)

Ravin' Ray also picked She-Hulk as his #1:

Smart, sassy, sexy, gives as much as she gets from Clint's barbs. And I still remember how she got fooled by Druid's illusion on Hydrobase only to give him a friendly peck on the noggin a few issues later! :D The most prominent MU lawyer alongside Daredevil, and she brings Hulkness to the team without the rage, for the most part.

And so did comicfan298:

Well to me she is simply more than just the muscle for the team. She provides humour but also can be serious when needed. She takes responsibility for her actions unless its justified. She-Hulk is probably one of a few members that actually loves being a superhero.

And here's what SlightlyMad had to say:

Mighty muscles with a big heart to go with them. While Hulk's temperament caused his tenure in The Avengers to be one of the briefest, his cousin id=s the next best thing and a lot more fun to have around (not that Jarvis might agree after cleaning up one of her parties!).

She-Hulk most recently appeared in Incredible Hulks and Fear Itself: Fearsome Four.

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Much like Wonder Man, on whose brain patterns he was based, Vision was built to destroy the Avengers.

Created by Ultron and named by the Wasp, the Avengers convinced the Vision to turn against Ultron and he joined the team. Vision soon became romantically involved with and married the Scarlet Witch and had twin sons. Vision eventually became the team's chairman but, having become unbalanced by recent events, attempted to take control of the world's computers. The Avengers restored his normal self, but rogue government agents, manipulated by Immortus, had the Vision dismantled.

Hank Pym was able to rebuild him, but Vision lost all color and personality...and Wonder Man woudln't let his brain patters be used again. Vision and Scarlet Witch's twins were revealed to be fragments of Mephisto and were absorbed back into the demon, which drove Wanda insane and the two separated.

Vision adopted brain patterns from deceased scientist Alex Lipton and Wonder Man's brain patterns gradually reemerged and melded with Lipton's. He briefly dated Carol Danvers and Mantis before attempting to reconcile with the Scarlet Witch. But Wanda was again insane over the loss of her twins and she caused a series of catastrophic events that included the Vision crashing a Quinjet into Avengers Mansion and him being literally torn apart by She-Hulk.

But soon a teenage version of Kang arrived in the present and fused his armor with Vision's operating system and program files to become Iron Lad. Iron Lad was able to access the Vision's plans to assemble the Young Avengers. When Iron Lad was forced to remove his armor to stop Kang from tracking him, the Vision's operating system caused the armor to become a sentient being.

When Iron Lad left the time period, he left the armor behind with the Vision's operating system activated. The new Vision opted to stay with the Young Avengers and developed feelings for Stature. He adopted the name "Jonas" and joined Hank Pym's Avengers along with Stature until that team disbanded following the Siege of Asgard.

During the Chaos War, the Vision joined with other resurrected Avengers in their fight against Grim Reaper and Nekra, but the vision blew himself up in order to defeat them.

Recently, Tony Stark was able to rebuild the Vision who has once again joined the Avengers.

Here's why Vision is Chris N's favorite Avenger:

Since his debut, no hero has been more of a mainstay on the Avengers than the Vision. You can tell by his domination of those little boxes in the corner of the cover for so many years. I haven't actually done the math, but I'd wager he's appeared in more Avengers comics than any of the founding Avengers, and probably more than any other Avenger (except maybe Hawkeye).

With the introduction of the Vision, Roy Thomas and John Buscema finally had the Avengers nailed. They had come into their own as writer and artist, and created the centerpiece character the Avengers needed. Rather than a rotating string of characters borrowed from other books, the Avengers finally had a hero to become the soul of the book. In a team of mutants, gods, reformed criminals, and other bizarre sorts, Thomas somehow convinced us that Vision was different, even from such a diverse team, and something of a loner and outcast. Through his struggles to find acceptance and his own humanity, we get our own window into the team (and maybe even just a little into ourselves).

When I was young and first started reading the Avengers, Vision was going through his emotionless phase introduced by John Byrne. Then under Harras, I got to see hints of emotion creeping back in, including a touching issue which ends with a tear in the Vision's eye, recalling his first and probably greatest story.

An interesting aspect of the character is that his personality is borrowed from many people, including Wonder Man, Alex Lipton and eventually Iron Lad. Kurt Busiek made good use of Vision's strange connection to Wonder Man, noting the odd romantic triangle created with the Scarlet Witch, who had loved the Vision, whose personality was based on Simon's.

Of course, Vision's powers are cool. Whether using his ability to alter matter to phase on one extreme or become diamond-hard on the other, Vision was worthy of the power-level of the Avengers, and his phasing powers when used aggressively make for an excellent and now-classic visual.

My least favorite aspect of the character is his convoluted history, specifically the ever-changing answer to the question of whether he's the Human Torch. Even though Kurt Busiek and Roger Stern somehow managed to pull this mess together to great effect in Avengers Forever, the mess itself is not quite justified.

Curious to read some classic Vision stories? Here are some highlights:

Avengers #57-58: Introduction of the Vision and Ultron, opening with beautiful images of Vision in the rain, including the classic page of a kid kicking Ultron's head, and ending with the classic moment where we learn even an android can cry. Illustrated by one of the best artists in the history of comics. One of the greatest Avengers stories ever.

Avengers #93: The legendary Neal Adams illustrates Ant-Man's journey into the body of the Vision.

Giant-Size Avengers #4: Wedding bells.

Vision and the Scarlet Witch (two miniseries): Vision and his wife try their best to become domestic and end up having children.

Avengers #251-254: Vision decides to conquer the world. It made sense to him at the time.

West Coast Avengers #42-48: Government agents reprogram the Vision, removing all emotions.

Avengers Spotlight #23: Vision reveals his new form to the world via television in the first Vision story I ever read.

Avengers Spotlight #40: We learn the secrets of Vision's rebirth.

Avengers #348: In a touching story, Vision gives a dying man one last conversation with his son.

Vision (1994 miniseries): Bob Harras works Vision, along with Ultron and Jocasta, into a noir story.

He's also among Marvell2100's favorites:

The Vision has always been a mainstay of the team since I've been reading the Avengers. I can't quite put my finger on it but it seems like he was born to be an Avenger even though he was created to be a villain. I dunno, I think Vision and Avenger just springs to mind.

And here's what SlightlyMad had to say:

The Avengers have a long tradition of welcoming those who have reformed criminal ways or overcome odds to become heroes and what better case for that than The Vision? Vision was built as an unfeeling machine for the sole purpose of destroying The Avengers from within, yet despite that he was able to rise up against his creator, Ultron, siding with humanity, finding allies, friends and even love within The Avengers. Maybe this Pinocchio never became a "real boy" but he found the heart and soul of a hero and an Avenger.

The Visions currently appear in Avengers and in Avengers: The Children's Crusade.

[mattbib]

As

Ant-Man, Hank Pym was a founding member of the Avengers along with his partner, the Wasp. As Hank developed applications for his Pym particles, and as his own insecurites grew, he developed the ability to grow and changed his superhero identity to Giant-Man, Goliath, and later to Yellowjacket (though that last one was during one of Pym's greatest periods of mental instability). Pym also began a romance with Wasp and the two eventually married (albeit when Pym wasn't in his right mind).

Pym's self-doubts led him to make several bad mistakes, including the creation of Ultron. He also found himself repeated under the control or manipulation of others, which contributed towards his breakdowns. It was during one of these that Pym struck his wife and found himself expelled from the Avengers, and later incarcerated and under trial. While Pym was eventually cleared of all charges, and despite his mental problems, Pym has never lived down nor forgiven himself for hitting his wife and has struggled to redeem himself ever since.

He joined up with the West Coast Avengers without a superhero identity, had a short relationship with Tigra, and even contemplated suicide until an intervention by Firebird convinced him to go on. Hank eventually resumed his romantic relationship with his ex-wife.

As Giant-Man, he eventually rejoined the Avengers' East Coast team until sacrificing himself, along with numerous other heroes, to stop Onslaught, but rejoined the team when the heroes returned. During this period Hank hit a milestone when he finally put his part in the creation of Ultron behind him.

Giant-Man played a key role in the Destiny War and was eventually able to resolve his past problems and adopted his Yellowjacket costume once again, concluding that, since it was as Yellowjacket he faced his worst problems, it will be as Yellowjacket that he attempts to see if he has overcome them.

After the Avengers disassembled, Pym took a leave of absence and he and Wasp left to rekindle their relationship, but it failed and he was replaced by an alien Skrull, but the real Pym was ultimately found with other "replaced" heroes in a Skrull vessel. After the Wasp was killed in the final battle, Pym took on a new superhero persona as the Wasp in tribute to his former wife. Pym rejoined the Avengers and was eventually convinced to lead the team. The team eventually dissolved, though, and after Norman Osborn's dark reign Pym created the Avengers Academy and soon returned to his Gian-Man identity.

Here's why Giant-Man is Beadle's favorite Avenger:

To say that Hank Pym gets the short end of the stick when it comes to his status within the Avengers is more than just an awful pun. The character has a lot of detractors, and to be fair, they have some pretty compelling reasons. He’s flitted between one of six (count them) heroic identities, suffered breakdowns, carried out the infamous (and, in my humble opinion, subsequently hugely overplayed) domestic abuse incident, and created one of the Avengers greatest villains, Ultron. He’s been overlooked as part of the team for the upcoming Avengers movie, and disparaged by his teammates. If you can, check out Cap’s implied repeated disappointment in Pym when Hank's Skrull impostor betrayed him in Civil War, and Tony Stark’s “Three Words. You’re. Hank. Pym.” comment in Mighty Avengers.

But despite all of this, Hank Pym is a fascinating character, and really deserves to be a big player (again, another awful pun). He founded the Avengers, and has led the team on many occasions. He re-created the Mighty Avengers. He was appointed Scientist Supreme of the frickin’ UNIVERSE by Eternity! And all of this was against the backdrop of him overcoming his own personal flaws. I'd also add in that of the founding Avengers, and I'll include Captain America in this, Hank's really the only one that did it all from scratch. He wasn't a god, or exposed to gamma radiation, or given his powers by a partner, or had the resources of a huge multi-national corporation backing him up. It was all achieved through his own genius and hard work.

Reading about a character who suffers with vulnerabilities but who still manages to achieve great heights in spite of those problems is always far more engaging than a more clean-cut, “perfect” hero. I've always felt that way, and this is why I love reading about Henry J. Pym. The journey always seems that much tougher with him, and so the rewards are always that much greater.

He's also among SlightlyMad's favorites:

Whatever name he uses for an alter-ego (although personally Yellowjacket was always my favourite) Hank Pym is one of the most brilliant scientific minds in The Avengers, as well as the Marvel Universe as a whole. He can put his mind to help solve many of the obstacles The Avengers face, and if that fails, he can be willing to lend a couple of giant fists to the cause!

Giant-Man currently appears in Avengers Academy and will soon be appearing in Secret Avengers.

[mattbib]

Janet Van Dyne, the Wasp, was a founding member of the Avengers along with her partner, Ant-Man. Wasp fell in love with Hank, but he rejected her at first since he'd already lost one wife. Wasp would openly muse about her unrequited feelings and would purposely try to make Hank jealous. But eventually Pym gave in and began a romance with Wasp and the two eventually married (albeit Janet apparently took advantage of a situation where Pym was in his Yellowjacket persona and not in his right mind to do so).

Despite the flighty show she put on, Wasp never lacked confidence or bravery and was always in the thick of battles. And although she and Hank took occasional leaves of absences the two have almost always remained members, either active or reserve.

Wasp was eventually elected team chairman, but as Hank suffered further mental problems their marriage became rocky, making him susceptible to brainwashing and manipulation. In one case, Ultron brainwashed Hank and he kidnapped Wasp and used her brain patterns to create Jocasta. Hank eventually had a complete breakdown and became overbearing and verbally abusive and ultimately struck Jan once. He concocted a plan to make himself look good in front of his teammates but the plan backfired and Pym was exposed, disgraced, and expelled from the Avengers, and the couple separated. Jan divorced Pym soon after, and then became Avengers chairman. With the Avengers, she arrested Yellowjacket.

Wasp remained with the team despite these hardships, and even began dating other men, including Tony Stark and Paladin. Wasp was chairman during one of the Avengers most trying times, the siege of Avengers Mansion by Baron Zemo's Masters of Evil. After seeing the team through that affair Wasp eventually stepped down as chairman and left the Avengers.

But Wasp soon joined the West Coast Avengers and resumed her romantic relationship with Hank. The two eventually returned to the East Coast team. Hank eventually proposed, but Jan turned him down, saying she wouldn't marry him again. She had a brief fling with Hawkeye but continued to work on her relationship with Hank.

It was a comment made by Wasp that set off the Scarlet Witch's mental breakdown and resulted in the disassembling of the Avengers. During these events Jan was knocked into a coma by She-Hulk. Hank watched over her as she lay in the hospital, and when she recovered, they reconciled. The two retired from the Avengers in order to pursue a new life together in Oxford. But their reconciliation failed, and Hank was replaced by a Skrull imposter.

Wasp supported the pro-registration side during the superhero Civil War, but was very upset about the loss of Bill Foster. She became the host of a pro-registration reality show called America's Newest Superhero. She was also recruited onto Iron Man's Avengers team as part of the Fifty State Initiative. During a battle against alien symbiotes, the Skrull-Hank gave Jan a refined growth formula that allowed her to grow without side effects.

During the final battle against the Skrull invasion, the true purpose of the serum that the Skrull Hank gave her was revealed: the "new" particles were turning her into a bio-bomb. About to explode, Thor killed her to protect humans and to put her out of her misery, vowing to avenge her. After her death, Hank Pym resolved to take up his fallen ex-wife's mantle and became the Wasp (until he became Giant-Man again).

Here's why Wasp is Hero Girl's favorite Avenger:

A confession: I used to hate Janet Van Dyne.

I was only exposed to her by being the fashion obsessed dunce of the modern age, or the typical Silver-Age female team member who spent more time absent or kidnapped than actually contributing.

1 writer made the Wasp become my favorite Avenger: Roger Stern. After coming off the defining storyline for both her and her estranged husband, The Wasp was a broken character, an outdated powerset, and a character who was more human than superhuman.

In a time when society was more accepting of women earning positions of power, Stern did the unthinkable, he removed Captain America from Chairman of the Avengers, gave the Wasp greater control of her powers, and made her lead the team. Jan took the position seriously and lead the team to many successes. She was no longer the plucky side-kick to Hank Pym or the ditzy flirt who would get kidnapped every issue. Janet Van Dyne was a respected leader (commanding a team that featured Atlantean royalty, a WW2 hero, and a Greek God) all while retaining her sense of fun and enjoyment of life.

She's also Talisman's favorite:

She's everything I'd want to be if I were in a comic book. She is a fashion designer, she's whimsical, she's a take charge kinda girl. She's eternally optimistic, and doesn't take shit from anyone. She's constantly evolving her look and always has her priorities straight (see scans in Wasp appreciation thread)

Wasp most recently appeared in Mighty Avengers and Secret Invasion.