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

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Carol Danvers was one of the Air Force's best. A special operative, a trained spy, and even head of security for NASA. It was at NASA that she befriended Captain Marvel and her genetic structure was accidentally altered making her a half-Kree superhuman. With her new powers she became Ms. Marvel, one of New York's premiere superheroes.

Ms. Marvel was soon invited to join the Avengers and quickly established herself as a valuable member. But she left the team following a bizarre unwanted pregnancy caused by "Marcus", who claimed to be the son of Immortus. Marcus had manipulated Carol into believing that she loved him and he took her with him to Limbo. Carol was able to return home, where she angrily confronted the Avengers for falling for Marcus' lies and manipulation of her.

Her time with the Avengers at an end, she relocated to San Francisco where she ended up losing her powers and persona to Rogue. Rescued by Spider-Woman, many of her memories were restored by Professor X, but he could not return the emotional bonds linked to those memories. Carol became an ally of the X-Men and was soon kidnapped by the Brood and subjected to an evolutionary ray that triggered the latent potential of her augmented genes, transforming her into teh cosmic-powered Binary. As Binary, she left earth and joined the Starjammers.

Eventually, she returned home and exhausted her powers to save the sun. She rejoined the Avengers as Warbird and recuperated. During this time she overcame emotional emptiness, alcoholism, and her reduced power levels. Warbird eventually left the Avengers to work for the US Department of Homeland Security. But she rejoined them just in time for the Scarlet Witch's breakdown when the team was disassembled.

In the altered House of M realty, Ms. Marvel was the most popular hero on Earth, despite not being a mutant. Remembering this after reality was returned to normal, Carol attempted to become the best hero she could be.

Ms. Marvel sided with the pro-registration side during the superhero Civil War, and Iron Man made her the leader of his Avengers team. She began a relationship with Wonder Man and she also convinced Iron Man to let her have a SHIELD mini-carrier and be in charge of her own unit, Operation: Lightning Storm.

In the aftermath of the Skrull Invasion, during Norman Osborn's dark reign, the Avengers all left (and were replaced by villains) and SHIELD was disbanded, leaving Carol without a job. So she joined Luke Cage's Avengers. Following the Siege of Asgard, Ms. Marvel remained a member of Cage's Avengers, and continues to be one of their most powerful assets.

Here's why Ms. Marvel is lilyinblue's favorite Avenger:

Originally designed as a model of feminism, Carol Danvers has led an impressive life even outside of her heroic career. She's been with the USAF as a pilot and in Intelligence, she's worked for NASA, edited a magazine, authored books and even briefly worked with Homeland Security. She was an admirable role-model before she ever donned the spandex to become a certifiable cosmic powerhouse and Avengers leader.

She's beautiful. She's an immensely powerful heroine. Yet, she's also far from perfect. Whether it be the bizarre incident surrounding her pregnancy by Marcus Immortus or the subsequent attack by Rogue in San Francisco, Carol has suffered her traumas and not always handled them well. She's alienated herself from her family and spiraled downwards into alcoholism. However, she hasn't let her failures define her. She pulls herself back up and keeps on fighting every time. She's her own work in progress and she knows it.

After a hard day blasting bad guys, she can also extol the wonders of life's little things... like a chili dog. She can gleefully play matchmaker for her friends or present herself as a rock to lean on when they need her. She has a very appealing mix of strength and weakness, success and failure, and hardness and warmth that leaves her both admirable and identifiable all at the same time. It's probably a little strange to use the word "normal" when speaking about a super-powered woman who has fought monsters and aliens and traveled the stars unaided. Yet, despite the bizarre and fantastic life she lives, Carol's ability to retain her humanity and humility gives her a great deal of appeal. Beneath all of the crazy, she's just a normal woman who happens to be doing great things. That's what I like about her.

She's also one of SlightlyMad's favorites:

As a former soldier with super powers, what better place for Carol Danvers than alongside the original super soldier? While she has had problems with fluctuating powers and the demon in the bottle, Ms. Marvel has been able to find support within The Avengers, as well as being one of their mightiest heroes.

Ms. Marvel currently appears in New Avengers.

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Wanda Maximoff doesn't come across as the type of person to suppress her feelings, but with the grief and rage she's been subjected to it's no wonder.

The Scarlet Witch joined join the Avengers after abandoning Magneto's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. There, she met and fell in love with the synthezoid Vision and the pair eventually married. Frustrated by her fluctuating power levels, she was tutuored by Agatha Harkness and gained greater control over her hexes. Vision and Scarlet Witch eventually took a leave of absence from the Avengers and, courtesy of Wanda's powers, conceived twin boys they named Thomas and William. And they lived happily ever after.

Not.

Wanda endured numerous traumatic events. She had been possessed by the demon Chthon. Vision was dismantled and rebuilt as an emotionless machine. Wonder Man refused to let his brain patterns be used to fix Vision because he was secretly in love with her. She was possessed by That Which Endures. Her children were revealed to be missing shards of Mephisto's soul and were absorbed back into him. Agatha Harkeness temporarily erased Wanda's memories of her children. She was captured and mind-controlled as a bride of Set. Vision abandoned her and rejoined the East Coast Avengers. Magneto sought to recruit her into a new Brotherhood. And it turned out that Immortus was behind all of this so that he could use her, a nexus being, as a power source (or so he said at the time; really he wanted to stop her from having any kids). Additionally, Mockingbird was killed under her leadership and the team was dissolved. She became the leader of Force Works, only to have Wonder Man die on their first mission. And the team suffered further manipulation by Immortus. Eventually she returned to the East Coast Avengers herself.

As Wanda attempted to reconcile with Vision, she sought out help from Doctor Doom to see if he could help her restore her children to life. To do so, they summon a mysterious cosmic entity which merges with Scarlet Witch and resurrects her children into new bodies. However, the entity opted to hide the children from Wanda as it hid within her body. This entity boosted her magical powers to the point that she could rewrite reality itself, allowing her to resurrect Wonder Man. Agatha Harkness mis-identified this as the ability to channel chaos magic.

The entity inside Wanda slowly dominated Wanda's mind and drove her to confront Agatha Harkness to find her resurrected but missing children. Murdering Harkness for being unwilling to help her, Wanda launched a campaign of terror against the Avengers for their failure to save her children. In the end, Vision was destroyed and Hawkeye killed (Scott Lang was presumed to be killed too, but was saved by Wanda's future self, who arranged for him to be teleported to the future seconds before dying) before Doctor Strange and the Avengers defeated her. However, Magneto arrived and forced the Avengers to turn his daughter over to him.

Quicksilver, realizing the Avengers and the X-Men were considering killing his sister, convinced Wanda to recreate the world into one where everyone had their heart's desire fulfilled. Although the reality warp succeeded, several heroes regained their memories and gathered Earth's heroes to stop the "House of M". When the heroes and Magneto discovered what Quicksilver did, Magneto murders his son only for Wanda to resurrect him and denounce her father. As a result, Wanda decimated the mutant population and she retired to Wundagore to live a normal life away from everyone. Her final act though was to resurrect Hawkeye, who began a frantic search for Wanda as the mysterious entity within Wanda claimed her body for itself, plunging Wanda into an amnesiac state. Hawkeye ultimately found Wanda but opted to keep her true identity a secret from her. Beast later found her too, seeking her help to deal with the aftermath of Decimation, but she had no memory of him.

Wiccan eventually found the Scarlet Witch, apparently devoid of her powers, amnesiac and engaged to be married to Doctor Doom. With Wolverine and the Avengers behind them in pursuit, Iron Lad rescued the team and Wanda, teleporting them into the past where Wanda slowly regained her memories and rescued Ant-Man. Wanda acknowledged Wiccan and Speed as her children as she recruits them to undo the damage she caused to the mutant community. Wanting to undo the damage she caused, she started by restoring Rictor's powers. The truth behind her enhanced powers and loss of control was revealed, as was Doom's real plan: to transfer the entity that had possessed Wanda into his own body to gain her god-like powers for himself.

Here's why Scarlet Witch is Valeria Kementari's favorite Avenger:

Whenever one approaches a new comic book you do it for a myriad reasons, it can be for a certain writer or artist, a certain storyline that catches your eye or better yet, a particular character. The Scarlet Witch was my reason to delve into the world of the Avengers.

I knew she was a mutant, I knew she was Magneto’s daughter, but nothing more. My first issue was Avengers v3 #11 and, luckily for me, it featured the Witch heavily. That mere sparkling interest I had from seeing her in massive crossovers just spiked into full out adoration almost instantly. Imagine my elation when two issues later she became deputy leader!

I soon began getting all the past issues I could get my hands on, first trying to complete the third volume and then the previous ones, and I never regretted it. Not only did I find terrific adventures of me newfound favorite, I also discovered an entire world of incredible characters and complex and compelling storylines.

I found out she was more than a mutant witch. She was a mother, she was a true hero, she was insanely powerful and had to constantly battle herself to control said power, she was a leader, she was determined and resourceful, she didn’t need her powers to define her like so many believe. She was everything one could ask for in a character.

I got to see her grow from the damsel in distress in the ‘60s to the determined strong woman that quit the Avengers to lead her own team in the ‘90s. I saw her struggle to live a normal life, I saw her sink to the depths of evil and re-emerge, I saw her growth as a true witch, I saw that trough all those issues she became a mainstay of the Avengers, the Avengers weren’t the Avengers if she wasn’t in them.

And then came disappointment and frustration. A lot of people, myself included, think that Bendis ruined her character to break the Avengers and rebuild them in his image. For a long time I was extremely upset that Wanda had to be taken out like that to further his plans. I kept reading the Avengers but I didn’t enjoy them like before. So I did the sensible thing and began re-reading those old books I did enjoy… and going back to Avengers volume 3 #10-11 I realized it was meant to happen. Wanda was going to lose control of her powers. Sure the execution is completely debatable, but what cannot be argued is that was the next step in her character arc. She had to lose control in order to advance or risk the stagnation of so many characters out there. And now that it’s happened the only logical step in her arc is her redemption, which she is currently working towards in Avengers: Children’s Crusade. I cannot be more excited for what’s to come.

Scarlet Witch currently appears in Avengers: The Children's Crusade.

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Billionaire. Playboy. Inventor. Physicist. Engineer. Genius. Alcoholic. Futurist. Iron Man.

Tony Stark is many things, but the greatest effect he's had on the world has been as a founding member of the Avengers. He's provided the team's headquarters and funding. He helped recover Captain America from frozen oblivion. He's provided technology to SHIELD and many heroes.

But he's had his share of problems and questionable decisions, though these have often had positive outcomes. A recovering alcoholic, he's relapsed several times, but this led to his friend James Rhodes to becoming Iron Man and later War Machine. It was Iron Man who gathered the superheo Illuminati, and while they inadvertently instigated some threats, they've protected humanity from plenty of others. He's lost multiple corporations and fortunes, but always rebounds with new ventures. His technology was stolen and provided to villains. He's been shot. Manipulated by women and masters of time. Killed and been killed.

Stark served as the Secretary of Defense of the United States, but he resigned in light of incidents that cast him in a bad light. He acquired the Extremis armor. He championed the Superhero Registration Act so that he and the heroes would have some influence over its enactment. He became the head of SHIELD.

He's served lengthy stints with the Avengers, including the West Coast team, the new Avengers formed after the original had been disassembled, the Fifty States Initiative team, Hank Pym's Avengers, and most recently he reconciled with Steve Rogers and Thor and was assigned to the primary Avengers team.

But he's also clashed with the team he helped found. After aggressively destroying armors that used his technology, he became a fugitive and was confronted by Captain America. He created Force Works after the West Coast team was disbanded by the Avengers. He was manipulated into betraying and killing teammates. His pro-SHRA stance was opposed by many heroes and resulted in the superhero civil war which, arguably, led to Captain America's assassination.

But through it all he's almost always been, and always will be, an Avenger.

Here's why Iron Man is marvell2100's favorite Avenger:

I picked Iron Man as my favorite Avenger because, while he holds the Avengers standards in high regard, he isn't afraid to do what it takes to get the job done. He bends the rules and crosses certain lines as needed to get the job done. He's also the team's gadget guy, ready to whip something up at a moments notice.

He's also SlightyMad's number one pick:

One of the originals and best. As the recent Avengers trailer highlighted, while he is brilliant & charismatic, underneath the armour Tony Stark is just a man and a fragile man at that. Marvel loves it's flawed heroes & Tony truly is one of those before the alcoholism or heart problems lies the one issue he will never get over, his past as a weapons manufacturer & the lifetime's worth of guilt that goes with it. Not only does he stand alongside his fellow Avengers to fight the good fight every day, but he is their major bank-roller. They're based out of his house! Without Iron Man, The Avengers would probably still exist, but they would be able to operate as efficiently or on such a large scale without limitations.

Iron Man currently appears in Avengers and Invincible Iron Man.

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Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.

It's no secret that Thor puts the mighty in "Mighty Avengers". Thor was a founding member of the group and has served many stints with the team. Despite his responsibilities to Asgard, Thor has always made Earth a priority. In the Avengers he found mortal comrades worthy of his respect.

However, Thor has often acted outside of established protocol of Earth's nations, sometimes causing problems for the Avengers. When he attempted to overthrow the government of Slokovia, for example, the Avengers opposed him. But he always makes right and his Avengers teammates stand by him again, even if it's against Asgard's end times.

During one of Thor's "deaths", his one-time friends created a cybernetic clone of the god to aid the pro-registration side during the superhero civil war. Unfortunately this creation, eventually called Ragnarok, killed Bill Foster.

Thor returned and for the second time brought Asgard to Earth. Thor eventually forgave his friends and rejoined the Avengers. He was forced to kill the Wasp in order to stop the Skrulls from using her as a biological weapon. Thor defended Asgard during Norman Osborn's siege, but the kingdom was destroyed by the Sentry, but Thor was able to defeat with Loki's aid, with Loki apparently paying with his life.

Most recently Thor was killed again while defeating teh Serpent, however this led to the birth of Tanarus, the new God of Thunder.

Here's why Thor is Zagreus' favorite Avenger:

My take on why Thor is the best, and my personal favorite, Avenger boils down to two things: Power and Myth.

He’s the most powerful of the Avengers, bar none. There may occasionally be a member who will rival his power level, but usually, he’s a tier above, doing his job, taking the big guns down. When Thor’s there, he brings the hammer down. Sometimes, you need that. There are other characters who are wittier, who make with the emotional drama in a tale. Thor’s not usually that guy. But sometimes you just want someone to say, “Have at thee!” or “For Asgard!” You point him in the direction you want him to go and he gets the job done. Actually, he doesn’t need to be pointed; he knows his job, to take down the biggest, and the toughest foes. When Thor’s on the team, you KNOW that they have to go up against some big stuff, just because he’s there… so no busting up the robbers at local seven-eleven ;) That’s always a plus.

Nick fury said it best, in Secret Invasion #6, “Well, my god has a hammer!”

There was a page in a recent Avengers issue (Avengers #5) that illustrated this point cleverly. There was a lot of craziness going down, the space-time continuum was falling apart, and Hawkeye, Spidey, and Maria Hill were on the ground trying to sort through the mess trying to sort through the mess and help the people on ground. And in the background, there’s Thor, flying at Galactus’ head, shouting “Have at thee!” Awesome. Because that’s what Thor does. Some things are meant for Thor, and only Thor- they’re just out of everyone else’s league.

Out of the Avengers, one could argue that there are the big three, Captain America, Iron Man and Thor, the leaders that all look up to, the biggest icons among the Avengers and perhaps among all superheroes in the Marvel U, (within the context of the universe itself.) Captain America, the legendary hero of WWII, Iron Man the genius futurist inventor, and Thor the God of Thunder. Of these three, only Thor brings with him the entire world of ancient mythology to the Avengers, opening a whole new element of magic and myth to the more grounded heroes. Loki, his brother was the catalyst that led to the founding of the team. And just by the presence of Thor himself, the team has access to other worlds and dimensions due to the power of Mjolnir.

I’m no Avengers historian, so I’m sure there are folks out there who would be better suited to cite chapter and verse the history of Thor in the Avengers. But the big guy just brings a sense of epic majesty to the team that might otherwise be lacking. Partially because of the Thor, Avengers stories have larger more epic scopes. For recent stories, take a look at Secret Invasion, Avengers Prime, and Fear Itself recent Avengers events with Thor and Asgard at the center of them. Each Avenger brings certain elements to the table, but few bring entire WORLDS to the table, such as Thor. He is a cornerstone of the Marvel U in a way that few other characters are. I like the juxtaposition of myth and modern man that Thor brings to the Avengers. This allows writers to do interesting things not just with Thor, but with all the heroes. In Avengers #13 Luke Cage was in Asgard drinking mead and contemplating opening a mead bar. Hawkeye was showing his bow to Fandral of the Warrior’s Three who told him “You have the heart of a Bright Elf”, Hawkeye’s response, “Uhh.. Thanks?” Volstagg the Voluminous hit on Ms. Marvel. I love that kind of crazy stuff. Can’t get enough of it.

So, let's have a round of (thunderous) applause, for The Mighty Thor!

Thor is also The Mean Bean's number one pick:

Thor has been a member of the Avengers since issue #1, he hasn't been permanently with the team since their founding mission, but he has still been an Avenger since day 1. Thor made the Avengers what they are today, without him on the original roster would the team have been as special as it was? Thor is a god, how many other teams in the Marvel Universe can boast their world's very own version of Jesus in their ranks? Thor just proves that the Avengers are the tops dogs in the MU, his divine power is nearly unrivaled and he makes the Avengers unstoppable.

And here's what marvell2100 had to say:

I picked Thor in my Top 10 Avengers because he's the closer of the team. Cap maybe the one to inspire everyone but Thor is the guy that gives them that deep down feeling that, "As long as we have Thor on our side, we can handle anything."

Thor most recently appeared in in Avengers, Journey into Mystery, and The Mighty Thor.

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Hawkeye is like the cockiest Avenger ever. He literally conned his way onto the team. From the start, he clashed with his fellow Avengers, questioned Captain America's leadership, and hit on Quicksilver's sister.

But next to Captain America he probably best personifies what it means to be an Avenger. He grew to respect his teammates and went on to become one of the Avengers most loyal and adaptable members. He's been the deciding factor in many battles, and single-handedly defeated the Collector. His lack of powers has never held him back, though he has on a few occasions taken on the Goliath identity using Pym Particles.

He has left the team on occasion, sometimes on his own and sometimes because he was forced to. On one of these hiatuses he met, fell in love with, and married Mockingbird, who would eventually also become an Avenger. He's worked with the Defenders, established (under Vision's direction) and led the West Coast Avengers, helped train the upstart Great Lakes Avengers, and even led the Thunderbolts.

But then in recent years he's had his share of tragedies. His brother and mentor were seemingly killed. He separated from his wife, who later died battling Mephisto. He sacrificed himself in the battle against Onslaught. He was killed again in battle during the Scarlet Witch's madness, but ultimately resurrected. He found out his wife had actually been replaced by a Skrull. And had his identity usurped by Norman Osborn and Bullseye.

Since then, he served as the leader of the underground Avengers, helped rescue the time-displaced Captain America, and defended Asgard during Osborn's siege

After the Siege, Hawkeye rejoined the Avengers, serving on both the primary team and Luke Cage's team with Mockingbird, with whom he's attempted to reconcile. He has aided Mockingbird's anti-terrorist organization, the WCA, and has learned that his brother is actually alive.

Most recently, he has accepted a teaching spot at the Avengers Academy, which has reopened at the former headquarters of the West Coast Avengers.

Here's why Hawkeye is Sheldon's favorite Avenger:

For all intents and purposes Clint Barton shouldn’t be on the Avengers. The Avengers are supposed to be Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. He’s a guy with no powers who shoots a bow really well. Sure there are other members without powers, Captain America is a peak human with an unbreakable shield, Black Knight has a magical sword, and even Black Widow seems to have been enhanced by nanites these days. Hawkeye is a guy in good shape who has some trick arrows, who as if he didn’t need any more limitations was even hard of hearing for a time. Most of his life he’s had the deck stacked against him, he was an orphan, and grew up working at a carnival. The fact that he is part of a superhero team like the Avengers is pretty amazing.

Still despite the fact he is probably the most underpowered Avengers member, he earns his keep, almost through sheer force of personality. He’s brash, cocky, sarcastic and sometimes a bit of a jerk, but all of that just adds to his charm and moxy. Sure the bow comes in handy, but its almost as much about guts and determination with Hawkeye as it is about trick arrows. I love stories like in Avengers Annual 16 where he cheats to beat the Grandmaster, or in Avengers 174 where he takes on the Collector by himself. He even got a chance to shine in JLAvengers, making a crucial shot taking out Krona’s machine thingy. Hawkeye proves you do not need to be a Norse god to make a difference on this team.

I’ve recently been watching Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes with my son, and it really does a good job capturing what I like about Hawkeye, constantly underestimated, let always one of the last ones standing, but has a quick wit about him, and is very cocky. He has an edge to him that doesn’t go so far that it is grim and gritty.

Yes I am glad he isn’t gallivanting around like a ninja anymore and is back in his ridiculous purple costume, the way it is supposed to be. Over the year he has shown character growth, and taken on more responsibility, but still he remains relatable. Hawkeye is someone you want to root for, and someone I am glad to root for and that is why he is my favorite Avenger.

Hawkeye is also BartonisHawkeye88's number one pick:

Clint Barton may not be the most powerful or intelligent Avenger, but he has the unmatched skills with the bow and the power of improvisation and sheer stubborn determination to make miracles happen whether it be a trickshot from hell or conning an elder of the universe. He's the Han Solo of the Avengers and along with Vision, Scarlet Witch, Wonder Man and the Pyms, he's the heart and soul of the team.

And Hawkeye is also highwayguy's favorite:

“The Hawkeye I know broke into Avengers Mansion and demanded to be taken seriously as a hero. He stood next to me and defeated an Elder of the Universe with quick thinking and his own brand of luck. He fell down. A lot. But every time he got up, he was a better man for it. He fought every day to be the best among us. He showed the most courage and will of everyone. He believed in second chances, even for himself. That’s the man I knew.” - Steve Rogers (From the pages of Hawkeye & Mockingbird #6, written by Jim McCann)

Clint Barton. Hawkeye. Earth’s mightiest marksman. The original Thunderbolt. The heart and soul of the Avengers. Since he first controversially joined the team in Avengers #16, May 1965, Hawkeye has entertained and thrilled as only an Avenging Archer could. He has fought beside gods and legends, scientists and sorcerers, mutants and aliens. But still, it is the former carnival bowman that truly defines what it means to be an Avenger.

And for this particular saltire-clad fan, Hawkeye is undoubtedly the number one pick for the Top Fifty Avengers list.

At a young age, flicking through my brother’s Secret Wars comics in the 80’s and watching the Iron Man animated series in the 90’s, it was always the archery skills and purple spandex of Hawkeye that captivated my heroic affections. But it wasn’t until I first read Avengers issues #63-65 that his role in the Avengers became apparent. With his bow broken in two, his brother killed at the hands of Egghead, and revenge within his grasp, Hawkeye continued to fight for justice instead of succumbing to the lusts of self-pity and revenge. The more Avengers stories I read thereafter, the more I came to admire Hawkeye’s passion to uphold the team’s core ideology, as well as his flawed but quirky personality.

I mean, who else could tell Captain America exactly where to stick his shield and get away with it?

For me, the standout feature of Hawkeye is his refusal to be defined by the Avengers. He continues to this day to define the Avengers themselves. Avengers #189, leading to Mark Gruenwald’s 1983 Hawkeye series, showed the character’s strength and willingness to be more than just “Earth’s Mightiest Marksman”. Hawkeye proved he could be his own man, able to stand on his own two feet, beyond the comforts of the Avengers. Of course, when fate beckoned him back, Hawkeye never let down his teammates. And besides, the Avengers wouldn’t be the same without him.

To his teammates, Hawkeye has been known as many things. Hot-headed. Fun-loving. Death-defying. Courageous. Inspirational. Reckless. Stubborn. Brash. Roguishly charismatic. Fiercely loyal. A pain-in-the-ass. To his foes, Hawkeye is the rag-tag bowman who NEVER misses. And to the countless Avengers fans that follow his every shot, including myself, Hawkeye will forever be the greatest Avenger of them all.

Hawkeye currently appears in Avengers, Avengers Academy, and Avengers: Solo.

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When Captain America throws his mighty shield
All those who chose to oppose his shield must yield.
If he’s led to a fight and a duel is due,
Then the red and white and the blue’ll come through
When Captain America throws his mighty shield.

Captain America is the Avengers' Avenger. He's the mainstay. The one that commands the respect of men, mutants, machines, monsters, monarchs and gods. When he's not around, the Avengers aren't quite as great or effective as they are with him. And they know it.

Since World War II he's inspired patriots. While he's not an original founder, he's been given official founder's status. He's been an Agent of SHIELD. Numerous heroes have followed in his footsteps: Bucky, Rick Jones, Nomad, Falcon, US Agent, Jack Flagg, Free Spirit, Patriot, Battlestar, Justice, Diamondback, Rikki Barnes and numerous others.

When he was assassinated, the world mourned. When he returned, the world rejoiced. Hell, he was made head of security for the whole frickin' country.

And while he's faced challenges and obstacles and tragedies, he remains the personification of the ideals on which America was founded. He never gives up. He fights for every man, woman and child. He stands for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all.

This year he finished #2 on Comics Should Be Good's Top Marvel Character's poll.

Simply put, not only is he the greatest Avenger of all time, he's the greatest superhero in the Marvel, and quite possibly any other, Universe.

Here's why Captain America is one of SlightylMad's favorite Avengers:

Even as a Brit who has yet to set foot on American soil, I can still understand what it means to be an American and a lot of that understanding comes from what is epitomised by the character of Steve Rogers. Cap is someone that every hero would want by their side and every villain have reason to fear. He is a great hero and one of the finest Avengers.

Captain America currently appears in Avengers, Captain America, and Captain America & Bucky.