avengers

The Avengers is a fictional superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in The Avengers #1 (cover-dated September 1963). The concept centers on a group of superheroes who join forces to confront threats that exceed the capacity of any single hero.

In the original comics, the founding lineup consisted of Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Ant-Man (Hank Pym), and the Wasp (Janet van Dyne). Captain America joined soon after, and the ensemble has since included numerous characters such as Black Widow, Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch, Vision, Spider-Man, Black Panther, Doctor Strange, and many others. Over the years, the Avengers have operated under various leadership structures and have based out of locations like the Avengers Mansion and later the Avengers Facility.

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Avengers are depicted as a central, world-saving team formed by Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. in response to escalating global threats. The first film, The Avengers (2012), assembled a core team of Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye to counter Loki and an alien invasion. The team elements recur in subsequent films such as Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) and Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019).