The Avengers: United They Stand

Did You Know?

• Ownership of the series passed to Disney after Saban Entertainment's closure, which also includes Marvel Productions.
• In May 2004, Maximum Entertainment released two boxsets containing the show and segments from The Marvel Super Heroes.
• Clear Vision re-released the series on DVD as a two-disc set on April 16, 2012.

Plot

The series follows a team broadly based on the West Coast Avengers, led by Ant-Man/Giant-Man and composed of the Wasp, Wonder Man, Tigra, Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch, Falcon, and Vision. Captain America and Iron Man each appeared as guests in one episode, while Thor appeared only in the opening titles. Foes include Ultron, Kang the Conqueror, Egghead, the Masters of Evil, Grim Reaper, and Zodiac.

Production

In 1997, Roland Poindexter approached X-Men writers Robert N. Skir and Marty Isenberg to develop an Avengers proposal. After they created a 13-episode story arc, Fox Kids considered a Captain America series instead. Marvel's bankruptcy halted development until late 1998, when Poindexter revived the project using the existing bible. Fox gave the go-ahead in January 1999, and Ron Myrick oversaw visual development. Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor were initially prohibited due to licensing issues; Eric Lewald stated the team was chosen to avoid making it a superstar-led show. Captain America and Iron Man each made one guest appearance, while Thor did not appear outside the opening sequence. The pairing of Scarlet Witch and Wonder Man as a couple was based on a contemporary Avengers comic storyline.

Merchandise and media

Toy Biz produced action figures of Ant-Man, Captain America, Falcon, Hawkeye, Kang, Tigra, Vision, Ultron, Wasp, and Wonder Man, along with Air Glider and Sky Cycle vehicles. Promotional images and action figure photos showed Hawkeye without a mask, but in the series and final figure he wore a mask similar to that from the Avengers: The Crossing storyline. A comic book series by Ty Templeton and Derec Aucoin ran for seven issues due to low sales. The first two issues are set before the series premiere; issue 1 explains the armor worn by Hawkeye, Wasp, and Falcon, which uses Pym Particles to reduce pain from injury. The Black Panther appeared in issues 1 and 6–7, and Captain America appeared in issues 6–7.