Avengers Formation

When the world needs saving, Earth's mightiest heroes stand together.

The Avengers are a team of superheroes and the protagonists of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), based on the comic team created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1963. Founded by S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury, this United States–based organization is composed primarily of superpowered individuals described as "Earth's Mightiest Heroes" committed to global protection. Originally operating from the Avengers Tower in Midtown Manhattan before moving to the Avengers Compound in Upstate New York, the team began with six core members: Tony Stark (Iron Man), Steve Rogers (Captain America), Thor Odinson, Bruce Banner (Hulk), Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow), and Clint Barton (Hawkeye). The franchise is central to the first 23 films of the Infinity Saga, grossing over US$7.7 billion across four main titles.

Quick Facts

Initial headquarters: Avengers Tower in Midtown Manhattan

Lore & Background

The MCU narrative begins with Nick Fury creating the Avengers Initiative in 1995 after encountering Carol Danvers, naming it after her U.S. Air Force callsign "Avenger." In 2012, the first assembly occurred when Loki teleported to a Joint Dark Energy Mission Facility, stealing the Tesseract and brainwashing Clint Barton and Dr. Erik Selvig. Fury recruited Tony Stark and Bruce Banner to locate the Tesseract while Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, and Stark apprehended Loki, though their efforts were disrupted by Thor's arrival.

Internal conflict erupted over S.H.I.E.L.D.'s weaponization of the Tesseract until Loki killed Agent Phil Coulson, uniting the team to avenge him. After Romanoff freed Barton from control and Rogers recruited him as a member, the group confronted Loki as he opened a wormhole for a Chitauri invasion. Stark referred to them as "Earth's Mightiest Heroes" before intercepting a nuclear missile launched by the World Security Council, flying it through the portal to destroy the mother ship while Romanoff closed the portal with the scepter.

Reader's Guide

Months after the Battle of Sokovia, a heist targeted the Avengers' new facility, leading to a skirmish between Sam Wilson and Scott Lang. In 2016, Rogers, Romanoff, Maximoff, and Wilson defended a Lagos research lab from Brock Rumlow; however, Maximoff's telekinesis accidentally killed Wakandan diplomats, prompting Secretary Thaddeus Ross to present the Sokovia Accords. The team split: Stark, Rhodes, Vision, and Romanoff supported regulation, while Rogers and Wilson opposed it due to fears of authoritarianism.

After Bucky Barnes was accused of killing King T'Chaka, Rogers and Wilson protected him from arrest, clashing with Stark's faction at Leipzig/Halle Airport where they were joined by Peter Parker. Rogers, Wilson, Barton, Maximoff, Barnes, and Lang fought against Stark, Rhodes, Romanoff, Vision, T'Challa, and Parker. Rogers and Barnes escaped to the Hydra Siberian Facility with Romanoff's help, while their teammates were imprisoned in the Raft and Rhodes was paralyzed by Vision's blast.

Stark joined Rogers after learning Barnes killed his parents but fought them until Rogers disabled his armor; Barnes' cybernetic arm was destroyed, and Rogers abandoned his shield before T'Challa apprehended Zemo.

Did You Know?

Casting for the original six members occurred from 2006 to 2010, ending with Mark Ruffalo replacing Edward Norton as Hulk by 2010.
In the MCU, the team expanded to include a total of 16 members beyond the original six core characters.
A new incarnation is set to return in Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027), concluding the Multiverse Saga.