The Avengers are Marvel’s greatest superteam, including the best superheroes the publisher has to offer in its ranks. Over the years, Avengers like Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, the Wasp, Hank Pym, Scarlet Witch, the Vision, and many more have all become counted among the greatest Avengers ever. Joining the Avengers is one of the biggest indications that a hero has made it and it has become the gold standard of the Marvel Universe. The Avengers has made legends of some of the greatest heroes ever, and there are some heroes who have become associated with the team in the minds of fans. However, there are decades of Avengers who don’t get the credit they deserve.
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The Avengers have starred in some amazing stories, and the roster of the team is a huge part of why the books have been so good. While the classic members of the Avengers are rightfully praised, there are some Avengers who were great that most people don’t think about. These ten Avengers are legends of the team even though most fans don’t see them that way.
10) Justice
Justice is a character with a weird history. Vance Astrovik would one day become the leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy at some point in his timeline, but in the present, he started out as a member of the New Warriors. He accidentally used his mutant telekinetic abilities to kill his bigoted father, and figured that his dream of joining the Avengers would never come true. However, he and his girlfriend Firestar joined the team in Avengers (Vol. 3) #4 and had a pretty cool tenure with the team between 1998 and 2000. Justice was a fun member of the Avengers, always impressed to be there, and was the perfect younger member of the team. Justice has faded away, but he has always been an awesome hero.
9) Iron Patriot
“Dark Reign” was an amazing time in Marvel history, and it revolved around Norman Osborn, the former Green Goblin. Osborn was given the control of the Superhero Initiative and created his own team of Avengers, transforming villains into Avengers. Osborn took a suit of older Iron Man armor and changed into the Iron Patriot armor. As Iron Patriot, Osborn rode herd on a team of villains and targeted his enemies for retribution, all while saving the world. Osborn was a fabulous Avenger as long as he was able to hold it together, and he’s one of the highlights of Dark Avengers, an amazing Avengers series. Osborn was a great Avenger, all while being a great villain.
8) Hercules
Hercules is often looked at as Thor’s understudy in the Avengers. He’s basically a big powerful god who loves to fight, which makes him perfect for the team. However, most people would rather have Thor than Herc on the team. This is a shame, because Hercules is an excellent Avenger. He’s one of the team’s most powerful members, his infinite strength making him perfect to battle the worst villains out there. Hercules has had some cool runs with the team, especially in the ’80s and ’90s, and is one of the cooler B-list Avengers out there. It always disappoints me when Hercules is left off a new Avengers roster because he’s one of the coolest Avengers of them all.
7) The Sentry
The Avengers have been home to some of Marvel’s most overpowered heroes, including the Sentry. The Sentry is one of Marvel’s most complicated characters, and this is part of why he’s such a cool Avenger. The Sentry’s dark side made it so that the memories of him have to periodically be erased from the world, giving him a built-in threat for the Avengers to deal with. The Sentry’s fragile mental state and extreme power level made him one of the more contentious members of the Avengers, and this has added some cool stories to the team’s history. There’s an uneasiness to the Sentry being a member of the Avengers, as the team can never predict his actions, and that makes him one of the team’s most interesting members.
6) Wolverine
Wolverine is one of Marvel’s most popular heroes, and that eventually led him to the Avengers. Wolverine is best known for his time with the X-Men, but he made a great Avenger from 2005 until he left the team in 2013. Wolverine fit well into the Avengers, and was a focus in New Avengers Vols. 1 and 2. Wolverine was integral to multiple Avengers fights, and acted as one of Captain America’s most trusted confidantes on the team. Wolverine on the Avengers shows how important he is to the overall Marvel Universe, and it’s a shame that he hasn’t been brought back yet.
5) Luke Cage
Luke Cage was a C-list street level hero who got a chance at the big time with the Avengers. Luke Cage joined the New Avengers, and grew immensely as a hero. After Civil War, Luke Cage took over as leader of the underground Avengers, and showed that he was more than ready to lead the most important team in the Marvel Universe in one of the most contentious periods of Avengers history. Cage led the New Avengers for years and became one of the team’s MVPs. His powers were only part of that, as Cage showed that his resolve was just as unbreakable as his skin and his leadership skills were just as strong as his muscles. Luke Cage is an Avengers legend that everyone should talk about.
4) Sunspot
Jonathan Hickman’s run on the Avengers is the best of the best and it introduced some awesome Avengers to the team. Sunspot was one of these heroes. Sunspot first appeared in the early ’80s as a member of the New Mutants, moving to X-Force, and hanging around the X-Men. Sunspot would join the Avengers alongside his best friend Cannonball, and decided to use his wealth instead of his powers to make a difference. He bought AIM, started his own Avengers team, and led them through battles against the Maker. Sunspot was an amazing Avenger, his quick wit and billions of dollars making him one of the most entertaining characters on whatever page he was on.
3) Smasher
Izzy Kane found a pair of Shi’Ar Exo-Specs on the family farm and put them on. She became Smasher, a Superguardian of the Shi’Ar Empire, gaining super strength, invulnerability, flight, and Exo-Specs related powers. Smasher joined the Avengers during Hickman’s run and did her best to prove her worth to the Avengers and the Imperial Guard of the Shi’Ar Empire. She ended up starting a relationship with Cannonball, and helped the Avengers battle against the greatest threats in the Marvel Universe, all while becoming the prime Smasher in the Shi’Ar Empire. Smasher has disappeared since the end of the Hickman run, and that’s a shame; she’s an A-list Avenger and deserves to rejoin the team in glory.
2) Hyperion
There were some amazing Avengers stories in the 2010s, and one of the best members of the team at this time was Hyperion. Hyperion is basically Marvel’s favorite Superman pastiche, having appeared in multiple alternate universes. The Hyperion introduced in the Avengers (Vol. 5) came from an Earth that was destroyed in the Incursions by AIM and escaped to join the Avengers. Hyperion proved to be immensely powerful, working alongside the Avengers against the most powerful threats and making friends with Thor. Hyperion was a perfect Avenger, and hopefully one day this version of the character will return.
1) Ares
Ares is the Greek God of War, and he’s fought members of the Avengers many times over the years. However, after Civil War sundered the hero community, Ares was recruited for the Avengers by Iron Man. Ares became the mouthy berserker of the team throughout Mighty Avengers and Dark Avengers. Ares was such a cool member of the Avengers. Sure, you knew what he was going to do in any given situation — fight villains, insult his teammates for being too weak, and basically do whatever he felt like doing — but he was always entertaining.
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