The Avengers have become an household name thanks to the MCU and are the most popular superteam of the 21st century so far. Earth’s Mightiest Heroes came to prominence because they brought together the greatest heroes of the Marvel Universe to face threats that no one superhero could face. Sometimes, they’ve been the biggest team around and other times they’ve fallen down the sales charts, but there have always been stories that can make anyone a fan. That’s one of the greatest parts about the group; even if you don’t love them, there’s always a story that will tickle your fancy and show why so many love the team.
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There are a lot of valid reasons for not liking them, but that doesn’t mean that it’s impossible. The team’s stories have everything you could want from a superhero team comic, and can ensnare the esteem of fans who never read them before or never thought they wanted to. These ten Avengers stories are the best for non-fans, tales that will make anyone love the group.
10) Avengers (Vol. 5) #1-3
Jonathan Hickman’s Avengers run is flawless, and its first story is perfect for anyone who wants to like the team. In Avengers (Vol. 5) #1-3, by Hickman and Jerome Opena, a group of Avengers (the movie team) goes to Mars after an attack on Earth, and encounter a force unlike anything they’d ever faced. Captain America is able to escape and activates the Avengers Machine, bringing together the most powerful roster ever. This is big superhero action of the highest caliber, full of characters you’ll recognize and new ones that will enthrall you. It sets up the run beautifully and anyone who doesn’t like it needs to rethink their love of superheroes.
9) “The Korvac Saga”
The late ’70s/early ’80s of the Avengers is one of the most loved times in the team’s history. The roster was awesome and artist George Perez was drawing issues, so you knew the book would mostly look good. The best story from this period is “The Korvac Saga”, running through Avengers #167-177, by Jim Shooter, David Michielenie, George Perez, Sal Buscema, and David Wenzel. The group teams up with the 30th century Guardians of the Galaxy to battle Michael Korvac, a man from the future with the power of a god. This is big Avengers action, the kind of spectacle that will hook any superhero fan.
7) “Breakout”
New Avengers (Vol. 1) is vastly overrated, a book that a lot of fans loved despite there being a lot of problems with it as a series. However, there are some great stories from the book and it kicked off with an arc that anyone would love. “Breakout” ran through New Avengers (Vol. 1) #1-6, by Brian Michael Bendis and David Finch, and did a fantastic job of getting fans hyped. When the Raft is attacked and villains start to escape, a group of heroes comes together to stop them and ends up in a bigger situation than they could have imagined. This story has it all, and MCU fans will love the humor. It’s a book that will pull in any fan, and a lot of the series’ success comes from it hooking readers and keeping them there.
7) Avengers: Twilight
Avengers: Twilight is a flawless comic, and that’s really all there is to it. The story, by Chip Zdarsky and Daniel Acuna, takes place in a future where the Avengers were destroyed on H-Day, and a new fascist government took over, powered by the technology of Tony Stark and Wasp’s son and Kyle Jarvis, a relative of the Avengers’ old butler. Cap is depowered, but rejoins the fight when approached by Luke Cage. What follows is getting the band together to fight for freedom and this story feels extremely prescient for the United States. Zdarksy and Acuna are fantastic together, giving readers a superhero epic with a lot of the real world in it.
6) “The Kang Dynasty”
Kang is one of the greatest villains in Avengers history. There have been lots of cool stories starring the time traveling antagonist, but the one that will give a new fan everything they need is “The Kang Dynasty”, which ran through Avengers (Vol. 3) #41-44 and Avengers Annual (2001) #1, by Kurt Busiek, Alan Davis, Ivan Reis, Ian Churchill, Kieron Dwyer, Manuel Garcia, Brent Anderson, and Patrick Zircher. The Conqueror unleashes his ultimate plan for conquest and it works. He takes over the world, with only Earth’s Mightiest Heroes able to fight back against him. This is peak Avengers, a story showing the team do what they do best. Busiek is one of the team’s greats, and the artists do a fabulous job of giving readers the kind of awesome imagery they expect from a story like this.
5) “Ultron Unlimited”
“Ultron Unlimited” is the best Avengers story ever for a variety of reasons. The story ran through Avengers (Vol. 3) #19-22, by Kurt Busiek and George Perez. The whole thing is rather simple – Ultron returns with a new plan to exterminate humanity, destroying a small European country in hours and only the Avengers can stop him – but what makes it work so well is the particulars. It digs into the team’s history with the killer robot, spotlights various characters you don’t always expect, and has some of the best Avengers art you will ever see. MCU fans will recognize parts of it from Avengers: Age of Ultron, but it’s superior to that movie in every way and will make anyone love the team.
4) Avengers Forever (Vol. 1)
Kurt Busiek was an amazing Avengers writer, and one of his finest moments writing the team came in Avengers Forever (Vol. 1), by Busiek, Roger Stern, and Carlos Pacheco. This story brought together Avengers from across time to battle against a plan by the future version of Kang known as Immortus (don’t worry, the book describes it if you’re new to the characters) and his mysterious benefactors, who want to remove humanity from time because of the possible future of the species. This one gets into the weeds and Marvel and Avengers continuity, but does it in a way that won’t confuse any reader and is really entertaining. The team assembled is amazing, the plot will constantly keep you guessing, and the art is gorgeous, everything an Avengers story needs to shine.
3) Civil War
Civil War was a turning point for the Marvel Universe. Mark Millar and Steve McNiven’s story is one of the most controversial Marvel books ever. A lot of fans will tell you that it’s terrible, but it’s honestly pretty great for new fans. There is some mischaracterization in the story, but a new readers wouldn’t know that, they’ll just get a good story about the superhero community battling each other. Nearly everyone has seen the MCU adaptation, making this one a great starting point for new fans. Plus, it’s the linchpin of mid ’00s Marvel, so it’s great for someone looking to learn more about that time period.
2) Avengers (Vol. 1) #4
This classic issue by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduced Captain America to Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and it’s one of the finest stories from the team. After dealing with Namor and Hulk, the Avengers are on their way home, when they found a man frozen in ice, making the discovery of a lifetime: the Sentinel of Liberty Steve Rogers, who had been missing since the end of World War II. Lee and Kirby are electric together, and this one and done story will enthrall any reader who picks it up. It’s a huge part of Marvel history, and a great start for fans who aren’t Avengers readers.
1) “Under Siege”
“Under Siege”, by Roger Stern and John Buscema, ran through Avengers (Vol. 1) #270-277 and is widely considered one of the greatest, if not the greatest, Avengers stories ever. Baron Zemo brings together the biggest, most powerful rosters of the Masters of Evil and attack Avengers Mansion, blitzing the team and taking their home from them. What follows is Earth’s Mightiest Heroes proving why they earned that name, as they figure out a way to come back from one of their worst defeats. That’s what makes the story so great for a new fan or someone who doesn’t really like the team – it shows a side of them they won’t get to see very much and it’s awesome.
What’s you favorite Avengers story for non-fans? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
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