The First 10 Members of the New Avengers, Ranked by Power

The New Avengers formed in 2005, rebooting the original team, which broke up after the “Avengers Disassembled” event, in which Scarlet Witch killed several Avengers and sent the team into a downward spiral. The first group of the team was formed to stop a prison breakout at the Raft, and the heroes decided to fill the vacancy left when the original Avengers dissolved. That original team included five members: Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, and Luke Cage. Sentry was also there, but he didn’t join at that time. The team ended up splitting up during the “Civil War” event before reuniting after the Superhero Registration Act was rescinded. They remained in action until Luke Cage and his wife Jessica Jones chose to retire.

From a young hero who took on the role of a fallen hero to a man with the power of a million exploding suns, here is a look at the most powerful of the first 10 members of the New Avengers.

10) Ronin (Echo)

Echo chose to take on the role of Ronin when she joined as a member of the New Avengers. Echo joined the team as its first new member after the original seven founders in New Avengers #11 (2005). Her powers involve her seeing an action once and being able to perform it perfectly, which mirrors the powers of the villain Taskmaster. She was also raised to be an assassin by her adoptive father, Wilson Fisk, although she chose to become a hero and leave Fisk. Echo later received a massive power-up with the Phoenix Force, but in the New Avengers, she fought solely as the unpowered Ronin.

9) Spider-Woman

Spider-Woman is Jessica Drew, and she has always been one of Marvel’s most powerful heroes thanks to her superpowers and her skills as a world-class spy. However, the version of Spider-Woman who helped form the New Avengers was not really Jessica Drew. This version of Spider-Woman was the Skrull queen Veranke, impersonating Drew in a set-up for Secret Invasion, which would take place three years later. As a Skrull, she had many of Jessica’s skills, but her powers were never as strong as Jessica’s. She did have shape-shifting powers, like all Skrulls, but ranks below Jessica and most early New Avengers members. The original Spider-Woman did join the New Avengers after Secret Invasion, but it took a long time to regain their trust.

8) Iron Fist

Iron Fist is Danny Rand, and he was the ninth member to join the New Avengers, signing on to the team in New Avengers #27 (2007). Danny earned the role of Iron Fist after he defeated Shou-Lao the Undying in the mystical city of K’un-Lun, gaining the dragon-shaped scar on his chest. His powers involve focusing his chi into his fist, which can then shatter steel and concrete. He can also heal himself and others using his chi. He is more powerful than the Skrull imposter and Ronin because Danny’s chi-amplified strikes operate at a superhuman damage tier.

7) Luke Cage

Luke Cage was a founding member of the New Avengers, and he was a big reason Iron Fist later joined, and why his wife, Jessica Jones, became a member in later years. He remains the powerhouse of the team and the front-line attacker thanks to his unbreakable skin and superhuman strength he gained during experiments while he was in Seagate Prison. He also has an accelerated healing factor, and his strength allows him to do even more damage than Iron Fist’s chi-amplified strikes. He and Danny are both incredible fighters, but Luke absorbs punishment, and Danny takes more damage in fights.

6) Spider-Man

Spider-Man was one of the founding members of the New Avengers, bringing the Wall-Crawler into a rare team-like setting. Despite working as a loner for so many years, having Spider-Man (and Wolverine) on an Avengers team helped Marvel bring more eyes to the comics since those two heroes were the most popular in the comic book line. Spider-Man has superhuman strength, agility, and a spider-sense that allows him to avoid oncoming attacks. He and Luke Cage are comparable, but with Spider-Man’s ability to avoid punches and his spider-sense, as well as a strength level he rarely pushes himself to, he is actually the most powerful of the two.

5) Captain America

While Luke Cage and Spider-Man are both physically stronger than Captain America, they don’t match up to him in tactical battle planning and overall fighting prowess. Cap has superhuman strength, speed, stamina, reflexes, healing, and resistance to fatigue. He can match Luke Cage in a fight and can outlast Spider-Man in a prolonged battle. His shield is indestructible and gives him an offensive weapon and a defensive shield. Few heroes in Marvel Comics are better tacticians than Captain America, and he might be the smartest strategist other than Cyclops in the comic book line.

4) Wolverine

Wolverine and Captain America match up well in terms of power, but Logan has one advantage over Cap. Wolverine’s healing factor is a lot faster, meaning he can return to battle a lot quicker than Cap when he takes damage. Wolverine was the seventh member to join the New Avengers and is considered a founding member, joining the team in New Avengers #6. Other than his healing factor, he has adamantium bonded to his skeleton, and also has retractable adamantium-laced claws that can cut through almost anything. He is also one of the few New Avengers members willing to take a life. Wolverine is one of the New Avengers who cannot be stopped in a battle.

3) Iron Man

Iron Man is a founding member of the New Avengers, appearing in their first appearance. He is a genius inventor and has countless suits of armor that he can use in any given situation. Almost all his suits of armor grant flight, repulsor blasts, missile arrays, energy shielding, and environmental adaptation. He also has the Hulk-Buster, which allows him to fight the Hulk on even ground and even some suits that allow him to fight in space or deep in the oceans. Thanks to his flight and offensive firepower, he ranks higher than Wolverine, although in a hand-to-hand battle, Iron Man might falter.

2) Doctor Strange

When he was in the New Avengers, Doctor Strange was the Sorcerer Supreme. He joined the team at the same time as Iron Fist in New Avengers #27 (2007), and he brings a mystical power that the team had from no other member. As the Sorcerer Supreme, there was no magical user on Earth more powerful than Strange, and he was easily one of the most powerful superheroes on the planet, regardless of team or the origin of his powers. While Iron Man is a powerful tech warrior, Doctor Strange’s magic overpowers any tech, and his spells make him powerful enough to defeat almost any other hero or villain in Marvel Comics.

1) Sentry

The most powerful member of the New Avengers is Sentry, and no one comes close. While Doctor Strange’s magical powers are unmatched, there is nothing that Sentry can’t do when fully powered and in charge of his mental stability. He joined the team in New Avengers #7-10 and brought the most firepower to the team. Robert Reynolds is powered by the Golden Sentry Serum, which is more powerful than the Super-Soldier Serum. He has been said to wield the power of one million exploding suns, and he is one of the few beings on Earth who can match the Hulk in a fight when the Hulk is fully enraged. No one on Earth can match Sentry for power.

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