The Avengers is one of Marvel’s most storied franchises. Back in the Silver Age, Fantastic Four was the bestselling Marvel team book, but The Avengers was a close second. Eventually, the Avengers would take the top place, and hold it until the rise of the X-Men. The Avengers fell from grace in the ’90s, but were in a pretty good place creatively, as the Busiek/Perez run on Avengers had reminded everyone how much they loved the Avengers. However, the ’00s would soon become the decade of the Avengers. The rise of New Avengers and the Marvel event cycle in the ’00s saw the Avengers retaking their place atop the Marvel Universe and the sales chart. It was something of a renaissance for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
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The ’00 boasted some pretty great runs on Avengers, New Avengers, Dark Avengers, Mighty Avengers, and basically every Avengers title Marvel put out. Some out there say that ’00s Marvel was overrated, and that it only has the love it does because of rose-colored glasses. However, you can’t deny that there were a lot of great stories in the ’00s from the Avengers. These ten are the best Avengers stories of the ’00s, stories that helped remake the Avengers for the 21st century.
10) “World Trust”
After Kurt Busiek’s run on Avengers, fans got something of a treat — writer Geoff Johns, at the time just starting his blockbuster run on JSA, was tapped to write the team. Johns’s run is honestly one of the better of the ’00s, and his first story was a perfect beginning. “World Trust” spanned Avengers (Vol. 3) #57-61, by Johns and Kieron Dwyer. A new team of Avengers, including wild cards like Jack of Heart, Black Panther, Scott Lang, and She-Hulk, teaming with Captain America, Vision, Wasp, Yellowjacket, and Iron Man, end up battling Scorpio and the Brotherhood of the Ankh. Johns brought his trademark energy to the book and it worked perfectly for the Avengers. Johns’s Captain America and Iron Man were great versions, and Johns came up with interesting things for all of the new members to, all while bringing back the classic relationship between Yellowjacket and Wasp. “World Trust” has that classic feel while still being modern that Johns did so well. “World Trust” is a better story than it gets credit for.
9) “Breakout”
“Avengers Disassembled: Chaos” killed the Avengers, but the team didn’t stay dead long. New Avengers was highly anticipated, and has gone down as one of the most beloved books of the ’00s Marvel. Fans loved that book, and it all started with the book’s first story arc — “Breakout” from New Avengers #1-6, by Brian Michael Bendis and David Finch. Electro is hired to sabotage the Raft, freeing the villains within. On the day he attacks, Spider-Woman, Daredevil, and Luke Cage have come to talk to a mysterious man named the Sentry at the prison, and are caught in the middle of the breakout. Spider-Man, Captain America, and Iron Man show up to help and a new team of Avengers is born, as they set out to find Electro, and learn why he did what he did. This leads the team to the Savage Land, where they meet their final members, Wolverine, and discover a massive problem with SHIELD. “Breakout” is trademark Bendis — heavy on the character with not a lot of action — but it works for the story. This was the perfect debut for the New Avengers, and set the stage for years of stories, all coming from this six issue tale.
8) “The Sentry”
New Avengers hit the ground running, and this story arc picked up immediately where the last left off. “The Sentry” from New Avengers #7-11, by Brian Michael Bendis and Steve McNiven, saw some of the Avengers — new members Spider-Man, Wolverine, Spider-Woman, and Luke Cage — hunting down villains escaped from the Raft, while Captain America and Iron Man try to figure out the secret of the Sentry. The story takes some crazy turns, and the Void is awakened, forcing the Avengers to call on the Fantastic Four and the X-Men for help, and making a Hail Mary to try to take the Sentry down before the Void can destroy the world. This is another story without much satisfying action, but it’s a fun story, especially if you’re a fan of the Sentry. Even if you aren’t, it’s still a really great narrative, and McNiven’s art is amazing. New Avengers #7 features a pretty cool fight between the Wrecker and the hunting team, and the story has several great moments like that. “The Sentry” doesn’t really get a lot of credit, but it’s definitely one of the better New Avengers stories.
7) “Avengers Disassembled: Chaos”
“Avengers Disassembled: Chaos” ran through Avengers #500-503 and Avengers Finale, by Brian Michael Bendis, David Finch, and the best artists Marvel could get for Avengers Finale. “Avengers Disassembled: Chaos” had a lot riding on it. Johns left Avengers and signed an exclusive contract with DC, and Marvel put Uncanny X-Men writer Chuck Austen on the book. Austen killed the book, and Marvel got Bendis and Finch to save the day. “Avengers Disassembled: Chaos” gave the team their worst day, as they are rocked by attack after attack on every level. At the center of it is an enemy no expected, and by the time the smoke clears, not only will the Avengers be dead as a team, but multiple Avengers will be dead. “Avengers Disassembled: Chaos” is one of Bendis’s finest hours writing the Avengers, capturing the right balance of action and character. It’s a very important story to the history of the Avengers, and lives up to the hype.
6) “Assemble”
After Secret Invasion (more on that next), Norman Osborn was given his own Avengers title, Dark Avengers. The book’s first story arc, “Assemble”, ran through Dark Avengers #1-6, by Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Deodato. Osborn won the war against the Skrulls, and decides to cement his power base by recreating the Avengers in his own image. Osborn brought in Bullseye, Moonstone, Venom, and Daken and rechristened them Hawkeye, Ms. Marvel, Spider-Man and Wolverine. He kept Ares and the Sentry from Iron Man’s last team Avengers team, and brought in Noh-Varr as Captain Marvel. Finally, using a suborned and modified suit of older Iron Man armor, Osborn becomes the Iron Patriot, combining the trusted iconography of Captain America and Iron Man. He brings the team together just in time, when Doctor Doom, a member of Osborn’s Cabal, calls for help against Morgana Le Fay. The Dark Avengers are given their baptism by fire, and it’s one of the best Avengers stories ever honestly. Bendis’s character oriented storytelling is perfect for this book, and art by Deodato is amazing. This is prime Avengers; for my money Dark Avengers is the best Avengers book of the ’00s, and this story is the perfect introduction to the team.
5) Secret Invasion
Secret Invasion, by Brian Michael Bendis and Leinil Yu, is the culmination of years of Avengers stories, from “Breakout” to Civil War to World War Hulk, every story built to the hidden Skrulls breaking the heroes and trying to take over the world. Secret Invasion is way better than the MCU adaptation, a story that sees the heroes at their lowest ebb and at each other’s throats, with Luke Cage’s New Avengers — Cage, Wolverine, Spider-Man, Ronin, Iron Fist, Doctor Strange, and Echo — and Iron Man’s Mighty Avengers — Iron Man, Ms. Marvel, the Wasp, Ares, the Sentry, Black Widow, and Spider-Woman — called to the Savage Land and at each other’s throat when the invasion begins. What follows is a twisty narrative that could be paced a little better, but is still plenty exciting. Yu’s art is the key to the whole thing. Bendis’s talking heads get annoying, but when Yu is cooking it doesn’t matter. The above scene is just a taste of how great the action in this comic looks. Secret Invasion was super hype when it hit, tying up multiple plot lines, and it’s still a great read all these years later.
4) “The Trust”
“The Trust”, which ran through New Avengers #32-37 and New Avengers Annual #2, by Brian Michael Bendis, Leinil Yu, and Carlo Pagulayan, was the direct set-up for Secret Invasion. The New Avengers had just discovered that Elektra had been replaced by a Skrull, and paranoia takes hold as they don’t know who they can trust, even each other. When one of the team members absconds with the corpse of Skrull Elektra, the team gets even more anxious than ever. Meanwhile, the Hood unites the B and C-list villains who escaped the Raft as a criminal union of sorts and tells them that he’s going to fail where everyone else has failed — he’s going to kill the Avengers. This story is pretty Wolverine heavy, and that’s a great thing, because Yu is one of the best Wolverine artists ever. “The Trust” is another example of Bendis’s character focused storytelling paying off, as he builds the exact right atmosphere for the story. “The Trust” is brilliant (as are the Bendis written New Avengers and Mighty Avengers Secret Invasion tie-in ideas), and is the perfect build to Secret Invasion.
3) “Revolution”
“Revolution” was New Avengers‘ answer to Civil War, and it was the best the book ever was for about twelve issues. New Avengers #27-31, by Brian Michael Bendis and Leinil Yu, sees Luke Cage, Wolverine, Jessica Drew, Iron Fist, Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, and Clint Barton as Ronin take refuge in Doctor Strange’s Sanctum Sanctorum, with Strange joining the team, to hide from Iron Man and his Avengers. The team decides to keep fighting against the Superhero Registration Act, and decide to take the fight directly to Iron Man. However, Echo calls the team to Japan with an emergency situation: Elektra and the Hand have gotten much more vicious lately, and she needs help defeating them. What follows is a no holds bar ninja fight that brings the New Avengers to a startling discovery. Bendis and Yu are great together, and this story is the peak of New Avengers, easily. It’s Bendis’s best work on the Avengers, giving readers some great storytelling that is a nice combination of humor and big stakes action.
2) “Red Zone”
Geoff Johns’s second arc on Avengers was his best. “Red Zone” ran through Avengers (Vol. 3) #65-70, by Johns and Olivier Coipel. A bioweapon is let off on Mount Rushmore and the Avengers have to figure out a way to keep it from spreading, all while trying to figure out who is behind the whole thing. The discovery will shock them, as the last person they’d ever expect gets the one job no one predicted. “Red Zone” is tight, character based storytelling. Johns does a great job of capturing the tension of the outbreak, as the Avengers scramble to save as many lives as possible. Of course, not everything goes perfectly for the team, and one member has a breakdown that was sadly predictable. “Red Zone” is amazing Avengers action, and I guarantee you’ll want to read the final part of Johns’s run, “Search for She-Hulk”, to see how it all shakes out.
1) “Kang Dynasty”
Writer Kurt Busiek, working with artists George Perez, Jerry Ordway, and Stuart Immonen, made Avengers into big business again, and Busiek’s final arc on the book was sensational. “Kang Dynasty” ran through Avengers (Vol. 3) #42-54, by Busiek, Alan Davis, Manuel Garcia, Kieron Dwyer, Brent Anderson, and Ivan Reis. During his run, Busiek gave readers the ultimate Ultron story with “Ultron Unlimited” and does the same for Kang with “Kang Dysnasty”. It’s the perfect Avengers epic, as the team has to face off against their most dangerous villain after he’s already won. It’s the Avengers at their finest, and any fan of the team needs to check this one out.
What’s your favorite Avengers comic of the ’00s? Sound off in the comments below.
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Image Courtesy of Warner Bros.
