10 Most Underrated Avengers, Ranked

The Avengers are the Marvel Universe’s first line of defense against the greatest threats. The Avengers isn’t an original idea — DC had created the idea of putting together their most popular characters in one book — but it gave readers Marvel’s greatest heroes all in one place. Over the years, readers have gotten to spend a lot of time with the Avengers, and some heroes have risen above the others. There are certain characters who have become stars because of the Avengers, with heroes who were already stars becoming something more than they were. One of my favorite parts about the Avengers is watching characters who you never expected to be Avengers rise to the top of the Marvel Universe.

Over the years, there have been some Avengers who don’t get the credit they deserve, though. There are some characters who have get their time in the sun with the Avengers, yet years alter, fans don’t really see them as great Avengers that belong on the level of Captain America, Iron Man, or Thor. This is unfair to some Avengers. These Avengers have been underrated for a variety of reasons. Some of them are founders of the team, others didn’t spend a lot of time with the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, but all of them should be ranked among the best Avengers ever. These ten Avengers are the cream of the crop, and they deserve more credit for that.

10) Hank Pym

Hank Pym is one of the founding Avengers, joining the team as Ant-Man in their first battle with Loki. Pym has had many superhero identities over the years — Giant-Man, Goliath, Yellowjacket, the Wasp — and was one of the team’s most important members in its early days. However, when people think about Hank Pym, they usually think of the time that he hit the Wasp or his creation of Ultron. Hank Pym was always more than either of things, though. He played a massive role in the in the many of the team’s early victories. In fact, there was a time before Iron Man became the jack of trades Avengers scientist (back in the day, he was more of an engineer than he what he is now) and Hank Pym was the team’s premiere scientist. Hank Pym is also a remarkably deep character, his struggles with his mental health making him a unique part of the team. Hank has been a victim of pigeonholing, but that is unfair to him as a character.

9) The Wasp

The Avengers have had some amazing leaders, but one that doesn’t really get the credit she deserves is the Wasp. The Wasp was a founding member of the team, and while she could seem flighty, there was always a core of toughness in Janet Van Dyne. The Wasp is mostly looked at as the fashion designer who shrunk, but she’s always been one of the most adaptable Avengers. The Wasp is whip smart in battle, and she came up with all kinds of great ways to use her powers and weapons. One of the problems with reader appreciation of the Wasp is that she wasn’t really a part of the team’s resurgence in the mid ’00s until Mighty Avengers, which is the least popular Avengers book of that period. The Wasp is a classic Avenger, and there are a lot of readers who don’t really know anything about her cool feats. The Wasp is an Avengers par excellence, and I hope that she gets put back on the team in the future so fans can see why she’s so great.

8) Wonder Man

From the beginning, the Avengers have always had some great heavy hitters on the team. Avengers like the Hulk, Thor, and Hercules are the most well-known super strong Avengers, but there’s one that should be included in that number — Wonder Man. Wonder Man started out as a villain, forced into evil by his brother Eric Williams, the future Grim Reaper, and died in his first appearance. However, his powers were based on ionic energy and he ended up coming back to the team as a member. Wonder Man is basically immortal, as his body is now composed entirely of ionic energy. Wonder Man was one of the coolest Avengers of the late ’70s/early ’80s, but faded away as a member of the team after the ’90s. Much like the Wasp, Wonder Man hasn’t really been an Avenger very much since the ’00s resurgence, so he isn’t as well-thought of by modern readers. However, he’s an amazing Avenger, his powers making him a nearly unstoppable force on the team.

7) Sunspot

Jonathan Hickman’s run on the Avengers was brilliant, and it introduced readers to the best Avengers roster ever. Hickman brought together a team that combined classic Avengers with some awesome new ones, and one of the best of this time was Sunspot. The former New Mutants/X-Force alum didn’t do a lot in battle with the Avengers, but he does have something else that is basically a superpower — billions of dollars. Sunspot used his money to buy AIM, which was crucial to the Avengers’ success, eventually using his power to help in the Incursions and create an all-new Avengers team in their aftermath. On top of that, he was extremely entertaining every time he was on the page, especially with his friend/husband Cannonball (okay, they weren’t actually married, but Hickman basically wrote them as a platonic married couple). Sunspot was an amazing Avenger, and it would be great to see him get another chance on the team.

6) Rogue

Rogue is one of the best X-Men, and she’s also one of the best Avengers. Rogue joined the Avengers in the aftermath of Avengers Vs. X-Men, becoming a member of the Avengers Unity Squad. Rogue clashed with Scarlet Witch, and their rivalry became a defining part of that book. However, Rogue ended up warming up to Scarlet Witch, and would rejoin the Unity Squad after Secret Wars, becoming the leader of the team. Rogue brought everything she brings to the X-Men to the Avengers; she’s powerful, skilled, and, most importantly, smart. Rogue shines everywhere she goes, and her time with the Avengers is one of her most impressive periods in her life. She went from beating the Avengers in her first appearance to leading them, helping then save the world multiple times.

5) Luke Cage

Speaking of characters who no one thought would lead the Avengers, let’s talk about Luke Cage. Luke Cage joined the Avengers at the beginning of Brian Michael Bendis’s landmark Avengers run, and was a major part of the New Avengers comic until Bendis left the Avengers books. Cage was mostly known for being a D-list street level superhero, but his time on the Avengers did an amazing job of showing just what he was capable of. His super strength and unbreakable skin made him perfect in combat, but what really made him a great Avenger was when he became the leader of the New Avengers after Civil War. Cage led the team through the some fraught years, as his Avengers team was basically an underground illegal entity from Civil War until Siege. Cage became an A-list Avenger, and it was a shame that he wasn’t put into the runs that came after Bendis; Luke Cage is an Avenger through and through, and he deserves a place in the team’s pantheon equal to Cap or Iron Man.

4) Quicksilver

Quicksilver first joined the Avengers team known as “Cap’s Kooky Quartet”, and got a chance to move beyond being a villain. Quicksilver was a lock for Avengers membership throughout the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s, but ended up joining X-Factor in the ’90s and has since only had sporadic membership with the team. Quicksilver’s biggest problem is the fact that he’s the brother of Scarlet Witch. Scarlet Witch is one of the most beloved Avengers ever, and has a healthy MCU following. Quicksilver doesn’t have any of that, and his often bad attitude made it hard for fans to form a connection to him. However, I find Quicksilver an even more interesting character than his sister; Scarlet Witch was defended by everyone every time she flipped out and attacked the Avengers, but Quicksilver has often been vilified because his powers make the world go by at a snail’s pace to him. Quicksilver deserves way better than he’s gotten over the years.

3) Wolverine

Wolverine is one of Marvel’s most beloved characters. His popularity has played a massive role in the success of the X-Men over the decades. This same popularity has seen him cross over with basically every major hero in the Marvel Universe. However, no one ever expected him to become an Avenger; once Captain America went out of his way to tell Wolvie he would never allow the mutant to join the team. However, all of that changed with New Avengers, as Marvel went back to the Justice League concept — putting Marvel’s most popular heroes together on the team — and Wolverine became an Avenger. Strangely enough, Wolverine fit very well in the Avengers. He wasn’t as big a pain in the butt as he was in the early years of the X-Men, and was given just the right amount of attention in the book. Wolverine’s years in the Avengers showed just how great a hero he had become, and he became one of the most trusted members of the team (his last few years on the team saw him on two Avengers squads, showing just how important he had become to the team).

2) Hawkeye

Marvel has plenty of great heroes without powers, and the best of them has always been Clint Barton, the man known as Hawkeye. Now, many fans would think calling Hawkeye an underrated Avenger is wrong, however, Hawkeye doesn’t always get the respect he deserves. Hawkeye is basically just a well-trained human with one of the oldest weapons in human history fighting alongside gods, super soldiers, and the most powerful superheroes around against threats that can shake the universe. Hawkeye is always in the front ranks of any fight the Avengers have been in, risking his life in a way that most members of the don’t because of his lack of powers. He deserves all the respect in the world, and is one of the Avengers’ greatest members (honestly, I would put him right under Cap, Iron Man, and Thor).

1) Hyperion

Hyperion was first introduced in Avengers comics during the Silver Age. He was one of Marvel’s first Superman pastiches, and he and the Squadron Supreme were basically just there to show the Avengers defeating a Justice League pastiche (and let’s be real — the Avengers have no chance against any of the powerful Justice League teams; even the Justice League International would probably take them down). Hyperion would join the Avengers during Hickman’s run and became one of the most powerful members of the team. However, what made Hyperion so great was his actions. He ended up adopting a group of beings created by the evolutionary missiles launched at the Earth in the first Hickman story arc and became the best friend of Thor, eventually risking his life in battle against Beyonders. I loved Hyperion’s time on the Avengers; it dug into the character in the best possible way and showed him for the force of nature that he truly was. The version of Hyperion that joined the team doesn’t exist anymore, but if there’s one Avenger who deserves to come back, it’s him. Hyperion should be an Avenger forever.

What Avengers do you think are underrated? Sound off in the comments below.

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