First appearance: Avengers #1 (1963)
Founding members: Thor, Iron Man, Ant-Man, the Wasp and the Hulk
Current reviewed lineup: Captain America, Hawkeye, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch
Review coverage: Through Avengers #18 (July 1965).

Coming together

The Avengers begin with heroes who already have adventures and responsibilities of their own. In Avengers #1, Loki’s attempt to use the Hulk against Thor draws Iron Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp into the trouble as well. The encounter ends with the five agreeing to form a team. Their different abilities give them plenty to offer one another, but agreeing to work together is only the beginning.

Avengers #2 exposes how little trust there is between these strong personalities. The Space Phantom exploits their suspicions, particularly those surrounding the Hulk. The hostility feels much sharper than the familiar arguments within the Fantastic Four. By #3, the Avengers are searching for a former teammate who joins Namor against them. One of their earliest continuing problems comes from inside their own founding lineup.

A team that can change

Captain America’s arrival in Avengers #4 brings a new member and a connection to an earlier generation of heroes. His awakening carries grief and disorientation as well as the excitement of his return. For the Avengers, his admission establishes that the group can grow beyond the people who first assembled it.

The early friction does not prevent deeper bonds from developing. In #14, the Wasp’s life is in danger, and the whole team races to find the help she needs. Giant-Man’s distress is especially visible, but the urgency belongs to all of them. Their connection has become personal enough that saving a teammate matters as much as confronting a threat to the wider world.

A new lineup

Avengers #16 changes almost everything. Thor departs, and Iron Man, Giant-Man and the Wasp step down. Hawkeye seeks a chance to put his former antagonism behind him, while Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch join after leaving Magneto’s Brotherhood. Captain America returns to find himself leading this very different group.

That gives membership a new significance. The Avengers now offer former opponents an opportunity to prove themselves as heroes. The change also leaves the team without its original collection of established powerhouses. It has to discover how these four people can work together.

Learning to trust one another

In Avengers #17, training reveals both ambition and insecurity. Hawkeye and Quicksilver each think they should lead, while Rick Jones feels excluded despite his longer association with the team. The search for the Hulk leads into the Mole Man’s trap and a confrontation with the Minotaur, giving the new members a practical test of cooperation.

By #18, there is less open conflict and greater willingness to follow Captain America’s lead. Their mission to Sin-Cong is another trap, but Cap’s judgment and Scarlet Witch’s hex powers help them overcome the Commissar. Wanda gets the decisive contribution rather than remaining someone the others must rescue.

This is where the reviewed team’s story currently stands: a changed lineup beginning to develop trust, with its members’ different temperaments still very much in evidence.