Every week, a secret cabal of Marvel staffers gathers to discuss the best of the best when it comes to the House of Ideas.
"Avengers Assemble!"
It's a rally cry dozens of heroes in a wealth of permutations have answered proudly over the years. Only on the Avengers will you find Norse gods standing shoulder to shoulder with billionaire inventors and mutant witches falling in love with soulful synthezoids.
This week in SECRET INVASION #6, the Avengers' core trio reunites—sort of—as the new Captain America joins stalwarts Iron Man and Thor on the front lines. This reunion inspired the Secret Cabal to list their 10 favorite Avengers rosters from the past 45 years.
For each lineup you get the quick rundown as well as a special spotlight comic courtesy of Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited.
As always, these picks reflect the personal choices of the Secret Cabal, not the official opinion of Marvel or Marvel.com, and can be considered subjective at best. Enjoy!
10. WORLD TRUST LINEUP
Tenure: AVENGERS v3 #57 (2002)-AVENGERS v3 #84 (2004)
Roster: Yellowjacket, Iron Man, The Wasp, Captain America, Hawkeye, The
Scarlet Witch, The
Black Panther, The Vision, The Falcon, Warbird, She-
Hulk, Jack of Hearts, Ant-Man II,
Lionheart
Who They Are: After saving the world from a takeover attempt by Scorpio, the Avengers shed their government sponsorship and become an independent peacekeeping force.
Why They Make The List: "Gigantic, amorphous super-teams like the Avengers walk a tenuous line. Going full force with the heavy hitters and A-listers is great, but those squads usually don't last too long. And teams full of scrubs? Pffft. But massive crews like this one are pure money! There was plenty of tension—Jack of Hearts and Ant Man, Yellowjacket and the
Wasp, Lionheart and everyone—and all those cooks in the kitchen inevitably lead to as many massive disasters as epic wins. But watching this team bicker, fail, succeed and do it all over again is what makes 'em great." – Secret Cabal member Agent_M
Fun Fact: Thor and
Namor both assisted this team in their initial mission, marking the only time the Avengers' roster included three monarchs (the Black Panther being the third).
Spotlight Comic: AVENGERS v3 #76—The Avengers face the death of one of their own!
9. CELESTIAL MADONNA LINEUP
Tenure: AVENGERS v1 #114 (1973)-GIANT-SIZE AVENGERS #4 (1975)
Roster: Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye, The Scarlet Witch, The Black Panther, The
Vision, The
Swordsman,
Mantis
Who They Are: When the mysterious Mantis joined the Avengers, it set Earth's Mightiest Heroes into a lengthy series of battles with their nemesis
Kang, as he pursued their new recruit, who also happened to be the Celestial Madonna, destined to give birth to a highly influential cosmic being.
Why They Make The List: "It took a classic team of Avengers to face down the ominous possibility of Kang claiming his ultimate victory and siring a universal savior. This roster saw seminal moments in Avengers history from their war with the
Defenders to Hawkeye's dramatic return to the Swordsman's heroic sacrifice to save Mantis' life. It was even during this quintessential time in Avengers lore that the Vision and the Scarlet Witch finally solidified their love affair by tying the knot in a ceremony presided over by Immortus." – Secret Cabal member Annihilator882
Fun Fact: When the Avengers battled the Defenders during this period, Hawkeye, a longtime Avenger, found himself on the opposite side from his old teammates.
Spotlight Comic: AVENGERS v1 #116—The Vision and the Scarlet Witch battle the
Silver Surfer as part of the Avengers/Defenders War!
8. EARLY 90'S LINEUP
Tenure: AVENGERS v1 #329 (1991)-AVENGERS v1 #389 (1995)
Roster: Giant-Man, Captain America,
Quicksilver, Hercules, The Black Knight, The Vision, The
Black Widow, Quasar, Sersi, Rage,
Crystal, Thunderstrike
Who They Are: After briefly disbanding, the Avengers reform, first as a massive, rotating team before later paring down their ranks to a more manageable number led by the Black Widow.
Why They Make The List: "Take some of the Avengers' most memorable heroes, add in some hot newcomers and you've got an eclectic group of awesomeness. No two characters are alike. The soap opera style drama was at an all time high and allowed for all the characters to really be explored in depth, as readers saw nuances of their relationships. While some of the names were newer to fans, you can't deny that this is a real team of heavy hitters and added a lot of depth to the series. And did I mention the leather jackets?" – Secret Cabal member OneManDynasty
Fun Fact: Both
Spider-Man and his then-reformed enemy the
Sandman served as reserve Avengers during this period.
Spotlight Comic: INFINITY WAR #1—The Avengers join the fray of the Infinity War!
7. KANG DYNASTY LINEUP
Tenure: AVENGERS v3 #38 (2001)-AVENGERS v3 #55 (2002)
Roster: Yellowjacket, Iron Man, Thor, The Wasp, Captain America, Quicksilver, The Scarlet Witch, The Black Knight, The Vision, Wonder Man, Warbird,
Photon, Quasar,
Firestar, Justice,
Triathlon,
Silverclaw, Jack of Hearts, Firebird,
Living Lightning
Who They Are: When Kang attacks Earth with a massive army in his most ambitious gambit ever, the Avengers assemble a counterforce to stem the tide.
Why They Make The List: "Think about it: This team managed to defeat Kang the Conqueror after he'd taken over the entire planet. How many other heroes can say they managed to successfully topple a planet-wide dictator? Few lineups have faced these kinds of odds, and this team stepped up to the plate big time. Add the fact that it also featured practically every classic Avenger from Captain America to Yellowjacket and the Vision as well as a slew of newer faces such as Triathlon and Silverclaw, and you've got a roster that not only has an incredible amount of manpower, but also a little something for everyone." – Secret Cabal member SparkleMotion515
Fun Fact: Every past and reserve Avenger was made temporarily active during this crisis.
Spotlight Comic: AVENGERS FOREVER #12—Before he opposes them once more, Kang battles alongside the Avengers in the Destiny War!
6. NEW NEW AVENGERS
Tenure: NEW AVENGERS #27 (2007)-present
Roster: Ronin II,
Luke Cage, Spider-Man, Spider-Woman,
Wolverine, Dr. Strange, Iron Fist,
Echo
Who They Are: Following
Civil War, Luke Cage gathered this alliance of anti-registration heroes to carry on the legacy of Captain America.
Why They Makes The List: "You could talk about this team being too street level and unbalanced, but if I needed to force my way into a foreign embassy, I know who I would want at my back. These guys may not have the kind of raw power that other groups boast, but their practical smarts and mastery of mysticism more than makes up for that. In the end these guys are the ones who uncovered the Skrull invasion and you have to give them props for that." – Secret Cabal member LiterateNitz18
Fun Fact: The "Spider-Woman" who served on this team was actually the Skrull Queen Veranke in deep cover.
Spotlight Comic: NEW AVENGERS #28—The New Avengers journey to Japan to save Echo from the Hand!
5. HEROES RETURN LINEUP
Tenure: AVENGERS v3 #1 (1998)-AVENGERS v3 #27 (2000)
Roster: Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye, The Scarlet Witch, The Vision, Wonder Man, Warbird, Firestar,
Justice
Who They Are: After many of their ranks return from displacement to an alternate reality, the Avengers reorganize with a mix of veterans and new faces.
Why They Make The List: "When Kurt Busiek and George Perez relaunched AVENGERS after the Heroes Reborn event, they put together a roster of some of the most classic characters to ever grace the hallowed halls of the team's mansion. With great character dynamics—including a heart-wrenching love-triangle between the Scarlet Witch, the Vision and Wonder Man—and the fresh perspective of new members like Justice and Firestar, this lineup reminded fans of just how human even the mightiest of super heroes can be." – SparkleMotion515
Fun Fact: "Warbird" was an alternate codename used by the once and future
Ms. Marvel.
Spotlight Comic: AVENGERS v3 #4—The old order changeth as the Avengers select their new roster!
4. POST-KORVAC LINEUP
Tenure: AVENGERS v1 #181 (1979)-AVENGERS v1 #211 (1981)
Roster: Iron Man, The Wasp, Captain America, The Scarlet Witch, The Vision,
Beast, Wonder Man, The
Falcon, Ms. Marvel
Who They Are: In the wake of a war with the demigod
Korvac, the U.S. government ordered the Avengers to reduce their numbers and adhere to a more set lineup.
Why They Make The List: "In addition to the inherent drama that results from placing half a dozen or more super-powered prima donnas in a room together, throw about a mile of government red tape into the mix and you've got a recipe for disaster—and fun. While veteran Avengers like Yellowjacket and Hawkeye got shown the door, neophytes like the Beast and Ms. Marvel got their time to shine, sometimes to the chagrin of their more-experienced teammates when this combustible roster found itself staring down the likes of the
Absorbing Man and Chthon. And perhaps the team's most valuable member:
Henry Peter Gyrich, the cranky government agent on an ego trip. The look on his face when Captain America called the President to overrule his orders was beyond priceless." – Annihilator882
Fun Fact: The Avengers' liaison to the government, Henry Peter Gyrich, initially requested the Falcon join the team to fulfill a racial quota.
Spotlight Comic: AVENGERS v1 #195—The Avengers track the Wasp into the clutches of the Taskmaster!
3. UNDER SIEGE LINEUP
Tenure: AVENGERS v1 #255 (1985)-AVENGERS v1 #277 (1987)
Roster: The Wasp, Captain America,
Hercules, The Black Knight, Captain Marvel II, Namor
Who They Are: Under the leadership of the Wasp, the Avengers add new members, but endure their darkest times to date as Baron
Zemo's massive
Masters of Evil assemblage destroys their mansion, badly injuring Hercules and Avengers butler Jarvis in the process.
Why They Make The List: "Talk about internal strife...the Avengers lineup that survived—barely—the 'Under Siege' storyline might not have always gotten along, but when it came time to lay the smackdown on the Masters of Evil or Terminus they always managed to pull together. Proving that the team could work even with a seemingly random roster, the Wasp managed to forge these Avengers into a force of nature under her leadership as chairwoman. This lineup proved you didn't necessarily need big guns or marquee names like Iron Man and Thor to make greatness, just a strong leader and an interesting team dynamic." – SparkleMotion515
Fun Fact: The Wasp was the first female leader of the Avengers since their early rotating chair days.
Spotlight Comic: THUNDERBOLTS #2—Zemo's Masters of Evil become Earth's Mightiest Heroes as the
Thunderbolts!
2. CAP'S KOOKY QUARTET
Tenure: AVENGERS v1 #16 (1965)-AVENGERS v1 #27 (1966)
Roster: Captain America, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, The Scarlet Witch
Who They Are: When the founding Avengers departed to pursue personal issues, Captain America led an unlikely trio of reformed super villains as the new team.
Why They Make The List: "There's a lot of great Avengers teams, but this one is certainly among the best because it introduced such uncertainty into the team lineup and explored the idea of reforming villains as heroes, something that would become a popular notion. Has Hawkeye ever been better than when he fought with Cap and lusted after Scarlet Witch? Has there ever been such exciting friction in Earth's Mightiest Heroes? And how great was it to see Captain America challenged, allowing for the depth of his character to be explored? Every Avengers team after this owes a debt to Cap's kooky group, as they set the bar for tension in the team and showed that in the Avengers, nothing is impossible." – OneManDynasty
Fun Fact: Hawkeye's former mentor the Swordsman briefly joined the team under false pretenses, working as a mercenary for the
Mandarin; he would later legitimately become an Avenger.
Spotlight Comic: AVENGERS v1 #23—Cap and his new team face their greatest challenge to date when they take on Kang!
1. ORIGINAL LINEUP
Tenure: AVENGERS v1 #1 (1963)-AVENGERS v1 #15 (1965)
Roster: Ant-Man/Giant-Man, The Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, The Wasp, Captain America
Who They Are: The initial Avengers who gathered to battle
Loki and their famous first recruit.
Why They Make The List: "There's no arguing with this team, and not just because no one can win an argument with the Hulk. This team can handle anything, from
Asgardian trickster gods to broccoli-headed aliens and the original Masters of Evil. No matter how often members of this lineup try to quit the team they will always come back. It's the first, the best; put together by fate, Loki and
Rick Jones, these guys simply
are the Avengers." – LiterateNitz18
Fun Fact: After years of service, Captain America was retroactively made a team founder, as voted upon by the other charter members.
Spotlight Comic: AVENGERS v1 #4—Captain America joins the Avengers!
Marvel Twitter Survey results for last week's Take 10 tie-in survey:
Your favorite animal-themed Marvel character? 1. Wolfsbane, 2. Rhino, 3. Spider-Man/Black Panther/Squirrel Girl (tie)
Follow Marvel on Twitter to vote in the Take 10 Marvel Twitter survey! 
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