Avengers
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The Avengers are a team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 (Sept. 1963), and was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist / co-plotter Jack Kirby.

Labeled “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes”, the Avengers originally consisted of Ant-Man (Dr. Hank Pym), Wasp (Janet Van Dyne), Thor, Iron Man (Tony Stark), and The Hulk (at a time when the Hulk was more intelligent). The original Captain America was discovered by the team in #4, trapped in suspended animation, and joined the group when they revived him. The rotating roster has become a hallmark of the team, although one theme remains consistent: the Avengers fight “the foes no single superhero can withstand.” The team is famous for its battle cry “Avengers Assemble!” The team has featured humans, mutants, robots, gods, aliens, supernatural beings, and even former villains.

New Avengers

With the original Avengers organization disbanded, a mass-escape attempt at the super villain prison the Raft led Captain America and Iron Man to form a new Avengers team. The previously solo heroes Luke Cage, Ronin, the Sentry, Spider-Man, and Spider-Woman I, plus X-Men member Wolverine, were recruited for the team. Daredevil was the only solo hero to decline the offer to join the New Avengers.

During the Marvel Civil War over the U.S. government’s new mandate that all superhumans be federally registered, an underground splinter group led by Captain America forms and retains the title of New Avengers.

Following the Civil War, Luke Cage leads the New Avengers consisting of Echo, Ronin (revealed to be a revived Hawkeye), Spider-Man, Spider-Woman I, Wolverine, Iron Fist, and Doctor Strange. This team fought the Hand led by Elektra where Echo slaying her revealed that Elektra was a Skrull in disguise. The team also fought the Hood when he rallied up some of the supervillains to join his organization. During the second battle, Doctor Strange withdrew from the team to recover after he had used dark magic to take out Hood’s crime syndicate.

During the Skrull invasion on Earth, it turns out that the real Spider-Woman was abducted and replaced by the Skrull queen Veranke. After the Skrulls were defeated, the real Spider-Woman was rescued.

During the Dark Reign storyline, Echo and Iron Fist leave the team and the New Avengers gain Ms. Marvel, the second Captain America, and Mockingbird, who was revealed to be alive and a prisoner of the Skrulls at the end of the invasion, as members.

Mighty Avengers

In response to the civil war Iron Man reforms the official team under the aegis of the government’s Fifty State Initiative program, taking up residency in New York City with the roster of Ares, the Black Widow, Iron Man, the Sentry, the Wasp, Wonder Man, and leader Ms. Marvel (Carol Danvers).

All but Ares and The Sentry leave this team (except for The Wasp, who died in the Secret Invasion) as it is taken over by Norman Osborn and the team migrates to the Dark Avengers book. In the pages of The Mighty Avengers, Hank Pym, assuming the Wasp identity of his fallen ex-wife, leads a new team of Avengers, claiming the name for his team as he’s the only founding Avenger on any of the three active Avengers rosters. His team operates under a multi-national umbrella group called the Global Reaction Agency for Mysterious Paranormal Activity (GRAMPA). This team features the roster of Hercules, Amadeus Cho, Stature, the Vision, Jocasta, U.S. Agent, Quicksilver and Hank Pym. Scarlet Witch (actually Loki in disguise) is a recurring character. Iron Man and Hulk were briefly with them during their battle with Chthon.