I once ranked the original Legionnaires on personal preference, and there are few superhero teams with enough members to compare.
So let’s try with one where I’m knowledgeable enough to do the same thing: the Avengers.
As always, some basic rules:
A) I’m only counting up to the 2004 debacle that was Avengers Disassembled. While there are some really solid runs afterwards, there are WAY TOO MANY teams after that story and this rank would be even more bloated than it already is.
B) The West Coast Avengers are counted as regular Avengers, since they are clearly considered a separate branch of the same team. The Great Lake Avengers and Force Works are not.
C) Reserves are counted exactly as the active members. Their lack of activities will definitely hurt their ranking, though.
D) The rank is entirely out of personal preference.
So without further ado, let’s assemble the Avengers.
HONORARY AVENGERS
Unlike the Legion of Super-Heroes, the Avengers are way more likely to grant you honorary membership if you help them.
In fact, even restricting the years I’m including, there are SEVENTEEN honorary members to consider!!!
11 – Masque
Before doing some research for this, I completely forgot that she was briefly given honorary membership. If you don’t remember her, consider yourself lucky because she’s from the issues published between The Crossing and Heroes Return, one of the very worst Avengers eras.
She will eventually turn out to be a clone of supervillain Madame Masque and killed off without anyone missing her. Madame Masque IS a fantastic supervillain, but Masque had absolutely nothing interesting about her.
10 – Moira Brandon
Yet another one I forgot. Which doesn’t help my boast about being knowledgeable about the Avengers, she appears ONCE in West Coast Avengers #100.
And she’s just an old woman who helped Hawkeye and Mockingbird in a case and gifted them her mansion, which ended up becoming their headquarters.
Yeah it doesn’t take all that much to become a honorary Avenger.
9 – Deathcry
Saved from being the worst Avenger on a technicality, because she was only granted honorary membership. She’s all over the place: she debuts as a tough-as-nails Shi’ar warrior, then completely changes her personality to become an angsty teenager. Even a friendship with Hercules (who is WAY HIGHER in the rank) doesn’t help her.
I remember her being an interesting character ONCE, during the “Chaos War: Dead Avengers” miniseries… which was set after she died.
8 – Guardians Of The Galaxy
The ENTIRE roster of the original team (the one from the 30th century) is granted honorary membership when they’re stuck in the 20th century for a while.
I already don’t care for the original Guardians run… although their 90s series is surprisingly better than expected… and I really don’t like giving an ENTIRE team honorary membership.
Especially when there’s SEVEN of them.
7 – Magdalene
6 – Swordsman II
They’re both from an alternate timeline and are initially recruited as villains, but later join the Avengers in several adventures.
Swordsman is the doppelganger of the original Swordsman from the main timeline, but honestly this version doesn’t really get to do anything interesting.
Magdalene is even worse: she doesn’t even have a mainstream equivalent, her powers are REALLY generic (she’s strong and her staff shoots energy).
Also, is Magdalene her real name? Because there HAD to be a better codename, right?
5 – Whizzer
4 – Marrina
The nepotism members! Whizzer is the Golden Age hero and Marrina was a legitimate hero as a member of Alpha Flight… but let’s be real, he was made a member because at the time he was thought to be the father of Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, and she got it because she married Namor. Granted those were not explicit reasons, but let’s get real.
3 – Yellowjacket II
A supervillain who stole the original Yellowjacket costume, she’s granted honorary membership for helping out during the Evolutionary War.
Her closest thing to a claim to fame was joining the Guardians Of The Galaxy in their 90s series, by traveling into their future. She was a great addition to that team… only to be unceremoniously killed during The Crossing for shock value.
Notice a trend of the worst Avengers stuff being around The Crossing?
2 – Rick Jones
1 – Captain Marvel
The only two honorary members anyone remembers.
Rick Jones is technically given honorary membership for being instrumental in the foundation of the team, but considering that he saved the universe during the Kree-Skrull war it’s warranted.
That alone puts him well above anyone else in the tier… except Captain Marvel, who’s done the same on his own.
Although I suspect the true reason they gave Mar-Vell a posthumous honorary membership is that the Avengers felt bad never having offered him to join the team before he died.
While I absolutely love Rick Jones as a character, Mar-Vell deserves this one.
E TIER
Or: are the Great Lake Avengers recruiting?
These are the characters that have no business being in the Avengers.
7 – Two-Gun Kid
Easily Marvel’s most prominent cowboy hero, he’s brought in the 20th century to… basically do nothing interesting but tie Hawkeye into side missions that don’t go anywhere.
You could do a lot with the idea that he’s from the Old West, but they don’t really do that… and he’s not exactly flashy. All he can do is fire two guns. That’s it.
5 – Captain Britain
She was an Avenger for like 5 minutes right before Disassembled, in the HORRIBLE Chuck Austen run. You could potentially use her since she has a unique backstory, but we have Black Knight at home.
6 – Triathlon
The Kurt Busiek run is one of the best ever, but it does have a massive disappointment.
Triathlon has only (appropriately) three things for him:
1) his story is tied to 3D-Man
2) his power is that he can be three times as strong/fast/agile etc. as a regular human
3) his backstory involves Legally Not Scientology
When the most interesting thing about you is that you eventually become the second 3D-Man, that’s reeeally bad.
4 – Stingray
We have Namor and Iron Man at home.
He has a killer design, but you can use him only if you’re near water AND you don’t have other heroes around.
3 – Mister Fantastic
2 – Invisible Woman
1 – Gilgamesh
Reed and Susan were on a leave from the Fantastic Four during the Englehart run, and they were SO out of place in the Avengers that they didn’t even bother with new costumes.
There is SOME potential with Reed: in the VERY brief time he was in the team, he had trouble following orders. But if you leave him in the team, it’s guaranteed that you turn the Avengers into the Fantastic Four.
Susan has better chances at being a solo hero, but they don’t do ANYTHING with her.
Gilgamesh is the new name of The Forgotten One from the Eternals (we’ll eventually meet him in the retrospective). He’s been used to great effect in a recent Hercules series, but… we have Hercules at home. And Thor. And Sersi.
D TIER
Or: could have done something interesting but didn’t
Rapid fire with this one. All of these have potential, but I don’t think it’s ever used properly.
8 – War Machine
We have Iron Man at home. Rhodey is a GREAT character, but doesn’t add anything to the Avengers.
7 – Machine Man
We have Vision at home.
6 – Swordsman
I keep saying he’s nobody’s favorite Avenger.
5 – Falcon
He fits WAY better in later eras when he becomes Captain America, but as Falcon? The most interesting thing about him was that he was literally forced on the team.
4 – Demolition Man
A lot of writers consider him a punching bag, but I liked the character in Gruenwald’s Captain America run. Too bad he’s BARELY an Avenger, because he could’ve brought a legitimate “ordinary guy” view.
3 – Living Lightning
Another “ordinary guy”. He WAS in the West Coast Avengers for quite a while, but did he do anything interesting?
2 – Mantis
Potentially a controversial opinion, but I consider Mantis a terrible Avenger. Steve Englehart goes SO HARD in pushing her as awesome that it gets ridiculous, since she doesn’t have a lot to back up receiving so much attention.
She eventually develops into a more interesting character elsewhere, but honestly the Mantis running around after the 90s shares only the name with the original… and is better off like this.
1 – Darkhawk
Yet another character that is sometimes a punching bag for writers who didn’t read him. His 90s series is much better than its reputation; he could’ve worked as a regular Avenger, since while he acted mostly as a street hero he has weird alien powers. But he was BARELY used in West Coast Avengers, to the point it’s VERY easy to forget he was there.
C TIER
Or: once an Avenger… was enough
I put in this category the Avengers who I’m glad were on the team and did something interesting in the period I’m examining… but who I also believe have mostly exhausted the things they could do on the team.
13 – Thing
Works as a solo hero better than the rest of the Fantastic Four, but just barely.
12 – Firebird
Her best arc was convincing Hank Pym not to kill himself. Other than that, you might want to examine how a devout Catholic acts as a superhero… but we have Daredevil at home.
11 – Silverclaw
Considering she’s basically the adopted daughter of Jarvis, you’d think they would do more with her! Her power has some variety… she can turn into metallic versions of jungle animals, plus she’s a demigoddess… but they never did much with her.
10 – Rage
He once defeated Doctor Doom by throwing a cupcake at him. You can’t top THAT.
9 – Hellcat
Way too many other heroes outshine her as Avengers, and she’s one of the quintessential Defenders anyway.
8 – Doctor Druid
7 – Moondragon
No wonder the X-Men have a monopoly on telepaths. The Avengers allowed two people with mind powers to join the team and they BOTH went mad with power.
Next time try hiring a telepath with a full set of hair, guys.
6 – Human Torch
This is the original Torch. While I love the idea of the very first Marvel hero being an Avenger, and both the android and the WWII veteran hero are worth exploring… we have Vision and Captain America at home.
5 – Jack of Hearts
Despite the horrible costume he’s been used to great effect, but he has a tendency to explode whenever he’s in the Avengers. Works better as a solo hero in my opinion.
4 – Moon Knight
Shockingly they didn’t lean on the Batman equivalent when he was in the West Coast Avengers. He’s evolved into something MUCH weirder, to the point he fits better with the Defenders for me.
3 – Hulk
Having him as a founding member is important. But in the period I’m examining that’s ALL he does.
2 – Spider-Man
1 – Sandman
They’re both made reserves at the same time, with Avengers #329.
Spider-Man barely gets any action in the role. I wasn’t a big fan of the idea of making him a regular member… but credit where it’s due, there ARE several Avengers stories in the eras I’m excluding that convinced me he CAN work in the team. I mean we had Aunt May scold Wolverine, that alone was worth it! But none of these stories are considered in the ranking, which really hurts Spidey.
Sandman gets to act as a proper Avenger for a couple of stories, and he’s pretty good. I was quite upset when John Byrne decided to revert him to being a full villain, because his character growth into a hero was one of the best.
B TIER
Or: good but inconsistent
Here we have Avengers that I think were good in the role, but either didn’t stay in the team long or they only have a couple of outstanding storylines.
If you had to create an Avenger dream team to follow my tastes, you should have at most one of these.
11 – Ant-Man
Scott Lang specifically. Not a long membership to get any higher.
10 – Mockingbird
Considering how long she was in the West Coast Avengers, you’d think she would get more to do.
9 – Thunderstrike
We have Thor and Hercules at home. If both can’t make it, Thunderstrike works.
8 – Wonder Man
Possibly controversial giving how essential he is to Avenger lore… if he doesn’t have Beast to play off against, he’s sooooooo boring.
7 – U.S.Agent
He was enjoyable in West Coast Avengers as the resident Unreasonable Authority Figure and his rivalry with Hawkeye.
6 – Starfox
I have a soft spot for him since he joined immediately after I started following the Avengers regularly. Outside of his psychic powers he’s rather generic (he’s strong and can fly).
I’m hoping he recovers from the sheer character assassination he received (despite what Dan Slott says, he’s not a rapist).
5 – Firestar
4 – Justice
They were superb as the rookie Avengers in the Busiek run. Fun fact: Justice is the only person who is listed in the membership TWICE: his alternate timeline doppelganger Vance Astro is in the original Guardians Of The Galaxy!
3 – Spider-Woman II
Another West Coast Avengers mainstay. My favorite Spider-Woman, too!
2 – Crystal
The Harras run is better than its reputation, and Crystal was a great addition to the team.
1 – Namor
The Stern run is my favorite ever, and he joins there. He works surprisingly well given his unique relationship with all heroes… but he’s Namor, you know he can’t keep a status quo for long.
A TIER
Or: really great Avengers
We’ve reached the Top 20, since the last two tiers have 10 Avengers each.
I place in this category the Avengers that I think did a REALLY great job in the team and that I would love to see in any formation.
10 – Beast
He’s here despite the relative brevity of his membership, so that should tell you how much I loved him on the team. Honestly I’ve always thought that he’s wasted in the X-Men.
9 – Tigra
There’s more than fanservice to her (even if, let’s be honest, it helps).
8 – Black Widow
She’s the best bridge the big league heroes AND the street level heroes AND the superspy stuff.
7 – She-Hulk
Just pure fun. The only thing that prevents her from getting any higher is that you would rarely get the chance to legal stuff, and having more than one super-strong member limits her chances to stand out.
6 – Carol Danvers
Either as Miss Marvel or as Warbird she’s amazing. She would be slightly higher if I could count her Captain Marvel period.
5 – Black Panther
Essential if you have a team without Iron Man or Hank Pym, and slightly redundant if you have them.
4 – Black Knight
I admit his ranking is 90% nostalgia thanks to the Stern run. But he’s quite unique as a super-scientist with a magic sword, plus his personality was just so endearing.
3 – Quasar
I’m probably the only person ranking him this high. I just love Quasar so much you wouldn’t believe it.
2 – Sersi
With the very important distinction that you can’t have both her AND Hercules without ruining at least one of then, Sersi is just perfect as an Avenger.
She’s fun, she’s powerful, she has tons of personality, you can play up her lighter side or explore her hidden depths… I think a lot of writers have trouble fitting her in the team because her power is just broken.
1 – Monica Rambeau
Did I mention the Stern run? She was just the best in her Captain Marvel era and didn’t deserve to be kicked out of the book like that.
S TIER
Or: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes
My personal Top Ten. You should have at the very least two or three of those for it to count as the true Avengers.
10 – Quicksilver
As much as I liked him on X-Factor, it just wouldn’t feel like the Avengers without their resident speedster causing trouble. Mostly to himself.
9 – Hank Pym
Whether it’s Ant-Man, Giant-Man, Goliath, Yellowjacket or just Doctor Pym… and even Wasp in later eras… you must have Pym at SOME point.
The fact that I started reading the Avengers with an issue that detailed his journey from his origins to his incarceration really helps. But he was great in many, many, MANY runs.
8 – Hercules
Forsooth, dost thou know that the Lion of Olympus rules? Verily, ‘tis a tale worth a song from the greatest bards!
7 – Scarlet Witch
I liked her better when she had probability powers and only vague magic abilities, instead of the straight up sorceress she’s become… but she’s still an essential Avenger.
6 – Vision
Why wouldn’t you want him in your team?
5 – Hawkeye
4 – Wasp
If this was a ranking of the best leaders of the Avengers, these two would be on top.
Yes, even higher than Cap.
They’re both amazing and multi-faceted characters that can’t get enough of. They barely ever get regular series (although that has changed a bit for Hawkeye), but they REALLY shine in a team.
Make them interact with ANY character, hero or villain or civilian, and if you know what you’re doing you’ll end up with a unique scene every time.
I rank her slightly higher because I found her personal evolution more compelling.
Unsurprisingly, the “Avengers Trinity” takes the podium.
It took some thought to rank them in any order between each other, but… I have my reasons.
3 – Thor
You can do an Avengers team without Thor. In fact, a lot of writers either find ways to keep him out of the team or make him join the fight at the end, because he tends to end most battles he’s in.
I personally like a couple of the characters I ranked below him a little more… but in terms of sheer presence, you just can’t beat the God of Thunder.
2 – Iron Man
Similarly to Thor, there have been great Avengers runs without Iron Man. Although someone usually HAS to take his role in more ways than one, whether it’s as the tech genius or the financier.
In fact, if he’s not in the team it’s usually because he’s either in another Avengers-affiliated team or he’s stuck in a storyline in his own book.
The fact that if he’s alive he will be in an Avengers team is practically a given.
Well… except the FIRST time.
1 – Captain America
The reason why I put the Living Legend above the rest of the trinity is that, while you can have an Avengers team without Thor or Iron Man… if Captain America is not there, it doesn’t feel like the team is legitimized to call itself Avengers.
I don’t think he’s the best leader overall: when the team is off-duty, Hawkeye and especially Wasp do a much better job helping members with their personal stuff.
Of course the fact that they typically don’t have their own regular series keeping them busy helps.
When it comes to being in a battle, or to rally the team, or to just being heroes… nobody in the Marvel Universe does it better than Captain America.
After all, as Hercules once said:
