The Avengers is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics that features the superhero team Avengers. The series first appeared in The Avengers no. 1 in September 1963, created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. It was developed as a team title that brought together established Marvel characters. It has since become one of the publisher’s longest-running and most prominent franchises.
The series has been relaunched and renumbered multiple times, reflecting changes in creative direction, continuity and publishing strategy. Its roster has included various characters, including Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, Ant-Man, the Wasp, and Captain America, along with many others added over time. Stories usually focus on large-scale threats which individual heroes cannot face alone, a structure that helped define the team’s role in the larger Marvel Universe.
Publication history
In 1960, DC Comics launched a comic book series featuring a team of superheroes called the Justice League. Impressed by that book's strong sales, Martin Goodman, the owner of Marvel Comics predecessor Timely Comics, asked Stan Lee to create a title featuring a similar team of superheroes for Marvel. Lee recounts in Origins of Marvel Comics: