If you are a dedicated movie-goer or if you just love superhero or action movies, chances are you have already seen Marvel’s new movie, The Avengers. The Avengers has become an instant worldwide hit, for it has received high praise from critics and fans alike. Not only that, but it has already grossed over $1 billion dollars worldwide, making it one of the highest grossing films of all time. Surprisingly, anticipation has been high since Captain America: The First Avenger, when a small trailer was released into the world after the ending credits of the movie. But lots of movie buffs who aren’t necessarily fans of the comic book origins are left wondering: “Who exactly are the Avengers?”
The Avengers, first introduced in 1963, are a group of Marvel superheroes created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. They were created as a response to DC Comics’ creation of the Justice League, another group of superheroes containing known members like Superman, Batman, and Green Lantern. The Avengers originally comprised of Iron Man (Tony Stark), Captain America (Steve Rogers), Thor, Ant-Man (Dr. Henry Pym), Wasp (Janet Van Dyne), and the Hulk (Bruce Banner). Ant-Man and Wasp are noticeably absent from the film, though there is a possibility that they, along with other prominent Avengers such as Black Panther, Scarlet Witch, and Quicksilver, will debut in later films. Other heroes from the film like Hawkeye and Black Widow, do not join the Avengers till sometime later in the comics. Other incarnations of The Avengers comics show veteran Marvel superheroes also join the team, such as Spider-Man and Wolverine.
The purpose of the Avengers is to defend the Earth from various hostile forces. These hostiles range from aliens to supernatural creatures to super villains. Some of the Avengers’ enemies are the Skrulls, HYDRA, and the Sinister Six. In the film, the Avengers’ nemesis is Loki, the god mischief and the brother of Thor. He commands an alien armada called the Chitauri, which bear some similarities to the Skrulls in the comics. The army, led by the vengeance-fueled Loki, invade the Earth in the hopes of conquering it and all its inhabitants. With Earth on the edge of war, the Avengers seem to be its only hope.
The Avengers are often compared to DC Comics’ Justice League. They both are groups of superheroes with somewhat similar members. The powerhouses are the Hulk and Superman, the archers are Hawkeye and Green Arrow, and the geniuses without powers are Tony Stark (AKA Iron Man) and Bruce Wayne (AKA Batman). Both groups fight against the forces of evil, whether they are human, alien, or supernatural. However, one noteworthy trait of the Avengers is their trademark battle cry, “AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!”, which rallies all available members to battle.
The film is simply incredible. With intense and adrenaline-fueled battle sequences, captivating humor, and positive moral. This film gives the superhero sub-genre of movies a golden and proud moment in film history. While the ending ends in somewhat predictable fashion, there is scene during the end credits that obviously reveals the sequel’s next villain. While most casual movie goers and fans will not recognize him, more prominent fans will immediately recognize him as Thanos, a powerful and almost immortal intergalactic warlord. The Avengers are surely in the fight of their lives in the next movie.