The 15 Best Avengers Comics Of All Time, Ranked

Despite being the most popular superhero team in the world right now (thanks entirely to the cultural dominance of the Marvel Cinematic Universe), the Avengers don't have nearly as solid a track record when it comes to their comic book appearances. Sure, the solo outings of core members like Captain America and Iron Man often produce definitive works like "The Winter Soldier" or "Demon in a Bottle," but what are the comics that make Earth's Mightiest Heroes mighty in the first place?

Perhaps the real "problem" is that the MCU has so dominated the Avengers as a brand that it's seldom recognized how much of those stories were originally inspired by the comics themselves. From Brian Michael Bendis and Jonathan Hickman to Jim Shooter and Jim Starlin, Marvel writers have spawned a staggering amount of the ideas behind the multi-billion-dollar franchise, most of which can be found in the 15 best Avengers comics of all time.

Essential Reading: "Civil War" #1-7

"Civil War" is probably one of the most appropriately divisive comics ever released. Written by Mark Millar and illustrated by Steve McNiven and Dexter Vines, it follows the Avengers as they reckon with the aftermath of a tragedy that saw a young, unsupervised superhero accidentally kill 600 civilians.

With mounting pressure from a terrified public and an untrustworthy U.S. government, Earth's Mightiest Heroes are forced to make a life-changing choice — become officially deputized members of federal law enforcement, stripped of their secret identities and autonomy, or continue operating as vigilante outlaws with their former friends hunting them down. The story focuses largely on the conflict between Tony Stark/Iron Man and Steve Rogers/Captain America, who wage a brutal war against each other while attempting to recruit other heroes to their side.

Ask any two Marvel fans what they think of the 2006-2007 crossover event, and you'll get two completely different answers. What everyone can surely agree on is that "Civil War" is one of the most famous and impactful Marvel Comics storylines ever published.

Essential Reading: "Dark Avengers by Brian Michael Bendis: The Complete Collection"

If you're an "Avengers" fan who loved Marvel Studios' "Thunderbolts*," then "Dark Avengers" needs to be on your reading list. The series began in 2009, in the aftermath of the shocking finale of another "Avengers" storyline (one so great that we'll actually discuss it further down this very list) which saw none other than Norman Osborn turn a global crisis into a platform for redemption. Now hailed as a hero by the world at large, Osborn is entrusted not only with the directorship of S.H.I.E.L.D., but with leading a new team of Avengers.

Of course, Osborn's new super friends are far from what they seem (they're called the "Dark Avengers" for a reason, after all). "Ultimate Spider-Man" co-creator Brian Michael Bendis (teamed with artists Mike Deodato and Rain Beredo) tells a twisted story that explores many of the same themes as "Civil War" (corruption, redemption, and conspiracy, to name a few) but with a more consistent, cohesive narrative. And though the initial "Dark Avengers" run is satisfying on its own, the entire "Dark Reign" event as a whole is thrillingly wicked and well worth a deep, dark dive.

Essential Reading: "Age of Ultron" #1-10

Despite sharing a name with Marvel Studios' least beloved "Avengers" sequel (though one we're more than happy to defend in hindsight), the original "Age of Ultron" comic shares little else in common with the 2015 film. In fact, in terms of plot and story concepts, one could argue it was more a predecessor for "Avengers: Endgame," at least in how it explores time travel.

The 2013 "Age of Ultron" comic book series takes readers to an alternate near-future of the Marvel Universe at the time, in which the robotic artificial super-intelligence Ultron has managed to return and conquer Earth. Because Ultron has cleverly concealed himself in the future, the few remaining Avengers struggle to put up much resistance in the present, forcing them to travel through time to take him down.

"Age of Ultron" is one of those Marvel events that is made exponentially more enjoyable the more tie-ins you include on your reading list. As for the main storyline, it's narratively strong and surprising enough to keep readers hooked throughout.

Essential Reading: "Secret Invasion" #1-8

It's a shame that the title "Secret Invasion" is now mostly associated with one of Marvel Studios' messiest projects, given that the original comic book series it was loosely based on remains a highlight of Brian Michael Bendis' time at Marvel Comics. In partnership with artists Leinil Francis Yu, Mark Morales, and Laura Martin, Bendis uses the Skrulls in an obvious yet ingenious way that transforms them from a distant, interchangeable cosmic threat into a uniquely insidious foe worthy of the Avengers' undivided attention.

The storyline follows the revelation that this alien race of shapeshifters has managed to infiltrate the world's most powerful institutions, including the Avengers themselves. Without spoiling who, where, or when, many superheroes are revealed to have been Skrull sleeper agents in disguise, until Norman Osborn ultimately manages to bring the conflict to an end (setting up the events of "Dark Reign"). "Secret Invasion" is best experienced with as few spoilers as possible, so if you've been putting off reading it up until now, take our word that it's worth a read.

Essential Reading: "Avengers — Volume 2: The Last White Event"

These days, comic book writer Jonathan Hickman is best known for bringing about the brand-redefining Krakoa Era of Marvel's "X-Men" comics, as well as for penning an influential run on "Fantastic Four" and the 2015 crossover mega-event "Secret Wars." Most recently, he's been rewriting the Marvel Universe with a brand-new "Ultimates" storyline. To anyone familiar with these works, it should come as little surprise that his less-talked-about run on "Avengers" is just as exceptional and thought-provoking.

Our favorite Hickman "Avengers" story is "The Last White Event," which was published in 2013. In the Marvel Universe, a "White Event" is a cosmic phenomenon that imbues an average being (in this case, college student Kevin Connor) with the incredible power of a Star Brand. It may not be as wild or grand as "Secret Wars" or Hickman's "Infinity," but it's the sharp storytelling of "The Last White Event" that makes it perfect for readers looking for a great "Avengers" tale that stands as much on its own as a mainstream Marvel comic can.

Essential Reading: "The New Avengers — Volume 2: Sentry"

As fans of "Thunderbolts*" now know, The Sentry is a character of such immense power and volatility that his introduction into any universe can't help but feel disruptive. The original "Sentry" miniseries ends with Robert Reynolds deciding that his abilities are so unstable that he needs to have his memory and the memories of everyone in the entire Marvel Universe wiped off of them, making it as though he never existed.

However, due to another "Avengers" story that made it even higher on this list, Reynolds is discovered to have been secretly committed to The Raft. He believes he has elected to serve time for murdering his wife — a story which becomes harder to believe when Tony Stark confronts Robert not only with his wife, Linda (who is very much alive), but a man who claims to have created Robert as a comic book character. Writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Steve McNiven bring the Sentry into the mainstream Marvel Universe with a memorable bang, finding clever ways to readjust his origin story so that he can grow into the version of the character we know today.

Essential Reading: "Marvel Masterworks: The Avengers — Volume 1"

There was a time in the not-too-distant past when you'd have to spend years and hundreds — if not thousands — in cold hard cash just to get a copy of the first "Avengers" comic that was in good-enough shape to read. It wouldn't have been a perfect collector's item, but it would at least let you experience one of the most important comic books ever published.

Fortunately, gorgeous reprintings and the advent of digital comics have made it so anyone can discover the greatest hits of the Silver Age for themselves without having to refinance their house. Starting with "Avengers" #1 by the legendary comics team of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, readers can see how Marvel set out to assemble a superhero team capable of rivaling DC's Justice League, with a roster that includes Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, Ant-Man, and the Wasp. The first four issues are a perfect slice of comic book nostalgia, sure to put a smile on the face of any Marvel fan.

Essential Reading: "Ultimates Epic Collection: Super-Human"

Even if you feel like "Civil War" failed to satisfy your expectations, Mark Millar's "The Ultimates" is still worth a read — perhaps even more so, if the gripes you have with "Civil War" are that the characters don't behave as they normally would (or should) in the Marvel Universe. As readers may have guessed, "The Ultimates" is an "Avengers" story set not in the mainstream continuity, but in the adjacent Ultimate Marvel continuity. This line of comics was created for two primary reasons — attract new readers with an entry-point unburdened by decades of lore and to provide the company's top talent with space to reimagine old characters.

Millar wastes no time projecting his darker narrative sensibilities onto Marvel's premiere superhero ensemble, turning them into government agents with deep personal flaws and challenges — on and off the battlefield — that often feel greater than they can handle. The result is far from a crowd-pleaser. For some, it may feel like 13 issues of edgelord character assassination; for us, however, it's a daring and memorable story that uses the Avengers in ways we'll never get to see anywhere else.

Essential Reading: "Avengers Legends — Volume 1: Avengers Forever"

Kurt Busiek's contributions to the "Avengers" mythos never get enough credit. With "Avengers Forever" (a 12-issue limited series he wrote with fellow longtime "Avengers" scribe Roger Stern in 1998), the writers manage to tell a story that is all at once a self-contained adventure for readers of any engagement level and a celebration of the past, present, and future of Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

With Immortus (Kang the Conqueror's immensely powerful future self) on the verge of stealing the Destiny Force from perennial sidekick and current Avengers member Rick Jones, a new team of Avengers must be assembled from across time to save the universe. This team (which includes a retired Steve Rogers from the 1974 Steve Englehart / Sal Buscema "Captain America" series, Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne from Busiek's "Avengers" run with George Perez the previous year, and Hawkeye from Roy Thomas' seminal '70s run) travels through time together to find a way to stop Immortus, stopping in several exciting eras along the way. Fans of "Loki" will be especially intrigued by how this oft-overlooked title clearly inspired the Disney+ series.

Essential Reading: "Avengers: Kree/Skrull War"

Though explaining exactly how would spoil much of the fun of both "Avengers Forever" and the "Kree-Skrull War" storyline, suffice it to say that the two stories are closely connected despite being released over 25 years apart from one another, and make for an entertaining duology. The latter story began in 1971, during Roy Thomas' "Avengers," and follows the titular team as they are dragged into the middle of a war between two powerful extraterrestrial species.

Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe got a brief lesson on the history of the Skrulls in "Captain Marvel," but their on-screen origins were significantly altered to support the franchise's narrative goals. In the comics, the Skrulls are classic science fiction adversaries who (especially when paired against fanatical Kree warriors like Ronan the Accuser) set up the sort of weird, cosmic-adjacent adventures that make for a memorable "Avengers" arc. "Secret Invasion" might be more contemporary in its use of the Skrull powerset, but there's just no denying the throwback thrills of the original "Kree-Skrull War."

Essential Reading: "Uncanny Avengers — Volume 1: The Red Shadow"

In the aftermath of the polarizing "Avengers Vs. X-Men" storyline (an event which claimed the life of Professor X), Steve Rogers is intent on bringing the superhero community — and perhaps even the world — back together by creating a new Avengers team that represents humans and mutants equally. Though many are skeptical of forming an uneasy alliance so soon after such devastating conflict, the timing couldn't be more perfect — or, rather, perfectly horrible.

While the X-Men were mourning their fallen mentor and friend, the Red Skull was regaining his strength so that he could set about exterminating all mutant life. This may seem like a tall order at first, even for Captain America's oldest and most dangerous foe — that is, until he defiles the grave of Charles Xavier, surgically removes his superpowered brain, and splices it with his own, effectively melding his criminal genius with the unmatched gifts of the world's foremost telepath. Wild, imaginative, and colorful, Rick Remender and John Cassaday's "Uncanny Avengers" is a stylish, contemporary "Avengers" story that evokes the unpredictable action of the team's foundational outings.

Essential Reading: "The Avengers Unleashed — Volume 1: Kang War One"

Marvel Studios may have discarded Kang the Conqueror for the foreseeable ... ever, but that shouldn't stop fans intrigued by the character's appearances in "Loki" and "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" from seeking out his many memorable comic book storylines. Our favorite from the modern Marvel Comics era is undoubtedly Mark Waid and Michael del Mundo's Marvel NOW! "Avengers" story arc "Kang War One."

It begins with the titular team suffering from something of an identity crisis, with the superhero community having endured a second superhero civil war (that was somehow even more contrived than the first) that severed most allegiances. But when not one, but two Kang variants emerge from the time stream searching for an infant Kang kidnapped by the Vision, the remaining Avengers (a welcomely unconventional line-up consisting of Thor/Jane Foster, Sam Wilson, Hercules, and a nouveau riche Peter Parker) must join the synthezoid to stop Kang from rewriting Earth's Mightiest Heroes out of existence.

Essential Reading: "The New Avengers — Volume 1: Breakout!"

As "The Avengers" was crossing its 500-issue milestone as a series, Marvel did what any reasonable publisher would do — hire Brian Michael Bendis to come aboard and abruptly disband the team. Of course, before the dust from "Avengers: Disassembled" had even begun to settle, Bendis' plans to truly bring Earth's Mightiest Heroes into the 21st century had already been set in motion, and it wasn't long before Marvel announced the debut of his "New Avengers" ongoing series.

At first glance, "Breakout!" is an efficient, straightforward story designed to bring Bendis' new team together as quickly and as simply as possible. But while this does make it arguably the best new-reader "Avengers" story ever written, "Breakout!" achieves so much more than can be appreciated on a first read, especially in how it matures the characterizations of its stars and their relationships to one another. There are also seeds planted in these seven issues that would continue to sprout throughout the next decade of Marvel Comics, defining who the Avengers would become as the MCU pushed them closer toward the spotlight.

Essential Reading: "Avengers: The Korvac Saga"

From "Age of Ultron" and "Civil War" to "Avengers Forever" and even "The Ultimates," most of the stories on this list earn at least some of their enduring prominence as must-read "Avengers" stories due to the influence they had on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In contrast, the "Korvac Saga" is remarkably one of the most iconic "Avengers" stories of all time, despite having seemingly no impact on the characters' presence outside the pages of the comics.

Taking place during the Jim Shooter-George Perez era of "The Avengers," the "Korvac Saga" is a slick, cosmic crossover story between Earth's Mightiest Heroes and the Guardians of the Galaxy. At the time, the Guardians didn't look much like the team seen in James Gunn's films — instead, they were 31st-century time travelers on the hunt for Korvac, a cyborg from the same timeline who had amassed godlike cosmic power. The art is simply gorgeous, the story top-tier pulp fun, and with such distance from mainstream Marvel lore, it will likely be one of the more surprising stories included on this list.

Essential Reading: "Infinity Gauntlet" #1-6

At this point, Marvel's Infinity Stones might be the most popular MacGuffins in comic book history. And while they've featured prominently in countless stories across comics, films, and television shows, our favorite use of them is far and away in Jim Starlin and George Perez's 1991 miniseries event "The Infinity Gauntlet."

This iconic Marvel Comics classic is as much of a Thanos story as it is an "Avengers" story, which ultimately turns out to be the not-so-secret weapon of "Infinity Gauntlet." When Thanos is rejected by his love, Lady Death, despite being resurrected by her from the afterlife, he seeks to prove his worth by using the titular weapon to destroy as much life as possible — most notably by wiping out half of all life in the universe. The Avengers' only hope of defeating the Mad Titan is a cautious alliance with newcomer Adam Warlock, who has his own connection to the stones.

Even though you've almost certainly seen "Infinity War" and "Endgame," you simply haven't experienced the "Infinity Gauntlet" story until you've read this comic in full. It's a masterpiece in every way, and remains not only the greatest "Avengers" story ever written, but one of the greatest comic book series ever published.