Featured here is a chronological list of story arcs in the comic book series Mighty Avengers created by Brian Michael Bendis and Frank Cho. The series started after the Civil War cross over.
Set during The Initiative storyline, the new team is introduced with Iron Man, The Wasp, Black Widow, Ms. Marvel, Wonder Man, The Sentry, and Ares. The team is assembled to fight the Mole Man's creatures, while a series of natural disasters are reported around the world. In the heat of battle, Iron Man's systems are overloaded, morphing him into a beautiful woman who resembles Janet Van Dyne, The Wasp. It is she who figures out that this is the new and improved Ultron.
The Avengers battle Ultron, while Henry Pym is summoned by The Black Widow, who has taken over the direction of S.H.I.E.L.D. Ultron distracts The Avengers with multiple versions of Iron Man's armor, while she disappears from the battlefield to attack The Sentry's wife. When the Sentry discovers what Ultron has done, he battles her while Ares develops a plan to defeat Ultron with Ant-Man's help. Ares infects Ultron with a virus, which causes her form to revert to Tony Stark's body. The Sentry's wife is revealed to be alive, and Spider-Woman arrives at the end to warn Tony Stark about the Skrull invasion.
In a cross over with New Avengers , Spider-Woman reveals that Elektra was actually a Skrull in disguise. Tony Stark realizes this is a hint of a full-scale alien invasion. Spider-Woman joins the team, as The Avengers battle everyone in New York City, who have been transformed into symbiotes by a virus dropped from space after the Ultron attack. Iron Man discovers that the fallen satellite belongs to Victor Von Doom, so he gathers The Avengers and takes the fight to Latveria. Iron Man, The Sentry and Dr. Doom are sent into the past by Dr. Doom's time platform, and The Sentry battles The Thing, while Iron Man convinces Dr. Doom to return them to the present time. Once The Avengers return, they battle Dr. Doom and eventually arrest him for terrorist crimes against humanity.
During the Secret Invasion crossover, the Mighty Avengers featured a different tie in story each month; each featuring a different character not necessarily in the Mighty Avengers Team.
This issue dealt with the aftermath of the Skrull invasion. Henry Pym deals with the loss of his wife The Wasp, while having to learn what has happened while he was imprisoned by the Skrulls (House of M, Civil War, the death of Captain America and World War Hulk). At his wife's funeral he takes his anger out at Tony Stark, before Thor takes him away to mourn in private.
With a series of events causing chaos around the world, the Scarlet Witch recruits a new team of Avengers while Hercules tries to do the same. Henry Pym becomes The Wasp, and the Scarlet Witch sends the Avengers to deal with the threat at Wundagore Mountain, where it becomes apparent that her brother Quicksilver is being used as a vessel for Chthon. Iron Man arrives after battling the Hulk in Wundagore and challenges The Wasp for leadership, but leaves after helping them to defeat Chthon. The new team led by The Wasp includes Hercules, Amadeus Cho, and the U.S. Agent, plus Stature and Vision from the Young Avengers . It is also revealed that the "Scarlet Witch" is actually Loki in disguise, who is manipulating the Avengers in order to embarrass Norman Osborn.
The Mighty Avengers become an international team, following information from the "Scarlet Witch" to dozens of hot spots around the globe. Quicksilver, who initially did not want to join, chases the Avengers from country to country in search of his sister, and eventually joins the team after helping them defeat Titan.
In escaping H.A.M.M.E.R. agents, Jocasta inadvertently untethered the Mighty Avengers' "PymPocket" base from reality, causing its dimensional doorways to slowly fade. Henry Pym contacts Reed Richards, hoping to borrow a device that had been left in the Fantastic Four's care by Bill Foster. Reed refuses, and Pym decides to have his team break in the Baxter Building and steal the device. Despite Reed's best attempts, Pym is successful, and manages to move the Pym Pocket to a new dimensional location. However, the degradation of the dimensional gateways requires Jocasta to be integrated into the system in order to hold it together.
While the rest of the team settles into their new base, "The Infinite Avengers Mansion", U.S. Agent and Quicksilver encounter The Unspoken in China. Quicksilver explains that The Unspoken was the Inhumans' former king, before he was deposed and banished by his cousin Black Bolt for his power-hungry ways. Before the two can act, The People's Defense Force (China's Superteam) accost The Unspoken, demanding he leave the country. The Unspoken responds by defeating them in an instant, prompting U.S. Agent to suggest calling not just their team, but all the Avengers teams to combat such a threat.
Meanwhile, Stature desires revenge against the Scarlet Witch for the death of her father and has lured the Young Avengers to assist her. Ronin (Clint Barton) follows them, also desiring revenge against "Wanda". During the fight, Wiccan uses his powers to break through Loki's illusion, but the villain retreats before he is fully revealed.
While Hercules and Amadeus call the other Avengers teams for help, USAgent, Quicksilver and the recovered Chinese heroes attack The Unspoken, who uses Xerogen Crystal powder to turn them into Alpha Primitives. The other Avengers (barring Osborn's groups) join the battle, but many of them also succumb to the powder's effects.
At the same time, Pym is exploring the outer reaches of existence. There, he encounters Eternity, who thanks him for saving his being from succumbing to the chaos wave, and tells him that he is the universe's Scientist Supreme. Upon his return to the universe, Pym marshalls the remaining Avengers, having Amadeus and Hercules infiltrate the "Slave Engine", which contains a supply of Xerogen Crystals, and disable it. Pym then uses the engine's chronal ray, used to accelerate the growth of the crystals, on The Unspoken, turning him into a weak old man.
Loki engineers the escape of Crusher Creel, manipulating him into raiding Project Pegasus, bringing Norman Osborn's Dark Avengers to the scene. He also takes on Scarlet Witch's appearance once more in order to bring the Mighty Avengers to the same place. As Osborn's group is in the middle of a press conference, he can not afford to fight Pym's publicly popular team, and grudgingly joins forces with them. Creel then appears, having absorbed the power of a Cosmic Cube fragment. As their two teams attempt to stop Creel, Pym and Osborn both realise that Creel's wrecking ball, which shares his powers, has also turned into a Cosmic Cube, and race to retrieve it. Osborn is first, but Pym tricks him into believing that he had already gotten it, claiming that the Dark Reign was made possible by the Cube's power. Pym then knocks Osborn out, and uses the Cube as a weapon against Creel, with limited results. Loki then appears, and provides Osborn with a mystical blade, which has the ability to remove Creel's Asgardian-born powers. Using the weapon, Osborn defeats Creel, making himself look like a hero in the eyes of the watching media. Osborn uses his status as head of H.A.M.M.E.R to decommission USAgent, removing him from the Mighty Avengers. Pym's Avengers return to the Infinite Mansion, where Pym consoles himself with the fact that he recorded Loki's image, and now has a scan of his retina.
Hank Pym is finally forced to tell Pietro that the "Scarlet Witch" is actually Loki in disguise. Desperate to find out where Wanda is, Pietro joins the team in an attempt to capture Loki. The Mighty Avengers go to the Isle of Silence, to a palace where Loki makes an annual pilgrimage. When Loki arrives, he is captured by device designed by Pym, which manages to nullify his magic, trapping him. Pietro demands to know where Wanda is, using Pym's device to torture Loki when he claims not to know. Loki mentally calls Thor for help, who briefly battles the Mighty Avengers. Pym agrees to release Loki, in return for him truthfully answer Pietro question. Loki truthfully answers that he does not know where Wanda is. Pym then requests that Loki join his team, to the shock and disgust of the others. Loki declines, and is taken by Thor to Balder, and the rest of the team decide to leave, believing Pym has gone too far. Back at the Infinity Mansion, Jocasta, who has been experiencing problems with her duplicate bodies, is overwhelmed by the programming of Ultron, her eyes glowing red.
Ultron is shown to infiltrate Jocasta and the Infinite Avengers Mansion. He names himself Ultron Pym and seeks to kill and replace his father before using his Infinite Mansion to conquer the universe. Amadeus Cho, now on his own after the death of Hercules, receives word that the Thunderbolts have been sent by Norman Osborn to steal a powerful spear belonging to Odin. He calls on U.S.Agent, Stature and Vision for help stopping them. Pym is eventually able to make Ultron leave by marrying him to Jocasta. He then goes to help Amadeus Cho and his team, battling as The Mighty Avengers one last time.
The Avengers are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1. Labeled "Earth's Mightiest Heroes", the original Avengers consisted of Iron Man, Ant-Man, Hulk, Thor and the Wasp. Captain America was discovered trapped in ice in issue #4, and joined the group after they revived him. The Avengers are an all-star ensemble cast of established superhero characters from the Marvel Comics portfolio. Diegetically, these superheroes usually operate independently but occasionally assemble as a team to tackle especially formidable villains. This in contrast to certain other superhero teams such as the X-Men, whose characters were created specifically to be part of their team, with the team being central to their identity. The Avengers were created to create a new line of books to sell and to cross-promote Marvel Comics characters.
Quicksilver is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in the comic book The Uncanny X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The character has since starred in two self-titled limited series and has historically been depicted as a regular team member in the superhero title The Avengers.
Dr. Henry Jonathan Pym is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by penciller Jack Kirby, editor-plotter Stan Lee and writer Larry Lieber, Pym debuted in Tales to Astonish #27. He returned several issues later as the original iteration of Ant-Man, a superhero with the power to shrink to the size of an ant. He later assumed other superhero identities, including the size-changing Giant-Man and Goliath; the insect-themed Yellowjacket; and briefly, the Wasp. He is a founding member of the Avengers superhero team, and the creator of the robotic villain Ultron. He is also the ex-husband of Janet van Dyne and the father of Nadia van Dyne, his daughter by his first wife, Maria Pym.
The "Kree–Skrull War" is a story arc that was written by Roy Thomas, and drawn by Sal Buscema, Neal Adams, and John Buscema. The story was originally published in the Marvel Comics comic book title Avengers #89–97.
The Wasp is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee, Ernie Hart, and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #44.
Ultron is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, the character first appeared as an unnamed character in The Avengers #54, with his first full appearance in The Avengers #55. He is a self-aware and highly intelligent artificial intelligence in a robot body who develops a god complex and a grudge against his creator Hank Pym. His goal to destroy humanity in a shortsighted attempt at creating world peace has brought him into repeated conflict with the Avengers. Stories often end in Ultron's apparent destruction, only for the character to be resurrected in new forms.
"Avengers Disassembled" is a 2004 crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics involving the Avengers, Fantastic Four, Captain America, Spider-Man and Thor. The beginning of Brian Michael Bendis's Avengers run, it depicts the destruction of the existing traditional roster and the exile of several key members of the team. The storyline includes a number of subplots, some of which take place before and/or after the main events, which include other changes to the status quo: Iron Man once again closeting his secret identity, Spider-Man developing organic web-shooters, and the death of Thor and Asgard in one final Ragnarok.
Wonder Man is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, he first appeared in The Avengers #9. The character, who was initially introduced as a supervillain imbued with "ionic" energy, fought the Avengers, and, after a series of events, was reborn as a superhero, joining the team against which he originally fought.
Wiccan is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has been depicted as a member of the Young Avengers, a team of teenage superheroes, as well as Strikeforce and New Avengers. Created by writer Allan Heinberg and artist Jim Cheung, the character first appeared in Young Avengers #1. The character's appearance is patterned on that of two prominent Marvel superheroes, Thor and Scarlet Witch, both of whom are members of the Avengers. Like the Scarlet Witch, Wiccan possesses powerful magical abilities which make him a key member of his superhero team.
Jocasta Pym is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Jim Shooter and George Pérez, the character first appeared in The Avengers #162. Jocasta is a robot built originally as the bride of the supervillain Ultron, and is commonly associated with the Avengers.
The Stark Tower Complex is a high-rise building complex appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, USA, the complex is named after its owner Tony Stark, who is the alter ego of the superhero Iron Man. The structure is composed of a 93-story Main Tower flanked by a 35-story South Building and 55-story North Building. Located at the top of the Main Tower was the Watchtower of the superhero The Sentry, but it has been replaced by Heimdall's observatory.
The Illuminati are a fictional secret society group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters joined forces and secretly work behind the scenes. The Illuminati was established to exist in their first published appearance in New Avengers #7, written by Brian Michael Bendis. Their history was discussed in the special New Avengers: Illuminati. The group was revealed to have been formed very shortly after the Kree–Skrull War.
The Avengers: United They Stand is an animated series based on the Marvel Comics superhero team Avengers. It consists of 13 episodes, which originally premiered on October 30, 1999, and was produced by Avi Arad. It was canceled on February 26, 2000.
The Mighty Avengers is a comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics. Originally written by Brian Michael Bendis, also the writer of New Avengers, the title first featured an officially sanctioned Avengers team of registered superheroes, residing in New York City as part of the Fifty State Initiative, as opposed to the unlicensed team featured in The New Avengers. This first incarnation of the team is led by Iron Man and Ms. Marvel, with the second lineup featuring Hank Pym as the leader, and the third led by Luke Cage and Monica Rambeau.
Avengers: The Initiative is a comic book series from Marvel Comics. Written by Dan Slott and Christos Gage with artwork initially by Stefano Caselli, Steve Uy and Harvey Tolibao, the series handles the aftermath of Marvel's "Civil War" storyline. A preview of the title was shown in Civil War: The Initiative.
"Secret Invasion" is a comic book crossover storyline written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Leinil Francis Yu, that ran through a self-titled eight-issue limited series and several tie-in books published by Marvel Comics from April through December 2008. The story involves a subversive, long-term invasion of Earth by the Skrulls, a group of alien shapeshifters who have secretly replaced many superheroes in the Marvel Universe with impostors over a period of years, prior to the overt invasion. Marvel's promotional tagline for the event was "Who do you trust?".
Dark Reign is a 2008 to 2009 comic book branding used by Marvel Comics. It deals with the aftermath of the "Secret Invasion" storyline, which resulted in a shift of power in the Marvel Universe toward Norman Osborn. The title refers to Osborn's rise to national power and the ramifications thereof. Joe Quesada, then-editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics, stated that "Dark Reign is not really an event, it's what's happening in the Marvel Universe." He believes that "Dark Reign leads to an interesting place in the Marvel Universe. I think you'll see a pulling back at the end of Dark Reign, but you'll understand at the end of it what we were trying to get to."
The Cabal is a secret society of supervillains and antiheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. As a more villainous counterpart to the Illuminati, the group was formed in the "Dark Reign" storyline very shortly after the Secret Invasion event.
Uncanny Avengers is a comic book series first appearing in the October 2012 debut of Marvel NOW!, published by Marvel Comics. The series follows an interconnected fictional superhero team, featuring members from the Marvel Universe. The team is united by Captain America upon the conclusion of Avengers vs. X-Men. Uncanny Avengers is also known as Avengers Unity Squad.