The Avengers: United They Stand

Last updated
The Avengers: United They Stand
Avg head s01.jpg
Genre Superhero
Based on
Avengers
by
Developed byEric Lewald
Julia Lewald
Directed byRon Myrick
Voices of Linda Ballantyne
Tony Daniels
Graham Harley
Hamish McEwan
Ray Landry
Caroly Larson
Stavroula Logothettis
Martin Roach
Ron Rubin
John Stocker
Rod Wilson
Lenore Zann
Narrated byGeorge Johnson
Opening theme"The Avengers: United They Stand" by Sky Flyers
ComposersJeremy Sweet
Deddy Tzur
Shuki Levy
Kussa Mahchi
Country of originUnited States
Canada
No. of episodes13
Production
Executive producers Avi Arad
Eric S. Rollman
Stan Lee
ProducerRon Myrick
Running time22 minutes
Production companies Marvel Studios
Saban Entertainment
Fox Family Worldwide
Saerom Animation
Original release
Network Fox Kids
ReleaseOctober 30, 1999 (1999-10-30) –
February 26, 2000 (2000-02-26)
Related
The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes Avengers Assemble

The Avengers: United They Stand (also known simply as The Avengers) is an animated series based on the Marvel Comics superhero team Avengers. [1] 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. [2]

Contents

The series features two founders of the team, Ant-Man and the Wasp, and introduces Wonder Man, Tigra, Hawkeye, Falcon, Vision and Scarlet Witch. [3]

Plot

The series features a team broadly based on the roster for the 1984 Avengers spin-off series, the West Coast Avengers, composed of the Wasp, Wonder Man, Tigra, Hawkeye and Scarlet Witch (Hawkeye and Scarlet Witch were also both in the Iron Man animated series as members of Force Works) led by Ant-Man/Giant-Man, with the Falcon and Vision joining in the opening two-parter. For undetermined reasons (perhaps due to their rights being tied up in planned movie projects), the Avengers' "Big Three" were not regular fixtures in the series – Captain America and Iron Man made only guest appearances in one episode each, while Thor did not appear outside of the opening titles (though he was intended to make an appearance in a future season if the show was renewed). Captain America appears in one episode "Command Decision". The story involves the Masters of Evil and a flashback to Captain America defeating Baron Zemo. Meanwhile, Iron Man in the episode "Shooting Stars", helps the Avengers thwart the Zodiac's plan to send a radioactive satellite crashing to Earth.

The series features many of the Avengers' major comic book foes, including Ultron, Kang the Conqueror, Egghead, the Masters of Evil (consisting of Baron Helmut Zemo, Tiger Shark, Absorbing Man, Moonstone, Whirlwind, Boomerang, Cardinal, and Dragonfly) the Grim Reaper (this version wore full body armor and a helmet featuring a skull-like paint job and a scythe-like weapon on his armor; his ties to Wonder Man remained intact) and the Zodiac, as well as associated characters the Swordsman, the Circus of Crime, Namor, Attuma, Agatha Harkness, and the Salem's Seven.

The show made several fan-friendly references to aspects of the characters' comic book history that were otherwise not expanded upon for the uninitiated; such as Falcon and Captain America's partnership, Hawkeye's partial deafness, or Namor's half-breed nature. Beyond this, the series bore little in the way of similarity to the comics, mainly due to its wholesale redesign of the cast, characterized by asymmetrical costume design and the most infamous element of the series – Ant-Man, Wasp, Hawkeye and Falcon all wore suits of battle armor. Also in this incarnation, Tigra is an athlete who underwent genetic treatments to give her a competitive edge. These treatments went awry, leaving her with the form and abilities of a tiger.

Cast

Part of the Avengers roster. Left to right: Tigra, Falcon, Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye and Vision. Avengers United They Stand.jpg
Part of the Avengers roster. Left to right: Tigra, Falcon, Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye and Vision.

Additional voices

Appearing in the comics

Other characters that appeared in the comic but not the show:

Production

In 1997, Roland Poindexter, the supervising executive in charge of animated series at Fox Kids Network, approached two X-Men (1992) animated series writers named Robert N. Skir and Marty Isenberg to develop a proposal for an Avengers cartoon. After creating a detailed Bible that included a 13-episode story arc, the network decided a Captain America series would be more suited to its schedule. But before Fox Kids could green light either series, Marvel went into bankruptcy, effectively ending the development process for all its shows. It was not until after the publisher's financial woes were resolved in late 1998 that Poindexter revived interest in the Avengers project, using the series bible written by Robert N. Skir and Marty Isenberg; because Skir and Isenberg were already committed to spearhead Beast Machines: Transformers, the network approached former X-Men animated series story editor Eric Lewald and his wife, Julia, to come on board as story editors for the series. In January 1999, Fox finally gave the official go-ahead and Ron Myrick was hired to oversee the show's visual development.

The Avengers roster for the cartoon is loosely based upon the roster for the 1984 Avengers spin-off series The West Coast Avengers . Notably absent from the lineup are the traditional core members: Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor, who were originally prohibited from appearing in the series due to licensing issues. Story editor Eric Lewald has commented on their absence and had said "We want this to be a team of Avengers, instead of making it 'Captain America and the Avengers' or 'Thor and the Avengers. We prefer to have a balanced team of superheroes rather than a superstar on the team."[ citation needed ] However, Captain America and Iron Man each made one guest appearance (in "Command Decision" and "Shooting Stars", respectively), while Thor did not appear outside of the opening sequence.

The decision to pair Scarlet Witch and Wonder Man up as a couple was based upon the storyline then running in the Avengers comic in which Scarlet Witch resurrects Wonder Man to serve as her protector after an evil sorceress transforms the planet into a medieval world under her control. During their time together, the two fall in love and become a couple.

In the promotional images of the series, and the action figure photos, Hawkeye did not wear a mask. However, in the series and the final version of the figure, he wore a mask similar to that he wore during the Avengers: The Crossing storyline.

This series was commissioned by Fox in the wake of the success of Batman Beyond (1999). In order to attempt to emulate Batman Beyond, changes were made to the Avengers franchise as the series was set in the future. Myrick explained that they were "setting the series about twenty-five years in the future" and that "New York City will be a mix of future and contemporary looks, sort of the way the city looked in the movie Blade Runner (1982) but not as dark." The Avengers were also featured wearing elaborate armor costumes when they went into battle. Myrick explained, "The armor will give them the capability to go into different environments like extreme heat or cold, or underwater, or outer space, and it'll enhance their abilities." The Avengers also featured an "A" on their costumes that was like a Star Trek comlink, where they could hit it and communicate with each other and the mansion's computer.

Episodes

The following list reflects the correct viewing order of The Avengers: United They Stand episodes, according to Marvel's official site.

No.TitleWritten byOriginal air date
1"Avengers Assemble: Part 1"Michael EdensOctober 30, 1999 (1999-10-30)

Ultron creates the Vision and sends him to destroy Ant-Man.

Note: In addition to the close-ups on the pictures of Captain America, Thor, and Iron Man near the beginning, pictures of Beast, Black Panther, Hulk, Namor, Quicksilver, and two others can be seen in both conference room scenes.
2"Avengers Assemble: Part 2"Michael EdensNovember 6, 1999 (1999-11-06)
Wonder Man is put on life support and the Avengers must take over where he fell. Falcon joins the team and Vision is reprogrammed with a copy of Wonder Man's mind.
3"Kang"Brooks WachtelNovember 13, 1999 (1999-11-13)
After being accidentally freed from his urn prison by Dr. Chris Johnson and Falcon's nephew Andrew, Kang the Conqueror starts to create havoc while looking for a special crystal obelisk from ancient Egypt, an object which would allow him to go back into the future and oppress millions of people. The Avengers must protect the world—past, present, and future—at all costs.
4"Comes a Swordsman"John LoyNovember 27, 1999 (1999-11-27)

Hawkeye must face his past and his old mentor the Swordsman. Meanwhile, the Avengers face a group of thieves led by Ringmaster, who has robbed a biological weapons study lab.

Note: The paper that Hawkeye glances at is the Daily Bugle .
5"Remnants"Michael EdensDecember 4, 1999 (1999-12-04)

Strange remnants of Ultron's previous experiments create terror on an island where France's main nuclear testing facility exists. The Avengers race to control or destroy these machines before they start a nuclear war, not counting on Ultron paying a visit as well.

Note: A picture of Beast briefly appears on the wall during the Avengers' meeting.
6"Command Decision" Len Wein December 11, 1999 (1999-12-11)
The Avengers must stop the Masters of Evil (consisting of Baron Helmut Zemo, Tiger Shark, Absorbing Man, Moonstone, Whirlwind, Boomerang, Cardinal, and Dragonfly) who are trying to steal a shipment of highly dangerous government weapons. To make matters more difficult, Captain America comes on the scene, leaving Ant-Man to work out his leadership issues while still focusing on the job at hand.
7"To Rule Atlantis"Len UhleyDecember 18, 1999 (1999-12-18)
When mysterious earthquakes are artificially caused, the Avengers suspect Prince Namor of Atlantis, so they go under the sea to investigate. They discover that Namor is innocent and Attuma is using the Dynamo machine to create earthquakes in his plot to conquer Atlantis. During this time, Vision is jealous of Namor's kind and loving expression toward the Scarlet Witch.
8"Shooting Stars"Bruce Reid SchaeferJanuary 22, 2000 (2000-01-22)
The whole world is threatened when satellites are blasted out of their orbits. Learning that the criminal organization Zodiac is behind the chaos, the Avengers call upon Iron Man for help and rocket into space to stop the blackmail of Earth's cities.
9"What a Vision Has to Do"John LoyJanuary 29, 2000 (2000-01-29)

Vision volunteers to be "bait" to allow himself to be captured by Ultron as a way for the Avengers to track him to the villain's lair. It works, but Ultron is ready for them.

Note: This is Ultron's last appearance in the series.
10"Egg-Streme Vengeance"Len UhleyFebruary 5, 2000 (2000-02-05)

Egghead initiates a plot to destroy his archrival Ant-Man by making his "Pym particles" go crazy. The Avengers must prevent Ant-Man from shrinking to subatomic oblivion.

Note: The name of the entertainment-news host that appears on the TV is Ron Myrick, the given name of the show's producer and director.
11"The Sorceress's Apprentice"Michael EdensFebruary 12, 2000 (2000-02-12)
Scarlet Witch, along with Vision, visits Agatha Harkness to see what she can do for Wonder Man, but she is kidnapped by Nicholas Scratch and the Salem's Seven. She calls the rest of the Avengers to help her, but they are busy fighting the Grim Reaper who attacks in retaliation for what happened to his brother Wonder Man. Because of this, Scarlet Witch and Vision will have to rescue her without them.
12"Earth and Fire: Part 1"Steven MelchingFebruary 19, 2000 (2000-02-19)
Following Scarlet Witch successfully restoring Wonder Man to good health, something is dangerously affecting the Earth's magnetic fields. Wasp realizes that her father's old business partner Cornelius Van Lundt is behind the disruptions, and must face her past to save the planet.
13"Earth and Fire: Part 2" Jan Strnad February 26, 2000 (2000-02-26)
Someone wants an ancient meteorite buried beneath an island, the reason for the disruptions in the Earth's magnetic fields. The Avengers have a final showdown with the Zodiac.

Proposed second season

Tentative plans for additional episodes were made that featured Hawkeye's return to the carnival where he grew up as well as an episode exploring how the Scarlet Witch discovered her powers. Plans also included guest appearances by the X-Men, utilizing the Toronto-based cast from the 1990s series as a few of them already worked on this show. Other proposed episode plots include Bruce Banner appearing to help the team when Ant-Man fell ill to gamma radiation exposure during a fight with the villain Egghead, Thor and his brother Loki in a two-part episode (there was even a Thor toy made for the show's line of action figures). However, all plans were scrapped when the show had stopped production. [9]

Home media

United Kingdom

In May 2004, Maximum Entertainment released two boxsets which contained the show as well as segments from The Marvel Super Heroes . Both box sets made up all thirteen episodes of the series. [10] On May 21, 2007, the company re-released the series as a standalone DVD release. [11]

On April 16, 2012, Clear Vision re-released the series on DVD as a two-disc set. [12]

Merchandise and media

Toys

Toy Biz released a line of action figures for the cartoon series. The figures included Ant-Man, Captain America, Falcon, Hawkeye, Kang, Tigra, Vision, Ultron, Wasp and Wonder Man. Air Glider and Sky Cycle vehicle toys were also produced. In the promotional images of the series, and the action figure photos, Hawkeye did not wear a mask. However, in the series and the final version of the figure, he wore a mask similar to that he wore during the Avengers: The Crossing storyline.

Comic book

The Avengers: United They Stand
AvengersComics4.jpg
cover of The Avengers: United They Stand No. 4
Publication information
Publisher Marvel Comics
Format Ongoing series
Publication dateNovember 1999 – June 2000
No. of issues7
Main character(s) Avengers
Creative team
Written by Ty Templeton
Derec Aucoin

The Avengers: United They Stand comic book series by Ty Templeton and Derec Aucoin was published to accompany the series. Due to low sales it lasted only seven issues.

The first two issues are set before the series premiere, Avengers Assemble, Part 1 & 2. No. 1 has the Avengers injured by an early version of Ultron. This issue was used to explain the armor worn by Hawkeye, Wasp and the Falcon in the series, which uses Pym Particles to reduce the pain caused by injury. It is mentioned by Hawkeye that Hank built his own armor after his legs were broken by Dragon Man, and felt no pain in his legs until he removed the armor. No. 3 takes place after the premiere as the Vision is being interviewed about his membership. He is also briefed on how Wonder Man and Hawkeye joined the team.

The Black Panther would appear in No. 1 and 6–7 of the series. In No. 1 he is among the Avengers who are injured by Ultron. Because of that, he refuses to rejoin the team until Hank steps down from being leader. Captain America appears in #6–7 as well. Quicksilver is mentioned twice in the series. In issue 1, Wanda is shown writing a letter to him. Issue 3 shows him in the flashback alongside Captain America, Hawkeye and Scarlet Witch.

Related Research Articles

<i>Secret Wars</i> 1984–1985 Marvel Comics limited series

Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars, commonly known as Secret Wars, is a 12-issue American comic book crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Shooter, with art by Mike Zeck and Bob Layton. It was tied in with a similarly-named toy line from Mattel and a role-playing game of the same name from TSR, Inc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avengers (comics)</span> Comic book superhero team

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hank Pym</span> Comic book superhero

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wasp (character)</span> Marvel comics superheroine

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Immortus</span> Fictional character appearing in Marvel Comics

Immortus is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the future self of Pharaoh Rama-Tut, Scarlet Centurion, Kang the Conqueror, and Iron Lad / Kid Immortus, and a descendant of the scientist of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giant-Man</span> Comics character

Giant-Man is the alias used by several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ultron</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Coast Avengers</span> Comic book superhero team

The West Coast Avengers is a fictional group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in The West Coast Avengers #1, created by Roger Stern and Bob Hall. It was the first spin-off publication for the Avengers.

<i>Avengers Disassembled</i> 2004 Marvel Comics storyline

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wonder Man</span> Marvel Comics character

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ant-Man</span> Comic book superhero

Ant-Man is the name of several superheroes appearing in books published by Marvel Comics.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grim Reaper (Marvel Comics)</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

Eric Williams is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Roy Thomas and John Buscema, the character first appeared in The Avengers #52 May (1968). Eric Williams is the brother of the superhero Simon Williams / Wonder Man. He is a supervillain and necromancer known under the codename Grim Reaper. The character is an adversary of the Avengers. He has also been a member of the Maggia, Lethal Legion, and Legion of the Unliving at various points in his history.

<i>The Last Avengers Story</i> Marvel Comics mini-series

The Last Avengers Story is a two-issue prestige format mini-series from Marvel Comics released in November and December 1995. It was written by Peter David and illustrated by Ariel Olivetti.

The Lethal Legion is the name of seven teams of fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Marvel Fairy Tales is a term for three volumes of comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics and written by C. B. Cebulski with art by different artists each issue. Each of these series adapts fairytales and folk tales from around the world, using analogues of famous Marvel superheroes in place of the major characters. The series were published from 2006 to 2008 and were, in order, X-Men Fairy Tales, Spider-Man Fairy Tales, and Avengers Fairy Tales. A potential fourth series, Fantastic Four Fairy Tales, was mentioned as "in development" by Cebulski but was never released.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avengers (comics) in other media</span> Marvel studios team in other media

The Avengers are a superhero team created by Marvel Comics that appear in comic books. Aside from comics, the Avengers appear in various forms of media such as in novels, television shows, movies, videogames and stage shows.

<i>The Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes</i> American superhero animated television series

The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes is an American superhero animated television series by Marvel Animation in cooperation with Film Roman based on the Marvel Comics superhero team. The first season debuted on Disney XD and online in the fall of 2010. The second season was one of the inaugural shows of the Marvel Universe programming block alongside Ultimate Spider-Man.

<i>Uncanny Avengers</i> Comic book series

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.

References

  1. ↑ Fritz, Steve (August 4, 1999). "New Series Aims for X-Men, Batman Level of Quality". USA: Mania. Archived from the original on April 20, 2000. Retrieved May 13, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. ↑ Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 51–52. ISBN   978-1538103739.
  3. ↑ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 101–102. ISBN   978-1476665993.
  4. 1 2 "GCD :: Issue :: Avengers United They Stand No. 5". Comics.org. Retrieved December 29, 2010.
  5. 1 2 "GCD :: Issue :: Avengers United They Stand No. 2". Comics.org. Retrieved December 29, 2010.
  6. 1 2 "GCD :: Issue :: Avengers United They Stand No. 4". Comics.org. Retrieved December 29, 2010.
  7. ↑ "GCD :: Issue :: Avengers United They Stand No. 6". Comics.org. Retrieved December 29, 2010.
  8. ↑ "GCD :: Issue :: Avengers United They Stand No. 7". Comics.org. Retrieved December 29, 2010.
  9. ↑ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0203247/trivia [ user-generated source ]
  10. ↑ "Maximum Entertainment". Archived from the original on 2005-04-19.
  11. ↑ "The Avengers: United They Stand - DVD - Catawiki". www.catawiki.com. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  12. ↑ "The Avengers Complete 1999 Series". Amazon UK. 16 April 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.