New Avengers

New Avengers
source
Name	New Avengers
Publisher	Marvel Comics
Debut	New Avengers #1 (January 2005)
Creators	Brian Michael Bendis; David Finch (artist)
Base	Avengers Mansion (former); Avengers Tower; alternate bases
Members	Luke Cage; Jessica Jones; Daredevil; Spider-Man; Iron Man; Captain America; Hawkeye; Ms. Marvel; Wolverine; Spider-Woman; others
Alliances	Avengers; S.H.I.E.L.D.; X-Men; Fantastic Four
Enemies	Norman Osborn; Thanos; Ultron; Kingpin; Kang the Conqueror

New Avengers The New Avengers is a comic-book superhero team published by Marvel Comics, relaunched in 2005 as a contemporary successor to the classic Avengers and reassembled multiple times through crossover events such as Civil War, Secret Invasion, and Dark Reign. Conceived by writer Brian Michael Bendis with artist David Finch, the series reconfigured relationships among characters from Spider-Man, X-Men, Marvel Knights, and legacy Avengers members, driving long-form serialized storytelling that intersected with Ultimate Marvel-era publishing and Marvel NOW! initiatives.

Publication history

The title debuted with New Avengers #1 (January 2005), written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by David Finch, following the death of Captain America and the disbanding of the mainstream Avengers. The series ran through multiple creative teams including David Mack, Steve McNiven, Paul Ryan, and later writers such as Jonathan Hickman, whose run intersected with his concurrent work on Avengers and the Infinity event. The book spun out of crossover events like House of M, fed into Civil War, Secret Invasion, Dark Reign, Siege, and later incarnations during Heroic Age, Marvel NOW!, and All-New, All-Different Marvel. Collected editions include multiple trade paperbacks and Marvel Masterworks-style omnibuses compiling major arcs and tie-ins.

Fictional team biography

Following the apparent assassination of Captain America and the fallout from House of M, a street-level assemblage led by Luke Cage and Daredevil formed alongside displaced heroes such as Spider-Man, Iron Man, and Wolverine to confront threats like the Sentry and Ultron constructs. During Civil War, the team opposed the Superhuman Registration Act and clashed with government-backed forces including Tony Stark and U.S. Agent. The roster shifted through crises: Secret Invasion revealed a Skrull (Skrull conspiracy), provoking paranoia and reshuffling; Dark Reign saw former adversary Norman Osborn ascend to power, reshaping the team's legal status and underground operations. Under Jonathan Hickman, the team confronted cosmic-level dangers including Kang the Conqueror, Thanos, and the manipulations of High Evolutionary, integrating with Avengers to address multiversal stakes.

Membership

The team's personnel rotated extensively: founding and early members included Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Daredevil, Spider-Man, Iron Man, and Steve Rogers (later revealed); subsequent lineups featured Wolverine, Ms. Marvel, Spider-Woman, Hawkeye, Doctor Strange, Scarlet Witch, Echo, Carol Danvers, Power Man successors, and fringe additions like Skaar. Antagonists and temporary allies included Norman Osborn, Kingpin, Skrulls, and Mystique. Crossovers drew in members from X-Men, Fantastic Four, Guardians of the Galaxy and solo heroes such as Black Panther, Doctor Doom, Ant-Man, Hercules, and Vision.

Major story arcs

- "Breakout" and initial formation: early issues featured prison breaks by villains like Baron Zemo and Electro prompting the team's formation. - "Civil War": the team took a central role in opposing the Superhuman Registration Act during the crossover penned by Mark Millar, intersecting with The Initiative and figures such as Nick Fury. - "Secret Invasion": the Skrull infiltration impacted trust among heroes, implicating characters like Spider-Woman and Ms. Marvel (imposter). - "Dark Reign" and "Siege": the rise of Norman Osborn and his Dark Avengers led to clandestine operations, culminating in the Siege battle for Asgard and the fall of Osborn. - Jonathan Hickman era: grand-scale plots involving Kang the Conqueror, Ultimate Nullifier, and the redefinition of Avengers and New Avengers roles across space-time, tying into the Infinity storyline and reshaping the multiverse status quo. - Later relaunches: the team appeared in Marvel NOW! and All-New, All-Different Marvel initiatives, participating in crossovers like Original Sin and dealing with legacy, resurrection, and leadership questions.

Media adaptations

Elements of the team's lineups and storylines influenced adaptations across media: the Marvel Cinematic Universe films such as The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and sequels incorporated ensemble concepts, characters like Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Thor, Black Widow, and Hawkeye; animated series including Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes and Avengers Assemble borrowed arcs and roster dynamics; video games like Marvel's Avengers and titles from Marvel vs. Capcom feature mixed rosters inspired by comic teams. Merchandise, motion comics, and tie-in novels have referenced major arcs such as Civil War and Secret Invasion.

Category:Marvel Comics superhero teams