Every Original Avenger Ranked By Power

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Although not the very first superhero team at Marvel Comics, the Avengers became the company’s most famous group. Unlike the Fantastic Four, who were a super-powered family, the Avengers were brought together to face a threat too large for any single hero. Initially, they believed the Hulk was responsible, but with the help of a young boy named Rick Jones, they discovered the true villain was Loki, the mischievous Asgardian god. Ultimately, the heroes decided to continue working as a team, and even convinced the Hulk to join forces with Thor, Iron Man, Ant-Man, and Wasp.

Interestingly, Captain America wasn’t actually part of the Avengers’ original lineup. The team discovered him after he’d been frozen, and he joined in issue number 4 of The Avengers. Now, here’s a ranking of the five Avengers who were there from the beginning, based on their power levels.

5) Wasp

Janet van Dyne, known as the Wasp, was the only female founding member of the Avengers, but early comics didn’t portray her well. For years, she was depicted as shallow and preoccupied with things like shopping and having crushes on her male teammates, like Thor. It took a long time for the comics to recognize and showcase her as the strong and capable hero she truly was.

Initially, she started as Ant-Man’s partner, using his technology to become small and attack other heroes with energy blasts. However, over time, she became an incredibly effective leader for the Avengers – a skill that ultimately proved to be her greatest strength, as her other powers weren’t particularly remarkable.

4) Ant-Man

Ant-Man and Wasp were fairly evenly matched in terms of power, and it wasn’t because of any major difference in their abilities. Both could shrink using Pym Particles and talk to ants—though Ant-Man was a bit better at communicating with them. Overall, neither was exceptionally powerful, and while their energy blasts weren’t devastating, they were surprisingly strong when used in their shrunken form.

Hank Pym was considered one of the smartest members of the Avengers, rivaled only by Tony Stark. While his intelligence was his greatest strength, his most important contributions to the team came through his inventions. Ironically, those same inventions also proved to be his most dangerous, as he was the one who created Ultron.

3) Iron Man

Even before the Avengers came together, Iron Man was a hugely powerful hero. A genius inventor, he created his iconic suit of armor and filled it with advanced weapons. Over time, he continued to improve his suits, making them capable of almost anything he could imagine.

When Iron Man first joined the team, he was already a durable fighter with the ability to launch energy blasts. Over time, he’s become one of Marvel’s most formidable heroes, capable of battling nearly anyone. While incredibly powerful, he’s still not quite on the same level as the absolute strongest heroes, including a couple of his original Avengers teammates.

2) Thor

Thor demonstrated his superiority over Iron Man in a fight after the events of the Civil War storyline. When Iron Man attempted to compel Thor to sign the Superhero Registration Act, Thor responded by defeating him soundly – and using a clone to remind Iron Man of a past mistake. Thor easily overpowered Iron Man, leaving him defeated and seriously injured without much effort.

Even when the Avengers initially came together, Thor was already an incredibly strong hero and one of the team’s most powerful founding members. While it was Loki who originally brought the Avengers together as a team, Thor’s greater strength consistently proved why the Avengers were always more effective with him on their side.

1) Hulk

Hulk left the Avengers quickly, and while the story said it was because the team didn’t trust him, the real issue was his immense power. With Hulk on the team, villains simply weren’t a credible threat, making for unengaging stories.

Hulk and Thor are generally considered the most powerful heroes on Earth in Marvel Comics, and Hulk has actually defeated Thor in several battles. Because Hulk’s strength increases with his anger, he becomes increasingly difficult to defeat the longer a fight lasts. Marvel stories have even suggested Hulk could potentially survive as the sole living being on Earth, solidifying his status as both the strongest member of the original Avengers and one of the most powerful characters in the entire Marvel Universe.

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2025-11-19 20:16