(Image Source: Marvel / Emanuela Lupacchino)
For over six decades, The Avengers have been Marvel’s premiere superhero team. Since their founding, the team has seen constant roster changes. Indeed, most of the publisher’s biggest heroes have been part of the team at some point. It also continues to be used to cross-promote Marvel’s comic line-up and is a flagship for universe-spanning events. However, the team achieved a new prominence in recent years, thanks to the MCU. This has many people who have never read a comic anxious to see the team return in Avengers: Doomsday.

Best Avengers comics as of 2026

Some of Marvel’s most incredible adventures have taken place in the pages of The Avengers. However, many of the team’s best stories occurred in company-wide crossovers with other series. Indeed, Marvel’s big event of Summer 2026, Armageddon, will be used to introduce a new squad of Avengers. Regardless of who makes the new roster, the following list chronicles some of the best Avengers comics ever.

Earth’s Mightiest Heroes (Avengers Vol. 1 #1-20)

Admittedly, the first Avengers comics appear somewhat goofy by today’s standards. They carry all the bombastic hallmarks of 1960s Marvel. This means bold artwork from Jack Kirby and overly-enthusiastic dialogue from Stan Lee. It also means a story where Hulk tries to disguise himself as a giant robot clown in a circus.

This is due to Loki using a Hulk illusion to try and trick Thor into freeing him from imprisonment. However, the faux-Hulk only serves to attract the attention of Iron Man, The Wasp, and Ant-Man. They wind up clearing Hulk’s name and work so well together they decide to form a team. Thus were The Avengers born!

However, this particular team was short-lived. Barely over a year later, the team had a new lineup led by Captain America. What is more, all the new Avengers besides Cap (Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, and Hawkeye) were reformed supervillains!

Compared to the universe-threatening situations the Avengers found themselves facing later, these early adventures are quaint. However, the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes Epic Collection is worth reading just to see how it all began. (Another take on the team’s founding can be found in 2010’s Avengers: The Origin by Joe Casey and Phil Noto.)

Kree-Skrull War (Avengers Vol. 1 #89–97)

Image Credit: Marvel

Published in 1972, Kree-Skrull War is one of the best Avengers comics ever written and a contender for the best ever. It boasts a script by Roy Thomas at the height of his powers. It also features art by both Sal and John Buscema, as well as Neal Adams.

The title sums up the relatively straight-forward premise. Intergalactic war breaks out between two of the most powerful alien races in the Marvel Universe and Earth is caught in the middle. It falls to the Avengers (with the help of the Fantastic Four) to avert disaster.

The Kree-Skrull War was a significant milestone for the Avengers. It marked the first time the team faced a universal threat. This story would also have a lasting impact on the Marvel Universe, particularly the later Empyre storyline. It also marked the beginning of Scarlet Witch and Vision’s relationship, which developed into one of the best romances in all of Marvel.

Under Siege (Avengers Vol. 1 #270-277)

The Masters of Evil had always been intended to be the villainous counterpart to the Avengers. However, the various villains united under that name were always ineffectual. This was largely because they had little to unite them beyond a shared hatred of various superheroes. Sooner or later, different goals and volatile personalities proved the villains’ downfall.

1986’s Under Siege changed this, with original Masters of Evil leader Baron Zemo assembling a new team. One that was built around raw power, variety of abilities, and proven competence. They also had only one goal; take over Avengers’ HQ and humiliate Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

Marvel Comics was famed for depicting their heroes as flawed people, who frequently lost only to build themselves back up. However, the Avengers had never suffered so devastating a loss as they did in the early chapters of “Under Siege.” With both Captain American and Jarvis taken hostage, the stakes never seemed higher. It spoils little to reveal the team eventually rallies to win, but watching how it happens makes this one of the best Avengers comics ever and one of the best comics by both Roger Stern and John Buscema.

Avengers Forever (Avengers Forever Vol. 1 #1-12)

Spinning out of the legendary Kurt Busiek and George Perez run of Avengers, 1998’s Avengers Forever told a different sort of time travel tale. The story finds Immortus the Time Master trying to kill Hulk’s buddy Rick Jones as part of a plan to prevent the Avengers from ever forming. This leads to a running battle across time, with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes finding an unlikely ally in Kang the Conqueror.

Originally, Busiek and Roger Stern planned to use Avengers Forever to clear up some continuity problems. Miraculously, they managed to do this and deliver an accessible, action-packed story despite some deep cuts into the team’s history. Praise must also be paid to Carlos Pacheco, who ably illustrated the whole miniseries.

The Kang Dynasty (Avengers Vol. 3 #41-55)

The unthinkable has happened! Kang has finally managed to take over the Earth. The only thing standing in the way of his plans to hold what he conquered forever is the Avengers. From veteran heroes to new recruits, it will take the mightiest assemblage of Earth’s heroes ever to stop Kang for all time.

In another time and place, The Kang Dynasty might have been adapted for the MCU. As it stands, it was a fitting capstone to Kurt Busiek’s revival of the franchise, with Alan Davis helping give the series a classic Avengers feel. It also boasted great artwork from Ivan Reis, Manuel Garcia, and Kieron Dweyer.

How we chose the best Avengers comics

We selected these Avengers comics not only for their enjoyment factor but also for the quality of the storytelling and artwork. We also factored in their impact on the Marvel Universe. It’s tricky to narrow things down, but ultimately, we felt the best Avengers comics are the ones that shape characters, redefine team dynamics and alliances, and leave us wanting more.