September 1963 gave birth to two of Marvel’s greatest super-groups: The Uncanny X-Men and the Avengers, “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.” Originally consisting of Thor, Iron Man, Ant-Man, Wasp, and the Incredible Hulk, the team was soon joined by Captain America (in issue #4). Since then, it seems that virtually every Marvel super-hero has served as a one-time Avenger. Even such famous loners as Spider-Man have briefly served with this legendary fighting team.
Like a large corporation, the Avengers have even divisionalized, giving birth to the Great Lakes Avengers and the more famous West Coast Avengers. These teams operate independently, although they occasionally combine forces, as in the Infinity Gauntlet series, to fight a great enemy.