5 teams of charter members

[Bored Yesterday]

We talk of the Avengers as though it's one team. Everybody knows the membership roster has changed many many times, and the team's composition has never been static. But even beyond that, take note of how the team has been disbanded 4 times throughout their history. That means the Avengers don't have just 1 set of founding members -- but 5!

Charter Team 1: Thor, Iron Man, Ant Man, Wasp, Hulk

They disbanded in issue 21, due to the Enchantress's treachery, and reformed in issue 22 or 23 with Cap, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and Scarlet Witch.

The disbanded again in issue 297 after Dr. Druid's treachery and didn't reform until issue 300 with Cap, Reed Richards, Sue Richards, and Gilgamesh.

They seized to exist in Onslaught, and didn't return until Volume III, becoming a real team, I thnk, in issue 4. Who were the members here? Is this list correct?
Cap, Firestar, Hawkeye, Iron Man, Justice, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Thor, Warbird and Wonder Man.

Then they were disbanded after Disassembled and reformed in New Avengers with the membership of Cap, Iron Man, Wolverine, Spider-man, and Spider-woman.

So, am I leaving any out? Heroes Reborn does not count. Which team of charter members do you prefer, and why?

[The Night Phantom]

boredyesterday said:

The disbanded again in issue 297 after Dr. Druid's treachery and didn't reform until issue 300 with Cap, Reed Richards, Sue Richards, and Gilgamesh.

...and Thor. Note also that Cap recruited (and lost) Demolition-Man before the #300 team.

But the Avengers didn’t really disband. The East Coast team did, but the West Coast team remained active. Of course, that angle brings up the West Coast charter team of Hawkeye, Mockingbird, Tigra, Wonder Man, and Iron Man (Jim Rhodes).

They seized to exist in Onslaught, and didn't return until Volume III, becoming a real team, I thnk, in issue 4. Who were the members here? Is this list correct?
Cap, Firestar, Hawkeye, Iron Man, Justice, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Thor, Warbird and Wonder Man.

Wonder Man hadn’t finished being resurrected yet. Actually the team “reassembled” in #1, albeit as a quasi-mob (consisting of the lion’s share of past members), but was pared down to a slimmer roster in #4.

Then they were disbanded after Disassembled and reformed in New Avengers with the membership of Cap, Iron Man, Wolverine, Spider-man, and Spider-woman.

You left out Cage; Wolverine joined a bit later.

Which team of charter members do you prefer, and why?

The original. It’s a classic team-up, rarely seen, and it set the stage for many great years of adventures.

[Shiryu]

Nice analisis, Phantom.

I too prefer the classic team (the 5 of them and Cap are still considered the Avengers' funding members).

However, this also brings on the question "why did they add the "New" now, while they didn't change their name in any of the past resurrections ?"
If they had, now the group's name would be New new new new Avengers ;D

[The Night Phantom]

shiryu said:

Nice analisis, Phantom.

Thanks! But Boredyesterday did the hard work!

I too prefer the classic team (the 5 of them and Cap are still considered the Avengers' funding members).

For administrative purposes, founder status has been revoked from the Hulk, as revealed in vol. 3 #4.

However, this also brings on the question "why did they add the "New" now, while they didn't change their name in any of the past resurrections ?"
If they had, now the group's name would be New new new new Avengers ;D

Don’t forget annual/special #2, whose cover boisterously announced, “The New Avengers vs. the Old Avengers!” (The New Avengers were Captain America, Hawkeye, Goliath, the Wasp, and the Black Panther; the Old Avengers were alternate-timeline counterparts of Thor, the Hulk, Iron Man, Giant-Man, and the Wasp.)

[The Night Phantom]

nightphantom said:

They seized to exist in Onslaught, and didn't return until Volume III, becoming a real team, I thnk, in issue 4. Who were the members here? Is this list correct?
Cap, Firestar, Hawkeye, Iron Man, Justice, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Thor, Warbird and Wonder Man.

Wonder Man hadn’t finished being resurrected yet. Actually the team “reassembled” in #1, albeit as a quasi-mob (consisting of the lion’s share of past members), but was pared down to a slimmer roster in #4.

I just realized that Quicksilver was not on that roster either, but the Vision was. So, the team at the end of #4 was: Hawkeye, Thor, the Scarlet Witch, Captain America, Warbird, Iron Man, and the Vision, plus Justice and Firestar.

[ultron69]

I think I'll go with the second lineup of Cap, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and Scarlet Witch. Cap's leadership skills were pushed to the limit with an overbearing archer, a hotheaded speedster, and a much less powerful, less experienced, and less confident Wanda, plus no real powerhouse to call upon. There were excellent group dynamics here (Cap winning Clint's respect over time, Wanda's crush on Cap, Pietro's overprotectiveness of Wanda) especially for the 1960's! Really ahead of its time.

The worst has to be the #300 lineup.