Earth’s Mightiest Heroes: The 20 Greatest Avengers

2) Iron Man

Without Tony Stark, the Avengers might not even be the organization they are today, as the billionaire genius has invested a lot into the team over the years, including giving them their mansion and various inventions such as Quinjets. Iron Man has had his slip-ups over the years – let’s face it, he was on the wrong side in Civil War and his time as the evil Superior Iron Man was a dark period for the character – but ol’ Shellhead is still one of the truest heroes the team has. Right now, Stark is in a coma, but an A.I. version of him is acting as JARVIS to his protege Riri Williams AKA Iron Heart.

1) Captain America

Who else could it be at number one? Steve Rogers might not have actually been a founding member of the Avengers – he first joined them in Avengers #4 – but no other hero personifies the team quite as much. The World War II hero who reawakened decades later is the Avengers’s one true leader, and that’s all there is to it. Currently, Cap might be brainwashed by HYDRA and, er, kind of evil, but you can bet that Steve Rogers’ rock-solid core will reassert itself again in the near future.