Joss Whedon did a hell of a job in what was only his second theatrical feature, one that brought Marvel Studios' Phase 1 to a hugely satisfying end and also resulted in the third highest-grossing movie in history. One of the most crowd-pleasing blockbusters in recent memory, The Avengers overcomes a slow first act and several plot contrivances to deliver a climactic battle that had audiences around the world punching the air in delight. As Loki leads a Chitauri invasion of New York, Earth's Mightiest Heroes need to work together in order to stop the evil Asgardian and his extra-terrestrial minions. Which is exactly what they do, in an incredible extended set-piece that offers massive-scale action as well as plenty of humor. Each member of the team gets a chance to shine in amongst the city-destroying chaos, with the highlight being a stunning tracking shot that follows the Avengers as they fight back against the alien invaders (even Hawkeye gets something to do!), capped off by a brilliant moment between the Hulk and Thor. Next summer's Age of Ultron will need to have something pretty special up its sleeve in order to top this showdown.