10 Greatest Avengers Of All Time

2. Iron Man

Tony Stark, the Invincible Iron Man himself, has pretty much always been an Avenger (apart from when he's been otherwise indisposed).

He helped found the group, he remained a key figure during their formative years, and has been involved with them in one way or another despite the various changes that have engulfed the Marvel Universe since the Avengers were initially founded.

Although the character, created by Stan Lee, Larry Leiber, Don Heck and Jack Kirby, has changed a great deal since Robert Downey Jr. first portrayed him in 2008's Iron Man, no matter his characterisation, the hero has remained a staple of the Avengers. Sometimes its leader, but almost always an important figure, Iron Man has carved out a reputation not only as one of the group's most unlikely heroes, but also as one its more compelling.

He's not a traditional hero, and never has been. And though he's starred in his fair share of brilliant storylines in his own solo series, it's in the Avengers where the character was made.