Who is the greatest original Avenger?

Although throughout the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, there were many superheroes that one could call an Avenger, there are only six that can truly say they have been there from day one. Recruited by Nick Fury in his Avengers Initiative, the original superheros that called themselves the Avengers are Iron Man, The Hulk, Hawkeye, Captain America, Black Widow, and Thor. Here are each of superheros, ranked from worst to best. Each Avenger is ranked for their character from Captain America: The First Avenger to Avengers: Endgame, with every movie on the Marvel Cinematic timeline being taken into account. 

*Warning, spoilers are ahead. 

6. Hawkeye

Hawkeye has always been confusing as an Avenger, as he contributes little to the group in every movie. His lack of a backstory makes it difficult to connect to him as a character.  His scene with his family in Avengers: Age of Ultron which that was supposed to make him more likable backfired as his wife was worried The Avengers wouldn’t survive without him. This made him come off as arrogant as The Avengers were doing pretty fun without an extra archer. This was shown after Avengers: Civil War when his punishment after the fight in Germany was two years of house arrest, thus rendering him even more useless than he was before. Not to mention, after Thanos’ snap, he went on a murder rampage which was somehow entirely overlooked and he was immediately forgiven by him saying, “don’t give me hope.”  Everyone grieves in their own ways, but killing a bunch of people is definitely the wrong way to do it.  

5. Hulk

Hulk is the hardest Avenger to rank, as he changed so much throughout the series and is essentially two different people. Bruce Banner is an incredibly intelligent and good man, but this ranking is for Hulk. Although Hulk tamed and eventually became one with Banner in Avengers: Endgame, he is still responsible for the damage he has done. He was incredibly useful and was the sole reason for victory in many battles, but he created so much wreckage that sometimes the victory was not even worth it. He must be held accountable for his actions while Hulk as he took that risk when joining the Avengers, and could have chosen a life of peace. He earns more credit for learning how to control himself, but the damage he has done can not be forgotten. 

4. Captain America (this one will take the most explaining)

Out of all the Marvel Characters, Captain America is one of the most overrated. Although, he is a noble person and did a lot for his country, he had it the easiest out of everyone. Everything that he would have been sacrificing to make him a good person was given to him anyway. He still got his best friend and his life with Peggy. He constantly preached about doing things for the greater good while he was making very little sacrifice himself. As he was living in a time that is not his own, he was not connected to the world as everyone else was, making it even easier for him to play the hero, while he paid little attention to the struggles of the others on his team and instead shamed them for being a little bit selfish while he got everything he wanted: The superhero life, his best friend in both alternate dimensions, and a quiet life with Peggy. He gained the most while doing the least. In addition, he was somehow worthy of Thor’s hammer, which makes no sense and seemed just a ploy to make “Cap” look more noble than he actually was. He almost earned redemption by growing a beard in Avengers: Infinity War. But then, in End Game, he starred in the most disappointing scene in the  entire Marvel Cinematic Universe , in which he shaved off his beard. Also, his suit looks like the Puerto Rican flag, making him the worst dressed Avenger, which hurt his ranking significantly. 

3. Thor 

Aside from his own life, as some Avengers sacrificed, he sacrificed the most and lost so much. He watched his entire family die, while having to kill his sister to save his planet, and his brother died twice right in front of him, but the second time was for real. He lost everything, and still went back to saving the universe while he gained nothing in return. Although, yes, he gave up for a bit and became useless and obese, at least he did not go around killing people like one of his colleagues. The universe gave him only loss and pain, yet he fought through and saved many lives out of the goodness of his heart, not for personal gain. He is also very good looking, and luckily, after the terrifying scene in Thor: Ragnarok when Stan Lee cut his hair,  a breath of relief followed as he still looked great without his luscious locks. The relief later turned to pure enjoyment later in the movie as Thor chucked his brother into oncoming guards with the move ‘get help’. His accent is also very cool and his hammer and axe combo later in the series really tied everything together and showed the true power and greatness of Thor. 

2. Black Widow

Black Widow is by far the most relatable Avenger, with an incredibly personable backstory. She was raised to be a killer yet still battled her own conditioning to fight for the greater good. She is the most human out of all of them, yet is somehow one of the most powerful. She showed Bruce love while he had nothing else and made Hawkeye a little more likeable with their friendship. She was truly good and did not look for recognition. She also had a very witty sense of humor that made the movies more enjoyable. Her death was the second most heartbreaking, but it was the death she was meant to have, as she sacrificed herself for the greater good all the way to the end. 

1. Iron man

“I am Iron Man.” Nothing more needs to be said.