Volume 1 (2005–2010)[edit]

The New Avengers is a spin-off of the long-running Marvel Comics series The Avengers. The first
issue, written by Brian Michael Bendis and penciled by David Finch, was dated January 2005 but
appeared in November 2004. Finch penciled the first six issues and issues #11-13. Succeeding
pencilers with multiple-issue runs include Steve McNiven, Leinil Francis Yu, Billy Tan, and Stuart
Immonen. The roster at first comprises Luke Cage, Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man and
"Spider-Woman" (Veranke). Later stretches included the mutant X-Man Wolverine, the unstable and
godlike Sentry, and the deaf ninja Echo, in the guise of Ronin.
The team itself was not named the "New Avengers" within the series. A splinter group of Avengers
that chose not to comply with federal superhuman registration, the team considers itself the
authentic Avengers. A concurrent government-sanctioned team gathered in the sister series The
Mighty Avengers. This series launched in early 2007 and was itself supplanted by a different
government-sanctioned team in the series Dark Avengers, which was launched in late 2008. At this
time the team welcomed Clint Barton (recently returned from the dead) as Ronin, as well as Doctor
Strange and Iron Fist.
By the end of the first volume, the New Avengers team consisted of Ronin, Captain America (Bucky
Barnes), Ms. Marvel, Mockingbird, Spider-Man, Spider-Woman (Drew), Wolverine, and team
leader Luke Cage. Writer Brian Michael Bendis said in an interview that these characters are the
authentic Avengers because Captain America said they were.[2] This statement is repeated when the
team, believing Captain America (Rogers) is alive, attempts to rescue him. Spider-Man claims that if
they get Captain America back, they can call themselves Avengers again. Luke Cage contends that
they are Avengers already.[3] The series ended with The New Avengers #64 (April 2010), at the
conclusion of the "Siege" storyline. A one-shot titled The New Avengers: Finale was also released.[4]

Volume 2 (2010–2012)[edit]
In March 2010, Marvel announced the series would be relaunched in June as part of the company's
rebranding initiative, "Heroic Age" . In the first issue of the series, the new team consisted of Luke
Cage, Victoria Hand, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, Mockingbird, Ms. Marvel, Spider-Man, The Thing,
and Wolverine.[5][6] Wolverine and Spider-Man operated on the main Avengers team as well as the
New Avengers,[6] and Doctor Strange accepted an offer to join the team after their first mission while
searching for the new Sorcerer Supreme after the death of Doctor Voodoo.[7] Daredevil joined the
team in issue #16[8] after accepting an offer from Luke Cage and Jessica Jones.[9] Jessica left the
team for personal reasons and was later joined by Luke Cage, thus ending that iteration of the team.

Volume 3 (2013–2015)[edit]
New Avengers was renumbered as a new volume in January 2013, written by Jonathan
Hickman and originally drawn by Steve Epting. The new volume shifted its focus to the powerful
group known as the Illuminati, which includes Black Bolt, Captain America, Doctor Strange, Iron
Man, Mister Fantastic, and Namor, who reassembled to confront the threat of incursions. Black
Panther and Reed Richards discovered that universal decay centered on Earth was causing
universes to collide with one another, with Earth at the focal point. In issue #3, Black Panther, who
had previously opposed the existence of the Illuminati, joined the group, and the Beast was brought
in to fill the spot vacated by the death of Professor X. In the same issue, Captain America leaves.[10]
[11]
 In issue #12, after having helped the Illuminati to defeat Thanos's army, Black Bolt's
brother Maximus joined the team. Bruce Banner joined the team in Avengers Vol. 5 #28 after
discovering the universal decay on his own.

Volume 4 (2015–2016)[edit]
Volume 4 of New Avengers launched in October 2015 as a part of the All-New, All-Different
Marvel relaunch, written by Al Ewing with art by Gerardo Sandoval. The comic features a different
team from the past three volumes: it focuses on A.I.M. (Advanced Idea Mechanics), a former super-
villain group which has been rebranded as the Avengers Idea Mechanics, and their field team which
has taken the name of the New Avengers. Sunspot is the new head of A.I.M., with Songbird as the
field leader;[12] other members include Wiccan, Hulkling, Squirrel Girl, Pod, Power Man, White Tiger,
and Hawkeye as an open informant for S.H.I.E.L.D.[13] Later, there is a schism in the team: Wiccan,
Hulkling and Squirrel Girl are expelled from A.I.M. and informed by Sunspot that the three of them
are now what remains of the New Avengers; during the same story, Cannonball was revealed to be
working for A.I.M. as well. Hawkeye, who had been fired from S.H.I.E.L.D., later rejoins the trio of
remaining New Avengers to form a lineup jokingly called "Wiccan's Kooky Quartet". During the
events of Civil War II, the New Avengers assist A.I.M. on one last mission, which Hawkeye sits out
for reasons of plausible deniability. After Sunspot's funeral, Advanced Idea Mechanics is declared
officially dead so the team breaks up,[14] but later reform as U.S.Avengers.[15]