Spotlight on The Avengers Movie

What happens when you take the world's most powerful heroes and throw them together to face a challenge no single man could withstand?

You have, my friends, Earth's Mightiest Heroes, The Avengers.

Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby as a comic book series in 1963, The Avengers have traditionally been represented as a conglomerate of powerful Superheroes, banded together to fight world-devestation level threats. In today's conceptualization, they will be assembled by an agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D, for the purpose of saving the Earth.

The Avengers movie comes to fruition May 4, 2012. For those of us in the comic book fandom, this is as big as the X-men (maybe even bigger). And that's only the beginning; amassed in a series of prequels, many of the characters are being introduced individually with their own storylines, entertwining further into this film whereupon the Avengers Assemble!

During the lead-up to the Avengers Movie, Marvel Comics started their Avengers Vs. X-Men (AvX) story, the premiere event for 2012. The plot behind this 12-issue series which includes many tie-ins is the return of The Phoenix. Now, two sides take ground; on one hand The Avengers feel they are protecting the earth from extinction, on the other, The X-Men believe The Phoenix is a force that can prevent the extermination of mutants.

If you're looking for movies, posters, or other products with The Avengers, your best bet might be to start with the links below. Most people are hunting for soundtrack, digital copies, blu-ray copies, or dvds. Many of the collectors are also looking for movie-based action figures, posters, and things of that nature.

Marvel's The Avengers Catalog and Products (Amazon)

If you're trying to catch your breath, awaiting the Avengers Movie, then you might want to take a look at these digital releases, prepping the viral event. Known as Fury's Big Week, Marvel has released these issues for online download to push the project into second gear. Below is a generalized summary:

The Avengers Movie Prelude

01 Fury's Big Week #1 (In the Arctic Circle, SHIELD is looking for the body of Steve Rogers, known as Captain America. But before they can locate him, The World Security Council has a meeting with Fury and tells him to discontinue his pet projects with Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, and Captain America. He is told his focus will known be on the Tesseract (aka The Cosmic Cube), culminating in a new area called Project PEGASUS.)

02 Fury's Big Week #2 (Fury is facing numerous decisions when Agent Coulson tells him about an atmospheric disturbance in New Mexico. Nick puts it at the bottom of his todo list. Soon thereafter, he learns that Tony Stark has 72 hours to live and is dying from the palladium poisoning in his chest. Fury acquires a temporary solution, heading quickly towards Stark's location where he plans on having Black Widow inject him.)

03 Fury's Big Week #3 (Agent Coulson is keeping Tony Stark focused on saving his own life while keeping aware of the atmospheric disturbance occurring over the earth, centering on New Mexico. He gives Fury a briefing and tells him that it may be an Einstein-Rosen Bridge, also known as a wormhole. Fury decides to send him to new Mexico to check it out. Soon later, Stark has a showdown with Hammer Industries tech and the villain known as Whiplash. Only through Black Widow's help is he able to team with War Machine and survive. Once Coulson arrives on sight in the desert, his team locates a crater wherein resides a strange hammer.)

04 Fury's Big Week #4 (When the hammer is discovered, Fury calls in Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye, to act as part of the security in New Mexico. That's when Thor shows up, a scene from the movie, and attempts to grab the weapon. Meanwhile, Fury also has Black Widow on detail to pick up on Banner's trail before General Ross can get to him. We see the scene at Culver University where Banner transforms. The Hulk is the latest "batter up!")

05 Fury's Big Week #5 (In this Avenger Movie prelude, Nick Fury has his hands full with superhuman activity. Back at Culver University, Natasha Romanoff, The Black Widow, manages to sight Dr. Bruce Banner just as he transforms into the green gargantuan known as The Hulk. Back in New Mexico, SHIELD agents are reporting the appearance of a huge metallic monster (one that we know of as The Destroyer). Clint Barton, otherwise known as Hawkeye, arrives on scene just as The Mighty Thunder God, Thor, lays the magical golem flat.)

06 Fury's Big Week #6 (With the Destroyer disabled, Nick has his SHIELD operatives carefully remove it from the scene for further tests. Meanwhile, he learns that Thaddeus Ross has been lurking in his encrypted database, gathering intelligence on the super soldier materials. Approaching the General, Fury and him have terse words, suggesting they'll be butting heads in the near future. Later, Nick gets a call from Natasha who's near Dr. Stern's laboratory where Banner has been captured and subdued. Heading up to the scene, she's surprised as Blonsky, now in the form of the Abomination, rampages away and Dr. Sterns himself is in a bit of a quandary.

07 Fury's Big Week #7 (After a shakeup around the northern hemisphere, Black Widow walks away from the devastated scene left by Hulk and Abomination, warning Fury that SHIELD isn't on this level of play against these gods, monsters, and machines of war. Nick contacts his superiors and begins a serious rundown of his week, telling them he'll need more authority, a bigger budget, and wider mandate; he also tying his operations into the restart of The Tesseract, also known as The Cosmic Cube. By the end of the conversation, he's given full consensus.)

08 Fury's Big Week #8 (Agent Phil Coulson is wandering through SHIELD headquarters and runs into Nick Fury with some groundbreaking news; they've found the body of Steve Rogers! Apparently, he's alive and in suspended animation. All this suspense mounts in the backdrop of Stark's power source, the Asgardian wormhole event, and Banner's DNA. Hawkeye arrives at Project PEGASUS and meets Dr. Selvig; who Fury says has been acting strange. They exchange some words and we learn he is truly Loki, Thor's half-brother, in disguise.)

For decades, Earth's Mightiest Heroes have been a composition of famous and powerful characters. Sometimes, though, they have been less than savory. Now it's time to put them rightfully in their place. This list is their most prominent - and equally important - members over the span of The Avengers existence.

Marvel Promos for The Avengers Movie

There's been a series of issues released, coinciding with The Avengers Movie; you can tell by the covers of these comic books. The reasons are obvious. It's to promote the movie!

If you're in the collecting business, here is a rundown of the titles you'll be looking for:

Avengers: The Avengers Initiative #1 (One-Shot) (Shows the team on separate missions.)

Avengers Assemble #1-5 (There may be more issues. Consisting of the movie-based team, The Avengers face The Zodiac and Thanos.)

Avengers Prelude: The Black Widow Strikes #1-3 (Short series consisting of missions by SHIELD for Agent Natasha Romanoff.)

Avengers Roll Call #1(One-Shot) (Although the movie-based team is presented on the cover, the issue goes into many of the characters involved with the Avengers Universe, and their current affiliations.)

The Avengers: Ultron Quest #1-2 (There may be additional issues. This is a Custom Release, sponsored by Wyndham Rewards, of the movie-based team, facing the menage known as Ultron.)

Fury's Big Week#1-8 (Detailed above, this is a digital mini-series that blends into the Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, and Captain America movie prequels.)

Harley-Davidson Avengers #1-2 (A collaborative comic book between Harley-Davidson and Marvel, coinciding with the movie and a motorcycle contest. More it detailed below.)

Hulk Smash: The Avengers #1-5 (Released to lend credit to Hulk's presence in The Avengers.)

The Coming of The Avengers #1 (One-Shot) (A release of the first Avengers comic book to show their origin.)

The following actors and actresses have been signed on to represent the superheroes in the Avengers Movie:

• Iron Man, with Robert Downey Jr., who has already portrayed billionaire industrialist Tony Stark (and Shell-head) in the movies Iron Man (2008) and Iron Man 2 (2010).
• Captain America, the Super Soldier, represented by actor Chris Evans. You may also remember Chris as Johnny Storm in the movies Fantastic Four (2004) and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007). He will also be starring in the 2011 movie, Captain America: The First Avenger, which forms part of the pre-quels leading to our Avengers movie.
• Nick Fury, agent of SHIELD, played by Samuel L. Jackson. In the past, Marvel writers have specifically stated that the Ultimate comic book version of this character was specifically drawn with Sam in mind. He has also appeared in the two Iron Man movies.
• The Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson, skilled in deadly combat with a dangerous assortment of gadgets. She will also be an Agent of S.H.E.I.L.D., and was introduced to us in the second Iron Man movie.
• The Incredible Hulk, played by Mark Ruffelo, who most notably took a starring role in the movie Shutter Island (2010). Mark has never tried being a superhero before, and the Hulk is definitely going to be a challenge, as well as the scrawny Dr. Bruce Banner
• Hawkeye, the Archer, played by actor Jeremy Renner. Renner is also known for his role in The Hurt Locker (2010), but is untested in the role of a superhero.
• The Mighty Thor, God of Thunder, undertaken by Chris Hemsworth, who will be wielding the enchanted hammer, Mjolnir. Mr. Hemsworth is already fillied the Thunder God's shoes in the 2011 movie, Thor.

Harley-Davidson Motorcycles has joined in, promoting the Avengers movie with a 2-part digital comic book release and a sweepstakes prize. The winner will be drawn into his or her own comic book and receive a custom built motorcycle. Now that is awesome! If you're interested, you can check out more info at h-d.com/Avengers

Harley-Davidson Avengers #1 (The team is exploring Russia for high-level Starcorp tech until one of them members, Hawkeye, disappears. He has been captured by Baron Zemo, working with Whiplash, Mister Hyde, and TigerShark. Hawkeye manages to set off a homing beacon and Earth's Mightiest Heroes head there. Suddenly, they are ambushed on the ground by Taskmaster, using a high-grade ray blaster. As Zemo and Avengers prepare to square off, the villain makes a deal with the Negative Zone Army. The Avengers are about to be overwhelmed until the U.N. Council sends in a special task team known as The Road Force!

Originally, S.H.I.E.L.D. stood for the Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage, Law-Enforcement Division. It was later changed in the comics books to Strategic, Hazard Intervention, Espionage Logistics Directorate. The latter term is how it's being reflected in the Avengers Movie.

S.H.I.E.L.D. basically represents the most upper-level, off-the-books, top-secret organization; they have a public and a covert profile. Throughout prequels and into the Avengers Movie, they will have an underlying presence.

Guess what? If you're new to comics and characters, you might be surprised to know that the role of Nick Fury was re-created in the 90's, and fashioned after Samuel L. Jackson.

That's right, I guess you could say Jackson was made for the job.

With Iron Man (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), and The Incredible Hulk (2008) having already been released, there's no need to guess at Avenger Movie tie-ins. The following takes place in those movies:

1. (Hulk) The Secret Soldier serum is referenced. And then it is given to Emil Blonsky.
2. (Hulk) Tony Stark makes an appearance. After the credit roll, he shows up in a bar with General Ross, referring to a "team" being formed.
3. (Iron Man) Nick Fury makes an appearance. And then he tells Stark that he's not the only superhero, finally referencing "The Avenger's Inititive". This happens after the credit roll.
4. (Iron Man 2) Captain America's Shield shows up. It's not completely formed, but Stark uses it as a stand for one of his lasers.
5. (Iron Man 2) Tony is rejected for membership in the Avengers. Kinda weird, huh? But Fury does stipulate that the suit is approved, just not Tony.
6. (Iron Man 2) Black Widow fills a major role in the film Actress Scarlett Johansson ends up starring in the movie, and has a thrilling fight sequence. Throughout the movie, she's watching Stark and keeping a profile on him for the Avengers.
7. (Iron Man 2) Thor's hammer appears in the desert. After the credit roll, we are taken to New Mexico, where S.H.E.I.L.D. agents are setting up a perimeter around Mjolnir, Thor's mystic hammer.
8. (Thor) First appearance of The Cosmic Cube. After the credit roll, Nick Fury brings out the Cosmic Cube.
9. (Captain America) Cap in the New Century. Steve Rogers learns he has been in suspended animation for decades and in now in a world of great wonder and technology.

Squidoo Recognizes The Avengers!

On March, 31, 2011, The Avengers Movie Fan Page was awarded the Purple Star!

That means some of the fine-minded people of Squidoo thought this lens was really good and deserved some high recognition. Thanks, everyone, for your support; I promise that I'll be coming back, making sure your visits are worth the trip.

If you want to watch a seriously well-made animated feature surrounding The Avengers, this it it.

The drawing style, action, and even the clarity of a correctly-represented Marvel Universe is all portrayed in this Avengers animated DVD,

This is the theme song for The Avengers animated cartoon, which recently came out on DVD. It's performed by the band "Bad City", and...well, it's awesome. And the series is very good; it actually gives the movie something to shoot for.

Greetings all! If you land upon some interesting information or see anything worthwhile, please feel free to jump in and add some comments regarding the Avengers. All your opinions and insights are welcome, as well as just dropping by to say Hello.