Avengers
Tags: good versus evil

Plot synopsis:
The Asgardian Loki encounters the Other, the leader of an extraterrestrial race known as the Chitauri. In exchange for retrieving the Tesseract,2 a powerful energy source of unknown potential, the Other promises Loki an army with which he can subjugate Earth. Nick Fury, director of the espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D., and his lieutenant Agent Maria Hill arrive at a remote research facility during an evacuation, where physicist Dr. Erik Selvig is leading a research team experimenting on the Tesseract. Agent Phil Coulson explains that the object has begun radiating an unusual form of energy. The Tesseract suddenly activates and opens a wormhole, allowing Loki to reach Earth. Loki takes the Tesseract and uses his scepter to enslave Selvig and a couple of other agents, including Clint Barton, to aid him in his getaway.
In response to the attack, Fury reactivates the "Avengers Initiative". Agent Natasha Romanoff is sent to Calcutta to recruit Dr. Bruce Banner to trace the Tesseract through its gamma radiation emissions. Coulson visits Tony Stark to have him review Selvig's research, and Fury approaches Steve Rogers with an assignment to retrieve the Tesseract.
In Stuttgart, Barton steals iridium needed to stabilize the Tesseract's power while Loki causes a distraction, leading to a brief confrontation with Rogers, Stark, and Romanoff that ends with Loki's surrender. While Loki is being escorted to S.H.I.E.L.D., Thor, his adoptive brother, arrives and frees him, hoping to convince him to abandon his plan and return to Asgard. After a confrontation with Stark and Rogers, Thor agrees to take Loki to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s flying aircraft carrier, the Helicarrier. Upon arrival, Loki is imprisoned while Banner and Stark attempt to locate the Tesseract.
The Avengers become divided, both over how to approach Loki and the revelation that S.H.I.E.L.D. plans to harness the Tesseract to develop weapons as a deterrent against hostile extraterrestrials. As the group argues, Barton and Loki's other possessed agents attack the Helicarrier, disabling its engines in flight and causing Banner to transform into the Hulk. Stark and Rogers work to restart the damaged engine, and Thor attempts to stop the Hulk's rampage. Romanoff fights Barton, and knocks him unconscious, breaking Loki's mind control. Loki escapes after killing Coulson and ejecting Thor from the airship, while the Hulk falls to the ground after attacking a S.H.I.E.L.D. fighter jet. Fury uses Coulson's death to motivate the Avengers into working as a team. Stark and Rogers realize that for Loki, simply defeating them will not be enough; he needs to overpower them publicly to validate himself as ruler of Earth. Loki uses the Tesseract, in conjunction with a device Selvig built, to open a wormhole above Stark Tower to the Chitauri fleet in space, launching his invasion.
Rogers, Stark, Romanoff, Barton, and Thor rally in defense of New York City, the wormhole's location. Banner arrives and transforms into the Hulk, and together the Avengers battle the Chitauri while evacuating civilians. The Hulk finds Loki and beats him into submission. Romanoff makes her way to the wormhole generator, where Selvig, freed from Loki's mind control, reveals that Loki's scepter can be used to shut down the generator. Meanwhile, Fury's superiors attempt to end the invasion by launching a nuclear missile at Midtown Manhattan. Stark intercepts the missile and takes it through the wormhole toward the Chitauri fleet. The missile detonates, destroying the Chitauri mothership and disabling their forces on Earth. Stark's suit runs out of power, and he falls back through the wormhole just as Romanoff closes it. Stark goes into freefall, but the Hulk saves him from crashing into the ground. In the aftermath, Thor returns Loki and the Tesseract to Asgard, while Fury expresses confidence that the Avengers will return if and when they are needed.
In a mid-credits scene, the Other confers with his master3 about the failed attack on Earth. In a post-credits scene, the Avengers eat in silence at a shawarma restaurant.

Review: Insults the comics.
This really bad series insults the classic comics at every turn.
Everything that was great about the comics is twisted and ripped apart here.
The stories are bad, but the characters are even worse, most of all Hawkeye.
If anyone from the show reads this I suggest you do the following.
1) Bring back Captain America, Iron Man and Thor on a permanent basis, no cheap guest appearances.
2)Get rid of Hawkeye.
In the comics he's cool, but on this show, you hope he gets shot so he'll shut up.
3) Get rid of that stupid armor or whatever it is.
It's just stupid and makes most of the characters look that way.
Either do all that or see the show cancelled.
Your choice..
Sad....
Sad that this cartoon series which could have been a great launching pad for taking the Avengers to a much bigger audience outside of comic book readers is so bad.
The choice of feature characters was not too bad itself, but the way in which they were drawn, written and pretty much changed all around is a terrible step backwards for Avengers.
With so much history and mega epics to draw from, the makers of this series decided it was best to go the cheap and cheesy way, and make a cartoon for little children in the hopes of maybe selling a few action figures.
This series has no punch.
The Avengers deserve better than this, and hopefully they will have their moment soon enough!Avoid this series at all cost!.
Bad, pretty bad.
It doesn't bother me to break with tradition, if the replacement is as good or better.
But this is clearly not the case.
First, it looks like most of the time they will be fighting robots with lasers as opposed to people, a transparent effort to get a Y rating.
Then there's the costumes.
ugh.
Ugly.
Hawkeye's is worst of all.
Only Wonderman, Vision, and Falcon's look any good at all.
Next there's the characters.
My main complaints on this front are pretty much just Hawkeye and Ultron.
Hawkeye is this blown up tough guy, who I guess is supposed to be the Avengers' Wolverine but is really bad at it.
Ultron is an insane robot who, in the series, is given a completely blown up body with lots of stupid looking external parts.
His character doesn't seem to be very intelligent at allThe overall look isn't to impressive either.
Like I said, it's setting in the future is an excuse to use lasers instead of guns and robots instead of people.
Mark my words, you will not see anyone die (at least permanently) in it's whole run because of it's tameness..
Terrible adaption.
That series is really terrible.It has the worst elements from the comics of the 90's:armor instead of super-hero suits,deformed-looking characters (Wonder Man muscles are twice or three times his head) and simplistic plots.Although the comic in which is based,West Coast Avengers,was good,sometimes even better than the main series,they completely ignore it and make a mix between super-heroes and power rangers,with Ant Man and the Wasp using combat armors and even including the usual ridiculous suit change sequence.The amazing thing about this series is not that it only lasted 13 episodes,but that they didn't cancel it sooner,probably because the didn't have any replacement yet..
Best Avengers animated series to date!
Animation quality notwithstanding; it's rather obv than Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes pales in comparison to this one.
Once and if you're willing to gave it a more objective look, of course.
For instance, I didn't like how they handle the Wonder Man or Vision characters in the newer series.
And I didn't mind the perceived lack of appearance of the major others in this one.
As a matter of fact; I wouldn't have noticed if not explicitly pointed out later on.
And in a way, I'm glad that they didn't appear.
They're boring, overpowered and overrated egotripping asses anyhow.
In particular the Hulk; he can go smash himself in the head all he wants, and make himself even more dumber, for all I care.
He even comes more unlikable and unbearable that Hawkeye; in any incarnation.
I also felt that the older one was closer to the comics; albeit the West Coast branch; and had more originality and distinct personality on itself.
Also, I thought it was a clever spin of the same old; and at least a way above average offering.
It was also way more interesting, since it was set in a slightly alternate future.
The explanation for their powers made even more sense here than in the comics, and was more than adequate; even the secondary ones.
They feel more like a real team too.
It's a pity that it was so abruptly cancelled; and didn't get a decent run.
It'd been nice to see it further developed; since the story and plot were really good.
Eg, I'm certain they'd make more use of the suits; but sadly never got the chance.
Even the arcs were more freshly engaging that AEMH too.
Animation was not bad; but it wasn't great either.
It was good for the time, though.
And it's still decent to this day; IMHO.
So all-in-all, I don't understand how some people can call themselves true (hardcore) fans, and not like this (WTF?!) Simply because it didn't fit in their little minds' preconceived ideas of what it supposedly should've been.
Jack Kirby and Stan Lee were credited as writers and creators.
Even Stan Lee and Avi Arad were further involved, and are listed as executive producers, for gawd sakes!
What else does it take for menial dogmatic stubborn pompous asses to just get it?!
And I don't understand their toy line argument either; since every media franchise, since I have memory, has attempted to further capitalize in that way.
In any case, I remember this airing during the 90s; which was when I first saw it.
So to me this will always be the definitive and original (animated) Avengers!
A step forward in the whole Avengers universe anyhow ever since (a kid's series' better than none:) Anyway; lots of action, and although obv geared for little kids; it also equally offers lots of twists and drama for adults.
So do yourself a favor and watch this underrated gem, but with an open mind.:).
An Optimistic Reappraisal of 'Avengers; United They Stand'..
The Avengers, as beloved and popular with childhood audiences as ever, were given a substantial revamp for this particular series; changes which didn't necessarily please the adult members of the audience.
Back in the late 1990s when this series was produced, not many American animation houses had yet adopted the myriad Japanese cartoon tropes that we are so used to seeing today.
Nowadays, anime-style transformation/power-up/costume-change sequences are second nature, as are superheroes with 'super deformed' musculature and gaudy uniforms, but at the time, adult viewers found these new additions quite jarring.However, having seen my young nephews clearly enjoying this cartoon, I have 'taken a leaf from their book' and reflected upon the show, focusing on the more positive and child-friendly aspects of the series.POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD.Although set in New York, this cartoon is loosely based on the Marvel comic entitled 'Avengers West Coast'.
The team roster includes founding Avengers Ant-Man and the Wasp alongside long-term members Scarlet Witch and the Vision, newer members Tigra and Falcon, plus best friends Wonder Man and Hawkeye, the latter seen in the recent film 'Avengers Assemble'.
Fellow film characters and founding members Captain America and Iron Man make guest-appearances in one episode each, as does Sub-Mariner himself, Prince Namor.Although the costume changes weren't popular with everyone, we really enjoyed team-leader Ant-Man's new suit which featured a miniature rocket-ship worn as a backpack; when Ant-Man shrunk, he could go aboard the backpack and fly it on missions!
It too could shrink and be flown around the body, much like the vessel in the film 'Fantastic Voyage', seen during my own childhood.The music on the series is quite stirring, I feel.
The credits say it was composed by 'Suki' Levy, but considering its powerful feel, I think that maybe it was successful musician Shuki Levy who wrote it, 'Suki' being a spelling mistake I suppose.The stories, as you'd expect, are very child-friendly, but the relationships between the characters are subtle enough for adults to enjoy.
In this series, Ant-Man and the Wasp's marriage is portrayed as a very strong one with lots of teamwork, there's a bit of a love triangle between Wonder Man, Scarlet Witch, and the Vision, and when Captain America shows up, there's a bit of friction between he and the team's leader, Ant-Man.All in all, I feel it's a shame that the loose ends concerning Wonder Man's ailments, and the evil alien gang, the Zodiac, were never resolved before the series was cancelled.
I know it's a long-shot, but perhaps these loose threads will resurface in the new cartoon, 'The Avengers; Earth's Mightiest Heroes', or maybe in one of the forthcoming Avengers films..
I decided to watch an episode of this badly animated show today and guess what horrible just horrible.
This, Spiderman Unlimited, Iron Man 1994 and Silver Surfer are the worst Marvel have to offer during 1990's.
I watched an episode where Captain America for some reason is not apart of the team but he returned to team up with the Avengers but Ant-Man is the leader instead.As I said before the animation is horrible, the voice actors sound like if they are getting choked and why does Ant-Man wear armor.
Overall don't waste your time just watch The Avengers Earths Mightiest Heroes and Avengers Assemble instead which I will review soon.
But trust me you will be glad you never watched this..
Juvenile Avengers.
Avengers: United They Stand was an attempt by Fox Kids to create a kid-friendly version of The Avengers.
While not great, it wasn't as bad as some have made it out to be.The lineup here is almost strictly West Coast with Wonder Man (here called "Wonderman"), Scarlet Witch, Vision and Tigra.
Hawkeye, Wasp, Falcon and Ant-Man are included as links to the original team.
Though Iron Man and Captain America each get a guest appearance in the series, neither Thor nor the Incredible Hulk show up.
(Apparently, there was a copyright battle between Marvel and Fox over rights to the more famous Avengers).That said, this cartoon finds Ant-Man, of all people, in charge of the Avengers in a setting a few years into the future.
The group is government-funded, forcing them to have to listen to the rantings of a government liaison named Sikorsky.
Sikorsky is so two-dimensional that even the young adult audience the show is geared toward must have wanted to knock out his teeth.The main villain is Ultron, though there are also appearances by the Swordsman, the Masters of Evil and Kang the Conqueror.As the show skewed younger, adult viewers may find it tough to follow, especially those who have seen the later series like "Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes." The animation pales in comparison to later shows and often looks like the G.I. Joe and Transformer cartoons of the 1980's.
The show also copied the Japanese anime of the time, with every transformation of the heroes shown.
The heroes also sport cool-looking armor, though Hawkeye's looks ridiculous.In the surest sign that the show is kid-friendly, the main foes are robots and lasers have replaced bullets.The plot lines are easy to follow, but continuity is a problem.
For example, in the pilot episode "Avengers Assemble, Part 1," Wonder Man absorbs a laser blast meant to incinerate Ant-Man. The injury leaves the hero in a coma, leading to the comic plot where his memories are placed into the Vision.
Yet, Vision hits several of the other Avengers with the same lasers and they are barely fazed.
If Wonder Man fell, how do Janet Pym or Tigra walk away unscathed?
In the same episode, Tigra is hit in her knee and further injures it when she hits a tree and the ground.
She is incapacitated enough to be unable to defend herself, whereupon Falcon makes his entrance to save her.
Seconds later, she thanks him and then gets back into the action, without so much as a limp.As it is a Fox Kids show, character development is given short shrift.
Even Hawkeye's hotheadedness sounds forced.
This must be taken into account for those who think they're getting one of the later series (the presence of Tigra should dispel that since she was never a major player in the comics).Another problem lies with the voice-overs.
None of the actors providing the voices gives much life to their characters.
This would be corrected in the later series but hampers this one.
There isn't a memorable one in the bunch.Overall, for the audience it aimed for, it mostly hits the mark.
As far as its place in the Avengers line, it's a weak placeholder.
If you view this, don't compare it to the more adult-oriented versions.