Avengerverse

The **Avengerverse** is a fictional television shared universe that airs on NBC. The universe began in 2011 with the premiere of *Iron Man*. The universe also has yearly crossovers between the series'.

## Series

### **Iron Man (2011-)**

*Main article: Iron Man (TV series)*
The series follows Tony Stark, billionaire genius philanthropist who has inherited his parents' company after their untimely deaths. However, while promoting a new weapon Stark Industries has produced, Stark is captured by Arab terrorists. After spending eight months in the terrorists' custody and being presumed dead to the outside world, Tony manages to escape. However, in those eight months, his on/off girlfriend, Pepper Potts, has begun dating another worker at Stark Industries, Happy Hogan, Tony's father's good friend, Obadiah Stane, has taken over the company, and his sister, Olivia, has begun a life of partying and drinking just after college. Tony uses the technology he discovered in the Arab cave to create a suit that also saves his life with an arc reactor, to prevent shrapnel that got stuck in Tony's chest from reaching his heart. Tony also decides to get his life back together, including getting his company back.

In the second season, Tony now has the help of Colonel James Rhodes and Pepper Potts on his crusade to make the city better. Stane continues his secret villainous doings right under the nose of Tony, James, and Pepper. Olivia meets Nick McKenzie, who she begins dating. At the same time, Tony, James, and Pepper learn of a new hero that has started up in New York City after Iron Man's superhero doings have gone public. However, when the three try to meet with this hero, they learn he does not want to be found. In the meantime, a villain who has a past with Howard Stark has appeared.

In the third season, Tony is now on the brink of exposing Stane to the world. Pepper and James debate whether to bring Olivia onto the team as Tony wants. However, a traitor in Stark Industries is revealed. Meanwhile, a villain known as the Mandarin arrives in town and Tony has to get all the help he can get to stop this new villain, who seems to be connected to the terrorists that captured him three years ago. While this is happening, a secret spy organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. is revealed to be watching Stark.

In the fourth season, Tony grieves the loss of Happy while trying to fill the void left by James. Pepper and Olivia decide to get some new people on the team, but Tony does not want anybody new. S.H.I.E.L.D. tries to recruit Stark and his team for S.H.I.E.L.D. Meanwhile, a rival company called Hammer Industries nearly forces Stark out of business. Tony makes a risky decision about Pepper.

In the fifth season, Tony, Pepper, Olivia, and the new team takes on Aldrich Killian and the Extremis virus, a deadly virus that if used for villainy can take out an entire city block with just one person. Pepper struggles with being Rescue and controlling Stark Industries. Tony realizes Killian has a personal vendetta against Stark, who tries to figure it out. Meanwhile, a new terrorist organization called A.I.M. threatens S.H.I.E.L.D. Meanwhile, Olivia realizes more and more superheroes are popping up everyday.

In the sixth season, Tony has realized his mistakes and is using them to become a better hero and fiancee to Pepper. James returns to the team after realizing he needs to be War Machine. However, a new villain known as Whiplash leads a team of villains against Iron Man and his Iron Family. Meanwhile, Tony begins to think that heroes on their own are making the world worse rather than better.

In the seventh season, Tony is glad to have resolved the conflict between him and Steve and has pardoned his team of any "crimes" they had "committed". However, everyone agrees that a new, larger threat is approaching.

### **Thor (2013-)**

*Main article: Thor (TV series)*
When Thor, Prince of Asgard and Son of Odin, makes a reckless mistake on his home of Asgard, his father Odin banishes Thor to Earth with the body and memories of Dr. Donald Blake, a doctor who is good friends with Jane Foster, another doctor who Thor/Donald falls in love with. However, Donald finds Thor's hammer Mjolnir which transforms him into Thor, the God of Thunder. Thor decides to stay on Earth to fight evil villains, who are being sent upon him by his adoptive brother Loki from Asgard. Jane discovers Thor's identity and the two eventually begin dating. However, in Asgard, Odin discovers Thor has made up for his mistake but refuses to come home, upsetting Odin, Thor's mother Frigga, and Thor's good friends, Sif, Fandral, Volstagg, and Hogun, the latter three of which comprise the deadly warriors of Asgard, the Warriors Three.

In the aftermath of the first season, Thor has been acclaimed on Earth and Asgard, though Thor has chosen to stay on Earth with Jane, Shawna, and Jake. On Asgard, Loki has been imprisoned and tries to escape. However, Sif and the Warriors Three watch over him to ensure his prison is permanent. Meanwhile, another threat emerges that threatens all the Nine Realms, the Dark Elves, led by Malekith, who have attacked Asgard before and destroyed half it's armies but Asgard still prevailed. But when Thor returns to Asgard he learns from his father that it is prophecy for the Asgardian culture to come to an end very soon but Thor refuses to believe this and teams up with Sif, the Warriors Three, Jane, and even Loki to stop the Dark Elves.

In the third season, Amora and the Executioner lead a rebellion against Odin and the Royal Family. Thor is forced to leave Earth once again to tame this threat. However, in doing so, Earth is left defenseless with no one powerful enough to stop the world from alien threats such as Amora releasing Loki, forcing the other heroes of Earth to band together to stop Loki. Jane, Shawna, and Jake learn that the clinic is being shut down for other buildings and they are forced to relocate.

In the fourth season, Thor learns that Earth is contemplating banning heroes from operating without government control. Odin realizes his life has starting coming to an end and decides to hand the throne to Thor. Loki discovers the Goddess of Death, Hela, is returning from Hel after being released by the Fire God Surtur. Loki learns that Hela is actually Loki's biological sister, a fellow Frost Giant taken in by Odin before Loki. Hela was banished to be the Queen of Hel after an unspoken incident that Odin made all of Asgard forget. Thor must once again return to Asgard to stop Hela from claiming the throne as her own.

In the fifth season, Thor has been granted free access on Earth after Tony made an agreement with the UN about the Superhero Registration Act. However, Thor discovers the mythical prophecy of Ragnarök that details the end of Asgard from the Fire God Surtur. Thor then sets out to stop him.

### **Captain America (2014-)**

*Main article: Captain America (TV series)*
The first season, set in 1944, shows the events of Steve Rogers, a weak, scrawny American boy who volunteers to be a part of the Super Soldier Program that gives him enhanced strength and speed. Steve joins the Military and fights alongside his good friend Bucky Barnes and the Howling Commandos under the watch of General Chester Phillips and Agent Peggy Carter, both part of the secret organization S.R.R., a precursor to S.H.I.E.L.D. Steve and the Commandos learn of a secret cult organization Hydra that is planning on Global Domination.

Steve awakens in 2015 where he learns that much has changed in the past 70 years. He meets Nick Fury and Maria Hill, the leaders of S.H.I.E.L.D. and becomes an agent to fulfill his promise to Peggy. However, there he meets Peggy's Great Niece, Sharon. Steve and Sharon begin a relationship while stopping the remaining evil threats, including a rising second incarnation of Hydra.

In the third season, Steve learns that S.H.I.E.L.D. is planning the Superhero Registration Act, which will require all heroes to reveal their identities and work directly under the government. Due to this, Steve leaves S.H.I.E.L.D. to become his own person. However, this backfires when the Act comes close to being applied everywhere.

After the Act came to a compromise, Steve rejoins S.H.I.E.L.D. and hunts down the Winter Soldier with Sharon, and his team of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.

### **Black Widow (2015-)**

*Main article: Black Widow (TV series)*
In the first season, Natasha Romanoff is agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. who is also a deadly assassin hunting Hydra. She works closely with Clint Barton/Hawkeye, Bobbi Morse/Mockingbird, Daisy Johnson/Quake, and Sam Wilson/Falcon. The five work to stop the quieter, darker threats to S.H.I.E.L.D. However, the team feels left out when Fury and Hill assign Steve Rogers/Captain America and Sharon Carter to the Hydra case without the team. The team then decides to prove themselves to Fury and Hill by going out on their own to stop Hydra and all of the threats surrounding it.

In the second season, the team has been arrested by S.H.I.E.L.D. for crimes against humanity. Fury tries to get them released but his superiors in the UN refuse. The situation gets worse when it is revealed that the Superhero Registration Act is coming into play very soon and the team are considered "superheroes", further ensuring their life in prison.

After the Superhero Registration Compromise, the team goes back into play as S.H.I.E.L.D. greatest team of heroes. However, Clint and Bobbi learn that the latter is pregnant.

### **The Hulk (2016-)**

*Main article: The Hulk (TV series)*
Bruce Banner was a scientist at Stark Labs, with his girlfriend Betty Ross and best friends Rick Jones and Leonard Samson. However, after a terrible accident Bruce is transformed into the monstrous Hulk who is feared by humanity. However, Betty's father General Thunderbolt Ross will not let this happen and tests the same experiment on Emil Blonsky along with Bruce's blood, transforming Blonsky into an "abomination" that will do nothing more than destroy the Hulk and anything in it's path.

After Bruce was sent into space due to the incident, Bruce arrives on the planet Sakaar. There, he meets many rebels against the evil Red King who forces them into gladiator fights. Hulk decides to lead a rebellion against Red King and his kingdom.

Arriving on Earth with his surviving friends, Hulk wages war against S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers. However, Ross, Talbot, and the rest of the government decides to kill Hulk and his friends to prevent further damage. Meanwhile, Betty and Rick learn of Bruce's return but also that he has not been Bruce in over a year.

### **Ant-Man & the Wasp (2017-)**

*Main article: Ant-Man & the Wasp*
Hank Pym ran the company Pym Particles. However, in the aftermath of the Superhero Registration Act, Pym and his wife Janet van Dyne use the technology from their company to create suits that can shrink and for Janet's case fire plasma blasts to join the Mighty Avengers. The two do so but realize that the Superhero Registration Act is actually a terrible excuse for government control and decide to bring the team down from the inside.

In the aftermath of the Superhero Registration Compromise, Pym and Janet continue being superheroes. However, the board of Pym Particles is upset that Pym has cut his work hours in half and contemplates selling the company to Darren Cross, who has stolen the Yellowjacket suit and is fighting Pym and Janet outside of work also.

### **Guardians of the Galaxy (2017-)**

*Main article: Guardians of the Galaxy (TV series)*
Peter Quill/Star-Lord is the son of alien J'son and human Meredith Quill. Peter spent his first ten years of his life on Earth before being taken in by an alien refuge group that knew J'son. The group finds their way into space and Peter decides to stay in space. Eighteen years later, Peter has survived a war between two alien races and decides to create a team that can stop threats like these. He finds Adam Warlock, Drax the Destroyer, Gamora, Phyla-Vell, Rocket Racoon, Groot, and Mantis. The eight begin their crusade with the terrorist group known as the Ravagers, who killed J'son.

### **Fantastic Four (2016-)**

*Main article: Fantastic Four (TV series)*
Childhood best friends Reed Richards and Ben Grimm meet Franklin Storm, a scientist who believes he can send people to a different planet in a different solar system. Reed and Ben agree and meet his children Sue and Johnny Storm, who will also be on the expedition team. However, the mission goes wrong and the four are nearly killed. Waking up a year later, the four learn they were given superhuman powers as a result of the failure. Reed can stretch his body to extraordinary lengths, Sue can travel in and out of the field of vision, Johnny can ignite himself on fire and fly, without being hurt, while Ben was given a huge, monstrous appearance of a rock. The four are angry with Franklin for doing this to them and leave society viewing themselves as outcasts. However, six months later, the four decide to band together when a man calling himself Doctor Doom threatens San Francisco.

Over a year later, the Fantastic Four are acclaimed all over San Francisco. They are being called the West Coast Avengers, though Johnny tries to get the public to recognize them as the Fantastic Four. Crime is down 54% since the Fantastic Four appeared in San Francisco. However, this is all thrown away when a new threat appears, this time Extra-Terrestrial. An alien race calling themselves the Skrulls have appeared in San Francisco, forcing the four to use all their power to stop a full-blown alien invasion.

### **Spider-Man (2017-)**

*Main article: Spider-Man (TV series)*
Peter Parker was an average tenth grader attending Midtown High School when, on a field trip to Oscorp, gets bitten by a radioactive spider, granting him the abilities of a spider, climbing on walls, enhanced strength and speed, and to shoot webs, which he guides through self-made web-shooters. Peter begins to go around New York City fighting crime, with his goal to become an Avenger. However, Peter must balance this while interacting with school friends such as Mary Jane Watson, Harry Osborn, Ned Leeds, and Gwen Stacy, and hiding his secret from his aunt and uncle May and Ben Parker.

In the wake of the alien invasion happening in New York City, Midtown High School is on edge, especially after learning that the Skrulls can shape-shift, meaning a Skrull could be anybody. Peter now works with Mary and Ned, both aware of his secret identity, to fight everyday crime, leaving the aliens to the Avengers.

## Trivia

* NBC confirmed that two Avengerverse television series on the channel will end this season.