The Avengers' Secret Origin Proves Which Hero Is the Real 'First Avenger'

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Marvel Comics fans know that the Avengers originally formed to stop the rampage of the Hulk, but very few know that the actual, secret origins of the group go way back in time before that. Kang the Conqueror, with his superior knowledge of the past, proved that the real «first Avenger» is neither Captain America, nor Thor, nor Iron Man, but one obscure Marvel hero who only appeared in a handful of stories.

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the title of «First Avenger» goes to Captain America, as the original Super-Soldier project later inspired Nick Fury to create his team of heroes. In the comics, however, Captain America joined the group a little after it was created (in the milestone Avengers #4, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby). The founding members of the Avengers are Thor, Iron Man, Giant-Man, and Wasp, who answered a distress call by Rick Jones regarding a rampaging Hulk (who was actually being manipulated by Loki). The Green Goliath also joined the group at the end of the story, albeit very briefly. While Marvel has hinted that Mjolnir is actually the first Avenger, this only applies to an Avengers team from the distant past. The title of «first Avenger», then, does not make much sense in the comics, unless one considers Hulk — or more accurately, Loki — because without him, the Avengers would have never assembled. This idea led Kang, the time-traveling adventurer, to hatch a convoluted plan to get rid of the Avengers forever.

Related: Kang the Conqueror is the Secret Origin of Marvel's Very First Hero

In The Incredible Hulk vol. 1 #135, by Roy Thomas and Herb Trimpe, Kang sends Hulk back in time in an attempt to erase the Avengers from history. The idea is to prevent Karl Kaufman, the Phantom Eagle — a costumed