(click to enlarge)

Though the general public has been introduced to The Avengers over the past few years, they’ve been around for a lot, lot longer than that. They were first formed in 1963, and have swelled in ranks over the last fifty years. At least in the comics.

This image from Hans Thiessen shows all the various heroes who have been added to the roster. Obviously I don’t follow the comics as closely as many of you, but a few of these were surprises. I guess I didn’t realize just how many Marvel characters have signed up for duty with the squad at one time or another, including ones that have left their own groups in the process. All of the Fantastic Four were rolled into The Avengers at one point, as was Spider-man and a few key X-Men including Wolverine, Storm and Rogue. They even started letting villains in, as I see Venom made the cut. I’m sure there’s an elaborate comic book story behind each of these moved, and any of you can feel free to fly your nerd flag and explain why in the comments if you like.

Who the hell is Jack of Hearts? This has to be the tackiest outfit I’ve ever seen.