The Avengers are a heroic group in the films of Marvel that has saved the world multiple times. However, not all members and individuals behind the Avengers have always been on the good side. Due to their own failures, they were replaced, by one of the nastiest villains.
Which villain is it about? During the big comic event Secret Invasion, the Skrulls, who can disguise themselves as other people, infiltrated humanity. In the finale of the event, it is not an Avenger or a known hero who defeats the queen of the Skrulls, but Norman Osborn, who is known to many as the Green Goblin.
Due to the failure of technology from Stark Industries and the Avengers, the group was disbanded, and S.H.I.E.L.D. was also replaced. H.A.M.M.E.R. took over the tasks of S.H.I.E.L.D. The company is led by Norman Osborn, who takes over the Avengers Initiative.
Instead of the known heroes, Osborn replaces them with villains who disguise themselves. The new Dark Avengers
are not just new heroes; they have their own motivations.
Known villains disguised as heroes
Which members do the Dark Avengers have? Maria Hill, who led S.H.I.E.L.D. before the takeover, was replaced by Osborn with Victoria Hand. Since Osborn wanted a loyal team, he assembled the new Avengers with villains and anti-heroes.
- Bullseye disguised himself as Hawkeye
- Moonstone became the new Ms. Marvel
- Venom disguised himself as Spider-Man
- Daken, the son of Wolverine, disguised himself as his father
- The Kree Noh-Varr became Captain Marvel
- There was also the god Ares and the insane Sentry
As the leader of the Avengers, Osborn became the Iron Patriot, a mix of Iron Man and Captain America. However, Osborn did not just want to form a new group of heroes; he also used them for himself and his partners. During the first mission, the Dark Avengers helped the villain Dr. Doom.
Due to intrigues and hidden motives of the members and allies, there were often disagreements, which is why some members disappeared. When Noh-Varr found out who was behind all his colleagues, he left the new Avengers.
The greatest weapon for Osborn was Sentry. He is actually Robert Reynolds, who is not fundamentally evil but is plagued by The Void. The entity is bound to Reynolds. His normal self and The Void are in an internal struggle, which constantly plagues Reynolds. This is particularly dangerous because he has the power to destroy the whole world and the universe.
Osborn takes advantage of this to control Sentry for his purposes, because with his abilities, Osborn can defeat any enemy.
Osborn’s own demons
The Dark Avengers did not last long. Besides the problems with Sentry and his unstable mentality, Osborn had to deal with his own demons. Under stress, he succumbed to his own madness. After a conflict with his former partner Dr. Doom, Loki seized the opportunity to manipulate Osborn.
Under Loki’s influence, Osborn believed that Asgard was a threat to his own power. With a trick, Osborn, together with Loki, made sure that the Dark Avengers, H.A.M.M.E.R, the Thunderbolts, and other allies attacked Asgard.
He unleashed the power of Sentry as The Void to defeat Thor and Ares, who had betrayed Osborn. During the battle, Ares was killed by Sentry.
In the background, Steve Rogers planned to finally take down Norman Osborn. Together with Nick Fury, Maria Hill, and the Young Avengers, they defeated Osborn during the battle in Asgard. However, Osborn unleashed Sentry as The Void, and the heroes could only defeat him with the help of Loki. Thor killed Sentry out of mercy and hurled him into the sun. H.A.M.M.E.R was overthrown, Osborn and most members of the Dark Avengers were arrested.
Has Osborn given up? As is typical for villains, Osborn did not give up. He later re-established the Dark Avengers with new members:
- Ai Apaec becomes Spider-Man
- Trickshot becomes Hawkeye
- Toxic Doxie becomes Scarlet Witch
- Superia becomes Ms. Marvel
- Gorgon becomes Wolverine
In addition, Skaar, the son of Hulk, was also a member of the team. However, this attempt by Osborn ultimately failed as the various members and partners regularly caused conflicts and betrayals with their evil nature.
How can I read the story of the Dark Avengers? If you want to read the backstory, you should first read the event Secret Invasion from 2008. After that, the comic series Dark Avengers was published between 2009 and 2010. The series has 16 volumes, and the finale is the battle in Asgard. Even heroes can turn into nasty villains: 7 ruthless things demonstrate the dark side of Tony Stark in the Marvel universe
