5. The Avengers Only Assemble Because The Fantastic Four Were Busy

Debuting in 1963 in stories written by Stan Lee and drawn by the late Jack Kirby, the Avengers showcased the heavy hitters of the Marvel Universe at the time. DCs Justice League of America had been around for three years at this point (Marvels original attempt at imitating their success was The Fantastic Four in 1961), but the Avengers offered complex characters who didnt always get along, rather than the cookie cutter, wholesome members of the JLA. Created merely to capitalize on the popularity of the characters in hopes of expanding readership, both Lee and Kirby would have had a hard time believing the Avengers would ever make it into a major motion picture. For those who know the characters mostly from the films, some of the early moments in Avengers history may seem a little weird.In the initial adventure, Loki has been imprisoned in Asgard and thirsty for revenge against Thor. Using his magic powers, he projects images to Earth that manipulate the Hulk into attacking some train tracks. RIck Jones, a boy Bruce Banner was trying to save from the Gamma Bomb explosion that transformed him into a monster, utilizes his network of Teenagers With Radios known as the Teen Brigade to send out a call to the Fantastic Four.Loki changes the frequency of the broadcast because he doesnt want anyone but Thor to respond. However, the transmission is picked up by Iron Man, Ant-Man, and the Wasp.Eventually, Mr. Fantastic responds to the message. He explains that the FF is currently working on another case, but explains that the call also went to some other heroic individuals who can handle it. (He does, at least, instruct Rick to call back if nobody comes to help.)Thats right: the Fantastic Four were the original A-Listers. Their time was so valuable that they delegated tasks to the Avengers, supposedly Earths Mightiest Heroes. Its a shame that Marvel lost the movie rights to these characters. The Marvel Cinematic Universe would only be enriched by their presence.