Marvel's The Avengers is one of the most (and, for many comic book fans, THE most) anticipated titles that will hit theaters in 2012.

That's not only due to five films' worth of buildup - plus decades of comic history - but also because the Joss Whedon scripted/directed ensemble adventure should provide a relatively complete answer to one of the big questions hanging over cinema this year: Is it feasible for superhero movies to maintain a shared continuity, much like their illustrated source material, WITHOUT shortchanging certain characters or major storylines in the process?

It's because of those aforementioned reasons and lingering questions that every little Avengers-related tidbit has been so heavily scrutinized and prompted a good deal of discussion - be it rumors about certain Marvel universe characters who could cameo in the film (like the Asgardians Heimdall and Sif) or a more substantial revelation, such as how the Avengers unfolds from the perspective of Steve Rogers. Today, though, we have some new promo images that (all things considered) are mostly just for admiring. Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course...

We have four new Empire Magazine covers for The Avengers, which include ones with Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) - all posed for action and looking badass as ever, naturally.

In addition, theaters oversea in Asia are handing out red envelopes (or, rather, "ang pows") that feature promo images of the Avengers crew, including ones of Cap's modern-day suit and the new CGI version of The Incredible Hulk, as is physically-based on actor Mark Ruffalo. Scanned versions of said promos (courtesy of The Borneo Post and "Marvel Freshman") have popped up online; they are relatively low-res, but still detailed enough to warrant a look or two.

Check all of that out in the gallery below:

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The Avengers charges into 2D and 3D theaters in the U.S. on May 4th, 2012.

Source: The Borneo Post, Empire Magazine