The Avengers first formed when four of Marvel's most powerful superheroes received a distress call from the Teen Brigade concerning a rampaging Hulk. After this, they chose to form a new team, created a charter, and eventually became the most famous and successful team of heroes in Marvel history.
Over time, the Avengers became government employees, created new teams in different parts of the country, started a black ops team, and finally formed the basis for what became known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This team has faced some of the greatest villains in Marvel history with a lineup of superstars. Here is a look at the first 10 villains that the Avengers ever faced as a team.
Loki
The Avengers first formed when the Teen Brigade called in a report that Hulk was rampaging and the military was giving chase. While the Teen Brigade sent the message to the Fantastic Four, Loki redirected it to Thor, and he showed up, followed by Ant-Man, Wasp, and Iron Man. It turned out that Hulk was innocent, and it was Loki who had manipulated the situation to try to pit his brother against Hulk. His plan failed, and the Avengers beat him and formed, with Hulk as the fifth member.
Doctor Doom
In 1999, Marvel Comics released a special issue titled Avengers #1.5 by Rober Stern and Bruce Timm. This was an untold story of the Avengers that took place between the first two issues from 1963. The team had formed, and news stations picked it up, making them celebrities. This angered Doctor Doom, who decided he needed to deal with them before they became a problem. The team beat him but found out they were fighting a Doombot sent in place of the real Doom.
The Space Phantom
In Avengers #2 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the Avengers ended up fooled by a villain known as the Space Phantom. In this issue, the Space Phantom impersonated Giant-Man, Wasp, Iron Man, and Hulk. It was that final impersonation that was most damaging. The Avengers really believed Hulk had gone bad, and even after they beat the villain and realized the truth, Hulk decided the Avengers didn't trust him and quit the team. For the next few issues, the Avengers tried to capture Hulk, turning him into an enemy.
The Sub-Mariner
The next person the Avengers battled was a villain at the time but then became an antihero for much of his career. This was Namor, King of Atlantis. Namor was a World War II hero who ended up with amnesia. When he recovered, he became an enemy of the Fantastic Four and ended up battling the Avengers more than once early in their careers.
In the third issue, he teamed with Hulk to fight them and, in the fourth, was inadvertently responsible for freeing Captain America from the block of ice.
The Lava Men
Avengers #5 saw the team battle the Lava Men from underground. Thor had previously dealt with one of their ranks in Basallo, but this time, the beings brought war to the surface world. This was because there was a Living Rock in Subterranea, and it was going to destroy them, so they chose to push it to the surface to destroy the surface land and save them. The Avengers had to fight them and find a way to destroy this rock without destroying anyone's home.
Baron Zemo And The Masters Of Evil
The Avengers greatest villains appeared in Avengers #6. This was the Masters of Evil, led by the evil Baron Zemo (the original Heinrich Zemo from World War II). The team consisted of Black Knight, Melter, and Radioactive Man, and over the next year, added members like Enchantress and Executioner. These villains would plague the Avengers, and it wasn't until they finally fell in battle that the team's founding members moved on.
Kang The Conqueror
Avengers #8 saw the first appearance of Kang the Conqueror. The time-traveling villain arrived on Earth and immediately attacked the Avengers, beating them all now.
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However, he never beat Wasp, and she was able to finally get aboard his ship and find a way to free her teammates. As a team, they beat Kang, but as he always does, he escaped back to his own time and lived to fight them another day.
Immortus
Avengers #10 saw the return of the Masters of Evil, and with them was the evil Immortus. His first appearance was brilliant, as he took the Avengers and made them fight people from different time frames. Giant-Man had to fight Goliath from the Bible. Iron Man had to fight Merlin. Hercules battled Thor. The fight finally picked up, and the Masters of Evil realized they were beaten and went back in time themselves, to before Immortus appeared before them. There was no mention at this time that Immortus was another version of Kang.
Mole Man
The first Marvel superhero comic was Fantastic Four #1, and the first villain they battled was Mole Man. In Avengers #12, it was Earth's Mightiest Heroes turn to battle that same villain. Giant-Man believes something is happening to the core of the Earth, but when no one believed him, he goes to check, and Mole Man captures him. When the rest of the team goes to rescue him, they have to battle Mole Man and Red Ghost.
Count Nefaria
In Avengers #10, by Stan Lee and Don Heck, the team ended up in a battle with The Maggia and Count Nefaria. This was Nefaria's first-ever appearance in Marvel Comics. It all started with the Avengers stopping the villainous Maggia from committing a crime, and they had no idea that Nefaria was the leader. He invites them to his castle, and while they are there, he creates duplicates of them and sends these copies to declare war on the United States. The Avengers then have to prove their innocence, but this battle ends on a cliffhanger when Wasp is critically injured.