WhenRed Skull begins dying due to his imperfectSuper Soldier Serum, he allies withMODOK, who usesHydra technology to transfer his mind to Captain America's body. After his defeat by a reassembled team ofAvengers, Red Skull stealsIron Man's armor to use its life support system. Red Skull attacks the Avengers attheir mansion, which is destroyed during the fight.
To even the playing field, Red Skull brings together theCabal, consisting ofAttuma,Dracula, theSuper-Adaptoid, andHyperion (He also offersDoctor Doom a spot, but he turns down the offer). The Avengers andS.H.I.E.L.D. intercept Red Skull's transmission, learn of the Cabal's existence, and decide to remain together to battle them.
Season 2
The Avengers encounter Red Skull's master,Thanos, who is searching for theInfinity Stones.[6] They collect all five Stones and defeat Thanos, butUltron absorbs the Stones' power. After the Avengers ultimately defeat Ultron,Ant-Man becomes a new member of the team. Around the end of season two, Thanos manages to escape from a galactic prison that was meant to contain him with aid of theBlack Order. Thanos then makes one final attempt to defeat the Avengers. With help from the people of Earth, the Avengers are able to defeat Thanos and the Black Order. In the aftermath, Captain America and Iron Man plan to make Earth an "Avengers World" by recruiting other heroes.
There is also a subplot detailing the arrival of theSquadron Supreme, Hyperion's old team which also consists ofNighthawk,Power Princess,Doctor Spectrum, andSpeed Demon. Believed to have died when their home planet was destroyed, they come to Earth in an attempt to conquer it. After going into hiding, the Avengers manage to defeat the Squadron Supreme by waiting until the Squadron's members divide rule of the planet's continents, then they pull a surprise attack and trap each member of the Squadron Supreme. The Squadron Supreme is imprisoned in a special section of theVault.
Season 3:Ultron Revolution
The Avengers are forced to cancel their expansion plans and Ant-Man leaves the team due to a lack of global threats. After dealing with A.I.M.'s Scientist Supreme, the Avengers are shocked when Ultron returns and absorbs A.I.M.'s Super-Adaptoid technology. Now Ultron is seeking revenge on the Avengers for foiling his plans with the Infinity Stones' power, while continuing his plot to replace humanity with robots. During Ultron's battle with the Avengers, Terrigen Mist is spread worldwide, activating the superpowers of humans with latentInhuman genes.
One subplot detailsHelmut Zemo, son of Captain America's old nemesisHeinrich Zemo, finding a working vial of the Super-Soldier Serum and using it on himself to gain the youth and strength to face the Avengers and avenge his father's death. Zemo recruits theMasters of Evil (which consists ofBeetle,Goliath,Screaming Mimi,Fixer, andMoonstone), who masquerade as theThunderbolts to undermine the Avengers. However, after being saved by Captain America, Songbird eventually convinces the team to reform and turn on Zemo.
When the President signs the New Powers Act, the Avengers are givenTruman Marsh as their government liaison, who replaces Hulk withRed Hulk. Marsh is later revealed to be a disguise of Ultron, who mind-controls the Inhumans to attack the Avengers and possesses Iron Man. The Avengers are unable to free Iron Man from Ultron and instead place him in a dimension where technology does not work until they can find a way to drive Ultron out.
Season 4:Secret Wars
The Avengers' plans to rescue Iron Man experience a major setback when a new version of the Cabal (consisting ofLeader,Arnim Zola,Enchantress,Executioner, andKang the Conqueror) transports them across time and space. Ant-Man, Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, Vision, andWasp work withJane Foster to rescue them.
It is later revealed that Loki had told a powerful being known as theBeyonder of Earth. He uses theBifröst to retrieve locations from across the universe and fuse them into the planet Battleworld. With Iron Man back with the team, the Avengers form an unlikely alliance with Loki to rebuild the Bifröst and work with Jane Foster to defeat him after he betrays the group.[7][8]
Season 5:Black Panther's Quest
Following Loki's defeat, the Avengers inviteShuri to a party at their tower. However, after an attack by Atlanteans, Black Panther and Shuri set out to stop theShadow Council, includingN'Jadaka,Tiger Shark,M'Baku, andZanda. T'Challa tries to keep this mission a secret, telling none of his fellow Avengers except Captain America.
The Council seeks an artifact called the Crown, which can access the memories of the deceased. Baron Zemo tries to take it for himself, but it becomes unstable due to being away fromWakanda. Captain America sacrifices himself to absorb the blast, with Black Widow accusing Black Panther of killing him. With the Avengers and the world against him, T'Challa freesKlaw from incarceration to learn of Killmonger's plan. He, Shuri, and Klaw enter the Hall of Royals, a burial ground for Wakanda's deceased royalty, where T'Challa researches the Council's plans. During this time, he frees Captain America, who was absorbed into the Crown.
Council member Madame Masque attacks Atlantis, triggering a war between it and Wakanda. However, Bask, the sister of Wakanda's founder Bashenga, sacrifices herself to destroy Masque's laser. She leaves for the afterlife, naming Shuri her successor, while the Crown is destroyed.
According toJeph Loeb, the Head of Marvel Television and a producer on the series,Avengers Assemble is intended to closely echo the tone and feel of the 2012The Avengers film. The series features a combination of 2D andCGI animation.[3]
On July 26, 2014, Disney XD renewed it for a second season,[6] which premiered on September 28, 2014. The third season,Avengers: Ultron Revolution, premiered on March 13, 2016.[98][99] On January 5, 2017, Disney XD renewedAvengers Assemble for a fourth season titledAvengers: Secret Wars.[100] On July 22, 2017, Disney's official PR feed announced thatAvengers Assemble had been renewed for a fifth and final season atSan Diego Comic-Con 2017 asAvengers: Black Panther's Quest.[101]
Release
Broadcast
Avengers Assemble debuted on May 26, 2013, as an hour-long preview. It was followed by the official premiere on July 7, 2013.[102] The first episode was made available free oniTunes on May 21, 2013.[103] The series premiered onTeletoon in Canada on September 6, 2013.[104] It premiered onDisney XD in Australia on October 12, 2014.[105] It premiered onDisney XD in Africa on October 15, 2013.[106] The second season premiered in Africa on March 9, 2015.[107] It premiered onDisney XD in India on December 15, 2013.
Reception
Critical response
On the review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes, the first season has a 71% approval rating with an average rating of 6.00 out of 10 based on 7 reviews.[108]
Scoot Allan ofScreen Rant noted thatAvengers Assemble aimed primarily at younger audiences, similar to Disney XD'sUltimate Spider-Man. He explained that after two seasons, the show reinvented itself each year with a new team and title to reflect the season's storyline, such asAvengers: Ultron Revolution,Avengers: Secret Wars, andAvengers: Panther's Quest. Allan acknowledged that the series' kid-friendly focus alienated some fans of the previous show, but still considered it one of the best Avengers animated series due to its reinvention and ability to honor established screen portrayals while adding its own unique twist.[109] Shoshana Kessock ofTor.com stated thatAvengers Assemble is the perfect continuation for fans of the Avengers, picking up after the events of theblockbuster film with Tony Stark calling the team back together to face the Red Skull. She praised the series for maintaining strong ties to the film continuity while introducing new adventures each week. Kessock highlighted the addition of Falcon to the cast, a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who becomes a superhero, which fueled speculation about the character's role in future films. She noted the show's fast pace and kid-friendly nature, with engaging villains and storylines that stayed true to the Avengers' film portrayals. Kessock also appreciated the show's mix of humor and solid storytelling, which subtly teaches lessons without being overly preachy. She cited an episode featuring The Thing and Spider-Man as a standout moment that gave fans a glimpse into the Hulk's life. Kessock concluded by commending the production team for successfully merging the spirit of the comics with the film world, drawing more fans to the series.[110]
Chris Sims ofLooper noted thatAvengers Assemble took an interesting approach by opening with the Avengers already broken up, with a depressed Tony Stark attempting to reunite the team, primarily because he lacked other friends. Sims praised the show's premise, which saw the Red Skull stealing Iron Man's armor and forming his own super-team of villains, including Doctor Doom and Dracula, presenting the Avengers with formidable threats. He highlighted how the series focused on the team's need to overcome personal conflicts to face these overwhelming challenges, drawing inspiration from classic storylines like "Under Siege." Sims concluded that the show successfully built to bigger threats with each season, offering a version of the Avengers that fans of the films could recognize, without merely repeating the same storylines.[111] Emily Ashby ofCommon Sense Media gaveAvengers Assemble a grade of 3 out of 5 stars, stating that the show primarily presents violence as the central concern, with the heroes often relying on brute force and weapons, such as guns, to defeat their enemies. She noted that while strategy and teamwork occasionally play a role, the emphasis is largely on physical strength, super speed, and resilience. Ashby mentioned that, although there is frequent bickering and power struggles among the Avengers, the series celebrates their victories as a group, highlighting the importance of teamwork. She acknowledged that the heroes, despite their competitive and egotistical tendencies, ultimately put themselves in harm's way to protect the innocent, citing them as positive role models. Ashby also pointed out that the lone female Avenger often serves as the most level-headed member, contributing significantly to the team's strategic decisions. She concluded overall, "Fast-paced superhero series sequel will be fun for fans."[112]
