The original Avengers (in Marvel Comics, 1963) are:

  • Iron Man (Tony Stark)
  • Thor (Thor Odinson)
  • Hulk (Bruce Banner)
  • Ant-Man (Hank Pym)
  • Wasp (Janet van Dyne)

These five heroes first assembled in The Avengers #1 in 1963.

In the Marvel movies (MCU), when people say “the original Avengers,” they usually mean the first team from the 2012 film:

  • Iron Man
  • Captain America
  • Thor
  • Hulk
  • Black Widow
  • Hawkeye

Many fans also casually include Captain America as a “founding” Avenger in the comics, since he joined immediately after the team formed and quickly became central to the lineup.

Mini recap

  • Comic-book answer: Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Ant-Man, Wasp.
  • Movie answer: Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye.

Quick reference table

[8][1][3][4] [3][4] [6][9] [9][6]
Version “Original Avengers” lineup First appearance as a team
Marvel Comics (1963) Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Ant-Man, Wasp The Avengers #1 (1963)
Marvel movies (MCU) Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye The Avengers (2012) film

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.