By TJ Dietsch

“And there came a day, a day unlike any other, when Earth's mightiest heroes and heroines found themselves united against a common threat. On that day, the Avengers were born—to fight the foes no single super hero could withstand!”

Each Friday Marvel.com will present a different column focusing on the one and only Avengers. From line-ups to costumes to villains to classic stories and beyond, we’ve got you covered on the history of Marvel’s most prolific team of heroes!

So let the call go out: Avengers Assemble!

Andy Lanning understands group dynamics.

Part of a formidable team himself—he and Dan Abnett have successfully worked together for years as the writing duo better known as DnA—Lanning knows what elements come into play when bringing a group of super heroes together. When creating his list of favorite Avengers, the writer noted that the creators behind the characters can make all the difference.

“Okay here’s my five favorite Avengers, which I think is dictated by the creators involved more than the character,” Lanning explains. “Really great writers and artists can take a minor character and give them a fantastic storyline or draw them in a way that makes them fresh, interesting and compelling.”

Hank Pym

“Five heroes in one! That’s value and some awesome storylines too! My favorite Avengers run has to be the [John] Buscema/[Roy] Thomas era, two fantastic creators on the top of their game. I loved the whole Wasp/Ant Man/Yellowjacket love triangle story. Great stuff!”

Beast

“He’s blue and furry, what’s not to love? That and I was—and still am—a huge George Perez fan.”

The Vision

“The tragedy of the robot who wants to be a man, more Buscema/Thomas gold. And his ‘Daddy’ is Ultron!”

The Scarlet Witch

“Can’t have The Vision in here without Wanda, their tragic love story is up there with Hank and Jan’s and I really I loved what [John] Byrne did with her in WEST COAST AVENGERS.”

Captain Marvel

“Okay, maybe he wasn’t technically an Avenger, but he gave them some of their finest story moments. Neal Adams drawing the Kree/Skrull War blew me away when I first read it and who can forget THE DEATH OF CAPTAIN MARVEL?”