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!

If you're a long time Avengers fan, some of your favorite classic issues likely sport Roger Stern's name between the covers. He wrote over 50 issues of AVENGERS in the 80’s as well as limited series and one-shots like AVENGERS #1/2, AVENGERS FOREVER, AVENGERS INFINITY and AVENGERS TWO: WONDER MAN AND BEAST.

And that's just his work on Earth’s Mightiest Heroes! Stern took his turn writing just about every major Marvel star at one time or another, so it's safe to say he knows these characters.

Stern recently returned to his era of the team with HULK SMASH AVENGERS #3, which pitted the Green Goliath against a group consisting of Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Wasp, Captain Marvel, She-Hulk and Hawkeye. With the writer’s returning to the franchise, it seemed like the perfect time to ask him about his favorite team members. He gladly played along, but wants everyone to know that the following entries come in no particular order.

Captain America

“Cap is a living legend, America's super-soldier, and an exemplar of the greatest generation. He's always been Mister Avenger to me. Before Cap, the Avengers were a loose confederation of super-heroes, but when he joined, they truly became a team.”

The Wasp

“Never, ever underestimate this lady. She may be cute as a button, but she can also be hard as nails. Plus, she gave the Avengers their name. What, you say she's dead? Yeah, and so were Cap and Thor once upon a time. I wouldn't count her out yet.”

Iron Man

“Tony Stark is a flawed man who is always trying to overcome his flaws. He's a self-made super hero who is always reinventing himself. And don't forget, he turned his family mansion over to the Avengers to use as their headquarters.”

Captain Marvel

“I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for Monica. She was the new kid, learning on the job how best to use her amazing powers and growing into her role as an Avenger. It's never been the same without her.”

Hawkeye

“He's snarky, arrogant, and always questioning authority, but whenever he's away from the Avengers, you can tell there's an empty seat at the table. Next to Cap, Hawk is arguably the Avenger's best hand-to-hand combatant, and he's always pushing himself to be better.”