When Red Skull begins dying due to his imperfect Super Soldier Serum, he allies with MODOK, who uses Hydra technology to transfer his mind to Captain America's body. After his defeat by a reassembled team of Avengers, Red Skull steals Iron Man's armor to use its life support system. Red Skull attacks the Avengers at their mansion, which is destroyed during the fight.
To even the playing field, Red Skull brings together the Cabal, consisting of Attuma, Doctor Doom, Dracula, the Super-Adaptoid, and Hyperion. The Avengers and S.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 the Infinity Stones.[6] They collect all five Stones and defeat Thanos, but Ultron 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 the Black 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 the Squadron Supreme, Hyperion's old team which also consists of Nighthawk, Power Princess, Doctor Spectrum, and Speed 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 one by one. The Squadron Supreme is imprisoned in a special section of the Vault.
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 latent Inhuman genes.
One subplot details Helmut Zemo, son of Captain America's old nemesis Heinrich Zemo, finding a working vial of the Super-Soldier Serum and uses it on himself to gain the youth and strength to face the Avengers and avenge his father's death. Then he recruits the Masters of Evil (which consists of Beetle, Goliath, Screaming Mimi, Fixer, and Moonstone), who masquerade as the Thunderbolts to undermine the Avengers. However, Songbird eventually convinces the team to reform and turn on Zemo.
When the President signs the New Powers Act, the Avengers are given Truman Marsh as their government liaison, who replaces Hulk with Red 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 of Leader, Arnim Zola, Enchantress, Executioner, and Kang the Conqueror) transports them across time and space. Ant-Man, Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, Vision, and Wasp work with Jane Foster to rescue them.
It is later revealed that Loki had told a powerful being known as the Beyonder of Earth. He uses the Bifröst 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 invite Shuri to a party at their tower. However, after an attack by Atlanteans, Black Panther and Shuri set out to stop the Shadow Council, including N'Jadaka, Tiger Shark, M'Baku, and Zanda. 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 from Wakanda. Captain America sacrifices himself to absorb the blast, after which Black Widow accuses Black Panther of killing him. With the Avengers and the world against him, T'Challa frees Klaw 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 to Jeph 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 2012 The Avengers film. The series features a combination of 2D and CGI animation.[3]
On July 26, 2014, Disney XD renewed it for a second season.[6] It premiered on September 28, 2014. A third season is titled Avengers: Ultron Revolution. It premiered on March 13, 2016.[98][99] On January 5, 2017, Disney XD renewed Avengers Assemble for a fourth season titled Avengers: Secret Wars.[100] On July 22, 2017, Disney's official PR feed announced that Avengers Assemble had been renewed for a fifth and final season at San Diego Comic-Con 2017 as Avengers: Black Panther's Quest on Disney XD.[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 on iTunes on May 21, 2013.[103] The series premiered on Teletoon in Canada on September 6, 2013.[104] It premiered on Disney XD in Australia on October 12, 2014.[105] It premiered on Disney XD in Africa on October 15, 2013.[106] The second season premiered in Africa on March 9, 2015.[107] It premiered on Disney XD in India on December 15, 2013.
Reception
Critical response
On the review aggregator Rotten 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 of Screen Rant noted that Avengers Assemble aimed primarily at younger audiences, similar to Disney XD's Ultimate 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 as Avengers: Ultron Revolution, Avengers: Secret Wars, and Avengers: 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 of Tor.com stated that Avengers Assemble is the perfect continuation for fans of the Avengers, picking up after the events of the blockbuster film with Tony Stark calling the team back together to face the Red Skull. She praised the series for maintaining strong ties to the movie 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' movie 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 movie world, drawing more fans to the series.[110]
Chris Sims of Looper noted that Avengers 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 Dr. 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 of Common Sense Media gave Avengers 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]
