Hulk

No article about iconic Avengers would be complete without including the Hulk AKA Bruce Banner. The scientist-turned-green monster was a founding member of the team in Avengers #1 in September of 1963 and has constantly been associated with them ever since.

Although Banner is indeed a genius, it is the near-unrivaled raw power of the Hulk that has so often been of use to the Avengers. The Hulk gets stronger and stronger the angrier he gets and has been the deciding factor in countless battles since the team’s inception.

Of course, he’s been a key member of the movie version of the team since 2012 and has appeared in both team movies, having first appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe his own 2008 solo movie. He has been played by both Ed Norton and Mark Ruffalo in the franchise and he won’t return until 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok. He will surely be an important member of the Avengers beyond that, however.