The Avengers was the comic book of the 1970s. From Civil Rights to Women's Lib, battles for the soul of America became battles between super heroes.

Writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby co-created the all-star group of six super heroes in September 1963. From there, just three main writers chronicled Earth's Mightiest Heroes in that most turbulent of decades: Roy Thomas, Steve Englehart, and Jim Shooter, each with differing approaches. The Avengers quickly became the pivot around which the Marvel Universe turned. To look back through its issues is to get a crash course in '70s pop culture.

Illustrated with full-color art from this legendary run, Paul Cornell's entry in the new MARVEL AGE OF COMICS series explores how the Mighty Avengers became icons during a time of immense change and upheaval.

Paul Cornell has written episodes of Elementary, Doctor Who, Primeval, Robin Hood and many other TV series. He has worked for every major comics company on series such as I Walk With Monsters, The Modern Frankenstein, Saucer Country, and This Damned Band, as well as runs for Marvel and DC on Batman and Robin, Wolverine and Young Avengers. He is based in the UK.