Marvel Heroes Who Were Kicked Out Of The Avengers

Summary

• Almost every Marvel hero has joined the Avengers, but some, like Black Panther, have been kicked out due to disagreements with the team.
• U.S. Agent was ousted from the West Coast Avengers after clashing with Hawkeye and deemed unfit for the Avenger title by Tony Stark.
• Black Knight struggled with imposter syndrome, feeling rejected by the Avengers even though he repeatedly helped the team.

Almost every major Marvel superhero has at one point or another joined the Avengers. The Earth’s mightiest heroes are far from the most exclusive superhero team, with many different variations and team combinations appearing in both the comics and MCU over the years. However, in some rare cases, even beloved heroes get cut from the roster.

These eight Marvel heroes were sadly kicked out of the Avengers at one point in their adventures. Whether it’s because of differences with other members of the team, or simply not being accepted, these heroes had to do a little more work as a solo superhero to be considered among Marvel’s A-listers.

Updated December 26, 2024, by Blaise Santi: A lot happens in the world of Marvel Comics in the span of a year, so it’s not a surprise that there are plenty of changes to the line-ups of Avengers teams throughout comic book history. With that in mind, let’s take a look at two additional heroes who were kicked out of the Avengers, one more recently in their comic book adventures, and one quite early on in their story. Perhaps we’ll see either of these characters join the Avengers in either Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars, coming out in 2026 and 2027, respectively. Although, one of them may already be spoken for in another team set to make their debut in 2025’s Thunderbolts*…

10

Black Panther

Even For A King, He’s Faced Struggles

Black Panther is one of the most beloved figures in Marvel history, but as of late, his adventures in the comics have seen him as an outcast. After leaving Wakanda to fight an intergalactic war, T’Challa returned to his home country to find that in his absence, Wakanda has changed to a democratic nation. However, his attempt to return to the Avengers instead resulted in even more trouble.

After discovering that a terrorist group was being led by Jhai, T’Challa’s childhood best friend, the other Avengers decided they could not trust the Black Panther anymore. By the 2023 comic series, T’Challa has remained friendly with the Avengers yet again, even though he has yet to be invited back into the superhero collective, as he remains a refugee from his own home.

9

U.S. Agent

Some Heroes Don’t Work Well In A Team

John Walker might be the least heroic character on this list, fitting the description of an anti-hero more than an actual servant of justice. Following Steve Rogers’ retirement from the role of Captain America, Walker was hired by the U.S. government to be his replacement, becoming a much less-beloved iteration of Captain America who eventually took the name U.S. Agent.

While Walker has never joined the official Avengers. He was once a member of the West Coast Avengers alongside Wanda Maximoff and Wonder Man, but was ousted after a confrontation with fellow teammate Hawkeye. Believing Walker to be undeserving of the Avenger title, he was kicked out by Tony Stark. Unlike other fired Avengers, Walker clearly needed the time off.

8

Black Knight

He Struggled With Imposter Syndrome

Dane Whitman is far from the most recognizable member of the Avengers, but he’s been on and off the team for almost his entire comic history. In the original comic book run of Avengers, Whitman appeared on the team alongside his lover Sersi, Natasha Romanoff, Thor, Hercules, Vision, and Crystal, but more recently, he’s been somewhat of an outcast.

Particularly, Dane became frustrated that the Avengers seemed to require his help often yet refused to accept him as an official member. Ultimately, Dane went down a dark spiral as a result of the rejection, mainly due to his struggle to handle the darkness that came out of him from wielding the Ebony Blade.

7

Rage

Appearances Were Deceiving With This Hero

The super-strong Elvin Haliday actually made his Marvel Comics debut in Avengers #326, under the superhero moniker “Rage.” The character appeared out of nowhere, demanding to join the Avengers due to their lack of any African-American members, and while he was rejected right then and there, Haliday returned issues later to assist them in various missions.

Eventually, Haliday seemed to earn the respect of Avengers like Captain America, until it was revealed that he was only fourteen years old. The final straw came when he helped the New Warriors steal one of the Avengers’ Quinjets, but thankfully the New Warriors were willing to recruit him to make up for his rejection from the Avengers.

6

She-Hulk

She Wasn’t A Great Fit For The Avengers

She-Hulk is one of the most iconic Marvel characters, though personality-wise she’s a far cry from Avengers mainstays like Steve Rogers or Natasha Romanoff. Nevertheless, she’s been an integral member of teams like the Avengers and Fantastic Four numerous times in the comics, though her relationship with the Avengers reached its breaking point.

Particularly, her more active party animal life resulted in her being kicked out of Avengers Mansion by Captain America and the Wasp, though they softened the blow by assuring her that her place on the team wasn’t lost. Still, it made her enough of an outsider to their goings-on that she ended up quitting fully to focus on being a lawyer.

5

Warbird

Her Demotion Led To An Interesting Team-Up

Carol Danvers has taken on many superhero monikers throughout her comic history, but it was the persona of “Warbird” that led to her firing from the Avengers. In stark contrast to the heroism of Captain Marvel, Warbird was prone to alcoholism and going on solo missions, which resulted in her being court-martialled for disobeying Captain America’s orders.

Ultimately, Danvers was forced to step down from the official Avengers team. On the bright side, her isolation ended up seeing her cross paths with Wolverine, a fellow super-drunk, and the two teamed up to face the rogue mutant Powerhouse, though Wolverine ended up possessed by the Zennan Aria and turning on Carol Danvers.

4

Scarlet Witch

Her Breakdown Pit Her Against The Marvel Universe

Few characters in Marvel Comics history have had as historic a break from the Avengers as Wanda Maximoff. While she became an integral member of the team, her psychotic break as a result of losing her children made her a target of her own teammates. As Scarlet Witch, Wanda went on a tirade that decimated Avengers Mansion and made her an official threat.

While the X-Men and Avengers debated what to do with Wanda, she remodeled reality into one where mutants were the dominant species over humans. Thankfully, a few heroes who remembered their old universe fought back against Magneto’s empire, including Wanda, who retaliated by committing mass genocide against all mutants.

3

Yellowjacket

Getting Fired Destroyed His Life

Hank Pym was an O.G. member of the Avengers, so it almost seems ridiculous that the character was ever kicked out of the group. However, the character went down quite a dark path during his tenure as Yellowjacket, which coincided with the ending of his marriage to the Wasp. During a battle with Elfqueen, Pym nearly endangered many civilians.

Like Carol Danvers later in the comics, Pym was court-martialled for his actions, which he tried to avoid by building a robot to attack Avengers Mansion. While Pym’s plan was to defeat the robot and redeem himself in the eyes of the Avengers, it went wrong, resulting in Pym’s expulsion from the Avengers and his divorce from Janet van Dyne.

2

Storm

She Defended Her Fellow X-Men

Storm is probably more well-known as a member of the X-Men, but she’s periodically served on the Avengers in various incarnations. In particular, her iteration of the team included staples like Captain America and Hawkeye, as well as Red Hulk, Spider-Woman, and Quake. However, she was forced to make a big choice when the Avengers fought the X-Men.

The war really began when Namor attacked Wakanda, and Storm defended the X-Men, resulting in her marriage to T’Challa being dissolved. By the time the battle ended, Storm resumed her place with the X-Men, having distanced herself enough from the Avengers in the ongoing battles, though she still helped them defeat the Phoenix Force.

1

Iron Man

He Wasn’t Always The Avengers’ Golden Child

In both the MCU and comics, Tony Stark has been an invaluable part of the Avengers. However, Iron Man hasn’t always been a friend to humanity, particularly during the Armor Wars saga, when even Captain America turned on his longtime comrade. At times, Tony was even removed from the Avengers under orders from the U.S. government.

One of these times, the government took control of the Avengers away from Tony Stark and gave it to none other than Norman Osborn, with Stark eventually joining Hank Pym’s Mighty Avengers. Fortunately, Tony Stark is one of the few Marvel superheroes who probably works better as a solo hero rather than a team player.