Explores the themes behind the action of Marvel Comics' all-star superhero team. This title arms you with insights into the characters and themes of "The Avengers"; and deepens your appreciation both of "The Avengers" comics and the Joss Whedon movie adaptation.

Introduction: Earth’s Mightiest Philosophers 1 Part One What Would An Avenger Do? 1 Superhuman Ethics Class with the Avengers Prime 5 Mark D. White 2 Shining the Light on the Dark Avengers 18 Sarah Donovan and Nick Richardson 3 The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Family 28 Jason Southworth and Ruth Tallman Part Two Who Is An Avenger? 4 Superhero Identity: Case Studies in the Avengers 43 Stephen M. Nelson 5 I Am Made of Ink: She-Hulk and Metacomics 57 Roy T. Cook 6 The Self-Corruption of Norman Osborn: A Cautionary Tale 71 Robert Powell Part Three Should the Avengers Do More Than Avenge? 7 Forgivers Assemble! 83 Daniel P. Malloy 8 Gods, Beasts, and Political Animals: Why the Avengers Assemble 98 Tony Spanakos 9 Cap’s Kooky Quartet: Is Rehabilitation Possible? 113 Andrew Terjesen Part Four Do the Avengers Ever Go Too Far? 10 Fighting the Good Fight: Military Ethics and the Kree-Skrull War 131 Christopher Robichaud 11 Secrets and Lies: Compromising the Avengers’ Values for the Good of the World 142 Louis P. Melançon 12 The Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D.: The Problem with Proactive Superheroics 154 Arno Bogaerts Part Five What Kind of World Do The Avengers Live In? 13 Can Kang Kill His Past Self? The Paradox of Time Travel 171 Andrew Zimmerman Jones 14 “No Other Gods Before Me”: God, Ontology, and Ethics in the Avengers’ Universe 183 Adam Barkman 15 Love Avengers Style: Can an Android Love a Human? 194 Charles Klayman 16 The Way of the Arrow: Hawkeye Meets the Taoist Masters 204 Mark D. White Aooendix: Why Are There Four Volumes of Avengers? 217 Contributors: Avengers Academy 221

Can a reformed criminal become a superhero? What are the military ethics of the Kree-Skrull war? Is Hank Pym morally responsible for Ultron's behavior? Can Kang really go back in time and kill himself? Can an android love a human? Avengers assemble! Confronting your most essential philosophical questions about Earth's Mightiest Heroes, this powerful book will vanquish any confusion you may have regarding the many issues and conflicts involving your favorite band of superheroes and their crime-fighting adventures. Enlisting the help of an A-list team of history's most prominent thinkers including Aristotle, John Locke, and Immanuel Kant, this book tackles the dilemmas no single great philosopher can withstand, whether in The Avengers comics, film, or animated television series. Armed with the insights and reflections of these formidable minds, you'll understand Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, and the other members of Marvel's all-star superhero team as never before, no matter where the quest for justice leads them next. To learn more about the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series, visit www.andphilosophy.com