Avengers Mansion

History

Located at 721 (or 890) Fifth Avenue in New York, this three-story townhouse was originally built in 1932 by industrialist Howard Stark as his Manhattan residence. It was eventually donated by Stark's son, founding Avenger Iron Man (Tony Stark), through the charitable Maria Stark Foundation.^[2]^[3] The mansion served as the longtime home of Earth's Mightiest Heroes, providing housing, training, and medical facilities for Avengers members as well as storing quinjets and other equipment.

Avengers Mansion from Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Vol 2 1 001

Stark family butler Edwin Jarvis remained on staff as the head domestic servant for the team. In addition to the normal duties required of such a position, Jarvis was often called upon to help with emergency medicine, acquisition of cutting-edge technology, and attending to the other needs of the world's premiere superteam.^[4]

In the early days after the founding of the Avengers, Thor and Iron Man pushed the entire mansion 35 feet back from Fifth Avenue to gain additional privacy.^[5]

The Avengers initiated other modifications as needed throughout their usage of the mansion, such as the Zero Room constructed for Jack of Hearts.

For a time, FAA regulations meant that the Avengers (as well as the Fantastic Four) had to relocate their aircraft to Hydrobase, an artificial island nine miles off the coast and out of FAA jurisdiction.

At one point, the mansion was attacked by the Masters of Evil under command of Baron Helmut Zemo. The mansion, as well as the team, was dealt extensive damage during the attack and ensuing siege. The clash between Thor and Goliath was especially destructive. While held captive, Jarvis was horrendously beaten by Mister Hyde. After the mansion was reclaimed and Zemo defeated, repairs began and eventually put the building back into working order. In the meantime, the Avengers relocated completely to Hydrobase.^[6]

Avengers Mansion from Infinity War Vol 1 1 001

The East Coast team fell upon hard times after this, and temporarily disbanded at one point due to a lack of active members. When the team reassembled, the support staff was expanded to the "Avengers Crew", with Jarvis as Chief of Staff.^[7] After they were brainwashed by agents of the Red Skull into attacking the Avengers, it wasn't long before they were dismissed, leaving Jarvis as sole permanent domestic servant.^[8] The rebuilt mansion did not resemble a mansion at all. Unlike the previous incarnation, it had a sleeker, more modern and industrial look.^[9]

The mansion was devastated again following a conflict with Proctor and his Gatherers, as well as a near-mad Sersi. Ute the Watcher, a prisoner of Proctor's, was freed in the final battle. Apparently out of gratitude, Ute restored the mansion to seemingly pristine recreation of its original version.^[10] It wasn't long, however, before the Avengers realized something was amiss with the mansion. Ute had not restored the Avengers Mansion of Earth-616, but summoned a parallel dimensional version of the mansion in its place. The team found a number of irregularities with the mansion, both small and large, culminating in a secret unbreachable door in the basement becoming the focal point for an invasion by "Kang".^[11]

Years later, when the world's capitols began to disappear into another dimension (invoked by the latest Scorpio), the team was called upon to govern the world. After this crisis was resolved, the United Nations granted the Avengers sovereign-nation status, and Avengers Mansion became known as Avengers Embassy.^[12]

When the Scarlet Witch had her breakdown, her reality-warping powers caused catastrophic repercussions that ripped the team apart. Among the results were a re-animated Jack of Hearts detonating in an explosion that killed Ant-Man, and the Vision crashing a Quinjet into the building. Having suffered setbacks himself lately, Iron Man was unable to recoup the cost of re-building the ruined mansion. The Avengers disbanded, and the remains of their headquarters were left as they were, serving as a memorial to the team and to the day that brought them low.^[13]^[14] When Captain America and Iron Man later organized a new team of Avengers, the upper floors of Stark Tower served as their headquarters. Iron Man has since revealed that the mansion's computer database had survived the chaos, and he retains access to its extensive files.

Heroic Age

When Steven Rogers replaced Norman Osborn, Tony Stark sold the mansion to Luke Cage, who used it as headquarters of the New Avengers.^[15]

Avengers Mansion New Avengers Vol 2 15 — Under attack

During the Blitzkrieg U.S.A., Avengers Mansion was placed under attack but Daredevil was able to fight off the attack and rescue Squirrel Girl and Dani Cage who were trapped inside. Following the event, due to Avengers Tower being destroyed during the event by Angrir, the main Avengers team moved to Avengers Mansion,^[16] until Avengers Tower was eventually rebuilt.^[17]

Hotel Stint

Following the dissolution of the New Avengers,^[18] the Avengers Mansion became the base of operations of the newly-formed Avengers Unity Division.^[19] However, due to monetary problems that resulted from Tony Stark going bankrupt, the Avengers had to resort to selling the mansion to a company that turned it into a theme hotel based around superheroes. The catacombs of the mansion were secretly occupied by the Red Skull and Sin,^[20] who subsequently took control of the hotel's entire staff and guests to use them as a diversion,^[21] and even cannon fodder once he revealed himself to the Avengers Unity Division.^[22]

The Red Skull's battle against the Unity Division left the mansion heavily damaged,^[23] and it was eventually abandoned by its owners during the Darkforce invasion that hit Manhattan during Hydra's empire. The city let the Unity Division use it for a couple of weeks as a form of gratitude for helping the city during the aforementioned crisis.^[24] The mansion was damaged even further when Graviton attacked the Avengers, with the upper levels being almost entirely destroyed.^[25] It was partially repaired by Doctor Voodoo and Scarlet Witch, who summoned the Cyttora to help rebuild it.^[26]

After becoming a billionaire when he inherited Reed Richard's patents and licensing fee settlements, the Human Torch invested part of his fortune in the creation of Avengers Mansion Inc., a special holding company to own and operate the building with diversified assets and investments set to operate in perpetuity. The new company additionally made sure to account for the payment of insurance, utilities, taxes, and the building's staff.^[27]

Points of Interest

The above-ground floors contained living quarters for Jarvis and the Avengers, as well as facilities for all public functions of the team. The below-ground portions of the mansion housed the maximum security headquarters and computer systems. These subterranean portions were eventually expanded to the entirety of the block-wide property.

Third Floor

The top floor of Avengers Mansion long held the hangar and landing runway for the Avengers' supersonic quinjets. Employing the principles of a naval aircraft carrier's landing deck, the third floor used a wire (which caught the arresting hook of a quinjet) and a series of pistol-coupled pulleys that gradually decelerate the craft over a 30-foot distance. The third floor also contained computerized navigation aids, radar, and communications systems. The hangar had storage room for four quinjets; three on storage dollies, and one in launch position. Additionally, some non-flying team members used sky-cycles for a time after they were introduced to the team by Hawkeye. For a time, the team launch privileges were rescinded within city limits, causing the third floor hangar to be disused. All quinjets were then moved to Hydrobase. Various members suggested converting the facilities to other uses, but launch privileges were restored before the vacant hangars were converted.

Second Floor

Private quarters for any Avenger who requested them comprised the entire second floor of the mansion. Unlike the third floor, which was completely gutted to make room for the hangar facility, the second floor closely resembled the original floor plan and architecture designed and constructed by Howard Stark. While many members of the Avengers maintained residences outside the mansion, many members over the years lived at the mansion full-time during their term of active membership. When space was available, a member such as the Wasp, who had a residence elsewhere, could use one of the bedrooms as a Manhattan apartment. At only one time in Avengers history were all eight bedrooms occupied, with usually at least half of the rooms remaining vacant. From the Avengers' inception to their dissolution, there was always at least one Avenger living full time at the mansion. The following Avengers are the only ones (other than the Avengers West Coast) never to have resided at Avengers Mansion: Thor, Iron Man, Hulk, Black Widow, Moondragon, Hellcat, Falcon, and Captain Marvel. Tony Stark's civilian quarters, used infrequently by the Avengers' benefactor and never as his alter ego Iron Man, were always reserved for his exclusive use.

Grounds and Main Floor

Avengers Mansion was surrounded on three sides by a twelve-foot high concrete and reinforced omnium steel wall, with an omnium steel fence along Fifth Avenue. The yard, doors, and windows all had numerous surveillance systems to ascertain the identities of all visitors and detainment devices to intercept unauthorized personnel. These included stunnulator cannons with heat-sensitive tracking systems, and automated "detention coils" framing the doors. Visitors seeking entrance to the mansion were screened at the front gate (also of omnium steel.) The garden and patio in the backyard had sufficient foliage to afford Avengers a fair degree of outdoor privacy. The main floor of the mansion contained no materials vital to the Avengers' security or functions and thus was occasionally opened to the public for press conferences and social functions. The Avengers' only dining facilities were on the main floor, as was the private library. The Avengers' butler Edwin Jarvis was the only person quartered on this floor.

Basement

Recreational, training, and medical facilities comprised the first sub-surface level of Avengers Mansion. A fully equipped gymnasium, an Olympic-size pool, sauna and steam bath were available to the membership, as was a game room featuring a billiards table, pinball machines, and video arcade games. The Combat Simulation Room was a heavily reinforced area in which various robotic devices simulating humanoid and mechanical attacks could be engaged for training purposes. The Combat Room was monitored and programmed by the mansion's main computer system. Also on this level were emergency medical facilities, once used by Dr. Donald Blake (one of Thor's mortal identities) and Dr. Henry Pym. There was also a cryogenic storage area in which certain individuals (members or adversaries) suffering from degenerative ailments could be placed in suspended animation.

Sub-Basement Level One

Sub-Basement Level One contained the Avengers' high-security Assembly Room where all operational meetings were held. The Assembly Room was the most secure place in the entire headquarters complex due to its massive reinforcements and vault-like entrance passageway. The first subbasement houses the Avengers' computer system which contains all of their crime / forensic files, operational records, and world security data.

Except during the time at which the Avengers' governmental security clearances were revoked, the mansion's computers had limited access to the national security data of the Pentagon's computer system, as well as a direct common database with S.H.I.E.L.D. The Avengers also routinely traded information with Fantastic Four, Inc. and Alpha Flight/Department H. When the Avengers maintained a West Coast branch at Avengers Compound, the computer system there was identical to this, and the two remained in constant communication with one another. The mansion's power supply, a thermoelectric generator, along with its attendant back-up systems, were also housed on this floor, as was the Robotics/Electronics Fabrication Area often used by Dr. Henry Pym, Black Knight, and Tony Stark/Iron Man.

Sub-Basement Level Two

For a long while, Sub-Basement Level Two was primarily used for storage. Howard Stark built it for private weapons testing and storage, and constructed the robot named Arsenal there that would later menace the Avengers. Early on, the Avengers constructed a submarine pen with its own waterway to the East River, but with the adoption of the quinjets as the major means of transit, the submarine system fell into disuse. When city launch privileges were revoked, the submarine pen and waterway was refurbished to create the UGABS (Underground Airbase Shuttle) system, a secret means of rapid transit to the Hydrobase nine miles off the coast of New York. The shuttle is easily accessible from the Assembly Room above, as well as other parts of the Mansion.

Alternate Realities

Earth-689

The Avengers reached their headquarters to find it oddly different, yet familiar, and being set with defenses that they had changed years ago. Entering the briefing room, they came face to face with the original Avengers: Iron Man, Thor, Giant-Man, Wasp, and the Hulk, who managed to force the "new" members into retreat. After a while, the original Avengers were paid a visit by the Scarlet Centurion, who instructed them to stay here to await further orders.^[28]

File:Offengers Mansion.jpg

Offengers Mansion

Earth-9047

Main article: Offengers Mansion

Main article: Revengers Mansion

Offengers Mansion; destroyed^[29] and replaced by Revengers Mansion.^[30]

Earth-84243

During one night duty at Stark Mansion, Captain America heard the police alarm coming from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and decided to intervene to stop the robbers.^[31]

Earth-97161

After the Pet Avengers aided the Avengers in saving the world from Fin Fang Foom, they were given the new Pet Avengers Mansion. A small structure located behind the Avengers Mansion. The Pet Avengers Mansion acts as the headquarters and sometimes home of the Pet Avengers.^[32]

Earth-12041

Avengers Mansion was a based operations for the Avengers team before they disbanded, it became active again when some of them came together again, however the Mansion was soon destroyed following an attack by the Red Skull and M.O.D.O.C. which the Avengers then moved their main based to Avengers Tower. The Mansion had a hallway that contained eight memorial statues that suggests that there were other Avengers before meeting their demise.^[33] After the main Avengers disappeared due to the Cabal's evil plans, the New Avengers moved to a new Avengers Mansion, previously Wakanda's Embassy.^[34]

Residents

Avengers Unity Division; formerly Red Skull and Sin, New Avengers and Squirrel Girl, Avengers and support staff

Notes

The mansion has a number of sub-basements.