The Avengers are well-known as Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Throughout their almost 60-year history, they’ve saved the world hundreds of times. Their roster has consisted of some of the most renowned superheroes ever during that period. Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor are just a few of the top-tier heroes who are mainstays of the team. The roster has been known to go through some changes from time to time, but they’ve always come back stronger than ever. However, that doesn’t mean there haven’t been a few forgettable members along the way. Let’s take a look at 5 of the more obscure Avengers. 

Swordsman 

The 1970s provided a time of several odd roster additions to the Avengers lineup. The first of which was Jacques Duquesne, aka the Swordsman. The man who took a young Clint Barton under his wing and trained him to be the world’s greatest archer was initially rejected by the Avengers. The cunning Duquesne took advantage of a second opportunity and was accepted. Almost immediately, he betrayed the team and planted a remote bomb in their headquarters. The duplicitous Swordsman had a change of heart in the end, and ended up selling out the man who hired him, the Mandarin. He then left the team, but briefly rejoined again during the Avengers/Defenders war. 

D-Man 

We’ve covered the dismal tale of Dennis Dunphy in a past blog, but did you know he was very briefly an Avenger? Dunphy was a superhero superfan before becoming D-Man, a slightly odd fellow who served as an occasional sidekick to Captain America. After the events of Inferno, Steve Rogers recruited him to an Avengers team which was very short-lived. In fact, D-Man wasn’t even officially voted in as a member before he disappeared, and was presumed dead. 

Two-Gun Kid 

While battling the time travelling tyrant Kang the Conqueror, it was no real surprise when the team was sent back to the wild west. It was during this battle that they met Matt Hawk, the Two-Gun Kid. Hawk was known as the greatest marksman of his time, making him a capable ally to the Avengers. He even temporarily traveled back to the future with the team, where he became an honorary member before returning to his own era. 

The Forgotten One (Gilgamesh) 

“The Forgotten One” is appropriately named considering his uneventful stint with the team. This Eternal joined Steve Rogers’ brief post-Inferno Avengers lineup along with D-Man. While with the team, he regained his original name “Gilgamesh.” Despite this fact, his run was anything but memorable. He helped the team fight off equally obscure villains such as the Lava Men, Nanny, Orphan-Maker, and Growing Man.  

Silverclaw 

Maria de Guadalupe Santiago was born to a small tribe in a small South-American village near Costa Verde. She was rumored to be a descendant of Peliali, the Volcano goddess. As a child, Lupe developed the ability to transform into different were-forms. Her father died at a young age and she was taken in by a church orphanage funded by an American charity called ChildCare. She later formed a bond with Edwin Jarvis, the Avengers butler. Jarvis had learned about Lupe through a commercial from ChildCare, and began sponsoring her. During her first visit to North America, Lupe’s plane was highjacked by terrorists led by Moses Magnum. Luckily, Jarvis was waiting at the airport to meet Lupe. He promptly summoned the Avengers. Now going as Silverclaw, Lupe joined the team to defeat Moses Magnum, and became an ally from that point on.