User:Artemis Thorson/Age of the Avengers

Age of the Avengers is an alternate universe with the reality designation of Earth-41026.

Brief History
This Earth was in the middle of the Heroic Age, and the world loved their heroes. All this changed one day when the Avengers (Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Thor, Hulk, Falcon, Black Panther, Giant-Man, and Wasp) responded to a distress call from the Raft, where a massive breakout had occurred. Although the threat was contained, the Avengers learned that S.H.I.E.L.D. had been genetically tampering with their prisoners. Tony Stark sued S.H.I.E.L.D., but the Avengers lost the case and everything Stark Industries owned (including the Iron Man suits) became S.H.I.E.L.D.'s. When Stark refused to comply, he and his team become S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Most Wanted. After about a year and a half of running and fighting, the Avengers defeated and took control of S.H.I.E.L.D., but by this time Iron Man was a changed man. He no longer had protecting the people on his mind, he had come to believe the only way to protect them is by ruling them and eliminating any possible threats. S.H.I.E.L.D. was renamed S.T.A.R.K. and slowly the Avengers began taking control of the world.

Many of the villains were brainwashed into serving S.T.A.R.K. and many heroes willingly signed up to join. S.T.A.R.K. allowed the heroes who didn't sign up to continue to do things the way they always have, but they intervene whenever they consider it is necessary.

Nick Fury has silently restarted S.H.I.E.L.D. underground and has been recruiting heroes who oppose Iron Man and the Avengers.

Ultron grew to fear S.T.A.R.K., so he relocated to Latveria where he slaughtered Doctor Doom and became the Nation's new leader, confining his borders to protect himself from Iron Man.

Thanos has been watching the Earth and is formulating a plan against the weakened alliance between heroes.