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Avenger
Mansion
The Avengers Mansion is a three-story townhouse located
at 890 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. Built in 1932 by industrialist
Howard Stark as his Manhattan residence, the mansion was
donated to the Avengers. Soon after their inception by
his son Anthony Stark, who as Iron Man, was one of the
Avengers' founding members. Over the years the mansion
has been extensively remodeled to accommodate the Avengers'
special needs. The most significant exterior change occurred
about a year after the Avengers moved in when Thor and
Iron Man pushed the mansion about 35 feet back from Fifth
Avenue in order to give the structure the privacy afforded
by a front yard. The belowground sub-structure, part of
Howard Stark's original construction, was expanded by
the Avengers to encompass the full limits of the block-wide
property to a depth of feet. The belowground levels of
the mansion contain the top-security headquarters and
computer intelligence systems. While the aboveground levels
contain living quarters and a main floor in which all
public functions of the Avengers are conducted.
First appearance: AVENGERS #2.
THIRD
FLOOR
The top floor of Avengers Mansion had long been the hangar
and landing runway for the Avengers' supersonic Quinjet.
Employing the principles of a naval aircraft carrier landing
deck, the third floor uses a wire (which catches 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. The hangar had storage
room for four Quinjet, three on storage dollies, and one
in launch position. With the recent rescinding of launch
privileges within city limits, the third floor hangar
has been in disuse. All of the Quinjets have been moved
to Hydrobase. Various members have suggested converting
the facilities to other uses, but as yet what to do with
the vacant hangar has not been decided
SECOND
FLOOR
Private quarters for any Avenger who requests them comprise
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 maintain
residences outside the mansion, many members over the
years have 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. Usually at least half of the rooms remain vacant.
Since the Avengers' inception, there has always been at
least one Avenger living full time at the mansion. The
following Avengers are the only ones never to have resided
at Avengers Mansion: Thor, Iron Man, Hulk, Black Widow,
Moondragon, Hellcat, Ms. Marvel, Falcon, and Captain Marvel.
Anthony Stark's quarters, used infrequently by the Avengers'
benefactor and never as his alter ego Iron Man, are still
reserved for Stark's exclusive use.
GROUNDS
AND MAIN FLOOR
Avengers Mansion is surrounded on three sides by a twelve-foot
high concrete and reinforced steel wall, with a steel
fence along Fifth Avenue. The yard, doors, and windows
all have numerous surveillance systems to ascertain the
identities of all visitors and detainment devices to intercept
unauthorized personnel. Visitors seeking entrance to the
mansion are screened at the front gate. The garden and
patio in the backyard have sufficient foliage to afford
Avengers a fair degree of outdoor privacy. The main floor
of the mansion contains no materials vital to the Avengers'
security or functions and thus is occasionally opened
to the public for press conferences and social functions.
The Avengers' only dining facilities are on the main floor,
as is the private library. The Avengers' butler Edwin
Jarvis is the only person quartered on this floor
BASEMENT
Recreational, training, and medical facilities comprise
the first sub-surface level of Avengers Mansion. A fully
equipped gymnasium, an Olympic-size pool, sauna and steam
bath are available to the membership, as is a game room
featuring a billiards table, pinball machines, and video
arcade games. The Combat Simulation Room is a heavily
reinforced area in which various robotic devices simulating
humanoid and mechanical attacks can be engaged for training
purposes. The Combat Room is monitored and programmed
by the mansion's main computer system. Also on this level
are emergency medical facilities, once used by Dr. Donald
Blake and Dr. Henry Pym. There is also a cryogenic storage
area in which certain individuals (members or adversaries)
suffering from degenerative aliments can be placed in
suspended animation.
SUB-BASEMENT
LEVEL ONE
Sub-Basement Level One contains the Avengers' high security
Assembly Room where all operational meetings are held.
The Assembly Room is 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.
Until recently when the Avengers' governmental security
clearances were revoked, the Avengers' 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. Now the only outside agency with which the Avengers
routinely trade information is the Fantastic Four, Inc.
The mansion's power supply, a thermoelectric generator,
along with its attendant back-up systems, are also housed
on this floor, as is the Robotics / Electronics Fabrication
Area once used by Dr. Henry Pym and Anthony Stark. This
area is currently used by Dane Whitman (the Black Knight).
SUB-BASEMENT
LEVEL TWO
Until recently, Sub-Basement Level Two had been 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. The Avengers
have 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.
In recent months, the submarine pen and waterway has been
refurbished to create the UGABS (Underground Airbase Shuffle)
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.