HERE WE COME TO SAVE THE WORLD: Captain America (Chris Evans, center) flanked by Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner, left) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) are coming to join with their cohorts Thor, Iron Man, Hulk (none of whom are shown here) to thwart the plans of Loki — Thor’s evil brother — to conquer the planet Earth.

The Avengers is the sixth movie in the series of Marvel Comics adaptations that was launched in 2008 with Iron Man, and quickly followed by The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America. What makes this adventure unique is that it’s the first film in the series about a team of comic book superheroes.

The actors playing the above title characters reprise their roles with the exception of Edward Norton who has been replaced by Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk. We again have Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Robert Downey, Jr. as Iron Man, and Chris Evans as Captain America. The film also features the return of Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye and Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, who first appeared in Thor and Iron Man 2, respectively.

Since we’ve already met all the members of the team, director Josh Whedon doesn’t have to waste time familiarizing us with their unique abilities. Instead, the plot unfolds right on the heels of the post-closing credits scene of the previous sequel which had Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) ominously enlisting the assistance of Captain America for a dangerous mission with global ramifications.

So, it’s no surprise that we find Fury assembling The Avengers. After all, as the director of the top secret espionage agency, S.H.I.E.L.D. (an acronym for Strategic Home Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division), it is his job to protect humanity, especially from a diabolical villain bent on world domination.

In this case, that villain is Thor’s exiled evil brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), who has managed not only to escape from an outer space abyss on the planet Asgard but has gotten his hands on the Tesseract, a cosmic cube which taps into a limitless supply of sustainable energy. With Loki en route to Earth, Fury has to plan a coordinated defense of the planet.

That task is easier said than done, since it calls for cooperation among a bunch of egotistical superheroes with fragile egos who aren’t used to sharing the limelight. We are given a taste of this posturing when Iron Man teases Thor about his accent and costume by asking, “Doth mother know thy wear her drapes?” Or when he sarcastically compliments Dr. Bruce Banner (aka The Hulk) by saying, “I’m a big fan of how you lose control and turn into a giant green monster.”

Of course, such witty bantering turns into camaraderie once Loki arrives with his army of alien warriors called Chitauri. Each Avenger’s talent comes in handy, of course, during the ensuing eye-popping fight sequences and include Hawkeye’s bow-and-arrow, Thor’s hammer, Captain America’s shield, and so forth.

Thanks to a sophisticated script and thrilling special effects, The Avengers easily is the best Marvel Comics screen adaptation yet. It is a remarkable movie that increases our expectations for the next film in the series, Iron Man 3.

Excellent (****). Rated PG-13 for intense violence and a drug reference. Running time: 142 minutes. Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures.