AVENGERS
CHARTER
BE IT KNOWN...
That we, the Avengers, have
banded together to protect and safeguard the planet Earth, its inhabitants and
resources, from any and all threats, terrestrial or otherwise, which are or
might prove to be beyond the power of conventional forces to
handle.
That we shall brook no
interference in the growth of mankind in meeting its rightful
destiny.
That we dedicate ourselves to
the establishment, growth, and preservation of peace, liberty, equality, and
justice under law.
THIS IS OUR SOLEMN OATH.
Article One: Organization
The Avengers is hereby chartered as a
non-profit organization under the laws as set down by the State of New York,
United States of America; said organization being recognized and fully
sanctioned as a peace-keeping force by the National Security Council of the
United States of America, by the United Nations, and by the Supreme Headquarters
International Espionage Law Enforcement Division.
Article Two: Jurisdiction
In accordance with the tenets of
national and international law, the Avengers, acting individually, or as a
group, are herein authorized to function in all lands, territories, or
protectorates of the United States; in all countries allied with the United
States by international treaty; and in all countries belonging to or affiliated
with the United Nations.
Article Three: Funding
As a non-profit organization,
the Avengers shall be funded chiefly by private grants. Major funding for the
activities of the Avengers, for its headquarters, transportation, and equipment,
shall be provided by a grant from the Maria Stark Foundation (Anthony Stark,
Director) with the understanding that the Foundation shall have no say in
Avengers operations, or in the deployment of funds within the Avengers
organization.
Article Four: Operations
The day-to-day operations of
the Avengers shall be governed by a set of by-laws as put forth by the founding
members.
IN WITNESS of
this charter, we founding members have hereunto subscribed our
names...
Iron Man
Thor
Wasp
Ant-Man
Hulk
AVENGERS BY-LAWS
Section One: Policy & operations
A. All
Avengers shall, at all times, endeavor to adhere to the principles of the
Avengers Charter and follow the rules and regulations of these
by-laws.
I .
The by-laws may be amended, when deemed necessary, by the active members
of the Avengers. Amendments may be proposed by any active Avenger. Amendments
shall become a binding part of these by-laws upon approval by two-thirds of the
active membership.
B. No
Avenger shall be required to surrender knowledge of his or her civilian identity
or personal affairs to the membership at large or the National Security
Council.
C.
Avengers shall be entitled to special priority government security
clearance, as administered and approved by the National Security
Council.
D. The
Avengers shall be led by a duly elected Chairman or Chairwoman. It shall be the
duty of this leader to coordinate all Avenger activities, whether business or
tactical in nature.
1 . The
position of Chairman/woman shall be open to any active member who has passed
his/her probationary period (See Section Two,
Memberships).
2.
The Chairman/woman shall serve for a term of 6 months. There shall be no
limit to the number of successive terms a leader may
serve.
3.
It shall be the privilege of the Chairman/woman to determine the format
of meetings and to call special meetings as he/she sees
fit.
4.
In the event of the absence, incapacity, or resignation of the
Chairman/woman, an interim leader shall be chosen by a two-thirds vote of the
active membership.
Section Two: Membership
A.
Recognizing that the membership of the Avengers may be subject to, and,
indeed, might profit from change, procedures for the admission of members shall
be set forth.
B. Candidates
for membership must be legal adults, possessing at least one skill, power,
ability, or talent which is deemed valuable by majority of the active
membership.
1.
Membership shall not be denied on account of race, color, creed, sex, or
condition of birth or origin.
2.
Candidates for membership must be nominated by one active member in good
standing at a regular or special meeting. Election for membership must be held
within one week of nomination and be attended by a simple majority of active
members. A two-thirds vote is necessary for election to
membership.
3.
Newly elected Avengers shall save a probationary period of not less than
30 days.
a.
During the period of probation, the National Security Council shall make
an investigation of the new Avenger's public record in order to determine
approval for full security clearance.
b.
While on probation, the new Avenger shall have limited access to Avengers
facilities and records.
c.
At the end of
probation, the new Avenger shall assume full active status, unless objections
are raised by any active member or by the National Security
Council.
C. The
Avengers shall select new members whenever the Chairman/woman or two-thirds of
the active membership determines that the ranks are not at optimal strength, or
when there is a vacancy in the ranks.
1.
It shall be the prerogative of the Chairman/woman to limit the number of
active members.
D.
Active Avengers shall be the designation given to those Avengers who are
full-time members.
1.
Active Avengers shall be required to log all individual cases into the
main computer file, that the entire membership may benefit from the individual's
experience.
2.
Active Avengers shall be required to attend all regular business
meetings. Members who miss more than one meeting per month without submitting an
acceptable excuse may face suspension for a period to be determined by a
consensus of the other active members (see Paragraph G).
3.
Active Avengers shall be issued an Avengers identification card and an
emergency signal device.
a.
Active members shall be required to answer all emergency calls. If unable
to respond, an active member must contact the Chairman/woman at the earliest
opportunity to explain his/her absence.
b.
Active members who miss an emergency call without good reason may be
subject to disciplinary action.
4.
Active Avengers shall be expected to cooperate with other law enforcement
agencies. Although granted certain legal immunities by the Avengers priority
clearance, no Avenger shall be considered above the law.
5.
Active Avengers shall be paid a stipend of one thousand dollars ($1,000)
per week. Members may choose not to accept their stipends, in which case the
money shall be placed in their retirement fund.
a.
Active members shall be entitled to free medical and life insurance
benefits.
b.
Active members shall be provided with private quarters where they, it so
choosing, may reside. Unlimited meal privileges shall be provided for live-in
members.
6.
Active Avengers shall be granted unlimited access to the Avengers Mansion
headquarters, vehicles, computer records files, and any other facilities of the
organization.
7.
Active Avengers may take a leave of absence for any reason simply by
notifying the Chairman/woman of said intent.
a.
Active Avengers may choose to accept status as either a reservist or an
inactive Avenger.
8.
Active Avengers shall, at all times, act in a manner befitting that of a
guardian of the public trust.
E.
Reserve Avengers shall be the designation given to those
Avengers who are parttime members, on call for special missions or emergency
assignments only.
1.
Reserve membership shall be limited to those members who have fulfilled
an active term of duty of not less than one year, and who wish to reduce their
connections with the group.
2.
Reserve Avengers shall not be required to log their individual cases,
though they shall be encouraged to do so.
3.
Reserve Avengers may attend any regular meeting, but shall be required to
attend no more than one per year.
4.
Reserve Avengers shall retain their Avengers identification card and
emergency signal device.
a.
Reserve members may be demoted to inactive status if they fail to answer
three consecutive emergency calls.
5.
Reserve Avengers shall be paid a stipend of one hundred dollars ($100)
per month.
6.
Reserve Avengers shall have limited access to Avengers Mansion, files,
equipment, etc.
7.
Reserve Avengers may return to active status at the discretion of the
Chairman/woman, if they so petition and are accepted by majority vote of the
active members.
8.
Reserve Avengers shall be given priority over new candidates in the
filling of vacancies in the active membership.
9.
Reserve Avengers may retire to inactive status by notifying the
Chairman/woman and surrendering the Avengers identification card and emergency
signal device.
10.
Reserve Avengers shall not have a vote in Avengers
proceedings.
11. Reserve
Avengers shall have the authority to call emergency
meetings.
F.
Inactive Avengers shall be the designation given to those
members who have retired or resigned from active and reserve
duty.
1 . Any
Avenger may resign by simply notifying the Chairman/woman of his/her intent and
surrendering his/her Avengers identification card, emergency signal device, and
any other Avengers-owned equipment.
2.
Any active or reserve Avenger who is incapacitated or who moves from the
organization's normal jurisdiction shall be granted an honorable discharge and
placed on the inactive roster.
3.
Inactive Avengers may be granted limited access to Avengers equipment and
facilities only at the discretion of the active members.
4.
Inactive status shall be considered the same as an indefinite leave of
absence.
5.
Inactive Avengers may be reinstated only if there is a vacancy in the
active ranks, and then only if elected by a two-thirds vote of the active
membership.
G.
Motions for disciplinary action against any active or reserve
Avenger may be brought by any other active Avenger.
1 . In
the event of such an accusation, Chairman/woman shall convene a board of
inquiry, comprising a simple majority of the active membership (minus the
accused, if he/she is an active member).
2.
Disciplinary action shall be limited to suspension, with the option of
further trying the accused before a tribunal of all active
members.
a.
Tribunal proceedings shall be conducted in the manner of a military
court-martial.
b.
Maximum punishment to be brought on the accused by such a tribunal shall
be expulsion from the Avengers.
c.
A two-thirds vote shall be necessary to expel a member from the
Avengers.
3.
Active and reserve Avengers can be expelled, with no possibility of
reinstatement, on the following grounds:
a.
Conviction for any crime above a misdemeanor.
b.
Deliberate betrayal of Avengers classified
information.
c.
Criminal acts of negligence not convicted for, but witnessed by at least
one active member.
Section Three: Meetings
A. The
Avengers shall meet regularly, at least once a week, at a time and place to be
agreed upon by a simple majority of the active membership.
B. Emergency
meetings may be called at any time, but emergency meetings shall not be
considered a replacement for a regular meeting.
C. In the
event that an Avengers mission is in progress at the time of a
regularly-scheduled meeting, the meeting will be
rescheduled.
D. A simple
majority of the active membership shall be required to make a meeting
official.
Section Four: Punishment of Criminals
A. Avengers
shall leave the punishment of perpetrators of criminal activity to the
appropriate agencies of the law.
B.
The Avengers
shall not abridge an accused's right to a fair and speedy
trial.
C. The
Avengers shall abide by the decisions of the law, and will not take upon
themselves any aspect of the punishment process.
D. In
the event that conventional imprisonment proves inadequate for a given criminal,
the Avengers shall be allowed to hold said criminal in a manner they see fit,
provided that a full report of said methods of imprisonment is given to the
proper law enforcement authorities.
Section Five:
Affiliations
The Avengers shall maintain open and
reciprocal relations, including joint limited access to computer data, with the
Fantastic Four, Inc., and with the Supreme Headquarters International Espionage
Law Enforcement Division (S.H.I.E.L.D.).
Section Six: Security
The National Security Council
shall serve as liaison between the Avengers and the government of the United
States. The NSC shall have the power to revoke the Avengers security clearance,
individually or collectively. The NSC shall supervise the installation of all
security devices and data centers and shall hold periodic inspections of said
facilities.
Section Seven: Discorporation
The Avengers organization may
be disbanded only by order of the National Security Council for a breach of
national security, or by unanimous vote of the entire active membership of the
Avengers. In the event of disbanding, all Avengers properties and facilities
shall revert to the Maria Stark Foundation and/or Stark International, with the
exception of any security devices, analysis systems, or data which has any
bearing on national security. Said materials and data shall be immediately
turned over to the government of the United States.