Best Avengers Character Development

[TheMadTitan]

What moments stand out as some of the best character development* in Avenger's history? Heroes and Villains both welcome!

My votes (in no particular order)

1) The "sand is sand" conversation Wanda had with Beast. I don't think anything really conveys how she views the mutant cause quite like that.

2) Norman going crazy during Dark Avengers. I thought the whole run was a pretty good descent into madness for him -- only marred by the fact that he is just oozed evil.

3) Tony Stark's 5 nightmares speech. Not technically an avengers speech, but still explains a lot about the character. Also dovetails nicely with his dialogue about the first created Avengers team during Mighty Avengers.

*This thread isn't necessarily about best characterization. For example, there could be a great moment or series of moments that you like that take a character in another direction. You can totally like Luke Cage in Alias and New Avengers, even though the characterization is different from his earlier portrayals.

[TheMerc]

My favorite such moment as it related to the Avengers has to be seeing Captain America in tears after discovering that the Masters of Evil had destroyed his old mementos, including the last photo of his mother, at the end of "Under Siege". There was something so very human in seeing Cap, who we'd always seen shoulder life's adversities with his head up, break down after seeing that his smallest but most meaningful comforts had been taken from him, but still retain that dignity that's been his trademark. When I first read the story, I didn't expect to be as affected by this moment as I was, but the more I think about it, the more I realize what a beautiful moment it was.

[Nomads1]

I really loved the slow rescue of Hank Pym's character. From his fall from grace in Avengers #212-213 (which, IMHO, was terribly rushed, ham fisted and all around badly done), the fateful "THE SLAP", hitting rock bottom when he is tricked by Egghead and goes to jail (oddly enough one of his best showings, when he manages to take on all the big name Avengers) to his slow recovery defeating Egghead and the Masters of Evil, striking out on jis own as a scientist, joining the WCA as a support character, slipping into despair by almost attempting suicide, untill finally comming out on the other side as a stronger man and a re-invented hero as Dr Pym, the scientific Avenger (mostly cortesy of Jim Shooter, Roger Stern and Steve Englehart). Sadly enough, most writers have no idea what to do with him, and they keep desconstructing and rebuilding him, mostly with poorer resulta each time.

Peace

Edit: For those wishing to see the flip side of the coin of this thread (both, IMHO, always good discussion subjects), I refer to the one bellow:
http://community.comicbookresources....+assassination