One of the best aspects of The Avengers, from a very philosophical film theory standpoint, is that it addresses the question that Ivy League academics have long been pondering.

Namely: would Thor totally beat the Hulk in a fight, or would the Hulk Hulk-smash his scrawny Asgardian butt?

The Avengers likes pitting its big guns against each other to see who ultimately ends up on top. Thor fights Hulk! Iron Man fights Thor! Iron Man fights Cap! (Okay, scratch that last one, that's another movie.) The old comic books liked to do that all the time, though they never came up with a definitive answer (they didn't want to irritate the fans of the losing hero, for very sound business reasons).

But beyond that, it makes a subtler comment about the nature of power…and how people without a lot of power can manipulate those who have it into doing what they want. Case in point: the Black Widow's interrogation of Loki. He's a literal god who could punch her through a wall if he wanted, but who ends up giving her the info she wants because she's sharper than he is.

NATASHA ROMANOFF: You're a monster!

LOKI: Oh no, you brought the monster.

NATASHA ROMANOFF: So, Banner... that's your play.

LOKI: What?

NATASHA ROMANOFF: Loki means to unleash the Hulk. Keep Banner in the lab, I'm on my way. Send Thor as well. [turning back to Loki] Thank you... for your cooperation.

Game, set and match…from a woman who knows her way around a street fight, but simply can't match an Asgardian for sheer raw strength.

That means more than just winning a fight or proving who's sneakier. It means asserting yourself against a larger universe, stating that the little guy can make a difference just as much as the big guy, and that—again—power isn't good or evil except in the hands of whoever's using it.

And that's exactly why it's Agent Coulson, of all people, who actually manages to harm Loki during the Asgardian's escape attempt. Coulson doesn't a have a magic hammer or a suit of armor. He just has the conviction that he's doing the right thing and a willingness to lay it on the line for the sake of the planet.

He gets the drop on Loki and blasts him through the wall with that giant ray gun, and though Loki ends up killing him (don't worry, no one stays dead in the comics), he becomes the rallying point around which all the other—considerably more powerful—heroes rally.

That comes to a head right before the big climactic fight, when Iron Man (who doesn't much care for Coulson) throws him back in Loki's face.

IRON MAN: And there's one other person you pissed off. His name was Phil.

Little guys make a difference too… something Captain America understands from the beginning and which good guys and bad guys alike figure out pretty quickly.