I feel like I’ve waited my entire life for “The Avengers.” Of course, that isn’t possible. Rumors of its production didn’t really start circulating until 2007, which was approximately when I started following the movie’s progress. Remember back in 2008 when Eva Longoria was spotted exiting the Marvel Studios offices carrying an Avengers comic and everyone was certain she would play Janet Van Dyne AKA The Wasp? No? Well, that totally happened.

Warning: Major, Hulk-sized spoilers lie ahead. Proceed at your own risk.

Last week, the wait was over for myself and the millions of other Marvel maniacs. We donned our spandex and capes (personally, I attended the midnight showing as Agent Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow) and tried not to explode from excitement as that iconic Marvel logo sequence flickered across the movie screen.

“The Avengers” has received nearly unanimous approval and praise from critics and viewers, but does it pass the slightly harsher litmus test of a seasoned comic book connoisseur? If you want to take this nerd’s word for it, the answer is yes: “The Avengers” does these beloved Marvel characters — and the realm of comic books in general — complete justice.

The second Joss Whedon’s attachment to the project was announced, there wasn’t a doubt in my mind that “The Avengers” would deliver. Ah Whedon, the Asgardian god of screenwriting, the Nick Fury who was mighty enough to direct a band of bold actors in one of the most ambitious films of the year.

There were changes made to the original Avengers origin story, but with all the alternate universes and retconning that happens in comic book series, it’s no surprise that movies take a similarly liberal approach to continuity. It’s a fact I’ve had to embrace: Movie adaptations can’t adhere too closely to their comic book predecessors. In fact, David Hayter and Alex Tse’s too-close adaptation of “Watchmen” led to a less-than-satisfying film. There are some things that just work better on the page.

But Whedon’s adaptation got the most important details absolutely right: the characters. You can change the story, you can even change the universe (the “Iron Man” films seamlessly transferred their hero’s origins from the Vietnam War to the War in Afghanistan). But changing the characters — their powers, their desires, their psyches, anything that makes them who they are — ensures fuming fans.

Whedon’s Avengers fight, speak and think exactly like they are drawn and written in Marvel comics. Captain America has an old-school, born-leader way of doing business, seen when he gives orders to the others in the final battle. Black Widow is a master of manipulation and her movements are unmistakably spider-like. As a trained sniper, Hawkeye prefers to keep a distance when fighting. It appears that Whedon considered all of these details when penning his versions of the heroes.

The stunt choreography looks like it was lifted right from the page. When Thor, Iron Man and Captain America all duke it out in the woods, it feels exactly like “Civil War,” a crossover series from 2006 that pits Marvel heroes against one another, the epic “World War Hulks” crossover series, and the more recent “Avengers vs. X-Men” It’s an overused but entertaining comic book trope: When heroes meet other heroes, they fight each other, sometimes as a power play but most often over a miscommunication. And the character clashes continue, even when the heroes aren’t in uniform, as we get in the hilarious back-and-forth banter Whedon has written for these characters.

And the actors do their part to bring the characters to life. Chris Evans knows how to command a scene. Scarlett Johansson can switch between icy and fragile in a flash. It’s hard to imagine anyone other than Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, the genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, best Marvel alter-ego ever.