Avengers Assemble! And clean up this mess in Cleveland

Cleveland is being turned into a war zone for "The Avengers."

The stars of the Avengers movie arrive in Cleveland to begin filming on Monday.

Waiting for Chris Hemsworth as “Thor,” Chris Evans as “Captain America,” Scarlett Johansson as “Black Widow” and the others:

• Comic book and movie fans anxious to watch how Hollywood is going to bring the legendary superhero team together.
• A big mess.

Preparation for filming began with the construction of some destruction, with parts of the city looking like a battle zone even before the arrival of the heroes. According to Michael Sangiacomo of the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

Marvel Studios people, trying desperately to keep the plot of the film secret, won't talk about what will be filmed. Judging from appearances, it will be some kind of battle set on 42nd Street in New York City. Giant chunks of buildings lie on crushed cars all over Ninth Street. Buildings have been transformed into storefronts for Capitol One Bank, Grand Central Caf , an Acura car dealership and the Morning Press Deli and Bagel shop.

By the way, the newspaper reports that rumors are circulating that Robert Downey Jr. (“Tony Stark/Iron Man") may not be among the cast appearing in Cleveland because “if all the scenes feature a man fully encased in armor” his presence wouldn’t be needed.

In case you're thinking of a road trip to Cleveland, the newspaper is providing a schedule of the filming.