[Cecil Terwilliger]

"The Avengers" sucked the life out of "Dark Shadows" at the box office this weekend, as the superhero blockbuster dominated ticket sales and left the vampire comedy looking pallid.

After its $207.4-million debut broke the record for the biggest opening ever — not adjusting for inflation — "The Avengers" had another phenomenal weekend in theaters. In its second weekend of domestic release, the film featuring Marvel comic book characters such as the Hulk, Iron Man and Thor raked in an additional $103.2 million, according to an estimate from distributor Walt Disney Pictures. That means the movie made more on its second weekend than any other film in history, a record previously held by the three-day $75.6 million made by "Avatar."

But "The Avengers" passed an even bigger milestone this weekend: It crossed the $1-billion mark at the global box office. Playing in 54 foreign countries this weekend, the movie grossed $95.4 million, raising its international total to $628.9 million. Combined with the film's $373.2-million domestic tally, the movie surpassed $1 billion after just 19 days in worldwide release.

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