We live in an age of heroic central bankers. In the U.S. and Europe, political dysfunction is leading countries to engage in counterproductive fiscal austerity measures. The interconnections of the global banking system mean bad debt problems in a dusty outpost like Greece can lead to serious problems in the world’s financial markets. So time and again, investors, analysts, and consumers are turning to the men who control the monetary spigots—for stimulus, for insurance and guarantees, for salvation. Here’s a look at five of these titans of global finance and what they’ve done recently.