Key Takeaways
- Original Thunderbolts led by Zemo were actually villains undercover with secret agendas.
- Red Hulk Thunderbolts consisted of brutal anti-heroes like Punisher and Ghost Rider.
- Winter Soldier led Thunderbolts with powerful fighters like Black Widow, Shang Chi, and Red Guardian.
The Thunderbolts movie announcement has kicked the hornet nest and left Marvel fans absolutely hyped since it was one of the most expected superhero movies. But some might be wondering what’s all the fuss about these Thunderbolts?
Well, they are a team of anti-heroes/villains that have been banding together on the sidelines, sometimes even working in the shadows for the Government, black ops style. This list showcases some of the most powerful lineups they had so far, with information about the founders, members, and the artists and writers who conceived each of the teams.
5 Thunderbolts Original Lineup
Led By An Evil Mastermind, What’s The Worst That Could Happen?
- Writers: Kurt Busiek, Glenn Herdling, Fabian Nicieza
- Artists: Mark Bagley, Patch Zircher
- Original Run: 1997 – 2003
The original Thunderbolts lineup was comprised of Baron Helmut Zemo, who adopted the identity of Citizen V, alongside his faithful bodyguard Goliath, who took the moniker of Atlas. The team was completed by the evil masterminds Beetle and Fixer, who took the names Mach-1 and Techno, Screaming Mimi, a criminal wrestler later known as Songbird, and Moonstone, who renamed herself as Meteorite. But they had a secret agenda: they were actually the group of supervillains known as Masters of Evil, reformed by Zemo and trying to replace the Avengers and Fantastic Four while also gaining the trust of Shield and the Government to steal their secrets.
Needless to say, these guys were not the new continuity Thunderbolts who are more like anti-heroes and were instead a bunch of scheming villains with a secondary gig. Nevertheless, they were powerful enough to require the attention of the Avengers (among other teams). Even Iron Man himself, disguised as Cobalt Man, joined their ranks to spy from within and learn their true intentions.
4 Red Hulk Thunderbolts
Led By A Monster/Military Genius
- Writers: Daniel Way, Charles Soule, Ben Acker, Ben Blacker
- Artists: Steve Dillon, Julian Tedesco, Philip J. Noto
- Original Run: 2012 – 2014
One of the most brutal lineups of the Thunderbolts is the one led by Red Hulk, comprised of some of the most heinous anti-heroes of the Marvel Universe, which include Agent Venom (Flash Thompson), Elektra, the Assassin turned to the “not so good side,” The Punisher, Deadpool, and none other than Johnny Blaze, the original Ghost Rider.
This team of misfits is one of the most powerful incarnations of the Thunderbolts, though not the last iteration of them. With the military mastermind General Ross leading them, these guys are a formidable task force, capable of breaking through some of the most dangerous (and shady) operations commanded by the U.S. Government and Shield. Some fans even compare this version to the DC’s anti-hero lineup: The Suicide Squad, and they might be right on the money.
3 Norman Osborne’s Thunderbolts
Outright Evil, But Still Powerful
- Writers: Christos Gage
- Artists: Fernando Blanco
- Original Run: 2008-2009
During the timeline of the Secret Invasion series, Songbird and the original Thunderbolts team are in shambles. Desperate to find meaning amidst all that paranoia and chaos, Songbird teams up with the most unlikely of allies to reassemble the team and lead them against the Skrull invaders: Norman Osborne, the Green Goblin.
But after some time running together, they had some “differences in opinion,” mostly because Green Goblin is a psycho, and Songbird is still on the “good side.” So the team split and Norman created the Dark Avengers, which included Scourge, Ant-Man (Eric O’Grady), Paladin, Mr. X, Black Widow (Yelena Belova), Grizzly, Ghost, and Headsman, some of Osborne’s regular goons.
2 Hawkeye’s Thunderbolts
A Team Of New Marvel Heroes Led By A Former Avenger
- Writers: Jim Zub
- Artists: Sean Izaakse, David Nakayama, Sean Izaakse
- Original Run: 2022
This lineup of the Thunderbolts was assembled by Clint Barton himself, Hawkeye for those who don’t remember the master archer and tactician from the original Avengers. The team is based in New York City and is composed of some of the newest members of the Marvel Universe, including America Chavez, Persuasion (Killgrave’s little Hellspawn), Monica Rambeau (Spectrum), the suspiciously similar to Cable/cybersoldier Gutsen Glory, and Iron Fist’s disciple and former Defender: Power Man.
This is one of the most powerful teams of the Thunderbolts, not only because they’re led by the seasoned Avenger, but also because almost 90% of the team is composed of superhuman fighters with tremendously broken abilities. Similar in power to that of Red Hulk’s Thunderbolts, this team really packs a punch.
1 Winter Soldier Thunderbolts
Also Known As The Revolution Thunderbolts
- Writers: Collin KellyJackson Lanzing
- Artists: Geraldo Borges, Terry Dodson
- Original Run: 2023 – to present.
The current iteration of the Thunderbolts, integrated by Revolution (the new codename of Bucky Barnes aka Winter Soldier) alongside his right-hand Contessa Valentina Allegra De Fontaine, formerly known as Madame Hydra. The team is completed with Black Widow (Yelena Belova) and White Widow, as well as Shang Chi, The Destroyer, Red Guardian, U.S. Agent, and the powerful technomancer mutant, Gamemaster.
This is one of the finest lineups of the Thunderbolts team, led by Captain’s America former sidekick and pupil, who has seen his quota of the dark side of superhuman Ops and has not only the knowledge, but the training to command them to perfection. Alongside the “reformed” Madame Hydra, they make a formidable duo, and with the help of some of the most talented operatives and martial artists in the world, they went on several missions to take down formidable foes such as Red Skull, and Victor Von Doom.
