5 Times Marvel Had Their Own Suicide Squad

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DC Comics achieved great success with *The Suicide Squad*, a concept many are familiar with: the U.S. government forces a team of villains to undertake dangerous missions in exchange for reduced prison sentences. Marvel has repeatedly tried to replicate this idea, but hasn’t quite managed to create a lasting equivalent. Though the Thunderbolts came closest, they weren’t a perfect match. We’ve been looking into Marvel’s other attempts at this concept and believe we’ve identified the most noteworthy examples.

Even though these teams aren’t exactly like Task Force X, it’s usually really enjoyable to see a group of villains working together. Whether they *want* to do good or are *made* to, the idea behind the *Suicide Squad* has been adapted and reimagined in these 5 Marvel teams.

5) The Thunderbolts (Masters of Evil)

The most famous example of Marvel’s take on the Suicide Squad is probably the original Thunderbolts team. They were presented to the public as heroes stepping up after the Avengers were believed to be dead, but the catch was they were actually villains disguised as heroes – the Masters of Evil. Baron Zemo, posing as the patriotic hero Citizen V, led the team. Over time, many of the members started to genuinely want to be heroes and fill the void left by the Avengers, and they eventually became just that.

The team’s deception couldn’t last forever, and they eventually disbanded, but at the time, it was a truly surprising moment in comic book history. The idea of heroes secretly being villains was a clever twist, leading to interesting new conflicts and power struggles. What made it even better was that the group was led by Baron Zemo, a well-known enemy of the Avengers. Overall, it was a fantastic story.

5) Ultimate Sinister Six

The Sinister Six, reimagined by Jonathan Hickman in Ultimate Spider-Man, has become a memorable villain group. This version, led by Wilson Fisk (the Kingpin) as part of the Maker’s Council, presents a unique take on classic Spider-Man enemies like Kingpin, Mr. Negative, Kraven, Mysterio, Black Cat, and even Mole Man. Instead of being typical supervillains, they function more like a criminal organization controlling New York City. However, as the story unfolds, they’ve proven to be quite incompetent, with members constantly turning on each other and attempting to overthrow Fisk. Fisk himself acts as the group’s ruthless manipulator, similar to Amanda Waller, keeping his team in line through fear of complete destruction if they disobey him.

This team isn’t what it used to be, but it’s still been a joy to follow. Despite being a recent creation and never officially appearing together in a comic, they’ve quickly become a popular take on the Sinister Six. The dynamic is similar to stories about Task Force X – some members are genuinely trying to work together, while others have secret agendas that threaten to tear the team apart.

3) Freedom Force

Freedom Force started as Mystique’s idea for a team similar to the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, but it evolved into a government-funded group of mutants. Despite presenting themselves as heroes, they were far from it – essentially a team of villains acting like corrupt police officers abusing their powers. They were created to be the opposite of groups like the X-Men and Magneto’s Brotherhood, serving as a public face against the perceived “mutant threat.”

What made this team interesting was how well-rounded they were – everyone had a specific skill, much like the Suicide Squad. Though they don’t appear often anymore, it was always entertaining to see them face off against the X-Men (or other X-teams), even if they usually lost badly.

2) The Dark Avengers

After Norman Osborn gained power and influence following his role in stopping the Skrull invasion, he formed the Dark Avengers as a twisted take on Earth’s mightiest heroes. The team quickly became popular with fans, and they even managed some success in an attempt to conquer Asgard. However, their run ended when they were defeated by the original Avengers.

The Dark Avengers really captured the spirit of the original Thunderbolts team, but with a key difference: we knew from the start they weren’t the heroes they appeared to be. Given the unstable mix of characters – including the Sentry, Bullseye, Daken, and the always self-centered Norman Osborn – the team wasn’t built to last, but it was an enjoyable ride while it did.

1) The Thunderbolts (King In Black)

The Thunderbolts team shows up twice on this list, but this version is number one because it’s Marvel’s closest take on the Suicide Squad. *King In Black: Suicide Squad* (2021) was a short, three-part series that really leaned into the idea of “Marvel’s version of Task Force X,” and it was surprisingly funny.

During a massive invasion of Earth by the symbiote god Knull (an event known as “King in Black”), New York City’s mayor, Wilson Fisk, strong-armed a group of lesser-known villains – many of whom he’d previously clashed with – into a dangerous, likely suicidal mission to stop Knull. He framed it as a heroic sacrifice to save the city. This makeshift team, including characters like Taskmaster and Mister Fear, reluctantly agreed, though they resented Fisk’s demand that they fight without masks, revealing their identities. Their other option was a quick death at Fisk’s hands. So, this new version of the Thunderbolts set off on an incredibly difficult mission, with a high chance of failure. And when they finally got close to completing it, things took an even more unexpected and chaotic turn than you’d see in a story like Suicide Squad.

As a huge cinema fan, I couldn’t help but notice how much *King In Black: Thunderbolts* felt like it was taking cues from the *Suicide Squad* movies. There was even a scene where the team was joking around in a van on their way to a battle – it was practically a direct nod to those films, and honestly, pretty blatant (but probably just legal enough!).

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2025-09-26 22:48