10 Best Members of the Thunderbolts, Ranked

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In the mid-1990s, Marvel Comics was struggling after the comic book market crashed due to a speculative bubble they had largely created. One attempt to recover involved bringing in popular artists Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld to revamp the Avengers and Fantastic Four, but this effectively removed key heroes from Marvel’s main universe (Earth-616). With a shortage of heroes available, a new team called the Thunderbolts was introduced in The Incredible Hulk #449. Initially, they seemed like a fairly generic superhero group, and many people predicted they wouldn’t last. However, the first issue of Thunderbolts surprised everyone by revealing a shocking twist: the team was actually a group of villains known as the Masters of Evil.

Since their debut, the Thunderbolts have become Marvel’s leading team of villains, often compared to the Suicide Squad. While many characters have joined their ranks, ten members truly stand out as the best, solidifying the team’s legendary status.

10) Venom

Symbiotes are now a major part of the Marvel Universe, but they weren’t always this popular. Around the mid-2000s, Eddie Brock stopped being Venom in a largely forgotten 12-issue story arc, and the symbiote ended up with Mac Gargan, also known as the Scorpion. Gargan joined the Thunderbolts during the Civil War event, becoming a much more aggressive and sometimes comical version of Venom. He later became the Spider-Man member of the Dark Avengers.

9) Atlas

Erik Josten began as a hired gun who gained incredible strength and toughness after being hit with an ionic ray by Zemo, becoming known as Power Man and fighting alongside the Masters of Evil. Later, he was exposed to Pym Particles, which allowed him to grow in size and become Goliath, and he rejoined the Masters. As Atlas, a member of the Thunderbolts, he discovered he enjoyed being a hero, even developing a relationship with the team’s publicist. He eventually rebelled against Zemo and became the team’s strongman. While he’s joined the group multiple times since, he hasn’t quite reached the same level of influence he had with the original Thunderbolts lineup.

8) Mach-1

Abner Jenkins started out as the Spider-Man villain known as the Beetle. He wasn’t a particularly successful villain, always trying to improve his armor to fight Spider-Man and other heroes. He later joined Zemo’s Masters of Evil and became Mach-1 as part of the Thunderbolts team. For a time, he was the main heroic character in that series, and his armor was constantly upgraded, reflected in the changing number in his codename. Eventually, another character took over as the lead, and while he didn’t do much of note after the initial Thunderbolts run, he was a memorable hero for a while.

7) Techno

Techno started as a super-intelligent villain called the Fixer, famous for providing equipment to other bad guys and trying to trick the smartest heroes. He teamed up with Zemo through the Masters of Evil and played a crucial role in the Thunderbolts plan. In the original comic series, he was the only team member consistently loyal to Zemo and the most openly villainous. Over time, he’s become known as the team’s betrayer, constantly working against his allies and acting as a spoiler, making him an unpredictable and entertaining character.

6) Bullseye

Bullseye is a highly skilled and dangerous mercenary in the Marvel Universe, famous for his conflicts with Daredevil and his employment by the Kingpin. He once had a memorable fight with Old Man Logan, though it’s often forgotten. Later, he joined the Thunderbolts, a team similar to the Suicide Squad, where he excelled at killing, provoking arguments among his teammates, and pushing the limits of the technology controlling them. Bullseye is consistently a compelling character, and his portrayal in the Thunderbolts comic series was particularly enjoyable.

5) Norman Osborn

Norman Osborn, Spider-Man’s arch-enemy, is considered one of Marvel’s most compelling villains. During the Civil War storyline, Tony Stark brought him in to handle a conflict with Atlantis, which resulted in a devastating war that was later eclipsed by the battle between superheroes. Osborn later led the Thunderbolts, essentially a team of dangerous villains, and maintained control through intimidation and manipulation. This period was a high point for the character, ultimately leading to his prominent role in the ‘Dark Reign’ event.

4) Baron Zemo/Citizen V

Baron Helmut Zemo is a particularly dangerous Marvel villain. Driven by revenge for his father’s death, he adopted his father’s identity and targeted Captain America and the Avengers. Zemo ultimately led the Masters of Evil, a team originally founded by his father. He orchestrated the Thunderbolts initiative, even taking on the persona of Citizen V – a hero his father had secretly murdered. However, his plan backfired when the villains he recruited turned against him, making him the team’s primary enemy. While he briefly rejoined the Thunderbolts in the 2000s, he hasn’t been a consistent member since.

3) Hawkeye

Hawkeye is often overlooked, but he’s one of the most courageous Avengers. He fearlessly fights superpowered enemies – everything from monsters and gods to aliens and cosmic threats – all while cracking jokes. When the Thunderbolts initially formed to take the Avengers’ place, things changed when the Avengers returned, and Zemo accelerated his plans. Most of the Thunderbolts team turned against him, joining forces with the Avengers to stop him. Hawkeye remained loyal, becoming the team’s new leader and guiding them toward true heroism. He’s rejoined the team several times since, consistently leading and proving that once a Thunderbolt, you always remain one.

2) Meteorite/Moonstone

Karla Sofen was a manipulative psychiatrist who teamed up with Arnim Zola. She later tricked Lloyd Bloch into giving her the Moonstone, becoming the new villain known by that name. Joining Zemo’s Masters of Evil, she disguised herself as Meteorite and acted as the team’s leader in the field. Initially reluctant to be a hero, she eventually fought alongside them and helped defeat Zemo. After Hawkeye left, she became second-in-command, and then ultimately took over as leader. Karla has been a consistent member of various iterations of the team, proving herself a powerful, though often overlooked, force. She even joined the Dark Avengers before returning to her role as the complex, almost heroic villain fans enjoy.

1) Songbird

Songbird, also known as Screaming Mimi, is a villain-turned-hero with the power to create things using sound. Originally a central character, she was one of the first to try and become a hero and experienced significant growth throughout Kurt Busiek’s run writing the comic. Busiek even envisioned her as a future Avenger in his often-overlooked story, Avengers Forever. While her character hasn’t been as developed recently, she remains a consistently popular and compelling member of the Thunderbolts team.

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2026-04-16 17:18