Every Major Super Soldier in the MCU, Ranked by Strength

by

In The Avengers, Nick Fury realizes the potential of the Tesseract when he reveals that S.H.I.E.L.D. was building weapons using it, all due to the existence of Thor. Earth doesn’t naturally produce powerful beings like the gods of Asgard, and those Norse gods are just the beginning. Throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe, every part of the galaxy is filled with incredibly powerful creatures capable of destroying planets effortlessly. One of the few ways humans can compete is through the Super Soldier Serum, first developed by Dr. Abraham Erskine in Captain America: The First Avenger.

Receiving the formula injection gives the user remarkable toughness and power, along with quicker reflexes. But, the strength of the serum varies depending on the version. Here’s a ranking of every significant super soldier in the MCU, based on their level of strength.

7) Johann Schmidt

Okay, so during World War II, this guy Johann Schmidt gets his hands on the research of Dr. Erskine – the guy who created Captain America. Schmidt thinks this research will turn *him* into something more than human. But here’s the problem: the formula wasn’t quite ready. When he takes it, things go horribly wrong. Instead of becoming super strong, he ends up with a seriously disfigured face, which is why he becomes known as the Red Skull. The serum *does* keep him alive for a little longer and lets him guard the Soul Stone, but honestly, it doesn’t give him the kind of power he was hoping for. It’s a real cautionary tale about rushing things, if you ask me.

6) Alexei Shostakov

The Soviet Union didn’t want to be left out, so they started developing their own version of the super-soldier serum. Their aim was to create a counterpart to Captain America, and that resulted in Alexei Shostakov, also known as Red Guardian. However, Red Guardian wasn’t nearly as powerful as Captain America. He was even outmatched by the Winter Soldier when they encountered each other.

5) Bucky Barnes

HYDRA relentlessly continues its efforts to engineer the ideal human, conducting experiments on captured American soldiers. Bucky Barnes unfortunately becomes a test subject, and after being taken by Armin Zola, he is transformed into the formidable assassin known as the Winter Soldier. While Bucky’s physical strength isn’t as great as some of his peers, he is capable of inflicting significant damage when he gains momentum.

4) Isaiah Bradley

It really struck me how devastating the loss of Erskine’s formula was for the U.S. government – they just couldn’t seem to let things be. I was particularly affected by Isaiah Bradley’s story; he became one of the subjects for a revised version of the serum, and it actually worked quite well for him. But, sadly, the powers that be apparently couldn’t envision a Black man as Captain America. It’s heartbreaking. Years later, after finally being released from prison, he got a chance to really show up those who had held him captive, unleashing his abilities right there in the White House – all after being manipulated through mind control by The Leader. It’s a powerful, and tragic, story.

3) Karli Morgenthau

Karli Morgenthau, feeling let down by world governments, teams up with Sharon Carter, also known as the Power Broker, to fight back. Sharon provides Karli with a new and improved version of the Super Soldier Serum, granting her exceptional strength. In The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, even Bucky Barnes finds it difficult to compete with Karli. Although she ultimately dies, this is more a result of her limited training rather than a lack of inherent power.

2) John Walker

As a huge cinema devotee, I found it fascinating how John Walker quickly realized being the new Captain America wasn’t the dream he expected. He kept losing, which really drove him to desperation and led him to try the same serum as Karli. And wow, once he reached his peak with it, he did some incredible things – like dragging an armored vehicle and jumping higher than any other super soldier we’ve seen! It wasn’t enough to beat the Sentry, of course, but it definitely proved he was much stronger than he initially seemed. It’s a compelling arc, honestly – seeing him push his limits like that. You can find more details about the serum’s effects on this website.

1) Steve Rogers

The man governments worldwide are after is Steve Rogers – the very first person to receive the completed version of Dr. Erskine’s formula. Captain America’s resulting strength is remarkable, letting him do things like physically hold helicopters steady and even challenge Thanos. Though Rogers’ kind nature is central to who he is, his physical power is still incredibly impressive, especially considering a universe populated with gods and monsters. It’s a strength that definitely shouldn’t be underestimated, even amongst such powerful beings. You could say it made Thanos work a little harder than he expected.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

https://comicbook.com/movies/news/gamma-powered-marvel-characters-missing-mcu/embed/#

Read More

2025-09-29 18:14