Marvel Comics is known for its incredibly dangerous mercenaries. Many groups, from criminal organizations like the mafia led by Wilson Fisk and Tombstone, to secret societies like Hydra and The Hand, and even government agencies such as SHIELD, regularly employ them. These hired guns have impressive kill counts and rank among the most formidable villains and antiheroes in the entire comic book world.
Here’s a ranking of the 10 most dangerous hired guns in the Marvel Universe, from killers employed by Kingpin to those working for SHIELD.
10) Crossbones
Crossbones, primarily known from Captain America comics, is a hired gun with a dangerous past. He started as a gang leader before training as a criminal under Taskmaster, eventually becoming an instructor himself. His skills caught the attention of the Red Skull, who was so impressed he employed Crossbones as a top assassin, giving him the name he’s known by today. Crossbones is in peak physical condition, matching Captain America’s abilities, and is considered one of the best fighters in the world.
9) Lady Deathstrike
Lady Deathstrike is the daughter of Lord Dark Wind, a powerful Japanese crime boss who perfected a way to bond Adamantium to bone. After killing her father, she continued his work, focusing her hatred on Wolverine. She felt he didn’t deserve his Adamantium skeleton, and believed this tarnished her family’s honor. Driven by revenge, she underwent the same painful process as her father, transforming herself into a cyborg mercenary with Adamantium claws extending from her fingertips, at the cost of her own humanity.
8) Silver Sable
Silver Sable stands out as a mercenary because she isn’t motivated by evil – she works for the country of Symkaria. Trained from a young age as a highly skilled fighter, she transformed her father’s group, the Wild Pack, into Silver Sable International, a well-funded organization backed by the Symkarian government. She’s a professional who takes jobs from anyone, sometimes working alongside superheroes and other times opposing them. While she’s encountered many heroes, she has a particularly strong connection with Spider-Man, and they frequently team up rather than clash.
7) Domino
Domino is famous for her work with the X-Force, but she’s a mercenary by trade. Much of her time with the team involved working on covert operations – essentially, they were a mutant mercenary squad handling missions the X-Men couldn’t be directly involved in, alongside characters like Cable and Deadpool. Before X-Force, she was part of the Wild Pack, a mercenary group founded by Cable (distinct from Silver Sable’s group). Domino is also a mutant with the ability to manipulate probability, meaning she experiences good luck while increasing the misfortune of others.
6) Elektra
Elektra’s history in Marvel Comics is quite a story. Though she’s now trying to be a hero as the female Daredevil, she used to be one of Marvel’s most dangerous assassins, and she still possesses those skills. Born to a Greek ambassador, she had a relationship with Matt Murdock but was also trained by the ninja group known as The Hand. She worked as an assassin for the Kingpin until Bullseye seemingly killed her. However, The Hand brought her back to life, and she continued working as a mercenary for many years before eventually deciding to change her ways.
5) Gamora
The Gamora seen in Marvel comics has a much darker backstory than the version in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While the MCU’s Gamora was a mercenary for Thanos who eventually turned good after meeting Star-Lord, the comic book Gamora endured a far more traumatic upbringing. After her people were wiped out by a cult, Thanos raised her to be the galaxy’s deadliest assassin, enhancing her body with mechanical improvements to make her nearly invincible. Though she eventually became a hero, her path hasn’t been simple – she briefly fell back into villainy by creating Warp World, but generally fights on the side of good, and isn’t afraid to kill when necessary.
4) Fantomex
Fantomex is a complex antihero with a past similar to Wolverine’s. Like Wolverine, he was enhanced by the Weapon Plus Project, but as part of Weapon XIII – three phases after Wolverine. He was originally designed as a test model for a new type of Super Sentinel. Fantomex’s abilities are unusual and have evolved over time. He began with three functioning brains and a self-regulating nervous system, which eventually split him into three separate individuals. With his three brains, he could calculate every potential outcome of any situation, making him a remarkably effective mercenary.
3) Deadpool
Deadpool is one of Marvel Comics’ most beloved mercenaries, known for being a uniquely funny and engaging character. He started as a villain, initially hired to eliminate Cable, but the two eventually formed an uneasy partnership. While he’s become more of an antihero, his unpredictable nature makes it hard for traditional heroes to fully trust him. He’s incredibly difficult to defeat, possessing a powerful healing ability comparable to Wolverine’s, though serious wounds take longer to mend. Despite his lethal skills, Deadpool has recently demonstrated a growing sense of morality, becoming more selective about the jobs he takes.
2) Taskmaster
Taskmaster is a highly regarded mercenary in the Marvel Universe, famous for his ability to instantly copy anyone’s skills after watching them just once. Originally a natural talent, his mind was later boosted to make this replication perfect and immediate. This ability has proven ineffective against opponents like Moon Knight, who relies on enduring punishment, and Deadpool, whose fighting style is unpredictable. Despite this, Taskmaster is considered such a skilled mercenary that he’s often hired to train the next generation of assassins.
1) Bullseye
Taskmaster is known as the most honorable mercenary working for Marvel, but Bullseye is far more dangerous. Taskmaster follows a personal code and only kills for money. Bullseye, however, has no such restrictions and often kills just for fun, making him the most ruthless of the group. He’s primarily worked for Kingpin, and is responsible for the deaths of Elektra and Karen Page, two women Daredevil loved. He even killed Daredevil himself in one storyline, demonstrating he was always Daredevil’s ultimate enemy.
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2026-01-05 03:43