Since all the way back in MCU's phase one and the first installment of the Captain America trilogy, super-soldiers have been a mainstay in terms of heroes and villains in the Marvel Universe. After the initial flux of super-soldiers in Captain America: The First Avenger and The Incredible Hulk movies, they seemed to dry up and weren't mentioned for a long time.
This changed however with the new Disney+ show The Falcon and the Winter Soldier which so far has a big focus on revealing the history of the Captain America mantle and the trail of power it left behind— but most importantly, the history of super-soldiers, many of whom fans didn't even know existed in this universe until now.
10 Karli Morgenthau & The Rest Of The Flag-Smashers Are Already A Massive MCU Threat
Introduced as a big antagonist for Sam and Bucky in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the grassroots terrorist cell, The Flag-Smashers, are a group of enhanced individuals who believe the world was better during the blip and want a nationless Earth back. It was revealed in episode two that their enhancements were thanks to a new modern variation of the super-soldier serum developed by Dr. Nagel.
With the ability to destroy Redwing in a heartbeat, easily fight off Sam, Bucky, Walker, and Hoskins, and knock out Torres without breaking a sweat, it's fair to say that they are extremely powerful and would take some beating. However, they are relatively new to the MCU and the extent of their enhancements is not yet known.
9 Red Skull May Now Be A Stonekeeper, But He Was Once A Super-Soldier
Johann Schmidt was so obsessed with power and his quest for the tesseract, that he took it upon himself to take test Erskine's serum for the very first time. What resulted was a successful enhancement of his physical abilities like strength, endurance, and stamina— but an unfortunate side-effect that left his head the shape of the skull and also red.
Despite his change in appearance, Red Skull was incredibly powerful and proved to be a tough opponent for Steve Rogers. One aspect of Red Skull that makes him stand out from the rest is his insane intelligence which allowed him to be a mastermind of warfare.
8 The Other Winter Soldiers From Captain America: Civil War Were Deadly
One of the biggest twists of the MCU, Captain America: Civil War revealed some crucial information about the history of super-soldiers— and perhaps more importantly, the history of Bucky Barnes becoming the Winter Soldier. It was revealed that Bucky wasn't the only brainwashed and artificially-enhanced assassin working for HYDRA as part of a special underground program.
All derived from the serum in Howard Stark's possession and stolen by the Winter Soldier, which set about a domino effect of revealed history that culminated in the huge fight between Steve Rogers and Tony Stark at the film's climax. If Zemo hadn't tracked them down and killed them all in 2016, who knows the chaos they could have caused.
7 John Walker Hasn't Got Powers Yet, But It Seems Inevitable For The Future
The mind-blowing ending to Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode one gave fans their first glimpse at America's new Captain, John Walker. A former high-school football player and then a special operations officer for the US Army, John Walker was the perfect candidate for the iconic role on paper. But as the show has gone on, his true colors have seemed to emerge, and they aren't great
In the comics, John Walker turns to the Power Broker to give him a super-soldier serum in order to honor his fallen brother and become a successful hero. While the MCU version is yet to gain powers, it wouldn't be surprising if Walker followed a similar path, and if he does, he will be a force to reckon with.
6 Deathlok Is Not Only A Super-Soldier But Is Also Part Cyborg
As part of the Agents of SHIELD series, Deathlok didn't have a major part to play, but his limited appearances still made an impression— especially on his power levels. While most super-soldiers received a version of the super-soldier serum, Deathlok was part of a different program called the Centipede Project.
While it was under a different name, the project was still another variation on the original super-soldier serum, the enhancements made by the serum were still the same. What makes Deathlok stand out was his cybernetic enhancements which made Michael Peterson a much greater threat.
5 Bucky Barnes Is One Of The Deadliest Assassins Of All Time
One of the most well-known super-soldiers— and the original Winter Soldier— Bucky Barnes had a rough few decades after being brainwashed and enhanced by HYDRA to become their personal assassin. He was responsible for many deaths in the MCU's history, including Tony Stark's parents.
What made the Winter Soldier so deadly was his blunt and no mercy way of killing thanks to his mind control from HYDRA and of course his vibranium metal arm, which gives him the advantage above almost all of his opponents.
4 Isaiah Bradley's History As A Secret Captain America Proves How Powerful He Is
One surprise revelation of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was the mind-blowing cameo of Isaiah Bradley, played by Carl Lumbly, an ex-Korean war veteran and then super-soldier after an experiment of hundreds of African American men— with Bradley the sole survivor of the experiments.
Isaiah Bradley was one of HYDRA's most feared opponents, especially after his confrontation with the infamous Winter Soldier in that bar in Goyang. After killing everyone sent in his way, Bradley was able to rip off his metal arm forcing him to flee, showing just how strong a force he was. In fact, he could have been a great superhero if it weren't for his identity being hidden from the public and his 30-year imprisonment by the US Government.
3 Emil Bronsky's Abomination Was A Short-Lived But Dangerous Villain
A main figure in the Incredible Hulk movie was Thunderbolt Ross, who was desperate to get his hands on the super-soldier serum. This variation of the serum gave Emil Blonsky the usual strength upgrade, but due to his desire for even more power, Bronsky exposed himself to more gamma rays, causing him to turn into the Abomination.
While the Hulk did get the better of him in the film, Bronsky showed off his impressive skills and abilities on multiple occasions during the final battle scene. As a result, one of the MCU's first true on-screen super-soldiers wasn't a complete failure, and it's not exactly an easy fight against Bruce Banner's alter ego.
2 Steve Rogers Is The OG Super-Soldier & Remains The Most Iconic For Good Reason
By combining Erskine's serum and Howard Stark's chamber, Steve Rogers grew seven inches, became incredibly muscular, could then run faster than the average human, and began his journey as the celebrated hero Captain America.
But what makes Steve stand out above the rest is his personality. He was such a good man that his heart was his true superpower and he showed on plenty of occasions that he was willing to give up his life for the greater good. He also mastered numerous different fighting techniques, as seen in that awesome opening of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which gave him a massive power boost.
1 It's Hard To Imagine Anyone Being Able To Beat The Incredible Hulk
Like many in the years after Captain America became an icon, Bruce Banner was also searching for his own version of the super-soldier serum, but he did it with his only little twist. Rather than using Vita-Rays, Banner used Gamma Rays, which resulted in him turning into his green alter ego the Hulk. And in terms of pure power, Hulk is one of the strongest characters in the MCU.
Despite the obvious difference between the two serums, Banner's still worked on some level as he was given incredible strength— in fact, he was even stronger than Steve. The main problem for Banner was his new dual-personality and the lack of control over the raging monster, though this all changed however when Banner figured out how to combine the two and become "Smart Hulk" in Avengers: Endgame.