One thing that Marvel Comics has specialized in over the years is the idea of large organizations wanting to either protect or conquer the world. This started historically in the days of World War II when the Nazis in Germany battled Captain America, leading to the introduction of HYDRA. However, it didn't stop there.
HYDRA led to the formation of S.H.I.E.L.D., and while one was a law enforcement agency, it still employed assassins just as HYDRA did. Add in criminal masterminds like Kingpin and Norman Osborn, and there were plenty of job openings for assassins in the Marvel Universe. Here are the 10 best assassins in Marvel, ranked.
10 10. FANTOMEX
Fantomex was a deadly assassin for one primary reason — he was barely even human. The Weapon Plus Program took Fantomex after he was born to a mutant mother who was mated with a machine and artificially evolved him into a super-soldier using Sentinel technology. This meant that he was a mutant-hunting machine.
Fantomex had a bunch of exceptional abilities thanks mostly to Grant Morrison creating him, including three brains and a nervous system that had a mind of its own. He might rank higher, but he soon decided he didn't want to be an assassin hunting mutants and joined forces with them instead.
9 9. WINTER SOLDIER
Winter Soldier is another master-class Marvel assassin who turned over a new leaf. The Marvel Cinematic Universe introduced the world to him thanks to the Captain America movies, as Winter Soldier is none other than Bucky Barnes, a former military man who Steve Rogers thought died in World War II.
However, the Communists found his body, froze him similar to how Steve was frozen, and eventually brainwashed him and turned him into one of the deadliest assassins the world had ever seen. He was even responsible in the MCU of one of the worst assassinations of all-time when he killed Tony Stark's parents.
8 8. BLACK WIDOW
The Black Widow is a member of The Avengers and a former agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. in the MCU. Her backstory will be revealed in an upcoming solo movie, so it might go into what Marvel Comics fans already know. Before Natasha was a superhero, she was a deadly assassin and spy for the Soviet Union.
Black Widow was an early villain in Iron Man comic books, trained by the KGB, and turned into a spy who set out to eliminate enemies of the communist party. However, she became hero shortly after The Avengers formed, one of three former villains Captain America took under his wing as members of Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
7 7. DEADPOOL
Yes, Deadpool is an assassin. As his name indicates, he is the Merc with a Mouth, short for mercenary. Deadpool never met a person he wouldn't kill for a few bucks — or maybe a chimichanga. In the Deadpool movie, he was a little cleaner of a character, taking pay to put bad people in their place.
However, once he became Deadpool and started a new career as a crime-fighting vigilante, he set out to kill just about anyone and everyone involved in organized crime, as the gloriously violent opening to Deadpool 2 showed. In the comics, he was even an assassin for the CIA at one time.
6 6. CROSSBONES
Crossbones is someone who has two different origin stories, depending on whether you are a fan of the MCU or Marvel Comics. In the MCU, Brock Rumlow was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who was a member of HYDRA. When that broke down, he moved on to more mercenary work.
In Marvel Comics, he was a former gang leader who met Taskmaster and then took on the role of a mercenary from the start. He developed a strong reputation and became a highly sought-after assassin. His most significant hit was when he was hired to assassinate Captain America after the Civil War storyline.
5 5. ELEKTRA
Daredevil is one of Marvel's greatest street-level heroes. However, if he is known for one thing, it is that he has terrible luck with love. He has had at least two close girlfriends murdered by Bullseye alone. One of them was one of the world's greatest assassins, someone who managed to face an assassin one step better.
Elektra was trained by The Hand, and through them, she became one of the deadliest death dealers in the world. With a sword, no one was her equal. Her fate came when Kingpin hired her to kill Daredevil, and her love for him led to her downfall.
4 4. DAKEN
Wolverine is one of Marvel's deadliest superheroes, and he has no problem slicing and dicing up villains when he feels it is necessary. That makes the fact that his son Daken is one of the deadliest assassins in the world no surprise. A chip off the old block, Daken is just as lethal as his old man, but more cruelly.
Daken learned his assassin skills under the teachings of Winter Soldier, but unlike Bucky, who was efficient and quick, Daken is mean and takes pleasure in hurting people. He ended up eviscerating his father and killed a girlfriend, yet somehow Marvel fans still loved to see him show up.
3 3. TASKMASTER
Arguably, the one villain who has yet to show up in a Marvel movie or TV show but deserves it more than any other is Taskmaster. He is the ultimate assassin for one main reason. He is eidetic. If a superhero fights Taskmaster one time, he memorizes their entire fighting style.
This means he will see all their attacks coming before they deliver them, and he can also mimic their every move. He watches Hawkeye shoot a bow and arrow; he copies that mastery. He watches Captain America use his shield; he is now a master with the shield. There is no one like Taskmaster, and he might be one of the world's hardest assassins to beat.
2 2. BULLSEYE
Bullseye killed one of the greatest assassins in the world when he stabbed Elektra. That is one of the greatest trophies for any assassin on this list. He is the best in the world at what he does. Give Bullseye a gun, and he will never miss his target (even though the victim might dodge it, and luckily make it out alive).
Give him a knife, and he can hit anything he aims at. Give him nothing, and he can knock out one of his teeth and use it as a deadly weapon. This guy can kill anything. As a matter of fact, Bullseye was able to take a gun and shoot it in a room, letting the bullet bounce around to kill himself. That is a skill.
1 1. THE PUNISHER
Many people mistake the word assassin for the word mercenary. A mercenary is someone who kills someone for money or some other reward. An assassin kills for more than just money. Yes, many assassins are also mercenaries, but an assassin can also be someone who kills for political, religious, military, or other more personal reasons.
The Punisher is an assassin who kills for his own personal reasons. Frank Castle has a vendetta against criminals who believe they can get away with crimes. He will not allow that to happen, and he sets out to assassinate anyone he feels deserves to die to make the world a safer place.