After the fall of Marvel's greatest heroes during Onslaught's attack on New York City, there was a large void left in the superhuman community. A new heroic team known as the Thunderbolts rushed in to fill that void, though they initially had dark, ulterior motives.
Since the first team's debut in the '90s, the Thunderbolts have gone through quite a few different line-up changes. They either followed the premise of the original team or completely took the group in a different direction. However, one line-up still stands above the others as the best version of the Thunderbolts.
Updated on October 6, 2022 by Scoot Allan: Marvel Studios recently announced a live-action adaptation of Thunderbolts that will appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, the live-action roster isn't taken from the comics, which upset some fans. Many were hoping to see their favorite comic roster appear on the big screen, especially with a brand new team led by Hawkeye hitting the streets of New York City in the newest Thunderbolts limited series.
12 Ultimate Brawling League
First Appearance: Thunderbolts (Vol. 1) #76, by writer John Arcudi, penciler/inker/colorist Francisco Ruiz Velasco, and letterer Dave Sharpe
After 75 issues of the ongoing Thunderbolts series, the team was split in a number of different directions as long-time members left and returned to the group. This left the team's future in question as a number of plotlines were closed.
Notable Members:
- Daniel Axum/The Battler
- Jason the Renegade
- Man-Tiger
- Armadillo
- Delilah
The Thunderbolts series completely switched gears and began following the superpowered fighters of Marvel's Ultimate Brawling League. It introduced characters like Daniel Axum/The Battler, a former criminal who was trying to find a new path alongside other former Thunderbolts. However, this version wasn't very well received by fans and only lasted a few issues.
11 Dark Avengers II
First Appearance: New Avengers (Vol. 2) #18, by writer Brian Michael Bendis, penciler/inker Mike Deodato, colorist Rain Beredo, and letterer Joe Caramagna
After Norman Osborn's Dark Reign, the character was able to break out of prison and reform his Dark Avengers using a new group of villains. He teamed up with fellow inmates he met during his time in prison and recruited others who were also seeking revenge against the Avengers.
Notable Members:
- Skaar
- Barney Barton/Trickshot
- Dr. June Covington/Toxie Doxie
- Thor's evil clone Ragnarok
- Superia
- Ai Apaec the Decapitator
After all of the Dark Avengers were captured and the original Thunderbolts were lost in time, Osborn's villains were selected as a replacement team. The government implanted the new Dark Avengers with destructive nanites so they could be controlled. They later worked alongside the dark Captain America named U.S. Agent in a twisted reality before ultimately disbanding.
10 Kingpin's Thunderbolts
First Appearance: Punisher (Vol. 12) #13, by writer Matthew Rosenberg, penciler/inker Szymon Kudranski, colorist Antonio Fabela and letterer Cory Petit
Hydra leader Baron Zemo attempted to launch another Thunderbolts team along with an assortment of former T-Bolts after he lost his criminal nation of Bagalia. This time, he did it with the aid of Wilson Fisk/Kingpin, who had recently been elected as the Mayor of New York City
Notable Members:
- Baron Zemo/Citizen V
- Moonstone/Meteorite
- Fixer/Techno
- Radioactive Man
- Ghost
Zemo rejoined the team again in the role of Citizen V along with a few of the original members who remained villains. The team also featured a new member as Punisher-villain Jigsaw joined as the disguised Paladin. Punisher quickly took down this iteration of the Thunderbolts with his own team, which included Rachel Cole-Alves, Moon Knight, Black Widow, and Ghost Rider.
9 Kingpins' Villains For Hire
First Appearance: King in Black: Thunderbolts (Vol. 1) #1, by writer Matthew Rosenberg, penciler/inker/colorist Juan Ferreyra, and letterer Joe Sabino
Kingpin's first roster of the Thunderbolts may not have been successful, but he continued to use the team for his own purposes during his time as Mayor of New York City. When Knull attacked the city during the King in Black event, he gathered a team of villains led by Taskmaster to help protect his city.
Notable Members:
- Taskmaster
- Rhino
- Mister Fear
- Star
- Batroc the Leaper
Kingpin originally planned to send the villains to their deaths, though they ended up working well together. He further bolstered his Thunderbolts with new members like Crossbones, Shocker, Agony, Kraven, Typhoid Mary, Electro, Whiplash, and U.S. Agent during Marvel's Devil's Reign event. Unfortunately, that ultimately led to his and the team's downfall.
8 Dark Reign
First Appearance: Thunderbolts (Vol. 1) #128, by writer Andy Diggle, penciler/inker Roberto de la Torre, colorist Frank Martin Jr., and letterer Albert Deschesne
When Norman Osborn took over S.H.I.E.L.D. and rebranded it as H.A.M.M.E.R., he turned his team of Thunderbolts into the Dark Avengers. He then put together a new team of criminals to serve as his less public strike force on a new roster of the Thunderbolts.
Notable Members:
- Black Widow
- Headsman
- Ghost
- Paladin
- Eric O'Grady/Ant-Man III
- Grizzly
- Mister X
- Nuke/Scourge
These Thunderbolts were initially led by the newest MCU star, Yelena Belova/Black Widow II. Howevver, she was revealed to be the first Black Widow in disguise. This team was eventually taken down by the Avengers during the Siege event that ended Osborn's brutal Dark Reign.
7 Winter Soldier's Thunderbolts
First Appearance: Thunderbolts (Vol. 3) #1, by writer Jim Zub, penciler/inker Jon Malin, colorist Matt Yackey, and letterer Joe Sabino
Most of the original members of the Thunderbolts reformed under the leadership of Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier. The youthful sentient Cosmic Cube known as Kobik brought this version of the team together after the Avengers: Standoff event.
Notable Members:
- Winter Soldier
- Kobik
- Moonstone
- Atlas
- Fixer
- Mach-X
This roster was short-lived and spent a lot of time dealing with events like Civil War II and Secret Empire. The core cast of Thunderbolts had come very far on their road to redemption, which gave Winter Soldier a fitting team to work with for a time.
6 Luke Cage's Thunderbolts
First Appearance: Thunderbolts (Vol. 1) #144, by writer Jeff Parker, penciler/inker Kev Walker, colorist Frank Martin Jr., and letterer Albert Deschesne
After the proven success of the Thunderbolts was derailed by poor leaders like Norman Osborn, Luke Cage was put in charge of a new team of villains. They were housed in the highly effective comic book prison known as The Raft and sent on missions using Man-Thing for transportation.
Notable Members:
- Songbird
- MACH-V
- Moonstone
- Fixer
- Ghost
- Juggernaut
- Satana
- Boomerang
- Centurius
- Mister Hyde
- Shocker
This team's roster included former T-Bolts alongside new members who hoped to earn some time off their sentences. The team would split to become the "Underbolts" when members of Cage's team were lost in time. They worked alongside the Invaders in disguise as the American Thunderbolts until they returned to their own era.
5 New Thunderbolts
First Appearance: New Thunderbolts (Vol. 1) #1, by writers Fabian Nicieza & Kurt Busiek, penciler Tom Grummett, inker Gary Erskine, colorist Chris Sotomayor, and letterer Comicraft
After Avengers/Thunderbolts brought an end to the first era of the Thunderbolts, founding member Abe Jenkins attempted to give other villains the chance to reform. He created a new suit of MACH-IV armor and founded his own roster of New Thunderbolts.
Notable Members:
- MACH-IV
- Songbird
- Atlas
- Donnie Gill/Blizzard II
- Radioactive Man
- Joystick
- Speed Demon
- Andreas von Strucker/Swordsman II
- Genis-Vell/Photon
Mach-IV's New Thunderbolts earned the respect of the Avengers and were primed to achieve redemption after numerous public displays of heroism. Unfortunately, the team was taken over by Baron Zemo and expanded into an army of villains that were used against Captain America's Secret Avengers during Civil War.
4 Hawkeye's Thunderbolts
First Appearance: Thunderbolts (Vol. 4) #1, by writer Jim Zub, penciler/inker Sean Izaakse, colorist Java Tartaglia, and letterer Joe Sabino
After Kingpin usurped the name of the Thunderbolts during his time as Mayor, Luke Cage decided to clean up his former team with a heroic new roster after he took over the position. He asked Hawkeye to once again step into the role as the Thunderbolts' leader alongside a newly assembled team of heroes.
Notable Members:
- Hawkeye
- Spectrum
- America Chavez
- Víctor Álvarez/Power Man
- Persuasion
- Gutsen Glory
- Eegro the Unbreakable
He had originally asked Monica Rambeau/Spectrum to lead the team, though she wasn't ready to take on the responsibility and joined as a part-time member instead. The heroic new roster of the Thunderbolts is based in New York City and reports directly to the Mayor's office in the hopes that it will help redeem their tainted name.
3 Red Hulk's Thunderbolts
First Appearance: Thunderbolts (Vol. 2) #1, by writer Daniel Way, penciler/inker Steve Dillon, colorist Guru-eFX, and letterer Joe Sabino
After the government disbanded the Thunderbolts program, General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross/Red Hulk decided to organize his own team of anti-heroes. He organized them to serve as a covert super-powered strike team that carried out missions for each team member.
Notable Members:
- Red Hulk
- Agent Venom
- Punisher
- Elektra
- Deadpool
- Red Leader
- Mercy
The initial line-up included former Code Red mercenaries but grew to include other powerful members, as well as a few villains. The team was summarily taken down by Frank Castle in one of the best Punisher comics. This ultimately led Red Hulk to disband his short-lived roster of Thunderbolts.
2 Norman Osborn's Thunderbolts
First Appearance: Thunderbolts (Vol. 1) #110, by writer Warren Ellis, penciler/inker Mike Deodato Jr., colorist Rain Beredo, and letterers Richard Starkings & Albert Deschesne
After the Civil War, a new team of Thunderbolts was formed under the government's control. They used the villains that were incarcerated during the initial stages of the Superhuman Registration Act and tasked them with hunting down other SRA-violators.
Notable Members:
- Songbird
- Moonstone
- Swordsman
- Radioactive Man
- Mac Gargan/Venom
- Bullseye
- Robbie Baldwin/Penance
Members of the New Thunderbolts worked with new additions to the team that had no desire to reform as heroes. They operated under the leadership of Norman Osborn as he continued to struggle with his Green Goblin persona. Osborn would later turn most of this team into his first Dark Avengers roster.
1 The Original Thunderbolts
First Appearance: Thunderbolts (Vol. 1) #1, by writer Kurt Busiek, penciler Mark Bagley, inker Vince Russell, colorist Joe Rosas, and letterers Comicraft, Dave Lanphear & Oscar Gongorra
The original roster of Thunderbolts was formed by Baron Zemo in the heroic identity of Citizen V. He worked alongside other disguised members of the Masters of Evil in the first and still one of the best line-up of the team. They managed to trick the public who welcomed them after losing heroes like the Avengers and the Fantastic Four during Onslaught's attack on the Marvel Universe.
Notable Members:
- Baron Zemo/Citizen V
- Moonstone/Meteorite
- Fixer/Techno
- Beetle/MACH-I
- Goliath/Atlas
- Screaming Mimi/Songbird
While the team originally hoped to use their roles to take over the world, they soon abandoned Zemo and became heroes. New members like Jolt and Charcoal joined along with one of the Avenger's most experienced leaders, Hawkeye. He would add members like Man-Killer/Amazon, Blackheath/Plantman, Harrier/Cardinal, and Skein/Gypsy Moth alongside Dallas Riordan/Vantage.