Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley's debut issue of Thunderbolts introduced a brand new team of heroes. However, they were actually the disguised Masters of Evil in their latest plot to take over the world. Members of the team were eventually swayed away from their past criminal lives to fully adopt their new roles as heroic Thunderbolts.
Fans have seen a few iterations of Thunderbolts over the years that continue to give Marvel's villains a chance to reform. A few incredibly powerful heroes and villains have joined the various rosters of the team that have added their incredible strength to the Thunderbolts.
Updated by Scoot Allan on October 8, 2022: Marvel Studios will be bringing the Thunderbolts to the big screen in the fourth phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While the live-action team features a unique roster of MCU characters, the comic version of the team has included quite a few heavy hitters over the years. The newest comic roster of the Thunderbolts is one of the most heroic and added powerhouses like America Chavez to the team.
13 Mach-X
Joined in Thunderbolts (Vol. 1) #1, by writer Kurt Busiek, penciler Mark Bagley, inker Vince Russell, colorist Joe Rosas, letterers Comicraft, Dave Lanphear, and Oscar Gongorra
Abe Jenkins began his career as the villainous Beetle in an advanced battle suit against heroes like Spider-Man. After he was approached by Baron Helmut Zemo with the plans for the Thunderbolts, Abe refined his suit's designs into the Mobile Armored Cyber-Harness and became MACH-I.
The suit was capable of incredibly agile flight, featured powerful weapons systems, and enhanced his natural strength. Abe would be one of the first to follow his heroic instincts and rebel against Zemo's original plans. Over the years, his flying armored suits went through many upgrades until he became MACH-X.
12 Moonstone
Joined in Thunderbolts (Vol. 1) #1, by writer Kurt Busiek, penciler Mark Bagley, inker Vince Russell, colorist Joe Rosas, letterers Comicraft, Dave Lanphear, and Oscar Gongorra
Dr. Karla Sofen is an interesting member of the Thunderbolts in that she is very rarely ever heroic by her own nature. She briefly used the moniker of Meteorite during the Thunderbolts' initial ruse, but quickly reverted back to Moonstone. She often remains with the team to satisfy her own professional curiosity as a psychiatrist or to remain out of prison for her crimes.
Sofen gained her powers through her namesake, a mystical gem that she manipulated control of from the previous Moonstone. The stone gives her enhanced strength, healing, flight, energy manipulation, intangibility, and limited gravity manipulation, making her one of the Thunderbolts' heaviest hitters.
11 Venom
Joined in Thunderbolts (Vol. 1) #110, by writer Warren Ellis, penciler/inker Mike Deodato Jr., colorist Rain Beredo, and letterers Richard Starkings and Albert Deschesne
The Venom symbiote has worked alongside two very different iterations of the Thunderbolts. The government repurposed the Thunderbolts as a rehabilitation program for criminals. The former Scorpion Mac Gargan joined when he was bonded with the Venom symbiote. He then joined Norman Osborn and the Dark Avengers during the Dark Reign event.
The more heroic Flash Thompson joined General Ross' version of the Thunderbolts as Agent Venom. The Thunderbolts were just one of many teams Venom joined in the comics. The alien symbiote had inherited the strength of Spider-Man, though it could increase even further when Venom was enraged.
10 Radioactive Man
Joined in New Thunderbolts (Vol. 1) #4, by writers Fabian Nicieza & Kurt Busiek, penciler Tom Grummett, inker Gary Erskine, colorist Chris Sotomayor, and letterers Richard Starkings & Albert Deschesne
Dr. Chen Lu first began his career as a villain against heroes like Thor and Iron Man. His foes showcased the levels of power he was dealing with as Radiation Man. Following Lu's own exposure to high levels of radiation, he gained the ability to manipulate radiation across all spectrums in incredibly dangerous ways.
Radioactive Man joined the Thunderbolts after years of working for the Chinese government. He joined the Masters of Evil, and he hoped to reform when he joined the New Thunderbolts. Lu could emit powerful force fields and use the radiation he generated or absorbed to increase his strength to superhuman levels.
9 Luke Cage
Joined in Thunderbolts (Vol. 1) #143, by writer Jeff Parker, penciler/inker Miguel Sepulveda, colorist Frank Martin Jr., and letterer Albert Deschesne
After the Thunderbolts program failed spectacularly under the watch of Norman Osborn, a new version of the government's villain strike squad was launched. Luke Cage was put in charge of the program by Captain Steve Rogers after the Siege storyline. He hoped that Cage would be able to steer the Thunderbolts in the right direction.
Cage's team featured other founding Thunderbolts like Moonstone, Songbird, and MACH-V, and a rotating roster of villains over Cage's time with the Thunderbolts. His super strength and bulletproof skin along with his leadership skills made him the perfect fit for the Thunderbolts. While he eventually became a Marvel parent with a powerful kid, he continues to help the Thunderbolts as Mayor.
8 Atlas
Joined in Thunderbolts (Vol. 1) #1, by writer Kurt Busiek, penciler Mark Bagley, inker Vince Russell, colorist Joe Rosas, letterers Comicraft, Dave Lanphear, and Oscar Gongorra
Erik Josten wore quite a few different identities in his criminal career, beginning with Power Man, which he stole from Luke Cage. He also went by Smuggler and even stole Hank Pym's costumed identity of Goliath as well. He took on a new heroic identity when he became known as the size-changing Atlas during the Thunderbolts' debut.
Josten's powers came from the same ionic energy experiments that gave Wonder Man his incredible abilities. Josten's powers have been altered over time, and he even gained a powerful energy form. As Atlas, he towers above the rest of the Thunderbolts as the team's physical powerhouse, whose strength increases as he grows.
7 Power Man
Joined in Thunderbolts (Vol. 4) #1, by writer Jim Zub, penciler/inker Sean Izaakse, colorist Java Tartaglia, and letterer Joe Sabino
Víctor Álvarez has joined quite a few teams since he made his debut as the new Power Man during the Shadowland event. He's the son of the former villain Shades, who gained his abilities from his father's titular weapon during an explosion that embedded an energy-absorbing crystal in his skin.
Álvarez is able to absorb and channel chi from his surroundings in various ways, including enhancing his strength exponentially when needed. While the new Power Man doesn't always have the best relationship with Luke Cage, Álvarez accepted his offer to join New York's heroic Thunderbolts.
6 America Chavez
Joined in Thunderbolts (Vol. 4) #1, by writer Jim Zub, penciler/inker Sean Izaakse, colorist Java Tartaglia, and letterer Joe Sabino
The modern Miss America is one of the newest additions to the Thunderbolts. After the Devil's Reign event, Luke Cage became the Mayor of New York City. He decided to form a new Thunderbolts team to clear their heroic name after Kingpin tainted the team. Hawkeye took on the role of leader, and America Chavez joined the team for the first time.
While the upper limits of her strength have yet to be tested, America Chavez beat some of Marvel's strongest threats. She's the first into the fray when a direct frontal assault is required, and her ability to punch through dimensional barriers further increases her usefulness to the team.
5 Rhino
Joined in King in Black: Thunderbolts (Vol. 1) #1, by writer Matthew Rosenberg, penciler/inker/colorist Juan Ferreyra, and letterer Joe Sabino
When Wilson Fisk became the Mayor of New York City, he used the Thunderbolts program as an excuse to use powerful villains as his legally sanctioned enforcers. During the King in Black event, The Rhino joined the Thunderbolts alongside villains like Taskmaster and Mister Fear.
Aleksei Sytsevich was a Russian gangster who was transformed into the powerful Rhino through a combination of experiments and an impenetrable armored hide. Rhino's strength has been shown to match other powerful characters like the Hulk on occasion. He stayed on the team during the Devil's Reign event as Kingpin's powerhouse on the Thunderbolts.
4 Juggernaut
Joined in Thunderbolts (Vol. 1) #144, by writer Jeff Parker, penciler/inker Kev Walker, colorist Frank Martin Jr., and letterer Albert Deschesne
Cain Marko is the step-brother of Charles Xavier, founder of the X-Men. After Marko found the mystical Gem of Cyttorak, he was empowered to become became the unstoppable Juggernaut. As the Avatar of Cyttorak, Juggernaut has access to a nearly infinite level of power in order to bring about destruction on Earth.
The Juggernaut has served as a hero a few times over the years and even joined the X-Men for a short period. Marko joined up with the Thunderbolts under the command of Luke Cage. He lost his powers for a bit while on the team, though he was eventually reborn as an even more powerful Juggernaut.
3 Red Hulk
Joined in Thunderbolts (Vol. 2) #1, by writer Daniel Way, penciler/inker Steve Dillon, colorist Guru-eFX, and letterer Joe Sabino
General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross formed his own version of the Thunderbolts. He gathered a team of costumed mercenaries and soldiers to undertake a series of specialized missions. That team included Agent Venom, Deadpool, Elektra, Punisher, and Ross in his Red Hulk form.
Red Hulk's name alone is a showcase of his power levels. His increased strength, durability, endurance, and enhanced healing make him one of Marvel's strongest Hulks. However, he was also able to absorb energy and rechannel it as heat. The militaristic mind of Gen. Ross, coupled with the strength of the Hulk, made him one of the strongest leaders of the Thunderbolts.
2 Genis-Vell
Joined in New Thunderbolts (Vol. 1) #6, by writer Fabian Nicieza & Kurt Busiek, penciler Tom Grummett, inker Gary Erskine, colorist Chris Sotomayor, and letterers Richard Starkings & Albert Deschesne
Genis-Vell was the son of the Kree hero Mar-Vell, who became Earth's first Captain Marvel. In order to protect him from the enemies of Mar-Vell, Genis was rapidly grown to adulthood and implanted with false memories to simulate his upbringing. He was initially known as Legacy before taking on his father's mantle and becoming the new Captain Marvel.
Genis had similar powers to his father, but his strength was greatly enhanced by his Eternal genes and connection to the Nega-Bands. When he officially joined the New Thunderbolts, he stole Monica Rambeau's costumed identity of Photon. Unfortunately, his damaged cosmic awareness caused temporary insanity, and he threatened the whole universe until he was killed in action.
1 Kobik
Joined in Thunderbolts (Vol. 3) #1, by writer Jim Zub, penciler/inker Jon Malin, colorist Matt Yackey, and letterer Joe Sabino
Kobik was the result of a S.H.I.E.L.D. project to use remnants of shattered Cosmic Cubes as a failsafe weapon to change reality. Those Cube fragments joined together, gained sentience, and became Kobik. Its confused identity represented itself in the form of a young female child.
Kobik joined Winter Soldier when he began working with the founding members of the Thunderbolts. Kobik was a near-omnipotent being who could increase her strength or decrease her opponents' strength in battle if she thought about it. While Kobik was shattered, she played a large role in the Secret Empire event.