A nation’s army has been the measure of their strength since the inception of human society. And an army is nothing without its soldiers, leading nations everywhere to work on improving the quality of their soldiers. This sentiment has been hyperbolized in comic books as most aspects of society have been and this has lead to a sect of superheroes that started out or are serving as super soldiers. From Wolverine to Deathstroke to Nuke, these men were created to do battle in a new age of war. But the title of Super Soldier will inevitably stack you up against the most well known soldier: Captain America.
Captain America came onto the comic book scene in 1941 back when Marvel was still Timely Comics. He drew on the patriotic sentiments that World War II had inspired in America. The perfect soldier, Cap was enhanced to the pinnacle of human conditioning, via a Super Soldier Serum. He gained peak human strength, speed, durability, coordination, endurance and reflexes. In addition, he was a master tactician, world class martial artist, and is an expert with his indestructible shield. He’s the bar all super soldiers are stacked against, so with that in mind, here’s 8 Super Soldiers Stronger Than Cap (And 7 Weaker).
15 STRONGER: OMEGA RED
This soviet super soldier is literally powered by his pure evil. Arkady Gregorovich Rossovich has had a few different origins, but the thing that remains constant in all of them is his hobby as a serial killer. The Soviets sought to take advantage of this evil and use it to create a counterpart to the United States’ Captain America. This process resulted in the creation of Omega Red.
The Omega Red procedure gave Rossovich Carbonadium tentacles. Carbonadium was created as the answer to Adamantium and is more malleable than the iconic metal. These tentacles have the vampiric ability to absorb the life force of anyone they touch which is necessary since the Carbonadium is poisoning Rossovich. On top of that, he possesses superhuman attributes, weaponized pheromones, and is a master martial artist and tactician. The combination of all of these elements make him far more dangerous than Cap.
14 WEAKER: NUKE
You may have actually already seen Nuke in the MCU without even knowing it. Nuke’s real name is Frank Simpson and he gains his abilities from a series of red white and blue pills (sound familiar?). He was featured in Jessica Jones with slight modifications to his character. In the comics, Nuke is a product of the Weapon Plus program. The experimentation drove him insane but gave him various cybernetic and biological advancements.
Nuke possesses superhuman strength from his cybernetic bones and superhuman durability from his artificial skin. On top of that, he has a second heart that works in conjunction with his red, white, and blue pills. The red stimulates his adrenal gland which sends him into a rage, the blue brings the rush down and the white keeps him level. He’s a serious threat, but his inability to think tactically is why Cap would defeat him.
13 STRONGER: DEADPOOL
Everybody’s favorite Merc with a Mouth may be a wild card in the Marvel Universe, but he did have a life before this and it’s believed that he started out as a soldier. It’s hard to believe, but Deadpool started out as a super soldier project for the Weapon Plus program. Wade Wilson joined the Weapon Plus program under mysterious circumstances.
Regardless of his history, the scientists at Weapon Plus were able to give him a healing factor that far outstripped even Wolverine’s. On top of that, he was trained in multiple forms of martial arts and has accrued a variety of weapons over the years including a magic satchel, several teleporters, a holographic projector, and a seemingly unlimited amount of guns and ammo. Deadpool’s incredible healing factor, unpredictability, and ability to break the fourth wall makes him the ultimate wild card and more than a match for Cap.
12 WEAKER: THE DESTROYER (KEVIN MARLOW)
We’re not sure why Marvel felt the need to create two World War II-era super soldiers who gained their powers from the same serum, but it’s too late to change it. Kevin Marlow was an American journalist who was captured by the Nazis while reporting behind the scenes. While in a concentration camp, he was given a version of the Super Soldier serum that made Captain America, albeit without the addition of Vita Rays.
While the serum was successful, it was still an imperfect version of it. Marlow’s strength, speed, and stamina are on par with Captain America’s, but it’s not the same. On top of that, he doesn’t have anywhere near the amount of skill in martial arts as Cap and he doesn’t have Cap’s indestructible shield either.
11 STRONGER: AGENT ZERO
With a name as iconic as that, he had to be impressive. His other name, Agent Zero, may be even more impressive. David North, originally Christoph Nord, is a mutant born in East Germany. He was an idealist who joined eventually joined an East German black ops squad dedicated to battling Communism. However, his wife turned out to be a spy and he had to kill her and their unborn child. This caused a disillusioned North to join the CIA.
North’s mutant ability allows him to absorb kinetic energy and either use it to enhance his striking power or redirect it as concussive or heat blasts. After he was experimented on by Weapon Plus, he gained a slight healing factor and the ability to project enzymes from his body that damage those with a healing factor. On top of that, he’s an exceptional marksman and skilled hand to hand combatant.
10 WEAKER: MOCKINGBIRD
Barbara “Bobbi” Morse, better known as Mockingbird, is another one of S.H.I.E.L.D’s super soldiers. During her first appearance, she was a romantic interest for the primal Ka-Zar, but eventually it was revealed that she was was sent there by S.H.I.E.L.D in order to gather this information. After more adventures with Ka-Zar, she was finally given the opportunity to shine on her own as Agent 19, Mockingbird.
Initially, Mockingbird was simply a very skilled S.H.I.E.L.D agent with an affinity for her twin bo staffs and a PhD in Biology. However, after she sustained a mortal injury, she was injected with a combination of Cap’s Super Soldier serum and the Infinity Serum that was responsible for Nick Fury’s prolonged life. This combination gives her peak human strength, agility, stamina, and a slight healing factor.
9 STRONGER: WOLVERINE
Does he really need any explanation? He’s Weapon X, the feral but ultimately good-natured leader on the X-Men. Wolverine is a mutant with an incredible healing factor and three bone claws that he can extend from his hands. After the Weapon Plus program got a hold of him, Wolverine’s skeleton was bonded with the virtually unbreakable Adamantium .
In a battle between two of Marvel’s most popular and recognizable characters, Wolverine would come out on top in most instances. Though this isn’t really shown in the X-Men movies, Wolverine is one of the world’s best martial artists. On top of that, his Adamantium skull, healing factor, and indomitable will makes it extremely difficult to take him out. He’s a match for Captain America in hand to hand combat and he has a healing factor that will ensure that he keeps coming until his opponent is defeated.
8 WEAKER: DEATHLOK
A completely new version of Deathlok appeared on the first season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D; this version was shown to be far outmatched by Captain America when it comes to physical strength. Though he isn’t a heavy hitter, this just isn’t true in the comics. In the comics, Deathlok was an over-the-top moniker given to multiple people who took on the cybernetic advancements provided.
All of the versions of Deathlok have superhuman speed, strength, durability, reflexes, and a computer-augmented brain. This makes him powerful in his own right, but he’s never been a major player in the comics. On top of that, Cap’s creative thinking, skill in martial arts, and indestructible shield would almost guarantee Captain America the victory should the two clash.
7 STRONGER: SABRETOOTH
Victor Creed is a mutant, Weapon Plus participant, and longtime rival of Wolverine’s. Like his rival, Sabretooth’s past is a subject of some confusion but what is known is that he killed his own brother for a piece of pie. Creed is a feral individual whose lust for power led him to embracing the beast and becoming less and less human. However, none of that matters to him as his main goal in life is besting Wolverine in battle.
Some of the same reasons that Wolverine would defeat Captain America apply to Sabretooth as well. Sabretooth’s healing factor is nearly as powerful as Wolverine’s and he has the same feral, unstoppable nature that Wolverine has. On top of that, further enhancements by the Weapon Plus program have given Sabretooth superhuman attributes. Captain America may have the intelligence edge, but Sabretooth has his number in raw power.
6 WEAKER: US AGENT
Though he’s grown into his own character with an extensive history, John Walker started off as another Captain America knock off from the Vietnam War era. Walker served in the military during the Vietnam War. After he received an honorable discharge, he was told of a mysterious figure called the Power Broker who was able to give him superhuman abilities which prompted Walker to become a hero.
The Power Broker granted Walker superhuman strength, agility, reflexes, and endurance while giving him peak human speed, dexterity, coordination, and balance. He started out as the Super Patriot, a figure with a disdain for Captain America, but he eventually disappeared and resurfaced as the U.S Agent, his most well-known moniker. He’s fought Captain America before and Cap has proven to be the superior fighter. Their first fight ended in a draw only because Cap didn’t want to go all out and kill him.
5 STRONGER: CAPTAIN ATOM
This may seem like cheating but technically this counts. A big part of Captain Atom’s character is his involvement with the United States Military and his actual rank of Captain. And he got his powers from a military experiment as well. Nathaniel Adam volunteered for an Army experiment to test the durability of an alien craft that ended up bonding him with the alien metal and jumping him forward in time.
Nathaniel now found himself with nearly limitless energy absorption and redistribution powers. His raw power makes him easily one of the most powerful members of the Justice League. His energy absorption ability gives him a diverse power set such as super strength, flight, incredible durability, and limited transmutation. On top of that, he doesn’t need to eat or breathe. He’s even been able to manipulate magic. Adam would would defeat Captain America without a thought.
4 WEAKER: ISAIAH BRADLEY
If anybody has been treated as a cult legend in the Marvel Universe, it was Isaiah Bradley, the Black Captain America. He isn’t widely known to the wider Marvel Universe, but his legend spread through the African American community after his efforts during World War II. Project Rebirth continued even after the original Super Soldier serum was lost, but the man in charge decided to use an all African American regiment to test the serum out. Three hundred of these men died, but Isaiah Bradley emerged with the enhanced abilities of Captain America.
As a result of the slightly altered Super Soldier serum, Bradley has peak human strength, speed, endurance, stamina, reflexes, and coordination. In addition, he carries a triangular metal shield and was trained by the Army in combat. As beloved as he was though, he is not as skilled a warrior as Cap is.
3 STRONGER: X-23
Luckily for all of us, X-23 has finally entered the live action realm with Dafne Keen playing young Laura Kinney to perfection. X-23 is actually just a designation as she was the 23rd attempt at making a clone of Wolverine from a damaged segment of his DNA. She was named Laura upon her birth and trained to be a hired assassin with the same abilities and adamantium claws as her biological father, Wolverine.
Laura is slightly different from Wolverine, however, but she’s just as powerful. Her healing factor is even greater than Wolverine’s, working much faster and more efficiently. On top of that, she has an additional pair of claws in her feet and has enhanced speed, senses, agility, endurance, and reflexes. Though her entire skeleton hasn’t been coated in adamantium like Wolverine’s she’s still powerful enough to take out Captain America.
2 WEAKER: BLACK WIDOW
Another member of the S.H.I.E.L.D super soldier brigade, Black Widow has been a long time Avenger and a major player in the Marvel Comics Universe. Natalia Alianovna Romanova, better known as Natasha Romanoff, was born in Russia and raised in a “Black Widow Ops” program where she was trained until adulthood and augmented in the Red Room. This extensive training and conditioning turned her into one of the world’s best fighters and spies before she defected to the United States.
Russia’s loss was the world’s gain because Romanoff has defended the world as a member of the Avengers for years. She is one of the world’s foremost martial artists and a master at espionage. Her augmentations allow her to live an unnaturally long lifespan and fight off most diseases, infections, or disorders. Regardless, miss Romanoff is not more powerful than Captain America.
1 STRONGER: DEATHSTROKE
There’s a reason that he’s known as the Terminator. Deathstroke, or Slade Wilson, was the subject of an experimental military experiment that left him with the strength of ten men; superhuman speed, agility, reflexes, and durability; the ability to use 90 percent of his brain at once, and a healing factor. This, combined with his martial arts prowess and prodigal tactical mind makes Deathstroke one of the most formidable people in the DC Universe.
Deathstroke has handily defeated Batman more than once, he’s squared off against the superpowered Teen Titans for years, and he even managed to take out the entire Justice League once by using his tactical mind. This version was missing Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, but it still included The Flash, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, the Atom, Hawkman, Black Canary and Elongated Man. This all ensures that he is a much more dangerous man than Captain America.