These Supers In MCU’s Thunderbolts Are Stronger Than You Realize

The Thunderbolts are a ragtag group of former secretaries who have ended up becoming one of the most formidable superhero teams in the MCU. There’s a clear hierarchy in terms of their combat ability, since their powers aren’t as varied as those of the Avengers or X-Men.

The members of the Thunderbolts are primarily street-level, which usually means they have to work together to defeat supervillains—though given their dysfunctional personalities, that’s a tall task in itself. Despite the average Thunderbolt member not being very strong, one of the most powerful individuals in the MCU is among their ranks.

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Red Guardian

The USSR ended up developing its own Super Soldier Serum, though how effective it is remains highly questionable. There is no doubt that Red Guardian is enhanced—he has demonstrated super strength multiple times and has been hit through walls and other hard obstacles.

However, his serum has clear defects. It’s evident that Red Guardian can get tired, unlike Captain America and the Winter Soldier, who do not fatigue in the traditional sense. Red Guardian, although very experienced, isn’t a particularly skilled fighter and can easily be outsmarted. There hasn’t been a fight where Red Guardian has looked impressive, and it’s possible he could lose to non-superpowered opponents due to his lack of skill. He has a shield but doesn’t seem capable of ricocheting it off walls with the effectiveness of Sam Wilson or Steve Rogers.

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Yelena Belova

Similar to her sister, the Black Widow, Yelena is more focused on stealth and infiltration than pure fighting ability. Yelena is a highly skilled martial artist with top-tier agility and flexibility, but she lacks any superpowers that would allow her to match most other superheroes in a head-to-head conflict. Still, it’s plausible for her to defeat some superpowered beings if they’re not particularly skilled or focused.

Yelena’s weapons are similar to Natasha’s—she’s equipped with a taser-like projectile and typically uses pistols for long-range combat. Yelena does her best work as an assassin and a spy, so while the leader of the Thunderbolts isn’t the strongest, she remains one of the most useful.

4

U.S. Agent

Even before receiving the Super Soldier Serum, John Walker became a superhero, designated with the title of Captain America. U.S. Agent lost a significant amount of mental stability around the time he became a super soldier, which led him to make poor combat decisions due to his short temper. Still, he remains highly formidable, both in physical capability and combat experience.

Unlike Red Guardian, who is more of a glorified brawler, U.S. Agent approaches conflict with tactical and strategic thinking. Throughout Thunderbolts, he is often seen making measurements and calculations. He also demonstrated incredible athleticism in Thunderbolts when he attempted to leap up an elevator shaft, remaining airborne for several seconds before coming back down.​​​​​​​

3

Ghost

She isn’t the strongest member of the Thunderbolts, but she is probably the coolest looking. Many of Ghost’s action scenes stand out. Ghost is a nightmare matchup for most opponents—she is fully intangible as long as she can hold her breath. In addition, she has a strong cloaking ability.

Ghost is not super-enhanced, and while she’s a skilled fighter, she’s not quite at the level of a Widow. Still, given her proficiency with firearms, she is incredibly dangerous. She was able to defeat the Taskmaster, who is one of the best martial artists in Marvel. Supersonic blasts can prevent Ghost from using her phasing powers, but without prior knowledge of her abilities, she is a nightmare to fight.​​​​​​​

2

The Winter Soldier

Bucky is relatively close in strength to Steve Rogers and has even more combat experience due to his decades of work as an assassin for Hydra. He has a robotic arm that can generate massive punching force, giving him a strength advantage over other super soldiers. When Bucky fought Iron Man in Captain America: Civil War, Stark had a difficult time keeping up with him and nearly had his power core ripped out of his chest.

Not only is Bucky highly effective in close-quarters combat, but he is also a firearms expert. He does his best work with an assault rifle, but he’s equally adept at using knives, grenade launchers, and pistols. Even without the super soldier serum, Bucky would still be skilled enough to be a superhero.​​​​​​​

1

Sentry

Not only is Sentry by far the most powerful member of the Thunderbolts, he is likely the most powerful superhero in the entire MCU. The Thunderbolts have already worked as a collective to try to defeat him, and he easily subdued all of them. Sentry has incredible speed, able to blur out of sight in an instant. He can tank bullet shots and punches from Bucky, while also being able to freeze attacks midair.

This isn’t even considering Sentry’s “Void” form. When he’s in a negative mood, he can attack people’s inner thoughts. He can essentially teleport anyone into a void where they’re trapped in psychological torture, making him nearly unbeatable. Sentry is like if Superman could also bend reality.