The MCU’s ‘Thunderbolts*’ Didn’t Give Us the Real Thunderbolts

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Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Marvel’s Thunderbolts*.Marvel’s Thunderbolts* showcases a group of unconventional anti-heroes banding together to save the world. But what about the film’s Marvel comic book counterpart? Based on the comic of the same name, the film offers a twist with the asterisk in the title. While the new live-action MCU installment showcases a group of anti-heroes, assassins, and ex-villains becoming a team of unlikely heroes, similar to Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, the original Marvel comic book series begins with a much different take on the story. The original Thunderbolts are not unlikely heroes at all. They are a group of career supervillains, disguised as superheroes, as part of a more elaborate plot! It’s time to unpack the original comic book version of the Thunderbolts!

The original Thunderbolts team debuted in the pages of The Incredible Hulk #449 in late 1996 before spinning off into their own book in February 1997, created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley Jr. Led by the patriotic, sword-wielding Citizen V, the group of heroes, consisting of Mach-1, Atlas, Songbird, Meteorite, and Techno, seemed like a new team of superheroes, similar to the Avengers, picking up the slack at a time when many of Earth’s heroes were believed dead during the Onslaught saga, including the Avengers and the Fantastic Four. However, the Thunderbolts held a dark secret. Their heroic identities were all an elaborate charade concocted by Helmut Zemo, posing as Citizen V. The Thunderbolts used false identities created by Zemo for his team of supervillains, the Masters of Evil, the longtime archenemies of the Avengers. Mach-1 was Abner Jenkins, aka The Beetle. Songbird was Melissa Gold, aka Screaming Mimi. Goliath was Erik Josten, aka Goliath. Meteorite was Karla Sofen, aka Moonstone. And lastly, Techno was Norbert Ebersol, aka The Fixer.

The Thunderbolts were not seeking redemption for their past misdeeds, at least not at first. With many of the world’s heroes dead, Zemo recognized an opportunity. He used the Thunderbolts to fill the void left by the Avengers and Fantastic Four, enabling the Masters of Evil to pose as fake superhero identities as part of a more nefarious conspiracy to take over the world. However, over time, many of the members of the team became lost in their new roles. After spending most of their lives as career criminals or social outcasts, the Masters of Evil finally gained love, respect, and adulation from the public. Eventually, the team rebelled against Zemo’s plans, forging an unlikely alliance with the Avengers after they returned from the Heroes Reborn Universe to thwart Zemo’s plan.

The Thunderbolts Seek Redemption After Breaking Away From Zemo

The first major run of Thunderbolts became one of the best Marvel storylines of the 1990s, with the twist of the new heroes as the Masters of Evil in disguise. But how would readers root for a group of villains, many of whom had committed some unforgivable actions in the past? The comic exceptionally explored the plight of the team, showcasing them as individuals beyond their past villainous identities. While they merely started off by posing as superheroes, some of the Masters grew to enjoy helping others. After the group broke off from Zemo, many of the team members sought to turn over a new leaf, seeking redemption as genuine superheroes. Ex-Avenger Hawkeye, himself a former supervillain who sought a path of redemption, would later take over as leader of the team, serving as the new figurehead to make sure they kept a straight and narrow path. It’s undoubtedly one of the greatest stories in Marvel comic book history.

The team would go through many variations and permutations over the years, much like the Avengers. Later Thunderbolts stories would more closely resemble versions similar to the MCU movie, consisting of former villains or anti-heroes forced to work together. One version of the team was even more of a government-sponsored black ops team led by the Red Hulk, consisting of The Merc With a Mouth, Deadpool, The Punisher, Elektra, and Agent Venom. Although there have been many different versions of the Thunderbolts for nearly three decades, none measure up to the quality or dynamic vision of Busiek and Bagley Jr.’s original storyline and team lineup.

The MCU Takes the Thunderbolts Team in a Different Direction

Marvel Studios’ new version of the Thunderbolts takes the team in a different direction. While a shared aspect of the team consists of former villains and anti-heroes, the characters in the new movie do not disguise themselves as a team of superheroes as part of a grand conspiracy concocted by Baron Zemo to trick the public. Additionally, the MCU has depicted Baron Zemo and other villains, but the MCU does not have its own version of the Masters of Evil. Therefore, it would be difficult to use the Masters of Evil characters and backstory in the film.

Instead, Thunderbolts* opts for rogues and characters who have appeared in previous MCU installments, such as U.S. Agent/John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (David Harbour), and Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen). It’s a very different take on the source material, jettisoning Baron Zemo’s conspiracy and the Masters of Evil falsely posing as heroes. However, the stories do share similar thematic material, such as villains ultimately trying to redeem themselves.

“}]] The original Thunderbolts were longtime Avengers foes.  Read More