reformed super villains working for the US Government (or at least supervillains willing to play along for a pardon).
In this way, the team could be compared to DC Comics' Suicide Squad, whose team also consists of government-employed supervillains. Just like the Suicide Squad, of the Thunderbolts get offered leniency on jail time in exchange for their cooperation (though for the Thunderbolts, it seems as though no exploding implants are needed). With persistent rumors that the Thunderbolts might soon debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it's important for fans to know some details about the dynamic team.
The Origins of Marvel's Thunderbolts
The Thunderbolts were originally created back in 1997 by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley after Marvel's Onslaught event, where the Avengers were believed to have all been killed. In the aftermath, the Thunderbolts emerged, seemingly appearing as a new team of heroes to take their place. In reality, the last page of their first issue revealed the epic twist: the Thunderbolts were actually Baron Zemo's Masters of Evil in disguise. Zemo's plan was to use the Thunderbolts to gain the trust of the government and SHIELD, and then steal all of their secrets.
However, the team began to believe that they actually could be heroes. Ultimately, the Thunderbolts betrayed Zemo, whose revealing of their identities forced them to become fugitives. It wasn't until Civil War that the team would get the pardons they had long been seeking, provided that they help Iron Man's government-ed pro-superhuman-registration movement by fighting crime while the heroes duked it out.
The Most Iconic of The Thunderbolts
The original team of Thunderbolts consisted of Techno, MACH-1, Atlas, Songbird, and Moonstone, all of whom were new identities formed in order to conceal their previous villain personas. They were led by Zemo, who himself took on the new identity of Citizen V. While the majority of of the team would continue into the various iterations Thunderbolts, some would leave and come back, most notably Zemo himself.
The team's roster would frequently change (usually based upon the frequent changes to the team's direction), as did its leadership. After Zemo's first run and subsequent betrayal, Hawkeye took over as leader. After the events of Civil War, Norman Osborn took the reins in connection with the US government and even continued its operations after he took over SHIELD. Later on, Luke Cage would re-form the Thunderbolts, once again staffing the team with villains seeking to reform, and including the original MACH-V, Moonstone, and Songbird as now trusted overseers. General Thunderbolt Ross took the name for his own lethal team, quickly followed an equally short-lived iteration led by the Winter Soldier.
Are The Thunderbolts Still A Factor in Marvel Comics?
As it stands, there is not a current Thunderbolts series from Marvel Comics, though many original are now acknowledged heroes in the Marvel Universe, and the team has always needed very little reason to come back together or be created anew. Currently, the US government has shifted gears with a new team: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. As with any MCU debut, the Thunderbolts would be almost guaranteed a comics return, and likely with a traditional roster. With their unique aims, pessimistic outlook, and often near-villainous tactics, the Thunderbolts may be Marvel's answer to the Suicide Squad, but they're also a unique team who any fan of Marvel should seek out.
