All 26 Super Soldiers Created in the MCU (Not Just Captain America)

Steve Rogers is the most famous super soldier in the world. Marvel Cinematic Universebut there are many other characters who have been injected with the infamous Super Soldier Serum. The serum developed by Abraham Erskine completely changed history and became the target of several people and governments. Several famous superheroes and villains in the MCU films owe their powers to Erskine’s serum, although his imitators never got the formula quite right.

The success of Abraham Erskine’s Super Soldier Serum did lead to copycats and other attempts to create super soldiers. Extremis and Calvin Szabo’s formula are just a few of the strength serums that have attempted to replicate Erskine’s formula without borrowing directly from his science. Bruce Banner came close to replicating this, but added gamma radiation to the mix, which led him to transform into the Hulk. However, Erskine’s Super Soldier Serum is responsible for creating some of the MCU’s earliest and most prominent characters, of which there are currently 26 in the MCU.

Captain America Sets the Bar for Marvel Super Soldiers

Some imitators have come close, but none have replicated Steve’s transformation.

Steve Rogers was the first success story of Erskine’s Super Soldier Serum and remains the MCU’s most prominent super soldier. After careful evaluation, Steve was selected to undergo an experimental operation to gain superhuman abilities. Erskine’s formula and Howard Stark’s camera worked perfectly. Steve walked out of the room several inches taller and more muscular, with a serum that gives him super strength and more physical abilities without any disadvantages.

Although Steve initially donned the red, white and blue uniform only for performances, he later ventured into battle on his own to try and save his best friend, Bucky Barnes. Captain America was then frozen in ice for almost 70 years after defeating the Red Skull, but woke up in the 2010s and became a member of the Avengers. After spending the next few years saving the world repeatedly, Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter resumed their timeless relationship, only to grow old together at the end Avengers: Endgame.

Red Skull’s serum gave him his signature look

Captain America’s Dark Mirror

Johann Schmidt was the first test subject of Erskine’s Super Soldier Serum. Schmidt was responsible for overseeing Erskine’s research when he was forced to work for Hydra and saw the super soldier serum as a solution to his problems. Schmidt wanted to become more powerful and thought the serum would make this possible.

However, Erskine was given neither the time nor the resources to complete his formula, and refused to cooperate with Schmidt’s selfish desires. Instead of waiting Schmidt forced Erskine to hand over an early version of the serum and injected it into himself.which, although fraught with side effects, ultimately helped the Red Skull obtain the Infinity Stone known as the Tesseract.

An early version of Erskine’s serum did give Schmidt superhuman strength, but it also changed his appearance in other ways as a result of side effects. He lost his hair, his skin turned red, and his face became deformed to resemble a skull—hence his new name, the Red Skull. Despite his super strength, the Red Skull did not use his physical abilities very often, although he survived his fight with Captain America.

Bucky Barnes – unwitting super soldier

Bucky is given the serum as part of his transformation into the Winter Soldier

Bucky Barnes became a prisoner of war during World War II and was the subject of Arnim Zola’s experiments for Hydra. During his capture, he passed several early tests, but was found again by Cinder after Bucky was thought to have fallen from the train and died. This was the true beginning of Bucky Barnes’ transformation into Hydra’s Killer Winter Soldier, as the fall not only caused Bucky to lose an arm and gain replacement vibranium on his left side, but Cinder also gave him a version of Hydra’s Super Soldier Serum.

While Hydra was brainwashing Bucky, the Winter Soldier completed several important missions for Hydra throughout the history of the MCU. It wasn’t until Bucky saw Steve again during the events Captain America: The Winter Soldier that his memory began to return to him. He struggled to give up Hydra’s programming, but managed to do so with the help of Shuri and Wakanda technology. Bucky is now a completely changed man and is working to become himself and a hero.

5 Unnamed Winter Soldier Participants

Bucky was one of many

Bucky wasn’t the only victim of Hydra’s Winter Soldier program. Memories in Captain America: Civil War revealed that in the 1990s and 2000s, several assassins were trained to obey Hydra’s commands. They were all enhanced with a version of the Super Soldier Serum derived from samples that Howard Stark possessed before the Winter Soldier killed him. It wasn’t until 2016 that Baron Zemo tracked down the place where they were being held and killed the five Winter Soldiers who remained in suspended animation.

Bruce Banner/Hulk gains incredible strength with a serious disadvantage

Gamma changes everything

Bruce Banner is not your typical super soldier. He was a leading mind in the field of biochemistry and gamma radiation who was accidentally manipulated by Marvel’s General “Thunderbolt” Thaddeus Ross into tinkering with a copy of the original Super Soldier Serum. Instead of Abraham Erskine’s Vita Rays, Banner used gamma energy to conduct an experiment that resulted in the creation of his monstrous alter ego, the Hulk. Banner gained unrivaled strength and endurance. with the shortcomings of his new alter ego inhabiting the same body.

However, Bruce Banner eventually finds a way to combine his two personalities into Smart Hulk. IN She-Hulk: Lawyer, The MCU has hinted that the internal battle between Bruce and the Hulk continues and that Bruce’s Smart Hulk may soon see his last days. Moreover, although She-Hulk In the finale, Hulk brings his son Skaar to Earth, it should be noted that while he is related to the Hulk and She-Hulk, Skaar is an alien who technically cannot be classified as a super soldier – at least not yet.

She-Hulk received the Super Soldier Serum through an accidental blood transfusion

More stable gamma monster

Like a lawyer Jennifer Walters gained the powers of the Hulk when she came into contact with the blood of her cousin Bruce. in the car crash, She-Hulk can be considered a super soldier in the MCU. While the circumstances of Jen’s origin have nothing to do with deliberate experiments with the Super Soldier Serum, the fact that she did not die but was instead enhanced by Bruce’s blood is an important fact for anyone involved in such a program. The same can be said for how Jen retains her original personality while willingly transforming into She-Hulk.

Emil Blonsky Loses Control as Abomination

Like Bruce, he eventually finds a way to balance both personalities and become a force for good.

Emil Blonsky is another super soldier created from a worse copy of the Erskine serum. As an elderly Special Forces commander, Blonsky sought to perfect his body so it was combined with the mind of a man with years of experience. General “Thunderbolt” Ross helped Blonsky receive an injection of the serum, which gave him the usual array of superhuman abilities. However, his desire for more power resulted in him also being exposed to gamma radiation, which transformed Emil Blonsky into the Abomination, an even more brutal and aggressive version of the Hulk.

However, She-Hulk: Lawyer shows that, like Bruce, Blonsky has eventually found his balance and is no longer out of control when “Out of Order”. Actually, he hosts a retreat where would-be villains can work to change their lives. It’s a surprisingly happy ending for a character who started out so one-dimensional.

Isaiah Bradley has a tragic story

The Forgotten Super Soldier

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier brought Isaiah Bradley into the MCU and confirmed his place as another super soldier. Bradley’s history dates back to the 1950s, when the US government experimented on black soldiers in an attempt to replicate Erskine’s super soldier serum. The only “success story”: Isaiah Bradley became the real Black Captain America.

Bradley was ultimately unjustly imprisoned for treason.

However, instead of enjoying a long career as a superhero, Bradley was ultimately unjustly imprisoned for treason.. He faked his death and was not mentioned in the history books until Bucky introduced him to Sam, who used his Captain America power to place Isaiah’s story in a Captain America exhibit. His grandson becomes the Patriot in Marvel comics, and with the MCU’s Young Avengers seemingly on the way, he can hopefully make a superhero career worth more than his grandfather’s tragic story.

John Walker originally had no powers

The Super Soldier Serum appeared after his appointment as the new Captain America.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier introduced a new super-soldier to the MCU: modern-day war hero John Walker. The exceptional soldier was chosen as the new Captain America after Sam Wilson gave him the shield. Although he didn’t have super-soldier powers at first, John Walker’s thirst for power and respect drove him to the extreme.. He eventually found the only vial of Super Soldier Serum that Baron Zemo had failed to destroy. Walker decided to take the serum to enhance his physical abilities, which also further highlighted the darkness within him.

Once Walker took the Super Soldier Serum, it didn’t take long for him to put his newfound powers to use. His superhuman strength allowed him to fight the Flag Smashers and brutally kill one of them after the death of his buddy, Lemar Hoskins, aka Battlestar. He then fought Bucky and Sam and nearly defeated both of them before the Falcon and the Winter Soldier broke John’s arm. Walker Appears Next in Marvel’s Thunderbolts*.

Karlie Morgenthau went too far

Her rational goals did not require the killing of innocents

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier introduced a new type of super soldier: Karli Morgenthau. She received her powers from a serum developed by Power Broker.. Although it gave her super strength and other enhanced physical abilities, the version of the serum Carly took did not change her appearance. Without a towering height or massive muscles, she could blend into a crowd and strike when people least expected it.

Carly wanted to use her powers to help those who were displaced by governments after Surge was cancelled. Although she started out with good intentions, Carly’s determination to achieve this goal eventually led her to compromise some beliefs and accept losing her life if it meant getting her way. The death of Karli Morgenthau was caused by Sharon Carter. The Falcon and the Winter Soldierfinal.

7 Super Powerful Flag Breakers Follow Carly

It turns out that Carly’s group, the Flag Smashers, has several super-soldiers in its ranks. The anti-nationalist group’s movement resonated with people all over the world, but the core members of the team were also enhanced with the Power Broker super soldier serum. These super soldiers include Mathias, Niko, Dovic, Gigi, DeeDee, Lennox and Diego. Matthias died, sacrificing himself so that the rest of the team could escape as soon as possible. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Niko was killed by John Walker and the rest of the team was killed as part of Baron Zemo’s plan.

Red Guardian – Captain America for Russia

Every nation wants its own

Interest in creating super soldiers has spread widely throughout the MCU, and other countries have repeatedly tried to replicate America’s success with Steve Rogers. This desire has led Russia to conduct several experiments of its own, and Alexei Shostakov (David Harbor) is the only confirmed super-soldier to gain powers as a result of these efforts. It is not yet confirmed what exactly Russia did to change Alexei’s life and make him the most popular superhero of the USSR, and it is also unknown when the Red Guardian received his powers.

While the origin story of Alexei becoming the Red Guardian is still a mystery, the success of the experiments that led to his transformation is beyond doubt given all the powers he displays in Black Widow. Besides providing comic relief to such a dark MCU film, Red Guardian had many opportunities in Black Widow show off your superhuman strength. Early in the film, he is shown overturning a tank with his bare hands to make way for the plane he and his fake family of Russian spies use to escape.

Unfortunately for Alexei, this is the only action he has gotten in recent years due to his Red Guardian’s secret missions with Melina in America, and he is eager to get back into action after his cover was blown in 1995. However, the bad news continues as Alexey is not allowed to be the Russian version of Captain America and is thrown in prison for years. However, he will also be joining the upcoming Marvel Thunderbolts team.

Animated Peggy Carter/Captain Carter (What If…?)

What if Peggy had gotten the serum instead of Steve?

Marvel What if…? debuted with the appearance of Captain Carter, an alternate universe version of Peggy Carter who replaces Steve Rogers as the first successful recipient of Abraham Erskine’s original super soldier serum. Her decision to stay in the room while the experiment began ultimately led to her jumping in and obtaining the serum, changing the course of history. The MCU’s Captain Carter wears a Union Jack-style uniform and shield to fight Nazis and Hydra, and her super-soldier physiology appears to have become more powerful than that of the main universe’s Captain America.

Captain Carter Live (What If?/Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness)

Ill-fated option

In addition to What if…?In the new version, Captain Carter’s super soldier has joined the MCU. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as a member of the Illuminati of Earth-838. This non-animated version is not as good outside What ifanimated worlds where an enraged Wanda completely destroys her along with several members of the Illuminati. Although it is a shocking development, Peggy’s inclusion in What if…? In Season 2, it is clarified that the live-action and animated versions are not the same person.

Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver have a complicated backstory

Are they super soldiers or not?

Although they are not products of any version of the Super Soldier Serum, The origins of Wanda and Pietro Maximoff can be traced back to attempts to create a rival program. in his home country of Sokovia. Specifically, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver’s powers are the result of Hydra’s experiments with Loki’s Scepter, which at the time was the vessel for the Mind Stone, later given to Loki by Thanos. Notably, Quicksilver died trying to save Hawkeye in Age of Ultronand Wanda supposedly destroyed herself along with Mount Wundagore in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

While they didn’t get their powers from the same serum or process as Captain America, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver at least deserve a common spot on this list, as they share the fate of the Winter Soldier, being veterans of Hydra’s super-soldier program. However, the true origin of their power in the MCU is still unclear. At first it seemed that they were the result of experiments with the Infinity Stones. However, Scarlet Witch appears to have previously possessed powers that were only revealed during her interactions with the stones.

Thunderbolts* Bob could be the next super soldier in the MCU

Bob could be one of the MCU’s most powerful characters

Upcoming Marvel movie, Thunderbolts* maybe could add another super soldier. Lewis Pullman will play the character Bob in the film, which is almost guaranteed to be hero Sentry. This makes the character one of the MCU’s heaviest hitters, as the Sentry has wielded immense power throughout his comic history.

Robert Reynolds’ powers manifest after taking an experimental super-soldier serum, which may be Thunderbolts* decides to take it. If so, this might be the most successful use of the super soldier serum since Captain America, as the Sentry has to be one of the most powerful characters in the entire MCU. Not much is known about his role in the film yet, but fans will soon find out. Thunderbolts* will be released May 5, 2024

Honorable Mentions – Centipede Soldiers

The last group of super soldiers worth mentioning are Marvel’s Centipede Soldiers. Agents of Shield. For some time, the television series was considered canon of the MCU, but over time the situation has changed. Of course there are some who still think it should be included, but it is not considered part of the sacred timeline. However, Marvel Studios head of television, streaming and animation Brad Winderbaum mentioned at D23 that the series “it seems to fit incredibly well into the Multiverse saga,“suggesting that the series could still be part of the MCU multiverse.

During the events of Agents of ShieldHYDRA uses the Centipede Serum, which was an attempt to create a Super Soldier Serum that gave way to Captain America. It was known as Project Icepod, which allowed HYDRA to use various super soldiers to fight for itself. The most famous participants in the Frostpod project are Brian Hayward, John Garrett and Edison Poe. Even though he is not officially part of MCU Moreover, Agents of Shield continued to build on its legacy during its run.