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 are injected with the infamous super soldier serum. Developed by Abraham Erskine, the serum completely changed history and became a target for several people and governments. Several prominent superheroes and villains throughout the MCU movies owe their powers to Erskine’s serum, though his imitators never got the formula quite right.

The success of Abraham Erskine’s super soldier serum led to copycats and other attempts to create super soldiers. Extremis and Calvin Zabo’s formula are just a few power-granting serums that tried to replicate Erskine’s, but didn’t directly borrow from his science. Bruce Banner came close to replicating it but added gamma radiation to the mix, leading him to become the Hulk. However, Erskine’s Super Soldier Serum is responsible for the creation of some of the MCU’s earliest and most recognizable characters, of which there are currently 26 in the MCU.

Captain America sets the bar for super soldiers from the Marvel Universe

Several imitators have come close, but none have recreated Steve’s transformation

Steve Rogers was the first success story of Erskine’s super soldier serum and remains the most prominent MCU super soldier. After a rigorous evaluation process, Steve was chosen to undergo the experimental operation to gain superhuman abilities. Erskine’s formula and Howard Stark’s chamber worked to perfection. Steve emerged from the chamber several inches taller and more muscular, with The serum gives him super strength and more physical gifts without any drawbacks.

Although Steve initially only suited up in the red, white and blue uniform for performances, he later ventured into combat on his own to try to save his best friend, Bucky Barnes. Captain America would then be frozen in ice for nearly 70 years after defeating Red Skull, only to awaken in the 2010s and become a member of the Avengers. After spending the next several years of his life saving the world on multiple occasions, Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter resumed their relationship beyond Time to Grow Old together at the end of Avengers: Endgame.

Red Skull’s serum gave him his signature look

A dark mirror of Captain America

Johann Schmidt was the original test subject for Erskine’s super soldier serum. Schmidt was the one responsible for overseeing Erskine’s research when he was forced to work at Hydra and saw the Super Soldier Serum as the answer to his problems. Schmidt wanted to become stronger and thought that the serum would make it possible.

Erskine, however, was not given the proper time or 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 aided Red Skull’s quest to obtain the Infinity Stone known as the Tesseract.

The early version of Erskine’s serum gave Schmidt superhuman strength, but it also changed his physical appearance in other ways as a result of the side effects. He lost his hair, his skin turned red, and his face was deformed like a skull – hence his new name Red Skull. Despite his super strength, Red Skull didn’t use his physical abilities that often, although he did hold his own in a fight with Captain America.

Bucky Barnes is an unwilling super soldier

Bucky was 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. He passed some early tests during his capture, but was found again by Zola after Bucky was believed to have fallen from a train to his death. This was the real start of Bucky Barnes’ transformation into Hydra Assassin Winter Soldier, as the fall not only resulted in Bucky losing his arm and getting the vibranium replacement on his left side, but Zola also gave him Hydra’s version of The Super Soldier Serum.

While Hydra brainwashed Bucky, the Winter Soldier completed several significant Hydra missions throughout MCU history. It was only when Bucky saw Steve again during the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier that his memory began to return to him. He struggled to ditch the Hydra programming but managed to do so with the help of Shuri and Wakanda’s technology. Bucky is now fully reformed and working to be his own man and a hero.

5 Omnom Winter Soldier Program subjects

Bucky was one of many

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

Bruce Banner/Hulk gets incredible strength with a major downside

Gamma changes everything

Bruce Banner is not a typical super soldier. He was a leading mind in biochemistry and gamma radiation who was manipulated by MCU General “Thunderbolt” Thaddeus Ross into thinking with a replica of the original Super Soldier Serum. Instead of Abraham Erskine’s Vita Rays, Banner used gamma energy to power the experiment, resulting in the creation of his monstrous alter ego, the Hulk. Banner received an unmatched strength and stamina With the obstacles of his new old self residing in the same body.

Eventually, however, Bruce Banner finds a way to merge his two identities into the Smart Hulk. in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, The MCU hinted that the internal battle between Bruce and Hulk is ongoing and that Bruce’s smart Hulk may soon see his last days. Moreover, although the She – Hulk At the end, when Hulk brings his son Scar to Earth, it should be noted that although he is related to Hulk and She-Hulk, Scar is an alien who cannot technically be classified as a super soldier – at least not yet.

She-Hulk gets super soldier serum through accidental blood transfusion

A more stable gamma monster

As a lawyer Jennifer Walters gained her Hulk powers when she came into contact with her cousin Bruce’s blood In a car accident, She-Hulk can be considered a super soldier in the MCU. Although the circumstances of Jen’s origin have nothing to do with deliberate experimentation of super soldier serum, the fact that she did not die and was instead enhanced by Bruce’s blood is relevant data for anyone engaged in such a program. The same can be said about the way Jen retains her original personality while willingly being able to transform into She-Hulk.

Emil Blonsky loses control like the 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 an inferior replication of Erskine’s serum. As a senior special-ops commander, Blonsky was eager to improve his physique, so it was paired with the mind of someone with years of experience. General “Thunderbolt” Ross helped Blonsky get an injection of the serum, giving him the usual array of superhuman abilities. But his desire for even more power also exposed him to gamma radiation, which turned Emil Blonsky into the Vengeance, an even more brutal and aggressive version of the Hulk.

however, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Reveals that, like Bruce, Blonsky eventually found balance and is no longer out of control when “hulked-out.” actually, He runs a retreat where future villains can work to turn their lives around. 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 to the MCU and confirmed his place as another super soldier. Bradley’s story goes back to the 1950s and the US.

Bradley was ultimately wrongfully incarcerated for treason.

However, rather than enjoying a long career as a superhero, Bradley was ultimately wrongfully incarcerated for treason. He faked his death and was left out of the history books until Bucky introduced him to Sam, who used his power as Captain America to put Isaiah’s story in the Captain America show. His grandson becomes a patriot in Marvel Comics, and with the MCU’s Young Avengers seemingly on the way, he can hopefully have a more esteemed superhero career than his grandfather’s tragic tale.

John Walker did not originally have powers

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

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Introduced a new super soldier to the MCU with modern war hero John Walker. The exceptional soldier was chosen to be the new Captain America after Sam Wilson handed over the shield. While he has no super soldier powers at first, John Walker’s hunger for power and respect pushed him over the edge. He eventually found a single vial of super soldier serum that Baron Zemo failed to destroy. Walker chose to take the serum to increase his physical abilities, which also accentuated more of the darkness within him.

Once Walker took the Super Soldier Serum, it didn’t take long for him to use his newfound abilities. His superhuman strength allowed him to take on the Flag Smashers and brutally kill one of them after the death of his sidekick, Lemar Hoskins, AKA Battlestar. He then took on Bucky and Sam and nearly defeated them both before Falcon and the Winter Soldier broke John’s arm. Walker will appear next in Marvel’s thunderbolts*.

Carly Morgenthau went too far

Her reasonable goals did not necessarily kill innocents

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Introduced a new type of super soldier: Karli Morgenthau. She got her powers from the serum developed by the Power Broker. Although it gave her super-strength and other increased physical abilities, the version of the serum that Carly took does not change her physical appearance. With no growth spurts or massive muscles, she can blend in and strike when people least expect it.

Carly wanted to use her powers to help those displaced by governments after the blip was reversed. Although she started with good intentions, Carly’s determination to achieve the goal eventually led her to compromise on some beliefs and accept the loss of life if it meant getting her way. Carly’s Morgenthau’s death came at Sharon Carter’s hand The Falcon and the Winter Soldiers finale.

7 super powered flag-smashers followed Carly

Karli’s Flag-Smashers group is revealed to hold multiple super soldiers among its ranks. The anti-nationalist group’s cause resonated with people around the world, but the core members of the team were also enhanced by the power broker’s super soldier serum. The super soldiers include Matias, Nico, Dovich, Gigi, DeeDee, Lennox and Diego. Matthias died sacrificing himself so the rest of the team could escape early The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Nico was killed by John Walker, and the rest of the team was killed as part of Baron Zemo’s plan.

Red Guardian is Russia’s Captain America

Every nation wants its own

The interest in creating super soldiers is something that spreads far and wide throughout the MCU, with other countries repeatedly trying to replicate America’s success with Steve Rogers. The pursuit leads Russia to do some experiments of its own, and Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour) is the only confirmed super soldier to emerge with powers from 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 not known when Red Guardian received his powers.

Although Alexei’s origin story behind how he became the Red Guardian is still a mystery, the success of the experiments that led to his transformation is unquestionable, given all the powers he displays in Black Widow. Besides providing comic relief to such a dark MCU movie, Red Guardian has a lot of opportunities Black Widow To flex his superhuman strength. The very beginning of the movie shows him flipping a tank with his bare hands to make way for the plane he and his fake Russian spy family use when trying to escape.

Unfortunately for Alexei, this is the only fight he’s gotten in years due to his Red Guardian’s undercover missions with Melina in America, and he’s eager to get back to fighting when his cover is blown in 1995. The bad news Continues, though, as Alexei is not allowed to be Russia’s version of Captain America and is thrown into prison for years. However, he will also join Marvel’s upcoming Thunderbolts team.

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

What if Peggy got the serum instead of Steve?

Marvel’s What If…? Debuted with the introduction of Captain Carter, an alternate 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 started ultimately led to her jumping in and getting the serum, changing the course of history. The MCU’s Captain Carter sports a Union Jack-themed uniform and shield to fight the Nazis and Hydra, and it seems that her super soldier physiology has become more powerful than the main-universe Captain America.

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

An ill-fated variant

In addition to What if…?s iteration, a live-action Captain Carter super soldier joined the MCU Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness As a member of the Illuminati of Earth-838. The non-animated version didn’t fare so well What ifs animated worlds, with an enraged Wanda completely destroying you along with several members of the Illuminati. Although it is a shocking development, Peggy’s inclusion in What if…? Season 2 clarifies that the live-action and animated versions are not the same person.

Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver have complicated backstories

Are they super soldiers or not?

Even though 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 their home country Sokovia. Specifically, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver’s powers were the results of Hydra’s experiments with Loki’s scepter, which at the time was the containment vessel for the Mind Stone, later gifted to Loki by Thanos. Notably, Quicksilver died while trying to save Hawkeye in Age of UltronWhile Wanda was probably destroyed along with Mount Wundagor in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Although they didn’t get their powers from the same serum or process as Captain America, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver at least deserve a joint spot on the list, as they share the fate of Winter Soldier from being veterans of Hydra’s super soldier program. However, the true origin of their power is still unclear in the MCU. At first, it was the result of experimentation with infinity stones. However, Scarlet Witch seems to only have previously possessed powers unlocked through her time with the Stones.

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

Bob might be one of the MCU’s strongest characters

The upcoming Marvel film, thunderbolts* Could possibly add another super soldier into the mix. Lewis Pullman will play the character Bob in the film, which is almost guaranteed to be The Hero Sentry. This sets the character up to be one of the heavy hitters in the MCU, as Sentry wields immense power throughout his comic history.

Robert Reynolds’ powers manifest after taking an experimental super solid serum, which may be the route thunderbolts* Decided to take. If so, it could be the most successful case of using a super soldier serum since Captain America, as Sentry should be one of the most powerful characters in the MCU. Not much has been revealed about his role in the film, but fans will find out soon enough thunderbolts* Releases May 5, 2024.

Honorable Mentions – Centipede Soldier

A final group of super soldiers to mention are Marvel’s Centipede Soldiers Agents of Shield. For a while, the TV series was considered canon to the MCU, but that eventually changed. Of course, there are some who still think it should be included, however 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 “Feels like it fits into the multiverse saga in an incredible way,” suggesting that the show 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 the Super Solider Serum that led to Captain America. It was known as the Centipede Project, which allowed HYDRA to use various super soldiers to fight for them. The most notable members of the Centipede Project are Brian Hayward, John Garrett and Edison Poe. Despite not being officially part of the MCU Now, Agents of Shield has continued to build its legacy throughout its run.