Warning! This article contains spoilers for Thunderbolts*Hannah John-Kamen’s return as Ava Starr a.k.a. Ghost in Thunderbolts* proves Marvel Studios has underutilized one of the most visually compelling anti-heroes introduced in the MCU. As Phase 5 wraps up and the MCU heads to its biggest crossover event so far, Jake Schreier’s Thunderbolts* brings back a few characters who hadn’t been seen in a while, plus the infallible Bucky Barnes. While Yelena, Red Guardian, and Bucky had prominent roles in Black Widow and a variety of previous MCU entries, some of the Thunderbolts* hadn’t had the chance to shine in their own right, like John Walker and Ghost.

Barring Taskmaster, all Thunderbolts* characters survive the events of their first crossover movie and prepare for bigger battles in the near future. Instead of a direct Thunderbolts* 2 sequel, the тιтular heroes’ next shared appearance will come in the form of Avengers: Doomsday, now rebranded as the New Avengers. Against all odds, the original Avengers’ official successors end up including controversial former criminals like John Walker, Yelena Belova, and Ava Starr. The latter villain-turned-antihero, in particular, is probably the most powerful of the group, if Sentry’s god-level power isn’t taken into account.

Ghost And Her Powers Were Introduced To The MCU 7 Years Ago

Ava Starr’s Status Was Uncertain For A While

The MCU introduced Ghost as Ant-Man and the Wasp‘s main villain, but she was never a truly evil character. Ant-Man and the Wasp revealed that Elihas Starr’s experimentation with quantum energy killed him and his wife, and a young Ava was left with a permanent dependence on quantum energy and the ability to become intangible and invisible for short periods. Ava was adopted by Hank Pym’s rival Bill Foster, and she was later hired by SHIELD as a stealth operative, earning the moniker “Ghost”.

With the quantum energy inside her body depleting and a growing distrust for SHIELD, Ghost tried to steal Pym’s Quantum Tunnel in order to gain access to the Quantum Realm’s infinite energy, leading to conflict between Ghost and Ant-Man, who gained a new ally in Hope van Dyne a.k.a. Wasp. Ghost ran out of quantum energy, but right before she succumbed to her own powers, Janet van Dyne came out of the Quantum Tunnel and transferred some of her energy into Ghost. Ant-Man’s team let Ghost run free, and Ghost reunited with Bill Foster to escape the authorities.

Thunderbolts* Finally Makes Use Of Ghost’s Unique Powers (Sort Of)

Thunderbolts* Shows Just How Dangerous Ghost’s Phasing Powers Can Be

Of the four ᴀssᴀssins sent by Val to kill each other in Thunderbolts*, Ghost is certainly the most powerful, ᴅᴇᴀᴅliest, and most versatile. Ghost is able to brush off her opponents’ attacks much more easily than Yelena, John Walker, and Taskmaster, and she’s the only one who accomplishes her mission. In fact, Ghost is so good at her job that she kills Taskmaster before everyone realizes that Val’s orders were a trap. Ghost’s intangibility and invisibility are also key to the Thunderbolts’ escape, as she phases through walls to clear various obstacles inside the vault to help her teammates advance.

Unfortunately, Thunderbolts* shifts attention away from Ghost after the vault sequence. Ghost doesn’t pull off any standout moves when Red Guardian’s limo is being chased, and her intangibility abilities are completely useless against Sentry and the Void in Thunderbolts*‘ final battle. Inside the Void’s realm, Ghost is restrained along the rest of the team, and she somehow doesn’t try to phase through the debris. Instead, it’s Yelena who breaks free and runs toward Bob first, before the rest of the Thunderbolts follow in her footsteps.

I’m Glad Ghost Will Return For Avengers: Doomsday

Ghost’s Powers Might Be Useful For The New Avengers Against Doctor Doom

Few of the Thunderbolts could do anything to stop Sentry and the Void with their powers in Thunderbolts*, but their abilities may be more useful in the New Avengers’ battle against Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday. Thunderbolts*‘ post-credits scene suggests Yelena and Bucky’s New Avengers, Sam Wilson’s Avengers, and the Fantastic Four will all team up to fight Doctor Doom, whose technology and magic might offer a more physical battle than the Void. In Avengers: Doomsday, Ghost’s invisibility could allow her to infiltrate Doom’s headquarters, and her intangibility could help her get extremely close to the villain.

Ghost’s unique powerset also offers lots of opportunities for partnerships in future appearances. Avengers: Doomsday will feature two invisible characters, Ghost and Sue Storm, who could find creative ways to put their similar abilities to work against Doctor Doom. If Avengers: Doomsday‘s multiversal X-Men team doesn’t feature a Kitty Pryde variant, Ghost could fill her role as an untouchable hero who can infiltrate almost anywhere. Ghost has never been a card-carrying member of the Avengers in the source material, but she can easily become a great ᴀsset for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in the MCU.