After The Thunderbolts* Characters Debated Who Has The Most Tragic Backstory, Here's A Definitive MCU Ranking

Warning! This article contains spoilers for Thunderbolts*

Thunderbolts*

presented a brand-new team of tragic misfits, with each member having a darker story than the last. It’s been a long time since a group of heroes united in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)

, but Thunderbolts* finally saw a new team ᴀssemble ahead of the final films in the Multiverse Saga. However, while many of the heroes introduced in the MCU to date have some struggles, these heroes are particularly tragic.

On top of this, the team appears to have an intensely compeтιтive spirit, with arguments emerging about who had a worse upbringing and history. From early in the film, when Yelena Belova, Ava Starr, John Walker, and Bob Reynolds first collaborate to escape imprisonment in an OXE Group secret storage unit, the group began to lay out the most challenging parts of their history. However, there are some heroes in this group that have definitively suffered more than others.

7

Alexei Shostakov AKA Red Guardian

David Harbour in his new Red Guardian suit at Marvel Hall SDCC 2024 panel

At the bottom of the pile, Alexei Shostakov stands out as having the least challenging past. In fact, Alexei was worshiped in Russia when he was given a knock-off formulation of the super-soldier serum and transformed into the Red Guardian. As the iconic hero of the Soviet Union, Alexei was a protector and hero to his fellow countrymen. However, he did appear to have a fall from grace after the Soviet Union dissolved and Alexei criticized the Russian Government.

One of the most tragic parts of his history was the fact that Alexei was ᴀssigned a fake family and sent to America to spy on American Intelligence Agencies like SHIELD. Alexei always knew he was on a mission, but he formed a genuine connection to the two girls put in his care, and when he had to hand them over to the Red Room, it appears to have largely broken his spirits and left him longing for more.

6

John Walker AKA US Agent

John Walker looking smug in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

From the USSR to the USA, John Walker was similarly hailed as a national hero. He served as a decorated officer in the US military, participating in numerous missions and ᴀssignments. Before that, he was a popular high school athlete who earned the respect and adoration of his classmates. John made such an impression on the people around him that he was eventually given the distinct honor to be the new Captain America, officially endorsed by the government.

However, as it turns out, John harbored some secrets about his past, such as the true story of cowardice for which he ended up being awarded medals of honor. John harbored resentment, anger, and frustration to such a degree that when he illegally took the super-soldier serum, it intensified his blind rage, leading to John brutally murdering a man in cold blood who he knew was not directly responsible for his ally’s death. Any tragedies in John’s life are self-imposed, which earns him a spot near the bottom of the heap.

5

Bob Reynolds AKA Sentry

Lewis Pullman as Bob looking at the camera in Thunderbolts* trailer

Things take a major turn when it comes to Bob Reynolds in terms of the trauma they experienced growing up. Bob was raised by an abusive father, and a mother who saw him as nothing but a problem. When Bob tried to step up and defend his mother from his father, she reprimanded him, and made him feel worthless on top of being helpless. Things continued down a difficult path as he grew up, turning to drugs to try and numb the pain.

However, Bob was able to get away from all of that trouble and travel. He spent some time roaming around Asia, where he stumbled into a medical study that promised to make him whole. Bob did suffer long-term mental illness due to his upbringing, and the study was a perfect opportunity to try and change his fortune. However, he was ultimately used as a lab rat, and discarded when they ᴀssumed the experiments killed him. Despite this, Bob survived, and the experiments resulted in a major change that made him essentially invincible.

4

Antonia Dreykov AKA Taskmaster

Taskmaster in her new costume in Thunderbolts*

Antonia Dreykov has a complex history. As a girl, she was raised by her father, General Dreykov, who by all accounts is a monstrous human being. However, Dreykov appeared to be kind, tender, and loving towards his daughter. As a girl, she attended school, and maintained a close relationship with her father. However, when Natasha Romanoff attempted to ᴀssᴀssinate her father, Antonia was present during the explosion, and she ended up receiving the majority of the damage from the blast, which left her severely scarred.

While General Dreykov loved his daughter, he was now disgusted by her appearance, and he chose to implant the girl with a chip that would numb her pain in the aftermath, as well as all other emotions, and grant him control over his daughter. From that moment onwards, Antonia became the Taskmaster, and she was sent to the Red Room where she would become the commanding officer to the other ᴀssᴀssins there.

3

Ava Starr AKA Ghost

Thunderbolts' Ava Starr a.k.a. Ghost wears her original costume in Ant-Man and the Wasp — Custom image by Yeider Chacon

Ava Starr’s father was an old colleague of Hank Pym who was expelled from the scientific community in an unceremonious fashion. As a result, Elihas Starr went on to continue his research alone, despite the risks. Unfortunately, this led to a mᴀssive lab accident that killed both him and his wife, and left Ava stuck phasing in and out of the Quantum Realm. Despite people trying to help Ava, her inability to stay solid resulted in a period where no one could hold her hand, hug her, or carry her. Despite this, she was sent to an orphanage, where her condition continued to worsen.

Fortunately, Bill Foster learned about her condition, and he took her in, helping Ava to harness and control her condition to a limited extent. Unfortunately, Bill’s work with SHIELD led to Ava becoming an ᴀsset, whom SHIELD used to carry out top-secret missions. For years, Ava was promised help and support in finding a cure, though this was all a lie, and she was being used against her will with no help in return.

2

Yelena Belova AKA Black Widow

Yelena-Belova-Is-The-Best-New-MCU-Phase-4-6-Character

Yelena has one of the most tragic stories in all the MCU. At just three years old, Yelena was ᴀssigned to a mission where she would play the role of a daughter to Alexei Shostakov and Melina Vostokoff. Due to her young age, she believed this to be her real family, along with her older sister Natasha. However, when the mission was resolved, Yelena was sent to the Red Room, where she experienced immense cruelty and intensive training to become a Black Widow ᴀssᴀssin.

Yelena was forced to endure tests such as killing people, and luring her friends to their deaths, all in an effort to prove her capability and quality as an ᴀssᴀssin. Yelena was extremely gifted in these areas, and as such, she received ᴀssignments, and avoided punishments, but this also caused her to experience awful distress and disgust at her own actions. Yelena also clung to a hope that her false sister, Natasha, would rescue her from her life as a Black Widow, though it wasn’t until she was an adult that she would reunite with her sister, and reconnect with her surrogate father, Alexei.

1

Bucky Barnes AKA Winter Soldier

Bucky Barnes' face revealed in Captain America_ The Winter Soldier

True, Bucky Barnes was not abducted as a child, nor did he witness the tragic deaths of his parents at a young age. However, Bucky endured pain and suffering unlike any other character alive on Earth. Bucky was born in 1917, in New York City. His upbringing appears to have been positive, and he formed a close friendship with Steve Rogers, the boy who would eventually become Captain America. And while both men wished to serve their country when World War II broke out, Bucky was accepted into the military, and ᴀssigned the rank of Sergeant, likely due to being slightly older than many of the other recruits.

However, while on a mission, Bucky was captured, along with many others in the 107th Infantry Regiment. Surprisingly, Bucky’s old friend, Steve, would be the one to rescue him and his allies behind enemy lines. However, after a few years serving beside his old friend in a new special task force called The Howling Commandos, Bucky fell to his death. Except he barely survived the fall, and was captured by HYDRA. In HYDRA’s care, Barnes was retooled to become a super-soldier ᴀssᴀssin known as the Winter Soldier. Then, for the best part of 100 years, Barnes was constantly being controlled, and forced to do the dirty work of HYDRA. Thankfully, Steve once again saved his old friend, which cleared a path for Bucky to eventually appear in Thunderbolts*.