A character must have been treated to a variation of the Super Soldier Serum in order to be classified as a super-soldier. Dr. Abraham Erskine invented the original during World War II. The experiment with Steve Rogers was a success, but other initiatives at the time did not fare so well. Countless attempts were made to create super troops, with many of them failing terribly – either outright or generating super-soldiers with a slew of concerning side effects. Super warriors died or turned bad, but every now and again, a new superhero was created. Here are the top 5 super warriors from Marvel, ordered by power.
5. Red Skull
Red Skull did not become a super-soldier until later in his villainous career. During WWII, Red Skull was a high-ranking commander who repeatedly clashed with Captain America, creating their long-running animosity. Decades later, after Red Skull seemed to die, Arnim Zola implanted Skull’s consciousness into Steve Rogers’ cloned body.
Finally, Red Skull has the abilities of a super-soldier. Red Skull kept conspiring against Captain America and the United States, even manipulating Rogers’ death as part of a long-term plan to acquire control of the country.
4. Black Widow
Natalia Romanova has been groomed to be a world-class assassin since she could barely walk. She was placed into the Soviet Union’s Black Widow Ops Program, where she was given a Super Soldier Serum variation. Natalia’s varied expertise was about to become a nightmare for Marvel’s heroes, thanks to her newly improved physiology.
Fortunately, she had a change of heart after falling in love with Hawkeye, causing her loyalty to alter. Until her tragic demise in Secret Empire #7, Black Widow had spent most of her career fighting the powers that had made her.
3. Luke Cage
Being imprisoned, Luke Cage agreed to participate in Dr. Noah Burstein’s super-soldier experiment. Burstein’s experiment was successful, and Cage gained superhuman strength and bulletproof skin. Shortly after, Cage took up the pseudonym Power Man and decided to devote his life to combating street-level criminality. Cage befriended Iron Fist, and the two co-founded Heroes for Hire, an on-again, off-again crime-fighting organization.
Cage has now joined other teams like the Avengers and Thunderbolts, however, he usually battles alone.
2. Captain America
When Marvel fans hear the phrase “super soldier,” they immediately think of Captain America. Though he was not the most powerful super-soldier, Steve Rogers was the first big success in the international competition to develop such a soldier. When Rogers was given the Super-Soldier Serum during WWII, he gained a set of rather simple superpowers — super strength, speed, durability, and so on.
What truly distinguishes Rogers from his other super-soldiers, though, is the soldier half of the title. Rogers is a courageous warrior and leader who is always prepared to put his life on the line to protect innocents from dangers wielding a terrifying assortment of abilities.
1. Sentry
Following WWII, there was a race to produce a super-soldier far more strong than the original. Canada’s Department K accomplished this, although with the help of an unintentional test participant. In quest of a fix, Robert Reynolds snuck into one of Department K’s facilities and was instead exposed to the Golden Sentry Serum.
Sentry, Marvel’s Superman, was born as a result. Sentry is initially proven to be a valuable asset to other Marvel heroes, assisting the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man in their daily battles.
