The Thunderbolts are a team in the Marvel Universe, originally introduced as a group of supervillains masquerading as heroes, but often consisting of antiheroes, reformed criminals, and morally complex characters. They first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #449 in 1997, created by writer Kurt Busiek and artist Mark Bagley. The team was initially led by Baron Zemo, who formed them to fill the void left by the Avengers and Fantastic Four, but the members eventually turned against him, embracing heroism
. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), the Thunderbolts are portrayed as an antihero team assembled by Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. This team includes characters like Yelena Belova (Black Widow agent), Bucky Barnes (Winter Soldier), Red Guardian, John Walker (a disgraced Captain America figure), Ghost (an invisible and intangible spy), and Taskmaster (a combat expert). Their missions often involve covert operations and morally ambiguous tasks, somewhat akin to DC's Suicide Squad but with less violence
. Overall, the Thunderbolts represent a group of flawed characters who operate in the shadows, often taking on missions that traditional heroes avoid, blending villainy and heroism in their complex narratives
