A topic from Facebook. If Tchalla setup his own Thunderbolts, who is on the team.
I said. Prowler, Killmonger, Malice, and Bishop
Leader Hunter
Mbaku, malice, thunderball, new created character
To explain a little better...
Hunter would sign up for this team in a heartbeat if T'challa asked. Plus, despite his problems, he is always for Wakanda first second and third so he would be the best person to lead the team.
M'baku was once T'challa's friend... he makes more since to me than Killmonger. I could see T'challa trying to "redeem" him. Killmonger would never help T'challa and would never take orders from anyone.
Malice is self explanator really.
Thunderball got dragged into Wakanda and maybe Shuri/T'challas "black" speeches to him could spark some change. Plus he can be the team smart guy/scientist.
Need a new character as a wild card.
Hunter is the leader of the Hatut Zeraze. I still hold to CJP's character roots for Hunter, and I think that it's CRIMINAL that said roots were abandoned. Hunter is exceedingly formidable, and is a very worthy foil for T'Challa. He's an extreme Wakandan Patriot, a thoroughgoing genius in his own right but more of a genius of spy style manipulations etc. [ think a combo of SPYMASTER and BLACK WIDOW ] combined with kinda like a Lawful Neutral version of Elektra.
I think that the HZ should remain with Hunter. I don't think they should be Shuri's personal guard. I think that the DM should handle that biz, too...and we should see more of Malaika Wa Usiku..."The Angels of Night/Midnight Angels". If Hunter doesn't have the HZ, he's pretty much incapable of being a truly reckoning force within Wakanda. He is also drastically less potent on the international stage without the HZ. His post as The White Wolf has history. I believe that the original color of Death for we Afrikans is WHITE, and the "Wolf" symbol puts Hunter in line with Anubis.
Anubis is a potent God of Death, yes, but Anubis ALSO PROTECTS CHILDREN. Interestingly noble dichotomy, which could help to explain things about Hunter. Hunter could probably have connections to the Orisha Osoosi.
Because of these things? I don't really see Hunter as being a good choice to lead The Thunderbolts. If we keep his origin story intact, there isn't an organic reason for the character Hunter to be involved with The Thunderbolts.
But. Do you remember the one armed ex-Dora Milaje that Maberry introduced? She could definitely be a good candidate to lead The Thunderbolts. So would evil Malice...even moreso, I would think. Yall remember DRAKE, the sistah who both mollywhopped and became the teacher of ELEKTRA? She would be a good fit in The Thunderbolts...but not if Elektra was the leader. and drake doesn't have enough name recognition to draw the post of LEADER of THE THUNDERBOLTS. Even though she IS dope. Check this out...



But as for THE LEADER of The Thunderbolts? Daken. Taskmaster. Blond Black Widow. Domino. Elektra.
Or my favorite alternate four guys for the lead? Remember this series?

The not truly but bad enough bad guys was THIS guy:
bring him back as a slightly reformed Anti-Cap.
Another really good idea would be to bring back the sane version of ALEXI SHOSTAKOV, aka THE RED GUARDIAN...the RUSSIAN Captain America. This guy:

Yall know that I can't front, and I truly think that TASKMASTER is a NATURAL for the lead spot on this team. But if not ole TASKY? Well. Howzabout the drastically underrated and just begging to be updated TIGRA? Give her a cool non-bikini outfit. Upgrade her with weapons and bullet resistant but stylish clothing which she got from joining Tony Starks' side during CIVIL WAR 1. She's gone through Avengers, NEW DEFENDERS, A-FORCE and SHIELD training. She CAN do the do as a leader.

I'm also thinking? Especially off of her shine from the recent NETFLIX CAGE SEASON 2? show some love for THE DEADLY NIGHTSHADE



However. The Team Leader should really be determined by the author's notions of the kinds of stories and adventures being wrought. If you're more of a reformed criminals who aren't quite good kinda squad? Pulling off a mixture of LEVERAGE, A-TEAM, and SUICIDE SQUAD style adventures? A Black Widow, Elektra, or Taskmaster type leader or co-leader situation is what you might need.
But if you want a team that can go anywhere...including space and the occult...plus either split into two teams handling two separate operations at once with a double does of tech oversight?
Well. There are only TWO LEADERS WHO FIT THE THUNDERBOLTS M.O. who you can go with who have literally done it all...on panel...and readers accept them as experienced in these areas. They've fought vampires to assassins and spies, street level criminals and heroes to cosmic threats like Thanos. They've tangled with the minions of beings like Dormammu, to facing their own personal demons.

and...
...


These two ladies definitely need to lead somebody's team, and they fit THE THUNDERBOLTS purrty good. Natasha moreso than Monica.
If we don't go with the ladies [ which we should imo ]...well. There's another guy...underrated, still in need of truly carving out his niche as a standalone should be A-Lister...who, if we use the foundation that Christopher Priest wrote for him [ which is still the GOAT depiction of this character ] and combo him with his latest Marvel adventures [ HE TAKES ON THE DEMON BLACKHEART!! O.G. STYLE!! ] and of course blend that with his ULTIMATES incarnation... this guy would really do well in this role as LEADER OF THE THUNDERBOLTS. Plus his connections to all the big players in the MU would ALSO make him a very viable fit for leader of THE THUNDERBOLTS. Moreso than Monica. Maybe a little less so than Natasha. I'm talm bout:

Even though we haven't seen him in space [ the one place we haven't seen him go on panel ] and he doesn't seem especially inclined to go, which impedes his accolades as a leader? I gotta throw this brutha into consideration. Most especially if T'Challa is secretly bankrolling them? MY GO TO GUY AND FAVORITE DARK HORSE BACK UP LEADER FOR THIS ROLE IS....
BLADE
Members? I agree with Malice. Don't agree with Death Tiger...who would have serious beef with all things T'Challa...or M'Baku. Even if you retcon him to the MCU M'Baku so he DOESN'T have beef with all things T'Challa, M'Baku is essentially royalty if not a full blown monarch in his own right. His everything would be about The Jabari. He wouldn't bounce out of Jabariland for next tuh nothin, and definitely you're having problems getting him out of Wakanda. Soooo....
TIGRA
SPYMASTER
CRIMSON DYNAMO
RADIOACTIVE MAN
THE DEADLY NIGHTSHADE
PSYLOCKE [ THE ASIAN GIRL VERSION ]
FALCON
MALICE