Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Wolverine: Madripoor Knights #5! Despite the fact that each of them are heroes of the highest order (indeed, they’re all Avengers), Captain America, Black Widow, and Wolverine have recently undergone dark redesigns, ones which have utterly corrupted key attributes that made them heroes in the first place. And now, these Avengers are three of the most dangerous villains in the Marvel Universe, especially now that they’re supernaturally connected as one dark villain.

In a preview for Wolverine: Madripoor Knights #5 by Chris Claremont and Edgar Salazar, readers are given the best look yet at Black Widow, Captain America, and Wolverine’s new costumes, ones which were given to them by the same dark, otherworldly power source that fuels the ancient clan of evil ninjas, the Hand. As they stand there in their new suits, Wolverine’s narration boxes reveal the new roles they now play as an unbreakable unit of newformed villains: Captain America is the shield, Wolverine is the blade, and Black Widow is in control.

These three heroes are now one villain, supernaturally connected by the evil forces fueling the Hand, and led by Black Widow – who goes by Tsarina in this new form. Upon their creation, the leaders of the Hand think that the three corrupted Avengers are theirs to control. However, as outlined in this preview in an utterly brutal fashion, they are mistaken, which could mean trouble for the wider Marvel Universe.

The Hand Corrupts the Very Things that Made Captain America, Black Widow, & Wolverine Heroes

Captain America is her shield, Wolverine is her blade, Tsarina rules. These are the new roles undertaken by the three Avengers, and they each speak to how the very things that made them heroes to begin with have been utterly corrupted.

Captain America’s shield is a symbol of freedom and justice around the globe, yet here, he only uses it to defend his new evil master. Wolverine has been using his claws to fight villainous forces for years as a member of the X-Men, and now, he is just a weapon wielded by Tsarina. And Black Widow herself has dedicated her deadly brilliance to being an Avenger, but now she is dedicated only to using her friends as mere weapons against anyone who challenges her power.

Black Widow, Wolverine, & Captain America Could Become Marvel’s Deadliest Villains

Now that these three have been supernaturally connected by a dark, otherworldly force and reduced to violent villains, there’s no telling what kind of carnage they can bring about across the world. Captain America is indomitable, Wolverine is unstoppable, and Black Widow is an unparalleled tactical genius. Together as one, and with the added upgrades offered by these suits (which have yet to be shown to the fullest extent), these three could take down practically anyone on Earth, including the Avengers and the X-Men.

It’s rare that a Marvel Comics reader should root for the Hand in any given circumstance, but if these three Avengers aren’t taken down by the villainous ninjas right now, they could go on to become the deadliest villains in the Marvel Universe. Only time will tell if that dark possibility will come to fruition, but as it stands, it’s far too likely for comfort, as Captain America, Wolverine, and Black Widow’s new matching costumes combine each of their formerly heroic qualities in the darkest way possible.

Wolverine: Madripoor Knights #5 by Marvel Comics is available June 26, 2024.