A
superhero team published by
Marvel Comics. The
Soviet Super
Soldiers first appeared in
The Incredible Hulk #258.
It is the middle of the Cold War and the United States has many
groups of super-powered, spandex-wearing heroes to defend its soil
and interests both here and across the galaxy. The Soviet Union
decides that it needs a group of heroes of its own (state sponsered
needless to say) and so organizes a group of native heroes to
take up the call to defend Mother Russia.
The Soviet Super Soldiers began as a sort of poor man's version of
the Avengers. The group consisted of:
- The Crimson Dynamo: An old Iron Man foe, the Crimson Dynamo
was a loyal agent of the Soviet government equipped with a suit of
armor which gave him a high degree of invulnerability, super-strength,
the ability to fly, and the ability to project destructive energy
beams. In later appearances, when the Soviet Super Soldiers decided
to be independent of the Soviet government, the Crimson Dynamo was
kicked out of the team.
- Titanium Man/Gremlin: A misshapen Soviet scientist, the Gremlin
adopted a version of the armor used by the old Iron Man foe, the
Titanium Man specially outfitted to be operated by him. During his
time as a member of the group, the Gremlin often served as the voice
and the brains behind the group. The Titanium Man armor gave the
Gremlin abilities similar to the Crimson Dynamo. The Gremlin was
ultimately killed by Iron Man during the so-called Armor Wars when
his suit of armor caught fire and burned.
- Vanguard: A mutant, Vanguard had the ability to deflect energy
back at its source. To this end, Vanguard employed weapons made
to look like the hammer and sickle that were the symbol of the Soviet
Union. The weapons could also be used to strike at his opponents.
The Vanguard was the brother of fellow teammate Darkstar.
- Darkstar: A mutant, Darkstar possessed the ability to project
and manipulate the darkforce an extra-dimensional substance that
absorbed both heat and light. Darkstar could use the dark force
to fly and project it into crude forms that she could manipulate. Darkstar served in the Soviet Super Soldiers and also worked with
the short-lived group the Champions. During her time with the
Champions, Darkstar carried on a romance with the X-Man Iceman.
- Ursa Major:A mutant, Ursa Major has the ability to transform
himself into a super-strong, injury resistant bear.
The Soviet Super Soldiers were agents of the Soviet government for
many years, but eventually they rebelled and became free agents. After
the death of the Gremlin and the expelling of the
Crimson Dynamo,
the remaining members of the group defected to the west, but were later
attacked by the members of the
Supreme Soviets. They were left
for dead, but attacked their assailants later in the form of a
giant bear created from dark force material.
Captain America
attempted to help the
Supreme Soviet members and eventually
convinced the
Soviet Super Soldiers to spare their lives.