Thunderbolts '97

Kurt Busiek and a rotating team of artists including Bob McLeod, Chris Marrinan, and Mark Bagley launched this Marvel series in 1997, which redefined the concept of super-teams by following a group of reformed villains trying to earn redemption as heroes. The premise explores the tension between their criminal pasts and their genuine attempts to do good, blending action with moral complexity. Though the series only ran for a single issue in this incarnation, it established a unique niche in Marvel's lineup by centering on characters whose motives and loyalties were never quite clear.