The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Spoilers for Thunderbolts*, including Bob’s transformation and the ending. The team’s bond grows out of shared alienation, not an existing friendship. Yelena and Alexei have the clearest personal tie: they are father and daughter. The rest—Bucky, John Walker, Ghost, Taskmaster, and Bob—bring different histories of coercion, guilt, pain, or disappointed ambition. Their defining choice is whether to retreat into themselves or accept help from one another.
What brings the Thunderbolts together?
Valentina traps a group of antiheroes in a death trap and forces them into a mission that confronts their pasts, according to Marvel’s official film synopsis. The initial ensemble includes Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster, and John Walker. Bob becomes central as events unfold.
Their common ground is not a shared temperament or a history as friends. It is the feeling that their lives have gone wrong, though for different reasons. Director Jake Schreier described the film’s central question as whether people “retreat into yourself” or find connection with others and move forward. He summarized its approach to heroism this way: “It’s about being in a place and how you get out of it; in this world it’s really about saving yourself and saving each other.” (D23 interview with Schreier.)
How are Yelena and Red Guardian related?
Yelena and Alexei Shostakov, the Red Guardian, are father and daughter. Their relationship predates the team, and Alexei helped his daughters free the Black Widows, as described in D23’s character guide.
#1 Best Overall
- Read Before You Buy — No Video Output: These adapters support charging and USB 2.0 data transfer, but cannot transmit video signals. Except for standard USB webcams (which use USB data only), they are not compatible with HDMI/DisplayPort cables, video-capable USB-C hubs, or docking stations with video output.
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They do not simply resolve one another’s problems. Alexei’s boastful stories and appetite for recognition contrast with Yelena’s sense of drift and search for purpose. The Associated Press review describes Yelena as carrying guilt and shame, while Alexei cannot make that pain disappear. Their family bond is real, but it does not mean they understand each other perfectly.
How do the other team relationships work?
Bucky Barnes and John Walker: disputed claims to heroism
Bucky’s history includes HYDRA brainwashing and a long effort to make amends. Walker lost the Captain America title after Lemar’s death and wants to feel heroic again, according to D23’s character guide. Their histories invite comparison: both are tied to contested ideas of accountability and legitimate heroism. The available accounts do not establish a special friendship between them, so their connection is best understood through that contrast within the ensemble.
Rank #2
- 5-in-1 USB-C Hub: Experience comprehensive connectivity featuring a Power Delivery input, two USB-A 2.0 ports, a USB-A 3.0 port, and an HDMI port. (Note: The USB-C power delivery input port is only for connecting an external wall charger to power your laptop and cannot power peripheral devices.)
- 90W Pass-Through Charging: Achieve optimal charging with 90W pass-through power to your laptop, supported by a total input of 100W, with the hub reserving 10W for operational efficiency. (Note: Wall charger not included.)
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- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (5-in-1, 4K HDMI), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
Ghost and Taskmaster: people shaped into weapons
Ghost’s powers followed a childhood quantum accident and leave her in pain; S.H.I.E.L.D. trained her as an operative. Taskmaster, whose name is Antonia Dreykov, was controlled through a chip and released from the Red Room. Their histories offer a thematic parallel: institutions treated both as tools, and both have reason to reclaim agency. That parallel does not establish a close or sisterly bond between them in the film.
Yelena and the ensemble: a center of gravity, not an instant leader
D23’s interview introduction calls Yelena the film’s “beating heart,” while Schreier’s comments frame the group’s broader decision as isolation versus connection. That makes her an emotional center of the story, not proof that the others instantly become a close-knit family or that every relationship receives equal attention.
Rank #3
- Sleek 7-in-1 USB-C Hub: Features an HDMI port, two USB-A 3.0 ports, and a USB-C data port, each providing 5Gbps transfer speeds. It also includes a USB-C PD input port for charging up to 100W and dual SD and TF card slots, all in a compact design.
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- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (7-in-1), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
Why does Yelena connect with Bob?
Bob is a fellow captive who becomes the group’s most urgent crisis. In a May 8, 2025 Marvel interview, the filmmakers explain that Bob volunteered for Valentina’s illicit super-soldier experiment, gained Sentry’s powers, and manifested the Void. The Void threatens the team and the wider world.
The bond is therefore less about a long-established friendship than about recognizing vulnerability and choosing to help. In the final act, the team must face a member in crisis rather than only defeat an outside enemy. The AP review reads the headspace setting as a visual expression of the characters’ painful inner lives; that is a thematic interpretation of the film, not a clinical diagnosis of its characters.
Rank #4
- Dual Converters, Infinite Potential：Includes 2× USB C male to USB A female adapters and 2× USB A male to USB C female adapters. Perfect for a wide range of uses—tablets with Bluetooth keyboards, expand USB ports on macbook, and more. Two different converters for all your daily needs
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- Upgraded Exquisite Craftsmanship: With an aluminum alloy housing and metal connector, the usbc to usb adapter is extremely durable and sturdy. Rigorously tested to withstand more than 10,000 times of plugging and unplugging, ensuring long-lasting performance
- Broad Compatible: The usb c to usb adapter widely supports all USB C/ USB A devices like laptops, tablets, cellphones, car chargers, and phone chargers. Such as compatible with MacBook Pro/Air 2023/2022, Thunderbolt 4/3 Devices,Apple MagSafe Watch 9/8/7/SE/Ultra, iPad Pro 2022/2021, Samsung Galaxy S23/S20/S10, and iPhone 17/16/15 Pro. Plug and play
- Please Note: To reach 10Gbps speed, keep the cable under 3.3 ft. For USB A Male to USB C adapters, try flipping the USB C connector. USB C Male to USB A adapters support bidirectional 10Gbps transfer within 3.3 ft
What does Valentina want from the team?
Valentina’s connection to the group is instrumental. She arranges the death-trap mission and, according to Marvel’s interview, sets up Bob’s experiment and attempts to rebrand him as Sentry. D23’s biographies also link her to Yelena’s assignment and Walker’s U.S. Agent identity. Rather than acting as a benevolent mentor, she uses damaged or ambitious people to advance her own position.
Who are the New Avengers at the end?
By the end, Valentina brands the group the New Avengers. The Los Angeles Times reports that the post-credit scene takes place 14 months later and shows Sam Wilson disputing their right to use the Avengers name (Los Angeles Times ending coverage). The scene confirms the rebrand and the disagreement over it; it does not establish the team’s long-term legal or organizational status.
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Quick Recap
Best Value
- 5-in-1 Connectivity: Equipped with a 4K HDMI port, a 5 Gbps USB-C data port, two 5 Gbps USB-A ports, and a USB C 100W PD-IN port. Note: The USB C 100W PD-IN port supports only charging and does not support data transfer devices such as headphones or speakers.
- Powerful Pass-Through Charging: Supports up to 85W pass-through charging so you can power up your laptop while you use the hub. Note: Pass-through charging requires a charger (not included). Note: To achieve full power for iPad, we recommend using a 45W wall charger.
- Transfer Files in Seconds: Move files to and from your laptop at speeds of up to 5 Gbps via the USB-C and USB-A data ports. Note: The USB C 5Gbps Data port does not support video output.
- HD Display: Connect to the HDMI port to stream or mirror content to an external monitor in resolutions of up to 4K@30Hz. Note: The USB-C ports do not support video output.
- What You Get: Anker 332 USB-C Hub (5-in-1), welcome guide, our worry-free 18-month warranty, and friendly customer service.
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