The Raft made its dramatic debut in New Avengers #1, published in January 2005. It was co-created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist David Finch as a central plot device to launch their new era of the Avengers. The concept emerged from a need to create a modern, high-stakes super-prison that could replace older, more frequently compromised facilities like The Vault. The “Breakout!” storyline, which introduced the Raft, was a foundational moment for the Marvel Universe in the mid-2000s. It was designed to shatter the existing Avengers roster and forge a new, grittier team from the ashes of a catastrophic disaster. The Raft's introduction immediately established it as a critical and volatile location, a powder keg of supervillainy just waiting to explode. Its design reflected a post-9/11 sensibility in security and surveillance, creating a grounded, formidable atmosphere that made its inevitable failure all the more impactful.
The in-universe origins of the Raft are directly tied to the inadequacies of its predecessor, Ryker's Island Penitentiary. Located in the East River between Queens and the Bronx, Ryker's Island had long housed a wing for super-powered criminals, but it was repeatedly proven insufficient. After numerous embarrassing and destructive escapes, the Commission on Superhuman Activities, in conjunction with S.H.I.E.L.D., funded the construction of a new, state-of-the-art maximum security wing. This new facility, officially designated the Raft Maximum Security Penitentiary, was built adjacent to the main Ryker's complex. It featured multiple levels of subterranean cells, advanced automated defense systems, power-dampening fields tailored to specific inmates, and a heavily armed guard force. The design philosophy was to create a prison that could not only hold inmates but also psychologically break them, with sensory deprivation and constant surveillance being key features. Its proximity to New York City was a calculated risk; while it made transportation of captured villains from the city's hero-heavy battlegrounds easier, it also placed a massive concentration of super-criminals dangerously close to millions of civilians. Upon its completion, the Raft became the default holding facility for a vast array of villains, from street-level threats to cosmic-level dangers, captured by heroes like Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four. However, its reputation was cemented not by its success, but by its most spectacular failure.
The origin of the Raft in the MCU (designated as Earth-199999) is significantly different and shrouded in the politics of post-Avengers world governance. Unlike its comic counterpart, the MCU's Raft is not an extension of a public prison but an ultra-secret, mobile, and submersible fortress located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Its construction was authorized and overseen by then-Secretary of State Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross under the authority of the Sokovia Accords. First seen in Captain America: Civil War (2016), the Raft was designed specifically to imprison enhanced individuals who refused to register under the Accords or operated outside the law. Its existence was likely classified, known only to the highest echelons of world governments. The design prioritizes isolation and control above all else. The facility can submerge completely, making it undetectable and virtually impossible to assault from the surface. Each cell is a sterile, automated module with heavy armor plating and constant video surveillance, designed to be managed by a minimal staff to reduce the risk of internal compromise. The MCU Raft was built not for common supervillains, but for rogue heroes. Its first known inmates were the members of Captain America's faction who were captured at the Leipzig/Halle Airport battle: Sam Wilson, Wanda Maximoff, Clint Barton, and Scott Lang. The prison's brutalist architecture and dehumanizing conditions were meant to send a clear message: in the world of the Sokovia Accords, even heroes were not above the law. This adaptation served the film's narrative by creating a powerful visual representation of the ideological divide between the heroes and the severe consequences of their conflict.
The Raft in the primary comics continuity is a marvel of penal engineering, yet it is paradoxically defined by its repeated breaches. Its design has evolved over time, especially as it has been destroyed and rebuilt on multiple occasions.
The Raft's inmate roster reads like a “Who's Who” of the Marvel villain community.
The Raft's history is marred by catastrophic failures.
The MCU's Raft is a more focused and formidable concept, trading the sprawling complexity of the comics for sleek, terrifying isolation.
The known population of the MCU Raft is far more exclusive, primarily consisting of individuals who defied the Sokovia Accords or were deemed major international threats.
Despite its formidable design, the MCU Raft has also been breached.
The Raft is rarely an independent entity; its operation is almost always overseen by a larger governmental or quasi-governmental organization, reflecting the political state of the Marvel Universe.
The Raft's greatest “enemies” are not rival organizations, but the individuals and forces that have successfully engineered its collapse from within or without.
The Raft is more than a location; it is a catalyst for major stories in the Marvel Universe.
This is the Raft's defining moment. The story arc New Avengers #1-6 begins with the facility's power being mysteriously shut down by Electro. This triggers a mass escape of dozens of supervillains. Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man, and Luke Cage happen to be at the facility visiting The Sentry. They are joined by Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew) and Daredevil to contain the riot. The chaos is immense, with villains like Carnage and Mister Hyde running rampant. The event forces this disparate group of heroes to unite, and in the aftermath, Captain America realizes that fate has brought them together. He officially forms the “New Avengers” from the heroes who fought side-by-side during the breakout, making the Raft's failure the direct crucible for one of the 21st century's most important Avengers lineups.
During Norman Osborn's tyrannical reign, the Raft was a key piece of his security apparatus. The basement of the Raft was used by Osborn to house and interrogate high-value prisoners. When the time came for Osborn's climactic invasion of Asgard, which was then located on Earth, the Raft served as a staging ground and a symbol of his control over America's carceral system. The battle for Asgard saw many of Osborn's forces, including inmates he had pressed into service, defeated. The fall of Osborn led to the Raft being returned to the control of the legitimate U.S. government, ending its use as a tool for a supervillain's regime.
In this major Spider-Man-centric event, the Jackal and the Spider-Queen unleash a virus that grants spider-powers to nearly every citizen of Manhattan. As chaos erupts, the city's infrastructure is overwhelmed. The Raft's role shifts dramatically from a prison to a fortified command center and quarantine zone. Due to its isolated and secure nature, it becomes a safe haven for uninfected personnel and a base from which heroes and scientists work to find a cure. This storyline showcased the facility's versatility and strategic importance beyond simply being a jail.
Years after becoming mayor of New York City, Wilson Fisk (The Kingpin) outlaws all superhero activity within the city limits. He uses a newly commissioned and upgraded version of the Raft, along with a new class of “Thunderbolt” agents, to hunt down and imprison any hero who defies his law. The Raft becomes the centerpiece of his authoritarian power, filled with captured heroes like members of the Fantastic Four and Captain America. The event revolves around the remaining heroes fighting to expose Fisk and liberate their friends from the very prison once designed to hold their worst enemies, creating a powerful thematic inversion.