20 Most Powerful Marvel Characters of All Time (Ranked)
Throughout the rich and colorful history of Marvel Comics, a large number of characters have appeared in the stories published by Marvel. Some of these have been villains, other heroes. Some have been weak, some extremely powerful. Some beloved, some hated, and the list goes on. In this article, we will be focusing on the most powerful Marvel characters. We bring you a list of the strongest Marvel characters of all time, be they heroes, or villains. The point is that they are powerful and we plan on ranking them to finally determine which one among them is the strongest.
List of Most Powerful Marvel Characters
20. Surtur
Alias: None
Debut: Journey into Mystery #97 (October 1963; cameo) / Journey into Mystery #99 (December 1963; full)
Created By: Stan Lee, Jack Kirby
Affiliation: Villain
Surtur is a fire demon native of Muspelheim, one of the nine worlds of Norse mythology, he resides at the end of the world waiting for Ragnarok, when he will kill men and gods. On his first encounter with Odin, after forming an alliance with the Trolls and trying to destroy the world, he was imprisoned by the father of the Gods within the Earth; hoping to be released he sent a winged horse to his jailer.
Freed by Loki, together with the storm giant Skagg invades the Earth where he is opposed by the combined forces of Odin, Thor, and Balder; it is precisely the thunder that stops him, trapping him in a magnetic metal meteorite. Later, the prophetess Volla foretells that Loki’s deliverance of Surtur will be the ultimate cause of Ragnarok and the destruction of the Norse gods.
Summoned back to Earth by the Sons of Satannish, together with the giant Ymir he attacks the Avengers, the Black Knight, and Doctor Strange who manage to defeat him by putting him against his ally. Surtur attempts to invade Asgard during Loki’s reign, causing it to fall but is ultimately pushed back and imprisoned.
Surtur is a powerful demonic entity and a villain that has caused problems for the likes of both Thor and Odin, which is why he deserves a spot on our list of most powerful Marvel characters.
19. Thor
Alias: None
Debut: Journey into Mystery #83 (August 1962)
Created By: Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Jack Kirby
Affiliation: Hero
Thor is the son of the father of the gods of Asgard, Odin, and the spirit of the Earth Jord (an avatar of Gaea). Odin’s goal was to have a son who had powers not derived solely from the homeland of the heavenly gods. So Odin created a cave in Norway, where Jord gave birth to Thor. Thor is raised among the Asgardians in the belief that Frigga, his father’s lawful wife, was also his biological mother.
Spent his childhood throwing himself into the most disparate adventures together with his envious adoptive brother Loki, his friends Balder, Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg, and his first love Lady Sif soon, not denying the strength and nobility of his heritage, Thor becomes the best warrior of Asgard, skilled enough to be able to wield the enchanted hammer Mjolnir and to recover the ring of the Nibelung on behalf of his father under the guise of “Siegfried”, giving life to the legend of the same name.
However, all this leads the Asgardian prince to develop an arrogant, impulsive, and almost warmongering character, which is why Odin decides to teach him the value of humility by exiling him to Earth (without memory or powers) in the body of the young, frail, meek and lame. medical student Donald Blake who, after ten years, opens a private clinic in New York becoming a brilliant doctor known for his virtues of perseverance and compassion.
Realizing that he has now learned his lesson, Odin arranges for his son to go on vacation to Norway, to a cave, find Mjolnir, and recover his powers in time to thwart an invasion of Kronan aliens.
The “basic version” of Thor might not be that powerful, but the feats this guy has achieved over the years certainly make him deserving of a place on this list of strongest Marvel characters.
18. Uatu the Watcher
Alias: None
Debut: The Fantastic Four #13 (April 1963)
Created By: Stan Lee, Jack Kirby
Affiliation: Neutral
Uatu is an alien who is part of the Watcher race. Having become virtually immortal, after having witnessed the destruction of an alien planet that had evolved thanks to the advanced technology they had shared with the inhabitants, they decided that they could mentally observe and record all the events of the multiverse, without intervening. Since the Observer who gave this technology was his father, Uatu began to observe and save worlds and universes driven by the desire to find a planet for which his father’s act could be considered the right thing to do.
Since the dawn of civilization, Uatu has resided in the blue zone of the Moon and observes the events that unfold on Earth 616 (the canonical Marvel Universe). He first revealed himself to humans by saving the Fantastic Four from the red Ghost, who had invaded the Blue Zone. He allowed the Fantastic Four to remember that encounter.
The Fantastic Four met him again when he stopped the criminal Molecule by throwing him into another dimension so he wouldn’t destroy the Earth. Uatu helped the Fantastic Four several times, including during the wedding of Reed Richards and Susan Storm.
When the planet-devourer Galactus arrived on Earth, Uatu used his technology to hide the planet. Galactus arrived anyway and did not want to hear the reasons of Uatu, who tried to explain to him the greatness of humanity. To stop him, Uatu sent the Human Torch to Galactus’s ship to retrieve the only weapon the planet devourer feared: the Absolute Nullifier. In order not to unleash the terrible Nullifier, Galactus left the Earth.
The Watchers may be neutral, but the power levels these entities possess are truly enormous, and while they might not be great fighters, they certainly deserve to be on this list of most powerful Marvel characters.
17. Legion
Alias: David Charles Haller
Debut: New Mutants #25 (March 1985)
Created By: Chris Claremont, Bill Sienkiewicz
Affiliation: Antihero
Xavier meets Gabrielle while working at a psychiatric facility in Israel. While he decides to use his mental powers to ease the pain of the inmates, Xavier has a relationship with Gabrielle, and later David is born from their relationship, in Haifa. But Xavier ignores the birth of a child.
As a young man, David becomes embroiled in a terrorist attack, where for the first time his mental power is activated, which incinerates the minds of terrorists and also absorbs the mind of the terrorist leader, Jemail Karami, into his own. Following the accident, David becomes catatonic and is hospitalized in Muir Island, in a research facility run by Dr. Moira MacTaggert.
During his hospitalization, Karami takes possession of the telepathic ability of Legion and other personalities absorbed by David, among which two are particularly strong: Jack Wayne, an adventurer who controls telekinesis, and Cyndi, a rebellious girl, who controls pyrokinesis. At the end of a struggle between the various personalities, the dominant ones are of Jemail, Jack, and Cyndi.
While on the island, Legion awakens from the catatonic state, and his psychic power is awakened. Shortly thereafter, he is possessed by the King of Shadows, who uses his psychic power to increase hatred in the world and empower himself with evil energy. While in Legion’s possession the Shadow King kills the mutant Destiny. He is later freed by the X-Men and the X-Factor but falls into a state of coma.
No one should be wondering why Legion is on this list since this Mutant is probably the most powerful individual Mutant in history. He has proven himself to be able to cause havoc, which is enough for us to list him here.
16. Gorr
Alias: Gorr the God Butcher
Debut: Thor: God of Thunder #1 (January 2013)
Created By: Jason Aaron, Esad Ribic
Affiliation: Villain
Gorr the God Butcher was born some 3,000 years ago and grew up on an unnamed barren planet where earthquakes, water shortages, and wildlife were the order of the day. No god helped the inhabitants of the planet, although they were very believers and devoted to the gods, still blindly trusting them, praying, and venerating them.
Gorr’s parents died when he was little, forcing him to grow up alone amid a multitude of hardships. As an adult, his partner Arra died due to a strong earthquake as well as his children who perished as a result of the various disasters that occurred on the planet. Upon the death of Hagar, the last of the surviving sons, Gorr, full of anger and resentment towards the gods both for personal events and for those of his people, came to believe that the gods could not exist, since they could not have allowed everything. this suffering.
These thoughts caused him, first of all, marginalization and then exiled from his tribe, thus destining him to wander in the desert in the hope of dying. During his wanderings, he encountered two beings who were fighting: one dark and eerie who was possessed by Darkness and another purple-skinned with the golden and shimmering armor that was possessed by the symbiote god of Light, becoming the then Captain Universe, that the Enigma Force arose through the One-Power.
Gorr learned, therefore, that the gods really existed and when the dark god, fallen and wounded asked him for help, he could not help but be convinced definitively that these were not helping the needy like his family and his people, but that they were alone.
Any guy who is able to kill an Asgardian god with relative ease is welcome on this list, but Gorr is more than just pure strength – he is a character with a well-developed story that leaves you cheering for the villain.
15. Deadpool (Killology)
Alias: Wade Wilson
Debut: The New Mutants #98 (1991)
Created By: Fabian Nicieza, Rob Liefeld
Affiliation: Antihero
Deadpool is the alter ego of one Wade Winston Wilson, a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld, debuting in The New Mutants #98 (1991). Due to his quirky nature and the general weirdness of his stories, he has become one of the most popular comic book characters today.
Initially, Deadpool was depicted as a supervillain when he made his first appearance in The New Mutants and later in issues of X-Force but later evolved into his more recognizable antiheroic persona.
Deadpool is actually a disfigured mercenary with the superhuman ability of an accelerated healing factor and physical prowess. The character is known as the “Merc with a Mouth” because of his tendency to talk and joke constantly, including breaking the fourth wall for humorous effect and running gags.
Interestingly enough, he was modeled after DC Comics’ supervillain Deathstroke, who completely inspired the Deadpool persona, including his name (real name and alias), his origins, and his costume. The main difference is that Deathstroke is a serious supervillain and mercenary, while Deadpool is more on the comical side. His adventures include numerous hilarious storylines, with one even depicting him killing off the whole Marvel Universe, including himself.
Okay, we’re starting off our list with a somewhat comical choice, but we just had to do it because – Deadpool is awesome. Namely, the version of Deadpool from the (in)famous Deadpool Killology managed to kill absolutely everyone in and outside the Marvel Universe, meaning that this disturbed version of the already disturbed Wade Wilson is stronger than everyone in Marvel’s universe.
Luckily enough, the Killology is not canon, but this iteration of the character still deserves a spot on our list, even if it’s one of the lowest ones.
14. Hulk
Alias: Bruce Banner
Debut: The Incredible Hulk #1 (1962)
Created By: Stan Lee, Jack Kirby
Affiliation: Hero
The Hulk is a fictional superhero appearing in stories published by Marvel Comics. Hulk is the alter ego of physicist Bruce Banner, who is a regular human, without any superhuman abilities. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character debuted in The Incredible Hulk #1 (1962) and is today regarded as one of Marvel’s strongest characters.
Dr. Robert Bruce Banner is a genius physicist, but a physically weak, socially withdrawn, and emotionally reserved human. During the experimental detonation of a gamma bomb, Banner saves teenager Rick Jones who has driven onto the testing field; Banner pushes Jones into a trench to save him but is hit with the blast, absorbing massive amounts of gamma radiation.
He awakens later seemingly unharmed by the incident, but that night transforms into a lumbering grey (yes, he was initially grey before having been recolored) form. A pursuing soldier named the creature a “Hulk”.
Originally, it was believed that Banner’s transformations into the Hulk were caused by sunset and undone at sunrise, but later, it was discovered to be caused by anger. Banner was, interestingly enough, cured in The Incredible Hulk #4, but chose to restore Hulk’s powers with Banner’s intelligence. He later became one of the founding members of the Avengers.
The Hulk is a green-skinned, hulking and muscular humanoid possessing a vast degree of physical strength. The two exist as separate dissociative personalities in the same body, and (generally) resent each other. The Hulk’s level of strength is normally conveyed as proportionate to his level of anger.
Commonly portrayed as a raging savage, the Hulk has been represented with other personalities based on Banner’s fractured psyche, from a mindless, destructive force, to a brilliant warrior, or genius scientist in his own right.
Marvel’s Green Goliath has, more than once, proven his strength and invincibility. The Hulk is not omnipotent, but he is strong enough and powerful enough to challenge and even defeat some of the best and most powerful Marvel characters.
The stories have shown us, on several occasions, that Hulk is very tough to defeat and almost impossible to kill, which certainly makes him deserving on a spot on our list, especially some versions of the character that have appeared in various stories.
13. Grandmaster
Alias: En Dwi Gast
Debut: The Avengers #69 (1969)
Created By: Roy Thomas, Sal Buscema
Affiliation: Villain
Grandmaster is a fictional character from the Marvel Universe. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Sal Buscema, the character first appeared in The Avengers #69 (1969). He is a member of the Elders of the Universe group. The Grandmaster is one of the most powerful Elders in the whole Universe. He has been described as mastering “Primal Power”, a type of cosmic radiation resulting from the Big Bang.
However, his power is considerably lower than that of Galactus or the In-Betweener. It has been suggested that the Grandmaster can use – and in some cases has used – very advanced technology to increase his abilities and perform mental feats that might normally be beyond his ability. Although the extent of these mental abilities is unknown, it is believed that he has access to and mastered technology far beyond human comprehension.
En Dwi Gast has a highly developed superhuman intellect, including a vast knowledge of games and game theory far beyond any knowledge of today’s Earth. He also has an encyclopedic knowledge and understanding of thousands of exotic games, played across the universe. With little information, he is able to calculate various probabilities in a tenth of a second and can remember countless rules or game data.
He also has some extra-sensory mental perception abilities that allow him to sense things in his environment that cannot be detected by normal senses. He also maintains a psychic connection with the highly advanced computers in his home world, which extend and improve his mental abilities.
Okay, the Grandmaster is really not the first one we’d pick to defend us in a fight, but this guy is actually quite powerful. He is immortal, has supernatural physical characteristics, and has the ability to bring the dead back to life, and on top of that, he is extremely intelligent and a great tactician.
Again, a lot of the guys on this list – even some that did not make it on here – could kick his ass in a fist fight, but the Grandmaster is still powerful enough to be on our list of the most powerful Marvel characters ever.
12. Hercules
Alias: Heracles
Debut: Journey into Mystery Annual #1 (1965)
Created By: Stan Lee, Jack Kirby
Affiliation: Hero
Hercules is a deity and a superhero appearing in stories published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artists Jack Kirby, the fictional character first appeared in the Journey into Mystery Annual #1 (1965). The character is inspired by his counterpart in Greek mythology, Heracles son of Zeus, but is better known by his Roman name of Hercules. He has been a perennial member of the Avengers and Defenders superhero teams and has starred in three limited series that bore his name.
In 2008, he made his debut in his own series, titled The Incredible Hercules. Presented in the comics as a character identical to the mythological figure of ancient Greece, its authors however took liberties with the adventures which are usually attributed to him. A bon vivant blundered, and playboy, sometimes also irascible, Hercules is also a good adventure companion. Hercules, as a member of the Olympian gods, is one of the most powerful humanoids to ever set foot on Earth.
He has been seen uprooting a redwood tree with the sheer force of his arms or hurling a spaceship into space. The exact limits of his strength are unknown but, if ancient myths are to be believed, he was able to replace the giant Atlas and support the sky on his shoulders.
Few opponents can stand up to him: only the Incredible Hulk and the god Thor have shown themselves capable of competing with him in brute force. He is also a formidable fighter, particularly gifted in unarmed combat. He was also trained in martial arts by Iron Fist.
This Hercules is neither the hero from Greek mythology nor the popular Disney character. This Hercules is a very powerful figure in the history of Marvel Comics, a man known for his enormous strength, the strength that is outmatched by a very small number of other characters.
Hercules is someone you’d definitely want to avoid fighting against, as the sheer strength – without his other powers – of this guy is enough to completely obliterate you in a moment’s time.
11. Galactus
Alias: Galan
Debut: Fantastic Four #48 (1966)
Created By: Stan Lee, Jack Kirby
Affiliation: Villain
Galactus was actually a humanoid alien explorer known as Galan from the Taa-an species. After passing a star, Galan gained god-like powers and turned into Galactus, a god-like entity that has to devour planets because he feeds on their energy. His origin was further expanded by revealing that he had lived during the previous universe, before the Big Bang that created the current one; Galactus still remains the last living being from the previous universe.
Due to his nature, Galactus has been an inspiration for many writers who’ve explored his story and his character further. Being a god-like entity, Galactus is usually depicted as having a very different sense of morality than regular humans, which often causes him to clash with Earth’s superheroes. He has an immense set of powers and is considered to be one of the most powerful beings in the whole Marvel Universe, especially if full of energy after having devoured several planets.
He is usually accompanied by a herald (the most famous one being the Silver Surfer) to whom he has granted cosmic powers. The herald travels the universe and searches for suitable planets for Galactus to feed on in order to satisfy his endless hunger. Although not impossible, it is exceptionally difficult to stop Galactus from devouring a planet once he’s decided to do so, which is why the best option is to leave the planet and let it get eaten.
The planet-devouring entity from Marvel Comics was a sure name for this list. Galactus is feared throughout the galaxy and there are plenty of reasons for people around the universe to be afraid of him. Galactus is powerful enough to devour a planet – several of them, for that matter – which speaks for itself in terms of power.
Still, the planet-devouring ability is a weakness of his, in a way, as without doing that, he could potentially die, but that happened only a few times in the history of comic books, which means that Galactus is really someone who should be feared at all times.
10. Odin
Alias: Odin Borson
Debut: Journey into Mystery #86 (1962)
Created By: Stan Lee, Jack Kirby
Affiliation: Hero
Odin is the result of the union between an early Asgardian, Bor, and an ice giant, Bestla. The couple had two more sons, Vili and Ve. He claims to be the origin of the human race because he found the world too empty, but his father disagreed with him and created all kinds of plagues to destroy mankind.
During an attack by the ice giants, Bor was trapped and turned into snow by an adult Loki from the future. Odin and his two brothers then took the lead of Asgard. They later confronted the demon Surtur and Vili and Ve did not survive, giving Odin their strength before dying which amplified his powers and was the origin of Odinforce. Later, the only king of Asgard imprisoned Surtur in the center of the Earth after allying with the trolls.
Odin fell in love with the Earth goddess Gaea and wanted a son with her who was as powerful on Asgard as he was on Earth. He built a cave in Norway to give birth to the future God of Thunder, Thor. He took Thor with him to Asgard and his wife Frigga raised him as her son.
Marvel’s version of the Norse god is one of the most badass comic book characters ever created. Odin is not just powerful, he is fearless and is quite cool in his demeanor, which is why he is so beloved among comic book fans. But, really, Odin is exceptionally powerful, and even very powerful villains such as Thanos avoid fighting him.
His past endeavors are well-documented and in that aspect, Odin is certainly deserving of a place on our list as one of the strongest Marvel characters ever.
9. Amatsu-Mikaboshi
Alias: Chaos King
Debut: Thor: Blood Oath #6 (2006)
Created By: Michael Oeming, Scott Kolins
Affiliation: Villain
Amatsu-Mikaboshi, the King of Chaos, is a fictional character who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is generally depicted as a supervillain and demon god of evil who is best known as an enemy of Hercules and Thor. He is based on the Mikaboshi of Japanese mythology and the gods of Japan known as Kami.
Mikaboshi possesses vast supernatural power, which is apparently inherent in him. He can use this mystical energy for a variety of effects, including his ability to alter his shape and form; he too often took a feminine form to appear harmless. Otherwise, he is almost always depicted as a shadowy black energy being with a mask on his face.
He can transform his limbs into sharp blades or form tentacles to attack enemies; he can also assume the form of a fire-breathing snake, which Apollo’s fire was unable to affect and which he was able to retaliate with an explosion of fire powerful enough to damage and bring down even the Olympian sun deity.
He has employed powers of flight, teleportation, the projection of mystical energy such as force explosions, invisibility, manipulation of matter, image projection, and the creation of interdimensional nexus points among other feats, such as creating “shadows” to avoid detection. by high-level dark magical entities, such as Nightmare, in the latter’s own realm.
His power is of such magnitude that he can control numerous lesser demons, as well as animate and manipulate corpses en masse at will. Furthermore, even the Kami themselves seem to distrust and fear Mikaboshi, whom they consider to be his primary enemy, especially since he has sacrificed much of his pantheon himself.
Mikaboshi was able to kill even formidable extraterrestrial deities, destroying the Demogorge (an entity that devoured the Elder Gods) with relatively little effort, as well as paralyzing and killing Heavenly Parents like Zeus by ripping out their hearts in seconds.
Amatsu-Mikaboshi or the Chaos King is a very powerful deity that appears in Marvel’s stories. His powers are really amazing and they include immortality, reality manipulation, stealth, strength, healing, endurance, shape-shifting, and much, much more. In that aspect, he is more powerful than Odin and a lot of other immensely powerful deities from Marvel’s fictional universe.
Mikaboshi is a dangerous opponent and in that aspect, he certainly deserves a spot on our list.
8. Cyttorak
Alias: None
Debut: Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #44 (1992)
Created By: Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Alex Toth
Affiliation: Villain
Cyttorak is a mystical entity appearing in comic books published by Marvel. Created by writer Stan Lee and artists Jack Kirby and Alex Toth, the fictional character is first mentioned in the comic book Strange Tales #124 (1964), but his first appearance was in Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #44 (1992). He is one of the mystical entities endowed with vast magical powers and of various origins, often extra-dimensional, who seem to share certain traits of both gods and demons.
Cyttorak is a demon revered as such on Earth in the distant past. Several centuries ago, he was banished from Earth and imprisoned in the Crimson Cosmos, a timeless extra-dimensional world, where time does not flow, and of which he became the sovereign.
He already existed in the days of the witch Morgana (seventh century) and even bestowed his magic on his devotees who served him, as Morgana has shown using the purple bands to easily bind Dr. Strange and Bolar. About 1,000 years ago, a gathering of eight great magical beings – Balthakk, Farallah, Ikonn, Krakkan, Raggadorr, Valtorr, Watoomb, and Cyttorak – took place to determine who was the most powerful of them, each vying for this. title.
They formed the Octessence each investing an ounce of their power in an artifact intended for the first human who would touch it and who would thus become an “Exemplar”, an avatar of the entity in question.
Their servants built temples, and the demons agreed that the Exemplars should be given the task of building a magical engine that would destroy the will of Mankind, allowing them each to rule over one-eighth of the world. The Exemplars would then wage a war among themselves, leaving only one winner.
Cyttorak is a monstrous deity and a magical being, probably the strongest magical entity in the Marvel Universe. He is the source of power for a lot of magical characters in the Marvel universe, Doctor Strange included, despite being a supervillain.
Within his Crimson Cosmos, Cyttorak is absolutely omnipotent (something akin to Mephisto in his Hell), but even outside of his own realm, Cyttorak is extremely powerful and dangerous, which is why we have placed him so high up on our list.
7. Phoenix Force
Alias: Various
Debut: Uncanny X-Men #101 (1976)
Created By: Chris Claremont, Dave Cockrum
Affiliation: Hero/Villain
The Phoenix Force is a fictional comic book entity created by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum in 1976, appearing in stories published by Marvel Comics. It is a cosmic entity with enormous powers that in the course of its millennial existence has chosen beings of many species to host it so that it can fulfill its mission (usually favoring the evolutionary progress of some worlds over others).
Once its task has been accomplished, the Phoenix Force returns to a state of quiescence inside her in the so-called “White Hot Room”, a sort of remote place in space and time where it remains in incubation until its next return.
The Phoenix Force possesses enormous powers over matter; in particular, it is able to control atoms and molecules at will. When it manifests, the Entity takes on the characteristic form of a bird made of pure self-igniting flame. When choosing a host, the Phoenix Force usually grants the host a substantial amount of its cosmic powers.
Usually, it enhances the characteristics and powers already existing in that individual, for example when it chose Jean Gray, she maximized her telekinesis and telepathy.
The Phoenix Force can be considered, depending on the circumstances, both a benevolent and malevolent entity. For example, in many cases it has helped to ensure progress on Earth, in other cases, it has destroyed entire solar systems. This depends a lot on both its mission and the interaction it develops with its host. On Earth, it has developed a strong attraction to Jean Gray and the people she loves. Its relationship with Jean has always been ambivalent.
After saving her and keeping her in a state of hibernation for a long time, the Phoenix Force absorbed her memories, then took her identity and place among the X-Men, and then became the Dark Phoenix, a terribly dangerous and destructive entity. Jean later returned and managed to control this entity with some success.
After its death, Jean Gray has instead become the White Phoenix of the Crown, a wise spirit housed in the White Hot Room, together with all the spirits of those who over time have been possessed by the entity, acquiring such a power as to become inferior only and solely to the Living Tribunal and the One-Above-All.
The Phoenix Force is pure energy and in that aspect, it needs a host to properly channel its powers; this is why it has occupied the body of various characters such as Jean Grey, Rachel Grey, Emma Frost, and even Professor X.
The Phoenix Force can manipulate and absorb energy, but the sheer power it embodies is so strong that it can even eliminate the likes of Galactus and similar characters, and we’ve already said how powerful all of these entities are.
6. Thanos (with the Infinity Gauntlet) / King Thanos
Alias: None
Debut: The Invincible Iron Man #55 (1973)
Created By: Jim Starlin
Affiliation: Villain
Thanos was inspired by the Freudian concept of “Thanatos”, just like his brother, Eros, was inspired by the Freudian concept of the same name. Thanos was born on Titan, one of Saturn’s moons as a member of the Eternals. He is the son of A’lars and Sui-San, two Eternals, but also a carrier of the Deviants gene, which explains his physical experience.
Believing him to be a threat to the universe, his mother wanted him killed, but his father stopped her. As a child, he was a pacifist and would only play with his brother and their pets.
Later on, he became fascinated with nihilism and the concept of death, eventually falling in love with Mistress Death, the embodiment of Death in the Marvel universe. Not long after that, Thanos became a supervillain, initially a simple pirate, but soon had more megalomanic plans.
He was not satisfied with mere piracy; he wanted more. Much more. Thanos wanted ultimate power, to rule over the whole universe, and to become the most powerful being alive. This is why he wanted to collect the Infinity Stones, so he could shape reality according to his own will. A lot of his actions are motivated by his love for Mistress Death, in whose name he has killed on several occasions.
Well, we couldn’t really come up with a list without Thanos, but – like with Deadpool – we had to be a bit specific. Thanos deserves a spot on this list only if he has the powerful Infinity Gauntlet with him, or if we’re talking about the powerful King Thanos iteration of the character that managed to subdue the whole universe except a younger version of himself, but that wasn’t really a question of power but of will.
These two versions of Thanos can do practically everything, but because it’s not really everything, rather just practically everything, he doesn’t deserve a higher spot on our list.
5. Franklin Richards
Alias: Franklin Benjamin Richards
Debut: Fantastic Four Annual #6 (1968)
Created By: Stan Lee, Jack Kirby
Affiliation: Hero
Franklin Richards is a superhero appearing in stories published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the fictional character first appeared in the Fantastic Four Annual #6 (1968). Son of Reed Richards (aka Mr. Fantastic), the leader of the Fantastic Four, and Jane Storm (aka the Invisible Woman), Franklin is typically portrayed as a young child with a budding, albeit inexperienced, super heritage.
He is a mutant beyond the Omega level with vast reality manipulation and psionic powers. In particular, he has the power to “distort reality”, that is, to advance any thought or desire, even on a cosmic scale.
He is also able to reorganize the molecular structure of matter and has shown to possess vast psionic powers, such as telepathy, telekinesis, the emission of bursts of force energy (concussion force), premonition, and astral projection. Being still a child, Franklin’s abilities are currently undermined, to some extent, by his limited control.
Furthermore, it is not clear what level of power Franklin will eventually reach as an adult, as several future incarnations of Franklin from alternate realities, as well as the mainstream Marvel Universe, has shown that his level of power varies. An alternate manifestation of Franklin in adult form was able to destroy two Celestials of Earth-4280 during physical combat; in the aftermath of their defeat, Franklin’s immortality was heavily involved.
The same individual also seized the power of his younger being to resurrect and transform Galactus into his own personal herald, after the Devourer of Worlds was rendered unconscious in a battle against an Army of the Celestials. In terms of as-yet unrealized potential, Franklin is widely regarded as the most powerful Earth mutant in the Marvel Universe.
The son of Reed Richards and Sue Storm, Franklin Richards is a rare example of an omega-level mutant, which – in itself – means that he is enormously powerful. Franklin Richards might look frail, but this guy is actually capable of bending and influencing reality as he wishes, making him more powerful than most other Marvel characters; his powers are comparable to those of the Celestials.
Being probably the most powerful mutant ever, Franklin Richards is inherently so powerful that we had to place him so high up our list and we don’t regret it.
4. Eternity
Alias: None
Debut: Strange Tales #138 (1965)
Created By: Stan Lee, Steve Ditko
Affiliation: Neutral
Eternity is a cosmic entity appearing in stories published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, the fictional character was first mentioned in Strange Tales #134 (1965) and first appeared in Strange Tales #138 (1965).
Eternity is an abstract entity represented as the embodiment of time. He is the companion of Infinity, the latter embodying space. Eternity does not have a physical body since it exists everywhere and at all times (ubiquity). He is one of the most powerful characters in the Marvel Universe and, as the name suggests, is immortal.
He has the ability to manipulate the universe as he pleases, as well as space, time, matter, energy, and magic. Nearly omniscient and omnipotent, he possesses almost limitless cosmic power, able to tap into all of everything that exists along with the temporal flow of our universe.
As an abstract entity, when it has to interact with physical beings, it uses the Dimension of Manifestations to create a physical body (or M-body, for manifestation). When he unites with Infinity, he possesses the combined power of the entire space-time continuum. Thanos, wearing the Infinity Gauntlet, defined his power as greater than that of Lord Chaos and Master Order, but below that of the Living Tribunal.
Among his siblings – Infinity, Death, and Oblivion – Eternity was chosen as he is the very embodiment of time in the Marvel Universe. He is exceptionally powerful, as you might expect from the embodiment of time, but he can also manipulate reality, which gives him additional powers and makes him a truly formidable foe you’d rather avoid than actually face in direct combat.
Eternity rightfully deserves such a high spot on our list and is undoubtedly very close to the most powerful cosmic beings that occupy the top three positions of this list.
3. Living Tribunal
Alias: None
Debut: Strange Tales #157 (1967)
Created By: Stan Lee, Marie Severin, Herb Trimpe
Affiliation: Neutral
Until a few years after the second Secret Wars, the Living Tribunal was kept at a level of power in which it could easily detonate the stars, and that was it. It was only two decades after the character’s introduction that he was retroactively remodeled as possessing an infinite scale of power over at least 16 dimensions beyond human comprehension. As the embodiment of the Marvel Multiverse, it represents the sum total of all the abstract entities contained within.
It exercises its authority over all alternate realities in the multiverse – but probably not over the entire omniverse; as a result, it is one of the few living things that possess no alternate counterparts on parallel earth, remaining unique within the multiverse.
He can monitor the entire multiverse simultaneously and analyze the immense amount of information he receives in this way, making him a truly omniscient being. The cosmic power of the Living Tribunal is seemingly limitless; he is able to obliterate planets and stars at will or form completely impenetrable barriers around entire planets, or even entire universes.
He is even able to nullify the power of Infinity Gems, preventing them from being used in unison. Before he can act, the three faces of the Tribunal must agree to a unanimous verdict. Thanos, wielding the Infinity Gauntlet, ranked the power of the Living Tribunal as the highest in the hierarchy of the regular multiverse of the Marvel Universe. However, the Tribunal also referred to a higher entity that largely overshadows its own power16 and was easily killed by the Beyonders.
The Living Tribunal is the One-Above-All’s herald and is one of the most powerful beings in the whole universe. He can destroy realities, he is exceptionally powerful and there is really little that he cannot do. He is feared by many – even Thanos with the Infinity Gauntlet does not dare challenge him – but he has proven himself vulnerable in a fight against the Beyonder, which is why we have placed him here on our list and not higher up.
You shouldn’t really mess with the Living Tribunal unless you’re the Beyonder.
2. Beyonder
Alias: None
Debut: Secret Wars #1 (May 1984)
Created By: Jim Shooter, Mike Zeck
Affiliation: Villain
The Beyonder is a cosmic entity appearing in stories published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Jim Shooter and artist mike Zeck, the fictional character first appeared in the Secret Wars #1 (1984). When creating the character for the Secret Wars storyline, the Beyonder’s power was seemingly limitless.
Omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent in his universe where he constitutes a whole, he would prove to be even more powerful than the cosmic being Galactus (whom he easily managed to bring to Battleworld and whom he overwhelmed with a single projection of energy). He repelled Galactus “like an insect” and overwhelmed the energy accumulated by Taa II, Galactus’ world ship.
During this event, Doctor Doom experienced the Beyonder’s powers, having stolen them from him, and discovered their full extent: he could read the wishes of everyone around him and his every wish came true. There was a trade-off, however: All of Doom’s thoughts – conscious as well as unconscious – came true if he didn’t control them. Wielding the Beyonder’s power, therefore, required constant focus and a total absence of personal desire.
During this event, the Beyonder destroyed a galaxy on a whim, to meet one of his needs and, in another episode, it was discovered that he could suppress Death himself or make the Devil (Mephisto) and his infernal kingdom disappear. To escape it, Mephisto tried to beat him by cunning (which demonstrates his inferiority in terms of sheer power, including on his own ground). The power of the Beyonder was therefore exercised in other dimensions as well.
Even weakened, the Beyonder was able to take possession of a being made up of sound waves such as Klaw. In his human form (during Secret Wars II), however, his power was diminished; vulnerable, he felt a sharp pain when Wolverine’s claws slashed him or when he fell from the top of a building. However, he was still able to survive these ordeals, although this human incarnation made him deadly as well.
In this form, it was also possible for him to manipulate matter and spirits and to transport himself to various points in the universe. He could even face and defeat the Celestials. All of this was changed to a certain degree when Shooter left Marvel, so the current iteration of the Beyonder is significantly weaker.
For those that are not that well acquainted with Marvel’s stories, the Beyonder might be a strange pick but this guy is enormously powerful and many people agree that he is second only to the One-Above-All. There is little this guy cannot do and his enormous powers place him even above the extremely powerful Living Tribunal.
This is why the Beyonder is so high up on our list and why we are certain that this is the right decision.
1. One-Above-All
Alias: None
Debut: Fantastic Four #511 (2004)
Created By: Mark Waid, Mike Wieringo
Affiliation: Neutral
The One Above All (alternatively One-Above-All) is a fictional deity from the Marvel Universe that is depicted as the creator of the whole Multiverse. Although his presence was part of the Marvel mythos early on, he did not appear until 2004’s Fantastic Four #511, where he appeared in the form of Jack Kirby; Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo are credited as his creators.
The One Above All’s design changed and today, a lot of people suspect that he is not Jack Kirby (anymore?), but rather Stan Lee, although that has never been officially confirmed.
Apparently responsible for the existence of all life in the Multiverse and possibly beyond, The One Above All is the master and sole superior of the cosmic overseer and arbitrator known as the Living Tribunal, whose faces, embodying equity, vengeance, and necessity respectively, are in perfect alignment with one another as it passes judgment.
Although he has appeared in various stories, The One Above All is most closely associated with the Fantastic Four, as they were the first characters to actually see him in his debut appearance; he credited them for their heroics and promised them new adventures while reviving the Thing. He also appeared to Spider-Man, disguised as a homeless man, and had an encounter with Thanos and Adam Warlock.
An interesting thing about The One Above All is that, although he has all the attributes of an Abrahamian deity, he is far more benevolent than an actual Abrahamian god or the seemingly objective Presence from the DC Universe. Namely, as it was revealed, The One Above All’s the primary driving force – and the primary driving force of the universe – is Love, which is a very interesting twist that you would not expect from such an omnipotent being.
This is why The One Above All is so special and this is why he is always cited as one of the most intriguing comic book characters ever.
There is absolutely no doubt that the One-Above-All is Marvel’s stronger character. He is depicted as the creator of everything in the Marvel Universe and as the omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent entity that Marvel relies on. The One-Above-All has its weaknesses, as was depicted in one comic book storyline, but is nevertheless extremely powerful and has absolutely deserved his position on our list.
