15 Most Powerful Superheroes of All Time (Ranked)

Across comics, movies and anime, some heroes are written with abilities that reach far beyond street-level crimefighting and into world-shaking, reality-bending territory. These characters regularly face cosmic threats, survive apocalyptic events and reshape time, space or even existence itself. Looking at their powers, origins and the kinds of challenges they handle, you can see a clear group of heavy-hitters who sit in a very special category of superhero storytelling. Here are some of the most overwhelmingly powerful heroes ever created, moving from extremely strong to almost god-like.

Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman, also known as Diana of Themyscira, is an Amazonian demigoddess created by the Olympian gods and trained as a warrior from childhood. She possesses superhuman strength, speed, durability and reflexes, along with the ability to fly in many modern interpretations. Her signature equipment includes the Lasso of Truth, indestructible bracelets that can deflect bullets and energy blasts, and often a near-unbreakable shield and sword forged by the gods. In major comic arcs, she has gone toe-to-toe with beings like Ares and fought alongside teams such as the ‘Justice League’ against universe-level threats. Her combination of divine heritage, combat training and magical gear places her at the upper end of more grounded superhuman characters.

Shazam

Shazam, formerly known as Captain Marvel in the comics, gains his powers by speaking the magic word that summons the abilities of six mythological figures. From Solomon he receives wisdom, from Hercules strength, from Atlas stamina, from Zeus power over magic and lightning, from Achilles courage and from Mercury super speed and flight. When Billy Batson transforms, his child body is instantly replaced by an adult form that is physically comparable to Kryptonians under a yellow sun. Shazam has traded blows with heavyweights like Superman and Black Adam, and he has access to magical energy that lets him resist or counter mystical attacks. Because his power originates from gods and magic rather than science or alien biology, he can operate effectively in many situations that neutralize more conventional heroes.

Martian Manhunter

Martian Manhunter, or J’onn J’onzz, is one of the most versatile heroes in DC Comics. As a Green Martian, he possesses super strength, flight, invulnerability and speed on a level comparable to Kryptonians. He also has powerful telepathy, telekinesis, shapeshifting and invisibility, enabling him to phase through objects, alter his appearance and read or control minds. In many stories, he serves as both muscle and strategist for the ‘Justice League’, often acting as a telepathic hub for the team. His main vulnerability is an intense psychological and physical reaction to fire, which provides one of the few consistent limitations on his otherwise astonishing range of abilities.

Thor

Thor is the Asgardian god of thunder from Marvel Comics, drawing power from both his divine heritage and his enchanted hammer, usually Mjolnir. He possesses immense strength, durability and the ability to manipulate storms, calling down lightning and controlling wind and rain. Mjolnir grants him the power of flight, energy projection and dimensional travel, and it returns to his hand when thrown. Thor has fought beings such as Loki, Hela and Surtur and regularly battles cosmic forces that threaten worlds or entire realms. In many cosmic storylines, he stands shoulder-to-shoulder with heroes like the ‘Avengers’ and other space-faring champions as one of Marvel’s primary defenses against universal extinction events.

Hulk

The Hulk emerges when Bruce Banner is exposed to gamma radiation, transforming him into a being whose strength increases with his anger. Over decades of stories, different versions like World Breaker Hulk and Immortal Hulk have displayed power levels that let him shatter continents, regenerate from extreme damage and survive in hostile environments such as deep space. His durability often exceeds that of many other heroes, shrugging off conventional and even advanced weaponry with little effect. The character has clashed with gods, cosmic entities and entire teams, including the ‘Avengers’, and has sometimes required elaborate plans or reality-warping powers to contain. Because his rage has no fixed upper limit, writers often treat his strength as potentially boundless within the narrative.

Sentry

Sentry, also known as Robert Reynolds, is a Marvel character often described in the comics as having the power of “a million exploding suns.” He possesses super strength, flight, energy projection and near-invulnerability, along with a form of molecular manipulation in some storylines. His abilities are sometimes linked to a serum that gave him a unique connection to a cosmic energy source, turning him into one of the most fearsome beings on Earth. However, his mind is deeply unstable, and the dark aspect of his power manifests as the Void, a destructive entity that he constantly struggles to control. Major Marvel events have shown that when he loses control, entire cities and even larger regions can be devastated in moments.

Doctor Strange

Doctor Stephen Strange serves as the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth in many Marvel stories, acting as the planet’s primary guardian against mystical and interdimensional threats. After a car accident ended his career as a surgeon, he studied under the Ancient One and learned to wield powerful spells, artifacts and relics. His abilities include astral projection, time manipulation, teleportation, dimensional travel and the creation of complex magical shields and constructs. Doctor Strange frequently uses items like the Eye of Agamotto and the Cloak of Levitation, which enhance his spellcasting and give him additional capabilities such as limited time control and autonomous movement. In large-scale crossovers, he is often the figure who negotiates with or resists cosmic entities and demonic forces that ordinary superheroes cannot confront directly.

Silver Surfer

Silver Surfer, originally Norrin Radd of the planet Zenn-La, became herald to Galactus after agreeing to guide the world-devourer to new planets in exchange for saving his home. Galactus imbued him with the Power Cosmic, granting him vast energy manipulation, super strength, near-invulnerability and faster-than-light travel on his board. The Surfer can absorb, redirect and emit energy on a massive scale, create force fields and even manipulate matter at a molecular level in some stories. He has traversed the universe, encountered countless alien species and frequently operates in deep space with no need for air, food or sleep. In many Marvel cosmic sagas, Silver Surfer stands not just as a participant but as a key figure in preventing or mitigating reality-level disasters.

Jean Grey

Jean Grey is an original member of the X-Men whose telepathic and telekinetic abilities were dramatically amplified by the Phoenix Force. When bonded with this cosmic entity, she becomes Phoenix or Dark Phoenix, able to manipulate matter and energy at will, regenerate from destruction and survive in space unaided. The Phoenix Force is often described in the comics as a manifestation of life and death cycles in the universe, giving Jean access to power that can ignite or extinguish stars. Important story arcs show her reshaping reality, consuming solar systems and challenging some of the most powerful beings in Marvel’s cosmic hierarchy. Her role in the ‘X-Men’ stories places her at the center of some of the franchise’s most consequential events, often determining the fate of entire galaxies.

Son Goku

Goku, the main hero of the ‘Dragon Ball’ franchise, is a Saiyan who continually pushes his limits through training, battle and transformation. Starting from his early adventures, he gradually achieves forms such as Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan Blue and Ultra Instinct, each dramatically expanding his speed, strength and energy projection. In later arcs, he fights opponents who can destroy planets, collapse dimensions and manipulate time, and he responds by leveling up his ki-based abilities. Techniques like the Kamehameha, Spirit Bomb and Instant Transmission allow him to attack from long range, gather energy from other beings and teleport across vast distances. In the anime and manga, tournaments and battles repeatedly show him clashing with gods of destruction, angels and other divine figures on nearly equal footing.

Franklin Richards

Franklin Richards is the son of Reed Richards and Sue Storm of the ‘Fantastic Four’, and he is one of the most powerful mutants in Marvel Comics. From a young age, he demonstrated reality-warping abilities that allow him to create pocket universes, manipulate matter and energy and alter fundamental laws of physics. Several storylines depict him unconsciously reshaping reality to protect himself or his family, and later consciously rebuilding entire universes after catastrophic events. As he matures in the comics, his power sometimes rivals or exceeds that of cosmic beings such as Celestials. Because his abilities are so vast, other characters, including some of Marvel’s most intelligent minds, often take care not to trigger uncontrolled manifestations of his imagination.

Doctor Manhattan

Doctor Manhattan, originally Jon Osterman, gained his powers in the ‘Watchmen’ universe after a scientific accident in an intrinsic field experiment. He became a glowing blue being with control over matter at the subatomic level, allowing him to disintegrate objects, reassemble himself after destruction and create complex machines from raw materials. He experiences time non-linearly, perceiving past, present and future simultaneously, which influences his decisions and detachment from human concerns. In the story, his presence alters global politics, warfare and technology, effectively acting as a living superweapon for the United States at one point. Later works and crossovers explore how his reality-altering abilities reach beyond a single universe, affecting timelines and events on a multiversal scale.

The Spectre

The Spectre is a DC character who embodies the wrath of God, bonded to a human host such as Jim Corrigan or Hal Jordan to carry out divine justice. His abilities include reality manipulation, near-omnipotence, size changing, intangibility and virtually limitless magical power. In many stories, he punishes evil in symbolic and often terrifying ways, reshaping environments and physical laws to deliver judgment. Cosmic-level events in DC continuity, such as major crises involving the multiverse, frequently feature the Spectre as a key participant against other near-omnipotent beings. His effectiveness is sometimes limited not by power but by the moral and spiritual constraints placed on him by higher forces and the nature of his human host.

Superman Prime (One Million)

Superman Prime (One Million) is a future version of Superman introduced in DC’s ‘DC One Million’ storyline. After living for centuries, this version of Kal-El leaves Earth to travel the cosmos, spending thousands of years absorbing energy from the sun and other sources. He eventually returns as a nearly omnipotent being, with vastly amplified strength, speed, senses and invulnerability compared to his original incarnation. The character is portrayed as capable of feats that far exceed standard Kryptonian limits, including advanced reality manipulation and immortality. Various interpretations describe him as residing within the sun itself for extended periods, emerging with power levels that place him among the most formidable entities in the DC multiverse.

The One Above All

The One Above All is presented in Marvel Comics as the supreme being and ultimate source of all existence within the Marvel multiverse. This entity is often depicted as omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent, standing above cosmic figures such as the Living Tribunal, Eternity and Galactus. While it rarely appears directly in stories, its presence is implied whenever questions about the fundamental origin or highest authority of the Marvel reality arise. In some issues, it manifests in a humanoid form to speak with characters like Spider-Man or the Fantastic Four, usually offering guidance or perspective rather than conventional combat. Because it sits at the absolute top of Marvel’s cosmic hierarchy, no other superhero or villain is shown to exceed its power within canonical material.

Share which ultra-powerful heroes you’d add or swap in this lineup down in the comments.