Top 10 INSANELY Powerful Marvel Characters
Comics, Comic Books, Superhero, Marvel Comics,
When it comes to these beings, you’d best stay on their good side. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Powerful Marvel Characters.
For this list, we’ll be looking at some of the most awe-inspiring or terrifyingly powerful villains, heroes, and entities from the pages of Marvel comics. Given that the hierarchy and relative power levels of characters can vary from writer to writer, there may be some debate about the specific ranking. If a character is on our list, however, you can bet that they are among the most powerful in the history of Marvel comics.
Please note: For those expecting to see Thanos, we’d like to stipulate that we’re evaluating the power of characters without enhancements or specific weapons. Formidable though he might be, without the Infinity Gauntlet, the Mad Titan doesn’t crack the top 10.
With a title like “Devourer of Worlds”, chances are that you’re working with some pretty high levels of power. Galactus, once known as Galan, is a holdover from not only a bygone civilization, but an entirely different incarnation of the multiverse. He and the last of the Taa people accepted their fate as the multiverse collapsed, opting to end on a high note by witnessing “The Big Crunch” firsthand. Somehow, Galan survived and was reborn as Galactus, living through the Big Bang that kicked off the next cycle of the multiverse. As such, he actually predates numerous characters on our list. To support his massive need for energy in this highly evolved state, he must consume entire planets. His control of the Power Cosmic makes him formidable, but his ability to grant this power to his Heralds like the Silver Surfer makes him nearly unstoppable.
When talking about the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe, the distinction between cosmic energy, technology, godhood, magic, and conventional superpowers complicates things - especially when the lines between each become blurred. These scales don’t always line up, but as far as magic is concerned, Cyttorak is pretty close to the top of the heap. His titles include the Destroyer, Lord of Oblivion and “One True Rage-Father”, among others. Because of the infrequency of his involvement on the earthly plain, it could be argued that we’ve never seen his limits tested, but the magical artifacts he powers are among the strongest in the universe. A god and demon of unimaginable power, Cyttorak is not a force to be trifled with - especially in his own domain.
Amatsu-Mikaboshi is a god inspired by Japanese mythology. Though a fairly recent addition to the Marvel universe, having only debuted in 2006, Mikaboshi quickly made a big impression - and has apparently been around for billions of years. According to legend, the Earth was once a lifeless void inhabited by Mikaboshi - and Mikaboshi alone. When other gods began populating it, Mikaboshi was banished to the netherworld. Being a god of evil and chaos, however, he longs to spread both. Though theoretically on a similar power level to the Marvel gods of various cultures, Mikaboshi’s innate magical abilities and dark nature have made him something of a god-killer. After ascending to the title of “Chaos King”, he posed a threat to the multiverse itself.
The son of Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman might seem like a bit of an outlier, but only if you’re unfamiliar with the complicated Richards family history. The same radiation that gave birth to the Fantastic Four would also go on to affect the future son of Reed and Sue - altering him far more drastically than it did his parents. Even at a young age, Franklin Richards was quickly revealed to be among the most powerful beings on the planet. The Celestials, a race with vast cosmic abilities - and who require a mention in their own right- have deemed Franklin beyond Omega mutant classification. He actually once turned Galactus into HIS herald and has killed Celestials through various means.
This cosmic entity is truly a force to be reckoned with. It is, in short, the force of life itself - both creation and destruction. Immortal, without overt allegiance and capable of bestowing earth-shattering power to its hosts, it is an elemental force given shape. Its purpose is simple but nebulous: it is charged with destroying and recreating those elements of the universe which no longer function as they should. As you can imagine, this abstract purpose of “balance” often puts it at odds with the heroes of the Marvel universe. So yeah… it can basically hit restart on whatever it deems fit, whenever it deems fit. Now that’s cosmic power.
Alright, this a bit of a strange one, but just hear us out. Born Clyde Wyncham Jr., the Marquis was the only mutant in his reality - and an unfathomably powerful mutant at that. When his comics were taken away, his mind pulled Marvel characters into his universe. He was eventually taken to the main Marvel continuity, where his colossal powers of reality manipulation could be kept in check. Unfortunately, a future version of himself was awoken and, using his incomparable abilities, he spent lifetimes wiping out entire universes. He was ultimately defeated by Doctor Doom after being weakened by a version of himself from the past, but while he was around, The Marquis of Death had the ability to end all life in the multiverse, which makes him one of the most deadly beings in the Marvel Universe.
As we crack the top 4, we really start getting into the high level “hard to comprehend” characters in the Marvel universe. So if the explanations get a little hard to follow… we apologize. Eternity is basically the embodiment of everything within a given incarnation of the multiverse. When a multiverse ends, Eternity becomes the embodiment of that next incarnation. Eternity can also be seen as the embodiment of time and reality. Its other half is Infinity, who embodies the infinite possibilities of existence. As we said, these beings are hard to really wrap your mind around, but basically… you can think of Eternity and Infinity as you do Death and Oblivion - fundamental forces of nature personified.
Within every given universe, there are major forces at play like those we just discussed. However, the Living Tribunal cracks the top 3 by being a being untethered to a specific universe, having instead been tasked with guarding the multiverse. This cosmic entity does not generally concern itself with the issues commonly faced by the heroes of the Marvel universe, it’s a real “big picture” sort of character. It only becomes involved when a great imbalance develops, like a universe at large giving into widespread evil, or a specific universe becoming overpowered relative to others. More powerful than the Infinity Gauntlet, the Living Tribunal is the embodiment of the multiverse itself. Within its tier, the Living Tribunal is rivaled only perhaps by the Protege.
The Beyonder actually belongs to an entire race known as the Beyonders, who are responsible for the death of the Living Tribunal, just to give you an idea of the power levels we’re dealing with. What makes him stand out from the bunch, however, is his involvement in the reality inhabited by Marvel heroes and villains. Beyonders are extra-dimensional beings from -as the name suggests- beyond the multiverse. Accidentally dragged here by some earthly villains, the Beyonder becomes fascinated with mankind and that which drives them. He is a manipulator of reality and, in his strongest incarnation, is considered the most powerful being in the multiverse from the moment of his arrival. All-knowing and all-powerful, he can wipe out the multiverse singlehandedly. Be that as it may, there’s arguably one human who actually comes close to his power level - Molecule Man.
DC comics has the Presence; Marvel comics has the One-Above-All. As the name suggests, this character is the force that presides over everything in the multiverse, having been responsible for its creation. Essentially this is the secular god/creator stand-in for Marvel comics. Very few characters have had the opportunity to meet the One-Above-All, but the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man and Thanos can be counted among them. Of course, the form it takes changes, including its gender. In terms of powers, there’s really no limit to what the One-Above-All can do. It’s their creation and they do as they see fit. Them’s the perks of being omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient. The One-Above-All comes as advertised.
For this list, we’ll be looking at some of the most awe-inspiring or terrifyingly powerful villains, heroes, and entities from the pages of Marvel comics. Given that the hierarchy and relative power levels of characters can vary from writer to writer, there may be some debate about the specific ranking. If a character is on our list, however, you can bet that they are among the most powerful in the history of Marvel comics.
Please note: For those expecting to see Thanos, we’d like to stipulate that we’re evaluating the power of characters without enhancements or specific weapons. Formidable though he might be, without the Infinity Gauntlet, the Mad Titan doesn’t crack the top 10.
#10: Galactus
With a title like “Devourer of Worlds”, chances are that you’re working with some pretty high levels of power. Galactus, once known as Galan, is a holdover from not only a bygone civilization, but an entirely different incarnation of the multiverse. He and the last of the Taa people accepted their fate as the multiverse collapsed, opting to end on a high note by witnessing “The Big Crunch” firsthand. Somehow, Galan survived and was reborn as Galactus, living through the Big Bang that kicked off the next cycle of the multiverse. As such, he actually predates numerous characters on our list. To support his massive need for energy in this highly evolved state, he must consume entire planets. His control of the Power Cosmic makes him formidable, but his ability to grant this power to his Heralds like the Silver Surfer makes him nearly unstoppable.
#9: Cyttorak
When talking about the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe, the distinction between cosmic energy, technology, godhood, magic, and conventional superpowers complicates things - especially when the lines between each become blurred. These scales don’t always line up, but as far as magic is concerned, Cyttorak is pretty close to the top of the heap. His titles include the Destroyer, Lord of Oblivion and “One True Rage-Father”, among others. Because of the infrequency of his involvement on the earthly plain, it could be argued that we’ve never seen his limits tested, but the magical artifacts he powers are among the strongest in the universe. A god and demon of unimaginable power, Cyttorak is not a force to be trifled with - especially in his own domain.
#8: Mikaboshi
Amatsu-Mikaboshi is a god inspired by Japanese mythology. Though a fairly recent addition to the Marvel universe, having only debuted in 2006, Mikaboshi quickly made a big impression - and has apparently been around for billions of years. According to legend, the Earth was once a lifeless void inhabited by Mikaboshi - and Mikaboshi alone. When other gods began populating it, Mikaboshi was banished to the netherworld. Being a god of evil and chaos, however, he longs to spread both. Though theoretically on a similar power level to the Marvel gods of various cultures, Mikaboshi’s innate magical abilities and dark nature have made him something of a god-killer. After ascending to the title of “Chaos King”, he posed a threat to the multiverse itself.
#7: Franklin Richards
The son of Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman might seem like a bit of an outlier, but only if you’re unfamiliar with the complicated Richards family history. The same radiation that gave birth to the Fantastic Four would also go on to affect the future son of Reed and Sue - altering him far more drastically than it did his parents. Even at a young age, Franklin Richards was quickly revealed to be among the most powerful beings on the planet. The Celestials, a race with vast cosmic abilities - and who require a mention in their own right- have deemed Franklin beyond Omega mutant classification. He actually once turned Galactus into HIS herald and has killed Celestials through various means.
#6: Phoenix Force
This cosmic entity is truly a force to be reckoned with. It is, in short, the force of life itself - both creation and destruction. Immortal, without overt allegiance and capable of bestowing earth-shattering power to its hosts, it is an elemental force given shape. Its purpose is simple but nebulous: it is charged with destroying and recreating those elements of the universe which no longer function as they should. As you can imagine, this abstract purpose of “balance” often puts it at odds with the heroes of the Marvel universe. So yeah… it can basically hit restart on whatever it deems fit, whenever it deems fit. Now that’s cosmic power.
#5: Marquis of Death
Alright, this a bit of a strange one, but just hear us out. Born Clyde Wyncham Jr., the Marquis was the only mutant in his reality - and an unfathomably powerful mutant at that. When his comics were taken away, his mind pulled Marvel characters into his universe. He was eventually taken to the main Marvel continuity, where his colossal powers of reality manipulation could be kept in check. Unfortunately, a future version of himself was awoken and, using his incomparable abilities, he spent lifetimes wiping out entire universes. He was ultimately defeated by Doctor Doom after being weakened by a version of himself from the past, but while he was around, The Marquis of Death had the ability to end all life in the multiverse, which makes him one of the most deadly beings in the Marvel Universe.
#4: Eternity
As we crack the top 4, we really start getting into the high level “hard to comprehend” characters in the Marvel universe. So if the explanations get a little hard to follow… we apologize. Eternity is basically the embodiment of everything within a given incarnation of the multiverse. When a multiverse ends, Eternity becomes the embodiment of that next incarnation. Eternity can also be seen as the embodiment of time and reality. Its other half is Infinity, who embodies the infinite possibilities of existence. As we said, these beings are hard to really wrap your mind around, but basically… you can think of Eternity and Infinity as you do Death and Oblivion - fundamental forces of nature personified.
#3: The Living Tribunal
Within every given universe, there are major forces at play like those we just discussed. However, the Living Tribunal cracks the top 3 by being a being untethered to a specific universe, having instead been tasked with guarding the multiverse. This cosmic entity does not generally concern itself with the issues commonly faced by the heroes of the Marvel universe, it’s a real “big picture” sort of character. It only becomes involved when a great imbalance develops, like a universe at large giving into widespread evil, or a specific universe becoming overpowered relative to others. More powerful than the Infinity Gauntlet, the Living Tribunal is the embodiment of the multiverse itself. Within its tier, the Living Tribunal is rivaled only perhaps by the Protege.
#2: The Beyonder
The Beyonder actually belongs to an entire race known as the Beyonders, who are responsible for the death of the Living Tribunal, just to give you an idea of the power levels we’re dealing with. What makes him stand out from the bunch, however, is his involvement in the reality inhabited by Marvel heroes and villains. Beyonders are extra-dimensional beings from -as the name suggests- beyond the multiverse. Accidentally dragged here by some earthly villains, the Beyonder becomes fascinated with mankind and that which drives them. He is a manipulator of reality and, in his strongest incarnation, is considered the most powerful being in the multiverse from the moment of his arrival. All-knowing and all-powerful, he can wipe out the multiverse singlehandedly. Be that as it may, there’s arguably one human who actually comes close to his power level - Molecule Man.
#1: The One-Above-All
DC comics has the Presence; Marvel comics has the One-Above-All. As the name suggests, this character is the force that presides over everything in the multiverse, having been responsible for its creation. Essentially this is the secular god/creator stand-in for Marvel comics. Very few characters have had the opportunity to meet the One-Above-All, but the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man and Thanos can be counted among them. Of course, the form it takes changes, including its gender. In terms of powers, there’s really no limit to what the One-Above-All can do. It’s their creation and they do as they see fit. Them’s the perks of being omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient. The One-Above-All comes as advertised.
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