Top 10 Times Marvel Superheroes Got New Powers

A mutant and X-Men of Russian origin, Colossus has the ability to turn his entire body in organic metal with steel-like qualities, without sacrificing mobility. In this state, he gains superhuman strength, stamina, and of course durability. During the events of “Fear Itself” however, the powerful mutant got a substantial upgrade when he became the Avatar of Cyttorak. This is a position usually held by Cain Marko, aka Juggernaut, but when the latter became possessed by Kuurth, Cyttorak sought a new champion and found one in Colossus. Though adding the abilities of Juggernaut made Piotr formidable, Cyttorak’s influence also gave him a constant, overwhelming desire to cause destruction.

Once upon a time, Norrin Radd was a simple humanoid being from the planet Zenn-La. When his home was threatened by Galactus however, he took the responsibility of being a herald of the Devourers of Worlds. At that moment, he was imbued with cosmic power and Silver Surfer was born. Already a force to reckoned with, the Silver Surfer became arguably one of the most powerful beings in the universe when he added the Uni-Power to his arsenal. The Uni-Power is sentient energy, a manifestation of the Universe that bonds with a host in need, transforming them into Captain Universe. But given that the Surfer was already in possession of cosmic power… he was essentially dual-wielding two cosmic energy forces. Not being one to hog all the power for himself, Silver Surfer delivers the Uni-Power to Gabriel Vargas, an injured soldier who becomes the new Captain Universe.

One of the five original X-Men, Bobby Drake wasn’t exactly what you’d call a heavy-hitter in his early years. When first introduced in the early ‘60s, he could encase people and objects in ice, including a protective shield for himself. He was also seen crafting various tools and objects out of ice. But it was all fairly modest in execution. After an encounter with Loki however, Iceman saw his powers drastically increase. Later still, various high stress and potentially fatal encounters would unlock new powers and secondary mutations. Iceman no longer simply creates a shield for his body, he can literally turn his tissue into organic ice and/or vapor. Furthermore, his control over the element is awe-inspiring in scale, precision and varied in its applications.

First introduced in in the late 1980s, Jubilation Lee is a mutant with ability to create brightly colored energy-based light blasts that look a lot like fireworks. Incendiary in nature and mentally guided by Jubilee, these bright lights might be pretty, but they can pack a punch. In 2010 however, as part of the “Curse of the Mutants” story arc, she became infected with a virus after an encounter with a biological suicide bomber. The result? She became a vampire! Though she no longer had her mutants ability at the time, she did gain super strength, speed, and stamina, as well as the ability to transform into vapor. The downside? Typical vampire weaknesses were also part of the package. In 2018, she was finally cured.

Like Iceman, Angel -at least in his early days- felt a little outclassed by his peers. One of the original five X-Men, Warren Worthington III is a mutant with a set of giant, angelic wings on his back that give him the ability of flight. And for the first few years… apart from above average physique, that was about it. Understandably, as the threats faced by the X-Men continued to escalate, Angel’s limited powers began to feel a bit basic, and so he’s gotten a few revamps over the years. Unfortunately, Warren was brainwashed and began to serve Apocalypse, who transformed him to his own angel of death. As Archangel, he received techno-organic wings, complete with bladed metal feathers and poisonous projectiles, and even after he overcame Apocalypse’s grasp, he continued to grapple with his new dark impulses.

First introduced in 1981, the mutant and eventual X-Men member Rogue actually began her career as a villain under the tutelage of Mystique. Her ability is a unique one - she can absorb the powers and memories of other mutants. As such, she’s constantly getting new powers, sometimes overwhelming ones. In the beginning, however, these only lasted for a relatively short period of time, and usually came at the expense of knocking the person unconscious. After being exposed to Strain 88 by the villainous Pandemic, however, Rogue’s powers became much quicker and more effective. After the events of Messiah Complex, she’s also been shown to be able to control her powers better, capable of turning them on and off and avoid ill-effect to the subject.

#4: Carol Danvers

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Orígenes de Superhéroes: Capitana Marvel (Carol Danvers)

Before she took up the mantle of Captain, Carol Danvers went by the name Ms. Marvel (among others). And much like her crime-fighting name, Danvers’ power set has undergone a number of changes. It all started when a Kree device went haywire, altering her DNA to mix it with that of the Kree people. Thus, Ms. Marvel was born! After tangling with Rogue, however, she was robbed of her powers and memories. Later, she was abducted by the Brood, an alien race whose experimentation triggered the full potential of her unique genetic makeup. She became Binary, and in this form began wielding a wide range of impressive new abilities, trading in various forms of energy.

This one requires very little introduction. A beloved and crucial chapter in X-Men history, the story of Jean Grey bonding with the Phoenix Force is perhaps the most famous upgrade of its kind. Jean is an extremely powerful telepath, but people never realized the extent of her abilities until the Phoenix Force showed up. Of course, not only did the Phoenix Force unleash her full potential, but it also imbued her with its own powers, making her a cosmic-level threat. As the Avatar of the Phoenix, Jean can control matter at the sub-atomic level, travel the stars, create cosmic fire, resurrect the dead and manipulate time. Of course, as we saw with the Phoenix Five, Jean isn’t the only character that the Phoenix Force can upgrade.

#2: Spider-Man

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Top 10 Spider-Man Kills

It all began simply enough with a bite from a radioactive spider, but the development of Peter Parker’s powers didn’t stop there. In 1984, a little event called Secret Wars took place, and Spidey found himself a new suit. More than just a new look, however, the black suit allowed Peter to produce his own webbing and had the handy ability to transform into civilian clothing at will. Of course, as we now know, it wasn’t just an alien suit, it was a living symbiote, which would go on to become Venom. And that isn’t the only upgrade Spidey has gotten over the years. During “Acts of Vengeance”, he was temporarily imbued with the Uni-Power to become Captain Universe, which, as previously discussed, comes with incredible cosmic powers.

This one is truly wild. On an alternate Earth, Frank Castle and the rest of Earth’s heroes defend against an attack from the Mad Titan Thanos. Castle, desperate to return and defeat Thanos, makes a deal with Mephisto to become the new Ghost Rider. Ok, sure, that’s already pretty cool, but it gets even better. Upon returning to Earth, Frank finds a wasteland: Thanos had won. After a few centuries, Galactus arrives on Earth seeking help to defeat Thanos, but the only one left alive is Frank, who he names his new Herald and grants the Power Cosmic, making Frank the Cosmic Ghost Rider! Then, as if this story couldn’t get any crazier, once Thanos defeats Galactus, Frank becomes the Mad Titan’s right-hand man. After being killed by a Mjolnir-wielding Silver Surfer, Frank is sent to live out eternity in Valhalla but is tasked by Odin to track down and kill Thanos as a baby. Once he gets there, he changes his mind and decides to kidnap baby Thanos in the hopes of changing his path. Is it weird? Absolutely. Is it also pretty awesome? No doubt about it.