When we look at the incredible abilities of characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Marvel comics, we might wonder who is the strongest superhero. Fans have debated on the internet who would be the strongest in theory, but given the scope of the Marvel Universe, will they ever know? And, since so many characters have yet to be introduced into the MCU, is this a valid argument?
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With so many powerful characters in both the MCU and Marvel Comics, it can be difficult to say which superhero would reign supreme. This is why this article will focus separately on the heroes of the MCU and comics universes. A superhero from each universe, that of the MCU and that of Marvel Comics, will be selected as the strongest in their respective adaptations based on their abilities and power levels. And while there are many beings more powerful than some of the characters mentioned below, it's essential to remember that this list only ranks superheroes. Therefore, characters such as Death, The One Above All, and the Tribunal will not be discussed, as they do not actively engage in battles unless the cosmic balance is threatened.
Marvel Comic Book's Strongest Superhero: Top 9 Contestants
9. The Incredible Hulk
The story of Bruce Banner and the Hulk is as well known as that of Superman; therefore, no introduction is necessary for the Green Giant Gamma. But when you think of Marvel's most powerful characters, Hulk probably isn't one of them. And that might ring true considering the fact that his abilities primarily consist of superhuman strength. However, looking at how his powers work, one wonders how powerful he could achieve.
With Hulk, he transforms based on his emotions. Notably, the more intense his anger, the stronger he becomes. And because of this, many fans have speculated that he could become invincible if he can tap into a fierce feeling he has yet to experience. And while that's a possibility, it's ultimately speculation. Compared to other Earth characters like Iron Man, Captain America, Black Panther, and even the Winter Soldier, Hulk's overall power level is much lower, making him one of the Marvel superheroes the strongest.
8. Vision
Compared to the MCU version, Vision is a much stronger superhero in the Marvel comics. And unlike the version of Vision seen on the big screen, his comic book counterpart does not have an infinity gem. However, this doesn't change his origin story: an android created by Ultron to destroy the Avengers.
Sharing the same blueprint as Wonder Man, Vision joined the Avengers and actively defeated countless villains alongside them before finally being killed by Thanos. His powers consist of super strength, flight and density manipulation (meaning he can also phase move through solid objects), and his computerized brain. But that doesn't change the fact that he was beaten by other powerful characters, such as Scarlet Witch and She-Hulk, which is why he's placed so low in this list.
7. Hercules
In comics, Hercules is one of the first and greatest heroes of Greco-Roman origin. One of the most powerful characters in terms of physical strength, not to mention his incredible speed, he has nothing to envy of Thor. He even wields his version of the hammer Mjölnir. And most often he is compared to Thor. In fact, during a clash between the two powerful beings, neither of them achieved victory, with the clash ending in a stalemate.
Hercules has been an Avenger for a long time, having been part of the team for decades. However, his current place in the Marvel superhero roster is because Thor possesses more powerful abilities.
6. Thor: The God of Thunder
Although it could be said that Thor and Hercules have similar power levels, there is a reason why Thor is nicknamed the “Mightiest Avenger” (which is code for Most Powerful Avenger). And while Thor isn't the most powerful Asgardian, he's still the strongest Avenger with his super strength, centuries of warrior training, and ability to wield one of the most powerful weapons in all of Marvel Universe: Mjölnir. And while characters like Steve Rogers can wield the hammer, Thor has also wielded other weapons like Stormbreaker, Thunderstrike, and Lightbringer.
Additionally, Thor's impressive invulnerability adds to his god-like powers, as he was able to withstand attacks from ancient and powerful threats. Finally, Thor's ability to respond with intense, destructive lightning can be very useful against villains. Thor is a good candidate to be one of Marvel's strongest heroes.
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5. Jean-Grey
One of the most powerful heroes in the Marvel Comics universe is undoubtedly Jean-Grey. She is an omega-level mutant who has the ability to read minds and perform telekinesis. And although some claim that she has died many times and is continually brought back to life, she grows stronger with each resurrection. With this in mind, her superhuman abilities make her one of the most powerful superheroes in the world.
That said, the scale of his powers increases further when the power of the Phoenix force is taken into account. The Phoenix is revealed to be an alien entity that allows its already incredible powers to take on cosmic potential. Whether she loses control of the Phoenix or takes full control of it, she is able to annihilate her enemies with a flick of her finger and control matter on a molecular level. She can even create force fields with her mind that can hold incredible bursts of energy. The power of the phoenix enhances his already incredible psionic abilities.
4. Silver Surfer
His first appearance in the Fantastic Four comic strip made the Silver Surfer one of Stan Lee's favorite characters. At first glance he seems quite strange with a surfboard in space, but as he gets to know the entity a little more, it becomes apparent that he is one of the most powerful beings in the world. universe of Marvel comics. He is first introduced as Galactus' herald before gaining his freedom and traveling the cosmos to help those in need. With the Cosmic Power at his side, he is almost impossible to stop. And, in volume 149 of Marvel's What If…The Silver Surfer Possessed: Infinity Gauntlet; he is the one who wields the Infinity Gauntlet with all the infinity stones.
3. Captain Marvel
Carol Danvers was first introduced as Miss Marvel in the 1960s as a heroine possessing the power of the Kree. She was then the subject of experiments by the Brood, which had the effect of increasing her already cosmic power, transforming her into a character known as Binary. With this new form, she can tap into the power of a white hole, allowing her to manipulate energy. This means she can control gravity, heat, and the entire electromagnetic spectrum. With such a powerful ability, it's surprising that she's only third on this list for non-comic book fans.
2. Adam Warlock
Adam Warlock's ranking second can easily be explained by the fact that he was powerful enough to replace the Living Tribunal after the Beyonders killed him to restore the universe (which Adam had accidentally destroyed first place). However, it would take more to convince some hardcore Marvel fans.
So, in addition to his already cosmic level abilities, he possesses super strength, flight and cosmic projection. He also has a direct connection to the Soul Gem and, therefore, the entire Soul Dimension, an ability given to him by High Evolutionary. This means that he can channel the entire dimension of the soul. Not to mention that he becomes more powerful with each resurrection, allowing him to create wormholes and achieve super speed.
The strongest Marvel superhero of all time is…
1. Franklin Richards
When looking at Adam Warlock's incredible abilities, it's hard to imagine anyone stronger than him. But strangely, the strongest being in the entire Marvel comics universe is a human child named Franklin Richards. He is also an omega-level mutant and the son of Reed and Sue Richards. This character is all the more special because he unlocked his powers before reaching puberty, unlike other mutants. Additionally, although his age is never explicitly stated, he has impressive control of his abilities from the age of seven during the events of Secret Invasion: Fantastic Four #2.
There is no doubt that Franklin Richards is the strongest Marvel superhero of all time, as his abilities include reality-warping and time-bending. He's managed to create replicas of the universe he resides in (yes, as a child) and even created one where he's an adult with Galactus as his herald. His abilities are already limitless as a child, and there is no telling how much stronger he will become as an adult.
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8. Venom
With the release of Venom 2 in 2021, fans were treated to a deeper dive into the mechanics (and abilities) of their favorite symbiote. Venom's powers consist of the ability to bond with all life forms due to the nature of his species. Additionally, he can enhance the abilities of any life form he possesses. He possesses superpowerful speed, strength, agility, senses and reflexes. He also has invulnerability, accelerated healing, and the ability to shapeshift in whole or in part at will.
And while this all sounds great, there's a reason why Venom and Eddie Brock are so low on this list. This is because Venom is the weakest of the four symbiotes that made their way to earth. And in the last movie, Venom was barely able to hold his own against Carnage.
7. Spider-Man
First appearing in Captain America: Civil War as prodigy Tony Stark, Peter Parker is quite young in this iteration of the hero's story and is still finding his feet. But, when Spider-Man: No Way Home arrived, his character and abilities were already well fleshed out. And considering the high-profile threats he had to face in the most recent film, he can easily claim the title of one of the strongest heroes in the MCU.
Spider-Man's abilities consist of superhuman strength, speed, durability, reflexes, and endurance. Additionally, he has enhanced senses and accelerated healing. These abilities are enhanced by his web shooters and his spider suit designed and gifted by Tony Stark. And if that's not compelling enough, consider the mental toll saving the world and losing everything he's ever loved must have on the teenager.
6. Vision
After Vision's heartbreaking death in 2018's Avengers: Infinity War, he remains a strong contender for the title of strongest Marvel superhero. Originally created by Ultron in Avengers: Age of Ultron to destroy the Avengers, he eventually became a valued member of the team.
Unlike in the comics, Vision possesses the Mind Stone in the MCU, which allows him to disperse intense rays of energy from the stone itself. Additionally, it controls the density of matter, allowing it to pass through solid objects with ease. Finally, he possesses the abilities of flight, super speed and strength.
5. Loki
As Asgard's most powerful sorcerer and Thor's adopted brother, it's no surprise that he made it this high on the list. That and the fact that Loki possesses an incredible array of abilities that have more than earned him the title of God of Mischief. At a base level, Loki possesses superhuman strength and exceptional durability.
Additionally, he has a longer lifespan than any human, which could put him in a position for immortality, depending on how you look at it. His magical abilities grant him many other special powers such as levitation, telekinesis, cyrokinesis, shapeshifting, teleportation, astral projection, hypnosis, and the ability to fire energy blasts.
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4.Thor
Also known as the “God of Thunder” and the “Strongest Avenger”, it makes sense that Thor would be at the top of the list. Being nearly invincible, as an Asgardian he is already at an advantage as members of his race possess superhuman strength, durability, speed, and agility that places them far above the human race. He also has the ability to regenerate much faster than the average person if he is injured. Additionally, his lifespan is much longer than that of a human, although he is not immortal (again, depending on how you look at it, this could be considered immortality) .
Due to his status as the son of Odin and essentially the prince of Asgard, he can control the weather and create storms. Additionally, as seen in Thor: Ragnarok, it can deliver powerful blasts of electricity when heated. This means that he technically also has the ability of electrokinesis, as he can cause electricity to surge from his body without the aid of Mjolnir. And besides, Mjolnir is just a bonus to his already overpowered abilities.
3. The Scarlet Witch
Wanda Maximoff is a native Sokavian who was born with the ability of chaos magic. But following experiments on Wanda and her brother Pietra, she developed psionic abilities. This is how she became a member of the Avengers and demonstrated her abilities as one of the most powerful characters in the MCU.
However, she ultimately became the antagonist of the latest Dr. Strange film, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. This is the reason why she is so high on the list, as the abilities shown in the movie show her taking down most of the Illuminati and Dr. Strange has a hard time defending himself against her.
His psionic abilities allow him to fly, have telekinesis, telepathy, pathokinesis, mental manipulation (and the ability to create hallucinations at will), and energy manipulation among other things. Additionally, some of the abilities that come with his chaos magic are teleportation, reality warping, energy absorption, time manipulation, astral projection, and even transmutation.
2. Captain Marvel
Carol Danvers was recently introduced into the MCU with her Captain Marvel film. He detailed his origin story and established it as a game changer for the upcoming fight against Thanos in Avengers: Endgame. And it's not for nothing that she is considered one of Marvel's strongest characters. Fans have gone off on his power levels in the comics, even though it has yet to be seen on the big screen.
However, based on the abilities that have been adapted, she could easily take the top spot on this list. Unfortunately, Carol only has a limited power scale. Firstly, she has self-sustaining ability, meaning she can survive in space without a suit/form of protection from the harsh atmosphere. This can also be considered superhuman durability. She has fast healing and flying abilities and can pass through objects, like Vision. Additionally, she possesses superhuman strength and speed, and can fly. These abilities alone put her on a much higher level than other heroes in the MCU.
And the Marvel Cinematic Universe's strongest superhero of all time goes to…
1. Doctor Strange
Despite being a human, Doctor Strange possesses some of the MCU's most incredible abilities, easily putting him in first place and earning him the title of MCU's strongest superhero of all time. However, the true extent of his abilities are revealed in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. And that's to be expected given that her opponent was the Scarlet Witch, who can literally warp reality.
Known as the Sorcerer Supreme, he was already established to have incredible potential as a surgeon before gaining his abilities. Thanks to his incredible intuition and ability to adapt, he quickly becomes a competent sorcerer and master of the mystical arts. He can conjure various spells, bind opponents, and create shields/force fields. He gains the trust of the Cloak of Levitation and can teleport himself and other objects/people through sling rings that he conjures at will.
He possesses the Time Stone, which means he can manipulate time. The ability to see into the future is just a power-up that can be seen in Avengers: Infinity War in an attempt to beat Thanos. Additionally, his ability to use the Darkhold without much consequence in the most recent film is further proof that he is physically and mentally capable. Finally, the Eye of Agamotto is further proof of the strength Doctor Strange will gain in the upcoming films, as he has now gained an ability that makes him almost omniscient.
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