Our Top 40 Most Powerful Marvel Characters [Ranked]

The Marvel Universe is full of powerful characters. However, some of these characters are beyond our understanding of strength and power. We are talking about the most powerful Marvel characters, and your favorite characters might be missing from this list.

Marvel has a large collection of characters in its comic book history. It has around 8000 basic characters and much more if you consider subsidiary, one-off, and multiverse versions of those characters.

We have handpicked the top 40 most powerful Marvel characters in this catalog. These characters are extremely powerful. If you only follow the MCU, then many of these characters will be unknown to you. 

So let’s take a look at some of the most powerful Marvel characters.

Most Powerful Marvel Characters

Again, we aren’t talking about the MCU characters here. We will discuss the most powerful Marvel characters who roam around Marvel’s Multiverse.

We have ranked each character based on their powers and strength. So let’s jump right into it.

40. Doctor Doom

Doctor Doom might be in the same league as some of the other characters on our list of the most powerful Marvel characters. However, he’s the most powerful Earth-based villain. Furthermore, his intellect puts him above the greatest minds in the Marvel Universe.

Victor Von Doom has come face to face with the likes of Thanos, Galactus, and the Fantastic 4. He has even managed to beat Thanos by ripping his skeleton out of his body. 

39. The Watchers

The Watchers are one of the oldest beings in the Marvel Universe. They have pledged to observe and collect knowledge on all aspects of the cosmos without intervention. Even though The Watchers are extremely powerful, their calm nature puts them at a much lower spot on this list.

The Watchers have even made their MCU debut. They made their initial appearance in the film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 as a cameo. However, they had a more central role in the animated show What If…

38. Hulk

Hulk is definitely one of the most powerful Marvel characters. Though the base version of Hulk might not be extremely powerful, once he reaches the extreme level of his powers, he can destroy entire planets.

The World Breaker Hulk is the character’s strongest (canon) version. He was created when Hulk absorbed the whole energy of planet Skaar. He easily outmatched the entire might of the Avengers. So we are putting Hulk on this list of the most powerful Marvel characters thanks to this character iteration. 

37. Chthon

Chthon is certainly one of the most powerful Marvel characters. He’s one of the elder gods of Earth. He created the Darkhold to act as a conduit between Earth and the Flickering Realms, from which he had fled.

If you have been following recent MCU movies and shows, then you’d be familiar with how powerful the Darkhold is. So it is quite self-explanatory how powerful its creator would be as well. Chthon still needs to make his MCU debut.

36. Cyttorak

Cyttorak is a gigantic extra-dimensional creature from the Crimson Cosmos. The primitive humans of Earth worshiped him as both a God and a Demon. He holds an immense amount of magical powers.

Cyttorak is the entity behind Juggernaut, as he lent his abilities to him. He is seen as an icon of strength and power which is why Cyttorak is a part of this list of the most powerful Marvel characters.

35. Shuma-Gorath

Shuma-Gorath, Lord of Chaos and Master of the extra-dimensional gods known as the Old Ones, lords over hundreds of dimensions. You might have seen him in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. 

He’s quite menacing, even by his overall appearance. He can easily travel across dimensions and take them over. Doctor Strange once absorbed Gorath’s power and became powerful enough to destroy entire galaxies.

34. Kang The Conqueror

This hero is the next entry on our list of the most powerful Marvel characters. Kang is a great inventor, a master politician, and a fighter who has trained himself to be as skilled as a human can be. 

Even though he’s just an ordinary human, Kang is ready to take down gods and heroes from all eras, thanks to technology from the 40th century. However, he might not stand a chance against some really powerful entities in the Marvel Universe, so we’re putting him low on this list.

33. Celestials

The First Firmament generated strong cosmic entities known as the Celestials. In a conflict that fractured the first universe into the Multiverse, the Celestials revolted against their creator and Aspirant counterparts.

Celestials possess god-like powers, which makes them one of the most powerful Marvel characters. They can move planets at will, kill whole worlds deemed unsuitable for living, and even confine and wipe out entire universes. Celestials are also quite capable of manipulating matter into energy.

32. Dreaming Celestial

Dreaming Celestials is the next entry on our list of the most powerful Marvel characters. He’s different from the other Celestials. He’s also the strongest one among the Celestials. Dreaming Celestial’s real name is Tiamut.

Tiamut can manipulate reality and withstand planet-breaking attacks. The Dreaming Celestial has surpassed the usual Celestial level of existence and may possess greater power and authority than any other Celestial known to exist.

31. Genis-Vell

Genis-Vell was cloned from the DNA of Kree warrior Mar-Vell. Despite being just a clone, he is actually much more powerful than Mar-Vell. However, he is unable to manage Captain Marvel’s mantle, strength, and awareness. 

Genis eventually succumbed to insanity as he became virtually omnipotent and vowed to “fix” the universe. Genis-Vell had the ability to absorb and utilize stellar energy, which gave him incredible cosmic power. Overall, he’s one of the most powerful Marvel characters. 

30. Mistress Love

Mistress Love might seem like an obscure character. She is the personification of love. She’s genderfluid and can shape-shift easily. Mistress Love has the ability to manipulate emotions connected to love in any being, even on a global scale.

Despite being such an absurd character, Mistress Love is one of the most powerful Marvel characters. Mistress Love is impervious to the effects of age and sickness, and she cannot be hurt or injured via normal means. Her powers allow her to control any being in existence.

29. The Seven Friendless

The Seven Friendless are quite complex characters. The members of this group are Eternity, Enmity, Entropy, Epiphany, Expediency, Empathy, and Eulogy. 

The Seven Friendless are a set of beings that are anthropomorphic personifications of seven essential notions of the cosmos as viewed by human minds. (Try saying that in a single breath).

Little information is available about them, but we know that they keep the universe running by performing their duties. This duty requires immense powers, so we are putting them on this list of the most powerful Marvel characters.

28. Phoenix Force

Phoenix Force is one of the earliest known cosmic phenomena, signifying unborn life as well as the powers of creation and destruction. This is another complex “character” on our list of most powerful Marvel characters.

Phoenix Force is currently linked with Jean Grey of the X-Men. However, it has kept many hosts before that. It is immortal, which means that even if the host dies, the Phoenix Force remains intact.

27. Goblin Force

The next entry on our list of the most powerful Marvel characters is The Goblin Force. It was created at the dawn of time, at the Big Bang. It possessed boundless power, like the Phoenix Force, but unlike the Phoenix, it gained its strength from an insatiable hungry appetite.

The Goblin Force has total control over time and its components, allowing it to manipulate both time and space. The Goblin Force’s telekinetic abilities allow it to capture entire planets and destroy them with a single thought.

26. Lord Chaos 

The embodiment of chaos in the Marvel Universe is Lord Chaos. Although the origin and scope of his powers are unknown, Lord Chaos has immense powers that they employ to alter events within his respective domain of influence.

He is invincible, immortal, omnipotent and omnipresent. Over the course of history, Lord Chaos is responsible for many events in Marvel History.

25. Master Order

Master Order co-exists with Master Chaos. Together, they balance out the Multiverse. Master Order, Lord Chaos, Death, Eternity, and other abstract creatures were resurrected during the Big Bang. He co-created the In-Betweener with Lord Chaos.

Master Order is more of a rational thinker than Master Chaos. Thus, he is able to make more practical decisions. So if the two come face-to-face, Master Order will prevail. But both of these deserve to be on this list of the most powerful Marvel characters.

24. Master Hate

Master Hate is the brother of Mistress Love. He’s supposedly more powerful than her, which is why we have put him above her on this list of the most powerful Marvel characters. He is the personification of all hate in the Marvel Universe.

Master Hate is both an important component of the universe and one of its worst aspects. Every act of violence and cruelty is the product of Master Hate’s influence. Basically, he’s the root of all evil. 

23. Beyonders

The Beyonders are a race of powerful extra-dimensional aliens who occasionally experiment with our cosmos, including the construction of Cosmic Cubes. The Beyonders have never been seen and cannot leave their home realm. 

It is uncertain if they will ever take physical form. When they communicate with aliens in our universe, they use a gadget known as a radical cube. They possess almost infinite powers, but since they’re constrained to their home realm, it limits their powers.

22. Death

Death is as old as the universe. She was born after the Big Bang and is one of the most powerful Marvel characters. She has no genuine physical form because she is a fundamental force, yet she may appear in such a way that she can interact with physical creatures.

Death has been associated with Thanos. Thanos’ true motivation behind the Infinity Gauntlet saga was actually influenced by Death. This idea was not portrayed in the MCU’s version of Infinity War.

21. Galactus

Galactus is not only one of the most powerful Marvel characters but also one of the most popular ones. He basically likes snacking on planets and feeds off their energy. Galactus is from another universe and was once named Galan.

He can survive the end of the universe, which makes him immortal. Galactus, despite its enormity, can travel at speeds well above the speed of light. Galactus also possesses a weapon known as the Ultimate Nullifier. This weapon is capable of destroying whole worlds.

20. Infinity

Infinity symbolizes the endless possibility of the universe. Eternity, Death, Oblivion, and Galactus are her siblings. Infinity frequently appears as a feminine creature. As opposite sides of the same coin, Infinity and abstract Eternity may unite. 

They symbolize and embody the universe as a whole. Infinity was revealed to be the source of the Quasar’s Quantum Bands.

19. Eternity

Eternity is the next character on our list of the most powerful Marvel characters. He existed before the creation of the cosmos. He is unending, and a celestial creature with enormous power. 

It won’t be wrong to say that Eternity is the embodiment of the Marvel-616 universe. He’s different from all the other beings on this list. He isn’t even a being; he is everything that exists inside the universe.

18. Oblivion

Another cosmic entity is making its way on this list of the most powerful Marvel characters. If Eternity is the embodiment of the universe, then Oblivion is the embodiment of the death of a universe. 

He is a counter-force to the growing cosmos and signifies non-existence. He may materialize anywhere he wants and is unaffected by the mortal realm if it does not please him. Oblivion can grant agents or avatars varying power to act in his name.

Okay, so I want to point something out before we head toward our next entry. All of these cosmic beings in the Marvel Universe are basically immortal. They can easily wipe out entire universes, but most do not interfere with these matters. 

So they are quite harmless unless disturbed, which is why they’re not further up on this list. With that cleared out, let’s continue our list of the most powerful Marvel characters.

17. Jamie Braddock

Jamie Braddock is Psylock’s brother. However, he’s much more powerful than him. He sees reality as an unlimited network of threads that he can pull and control. His abilities have driven him insane.

The extent of Jamie’s powers is unknown. Thanks to his reality manipulation abilities, he is on par with some of the universal beings on this list. Undoubtedly, he’s one of the most powerful Marvel characters.

16. Akhenaten

Akhenaten was an Egyptian Pharaoh who was appointed by the Celestial Order to receive a large share of power from the Heart of the Universe. He possessed a vast cosmic ability to manipulate energy, matter, and reality.

He can also penetrate dimensional barriers and possess superhuman senses. This character has yet to be utilized a lot. In fact, it has only been seen in one Marvel comic book series. However, the power he has shown makes him one of the most powerful Marvel characters.

15. Mikaboshi

Japanese folklore also exists in the Marvel universe. One of the strongest characters extracted from Japanese culture is Mikaboshi. Amatsu-Mikaboshi is the Japanese Shinto God of Evil, Chaos, and the Stars.

Mikaboshi is a manifestation of living darkness from the ancient abyss. He’s a force of nature and can be quite dangerous, so we have put him on this list of the most powerful Marvel characters.

14. Scarlet Witch

Scarlet Witch is one of the most powerful mutants in the Marvel Universe. She is also quite popular thanks to her appearance in the MCU. The best part about her personality is that she’s willing to go to any extent once she gets determined.

Scarlet Witch has shown how powerful she really is during the House of M comic book series. She can create her own realities thanks to her magical powers. Scarlet Witch definitely deserves to be on this list of the most powerful Marvel characters.

13. Mad Jim Jaspers

Jim Jaspers is a mutant who is described as “beyond omega level.” He has the power to warp reality and is a universal threat. Jaspers can do anything just by thinking about it, but he’s only limited to his universe.

This means his powers are rendered useless if he travels to a different universe. However, Mad Jim Jaspers is still quite powerful and can even withstand Wanda’s mutant wiping Chaos field. Keeping all this in mind, he deserves a spot on this list.

12. Abraxas

This character represents the annihilation of the Multiverse. Abraxas most likely arose when the initial universe was branched out into the Multiverse. He is basically an antithesis of Eternity. However, Abraxas can prove to be fatal.

We do not know the extent of Abraxas’ powers, but we are aware of the fact that he can’t be defeated single-handedly by our favorite superheroes. So we are putting him at this spot on our list of the most powerful Marvel characters.

11. The Infinities

The Infinities are the next entries on our list of the most powerful Marvel characters. These three abstract creatures with unfathomable power. They used to roam the Multiverse, realigning the energy of each universe they visited in a harmonic manner. 

They transcend Eternity, so they’re more powerful than him. It took the combined efforts of him and the Avengers to stop The Infinities when they decided to destroy and rearrange the planets and stars of the Milky Way. So, their power is beyond the Cosmic Pantheon.

10. Thanos

Thanos, AKA the Mad Titan, is one of the most popular Marvel villains. Thanks to his thrilling appearance in the MCU, he has become a household name. Thanos is also one of the most powerful Marvel characters.

With the Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos is nearly unstoppable. Thanos has defeated Celestials while wielding the Infinity Gauntlet. He is a force to be reckoned with. Thanos effortlessly defeated and imprisoned almost all of Marvel’s cosmic entities with the Infinity Gauntlet.

9. Thor

Thor is an Asgardian god. His powers are nearly limitless. According to the comics, the Norse God of Thunder can destroy worlds, manipulate the weather (including conjuring lightning bolts), fly across space at the speed of light, and even shatter adamantium.

Some people might argue that Rune King Thor can be some other entries on this list but the evidence isn’t quite clear. So we will consider him weaker. Nevertheless, he is still one of the most powerful Marvel characters.

8. Odin

Odin is essentially Thor and all the other Asgardians rolled into one, albeit wiser and more experienced. As the default King of Asgard, Odin is unquestionably the most powerful entity in his universe.

There’s no doubt that Odin is much more powerful than Thor. So it is fair to put him after Thor on our list of the most powerful Marvel characters. Some people might not know, but Odin can absorb other Asgardians’ power if he needs to. This means he can leave Thor powerless.

7. Franklin Richards

Franklin Richards is the son of Reed Richards and Sue Storm. For the sake of argument, we will be considering the grown-up version of Franklin Richards for this list of the most powerful Marvel characters.

Franklin is an Omega-level mutant with near-omnipotent telepathic abilities and massive reality manipulation abilities. He can create literal universes from a very young age. Franklin has also made Galactus’s herald, and he can snap anyone out of existence. 

6. Sentry

Sentry is one of the most powerful Marvel characters. According to the comics, Sentry obtained the power of a million bursting suns. Sentry’s strength is well over class 100. He’s cut Carnage in half and defeated She-Hulk, Thor, and Captain Marvel all at once. 

His feats don’t stop there. Sentry has also defeated Molecule Man. However, he isn’t in control of his power entirely. Sentry also requires no food or drink, has no known weaknesses, and is basically eternal.

5. Molecule Man

Molecule Man is in the same league as the Beyonder. He was flicking his finger in seconds to restore the Multiverse. The Molecule Man has the capacity to mentally control, change, and manipulate all matter and energy molecules.

He is first on this list because Uatu, the Watcher, has declared Molecule Man to be the most powerful being in the Marvel cosmos. We can’t reject his opinion, so we have included Molecule Man in this list. It will be quite interesting to see him debut in the MCU sometime soon. 

4. Living Tribunal

The Living Tribunal is an interdimensional entity in charge of ensuring the smooth operation of the whole Multiverse. Unlike Marvel’s cosmic pantheon, the Living Tribunal is not limited to a particular reality, instead acting whenever the Multiverse is threatened.

Adam Warlock of Earth-19141 is currently the Living Tribunal. He is insanely powerful and unstoppable. The Living Tribunal is so strong that it can cancel the Infinity Stones’ abilities, dominating any item from a single universe. This is why we are putting him on our list of the most powerful Marvel characters.

3. The Fulcrum

The Celestials, Horde, Watchers, and everything else that exists in a state of sublime balance serves the Fulcrum. He is omnipotent and omnipresent. There isn’t much revealed about The Fulcrum, but it is quite evident that he’s insanely powerful.

Since there’s an element of mystery about who he really is, we are going to put him at the number 3 spot on this list. Overall, he can be an extremely powerful being but for now, it is safe to put him in this spot.

2. Beyonder

Beyonder is a really interesting character. He is so powerful that he left all the Marvel beings (such as Death, Infinity, and so on) and ultimate cosmic entities (such as Galactus, Stranger, and The Living Tribunal) at his mercy.

Initially, Beyonder was the God of the Marvel Universe. He could do anything, and he had to answer no one. However, the writers have toned him down a notch since his first appearance. Still, Beyonder remains one of the most powerful Marvel characters.

1. The One Above All

If we are talking about the most powerful Marvel characters, then The One Above All is as powerful as they get. No matter whose ranking you look at, TOAA will always be in the top spot. As the Omniverse’s highest entity, the One-Above-All is Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omniscient, and Omniversal.

TOAA is immensely superior to all cosmic forces and abstract entities, even the Living Tribunal. His abilities are limitless, incalculable, and infinite, which implies he can accomplish whatever he wants. However, he has been shown as compassionate in various instances.

This doesn’t mean that he can’t wipe out the entire Multiverse with a single blink of an eye. He chooses not to. So The One Above All is the most powerful Marvel character, and nobody can touch or see him (unless he chooses to).

Conclusion

So this was our list and ranking of the most powerful Marvel characters. As is the case with all of these lists, you are free to disagree with our rankings. We have based this ranking on valid sources of information.

In the end, we hope you learned about some of the most powerful Marvel characters throughout his list. Who knows, some of these characters might even debut in the MCU very soon.