LIST: Most Popular Marvel Characters & Their Powers

Formed in 1939, The Marvel Comics Group is one of the big three American comic publishers alongside DC Comics and Dark Horse.

So it’s no surprise that since their 1961 rebirth with the Fantastic Four, its popular Marvel characters have become synonymous with American superheroes – perhaps with just a few extra superpowers in hand.

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With an enormous roster that really sells the idea of a superhero community (particularly the downtrodden mutant population), we look back at over 50 years of the most famous Universe and the powers both its heroes and villains possess.

Without further ado, here’s a fun list of Marvel characters and their powers (in no particular order).

Captain America

Superpowers: Strength, agility, stamina, healing ability, expert tactician, martial artist, indestructible shield.

The First Avenger by age, Captain America actually joined the team in their early years after he broke out of a block of ice from the Arctic. Before becoming Captain America, Steve Rogers was weak and sickly, given treatment that granted him superhuman condition.

His extraordinary bones and muscles make him capable of breaking wood and steel with a single hit, while his shield makes him resistant to destruction. With incredible lung capacity, Cap has high endurance and is a skilled martial artist.

Year Created: 1941
How he got his Powers: Injected with Super-Soldier Serum.
Weapons: Vibranium shield
Did You Know? The fighting style Captain America uses is called “Jeet Kune Do”, inspired by Bruce Lee! Learn more facts about Captain America!

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Black Panther

Superpowers: Enhanced senses, superhuman condition, speed, martial artist, magical resistance, Vibranium-assisted outfit.

Pouncing from a super-advanced society from deepest Africa, the Black Panther has got to be one of the more distinct of the Avengers roster. As king of his home nation Wakanda, his fights are not in the streets but against threats to his throne, nation, and even the global geopolitical balance.

With an extreme ability to hunt and combat, Black Panther sports a costume with features that in some cases, surpass the Iron Man armors and many Batsuits. A skilled acrobat and martial artist, Black Panther is able to run and move at incredible speeds, sense fear and lies, and see in total darkness.

Year Created: 1966
How he got his Powers: Having the juices of the Heart-Shaped Herb applied to his body.
Weapons: Energy dagger, anti-metal claws
Did You Know? Black Panther is one of the richest Marvel superheroes! Learn more about the hero in our list of Black Panther trivia!

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Nebula 

Superpowers: Superhuman strength, agility, reflexes, stamina, durability; regenerative healing; hologram projection.

Nebula honed her powers early on as an assassin of the Luphomoid race before being adopted (or rather, abducted) by Thanos. As a Luphomoid, she naturally functions as a superhuman: She is humanoid in physique, but superior in strength, athleticism, and durability.  

Once Nebula is in the clutches of Thanos however, she gains even more power through torture and subsequent cybernetic rehabilitation at the hands of the Mad Titan. Essentially, she turns out to be a semi-cyborg with superhuman physical capabilities. Fortunately for our heroes, her arc ultimately leads to her using her considerable powers for good.  

Year Created: 1985 
How she got her Powers: Inherent Luphomoid ability supplemented by cybernetic enhancements.  
Weapons: Her cybernetic arm with hook attachment; grappling claws 
Did You Know? Before Karen Gillan landed the Nebula role, two other superhero actresses were considered: Gal Gadot (DC’s Wonder Woman), and Lupita Nyong’o (Black Panther’s Nakia).  

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Gamora 

Superpowers: Superhuman strength, agility, reflexes, stamina, durability; regenerative healing. 

Abducted by Thanos at a young age, Gamora became a trained, cybernetically altered assassin much like her adopted sister Nebula. From a power standpoint, the adopted sisters are quite similar – but for the fact that Gamora is somewhat more inclined toward weaponry.  

Her trusty switchblade has become part of her character, though she is deadly with her long, retractable sword, Godslayer. Originally introduced as a vengeful loner who wants to bring Nebula and Thanos to justice, Gamora ultimately lends her superhuman combat abilities to both the Guardians’ and the Avengers’ efforts to thwart the Mad Titan.  

Year Created: 1975 
How she got her Powers: Inherent Zehoberei ability supplemented by cybernetic enhancements. 
Weapons: Her Godslayer; switchblade  
Did You Know? In the comics, Gamora has a very brief fling with Tony Stark! Learn more facts about the Guardians of the Galaxy!

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Killmonger

Superpowers: Strength, expert tactician and manipulator, peak-level hunter, genius-level intellect.

T’Challa’s greatest nemesis and one with a greater chip on his shoulder than Man-Ape. Exiled from Wakanda after his father fell into a failed coup with Ulysses Klaue, N’Jadaka took on the name “Erik Killmonger” and attended MIT.

After graduating, he returned home and set about dethroning the man who exiled him. Killmonger has already been dubbed one of the best villains on-screen, and there’s no wonder why. In fact, he’s said to be more tougher and enhanced than Black Panther and has enough power to take down an elephant using his hands alone.

Year Created: 1973
How he got his Powers: Having the juices of the Heart-Shaped Herb applied to his body.
Weapons: Firearms, blades, energy blasting wristband
Did You Know? Killmonger has a pet leopard called Preyy who was killed during his rise in Wakanda. Preyy was honored as an Easter Egg in Black Panther when Killmonger wore a costume with patchy leopard-skin pattern.

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Ant-Man

Superpowers: Genius-level intellect, size-changing via Pym Particles, telepathic communication with insects, dimension-hopping.

One of the first Avengers, Hank Pym is an eccentric genius who created Pym Particles, the exotic matter that can shrink and grow objects while retaining their proportionate strength. Taking on other names like Giant-Man, Goliath, Yellowjacket and even his own wife’s alias, The Wasp, he’s a bit unstable and prone to nervous breakdowns.

That doesn’t take away this Avengers character’s powers and extraordinary abilities to shrink to the size of an ant, exceed in hand-to-hand combat, and grow to gigantic heights.

Year Created: 1962
How he got his Powers: Tested the Pym Particles serum on himself.
Weapons: Stinger firearm
Did you Know? Like Doctor Strange passes through multiverses, Ant-Man can travel through micro-versus – “tiny parallel dimensions”.

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Groot

Superpowers: Superhuman strength to lift and break; a durability of dense wood; ability to extend body, generate flowers, twigs and leaves; light generation; regenerative healing factor; talented combatant.

This Marvel hero may act like a teen and lack the ability to speak, but that doesn’t make his superpowers any less extraordinary. Groot, the Flora colossus (a tree-like humanoid being) and one of the Guardians of the Galaxy, has an array of abilities including superhuman strength, durability and a regenerative healing factor that makes him difficult to kill.

With a biology made up of plant-like and wood tissues, Groot can regrow body parts and sustain any attack from shots and explosions. Groot also has the strength to break strong metals, extend his body to grow longer, and create a bulletproof shield with twigs. 

Year Created: 1960
How he got his Powers: Born as a Flora colossus
Weapons: His powers
Did You Know? In the comics, Groot originally appeared as an invader of Earth, capturing humans for experimentation. 

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Hawkeye

Superpowers: Marksmanship, assassin, marital artist, knife & sword master and expert pilot.

Clint Barton has been an Avenger and agent for S.H.I.E.L.D for a reason – his remarkable and out of this world talent in marksmanship. Not a ‘superhero’ per se, but more of a normal guy with the superhuman ability to fire arrows and bows with extreme precision and accuracy; Hawkeye has helped defeat multiple enemies with his fine skills.

He has spectacular eyesight and hand-eye coordination, can fire multiple arrows in a few seconds, and directly hit small targets in far distances. Hawkeye is also a master assassin and excellent martial artist. 

Year Created: 1964
How he got his Powers: Trained his skills in marksmanship
Weapons: Bows and arrows 
Did You Know? Stan Lee and Don Heck introduced Hawkeye as a villain in the September 1964 comic issue of Tales of Suspense.

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Black Widow

Superpowers: Master spy & assassin, martial artist, armed combatant; skills in espionage, infiltration, disguise and deception, manipulation & hacking.

Dubbed one of the “most dangerous operatives”, Black Widow is Marvel’s talented spy and lethal assassin. A core member of the Avengers, Natasha Romanoff has enhanced abilities in espionage and is skilled in stealth, disguise and infiltration.

Able to detect liars (and perfectly lie herself), Black Widow is also one of the best martial artists in the world and is a champion in kung fu, Taekwondo, sambo, and much more. She can combat with spears, staffs, and handguns and is also a skilled acrobat. This master assassin has been trained to kill without remorse, and is even gifted in hacking and multilingualism. 

Year Created: 1964
How she got her Powers: Trained as a KGB operative and dangerous assassin
Weapons: Black Widow’s bite, Black Widow’s batons, taser disks, handguns & more
Did You Know? In Marvel’s What If comics, Black Widow was able to pick up Thor’s hammer and transform into the Goddess of Thunder.

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Mantis 

Superpowers: Superhuman strength, agility; ability to sense and manipulate others’ emotions, induce sleep, and erase memories. 

Mantis is a product of the celestial Ego’s plans to create celestial hybrids by breeding with various races. Mantis’ particular race is one of insectoid human-like creatures with special empathic abilities, which she carries on in Ego’s service.  

Her physical prowess is somewhat limited compared to most other Marvel heroes, though Mantis does possess greater-than-normal strength and agility. This Marvel character’s power is the ability to get into others’ heads. In service to Ego and subsequently alongside the Guardians, she uses her powers to induce sleep, erase memories, and manipulate emotions and behavior.   

Year Created: 1973 
How she got her Powers: Derived from status as a celestial hybrid and member of an empathic race. 
Weapons: Pistol, machine gun, katana  
Did You Know? In the comics, Mantis has been a member of the Fantastic Four in addition to working with the Guardians and Avengers.  

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The Winter Soldier

Superpowers: Energy blasts, superhuman strength, martial artist, speed, healing, stamina.

World War II veteran and best friend to Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes was long presumed dead before becoming the Winter Soldier. After falling from a plane and being found by the Soviet Union, and HYDRA, Barnes was experimented on and granted superhuman abilities and a new cybernetic limb.

Advanced to be their operative, Bucky lived a violent and villain life. It wasn’t until he reunited with Rogers when he began to remember his past and turn to the good side again. Bucky’s bionic arm gives him superhuman strength, extended reach, and the ability to discharge bolts of electrical energy. He’s also a skilled martial artist, shield fighter, acrobat and expert spy and assassin.

Year Created: 1941
How got his Powers: Injected with the infinity formula
Weapons: Snipers, rifles
Did You Know? Apparently, Stan Lee disliked ‘side-kicks’. This could explain why Bucky had a quick “death” in the original comics.

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Star-Lord

Superpowers: Strength, flight via jet boots, master problem-solver, cybernetic enhancements, space travel, Element Gun projects air, earth, fire, water.

The captain of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Peter Quill’s life has never been uninteresting. Born the son of an alien prince, Quill never knew his father, his mother was killed by alien bounty hunters, he was stranded away from Earth and joined up with the Ravager space pirates. In the end, he becomes ten times the man his father was as a hero of the galaxy.

Although this popular Marvel character has no superhuman powers, Star-Lord is extremely athletic and a fantastic hand-to-hand combatant and swordsman. His abilities are above that of a normal human being, including great physical strength, resistance to physical injury, and mental performance. Let’s not forget his jet boots that enable flight and Element Gun that projects air, earth, fire and water.

Year Created: 1976
How he got his Powers: He’s part human and part celestial
Weapons: Element Gun
Did You Know? Star-Lord has coordination and flexibility stronger than any of Earth’s best athletes.

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Wolverine

Superpowers: Reflexes, agility, senses, retractable adamantium-plated bone claws, regeneration, indestructible skeleton.

What discussion of Marvel characters and their powers would be complete without one of its most iconic heroes? A hunter by instinct and skilled martial artist and swordsman, he perhaps knows more than any other mutant (thanks to his long life) how distrustful people can be.

Wolverine’s strength is enough to break steel and lift weights that no normal human could. With animal-senses that can hear and see more than that of an ordinary person, a healing power like no other, and claws for days, Wolverine is one that goes down in history.

Year Created: 1974
How he got his Powers: Mutant-born
Weapons: Adamantium claws, daggers, katana, guns 
Did You Know? As stated in our list of Batman facts, a Batman-Wolverine hybrid exists known as The Dark Claw!

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Iron Man

Superpowers: Genius-level intellect, multiple powered armor suits, ability to fly.

When he’s not flying alongside them in his custom power armor, Anthony Edward “Tony” Stark is the Avengers’ billionaire backer and one of America’s greatest philanthropists. This came about after he realized just what his weapons company was propagating.

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His former playboy life left its scars however, most famously his close relationship with alcohol. Nevertheless, when he’s wearing his infamous suit, Stark becomes Iron Man, gaining superhuman strength, flying skills and an arsenal of powerful weapons. This Avenger’s powers include withstanding bullet impact and the ability to biologically heal himself and repair the armor.

Year Created: 1963
How he got his Powers: From his suit
Weapons: Repulsor rays, uni-beam projector, lasers
Did You Know? Tony Stark created and built one of Spider-Man’s upgraded suits known as the Iron Spider Suit. 

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Drax 

Superpowers: Superhuman strength, agility, stamina, durability; regenerative healing; armor-like protective skin. 

Imbued with the supreme strength, bulk, and athletic prowess of his people, Drax becomes known as an intergalactic “Destroyer” while on a galaxy-hopping rampage. To MCU viewers, the moniker has almost become something of a joke; Drax has been used throughout the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy and other films primarily to provide comic relief.  

When it comes down to battle though, Drax’s strength and athleticism are nearly Hulk-like. In a very literal sense of the word, he is the ‘muscle’ of the Guardians, and a formidable killer against most enemies they encounter.  

Year Created: 1973 
How he got his Powers: Inherent Kylosian physiology and ability.  
Weapons: Long knives; Hadron Enforcer  
Did You Know? Chadwick Boseman, who played Black Panther, originally auditioned for the role of Drax.  

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Ultron

Superpowers: Strength, speed, stamina, genius-level artificial intelligence, makes calculations with superhuman speed and accuracy, nigh indestructibility via adamantium bodies, flight.

Ultron was destined to be evil the moment he was turned on. Arguably the world’s most massive hypocrite since for all his contempt for humanity, he personifies the worst aspects of human nature.

This powerful Marvel character has superhuman powers and the frightening ability to place victims into a deathlike coma with his blasts of energy – it’s no surprise he’s been dubbed one of the strongest Marvel villains.

Year Created: 1968
How he got his Powers: Built by Henry Pym.
Weapons: Repulsor, plasma weapons
Did You Know? Ultron has the power to adapt and restructure himself after a defeat.

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Scarlet Witch

Superpowers: Telekinesis, telepathy, teleportation, flight, reality, time, fire, weather and energy manipulation.

From siding with Ultron to joining the Avengers, Scarlet Witch a.k.a. Wanda Maximoff has had her fair share of ups and downs in the Marvel Universe. She’s lost her brother and family but found romance with fellow superhero Vision, all the while helping to defeat Thanos by using her extraordinary set of powers.

This Marvel character and her powers are certainly unlimited and make her one of the most powerful in the MCU. Telekinesis, telepathy, and energy manipulation are just a few powers up Scarlet’s sleeves.

Year Created: 1964
How she got her Powers: Undergoing experiments at HYDRA
Weapons: Her powers
Did You Know? In the comics, Scarlet was introduced as a member of Magneto’s Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, born with mutant powers.

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Rocket 

Superpowers: Enhanced strength, speed, agility, reflexes, stamina, durability, and intelligence.  

MCU fans have long known that Rocket’s powers stem from extensive genetic and cybernetic experimentation. In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, it was revealed that this experimentation was conducted by the High Evolutionary as part of a twisted plan to create a super race.  

Rocket managed to escape the High Evolutionary however, ultimately linking up with Groot to become a roving-criminal-slash-bounty-hunter. This Marvel character’s powers include supreme intelligence, engineering know-how, and an innate ability to master weapons and vehicles. He’s a physiologically enhanced uber-mechanic with a genius intellect.  

Year Created: 1976 
How he got his Powers: Experimentation amounting to genetic and cybernetic augmentation of brain and physiology. 
Weapons: Ion Cannon, Laser Cannon, Hadron Enforcer, assorted guns and grenades  
Did You Know? Rocket Raccoon is very much part of Guardians lore in the Marvel Comics, but he was not originally part of the movie script. There was concern the character would come across “cartoonish.”  

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Vision

Superpowers: Superhuman strength & durability; density manipulation, flight, energy blasts, synthetic material generation, mental & computer interaction, genius-level intellect & master combatant.

An ideal hybrid of organic and inorganic material, Vision was intended to be a form of the robot villain Ultron, but instead evolved beyond his anatomy, taking on human qualities including the ability to understand emotions.

Made of organic tissue and vibranium, Vision’s super-cool powers are enhanced by the Mind Stone which is embedded in his head. Other than being a genius, Vision has superhuman strength and durability, and is capable of blasting beams of intense cosmic energy from his forehead.

Year Created: 1968
How he got his Powers: From the vibranium & Mind Stone his body comprises.
Weapons: His powers and the Mind Stone
Did You Know? Vision has the strength to lift Thor’s hammer and even once flew right through the gigantic Ant-Man.

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Iron Fist

Superpowers: Kung fu mastery, hypnosis, chi-empowered punches via concentration and a hand protected from pain and injury.

The other half of Heroes for Hire, Danny Rand is the inseparable Kung Fu accomplice of Luke Cage. He was raised after being stranded in the mystical hidden city of K’un-Lun and empowered by plunging his fist into the heart of an immortal dragon.

Danny is one of Marvel’s core street level heroes with an impactful strike that is one of the strongest of all. His chi-empowered punches can blow out brick and steel, while he also has the ability to hypnotize and resist pain by controlling his nervous system.

Year Created: 1974
How he got his Powers: Plunging fist into the heart of an immortal dragon.
Weapons: Martial arts weapons
Did You Know? When Matt Murdock was arrested for being Daredevil, Iron Fist dressed up as him to help prove that Murdock wasn’t Daredevil.

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Hulk

Superpowers: Strength, speed, stamina, durability, regeneration, nigh invulnerability, breathing underwater.

How can we have a list of Marvel characters and their powers without featuring the strongest one there is? Bruce Banner must constantly hide the beast that dwells within him, as anger, frustration and rage coax the untameable wrecking ball out. The angrier he gets, the more strength he builds.

With superhuman muscle power and lungs, Hulk has the ability to lift mountains and planets, travel miles in just one jump, breathe underwater and withstand bullets. Hulk’s history with everyone around him makes him unique in that if you can name a hero, this top Marvel character has likely fought them at least once.

Year Created: 1962
How he got his Powers: Exposed to gamma radiation.
Weapons: His strength
Did You Know? After its first 6 issues, The Incredible Hulk was cancelled due to a weak following.

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Spider-Man

Superpowers: Strength, jumping, leaping, speed, “danger sense” precognition, custom web-shooters.

The most relatable and popular of Marvel’s roster by far. Mild-mannered Peter Parker is a tinkerer, a nerd but ultimately an ordinary guy when you take away his spider-based powers. He’s the most remarkable, but also the most ordinary.

His flexibility and relatability have seen him kick thugs in Queens and join the Avengers to space and beyond in equal measure. With heightened spider powers, this popular Marvel character can web-crawl, leap across buildings, fight like a pro, and sense danger stronger than the little creature itself.

Year Created: 1963
How he got his Powers:  Bitten by a radioactive spider. 
Weapons: Web-shooters
Did You Know? Peter’s parents were S.H.I.E.L.D Agents! Find out more Spider-Man facts in our post.

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Loki

Superpowers: Strength; stamina, speed, genius, mastery of magic and illusion, energy projection, shapeshifting.

It’s distressing when your brother is your greatest nemesis. This is the tale of Loki, adopted son of Odin, and raised as a prince who would never be crowned. He never liked that part, or the parts of Asgardian culture that honor strength and bravery. No matter how many times he was banished from Asgard, he always came back with a plan to take the throne using his impressive magical skills.

This Marvel character and his powers include telekinesis and mystical energy blasts. Loki also has immense strength enough to destroy buildings with a single punch and withstand several knocks from the likes of Spider-Man. He can fall from heights without injury and is resistant to bullets and energy blasts.

Year Created: 1948 (historic) 1962 (modern)
How he got his Powers: Learned from mother and studied wizardry.
Weapons: His magic sword, Laevateinn
Did You Know? Loki can shapeshift into animals or people like Thor or Captain America but he cannot necessarily gain the abilities of whatever he turns into.

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Black Bolt

Superpowers: Strength, stamina, self-control, flight, devastating sonic projection via speech.

The king of the Inhumans, Black Bolt is a man of few words. He has to be, as even a whisper from him can cause earthquakes. That doesn’t stop one of the universe’s most famous mutes getting involved in international affairs and as one of the Illuminati, the collective of Earth’s smartest people.

When put to full use, Black Bolt’s voice is said to be capable of destroying planets while the antenna on his head helps the hero control his powers – including increasing his strength and flight speed, projecting blasts and amplifying his ‘Master Blow’.

Year Created: 1965
How he got his Powers: Inhuman-born
Weapons: His speech and strength
Did You Know? Black Bolt has many superpowers under his belt including telepathy!

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Shuri 

Superpowers: Enhanced strength, speed, agility, stamina, durability, reflexes; regenerative healing; claw retraction, energy absorption and projection capabilities.  

Shuri is the younger sister of T’Challa and the scientific mastermind behind much of Wakanda’s technology. She assists the Avengers first by freeing Bucky Barnes of HYDRA mind control and then in the fight against Thanos. It is not a stretch to say that her mind is in and of itself a superpower.  

Following the death of T’Challa, it falls on Shuri to protect Wakanda from the threat of Namor and the Talokanil. She engineers a replica of the heart-shaped herb that creates a Black Panther, assumes the moniker herself, and gains the traits of a fully enhanced human. Shuri also knows her way around advanced weaponry, with her own Vibrainum Gauntlet arm cannons being personal favorites.  

Year Created: 2005 
How she got her Powers: Consumed artificial heart-shaped herb.  
Weapons: Vibranium gauntlets; sonic spear; panther habit 
Did You Know? One of the Black Panther movie producers has clarified that Shuri is one of the most intelligent characters in the MCU.  

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Captain Marvel

Superpowers: Strength, speed, stamina, resistant to most toxins, energy absorption and manipulation.

Although the character started out as the Kree commander, Mar-Vell (hence the name), the most famous incarnation is USAF pilot, Carol Danvers who gained superpowers when exposed to Kree technology. With the ability to fly and hit really hard (we’re talking Hulk-level), Carol’s most prominent power is her skill to absorb and project energy.

By absorbing cosmic levels of energy from around her, Captain Marvel has the power to transform it into radiant energy blasts and use it against her enemies. Her Binary form is the most impressive, which sees her body covered in energy flames.

Year Created: 1968
How she got her Powers: Exposed to Kree technology.
Weapons: Nega Bands
Did You Know? She originally spent most of her time as Ms. Marvel, but believe it or not, this icon of female power was once a HE. In fact there are several variations of Captain Marvel throughout Marvel history!

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Luke Cage

Superpowers: Superhuman strength, indestructible skin, strong muscle tissue, healing factor.

Luke Cage always wanted the quiet life after being wrongfully thrown in prison, even after his time in jail gave him indestructible skin and incredible strength. Determined to fix his Harlem home, Luke soon formed Heroes for Hire with Iron Fist and since then, the two have been inseparable.

Luke’s skin is said to be as hard as titanium steel, while his superhuman muscles give him strength to lift 25 tons. He can survive large impacts as powerful as 150 pounds of TNT, and is immune from extreme temperatures and electrical shocks.

Year Created: 1972
How he got his Powers: Cellular regeneration experiment in prison.
Weapons: His strength
Did You Know? Actor Nicolas Cage’s original name is Nicolas Coppola. He changed it after being inspired by the Marvel character!

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Quicksilver

Superpowers: Superhuman speed, extreme force generation, excellent combatant, ability to alter time and think at superhuman speeds.

Quicksilver, real name, Pietro Maximoff, is the twin brother of Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff), gifted with superpowers including superhuman speed. The hero has the ability to run and great speeds and think, act, move, and perceive much faster than a normal human could.

Quicksilver has managed to take down Captain America in seconds, although his powers were unsuccessful in defeating Thor or his Mjølnir. Quicksilver’s speed allows him to be unbeatable in battles, apply extreme force whilst moving at full speed. 

Year Created: 1964
How he got his Powers: Underwent experiments at HYDRA
Weapons: His powers and RPK light machine gun  
Did You Know? Quicksilver can outrun lightning bolts and run across oceans.

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Ghost Rider

Superpowers: Supernatural motorcycle, immunity to damage, superhuman strength, projecting hellfire, “penance stare”, mentally-controlled chains.

When daredevil, Johnny Blaze made a deal with the Devil, he had a good heart. Now he’s the Devil’s bounty hunter, a man walking the edge of life and death whose job it is to punish the condemned and keep the evil in Hell, burning the souls of evil with his Penance Stare.

Able to manipulate souls with his stare, Ghost Rider can also create and emit hellfire onto his enemies as well as project chains from his mouth or chest. The Ghost Rider is resistant to pain, and even once regenerated after having his skull smashed by The Hulk.

Year Created: 1972
How he got his Powers: Sold his soul to the devil.
Weapons: His Hellfire Chain
Did You Know? Riders can bring people back to life just by touching their corpse.

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Daredevil

Superpowers: Superhuman, radar senses, skilled martial artist and marksman, stickfighter, detective.

The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen. He might beat you and break your bones, but this hellish protector of south-side New York firmly believes in the fairness of the law. When he’s not harassing New York’s underworld, he’s protecting the innocent and the abused in the courthouses as attorney, Matt Murdock. He may be blind, but his remaining four senses are more heightened than ever.

Daredevil’s radar sense helps him know when someone is five feet away thanks to their body-heat and air disturbance. Despite being an exceptional marksman and martial artist, Daredevil also knows when someone’s lying by listening to their heartbeat – comes in handy for his duty as an attorney.

Year Created: 1964
How he got his Powers: Radioactive isotope
Weapons: His manrikigusari
Did You Know? Stan Lee has admitted that Daredevil’s Radar Sense is stronger than Spider-Man’s Spider sense!

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Spider-Woman

Superpowers: Strength, speed, stamina, superhuman smell, pheromone manipulation, bio-energy projection.

Don’t let the name fool you, she’s not related to Peter Parker as for one, Jessica Drew was born in London. She was born with powers after her mother was hit by a radiation beam while pregnant. A former agent of SWORD, she has a funky habit of swaying people with the use of pheromones.

She has the strength to lift around 7 tons, is resistant to human injury, and has superhuman speed. Spider-Woman has wall-crawling abilities in common with Peter, but the skill to emit bursts of “Venom Blasts” through her hands is unique to this Spider-superhero only (and maybe Miles Morales).

Year Created: 1977
How she got her Powers: Mother hit by a radiation beam while pregnant.
Weapons: Her powers
Did You Know? When Spider-Woman quit HYDRA, she turned against them, and ended up being responsible for the fatal crash of HYDRA head, Otto Vermis.

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Silver Surfer

Superpowers: Strength, speed, endurance and the ability to control ambient energy from the universe.

The herald of Galactus, Norrin Radd made a deal with the cosmic planet-muncher – don’t consume his planet in return for Radd’s services in looking for other planets. Given the nature of Radd’s new job, he has both been a hero and a villain as he was the reason Galactus found Earth and attacked it.

But rediscovering his human side caused him to betray his master and now he’s stuck on Earth. With the Power Cosmic and his board, Silver Surfer has the skill to travel faster than light-speed. He can fire catastrophic blasts, time travel and absorb energies and radiation.

Year Created: 1966
How he got his Powers: Implanted with the Power Cosmic by Galactus.
Weapons: His board
Did You Know? The Silver Surfer is invincible. He cannot be hurt due to his durability and strength.

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Doctor Strange

Superpowers: A Cloak of Levitation that allows him to fly, skilled athletic and martial artist, conjurer of magical energy shield, wind & flame projection, telekinesis, hypnotism, jumps through dimensions.

The Sorcerer Supreme who has been wowing us all with his reality-bending power and psychedelics-inspired dimension-jumping since the 1960’s. Dr. Steven Strange started off as an arrogant, know-it-all neurosurgeon at the top of his field who had his hands ruined in a car crash. Stumbling into a world he would have scoffed at before, it’s Strange’s job to deal with all things magic and mystical.

Considered the most powerful being in the Universe, Doctor Strange can manipulate energy and emit energy bolts strong enough to destroy planets. He is able to turn nearly-invisible, pass through solid materials, and teleport through time and dimensions. Strange can also fly using his Cloak of Levitation and has the power to hypnotize his enemies.

Year Created: 1963
How he got his Powers: Studied and trained with the Ancient One.
Weapons: Cloak of Levitation, Eye of Agamotto, Orb of Agamotto & more
Did You Know? Doctor Strange co-founded The Defenders which also included Silver Surfer, Hulk, and Namor.

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Cyclops

Superpowers: Optic eye blasts causing concussive force, ability to crush through buildings and mountains.

Arguably the first of his kind as he was the first of the X-Men, Scott Summers has always been their leader in the field. For a long time, he has been depicted with a heart for Jean Grey and a head with a plan, always willing to put the survival of mutant-kind first.

His heart is usually in the right place even if that has made him a bit of a jerk since taking on the role as mutant-kind’s leader figure. Cyclops is able to manipulate his optic eye blasts’ width, height and intensity with great skill. In fact, the blast is so strong, it can rip through mountains and it once even peeled off the Hulk’s skin.

Year Created: 1963
How he got his Powers: Mutant-born
Weapons: His visor
Did You Know? Cyclops is one of the very few to be able to knock Thor’s Hammer from his hand using his optic beam.

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Falcon

Superpowers: Supersonic flight speed, enhanced maneuverability and agility, force generation, extreme vision, pilot, combatant, marksman and tactician. Communication with birds.

Although he does not possess any natural powers, Falcon is without a doubt a powerful hero in the Marvel Universe. His winged harness, the EXO-7 Falcon, gives Sam Wilson immense abilities like flying at supersonic speeds, equal to or more than an actual falcon. Falcon has extreme maneuverability and agility that allows him to dodge attacks such as fire from from an Insight Quinjet.

His enhanced flight also grants him extreme force generation, that is strong enough to knock down Iron Man. As a former member of the United States Air Force, Falcon is also a master pilot, an expert combatant and a skilled marksman of military firearms. More interestingly, Falcon has the power to converse with birds. 

Year Created: 1969
How he got his Powers: Trained in the Air Force; powers gained from his EXO-7 Falcon
Weapons: Guns, rocket launcher, and others
Did You Know? Falcon’s first wings were manufactured by Black Panther in Wakanda.

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Quake

Superpowers: Earthquake/vibration generation.

Daisy Johnson lived a closed life within SHIELD under the watchful eye of Nick Fury. This super-agent is in fact of Inhuman descent, having her Inhuman power awakened by the unstable research of her father, the supervillain Mr. Hyde.

Quake has the unbelievable ability to trigger seismic vibrations including earthquakes, tremors and explosions. She once crushed Wolverine’s heart and her endurance and strength is said to be slightly stronger than Captain America’s.

Year Created: 2004
How she got her Powers: Inhuman-born
Weapons: Firearms
Did You Know? At one point, she joined The Avengers where she helped them defeat Magneto!

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Moon Knight

Superpowers: Strength, speed, stamina, prophetic visions, power dependent on how full the moon is.

A hero who truly deserves his own movie, Moon Knight is the Marvel community’s resident super-detective and arbitrator of Justice. Empowered by the phases of the moon, Marc Spector will beat up anyone who he thinks deserves a good knocking and fights like a boxer by taking punches rather than giving them. Don’t mess with this one, he’s a skilled martial artist, gymnast and boxer!

Year Created: 1975
How he got his Powers: Werewolf scratch or from the ancient Egyptian Moon God, Khonshu.
Weapons: Crescent darts, truncheon, ankh
Did You Know? Moon Knight is dubbed the Batman of Marvel thanks to his themed weapons, gadgets, vehicles and money.

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Beast

Superpowers: Strength, speed, stamina, animal-like claws and hands, genius-level intellect, senses to track people.

Henry “Hank” McCoy was initially a brilliant mind with oversized hands and feet. A series of transformations turned him into a furry blue cat/simian-faced hulk of a man. Don’t let the enormous slouching posture fool you, Hank much prefers to use his massive brains to solve problems and after a career in biochemistry is perhaps the most identifiable spokesman for mutant rights.

Other than his brain, Beast has incredible superhuman strength, skills in acrobatic combat and can perform tasks with his feet or hands. The mutant can run at speeds up to 40 miles and survive hard impact without injury such as falling from great heights. Beast is believed to have the agility of a great ape together with the acrobatic skills of an Olympic-gymnast.

Year Created: 1963
How he got his Powers: Mutant-born
Weapons: His razor-sharp claws
Did You Know? Beast was one of the first to serve as a member of the Avengers during the 70’s and 80’s!

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Iceman

Superpowers: Cold and ice manipulation, solid ice battle form.

One of the first X-Men, Bobby Drake is exactly as you’d imagine for a teenager with power over ice – chilled, outspoken, and incapable of hiding anything. Perhaps one of the bravest as more than the others, he’s willing to put himself between his friends and danger.

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Iceman can freeze anything around him including objects and his body. He can freeze an enemy’s blood as well as any moisture in the air. Iceman’s ‘cold’ powers are so strong, he once stopped a nuclear explosion.

Year Created: 1963
How he got his Powers: Mutant-born
Weapons: His powers
Did You Know? In the comic All-New X-Men #40, it’s revealed that Iceman is in fact gay.

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The Thing

Superpowers: Strength, durability, rock-like skin, enhanced lung capacity.

The ever-loving blue-eyed muscle of the Fantastic Four. Like the others, he was exposed to cosmic radiation during an ill-fated spaceship ride, but also got the most tragic mutation of becoming a rock-man. He has a big heart that belies its stony appearance and tends to get the short end of Johnny’s numerous pranks.

Alongside an awesome personality, The Thing has a resistance to physical injury and enhanced lung capacity that allows him to hold his breath underwater for long durations. In fact, The Thing is able to withstand Hulk’s blows and even gashes from Wolverine’s claws.

Year Created: 1961
How he got his Powers: Exposed to cosmic radiation.
Weapons: His flare pistol
Did You Know? Ben and Edwin Jarvis organized a range of super-hero poker games, which were attended by players like Wolverine and Doctor Strange!

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Kitty Pryde

Superpowers: Matter phasing, levitation, ability to disrupt electrical fields and pass through solid matter.

Going by a few names including Ariel and Sprite, Katherine “Kitty” Pryde is most well-known as the Shadowcat. Gifted with the ability to phase through any solid material and make others intangible, she started out as a kid character of the team who blossomed into one of its fore-running members including leadership positions like headmistress of the Jean Grey School.

Year Created: 1980
How she got her Powers: Mutant-born
Weapons: Her powers & sometimes uses a broken piece of Wolverine’s claw
Did You Know? Joss Whedon has admitted that Kitty was an inspiration for Buffy the Vampire Slayer!

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Jean Grey

Superpowers: Immense telepathic and telekinetic power – read and control minds, communicate with animals, manipulate objects in the air, create energy blasts.

The most powerful telepath among mutantkind and its most concerning liability. Jean Grey has always been a double-edged sword due to the power that inhabits her. The Phoenix Force empowers her, but when fully unleashed is a force of destruction unlike any other.

With the ability to travel interstellar distances faster than the speed of light, Jean Grey can also create flames and manipulate the minds of others. She still believes in Professor X’s dream but the inner Dark Phoenix would rather see everything burn.

Year Created: 1963
How she got her Powers: Mutant-born
Weapons: Her powers
Did You Know? Wolverine has killed Jean more than 5 times!

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The Invisible Woman

Superpowers: Invisibility, forcefield projection, combatant and martial artist.

The wife of Marvel’s First Family, Susan Storm-Richards has always had the affectionate heart and soul. Most of the time, this involves making sure Ben and Johnny aren’t fighting, that Johnny isn’t being reckless, and that Reed isn’t completely buried in his science.

Without her though, the family would likely fall apart in about a week. Gaining her powers after falling victim to a cosmic storm, Invisible Woman uses light waves for invisibility and the projection of forcefields.

Year Created: 1961
How she got her Powers: Hit by cosmic rays
Weapons: Her powers
Did You Know? Invisible Woman was in fact trained by Iron Fist and was also coached by The Thing and She-Hulk.

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Nick Fury

Superpowers: Peak human condition, longevity, skilled martial combatant, heavyweight boxer, Tae Kwon Do & Jiu Jitsu pro.

Whether he’s meeting you with a robotic decoy, taking you to a safehouse that only he knows about or has compartmentalized a mission so not everyone knows what’s going on, SHIELD director Nick Fury could be the most secretive man on Earth.

No matter how many times he’s died, it was probably a decoy and he’s waiting for you in Belarus. As a veteran of three wars, it’s no surprise Fury has belts in Tae Kwon Do and Jiu Jitsu or that he’s an armed combat expert.

Year Created: 1963
How he got his Powers: Gained strength in the army
Weapons: USP pistol, SHIELD weapons
Did You Know? Fury’s injured left eye is a result from a blast during World War II. He now has 95% loss of vision in this eye.

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Agatha Harkness 

Superpowers: Extensive magical ability; energy manipulation, levitation, telekinesis, enchantment, teleportation and more; dark magic for additional energy manipulation capability. 

Agatha Harkness is an ancient witch, capable of an ill-defined range of manipulative powers. That said, her set of abilities extends beyond those of an ordinary witch. On the verge of being executed for flirtation with dark magic in 17^th century Salem, Agatha killed her entire coven to take possession of the Darkhold, a book of sinister spells and knowledge.  

This corrupted her, but earned her access to a higher range of magical abilities, which she uses to try (and fail) to absorb Wanda Maximoff’s power. It’s not entirely clear what Agatha can and can’t do, but she’s certainly a highly capable spellcaster and magical being.  

Year Created: 1970 
How she got her Powers: Born a witch. Also stole dark magic powers.  
Weapons: Darkhold 
Did You Know? In the MCU, Agatha is revealed to be an historic figure, having lived through the Salem Witch Trials. In the comics though, she is far older, having been present for the fall of Atlantis.  

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Kraglin 

Superpowers: None, save for eventually the use of Yondu’s Yaka Arrow  

Kraglin is a space pirate and devout member of the Ravagers under Yondu’s command. Gradually connected to Peter Quill and the Guardians however, Kraglin finds himself embroiled in larger conflicts with Ronan, Ego, Thanos, and to some extent the High Evolutionary.  

Despite finding himself in these conflicts though, Kraglin largely lacks superpowers. He’s a scrappy fighter with a certain brand of street smarts. That said, he does eventually inherit the deadly Yaka Arrow from Yondu. Learning to control it throughout Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 basically grants him a superpower.  

Year Created: 1963 
How he got his Powers: No true powers until he inherits the Yaka Arrow.  
Weapons: Yaka Arrow and cybernetic control fin; assorted guns and other weaponry 
Did You Know? Kraglin is played by Sean Gunn, the brother of Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn.  

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Shang-Chi 

Superpowers: Superhuman strength, speed, agility, durability, reflexes; prolonged life; ability to summon weapons; energy manipulation.

Shang-Chi is the son of Xu Wenwu and Ying Li. Xu Wenwu is the wielder of the magical ten rings, which grant superhuman powers and near-everlasting life. On his own, Shang-Chi is a supremely talented martial artist who has been trained extensively in various forms of combat.  

His introduction to the MCU, however, concerns his journey toward adopting the ten rings himself. This means that Shang-Chi as a fully-formed hero is not just a martial arts maestro, but a superpowered one with an unlimited lifespan. All things considered, he is considered one of the MCU’s strongest characters moving forward.  

Year Created: 1973 
How he got his Powers: His father is The Mandarin, in possession of the Ten Rings. 
Weapons: Ten Rings; daggers; Dragon Scale Shaft 
Did You Know? Simu Liu knew martial arts before taking on the role, but learned more to make his performance authentic, such as taekwondo, tai chi, Muay Thai, Krav Maga and jiu-jitsu.  

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Phil Coulson 

Superpowers: Enhanced strength; electronic manipulation; energy shield generation. 

This may be a list of Marvel characters and their powers, but Phil Coulson doesn’t actually possess any actual powers per se. For all intents and purposes though, he is the manager of the Avengers, working alongside Nick Fury as director. Coulson’s primary “power” is his ability to read events like a chess master.  

He gathers intelligence, consistently thinks several steps ahead, and frames information in ways that lead the Avengers to cooperate. Coulson can hold his own with a firearm as well, and ultimately gains something close to superpowers with his prosthetic hand. For the most part though, he’s just a uniquely effective manager and mediator.  

Year Created: 2008 
How he got his Powers: Prosthetic hand exhibits super strength, manipulates electronics, and generates energy shields.  
Weapons: Assorted firearms; assorted cybernetic prosthetic hands 
Did You Know? Phil Coulson is one of the few major MCU characters who was created for the films. 

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Adam Warlock 

Superpowers: Superhuman strength, speed, agility, reflexes, stamina, durability; regenerative healing; heat and energy generation; longevity; flight; space flight.  

Adam Warlock was created by the High Evolutionary and Ayesha to hunt and retrieve Rocket Raccoon. To fulfill this purpose, he is also designed to be the best of Ayesha’s race, the Sovereign. As such, he is a full-fledged superhero, akin to Superman without x-ray vision, or Thor without need of a hammer.  

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Warlock can physically overpower any adversary we’ve seen him face. He can fly, summon and propel energy, and even navigate space without a suit or helmet (much to the benefit of Star-Lord, as those who have seen Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 understand all too well).  

Year Created: 1972 
How he got his Powers: Created by the High Evolutionary to be the most powerful of the Sovereign race. 
Weapons: His powers
Did You Know? Adam Warlock’s first appearance was in 1972 in “Marvel Premiere #1.” However, a version of the character known simply as “Him” appeared previously in 1967’s “Fantastic Four #66.”  

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Kang the Conqueror 

Superpowers: Superhuman strength, reflexes, durability; energy projection and manipulation; telekinesis; energy shield generation; portal creation; levitation platform creation. 

Kang is a tricky character to get a handle on, because there are different versions of him across time and throughout the multiverse. From a power standpoint though, Nathaniel Richards (the Kang presented in the MCU) is a virtually all-powerful egomaniac with dual goals of shaping the multiverse and gaining vengeance against the Council of Kangs.  

On his own, he is a little more than a genius, whose experience has compounded his raw intelligence. With the special suit and “Time Chair” he’s fashioned, he can manipulate his surroundings and adversaries however he pleases. In his suit, Kang is physically overpowering, capable of telekinesis, and able to wield energy like a weapon.  

Year Created: 1964 
How he got his Powers: Derived from neuro-kinetic suit. 
Weapons: His suit 
Did You Know? In the comics, Kang is related to Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four.  

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Venom

Superpowers: Mimicked powers of Spider-Man, superhuman condition, limited shapeshifting, telepathic skills, undetectable by spider-sense.

An alien life form that bonds with a host to survive, Venom is the most annoying-or-dangerous opponents of Spider-Man’s rogues’ gallery. As a result of first trying to bond with Spider-Man, Venom is invisible to Spider-Sense, which for any Spider-foe is a free pass to knock the snot out of the web-head.

When not tainted with anger-issues, Venom is not all bad as he deeply wants to be a hero. Although he does have the intimidating power to form spikes, use his sharp teeth and expand in size. In fact, he’s said to be stronger than Spider-Man himself.

Year Created: 1984
How he got his Powers: Eddie Brock became the alien’s new host.
Weapons: Web-shooters
Did You Know? Venom was once part of the Guardians of the Galaxy!

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Deadpool

Superpowers: Smart-mouth, extreme regeneration and healing power, trained assassin, immune to telepathic powers, immortal.

“I’m a little low down in this list. What does Wolvie have that I don’t?” as Wade Wilson, the Merc with the Mouth would say. Famously the mercenary and funniest mutant who appears to be so insane, he is completely aware of whatever medium he is in.

Diagnosed with cancer, Deadpool got his super-cool powers after undergoing an experimental treatment which left him with superhuman healing ability. Able to regrow limbs and organs as well as holding the strength of an Olympic level weightlifter, Deadpool is also an exceptional hand-to-hand combatant and martial artist.

Year Created: 1991
How he got his Powers: Injected with a mysterious serum to cure cancer
Weapons: Guns, grenades, knives, katanas
Did You Know? His healing powers are so strong, he was able to regrow his head after having it crushed by the Hulk in Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe. Learn more facts about Deadpool!

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Wasp 

Superpowers: Superhuman strength, durability, speed, reflexes; ability to change size; flight; energy zaps; insect manipulation.  

Hope van Dyne a.k.a. Wasp is about the truest heir in the MCU. Though she has friction with her parents at times, she is ultimately their protégé. Even before gaining her powers, Hope joins her father and Scott Lang to thwart Darren Cross’ attempt to steal Ant-Man Suit technology. Thereafter, her father gives her the Wasp suit that had belonged to her mother.  

With the suit, Hope is every bit as powerful as Ant-Man, possessed of superhuman strength and durability and able to morph into different sizes. The Wasp suit comes with additional capabilities too. While in uniform, Hope can fly and shoot energy beams out of insectoid appendages.  

Year Created: 1963 
How she got her Powers: Inherited the Wasp suit from her parents. 
Weapons: Her powers
Did You Know? In certain Marvel Comics lines, the Wasp is known as Hope Pym, and doubles as a supervillain named Red Queen.  

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Sersi 

Superpowers: Superhuman strength, speed, agility, durability, reflexes, stamina; regenerative healing; energy and matter manipulation; virtual immortality.  

Sersi is an extraordinarily powerful being created by Arishem. In Eternals, she doesn’t necessarily come across this way. Sersi is matched in most abilities by her rival, Ikaris, and is largely at the mercy of Arishem, a nearly all-powerful being.  

Despite being amongst highly capable adversaries, though, this Marvel character’s powers make her one of the MCU’s most impressive heroes. She is superhuman in every physical respect; she can harness and manipulate both energy and solid matter; and she is virtually immortal without Arishem’s intervention.  

Year Created: 1963 
How she got her Powers: Inherent physiology of the Eternals.  
Weapons: Celestial armor; dagger 
Did You Know? Gemma Chan, who portrays Sersi in Eternals, had a prior role as Minn-Erva in Captain Marvel.  

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Ikaris 

Superpowers: Superhuman strength, speed, agility, durability, reflexes, stamina; regenerative healing; flight; optical energy blasts; virtual immortality.  

Like Sersi, Ikaris is an immensely powerful Eternal created by Arishem. The two possess the same range of powers, though Ikaris also flies and shoots Superman-like energy rays from his eyes. In fact, he is perhaps the closest MCU parallel we’ve yet seen to Superman, strictly from an ability standpoint.  

The power of shooting what are effectively lasers from his eyes make him very much like DC’s legendary Kryptonian. This alone speaks to just how formidable the character is.   

Year Created: 1976 
How he got his Powers: Inherent physiology of the Eternals. 
Weapons: Celestial armor  
Did You Know?  In the comics, Ikaris changed his own name to be like that of his son Icarus, who inspired the famous myth.  

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Ms. Marvel 

Superpowers: Light and energy manipulation, size manipulation and extreme physical elasticity; superhuman strength, durability, agility.  

Ms. Marvel, a.k.a. Kamala Khan, owes her power to the Noor Dimension, from which her ancestor Aisha hailed. This dimension is effectively powered by an energy source called Noor, which Khan manipulates through an inherited bangle of Aisha’s.  

The bangle turns Khan into a super-powered individual herself – able to harness light and energy and turn them into platforms and other objects. She can also alter her own size, stretch her limbs to extreme lengths, and employ strength, durability, and agility beyond those of ordinary people.  

Year Created: 2013 (Kamala Khan iteration) 
How she got her Powers: Descendant of Aisha, a being from another dimension.   
Weapons: None, save for Aisha’s bangle, which helps her to harness Noor  
Did You Know? The original intent of the comic writers was to add Ms. Marvel to their extensive collection of mutant characters. 

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Storm

Superpowers: Power over the weather, skilled thief, excellent with handguns and knives, ability to see in darkness.

When Xavier first found Ororo Monroe, she was a street urchin who he caught lifting his wallet. From such humble beginnings (and a talent for controlling the weather) she’s risen as a goddess of southern Africa, Xavier’s second in command, a queen of Wakanda and an inspiration for mutants everywhere young and old.

She can control the weather, including the ability to generate lightning and tornadoes. Not only can she also fly, Storm can cause pain to her enemy’s ear by controlling the atmospheric pressure.

Year Created: 1975
How she got her Powers: Mutant-born
Weapons: Handguns, firearms, knives
Did You Know? Storm was the first black female Marvel superhero, first appearing in Giant-Size X-Men #1 (1975).

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The Punisher

Superpowers: Peak human condition, special operations master, resistance to telepathic powers, camouflage & stealth skills, pro martial artist, high pain tolerance.

Frank Castle was an ordinary guy, but everything went wrong after he returned home from doing his duty for the US Marine Corps to find his wife and daughter murdered by criminals. Famous as a superhero who kills people and packing lots of firepower, Frank is on a one-man crusade to kill every criminal in the world.

Thanks to his skills in hand-to-hand combat, vast experience in warfare, and ability to camouflage and tolerate extreme levels of pain, of course. Although we didn’t see it in the Netflix show, The Punisher is also resistant to psychic and telepathic powers.

Year Created: 1974
How he got his Powers: Trained in the military
Weapons: Rifles, handguns, grenades, knives
Did you Know? Nick Fury and Tony Stark highly admire The Punisher’s extreme pain tolerance. He even avoids taking painkillers to avoid drowsiness and slowed reflexes.

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Professor X

Superpowers: Telepathy, can cause paralysis, memory loss, mental illusions, create mind bolts of psychic energy.

Professor Charles Xavier was always one of the luckier mutants. He was able to easily hide his mutation while growing up, but that didn’t stop him from helping his kind out. Founding a school for gifted youngsters, Xavier is the most famous of mutantkind’s representatives, and his spokesmanship for mutant relations has been famously compared to Martin Luther King Jr – except this guy’s considered the world’s most powerful telepath.

Xavier can telepathically communicate with anyone in the world, sense the locations of mutants, read minds and memories and manipulate and paralyze others to great extent. Oh, and he can project psionic blasts, too.

Year Created: 1963
How he got his Powers: Mutant-born
Weapons: His powers
Did You Know? Professor X’s telepathy once covered the entire world and has even helped him connect mentally with aliens in space.

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Thanos

Superpowers: Strength, speed, durability, energy manipulation, telepathy, powers based on the Infinity Stones.

One of the biggest threats to all reality due to a fixation on claiming and using six stones that can warp reality, Thanos the Mad Titan is a threat that no one sneezes at as he tends to smash everything in his way. Besides this, he is also famous for his relationship with the cosmic aspect of death.

This Marvel villain has superpowers that very few can defeat. Thanos can destroy entire planets with a single blow, project psionic energy as a mighty force, emit infrared heat-beams from his eyes, and shut down another being’s mind with his talent in telepathy.

Year Created: 1973
How he got Powers: Titan-born and Infinity Stones
Weapons: Stasis Rifle, Infinity Gauntlet
Did You Know? The so-called “unbeatable” Thanos was once defeated by Squirrel Girl in GLX-MAS #1 published in 2005.

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Thor

Superpowers: Strength, speed, stamina, durability, weather manipulation, flight (via Mjolnir), dense skin and bones with a resistance to injury.

The Son of Odin, the God of Thunder has been one of the Avengers and a protector of the innocent since the very beginning. On the side of his hammer Mjolnir, the inscription “Whosoever wields this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor” has been his trademark.

The hammer brings this Avengers character great powers including the ability to summon lightning from his hands, block energy blasts and bend elements. Besides his extraordinary strength, Thor has great fighting ability, energy manipulation powers, flight skills, and complete control over the weather. Hulk has even labelled him a threat.

Year Created: 1962
How he got his Powers: Born the Asgardian God of Thunder
Weapons: Warhammer Mjolnir
Did You Know? Thor was a frog throughout issues of The Mighty Thor due to none other than Loki’s magical schemes. Learn more facts about Thor!

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Magneto

Superpowers: Control of magnetic forces, magnetism-based flight, can make telepathic commands.

The Master of Magnetism, leader of the Brotherhood of Mutants, closest friend of Charles Exavier, and possibly the world’s second most massive hypocrite. It’s hard to not feel sorry for a guy who survived the Nazi death camps but explaining Eric Lehnsherr, is no small feat.

Though he certainly doesn’t make it easy with his plan to supplant humans with mutants as the dominant species on Earth. With his power to control metal and manipulate magnetic forces, there’s no going near this guy. Heck, he apparently can use magnetism to “raise islands from ocean floors and move mountains”.

Year Created: 1963
How he got his Powers: Mutant-born
Weapons: Helmet, powers
Did You Know? Magneto has the power to move large asteroids and levitate a 30,000 ton nuclear submarine!

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Jessica Jones

Superpowers: Superhuman strength, flight, immunity to mind control.

Vigilante private investigator, Jessica Jones is one of the fresher faces of Marvel’s roster. Gaining her powers when a military convoy of radioactive material collides with her parents’ car, she wakes up from a coma with superhuman abilities including strength, flight and the skill to block and control.

She can push over a rooted tree, punch through the hood of a car, and can even resist mind control. Instead however, she fights crime as a detective. Those powers coming in handy for defense when cases go down some ugly roads.

Year Created: 2001
How she got her Powers: Radioactive chemicals following car accident.
Weapons: Her talent/powers
Did You Know? Jessica attended the same high school as Peter Parker and she even had a crush on him!

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Cassandra Lang 

Superpowers: Superhuman strength, durability; ability to change size.  

Cassandra Lang, often called Cassie, has no inherent powers. As the daughter of Scott Lang (a.k.a. Ant-Man) and a friend of Hank Pym’s however, she has a curious mind and access to extraordinary technology. Her curious mind and intellect help her to create a way to communicate with the Quantum Realm.  

Lang’s access leads to her being granted a version of the Ant-Man suit, which in turn, grants her abilities to rival Scott Lang’s. With her suit, Cassandra can alter her own size and exhibit superhuman strength and durability.   

Year Created: 1979 
How she got her Powers: Acquired the Stature Suit from Hank Pym. 
Weapons: Her powers
Did You Know? Stature is a prominent member of the Young Avengers in comic lore.  

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Blade

Superpowers: Strength, speed, reflexes, immune to vampire bites, master swordsman.

Featured in our list of Marvel characters and their powers is the lesser-known Blade. Called “the Daywalker” by his blood-sucking foes, Blade is known across the world as a man with all the strengths of a vampire, none of the weaknesses and a natural immunity to vampire talents.

He heals rapidly, is unaffected by daylight and is gifted with heightened senses including the ability to detect sounds that a regular human can’t, and “smell” supernatural creatures. He’s the ideal predator after the Van Helsings are gone.

Year Created: 1973
How he got his Powers: Mother was bitten by vampire during labor.
Weapons: Daggers, titanium, acid-etched swords, firearms
Did You Know? Marvel’s first big hit is one of the only movies that doesn’t feature a Stan Lee cameo!

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Doctor Doom

Superpowers: Superhuman strength, energy blasts, flight via rocket boots, inventor genius.

T’Challa is not the only high-profile king moonlighting as a super-person. King of Latveria Victor, von Doom is a complex sort, he may blame absolutely everything wrong with his life on Reed Richards (which is frequently his downfall), but he’s also worked with some of the heroes.

In particular, he has enlisted the help of Doctor Strange to rescue his mother from Mephisto’s realm. The Doctor considers him one of the “most powerful practitioners of sorcery” thanks to his great ability to emit mystical blasts and force-fields, as well as cast spells.

Year Created: 1962
How he got his Powers: His mother’s Roma heritage
Weapons: His powers
Did You Know? In the comics, Doctor Doom has been depicted as one of the most intelligent humans in the Marvel Universe.

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The Mandarin

Superpowers: Peak-level human condition, martial arts expert, 10 Rings of Power.

Tony Stark’s greatest opponent is not a rival CEO like Obidiah Stane or the Russians trying to copy his work, but this 100-year-old Chinese aristocrat. Beyond a genius military mind, the Mandarin is an intellectual equal to Iron Man.

He is technologically aided by the 10 Rings of Power alien technology he wears on each finger that through invention and practice, grant him numerous powers such as cryokinesis, electrokinesis, the ability to emit energy beams and blasts, levitation and mind control to say the least. 

Year Created: 1964
How got his Powers: From the 10 Rings of Power
Weapons: 10 Rings of Power
Did You Know? His martial arts skills are so great, it is said The Mandarin can destroy Iron Man’s armor with his bare hands.

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Now that you’ve scrolled through our list of Marvel characters and their powers, who do you think is the most strongest and powerful in the Marvel Universe?

Is it Kang the Conqueror? How about the Hulk? Let us know in the comments below…

Information in this article has been sourced from Super Hero DB and Marvel Cinematic Universe Fandom.
This article was originally published in March 2018.

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