By Sage Ashford & Scoot Allan
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Hulk's calling card refers to himself as "the strongest one there is." However, several of the most powerful Marvel characters have challenged this claim over the decades since his introduction. Many fans often like to reference Thor's Asgardian strength and god-like abilities. Others wonder who qualifies for "strongest." Is the One Above All the strongest Marvel character? What about the unbeatable Squirrel Girl? Marvel has no shortage of powerful characters who dominate the battlefield, but only a special group can contend for the title of "strongest."
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When determining who the physically strongest Marvel characters are, powerful individuals like Kang and Doctor Doom quickly find themselves outclassed, especially when compared to Marvel's cosmic heroes. However, Marvel's strongest heroes aren't limited to those from other realms. Marvel's own Earth has plenty of champions with enough power to lift aircraft carriers or even tear the very Earth apart with the power of their punches. Fortunately, most don't go all out with their strength.
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Updated on Sept. 20, 2024 by Scoot Allan: Comic fans love exploring character stats and asking questions like "Who are the most powerful DC characters?" "Can the Hulk take down Superman?" "Who's the most powerful Marvel villain?" The strongest characters in Marvel are constantly shifting as new characters are introduced or old characters receive new powers. This article has been updated to include more characters who deserve to stand among Marvel's strongest beings and to conform to CBR's current standards.
40 Spider-Man's Strength Sets Him Apart From Other Street-Level Heroes
Peter Parker Is Stronger Than Anyone Faster And Faster Than Anyone Stronger
Spider-Man is known for his surprising abilities among his superhero peers. They rarely expect him to pull off some of his amazing feats of agility or perseverance, and his frequent displays of incredible strength almost always make them regret underestimating Peter Parker.
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First Appearance | Amazing Fantasy #15 |
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Year | June 1962 |
Creative Team | Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, Stan Goldberg and Artie Simek |
After a radioactive spider bit him, Peter Parker gained the proportionate strength of a spider, which continues growing with him. Spider-Man has used his incredible determination to increase his strength in intense situations, allowing him to lift many tons of rubble off his back. He can hold his own against some of Marvel's most powerful through either his incredible powers or scathing wit.
39 Smasher Wields The Power Of The Shi'ar Imperial Guard
Isabel "Izzy" Kane Is The First Human To Wield The Title of Smasher

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After donning a pair of Shi'ar Exospex she discovered on her farm, Izzy Kane transformed into the Shi'ar Imperial Guard warrior Smasher. With the powers, she was transported to Chandilar, where she trained to become a proper Imperial Guard candidate. After returning home, Izzy joined the Avengers and helped them against some of the most dangerous threats the team ever faced, including the Builders during the Infinity War event. These days, she splits her time between being on Earth and working with the Imperial Guard.
First Appearance | Avengers (Vol. 5) #1 |
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Year | 2012 |
Creative Team | Jonathan Hickman, Jerome Opeña, Dean White, Cory Petit |
The Exospex grants Izzy some incredible powers, though she can only "download" one power at a time. With super-strength downloaded, she wields massive power and is ranked Class 7 in terms of strength. The upper limits of her powers haven't been tested, but it's suggested she can lift over 100 tons if necessary.
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38 Sasquatch Taps Into Incredible Gamma Power
Dr. Walter Langkowski Was Once Linked To A Powerful Great Beast

Walter Langkowski was a physics genius who wanted to find a way to create another Hulk, one that could be reasonably controlled. Like Bruce, he was hit with high levels of gamma radiation, but rather than transform into the Hulk, he had his body linked to the beast, Tanaraq. Over the years, Walter used Tanaraq's body to help the super-team, Alpha Flight.
First Appearance | X-Men #120 |
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Year | 1979 |
Creative Team | Chris Claremont, John Byrne, Terry Austin, Glynis Wein, Tom Orzechowski |
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Though he's been trapped in Doc Samson's body more recently, he's still one of the strongest men on Earth. When Walter was connected to Tanaraq, he was ranked Class 7 in terms of strength. He could lift upwards of 90 tons or more and proved capable of battling other superpowered beings like Colossus or even the Hulk. Now in Doc Samson's body, he's not quite as strong as before, but he still ranks Class 6 in strength.
37 Phyla-Vell Inherited Incredible Power She Uses to Help Others
This Captain Marvel Variant Is Also An Alternate Version of the Deceased Former Quasar

This new Phyla-Vell comes from the "superhero dimension," discovered during a battle over the Infinity Stones. Alongside her wife, Moondragon, the two were trapped within Marvel's main 616 universe after their own was destroyed. Not long after arriving, she joined the Guardians of the Galaxy to help make the universe better.
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First Appearance | Infinity Countdown #4 |
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Year | 2018 |
Creative Team | Gerry Duggan, Mike Deodato Jr., Mike Hawthorne, Aaron Kuder, Terry Pallot, Jose Marzan Jr., Frank Martin Jr., Jordie Bellaire, Cory Petit |
Like the original Phyla-Vell, she wields considerable power, having inherited it thanks to her connection to Captain Mar-Vell. As powerful as the original was, this new Phyla seems even stronger, capable of trading blows with Carol Danvers while under mind control. This places her at the upper end of class 5 strength, allowing her to lift around 75 tons.
36 Rhino Gained His Massive Strength From Multiple Experiments
There Has Been More Than One Rhino Though Aleksei Sytsevich Reclaimed His Title

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Long-time Spider-Man villain The Rhino was originally Aleksei Sytsevich, a simple Russian mobster. Aleksei agreed to be experimented on to become more powerful and gain vastly superior strength. Combined with his Rhino armor, he became one of the first villains to outclass Spider-Man in strength.
First Appearance | Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #41 |
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Year | July 1966 |
Creative Team | Stan Lee, John Romita Sr., Mike Esposito, Artie Simek |
After repeated experiments, Rhino’s strength has been enhanced several times to make him nearly unstoppable. Capable of lifting up to 70 tons, Rhino has even proven capable of exchanging blows with the Hulk in the past.
35 Hulkling Unites The Power Of The Skrull And Kree
Teddy Altman Became a Galactic Emperor and a Guardian of the Galaxy
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Teddy Altman is the secret child of Skrull princess Anelle and legendary Kree warrior Captain Mar-Vell. Since no one was ever meant to know he existed, he was sent to Earth at birth and remained hidden until he became a member of the Young Avengers. Since then, he's been part of multiple superteams and helped save the world several times. He operates as the leader of the Kree and the Skrull, uniting their people and creating a new era of peace.
First Appearance | Young Avengers #1 |
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Year | 2005 |
Creative Team | Allan Heinberg, Jim Cheung, John Dell, Justin Ponsor, Cory Petit |
A combination of two powerful races, Hulkling benefits from both, including his dad's enhanced strength. Though he normally relies on his shape-shifting, he's also been the powerhouse of several super-teams, including the Young Avengers and the New Avengers. His strength is ranked at Class 6, which means he can lift at least 75 tons.
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34 Deathlok Was A Powerful Cyborg With Incredible Strength
Michael Collins Was The First Deathlok Unit To Appear in the Mainstream Marvel Universe

After he helped design programming for a top-secret project, Michael Collins was betrayed by his boss. His mind was transferred into the body of the Deathlok cyborg, which was actually Luther Manning from an alternate future. His new form was tested against live soldiers against Collins's will. He eventually gained control of the body and used it to become a one-man war against evil corporations and threats to the future.
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First Appearance | Deathlok (Vol. 1) #1 |
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Year | May 1990 |
Creative Team | Dwayne McDuffie, Gregory Wright, Butch Guice, Scott Williams, Paul Mounts, Brad Vancata and Richard Starkings |
Along with an advanced computer brain that gives him an AI edge, Deathlok's body also gives him incredible strength. He's normally capable of lifting around 85 tons, though he can further increase that to around 150 tons if he actively pushes his cyborg body past its usual limitations.
33 Skaar Has The Hulk's Strength Augmented By The Old Power
Skaar Has A Brother Named Hiro-Kala Who Wielded The New Power

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The son of Hulk, Skaar, was born on Sakaar, where he constantly fought to survive in that harsh environment. Skaar made it to Earth before his home planet was destroyed. In the years since, Skaar's done everything from trying to kill his dad to becoming a double agent on Norman Osborn's Dark Avengers for Steve Rogers.
First Appearance | World War Hulk #5 |
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Year | 2007 |
Creative Team | Greg Pak, John Romita Jr., Klaus Janson, Christina Strain, Chris Eliopoulos |
Skaar is one of the strongest beings ever walking the planet, especially when considering his connection to the Old Power, an imitation of the Power Cosmic. He's battled the Hulk evenly before, defeated Thing and Sasquatch, and tossed the Juggernaut into space. He's considered on the higher end of Class 7 strength, able to lift around 90 tons without calling on the Old Power, which boosts his strength further.
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32 Brian Braddock Wields Avalon's Might for His Own
The Former Captain Britain Adapted A New Alter Ego of Captain Avalon

Brian Braddock was originally chosen to become Captain Britain, using the powers he gained from the Amulet of Right to protect his country. However, in the years since he became a hero, events required him to pass his powers as Captain Britain on to his sister Betsy while he gained the power of the Sword of Might.
First Appearance | Captain Britain #1 |
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Year | 1976 |
Creative Team | Chris Claremont, Herb Trimpe, Fred Kida, Marie Severin, Irving Watanabe |
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Briefly, Brian Braddock served as one of the Swordbearers of Krakoa, protecting both his country and Krakoa. Brian's powers remain unchanged despite switching alter egos during the Krakoa era. He's in the conversation among the strongest Marvel superheroes, with the ability to lift 100 tons. The main limitation to his powers is confidence in his abilities.
31 Super-Skrull Mimics the Power of the Fantastic Four
Kl'rt Works With the Guardians of the Galaxy As Part of The Team's Support Staff

At one point, the Super-Skrull was one of the Fantastic Four's most dangerous enemies. As a Skrull shape-shifter, he represented the vanguard of a Skrull invasion. Exposure to the same cosmic energy that transformed the Fantastic Four allowed him to use their powers to an even greater level than they have. The Fantastic Four faced the Super Skrull several times, but these days Kl'rt spends more time protecting the people of his own empire.
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First Appearance | Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #18 |
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Year | 1963 |
Creative Team | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Dick Ayers, Stan Goldberg, Artie Simek |
The Super-Skrull maintains the same powers he had as an enemy of The Fantastic Four. He can access the Human Torch's pyrokinesis and the Invisible Woman's barriers, along with the strength and durability of The Thing and Mister Fantastic. He's proven capable of lifting over 100 tons and battling with heroes like the Silver Surfer.
30 Ultron Once Became the Ultimate Threat to Organic Life
Ultron Once Bonded With The Phalanx To Further Increase His Strength
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In the main Marvel Universe, Ultron is Hank Pym's greatest creation—and failure. He was originally meant to be the next step in artificial intelligence, only for him to develop an extreme hatred for all things human. After being created, Ultron successfully forced Hank Pym to forget he was ever created and upgraded himself until he became powerful enough to wipe out humanity.
First Appearance | Avengers (Vol. 1) #54 |
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Year | 1968 |
Creative Team | Roy Thomas, John Buscema, George Tuska, Artie Simek |
Ultron is one of the Avengers' most dangerous threats, constantly updating his tech to make himself more powerful. In terms of strength, his adamantium body can lift around 100 tons, and he's exchanged blows with every powerhouse the Avengers have, from Hulk to Thor. A seemingly reformed version will join the latest roster of the West Coast Avengers alongside his former enemies.
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29 Titania Gained Incredible Power From Doctor Doom
Titania Fell In Love With Absorbing Man And They Joined Gamma Flight Together

Mary McPherran was another regular citizen until the Beyonder stole her city and made it part of Battleworld. While there, she met Dr. Doom, who agreed to give her power to expand his ranks in the battle against the heroes. The result was McPherran being transformed into a much taller, stronger woman, almost instantly giving in to her darker impulses.
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First Appearance | Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars (Vol. 1) #3 |
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Year | 1984 |
Creative Team | Jim Shooter, Michael Zack, John Beatty, Christie Scheele, Joe Rosen |
Returning to Earth, Mary McPherran took up jobs as a supervillain, working with several powerful supervillain groups over the years. As Titania, McPherran is one of the strongest women on the planet. Initially able to lift around 85 tons, training and combat experience has pushed that to around 100 tons. Titania has enough strength to fight evenly with She-Hulk, occasionally defeating her.
28 Ronan the Accuser Was Cybernetically Augmented
The Black Vortex Further enhanced the Ultimate Kree Accuser Before His Death

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Ronan the Accuser was once part of the Kree’s special law enforcement organization, the Kree Public Accuser Corps. The incredible power granted to people in that position has allowed him to face off with both The Fantastic Four and the Avengers without any other help.
First Appearance | Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #65 |
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Year | May 1967 |
Creative Team | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Joe Sinnott, Artie Simek |
Some of Ronan the Accuser's strength comes from his cybernetic enhancements, which make him more powerful. Ronan can lift up to ten tons using his own strength. However, with his armor, he can lift several times that, which makes him one of the galaxy's strongest characters.
27 War Machine's Armor Was Meant to Rival Iron Man's in Power
Rhodey's Powerful Armor Has Gone Through A Few Updates and Improvements Over The Years

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James Rhodes donned the Iron Man suit when Tony Stark no longer wanted to wear it. During that time, Rhodey grew accustomed to wearing the armor and even fought Tony over giving it up. Since then, Stark designed a state-of-the-art suit he intended for Rhodey’s use, originally known as the Variable Threat Response Battle Suit.
First Appearance (As War Machine) | Avengers West Coast (Vol. 1) #94 |
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Year | March 1993 |
Creative Team | Roy Thomas, Dann Thomas, David Ross, Tim Dzon, Bob Sharen, Steve Dutro |
That armor later became known as the War Machine armor. With the War Machine armor on, Rhodey has much the same strength as Iron Man. He can lift around 100 tons thanks to the exoskeleton built inside that boosts his power. This strength has allowed him to take down villainous threats like HAMMER and fight Iron Man himself.
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26 Atlas Ionic Energy Makes Makes Him Nearly Unmatched
Josten Also Used The Alter Egos of Power Man, Goliath and The Smuggler Over the Years

Once a simple villain, Erik Josten’s life changed forever when he was exposed to ionic energy by longtime Thor villain, the Enchantress. After operating for a time as a member of the Masters of Evil, Erik eventually became the superhero Atlas as a member of the Thunderbolts.
First Appearance | Avengers (Vol. 1) #21 |
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Year | August 1965 |
Creative Team | Stan Lee, Don Heck, Wally Wood, Stan Goldberg, Artie Simek |
It’s fortunate for the Marvel heroes that Erik is on their side because his body gradually grew in power thanks to the ionic energy exposure. Now, when Erik grows to larger sizes, he has a seemingly limitless amount of strength, placing him near Wonder Man in terms of power.
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25 Iron Man's Strength Lets Him Fight Some Strong Superhumans
Tony Stark's Advanced Armors Allow Him to Stand Alongside Marvel's Gods
Tony Stark was originally a billionaire weapons dealer until one day, while investigating a plant overseas, an army kidnaped him. To survive, Tony constructed his ultimate weapon: the Iron Man armor. Using that armor, Tony escaped and grew to become a major hero and a founding member of the Avengers.
First Appearance | Tales of Suspense #39 |
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Year | December 1962 |
Creative Team | Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Don Heck |
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The Iron Man armor has been improved dozens of times since Tony Stark's introduction, gradually improving both access to weapons and how strong he becomes while wearing it. Supposedly, the armor allows him to lift nearly 100 tons, but he can handle much more. He even knocked out the Hulk in a single punch, though it caused his armor's circuits to fuse, leaving him trapped in his suit.
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24 Nimrod Is The Perfect Sentinel Threat
Nimrod Is An Evolution Of The Sentinel From The Future Recreated in The Past

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The ultimate in anti-mutant technology, Nimrod is the perfect Sentinel. Originally introduced in the Uncanny X-Men storyline Days of Future Past, Nimrod has established himself as one of the mutants' biggest threats in every timeline he's ever appeared in. Most recently, Nimrod even attacked Krakoa itself, destroying several mutants and wiping out the latest incarnation of the X-Men.
First Appearance | Uncanny X-Men #191 |
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Year | 1984 |
Creative Team | Chris Claremont, John Romita Jr, Dan Green, Glynis Wein, Tom Orzechowski |
Naturally, one of Nimrod's basic powers is incredible strength. The most recent version of the character could stop the unstoppable Juggernaut and hit Colossus hard enough to draw blood. He's known to have around class 7 strength and has shown an upper carrying limit of around 100 tons. Though his strength is far from the reason why he's dangerous, it cannot be underestimated.
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23 Abomination Is Technically Stronger Than Most Versions of Hulk
Emil Blonsky's Gamma-Enhanced Strength Has A Finite Limit Unlike His Arch-Enemy

A Communist spy named Emil Blonsky was exposed to extreme levels of gamma radiation after one of Banner's attempts to rid himself of the Hulk. Blonsky transformed into the monstrous villain known as the Abomination. Initially, he shocked even the Hulk with his incredible strength, which surpassed initial versions of Bruce Banner's alter ego.
First Appearance | Tales to Astonish #90 |
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Year | January 1967 |
Creative Team | Stan Lee, Bill Everett and Sheri Gail |
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However, while Abomination can consistently lift over 100 tons, his strength is limited. Hulk's strength can increase along with his anger, which means that even if Abomination starts stronger than the Hulk, Banner will soon be able to take him if he gets mad enough.
22 Nova Channels a Significant Amount of the Nova Force
Richard Rider Once Contained The Xandarian Worldmind Which Increased His Strength

As a member of the Nova Corps, Richard Rider was originally only given a small part of the Nova Force, which powered them. However, when the Nova Corps was destroyed, Richard inherited the entire power of the Nova Corps, transforming him into one of the most powerful characters in the Marvel Universe.
First Appearance | Nova #1 |
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Year | June 1976 |
Creative Team | Marv Wolfman, John Buscema, Joe Sinnott, Michele Wolfman, Joe Rosen, Gaspar Saladino |
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While every member of the Nova Corps has super-strength, Richard has shown strength greater than any prior member of the Corps. He’s been able to fight high-class threats like Annihilus, even defeating him in battle. Richard Rider never displayed a limit to this power, and it isn’t even clear that he has one.
21 Absorbing Man Can Increase His Strength by Absorbing Anything He Touches
Crusher Creel Once Achieved A new Level of Power When He Absorbed The Properties of Thor's Hammer

Crusher Creel was an ordinary career criminal who had the bad luck of running into Thor. However, Loki gave Creel a special potion that allowed him to absorb the properties of anything in contact with his body. As Thor eventually discovered, this meant literally anything, including the properties of his own hammer.
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First Appearance | Journey into Mystery #114 |
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Year | January 1965 |
Creative Team | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Chic Stone, Sam Rosen |
The only limit to Absorbing Man's powers are the people he's fighting at a given time. He's even proven capable of absorbing the powers of specific superheroes, giving him the same incredible abilities as Thor or the Sentry. Breaking contact with him doesn't work either, as he still can retain whatever he touched last, making him one of Thor's most dangerous enemies.
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