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The 10 Most Powerful Marvel Villains Ranked

Ever wondered which of the most powerful Marvel Villains you should stay away from?

By Kioko LeoniaPublished 5 years ago 8 min read
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We've all been asked which superpower we'd like to have, and most of us have different answers. From invisibility to the ability to fly to being able to speak every language in the world, the superpowers that humans dream of manifesting are pretty mild compared to the superpowers that most Marvel characters have.

In any of these hypothetical situations, one would hope that most humans don't dream of having powers of destruction. When you think about it though, destructive superpowers are arguably the most powerful because they are absolutely terrifying. But which destructive powers are the most powerful? And which Marvel villains have the most potential for mass destruction?

There are so many villains in the Marvel universe that it can be difficult to identify the most powerful Marvel villains, but there are certainly a few evil Marvel characters that will have you wondering if Marvel has a problem creating villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Onslaught's first appearance was in the X-Men, vol.2, #53 issue of Marvel Comics in 1996, so he's relatively new compared to many of the other villains of the Marvel universe.

Most Marvel villains have multiple powers at their disposal, and although Onslaught is a highly strategic super-genius with great fighting skills, he definitely isn't a jack of all trades when it comes to superpowers (and especially not speed). As much as Onslaught would love to destroy the world, his powers are limited to pretty much every psychic ability in the book.

Still, the world would be a better place if he had never been allowed out of the Negative Zone. Nobody's psychic abilities can compare to Onslaught's. When it comes to anything psychic—telepathy, psychometry, material astral projection, astral travel, mind possession and control, telekinesis, and the list goes on—he's definitely a villain you wouldn't want to mess with.

It's hard to confront the things that scare us the most, and being absolutely terrifying is what makes Ultron a powerful being in the Marvel universe.

First of all, he's a sentient robot, so he's crazy-smart AND self-aware. But he's also durable and lightening-fast, a master of disguise, and he is pretty competent when it comes to mind control. On top of that, he's got an incredibly strong will to wipe out the human race, especially the Avengers team.

Ultron's armor is made of indestructible adamantium, and he's known for creating other robots to help him on his mission of destruction. His weakness, of course, is Janet van Dyne, or Wasp, an Avenger who he accidentally fell in love with while trying to wipe out the Avengers.

Ultron first appeared disguised as Crimson Cowl in Avengers #54 in 1968. He's since been featured in several Marvel comics and movies, including Secret Wars in 2015.

Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Dormammu first appeared in the Marvel Comics (Strange Tales #126) in 1964.

Dormammu is one of the greatest threats to the Marvel universe and, according to Doctor Strange, when Dormammu deploys all his abilities, nobody stands a chance against him.

That's because Dormammu has an incredibly robust set of mystical powers that allow him to do pretty much anything he wants. From matter manipulation, teleportation, possession, the ability to create demon lords, and more, Dormammu is a major force to be reckoned with.

The power of telepathy and telekinesis can't be underestimated, especially when it's accompanied by the power to open star gates, cosmic arson powers, and a knack for subatomic destruction.

Phoenix is one of the deadliest Marvel characters in the Marvel universe. She means well and has morals—after all, her powers didn't manifest until she was overcome with emotion while witnessing her friend get hit by a car. But her strength and power eventually get the best of her when she's consumed by the Phoenix Force, and she becomes a major threat to Professor X and the rest of the X-Men team.

Dark Phoenix was ranked as IGN's 9th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time—and she is definitely one of the most powerful Marvel villains out there!

Watch out for her in X-Men: The Last Stand, coming out this year!

Kang the Conqueror first appeared in The Avengers #8 issue of the Marvel comics in September 1964. In 2009, IGN ranked Kang the Conqueror as the 65th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.

Kang the Conqueror is brawny, and is a great fist-fighter. He can destroy anything in sight, and his armor not only resists radiation, but it also allows him to time travel. And, because Kang travels through multiple timelines (as opposed to linear time travel), he is the only Marvel character who can time travel without creating divergences.

And he's got brains. He's an expert historian (as he should be, considering his passion for time travel), scientist, and he's super strategic, so he destroys with a plan. His technology is so robust and advanced that not even Doctor Doom or Iron Man can compare.

Kang's downfall, however, is that he's very egotistical. Even when your favorite hobby is to destroy everything in sight, pride can really hold you back.

Though he may not be the sharpest tool in the box, nor the best fighter of the villains of the Marvel universe, Abraxas makes up for his shortcomings in strength, endurance, speed, and immortality.

He is considered one of the most powerful Marvel villains due to his cosmic strength and lifetime mission of destroying the universe.

Abraxas emerged after the death of Galactus, and immediately began terrorizing populations throughout several alternate realities. He even managed to kill several versions of Galactus.

He's a villain without a home, traveling around the universe to destroy as many dimensions as he can.

Apocalypse's terrifying looks are enough to make anyone feel futile. With laser-red eyes, a receding ponytail, and a metal body that weighs over 300 pounds in its natural form, he's one of the scariest villains of the Marvel universe even without his powers.

But his aesthetic is not what makes him one of the most powerful Marvel villains. First of all, Apocalypse takes shape-shifting to the next level. Not only can Apocalypse make himself look different, but he can also manifest pretty much any physical superpower that he feels like using.

When Apocalypse gets hurt, he can heal himself. He's immortal, he can move things with his mind, he can teleport himself anywhere, and he's also technopathic. If you're not yet convinced that he's one of the most powerful Marvel villains, just keep reading.

Apocalypse is extremely intelligent. As one of the oldest beings and first mutants in the world, he's got so much life experience that he's smarter than pretty much everyone except for Black Panther, Dr. Doom, and Reed Richards.

If Apocalypse wasn't a villain, maybe he would use his intelligence for good. Instead, he knows exactly how to identify others' vulnerabilities; he's a very effective demagogue and a master manipulator.

You don't want to mess with Galactus (unless you're Silver Surfer, of course). The powers of Galactus are almost imperceivable, and many consider him to be the most powerful being in the Marvel universe.

First of all, Galactus is immortal. If he dies, he comes back to life. He also has the power to make other beings, and entire universes, come back to life if he wants to. Galactus can absorb energy, and he's also immune to most threats he encounters, such as diseases, poisons, and impact.

Galactus is extremely intelligent—some even say he's the most intelligent of all the villains of the Marvel universe.

He's lightening-fast with everlasting strength and stamina. He can convert any matter into any other type of matter. Galactus is one of the scariest Marvel villains ever created, and really, we should all stay far, far away from him (even though he'll probably find us).

Eek, Doctor Doom. He's a genius, he's indestructible, and he has the ability to time travel. He wears rocket boots, he absorbs energy, and his armor gives him extreme strength and durability. His weapons and tools are all incredibly high-tech (the only villain with better technology that I can think of is Kang the Conqueror).

Doctor Doom's only weakness is probably his ego, but I would be pretty full of myself, too, if I could control technology with my mind. I mean, we're all probably smart enough not to steal Thanos' Infinity Gauntlet while Thanos is still alive, but that's another story.

Doctor Doom is at the top of IGN's list of the Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time—and there's no doubting that he is certainly one of the most powerful Marvel villains ever.

Also known as The Mad Titan, Thanos takes the seat as the most powerful being in the Marvel Universe. Thanos shares the powers common in his race (the Titanian Eternals), but Thanos' powers are much stronger than that.

His strength, speed, stamina, and durability are all superior. Thanos is also a genius when it comes to science and technology. He has the ability to time travel and to move through alternate universes.

He's strategic, tactical, and he can move anything he wants using just his mind.

It's his Infinity Gauntlet, though, that allows him to channel the Power Stone, making him an unstoppable force. He can toss his Power Stone anywhere and kill anything that comes into contact with it using cosmic energy.

Even the most powerful Marvel villains hardly stand a chance against Thanos.

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About the Creator

Kioko Leonia

Huge anime and video game nerd with a soft spot for romance. Will fight you about everything.

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