The Strongest Gods in Marvel Comics

Key Takeaways

• Thor, the God of Thunder, is one of Marvel’s strongest characters, facing off against cosmic threats.
• Loki, the God of Mischief, is a powerful and unpredictable force in the Marvel universe.
• Hercules, a rival to Thor from Greek mythology, has defeated powerful beings in the Marvel multiverse.

Marvel Comics has introduced some pretty powerful characters in its nearly 90-year history. While most fans of the more accessible Marvel Cinematic Universe know of iconic heroes like Captain America, Black Panther, and the Scarlet Witch, the comics contain a lot more heroes whose powers stretch beyond the supernatural and into the metaphysical.

These literal gods throughout the history of Marvel Comics span a wide spectrum of human-like demigods and all-powerful beings. Whether they’re an interpretation of existing mythical deities or completely original forces of nature, these ten Marvel Comics characters are without a doubt the strongest, and therefore the most ominous, fans have ever read about.

10 Thor

The Norse God Of Thunder Turned Avenger

Among all the godly characters in Marvel Comics, few are probably as recognizable as Thor. The Norse god of thunder is notorious as a frequent member of the Avengers, but his solo adventures have showcased that his power stretches beyond summoning lightning. He’s even faced off against enemies like Gorr the God-Butcher, proving that he’s more powerful than entities that have threatened all gods.

However, Thor Odinson isn’t the only character to take up the mantle, or rather, the hammer. His love interest, Jane Foster, had an infamous run as Mighty Thor. Even the Korbinite Beta Ray Bill briefly wielded Mjolnir and adopted the Thor mantle, before replacing it with Stormbreaker. Eric Masterson is also a human who later became Thor’s surrogate and later the superhero named Thunderstrike.

9 Loki

The Avengers’ First Foe Is As Tricky As They Come

MCU fans know just how powerful Loki can become, seeing as season 2 of Loki saw the god re-assemble all the scattered timelines to prevent a multiversal collapse. In the comics, Loki Laufeyson is capable of many other enormous feats, with his cosmic schemes becoming the very first threat that called for the assembly of the Avengers, including his own half-brother, Thor.

Like Thor, other characters have also taken his powers, including Sylvie Lushton, an average girl who becomes the Enchantress. However, unlike Loki, Sylvie uses her powers for good and even joins the Avengers at one point. Though he’s rarely ever succeeded in his nefarious plots, the high stakes that come with Loki’s adventures make him one of Marvel’s most terrifying deities.

8 Hercules

The Greek Physique Is Thor’s Biggest Rival

It takes quite an impressive god to put up a good fight against Thor. Unlike the more popular Norse gods of Marvel Comics, Hercules comes from the world of Greek mythology, as the demigod son of Zeus. Although he has been a frequent rival of Thor, Hercules himself has been a part of the Avengers but has also held his own against some other big bad guys of the Marvel multiverse.

As part of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Hercules has helped destroy the Dark Olympians, reincarnated versions of Greek gods out for blood. He’s also defeated the likes of Abomination and has even nearly incapacitated the Beyonder. Even Kang the Conqueror was unable to fatally kill Hercules after murdering several infant versions of the Avengers.

7 Hela

Asgard Should Be Afraid Of This Deadly Sister

Hela has a unique place in Marvel Comics as the adopted granddaughter of Odin, making her the niece of both Thor and Loki. As the Norse goddess of death, Hela is a huge threat to Thor and his allies in the MCU film Thor: Ragnarok, which isn’t dissimilar to her comic book journey. She and Loki team up to incite Ragnarök in Asgard, but she’s also attempted to siege it on numerous other occasions.

Part of Hela’s story in the comics as of late has seen her become a lover of none other than Thanos, attempting to resurrect the Mad Titan as the Guardians of the Galaxy tried to stop her. She and Thanos were eventually sucked into a black hole thanks to Beta Ray Bill, but as of the Mighty Valkyries comic series, it’s revealed that Hela survived even that, proving her to be quite an immortal nuisance.

6 The Beyonder

A Puppet Master Outside Of Space And Time

The mysterious Beyonder is actually part of a race of omnipotent watchers of the multiverse, whose recklessness as a child produced the powerful hero known as Molecule Man. Discovering his own powers, the Beyonder began to play with multiverses like its inhabitants were action figures, starting several Secret Wars to watch how heroes and villains fight in a completely new world he creates.

The Beyonder even nearly destroys the entire multiverse after briefly assuming a human form and being dissatisfied by what he experiences. Although he’s a god, he’s displayed some pretty human emotions and weakness from time to time, letting himself be manipulated by the likes of Doctor Doom, as well as Cosmic Cubes like Kubik and the Shaper of Worlds.

5 Phoenix Force

Something Powerful Burns Inside Of Jean Grey

It’s no wonder the iconic “Dark Phoenix” storyline in Marvel Comics has been adapted to live-action twice. Jean Grey may be one of the most popular X-Men in the comic book franchise, but she’s also an incredibly volatile hero given that she’s a host for the cosmic entity known as Phoenix Force. The entity, as old as time itself, is the fiery, bird-like nexus of psionic energy throughout the multiverse.

As a source of plenty of multiversal energy, the Phoenix Force can be used for good, but it can also easily become corrupted, resulting in Jean Grey’s fearsome heel turn. However, like the phoenix from mythology, the Phoenix Force will always be reborn into a new host, even hosting contests between the strongest heroes in the multiverse to see who will become the vessel for its unimaginable power.

4 Lady Death

Death Actually Becomes Her In Marvel Comics

Just recently, the MCU got introduced to its own version of Lady Death with Rio Vidal in Agatha All Along. Aubrey Plaza was an inspired choice to embody Marvel’s seductive Grim Reaper, even though Death has had a long history of being a significant player in major storylines. For instance, it’s known by many that Thanos’ motivation for the Infinity Stones in the comics was to seduce Lady Death.

As the counterpart to her brother, Eternity, Death’s power is pretty obvious, having the power to kill or resurrect any being in the multiverse. Despite being the embodiment of Death itself, Lady Death has done some good, such as being an ally of Ben Reilly, the Scarlet Spider, and clone of Peter Parker, following his numerous resurrections throughout his own comic book history.

3 The Living Tribunal

What’s A God To A Councillor?

In all fairness, the Living Tribunal may not be the most interesting cosmic entity in Marvel Comics. Depicted as a massive golden figure with a purple hood, the Living Tribunal is charged with maintaining balance in the multiverse, like a judge. He first appeared as an adversary of Doctor Strange, forcing the Master of the Mystic Arts to prove that Earth deserved to keep existing. What a big ask.

The Living Tribunal has even nullified the powers of the Infinity Stones, which are supposed to be the most powerful objects in the entire universe. Like Thor, the Living Tribunal has also been a mantle passed down to heroes, such as Adam Warlock. The Living Tribunal is pretty terrifying as an impartial decider of what life deserves to exist and what doesn’t.

2 Galactus

He Enjoys A Healthy Balanced Breakfast Of Planets

Galactus is one of the most iconic villains in Marvel Comics history. The cosmic entity travels the expansive universe searching for planets to consume as sustenance. He was first encountered in the comics by The Fantastic Four, who were aided by his own herald, the Silver Surfer, to drive the being away from Earth. Though Galactus possesses world-destroying power, he agrees to spare Earth.

Other planets, however, aren’t as fortunate as Earth. Galactus nearly destroys Battleworld in a conflict with The Beyonder but is stopped by Doctor Doom. In many of his comic book appearances, Galactus is much more of a force of nature than a sentient being, but his supreme power over universal bodies and even his own individual heralds makes him one of the more formidable entities in Marvel.

1 One Above All

There’s Always An Even Higher Power To Uncover

There is no being in the Marvel Comics universe that is at a higher level than the One Above All, the closest thing the franchise has to a god among gods. The Living Tribunal even acts as a servant to the One Above All, who rules all planes of reality and all cosmic entities. Few Marvel characters have ever even crossed paths with the One Above All, who is mostly just alluded to by godlike beings.

Because of the One Above All’s omnipotence over the entire Marvel multiverse, the character has sometimes been interpreted as a surrogate for the comic book writers themselves, even taking on the appearance of Marvel legend Jack Kirby from time to time. This was particularly the case when the One Above All met The Fantastic Four, making for one of Marvel’s craziest fourth wall breaks.