The Marvel Cinematic Universe is filled with wonders, dangerous, and powerful beings. Over the course of seventeen years, the MCU has established heroes, villains, and cosmic entities that transcended concepts of good and evil. With Doctor Doom set to shake up the entire MCU and wage war across the multiverse in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, these are the most powerful beings in the franchise, so far.
50
Spider-Man
Spider-Man can do whatever a spider can, including lifting a mass greater than himself at nearly 100 tons. With his web-slinging and superintelligence, Spider-Man can easily go toe-to-toe with some of the biggest heavy hitters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He certainly will need it as he faces off against the Hulk in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
49
Black Panther (T’Challa)
T’Challa’s Black Panther faced off against the likes of Captain America and the Winter Soldier with ease. The fact that an alternate universe version of himself, missing a leg, was able to take down a zombie-infected Thanos proves that Black Panther is easily one of the strongest characters in Marvel Cinematic Universe history, one whose time was sadly cut short with the passing of actor Chadwick Boseman. His sister Shuri might be more the brains than the fighter, but she surely could make her way up this list as the new Black Panther.
48
Moon Knight / Khonshu
A two-for-one that goes hand-in-hand. Khonshu, the Egyptian God of the Moon, is a powerful deity, but it appears he needs a deity to act in the physical world, unlike gods like Thor or Loki. Through Moon Knight, he channels a wide range of supernatural powers that are enhanced by the vessel Marc Spector’s black-ops military training. Moon Knight would likely be stronger if he could be fully in control of his ability, but as the Moon Knight Season 1 finale showed, there is a more villainous persona keeping the Marc Spector and Steven Grant personas from maintaining full control.
47
Man-Thing
Often forgotten about, but since his introduction in Werewolf by Night, Man-Thing is a powerhouse within the MCU. His ability causes anyone who feels fear to burn at the Man-Thing’s touch. Given that all creatures feel fear, he could potentially be a threat and destroy anyone who comes into contact with him, even potential villains like the planned big bad, Kang the Conqueror. Though it appears that anyone who is not afraid of Man-Thing, like Jack Russell, is fine. He is a soft, caring creature who could also be one of the franchise’s most deadly characters.
46
Human Torch
Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch, controls one of the four basic elements, making himself a force of nature. While best known for covering his body in fire and flying, he can also absorb fire, as seen in the opening of The Fantastic Four: First Steps. If the MCU’s Human Torch is anything like his 20th Century Fox counterpart, he can also get as powerful as a supernova, making him one of the deadliest beings on the planet. Thankfully, he isn’t that hot-headed to destroy the world.
45
Monica Rambeau
Monica Rambeau closed an incursion event in the vacuum of space, which alone lands her a spot among the MCU’s strongest characters. Monica Rambeau can channel powers through the light spectrum, granting her the ability to fly, project energy, become intangible, and even absorb energy. Audiences last saw her stranded in the X-Men universe at the end of The Marvels, a plotline that hopefully picks up in Avengers: Doomsday.
44
Ms. Marvel
The second member of The Marvels trio (but not the last) on this list is, of course, Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel. While originally believed that her bangles granted her cosmic hard light energy, it appears it only unlocked something inside her genetics, hinting at her mutation. Ms. Marvel has proven herself powerful in the MCU, but her alternate version counterpart in Marvel Zombies displayed an even more impressive array of her abilities that showcased just how deadly she could be if she wanted to.
43
Ant-Man
While the ability to shrink might not seem like much, Ant-Man‘s powers to increase and decrease the space between atoms make him a threat that can’t be seen coming, but also a powerful force of energy compressed into a small object like a bullet. A variant of Hank Pym in What If…? killed Avengers like Hulk, Thor, and Iron Man, and theoretically, his MCU counterpart or successor, Scott Lang, could do the same. Thankfully, Scott Lang’s moral compass keeps him from being a cold-blooded killer.
42
Wasp
Wasp can do anything Ant-Man can do, but better, making her a more powerful character. In addition to the Pym particle shrinking technology, she also has wings that give her flight and stingers that allow her to fight at a distance. She is also trained in hand-to-hand combat, far more than Scott Lang. Why isn’t she on the Avengers?
41
Mantis
Mantis might not seem like much, but her empathetic touch might make her one of the most underrated power players in the MCU. She not only put a Celestial like Ego to sleep, but also put Thanos under her control for a brief time. Mantis is more than an empath, as The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special showcased; she is useful in a fight, both in offense and creatively using her powers to make opponents do what she wants.
