10 Most Overpowered Superheroes Ever (Marvel and DC)

Superheroes are supposed to be powerful. They’re supposed to be “Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound!” Superheroes are made to do this so they can keep the world safe from supervillains. For the most part, simple powers work really well. However, this isn’t always the case.

What happens when their power is pushed to incredible heights? I mean, what happens when superheroes gain power that allows them to flatten cities, destroy planets, and do practically anything they want? Easy. They become a magnet for more superpowers and as a result, become insanely overpowered. Who are they, you ask? Great question. Let’s take a look at our list of the top 10 superheroes who are overpowered.

10. Thor

If there’s was anyone who, depending on the definition, was overpowered or not, it’s Thor. Thor has been a mainstay in Marvel Comics for almost as long as Marvel Comics has existed. He first appeared in Journey Into Mystery #83 back in August 1962. He was created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby.

Thor is an Asgardian and due to this, is automatically one of the most powerful superheroes in Marvel Comics. He wields the mighty Mjolnir, is immune to just about every disease imaginable, and is near-immortal. Thor is also able to manipulate the weather, dimensionally travel, and fly. Why is he considered overpowered and not overpowered? He’s a God and gods are inherently powerful. 

9. Black Bolt

Although Black Bolt isn’t the strongest, fastest, smartest, or most agile hero around, he still deserves to be on this list of superheroes who are overpowered. And why? Simple. Black Bolt has the ability to demolish an entire city with nothing but a whisper of his breath. 

Blackagar Boltagon is the leader of the Inhumans and ruler of Attilan. As both a leader and ruler, he’s responsible for the well-being of his people and city. Because his superpower is his quasi-sonic scream, Black Bolt has had to live his life in absolute silence. This means that he leads his people without ever giving verbal instructions. Think about that. Imagine how difficult that must be. Leading isn’t an easy task for anyone, let alone an individual who must do so without speaking a single word. 

8. Phoenix

As a mutant, Jean is one of the most respected and feared characters in the Marvel Universe. Her power set grants her telepathy, mind reading, telekinesis, and the ability to create telekinetic weapons. Jean Grey is also a powerful empath. As an empath, she can feel the pain of others and causes others to feel the pain they’ve inflicted. Like most mutants, Jean wasn’t born with her powers.

Where Jean differs from many other mutants is that her power was heightened after she bonded with the Phoenix Force. Once that happened, Jean was able to destroy entire planets and bring civilizations to their knees without ever breaking a sweat. 

I know that you’re probably thinking that she only did this as the Dark Phoenix. If you are, you’d be right. That, however, doesn’t mean that she’s not capable of doing it as the Phoenix.

7. Dr. Fate

First appearing in More Fun Comics #55 back in May of 1940, Dr. Fate was created by the legendary Gardner Fox and Howard Sherman. Although there have been various characters to take on the role, each has roughly the same power set. This is because to become Dr. Fate, one must possess and wear the Helmet of Fate. Once they have done both, they are given flight, telekinesis, superhuman strength, elemental and energy control, the ability to create forcefields, invulnerability, telepathy, intangibility, teleportation across dimensions, and spell-casting. 

In addition to being one of the most powerful DC superheroes, Dr. Fate is also one of the greatest users of magic that DC has to offer. Some might even say that Dr. Fate’s understanding of it, is greater than Dr. Strange’s. As an overpowered hero, Dr. Fate has few who can stand beside or against him.

6. Franklin Richards

If you look at Franklin’s childlike exterior, it’s hard to imagine that he’s one of my superheroes who are overpowered. After all, children generally aren’t written as powerful characters. Instead, they’re depicted as being helpless and nearly useless. Fortunately, Franklin is anything but helpless, nor is he useless.

Franklin Richards has the ability to warp existing realities and create new ones as he sees fit. He’s also able to jump through time and cause entire universes to collapse into themselves. Franklin’s list of impressive feats is long. Since coming to comics over 50 years ago, he has taken down Mephisto, made Galactus his Herald, created multiple pocket dimensions, and caused flowers to grow from the Mad Celestials.

If this all makes it seem like Franklin can do anything he wants, it’s because he can. In the world of superheroes who are overpowered, Franklin Richards might be the most overpowered. 

5. Superman

Superman is what happens when creators and writers have no limits to their creativity. Superman’s abilities have grown in whichever way writers need them to grow. If they write a story that requires him to be able to freeze objects instantly, Superman gains freeze breath. If they write a story that requires him to be able to fly into the galaxy, Superman gains the ability to breathe in space. And if they write a story that requires him to be able to melt objects, he’s given the ability to shoot lasers from his eyes.

There are no limits to Superman’s powers and abilities. Although he’s one of the most recognizable and important superheroes of all time, his ever-growing set of abilities has become a kind of a joke. All jokes aside, he deserves to be here.

4. Supergirl

As the cousin of Superman, Supergirl can do everything that he can. Supergirl has an extensive list of powers. She possesses superhuman strength, speed, durability, stamina, hearing, and agility. She also has infrared, telescopic, x-ray, heat, microscopic, and electromagnetic vision. In addition, she is nearly invulnerable, can fly, has a healing factor, and possesses both freeze and wind breath.

But there’s more…Supergirl is nearly fast as any in DC, is an expert combatant, and isn’t afraid to die for the greater good. She is everything that superheroes aspire to be. Because her power set is so malleable, she easily makes this superheroes who are overpowered list.

3. Martian Manhunter 

For everything that Superman and Supergirl can do, Martian Manhunter can do more. Like Superman and Supergirl, Martian Manhunter is an alien from another planet. Martian Manhunter first appeared in DC Comics back in 1955. His first story explains that he was inadvertently caught and teleported to Earth by Dr. Erdel. Once on Earth, he explained that he was from Mars, was a scientist on his home planet, and went by the name of J’onn J’onnz. 

Martian Manhunter’s list of powers is long. Of them, some of his more notable are shapeshifting, invisibility, phasing, superhuman strength, speed, stamina, and durability. He also possesses regenerative powers, flight, telepathy, and enhanced senses. Martian Manhunter is so overpowered that when enemies face off and against him and Superman, they often focus their attention on him.

2. Sentry

Stop me if you’ve heard this before. Sentry is Marvel’s answer to Superman. That is, like Superman, Sentry is so overpowered that it’s nearly impossible to find his villainous equal. Sentry possesses superhuman strength, speed, durability, stamina, endurance, agility, reflexes, and intelligence. He’s also capable of regeneration, and resurrection, has x-ray, heat, infrared, telescopic, and microscopic vision, can teleport across the galaxy, is intangible, can shapeshift, is able to warp and manipulate time and space, and so much more. 

Plainly put, Sentry is overpowered. Sentry has every power that writers could possibly put into a superhero…and more. As a result, he has few equals and for as long as he exists, villains everywhere will fear him. 

1. Dr. Manhattan 

Dr. Manhattan was created by Dave Gibbons and Alan Moore and first appeared in the ever-popular Watchmen graphic novel. Before there was Dr. Manhattan, there was Jonathan Osterman. Jonathan Osterman was a student of nuclear physics. One day while working at a secret facility with his better half, Jenny, Osterman wound up locked inside a test chamber. When the generator in the chamber was turned on, Osterman’s body was bombarded with nuclear power. As a result, he was ripped apart and left as someone drastically different. 

Now, Dr. Manhattan, Osterman was given more abilities than McDonald’s has menu items. Of them, the most impressive are space travel, resurrection, size altering, teleportation, time travel, replication, and matter disintegration. To say that Dr. Manhattan is overpowered isn’t doing the character justice. Dr. Manhattan is so powerful that claiming him as one of my superheroes who are overpowered was as easy as putting socks on my feet when I’m cold.

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