Top 10 Superheroes Who Can Phase Through Walls (Marvel & DC)

Ask a group of children if they could have any superpower, what would it be I can almost assuredly tell you their answers. Invincibility, immortality, telekinesis, healing, flight, super strength. Ask them again and but this time make a condition of the question that they can’t repeat the first set of answers and these will come up: energy absorption, magic user, invisibility, telepathy, super speed, and walking through walls.

Wouldn’t that be something? To be able to walk through walls. I mean, being able to walk through walls means that you will never be locked out of your house, be able to sneak into venues, and so much more. It allows the user to do just about anything at any time. I believe that it is one of the most underrated superpowers in existence. This is so much that there are only a small number of heroes that can do it. Let’s see our pick of the top 10 superheroes that can phase through walls.

10. Quicksilver

Quicksilver…the man many believe to be Marvel’s answer to DC’s The Flash. Quicksilver, as his name implies, is really fast. His speed has been estimated at well over 8500 miles per hour. To put that into perspective, even the fastest car in the world is only capable of achieving speeds of 301 miles per hour. Simple math says that Quicksilver is 28 times faster than the fastest car in the world. 

Remembering back to when he first appeared in the Days of Future Past movie, it’s easy to see why they slowed down time around him. Can you imagine what it would look like if they hadn’t? I can. Instead of being the best scene in the movie, it would have looked like a blurry, blue poop streak on a child’s underwear.

9. Phantom Girl

First appearing in Action Comics issue 276 back in May of 1961, Phantom Girl is a member of the Legion of Superheroes who possesses the power of intangibility. She was created by Jerry Siegel and Jim Mooney. After the events of Zero Hour, she began to go by the name of Apparition. 

Phantom Girl has the ability to phase through walls and other objects. What separates her from many other superheroes who can phase through walls is that she can do it A) selectively by body part and B) do it with timing down to the most minute of moments. If this doesn’t seem impressive remember this. Most of her species (Bgztlians) aren’t able to do either. Yes, they are able to phase but no, they cannot do it with the pinpoint accuracy that Phantom Girl can.

In addition, while in her intangible form she is immune to most forms of attack, can fly, and can disrupt any electronic device she passes through. After the formation of the Legion of Superheroes, Phantom Girl was quickly asked to join. She immediately said yes and as a result, the team became more powerful all the while solidifying themselves as the premier superhero team from the future.

8. Deadman

Deadman is what happens when a trapeze artist is killed and a Hindu God named “Rama Kushna” imbues the spirit with the power to take control of any living being, so as to find the murderer.

As a spirit, Deadman is unable to be seen or heard by any around him, save for some of DC’s mystics. He’s also able to float and pass through animate and inanimate objects. Once in control of a living being, Deadman is able to communicate with all those around him. After he’s through with them, those possessed can’t recount anything. 

Deadman is one of the more obscure characters at DC Comics. He alongside, John Constantine, Madame Xanadu, Shade the Changing Man, and Zatanna are the founding members of Justice League Dark…a team that has long been rumored to appear in a live-action adaptation.

7. The Spectre

The Spectre has made a career of ripping, tearing, and mutilating his enemies. He punishes without reason and never has to justify his actions. The Spectre has the power to pass judgment on any…and he does. What this means is that The Spectre is able to punish to the full extent of his law any wrongdoing. 

The very purpose of the Spectre is death. He is the judge, jury, and executioner of the DC Universe. He is God’s Vengeance. As God’s Vengeance, he has been given more power than anyone being should.

As a quick but incomplete synopsis of his power, he possesses immortality, can warp reality, is able to manipulate both space and time, has limitless control over matter, can see into the future, is near-omnipotent, possesses cosmic awareness, is able to manipulate cosmic energy, and is omniscient. More than all of those, he can walk through things. This means that he’s easily one of my superheroes who can phase through walls.

6. Miss Martian

When you’re the female equivalent to one of DC’s most powerful characters, you’re bound to be able to do anything that they can…and she can.

Like Martian Manhunter, Miss Martian is immensely powerful. Miss Martian can shapeshift, turn herself invisible, can phase through objects, and has superhuman strength, speed, durability, and stamina. In addition, she possesses regenerative powers, can fly, is able to use telepathy, has enhanced senses, can read and manipulate minds, create new memories, and cast illusions.

Finally, Miss Martian possesses telekinesis…a power that she uses to project blasts, grip objects, choke her opponents, and create shields. As a result of her incredible power level and if she ever chose to, Miss Martian could cripple almost anyone in the DC Universe.

5. 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 against him and Superman, they often focus their attention on him. A list that counts down Silver Age DC superheroes like this just isn’t complete without him.

4. Vision

Vision first debuted in The Avengers #57 back in October of 1968. He was created by Roy Thomas and John Buscema. Let me run this down for you. Vision possesses superhuman intelligence, strength, speed, and agility. He can also fly, control his own density, is able to regenerate and heal himself, is intangible, possesses technopathy, and can project blasts of solar energy.

Although Vision was reasonably popular before his various appearances in the MCU, his popularity has skyrocketed after it. Because he’s the least human but at the same time a most human character in the MCU, he’s also very relatable. The trait of relatability is what Marvel Comics built its empire around and is one that everyone can learn from.

3. The Flash

Do you know that as a by-product of his speed, Barry Allen is one of the superheroes who can phase through walls? In fact because of it, he’s been able to shift the fortunes of many battles in his career.

The Flash is one of the oldest superheroes in existence. He (Barry Allen) first debuted in Showcase #4 in October of 1956. As the most famous of all the Speedsters in DC Comics, Barry Allen has assembled a following of fans that rivals any superhero alive. Remarkably, Barry’s popularity remained extremely high even after he died during Crisis on Infinite Earths. 

As The Flash, Barry is capable of doing anything faster than anyone around him. This means that he heals and moves quicker than most. Because he moves so quickly, he can become intangible through vibration, manipulate time, travel through time, cause lightning and energy to release from his body, and read and understand the world around him better than most.

2. Kid Flash

If The Flash is one of my superheroes who can pass through walls, it only makes sense that Kid Flash is also one.  Kid Flash is the fastest superhero in comics. As with many other DC Speedsters, he has the ability to tap into the Speed Force and use it to do things very quickly. Where he differs from all the other Speedsters is that he doesn’t just tap into the Speed Force, he becomes one with it.

After becoming one with the Speed Force he is granted super speed, can read and process material as quickly as he runs, can phase through objects, can time travel, can dimensionally travel, has heightened senses, can give and take speed away, possesses electrokinesis, is able to manipulate time, and create vortexes. Most impressively, Kid Flash is more powerful than The Flash. In fact, after The Flash died during Crisis on Infinite Earths, he took over as his mentor as The Flash.

1. Kitty Pryde

Kitty is different from most other mutants. Kitty’s power, unlike so many other mutants, does not supply her with extra strength, durability, speed, stamina, or the like. It does not afford her the ability to heal, project energy from her body, or encase herself in an indestructible material. And it does not permit her to fly, use spells, or control others. Kitty’s power allows her to phase.

That is, she and any others she’s touching, can become intangible. This separated her from most other characters. Whereas most had offensively based powers, Kitty had defensively based powers. And as Paul Bryant said, “Defence wins championships.” Additionally, as a by-product of her phasing, if she moves through electrical equipment, she disrupts the flow of electrons thereby causing the equipment to malfunction. 

There isn’t a superhero in existence more known for their ability to phase than Kitty Pryde. Although she wasn’t the first to be able to do it, she practically wrote the book on how to do it.