There is an ongoing debate among comic book fans regarding the terminology used when talking about certain heroes and villains. These debates often focus on the different strengths and power levels of popular comic book characters. Of course, the strongest comic book characters aren’t always considered the most powerful comic book characters.

While some fans consider strength to be a generic term, others prefer to use strength more literally when it comes to their physical prowess. However, most fans can agree that Superman and Hulk are some of the most powerful comic book characters in the DC and Marvel universes. This is due to both their incredible physical strength and their overwhelming abilities.

Updated December 3, 2024 by Scoot Allan: There are many metrics by which to measure comic book characters, and strength has always been important. Superstrength is fundamental, and many of the greatest comic book heroes possess it. This list has been updated with even more of the strongest comic book characters and to bring the article in line with CBR’s current formatting standards.

40 Slash is IDW’s most powerful mutant turtle

First appearance: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles microseries #7 by Barbara Randall Kesel, Marley Zarcone, Heather Breckel and Shawn Lee

Although each member of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles exhibits increased strength due to their mutation, they are not the strongest in their respective universes. In the IDW comic book continuity, that honor goes to Slash, a mutated snapping turtle who wore a black bandana and possessed enough strength to throw vehicles with ease.

Slash’s strength was so impressive that Agent Bishop and the Earth Protection Force captured and completely enslaved him. Bishop used his imposing new weapon to take on the powerful Triceraton invaders and the strongest members of Utrom’s army.. It was only through Slash’s sacrifice to save his friends that his powerful threat ended, although new clones were created that also shared his incredible strength, even his kind and compassionate heart.

39 America Chavez has multiversal muscle

First appearance: Revenge #1 (September 2011) by Joe Casey, Nick Dragotta, Brad Simpson and Rus Wooton

In 2011, Marvel introduced a brand new character named America Chavez, who has become one of Marvel’s most important female superheroes.. Additionally, she is a proud Latina and lesbian. Its cultural impact definitely lives up to its power.

America Chavez has superhuman strength. During Force A, she threw a megalodon against a wall to stop Doctor Doom – still one of her most impressive feats of strength. Of course, American power goes beyond physical prowess. She can kick and open portals across different realities, which comes in handy in the Marvel multiverse. Considering this, Chávez is one of the most powerful comic book characters.

38 Prime was a hero with a unique pedigree

First appearance: Prime #1 (June 1993) by Gerard Jones, Len Strazewski, Norm Breyfogle, Paul Mounts and Tim Eldred

Malibu Comics’ Ultraverse introduced a unique take on DC’s classic Shazam premise, who became one of the most powerful superheroes in all of the comic book universe. Kevin Green was a teenager who discovered he was the product of an illegal super-soldier experiment who was experimenting on embryos while they were still in the womb.

Kevin Green developed the ability to create an incredibly powerful body using green liquid flesh that exploded from within his body. Although he had created different bodies over the years, he could use the unique fluid to shape his body into his powerful Prime form. Prime’s youth and immaturity left him ill-prepared for his life as a hero, limiting his potential but not his incredible strength.

37 Homelander’s strength matched his evil

First appearance: The boys #1 (October 2006) by Garth Ennis, Darick Robertson, Tony Aviña and Greg Thompson

DC’s Man of Steel has inspired several comic book characters. Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson The boys presented a dark new take on the character who moved to live-action in the hit Amazon Prime Video series.

Homelander became the powerful leader of the Seven, one of the most popular and successful corporate superhero teams. However, he was a murderous villain dressed in patriotic garb, selling a false narrative to gain power. Homelander’s seemingly unstoppable strength, speed, flight, and heat vision come from Compound V, which created an entire generation of moldable heroes.

36 Invincible increased his strength by training

First appearance: Invincible #1 (January 2003) by Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker and Bill Crabtree

The young hero, Invincible, is one of the strongest comic book characters in the Image universe. Mark Grayson is the son of a Viltrumite who inherited his father’s incredible strength, speed, endurance, and inherent ability to fly.. As an impeccably suited Invincible hero, he protects his Earth and fights to bring peace to the galaxy.

The Viltrumite race were galactic conquerors who used their incredible strength to dominate the planets under their control. Grayson proved his strength in battle against his father and other Viltrumites, hoping to take over Earth. Invincible may not have a wealth of powers like some other heroes, but his strength and determination make up for it.

35 Pitt is an alien powerhouse

First appearance: Pitt #1 (January 1993) by Brian Hotton, Dale Keown and Chance Wolf

An evil alien race called Creed created the powerful alien/human hybrid known as Pitt. After its creation, Pitt escaped from the Creed and arrived on Earth. He made an instant telepathic connection with a young boy named Timmy, who he later discovered was his genetic half-brother.

Pitt’s telepathy separated the powerful character from other super strong heroes in other comic universes. Of course, Pitt’s strength still puts him in the same league as some of Image Comics’ other powerful heroes.. During the invincible warPitt took down an evil multiversal version of Invincible, further demonstrating his incredible alien strength.

34 Hercules is the prince of power

First appearance: Young Allies #6 (June 1945) by Charles Nicholas and Allen Bellman

Based on the Greek god, Hercules Panhellenios is the son of Zeus and Alcmene of Thebes. Hercules is stronger than anyone since he was a child. When he was just a toddler, he strangled two snakes sent to kill him. As he grew, so did his strength.

Hercules’ power befits a god, but he is so strong that he is actually the Olympian god of strength. All of his abilities come from this power, as he can take giant steps, produce shockwaves by tapping his feet, or even run at high speeds. Since they are so similar, Hercules and Thor are enemies, always competing to see who is stronger.

33 The Blob’s strength makes him a powerful villain

First appearance: X-Men #3 (January 1964) by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Paul Reinman and Artie Simek

The Blob was one of the X-Men’s first enemies. Fred Dukes’ powers have transformed him into a huge hunk of flesh, and he’s much more powerful than he looks. The Blob’s mass is invulnerable, as much because it is flexible as because it is hard. He can control his center of gravity, making him a proverbial, immovable object. He is also extremely strong, allowing him to hit powerful X-Men like Beast, Colossus, Rogue, Warpath, and several super-powered mutants.

The Blob has a reputation as the muscle of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, working with incarnations of Magneto and Mystique. Blob has class 50 strength, but probably not much more. His powers are extremely formidable. He can trade shots with any super-strong enemy without being moved by their power.

32 Colossus is the powerhouse of the X-Men

First appearance: Giant-Sized X-Men #1 (May 1975) by Len Wein, Dave Cockrum, Peter Iro, Glynis Wein and John Costanza

Pyotr Rasputin was born in Russia. The Rasputin family is full of mutants. His older brother Mikhail possesses reality-altering powers, and Illyana, Piotr’s younger sister, can teleport anywhere in space and time and wield magical powers. Piotr is probably the weakest in terms of power, but he is physically the most powerful. Piotr can transform into a living slab of organic steel with immense strength.

Colossus was recruited by the X-Men and became the team’s muscle, helping them fight heavyweights like Blob and Juggernaut. His strength level is generally class 50, meaning he can lift at least fifty tons.. He has shown himself to be stronger than that and has exchanged blows with extremely powerful enemies. Colossus has long been considered the most powerful mutant, and his organic steel form makes him nearly unstoppable in combat.

31 Wonder Man is powered by ionic energy

First appearance: Avengers #9 (October 1964) by Stan Lee, Don Heck, Dick Ayres, Stan Goldberg and Art Simek

After undergoing a dangerous experiment that imbued him with ionic rays, Simon Williams became Wonder Man. Created by Helmut Zemo, he started out as a villain but soon realized he was on the wrong side of history and betrayed his creator to help the Avengers.

Since then, Wonder Man has used his powers to fight the good fight. Williams became one of the most powerful comic book characters thanks to Zemo’s ionic ray. He has super strength, endurance, invulnerability and autonomy. He is also a genius-level intellect. All of these traits combined make Wonder Man a formidable opponent.

30 Rogue gained incredible super strength

First appearance: Avengers Annual #10 (October 1981) by Chris Claremont, Michael Golden, Armando Gil and Joe Rosen

Snape’s powers are as much a curse as anything else. She was born with the power to absorb the life force and memories of humans she touched. Rogue could accidentally kill someone by touching them for too long, but when she touched someone with powers, she could take their abilities. When Snape clung to someone for too long, she completely drained their powers, something Carol Danvers learned to her detriment during Snape’s first appearance.

Rogue stole Danvers’ superhuman strength, invulnerability, and flight permanently, but she lost these abilities once she took control of her powers. At some point, she regained these powers and once again became one of the X-Men’s most formidable fighters. Rogue is considered a class 50 at her height, although she probably hasn’t gotten much past that without taking additional powers.

29 Strong Guy’s name says it all

First appearance: New Mutants #29 (July 1985) by Chris Claremont, Bill Sienkiewicz, Glynis Oliver, Tom Orzechowski and Joe Rosen

Guido Carosella’s mutant powers have allowed him to lead a life unlike anyone else. Guido’s mutant powers gave him super strength, invulnerability, and the ability to absorb kinetic energy. He took the name Strong Guy and worked as the mutant intergalactic rock star Lila Cheney. Strong Guy also had the chance to join the X-Men, but was part of a replacement team and not the main roster.

Guido rose to fame as a member of X-Factor, where he was the muscle of the team. Strong Guy’s base strength level is Class 50, but his powers of absorbing kinetic energy allow him to increase his strength up to Class 100.. However, he must use this power quickly. This can damage his heart if he accumulates too much absorbed kinetic energy. Strong Guy’s powers gave him heart problems and he had several heart attacks, at least one fatal, because of his powers.

28 The abomination is technically stronger than Hulk

First appearance: Tales to amaze #90 (April 1967) by Stan Lee, Gil Kane and Sam Rosen

The Abomination was once Emil Blonsky, a spy sent to discover the gamma bomb. Blonsky was also exposed to gamma radiation and mutated. His appearance became more monstrous than Hulk’s, and he gained super strength and invulnerability through gamma power. The Abomination was actually stronger than Hulk, being twice as strong as Hulk on a base level. However, Abomination did not have the infinite strength potential of the Hulk.

The Abomination is generally classified as being able to lift about twice as much as the base Hulk, so somewhere in the two hundred ton range.. This meant that at the start of their battles, Abomination had an advantage over the Jade Giant. Abomination has defeated the Hulk several times, mainly because he retains his intelligence and can do a lot of damage in the short term. The longer the fight between Hulk and Abomination lasts, the less likely Abomination is to win, but he is still much stronger than many Marvel heroes and villains.

27 Thing is the powerhouse of the Fantastic Four

First appearance: Fantastic Four #1 (November 1961) by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, George Klein, Christopher Rule, Stan Goldberg and Artie Simek

Ben Grimm was a test astronaut when he joined his best friend on an ill-fated space flight. After being bombarded with cosmic rays, Grimm transformed into the Powerful Thing and became the Fantastic Four’s resident murderer. Its rocky exterior hid the tender heart of a hero, while showcasing its incredibly protective nature.

The Thing has the strength to take on some of the most powerful characters in the Marvel Universe and has often fought with the Hulk over the years.. Although his strength is well above Class 100 like some of his contemporaries, The Thing’s rocky body actually causes him to drop a bit in the rankings. Grimm has strength and determination, but sometimes his body gives way under pressure. He broke his arm during a battle with a mind-controlled Hulk, but still took out the threat and saved the day at the same time.

26 Apollo is a solar-powered Titan

First appearance: Storm guard #4 (February 1998) by Warren Ellis, Bryan Hitch, Paul Neary, Laura Martin and Amie Grenier

One of the strongest characters in the WildStorm universe helped create the iconic superteam known as The Authority. Apollo gained incredible strength through genetic enhancement, which allowed him to absorb and redirect solar energy.

Apollo could use his absorbed solar energy to enhance his physical strength, speed, and other attributes. He could also fly and move at superhuman speeds. Apollo could even project powerful blasts of solar energy or release its energy in a destructive explosion. With enough solar power, Apollo’s strength is almost unlimitedalthough time away from the sun can severely deplete its power.

25 Juggernaut is an unstoppable force

First appearance: X-Men #12 (July 1965) by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Alex Toth, Vince Colletta and Sam Rosen

Cain Marko was the half-brother of Charles Xavier. Cain always bullied his more cerebral half-brother and eventually joined the army. Meanwhile, Cain found Cytorrak’s temple and took the Crimson Gem of Cytorrak. This gave him the powers of the Dark God, increasing his strength to incredible levels. He also gained invulnerability and special armor, giving him the ability to be unstoppable while he is in motion. Marko became the Juggernaut and immediately took on his half-brother and the X-Men.

Juggernaut fought mutant heroes for years, but had a change of heart and eventually became a superhero. His physical power has made him an opponent of titans like Hulk and Thor. Juggernaut’s strength level is considered class 100, meaning he can lift at least one hundred tons, although it appears he is stronger than that. He was able to knock out the Hulk and fight many of the most powerful heroes and villains to a standstill.

24 Orion is the war dog of New Genesis

First appearance: New Gods #1 (March 1971) by Jack Kirby, Vince Colletta and John Costanza

It’s no surprise that Darkseid’s son is also an incredibly powerful new God. However, Orion was raised in New Genesis by Highfather while Highfather’s son, Scott Free/Mister Miracle, was sent to Apokolips to be raised by Darkseid in the Fourth World’s dark peace treaty.

This meant that while Orion shared some of the same strength and power as his evil father, he followed the lessons taught to him by his adoptive father. His strength and power were often controlled by his own hand, although he often unleashed his rage as the war dog of New Genesis.. Aside from his natural New God strength, Orion could also further enhance himself with the Astro-Froce, a source of cosmic energy that he controls with his Astro Harness.

23 Captain Marvel’s Kree heritage gave her power

First appearance: Marvel superheroes #13 (March 1968) by Roy Thomas, Gene Colan, Paul Reinman, Stan Goldberg and Sam Rosen

While she began her career as Ms. Marvel, Carol Danvers has used a few costumed identities over the years. She eventually accepted her role in the original Mar-Vell legacy and took on the title of Captain Marvel. She has since shown herself to be one of the most powerful Avengers.

Captain Marvel’s half-Kree heritage allowed her to unleash her powers, including absorbing and redirecting almost any energy source. She can use this energy to further increase her impressive level of strength while projecting devastating energy blasts.. Captain Marvel has faced some of the strongest comic book characters and lived to tell the tale.

22 Icon is the most powerful hero in Milestone

First appearance: Icon #1 (May 1993) by Dwayne McDuffie, Mark Bright, Mike Gustovich, Noelle Giddings, Rachelle Menashe, Jim Sherman and Steve Dutro

Agustus Freeman was originally an alien named Arnus whose ship crashed on Earth. He used his ship’s technology to scan nearby human lifeforms and create a new body that would blend into humanity. He acclimated to his new role during the American Civil War and his extended lifespan meant he lived for several generations under the name Augustus Freeman. Eventually, he got the idea to become a costumed hero when he met Raquel Ervin, who became his sidekick Rocket.

As Icon, he possessed a multitude of powers, making him the toughest hero in Dakota, the main powered city in the original Milestone universe. His incredible strength has made him a rival to Superman, although he is not quite a match for the Man of Steel in terms of speed or other attributes. However, Icon also has almost unlimited energy reserves that he can channel into destructive energy blasts.. Icon is one of the most underrated powers in comics, and he deserves a bigger boost now that Milestone is officially part of the DC Universe.

21 Shazam has the power of the gods

First appearance: Awesome Comics #2 (February 1940) by Bill Parker and CC Beck

Bill Parker and CC Beck created Shazam, Billy Batson’s alter ego. Although Billy is only a child, when he uses the word “Shazam!” he can transform into a powerful superhero and become again at will. He quickly became one of the most prominent members of the Marvel/Shazam family.

Originally known as Captain Marvel, Shazam possesses the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the endurance of Atlas, the might of Zeus, the courage of Achilles, and the speed of Mercury. All of these powers combined place him among the most powerful superheroes of all time.