Updated August 18, 2022 158.6K votes 16.8K voters 6.0M views
The problem with ranking the most powerful characters in the history of comic books is that writers always want to top the top dog and add a more powerful character. Many of the characters on this list (and even some that aren't) have been called "the most powerful being in the galaxy."
Though new and more powerful characters are sure to be written in the future, as of writing, this list represents a ranking of the most powerful comic book characters ever - from villains like Thanos and Darkseid to heroes like Superman and Captain Marvel. From the strongest DC characters to the mightiest of Marvel characters, this list has them all.Â
These beings possess more than mere physical strength. Instead, they wield the broader ability to make, destroy or influence worlds. Many of them achieve their goals without lifting a finger and have never needed a weapon. Others excel at long-term planning or finding and wielding the strongest weapons. No matter how they achieved their power, each of them has earned a place on the list of the comic kingdom's most powerful players. Have a favorite character? Vote them up!
The One-Above-All is the creator of everything in the Marvel omniverse. He represents all of the creators (or the efforts of all the creators) who have contributed to the Marvel legacy. In his rare appearances, he's been drawn with an appearance similar to that of legendary artist Jack Kirby.
In the world of Watchmen, Doctor Manhattan is the only super-powered character and it's the implications of his powers that make him so frightening. The most shocking of his powers is on display after his body is disintegrated and he is able to reform his atoms in under a minute. He can also teleport, manipulate matter with his mind, project energy, disintegrate people, duplicate himself, and exist outside of time. He can do almost anything except identify with the rest of humanity.
The Presence is the omnipotent omniscient, and omnipresent God and creator of the DC Universe. He appears very rarely, but in his first appearance, he was responsible for the creation of The Spectre.
The Living Tribunal is Marvel's cosmic arbiter and subservient only to The One-Above-All. He is responsible for judging realities and enforcing justice throughout the Marvel multiverse. Though he doesn't appear very often he is feared and revered enough that he doesn't even care if his three-faced head is connected to his body.
The Beyonder is a mutant, an Inhuman victim of the Terrigen Mists, and the totality of his own Universe. When he is accidentally brought to the Marvel-616 Universe he exhibits reality bending powers that let him do whatever he wants. Strangely, what he wants most often is to wear all-white outfits and force Marvel's top-selling heroes to fight each other.
