For as grand a stage as the heroes of Earth play upon, there’s an infinite Multiverse at Marvel Comics’ disposal. And there are some truly powerful characters to explore.
One of the craziest cosmic characters in all of comics (thanks Jack Kirby) is Ego the Living Planet. This colossal being is on equal footing with Galactus and other celestial beings.
1. Galactus
Galactus is the Devourer of Worlds and possess a vast power known as the Power Cosmic. This allows him to control and consume planets that are uninhabited by lifeforms but it also satiates his endless hunger.
He can bestow a small fraction of this power upon his Heralds. For instance, he turned Shalla-Bal into his Herald in exchange for her willingness to seek out uninhabited worlds for him to consume.
He is capable of immense superhuman durability and can withstand attacks such as having fire thrown into his eyes or being hit in the head by the Thing or Human Torch. He is capable of teleportation and has a form of X-ray vision.
2. Ego the Living Planet
Ego is a living planet that developed consciousness, and can change his form at will. He possesses the ability to manipulate matter and create forms that can leave his planetary body, including a humanoid avatar.
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ego is played by Kurt Russell and is the father of Star-Lord and Mantis. He is one of the most powerful cosmic characters in Marvel, and has a reputation for being arrogant and egomaniacal. He has also been a key player in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise.
3. The Devourer
The Devourer is the embodiment of cosmic power. Immortal, he possesses Supreme Umbrakinesis (he can fashion weapons and objects from simple darkness) and virtually unlimited power. He can warp reality with a thought, is almost omnipresent, has cosmic senses, can imbue others with power, has control over death, and more.
He devours planets for their energy and can teleport, transform, and create powerful energy blasts. He also has god-like strength and can survive without eating for a long time. He can even create heralds such as Silver Surfer.
4. The Many Angled Ones
They are ancient eldritch extra-dimensional beings reminiscent of the Cthulhu Mythos. They can warp reality, and bestow powers on their worshippers. They attempted to invade this universe by creating The Fault, a rift between dimensions. The heroes of this reality fought them and helped to drive Shuma-Gorath back into the Outer Darkness.
The Many-Angled Ones are often referred to as the Lloigor, a reference to a Lovecraft Mythos entity. They are at the center of the key storyline where Thanos Wins, showing that he can be both a hero and a villain.
5. Thanos
Thanos has the ability to change reality, and is virtually omnipotent. He can create forcefields, fly and teleport. He can fire blasts of energy that can pierce and destroy. He is also a mastermind and has an impressive grasp of technology.
He was born on Titan as the son of Eternals A’lars and Sui-San. He has the Deviants gene and has a strong affinity for nihilism, worshiping Mistress Death. He is so powerful that he casually crushes the Tesseract barehanded. He can easily hold all of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in his hand.
6. Oblivion
Oblivion is an abstract, infinite entity that represents the total void of existence. She can easily beat the likes of cytorrak and Galactus, and has no need to manifest physically in order to wield her power.
She has incredible strength, speed, stamina and the ability to manipulate energy. She can also create and destroy universes and dimensions. She has also defeated a team of cosmic super-powered heroes led by Gladiator and Beta Ray Bill. She is one of the most powerful characters in the Marvel cosmology.
7. Knull
Knull is the god of darkness, the king in black, and one of the most powerful cosmic entities in existence. He possesses near-limitless powers, including the ability to ravage entire universes with his mere presence.
He can create symbiote dragons that bond with hosts and infest their minds with concepts of nobility and morality, allowing them to fight his war against the light. He also wields All-Black the Necrosword, a blade forged from primordial darkness that has beheaded Celestials. He can even telepathically control his army of symbiote invaders.
8. Eternity
The embodiment of the Marvel Multiverse itself, Eternity is a force as immense and long-lasting as time itself. In fact, he’s so powerful that his powers can destroy entire universes. In his quest for total domination, Dormammu once captured and possessed him, but Eternity defeated him easily.
He’s also empowered heroes like Captain Universe with his cosmic power, and has direct connections to several current Marvel heroes. He even created the mystically powerful Eternity Mask. Infinity, his abstract sibling, sometimes merges with him to form one composite being.
9. Warlock
The mighty Kree warrior possesses almost unlimited cosmic power. He can absorb and manipulate energy, create powerful heralds such as the Silver Surfer, and is able to teleport or change his size at will.
He has the ability to warp reality, is close to omnipresent and has cosmic senses. He is also able to imbue others with his powers and has control over death.
He was the herald of Shuma-Gorath, ruler of hundreds of dimensions. He absorbed magical energy from Doctor Strange and can pass back and forth between dimensions. He also possesses immortality.
10. Mar-Vell
Mar-Vell rebelled against a racist tyrannical Kree Empire to defend Earth, eventually becoming the adoring hero known as Captain Marvel. She possesses cosmic awareness and energy absorption abilities as well as flight and spacewarps. She can also teleport, regenerate rapidly and enhance her strength with the use of her Nega-Bands.
Shuma-Gorath is the Lord of Chaos and master of hundreds of dimensions. He is one of Doctor Strange’s most powerful adversaries. He can warp time and reality, absorb and manipulate energy, and teleport. He also wields Supreme Umbrakinesis, fashioning objects and weapons from simple darkness.