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The Strongest Cosmic-Level Threats According To Marvel Comics
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Official Marvel Stats: Durability: 7 Energy: 7 Fighting Skills: 7 Intelligence: 7 Speed: 7 and Strength: 7
Powers: Mastery of the Power Cosmic
Overview: Galactus goes by a lot of names, but to most, he's simply known as the "World Devourer" because that's what he does. Galactus has been around since before the universe came into existence, and his origin is somewhat complex. Before this universe existed, there was a preceding universe, and Galan was the only being to survive its destruction. Before the Big Bang created the current universe, Galan, a scientist, merged with the "Sentience of the Universe," becoming Galactus when the new universe came into existence.
His purpose is to travel the cosmos, wielding the Power Cosmic and devouring planets to continue existing. In effect, Galactus is a force of nature, albeit an incredibly destructive one. He employs heralds to travel the cosmos and find planets for him to devour. He was thwarted by his herald, the Silver Surfer, when he attempted to subsist on Earth and has since been a villain, anti-hero, hero, and a bit of everything all in one. His powers are unimaginable and hard to describe beyond saying he's a master of the Power Cosmic. Still, he's known to create life, endow beings with a fraction of his power, travel the cosmos, eat entire worlds, and much more.
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The Beyonder
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Marvel Stats: Durability: 7 Energy: 7 Fighting Skills: 6 Intelligence: 7 Speed: 7 and Strength: 7
Powers: Omnipotence, Omniscience, Omnipresence
Overview: The Beyonder isn't as he appears and is the sum total of a multiverse known as the Beyond-Realm. He became aware of the Marvel Universe when a lab technician accidentally accessed the Beyond-Realm, resulting in a small amount of energy passing through and endowing him with infinite powers, becoming the Molecule Man. When this happens, the energy remaining in the Beyond-Realm becomes sentient and curious about its neighboring reality, ultimately becoming a being known as the Beyonder.
The Beyonder's curiosity compels him to create a planet called Battleworld, where he places most of the superheroes and villains of Earth to have them fight against one another and observe the fight between good and evil. After this event, called the "Secret Wars," he walked the Earth to learn more about humans. Eventually, he decided to launch a second Secret Wars, putting the heroes and villains through a more refined process in "Secret Wars II." The Beyonder is the sentient personification of an entire dimension of realities, and his powers are infinite and beyond-dimensional. He can do anything he thinks of, making it incredibly hard to defeat him.
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Official Marvel Stats: Durability: 7 Energy: 7 Fighting Skills: 7 Intelligence: 7 Speed: 7 and Strength: 7
Powers: Omnipotence, Omniscience, Omnipresence, and Immortality
Overview: The Living Tribunal is a being that ensures a balance exists between all the realities that make up the Multiverse. It stands as the judge of entire realities, including the primary universe of Earth-616 and every alternate universe imaginable. This essentially means the Living Tribunal isn't limited to a single cosmic scale, as it has mastery over all cosmoses in the Multiverse. The Living Tribunal first appeared in Strange Tales #157, where it informed Doctor Strange that it planned on destroying Earth because its people had the potential for great evil.
Earth is spared when the good Doctor convinces the Living Tribunal to change its mind, though this requires a series of trials. Over the years, the Living Tribunal has reappeared during significant events in the Marvel Universe, where it stands in judgment over whatever is happening. There isn't a limit to the Living Tribunal's powers, and it can even regulate the Infinity Gems, ensuring they cannot all be used simultaneously. Despite its grand multiversal cosmic powers, the Living Tribunal is an agent of Eternity and functions on behalf of that entity throughout the Marvel Multiverse, of which it is the embodiment.
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Marvel Stats: Durability: 7+ Energy: 7+ Fighting Skills: 7+ Intelligence: 7+ Speed: 7+ and Strength: 7+
Powers: Incalculable - Beyond our understanding
Overview: Eternity doesn't appear on this list because it is the sum total of the universe and, therefore, cannot threaten the cosmos. If Eternity exists, it cannot threaten itself. Still, despite being the all-encompassing power of the Universe and Multiverse, Eternity falls below the One-Above-All in the hierarchy of cosmic beings. The character, if you want to call it that, was created in 2004 and was given the appearance of Jack Kirby as an homage to the man who created much of the Marvel Multiverse. It is the sole creator of all forms of existence in the Marvel Multiverse and stands above all else.
The Living Tribunal falls just below the One-Above-All and has said that it represents the being whose power dwarfs that of Eternity. The One-Above-All is primarily mentioned throughout the comics, but he has been interacted with directly by the Fantastic Four. When the Thing's soul is trapped between life and death, the FF cross paths with the One-Above-All. It returned the Thing to life, promising that there were more wonders for the team to discover. The One-Above-All is effectively the one true god of the Marvel Universe, which is why he looks like Kirby. The writer/artist created many of the characters on this list, making him a literary god where Marvel Comics is concerned. To be fair, the One-Above-All isn't really a threat to the cosmos either, but it's too incredible a character to keep from the list!
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Marvel Stats: Durability: 7 Energy: 7 Fighting Skills: 7 Intelligence: 7 Speed: 7 and Strength: 7
Powers: Nigh Omnipotence and Nigh-absolute Immortality
Overview: The Celestials have been a part of the Marvel Universe for so long that their origins have remained the stuff of legend. Eventually, it was revealed they were created from the First Firmament, the omnipotent intelligence that was once the universe itself. It created life to keep it company, and it did so in two forms. One that beloved it, while the other rebelled against it. The rebellious beings wanted an evolving universe, which they would evolve within, so they created superior cosmic beings capable of creating their own universes, which would evolve. These became the Celestials.
To most of the universe, a Celestial is known simply as a "space god," and that's pretty much what they are. They're massive beings, averaging around 2,000 feet in height. They can easily move planets throughout the cosmos, create pocket universes, and create life (or destroy it) at will. The only way for a new Celestial to come into existence is to consume the entire mass of the Black Galaxy or by implanting a Celestial egg within the core of a planet, where it can mature for millions of years. Once born, they consume their world, so their power isn't truly measurable, ensuring it tops the scale.
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Marvel Stats: Durability: 7 Energy: 7 Fighting Skills: 1-7 Intelligence: 7 Speed: 7 and Strength: 7
Powers: Vast abilities to Manipulate Matter and Energy, Powerful Psionic Abilities: Telepathy, Telekinesis, Life-force Manipulation, Cosmic Awareness, and Prescience
Overview: Jean Grey is easily one of the most powerful Mutants in the Marvel Universe, as she's one of a small number of Omega-level Mutants. Her immense power ultimately draws the Phoenix Force to Earth, where it possesses her. The Phoenix Force is an immortal manifestation of the force of life and passion, and it is the nexus of all psionic energy of all realities in the multiverse from the past, present, and future. It is one of the most powerful and feared forces in the universe, and it's drawn to powerful psionic beings, hence, its interest in Jean Grey.
When she's imbued with its power, she transforms into the Dark Phoenix and cannot control herself. With the Phoenix Force's power, she can travel through space at unimaginable speeds, and in one event, she devours all of the energy from the D'Bari star system, killing more than 5,000,000,000 sentient beings in the process. That's one example of the incredible power brought by the Phoenix Force, and it's just a drop in the bucket. Ultimately, Jean Grey had to commit suicide to rid herself of the powerful cosmic entity, but that wasn't the only time it inhabited her over the years.
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Official Marvel Stats: Durability: 7 Energy: 7 Fighting Skills: 7 Intelligence: 6 Speed: 7 and Strength: 7
Powers: Superhuman Physical Attributes and Intelligence, Immortality, and Magical Powers
Overview: The Marvel Universe doesn't exactly have a Satan, but if it did, it would be Mephisto. He's been one of the primary antagonists in the Marvel Universe since he was first introduced in The Silver Surfer #3 all the way back in the 1960s. Mephisto has been responsible for manipulating events and messing with the heroes and villains of the Marvel Universe. He once posed as Satan to bond the demon Zarathos to Johnny Blaze, transforming him into Ghost Rider. He calls his domain Hell, which looks pretty much like what you'd expect Hell to look like.
Mephisto's origin isn't exactly known, as he cannot be trusted. He's said that he was created by the supreme being when he committed suicide, resulting in the creation of the Marvel Universe. He wasn't always in the form he is today and apparently began as a fly in his youth, taking advantage of the death of the Celestial known as the Progenitor's death, laying his larvae in the body. Mephisto was a Devil's advocate during Thanos's attempt to court Death during the Infinity Wars storyline, and he erased Peter Parker and Mary Jane's relationship from reality, so his powers are ridiculously off the scale, to say the least.
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Official Marvel Stats: Durability: 7 Energy: 7 Fighting Skills: 6 Intelligence: 7 Speed: 7 and Strength: 7
Powers: Immortality, Nigh-Omnipotence, Nigh-Omniscience, Necromancy, and Vast Cosmic Powers
Overview: There are many abstract beings in the Marvel Universe, but none are as necessary as Mistress Death. She is the literal anthropomorphic personification of death, and she's been around since 1973's Captain Marvel #26. Because she is the abstract representation of the ending of life in the Marvel Universe, Death is the antithesis of Eternity, who is the embodiment of the universe.
Death hasn't sat on the sidelines ferrying souls to the great beyond - she's gotten involved in cosmic events. At one point, she had a relationship of sorts with Thanos, but the Mad Titan lost her favor. She's had dealings with the Elders of the Universe, and after Thanos died, she resurrected him so he could bring balance back to the universe when it shifted toward life and away from death.
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Official Marvel Stats: Durability: 7 Energy: 7 Fighting Skills: 4 Intelligence: 6 Speed: 7 and Strength: 7
Powers: Control of Elements, Creation of Artificial Beings, Matter Transmutation, Teleportation, Magic, Telepathy, Size and Shape Alteration
Overview: Dormammu is an immortal being known as the Fatine. As an energy-based immortal, Dormammu and his sister, Umar, were forced to leave their dimension, ultimately settling into the Dark Dimension due to its access to other realities through warps. He accumulated matter into his being to create a humanoid form for himself. Within a very short period, he and his sister completely conquered the Dark Dimension through duplicity, becoming beloved heroes and regents. Dormammu ruled for untold eons before setting his sights on the Marvel Universe, which he sought to merge with the Dark Dimension.
Dormammu often clashes with powerful magical users, including Agamotto, the universe's first Sorcerer Supreme. This trend would continue, as it takes an immensely powerful sorcerer to repel Dormammu's methods. His powers rival those of the Celestials, and he's effectively a god bent on universal domination, which makes him an incredibly powerful threat. Dr. Strange often goes up against Dormammu, whose powers have been described as dwarfing those of Mephisto, Lucifer, and Eternity itself, which stands as the embodiment of all life in the universe.
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Official Marvel Stats: Durability: 6 Energy: 6 Fighting Skills: 4 Intelligence: 6 Speed: 7 and Strength: 7
Powers: Superhuman Strength, Superhuman Durability, Magic, Mysticism, Black Arts, and Immortality
Overview: Thanos: the Mad Titan has been terrorizing people throughout the Marvel Universe since he was first introduced in 1973's The Invincible Iron Man #55. He was born on Saturn's moon of Titan to a family of Eternals but looks different because he carries the Deviants gene. It was believed he would destroy all life in the universe, so his mother attempted to kill him when he was a child, and his father managed to stop her. Thanos went on to lead a peaceful life, embracing the philosophy of pacifism. Over time, he embraced nihilism, and entropy fascinated him such that he became enamored with Mistress Death.
To court Death (literally), Thanos acquired the Infinity Gems and snapped away half of all life in the universe. He's done much more since then, and the Mad Titan has been featured as an antagonist for over five decades. Thanos's powers are vast, as he has the abilities of all Titanian Eternals. Additionally, he's a mutant with the capabilities of the Deviants, so he's got the full range of superhuman abilities. He's also been shown to absorb cosmic energy, move things with his mind, manipulate matter at the molecular level, and can live without any form of sustenance.
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Marvel Stats: Durability: 7 Energy: 7 Fighting Skills: 2 Intelligence: 7 Speed: 7 and Strength: 7
Powers: Control over the Power Cosmic, Matter Alteration, Energy Projection, Manipulation of Time and Space, Teleportation, and the ability to Counter Magic
Overview: Initially, Michael Korvac was a computer technician until the Badoon conquered his world in 3007. He collaborated and became an enemy of humanity, but the Badoon didn't treat him much better. When he falls asleep while working, the Badoon grafts his body to a machine, transforming him into a cyborg. The Grandmaster transports him through time to face off against the Defenders. Korvac's abilities make it possible for him to learn new abilities from the Grandmaster, which he uses to kill the Badoon but is stopped by Thor and the Guardians of the Galaxy before he can make the Earth's sun go nova.
Korvac's most threatening moment came via "The Korvac Saga," which saw him transported from his native reality of Earth-691 to Earth-616, the primary Marvel Comics reality. When he attempts to gain the knowledge of Galactus, he's empowered by the Power Cosmic, elevating his abilities to that of a god. He recreates himself into the perfect embodiment of humanity, calls himself Michael, and attempts to reshape the Earth into a utopia. The Avengers and the rest of the world's mightiest heroes must come together to stop Korvac/Michael, or the world they know will be lost forever to an incredibly powerful being from a different time and reality.
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Official Marvel Stats: Durability: 6 Energy: 7 Fighting Skills: 5 Intelligence: 5 Speed: 5 and Strength: 6
Powers: Superhuman Strength, Speed, Stamina, Agility, and Reflexes. He has a Chitinous Exoskeleton offering increased Durability, Flight, and he wields Cosmic Control Rod, which grants him Molecular Manipulation, Energy Blasts, and a Slowed Aging Process
Overview: Annihilus is an interesting cosmic entity because he didn't start out that way… at least, not in the way you might imagine. He's not so much from the cosmos as he is the Negative Zone, the antimatter universe that is the antithesis of the standard Marvel Comics reality. Annihilus is the ruler of the Negative Zone, which he controls via the Cosmic Control Rod. He's mostly a villain of the Fantastic Four and was introduced in Fantastic Four Annual #6. Still, he hasn't limited himself to messing with Marvel's first family.
Annihilus was the primary antagonist of the cosmic-level "Annihilation" crossover event published in 2006. The event centered around an invasion brought by Annihilation from his antimatter universe into the positive matter universe. His massive army was dubbed the "Annihilation Wave," and it destroyed everything in its path. Millions of planets and their people fell to the Annihilation Wave, which pushed into the universe for hundreds of days before an armistice was called. The "Annihilation" event was one of the most destructive in the Marvel Universe, making Annihilus an incredibly devastating cosmic threat.
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Official Marvel Stats: Durability: 5 Energy: 6 Fighting Skills: 3 Intelligence: 4 Speed: 7 and Strength: 2
Powers: Time travel, Genius-level intellect, Skilled Tactician and Hand-to-hand Combatant, Resistance to Radiation, Access to Advanced Technology, Highly Advanced Battle Armor that grants: Enhanced Strength, Energy, Hologram and Force-field Projection, a 30-day supply of air and food, and the ability to control other forms of technology
Overview: Kang was a 31st-century scholar named Nathaniel Richards. He was a descendant of Reed Richards's father Nathaniel and was fascinated with history. His study of history led him to uncover Doctor Doom's time travel technology, which he used to travel to ancient Egypt. While there, he established himself as Pharaoh Rama-Tut, but the Fantastic Four traveled back in time and defeated him. He eventually meets Doctor Doom, who may also be one of his ancestors, and designs armor based on Doom's, taking on his iconic purple and green look.
He goes by a few names over the years but ultimately becomes Kang the Conqueror after he takes over Earth in the 41st century. Over the years, Kang has been a hero, a villain, and a threat to all of time and space. Unlike others on this list, Kang has no superpowers, as he's a 31st-century human. Still, he's a genius with access to incredibly advanced technology that makes him a significant threat to the Avengers of the 20th century, the planet of the 41st century, and all of the ancient world. He's able to find and use technology from any time period, making him an incredibly difficult villain to defeat.
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Official Marvel Stats: Durability: 6 Energy: 6 Fighting Skills: 2 Intelligence: 3 Speed: 7 and Strength: 5
Powers: Superhuman Agility, Superhuman Stamina, Telepathy, Energy Manipulation, and a Healing Factor
Overview: Magus is the dark aspect of Adam Warlock, and there have been three incarnations of the character. Each version of Magus is dangerous to Adam Warlock and the rest of the cosmos. The first Magus traveled to the past to rule an empire called the Universal Church of Truth. He engineers his own creation by directing events in Adam Warlock's life but is eventually defeated when Thanos teams up with Warlock to kill his future self, so Magus never comes into existence. The second Magus is created when Warlock uses the Infinity Gauntlet to expel his good and evil nature from his soul, creating two new corporeal beings.
The evil half becomes the new Magus and attempts to take control of the Infinity Gauntlet, but he's eventually overpowered when the Reality Gem proves to be a replica. He's placed into Soul World, where he exists as a phantom, but finally escapes and absorbs the life forces of his victims to regain tangibility. After that, things don't go too well for him, and he's reverted back to an ethereal form. The third Magus comes into being after Warlock fixes the spacetime continuum. He goes through trials and tribulations on his quest for the Infinity Gems but is killed and resurrected by the Universal Church of Truth. It's a complex series of origins, to be sure, but that doesn't make Magus any less of a threat.
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Official Marvel Stats: Durability: 7 Energy: 7 Fighting Skills: 2 Intelligence: 6 Speed: 7 and Strength: 7
Powers: Control of Elements, Size and Shape Alteration, Telekinesis, Telepathy, and Interstellar Flight
Overview: Ego is a living world capable of flying through space, manipulating his form and everything on/in his physical 'body,' and much more. The character debuted in the pages of Thor #132 in 1966, though his first full appearance would come in the following issue. Ego explained to Thor that he was the result of a scientist merging with a planet when the star it orbited went nova. Ego hails from the Black Galaxy, where he absorbed matter and energy, threatening inhabited worlds with armies of his Anti-bodies, which he sent out to conquer.
Eventually, he threatened a world that requested help from Thor, who defeated him with a massive storm. After this happened, Ego swore to remain in his Black Galaxy, but things changed when Galactus came to subsist on him. Thor returned, but this time, he aided Ego in defeating Galactus. As thanks for this, Ego allowed the Wanderers to live on his surface. These were species left from planets Galactus destroyed eons ago, making for a fitting union. Eventually, Ego is driven mad by the Supreme Intelligence. The character has been a hero, villain, and anti-hero over the years, but whatever his role, he's an immensely powerful being.
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Official Marvel Stats: Durability: 7 Energy: 6 Fighting Skills: 6 Intelligence: 5 Speed: 6 and Strength: 7
Powers: Superhuman Strength, Stamina, Durability and Reflexes, Energy Projection, Force Field Generation, Limited Earth Manipulation, Immunity to the rigors of space, Use of Power Cosmic, Ability to Fly at Warp Speed, and Telekinesis
Overview: Tyros was a tyrant who ruled over the city-state of Lanlak on Birj before becoming the new herald of Galactus. He was rechristened as Terrax the Tamer and was given the Power Cosmic. Before his transformation, Tyros had limited abilities to control the molecules that make up dirt and rock. When he got the Power Cosmic upgrade, he was able to manipulate rock and dirt on a cosmic scale, making it possible for him to throw asteroids, meteors, and small planets at incredible speeds through space. He could also create earthquakes and cause a great deal of damage on a cosmic scale.
Like Galactus's other heralds, he's equipped with a weapon that helps focus the Power Cosmic. In Terrax's case, it's a cosmic scythe, which he can use to direct energy attacks at his enemies. Eventually, Terrax and the entire population of Birj are killed when the Phoenix Force destroys the planet, but he doesn't stay dead for too long. He was eventually resurrected, possibly by the Phoenix Force itself, but isn't sure how he was returned to life. By this point in his history, Terrax was significantly weakened from his time earlier as Galactus's herald and was taken out by the Superior Spider-Man, though it was a close fight.
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Sphinx
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Marvel Stats: Durability: 6 Energy: 6 Fighting Skills: 2 Intelligence: 3 Speed: 7 and Strength: 6
Powers: Superhuman Strength and Durability, Energy Projection, Reality Manipulation, and Telepathy
Overview: There are two characters called the Sphinx in Marvel Comics, but the first is the serious cosmic threat. He was once known as Anath-Na Mut and worked as a magician for Ramesses II. When Moses defeated him, he was exiled and eventually found the Ka Stone, which granted him immortality and a host of superpowers. He took on the name of the Sphinx and wandered the world for millennia but eventually became bored with his immortality. He started a quest to find a way to end his existence, which took him to space, where he learned the origin of his powers was alien and connected to Xandar.
Dying becomes the Sphinx's principal focus, and he uses his vast powers to try and find an answer. While doing this, he threatens every living being on Earth and the Moon, putting him at odds with many superheroes. Eventually, he finds his way to Xandar and absorbs the Living Computer of Xandar, becoming a god. With the threat of a newly-formed god intent on destroying the planet of his birth, the Fantastic Four turn to Galactus for help, and with some work, he defeats the Sphinx. When he does, he destroys the Ka Stone, which traps the Sphinx in a time loop of his whole life, which he experiences repeatedly.
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