Avengersvs.X-Menwas an extraordinary Marvel event that pitted the publisher’s two greatest franchises against each other in a desperate struggle over the powers of the Phoenix Force. To protect their people from the perceived threat of the other side, Marvel’s most incredible powers laid absolute waste to the war of their own making. But in this devastating conflict, only the strongest heroes could lead their side to victory.
In the wake of M-Day, the Scarlet Witch unleashed a cataclysmic spell that stripped the powers of most of Earth’s mutants. With a single sentence, nearly all the world’s mutants were stripped of their powers. When Hope Summers emerged as the Phoenix Force’s new avatar, she became a beacon for the cosmic power to once again return to Earth and claim its new host. Terrified, the Avengers sought to destroy the Phoenix, while the X-Men believed it was their chance to restore mutantkind, pitting some of Marvel’sstrongest heroes against each other in the eventAvengers vs. X-Men.
15Red Hulk (Thaddeus Ross)
First Appearance (as Thaddeus Ross):The Incredible Hulk#1 by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Paul Reinman, and Stan Goldberg
All Hulks, regardless of origin or color, are terrifying yet awe-inspiring conduits for a power that predates the Marvel omniverse. From the maw of the One Below All, Hulks, like Thaddeus Ross, are made intoimmortal monsters whose gamma-powers are designed to reap unstoppable destructionand chaos throughout existence. After siphoningBruce Banner’s gamma-energy, General Ross transformed into the world’s first known Red Hulk. Unlike his green counterparts, the Red Hulk’s anger doesn’t proportionally increase his strength, but rather his temperature.
The harder Thunderbolt Ross pushes himself, the hotter his body becomes until he can no longer contain the energy. If the Red Hulk releases this power at once,he can trigger devastating nuke-like explosions that ravage everything within proximity.In addition to his physical strengths, Ross is an expert military leader who is willing to make the hard calls to complete his assignment, even if it means killing himself or his allies. However, Ross’s greatest downside is his inability to manage his temper, which has frequently led to the general losing his mental prowess and tactical edge in combat.
14Spider-Man (Peter Parker)
First Appearance:Amazing Fantasy#15 by Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, and Artie Simek
While Peter Parker may be a mild-mannered, local, everyday hero,Spider-Man is a terrifying physical powerhouse hidden inside a genuinely good-hearted package.Spider-Man has been given extraordinary superhuman strength, speed, and agility, which he often has to hold back to not brutalize his weekly animal-themed enemies. His wall-crawling and acrobatic skills have helped Peter become an incredibly stealthy hero despite his propensity to talk non-stop. However,Spider-Man’s powersare far more than a coincidence of a scientific accident.
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Spider-Man, alongside an infinite number of multiversal variants, truly gained his powers through a mystical force known as the Web of Life and Destiny. Through this multiversal-spanning web, Peter and thousands of other spider-variants can manifest the powers and abilities of their progenitor god, Neith. Peter Parker, alongside his clones, plays a particularly vital role within the Web of Destiny as avatars of the Spider-Totem known as “the Other.” When summoned,the Other grants its avatars unbelievably godly powerat the cost of becoming an arachnid monster.
13Wolverine
First Appearance:The Incredible Hulk#180 by Len Wein, Herb Trimpe, Jack Abel, Glynis Oliver, and Artie Simek
One of the X-Men’s most iconic heroes, Wolverine is unmatched in ferocity and strength. Well before his birth,Logan was bred, groomed, andtrained to become the world’s most lethal living weapon.Wolverine is one of Marvel’s few mutants who have unlocked multiple mutations, granting Logan his bone claws and his feral, beast-like, tendencies. Without his Adamantium gradually killing him, Wolverine would eventually mentally devolve as his body and senses continued to evolve him into a refined predator.
However,the Adamantium coating Logan’s boneshas both saved the mutant from his own mutation and exponentially empowered his lethal capabilities. Throughout his long and enduring life,Wolverine has been hardened by war, trauma, and pain; today, the warrior can endure most types of physical and mental pain, no matter how excruciating. Unfortunately, Logan’s Adamantium skeleton, while sparing him from mental degradation, is actively killing Wolverine too. While these weaknesses may be minute, they have both been leveraged against the X-Man by many other heroes and villains.
12Namor the Sub-Mariner
First Appearance:Marvel Comics#1 by Bill Everett
WhileKing Namor of Atlantisis primarily known for his allegiance to both Atlantis and the seas, his part-mutant heritage sets him apart from the rest of his water-dwelling kind. Like all Atlanteans,Namor’s biology allows him to freely communicate with all marine life and explore the ocean’s deepest levels, even when the pressure would destroy most other things. He has also gained the power to manipulate all forms of water, thus effectively extending his rule beyond the ocean’s borders.
DuringAvengers vs. X-Men,Namor was chosen as one of the five mutants to become the Phoenix Five.While he hasn’t controlled this power on his own, even a sliver of the Phoenix’s power requires the utmost strength to endure. Aside from his physical strengths,Namor is a tactical geniuswhose centuries of leadership have trained him to master the art of diplomacy, military coordination, and language. Unfortunately, Namor’s mixed heritage has also caused the hero to become especially sensitive to lack of water, lack of oxygen, and the presence of pollution.
11Emma Frost
First Appearance:The X-Men#129 by John Byrne, Chris Claremont, Terry Austin, Bob Sharen, and Tom Orzechowski
While most of the world knows Emma Frost as a shrewd yet alluring businesswoman and a matriarch to the mutant community,this Omega-level mutanthas rivaled even Charles Xavier. Like Xavier, Emma can reach nearly every mind in the world, if not those beyond as well. The X-Man prefers to use her powers to conjure impressive illusions, which she has masterfullylearned to use to manipulate others’ minds and hearts to her advantage.
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Emma Frost is one of an exclusive listof mutants who have discovered the ability to unlock a secondary mutation. In addition to her telepathic abilities, Emma’s body can transform into an organic, diamond-like material that enhances all her physical strengths and effectively makes her ageless and immortal. In the war against the Avengers,Emma was one of the five mutants chosen to harness a sliver of the Phoenix Force’s power.Unfortunately, Emma often conserves her energy, limiting what she could be fully capable of as an Omega-level otherwise.
10Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers)
First Appearance (as Carol Danvers):Marvel Super-Heroes#13 by Roy Thomas, Gene Colan, Paul Reinman, Stan Goldberg, and Sam Rosen
While Carol Danvers was using the Ms. Marvel moniker at the time, before the climax ofAvengers vs. X-Men,the previous Captain Marvelsacrificed himself, leaving Carol to take his place as a leading hero. Thanks to the combined powers of the Kree “Nega-Bands” and horrific experimentation at the hands of the Brood, Captain Marvel has becomea flying beast of physical strength with the power to absorb and release most forms of energy.However, Carol often chooses to take her fight to the stars and has developed a closer relationship with Marvel’s cosmic energies.
WhenCaptain Marvel pushes herselfto her limit, she can enter a Binary Form. In this state, Carol transforms into a living star and possesses the sheer interstellar powers to unleash devastating photonic blasts and twist gravity to her whim.Captain Marvel is a near-immortal whose power continuously sustains and regenerates her strengthby consuming latent energy around her. As Ms. Marvel, Carol had previously unlocked a “Seventh Sense,” in which she tapped into her cosmic awareness to look into the future.
9Doctor Strange
First Appearance:Strange Tales#110 by Steve Ditko, Stan Lee, and Terry Szenics
While most heroes and villains are limited to the physical constraints of the rules of reality, sorcerers like Strange have long evolved past the simplicity of non-magical life. Asthe previous Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange commanded, controlled, and nurtured powers from other dimensions, from the gods, and the cosmos if necessary. Even without his powers, Strange has found a way to mimic magic with the mundane.
However, the greatest flaw to most sorcerers lies in the deities where their powers originate. Heroes like Strange borrow their mystical power from otherworldly creatures who lend portions of their strength to sorcerers to command. WhileDoctor Doom may have usurped Doctor Strangeas Sorcerer Supreme, Strange has developed a particularly close relationship with the Vishanti, the gods from which a Sorcerer Supreme’s power and knowledge derives. Even now,Strange is a near-immortal with more knowledge and experience than any other mortal on this list.
8Magneto (Max Eisenhardt)
First Appearance:The X-Men#1 by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Paul Reinman, and Sam Rosen
One ofmany Omega-level mutantswho fought the Avengers, Magneto has always ensured that his allies and enemies are painfully aware of his magnificent power. The original “Master of Magnetism,” Magneto has complete control over all aspects of magnetic physics and metals. The X-Men villain hashalted Earth’s rotation, controlled metal from light-years away, and terraformed Mars for Arakko’s new colony.Even the most mystically charged metals, like Mjölnir, cannot overcome Magneto’s dominating control.
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More impressively,Magneto is an unparalleled tactical genius and expert in genetic engineering.With or without his powers, Magneto’s mental prowess as a scientist rivals that of Tony Stark and Mister Fantastic, and his mastery of military tactics and governance could make Doctor Doom cower in fear. Max Eisenhardt is no stranger to war and believes in the power of his people just as vehemently as Apocalypse.
7Magik (Illyana Rasputina)
First Appearance (as Illyana Rasputina):Giant-Size X-Men#1 by Len Wein, Dave Cockrum, Glynis Oliver, and John Costanza
This multi-faceted mutant threat is far more than just a hot-headed X-Man. After being kidnapped by the demon Belasco, Magik was raised in the horrific dimension of Limbo. In time,she rose to become the Sorceress Supreme of Limbo, asserting herself as Doctor Strange or Clea Strange’s equal in both power and knowledge. Few Marvel heroes can overcome a master of the mystic arts, and Illyana is certainly one of the best.
Of course, Magik’s mutant ability is by far her most iconic. Thanks to her power, Illyana can summon “Stepping Discs,” which effectively serve as Limbo-connected portals through which Magik and her allies can travel. While Magik hasn’t been confirmed as an Omega-level mutant,her portals can access anywhere across the Multiverse and throughout time.Doctor Strange has repeatedly acknowledged Magik’s talent and surmises that her mutant and magical abilities could help her become the Sorcerer Supreme of multiple dimensions.
6Storm (Ororo Munroe)
First Appearance:Giant-Size X-Men#1 by Len Wein, Dave Cockrum, Glynis Oliver, and John Costanza
Storm is an all-around terrifying threat that almost no other hero can keep up with, because Ororo isn’t just one type of hero. Storm, like the cosmic heroesAdam Warlock and Captain Universe, was chosen by her genetic lineage to become an Avatar of Life.This divine power has evolved Storm into a champion of all things livingand has granted her access to numerous different types of powers that far exceed her original weather-manipulation powers.
Storm isan Omega-level mutant with the psionic ability to control all forms of weather, both planetary and cosmic.With her mutant powers, she outclasses Magneto’s mastery of magnetism; she communicates and commands the Earth itself; and she can manipulate entire planets under her meteorological and geographic control. In addition to her mutant abilities, Storm has ascended to become a literal goddess and commands just as much mastery over the mystical realms as she does the corporeal one.
