If you’ve ever found yourself daydreaming about what it would be like to swing through skyscrapers like Spider-Man or call down thunder like Thor, you’re not alone. The Marvel Universe is full of powers that are part-and-parcel awe-inspiring and envy-provoking. But in choosing the ultimate superpower, what is it that counts? Is it brute cosmic power, mind-bending adaptability, or something more stealthy, such as the ability to heal from anything? Here’s a look at ten of the most wanted Marvel superpowers—each one irresistible for its reasons, and sometimes, just a little terrifying.
1. Healing Factor (Wolverine, Deadpool)
Ask any longtime Marvel fan—or even a bestselling fantasy author like Brandon Sanderson—and you’ll likely hear the same top pick: rapid healing. Wolverine and Deadpool’s regenerative powers are incredibly appealing, and not just because they shrug off injuries in seconds. There’s something ridiculously comforting about the prospect of outlasting disease, trauma, and time itself. Immortality isn’t rainbows and sunshine, naturally—watching the people you love get old as you stay ageless forever isn’t exactly a picnic—but the best part? No more hospital records to pay for, no more fear of death, and absolutely no more paper cuts.
2. Reality Manipulation (Scarlet Witch)
For overpowered abilities, the queen is Scarlet Witch. Her reality-altering abilities enable her to redefine the rules of reality. Need to wipe away a bad day? Recreate your world? Click your fingers and change the future? It’s all game. Sure, such power has an enormous emotional and moral price tag—just look at Wanda Maximoff. However, for individuals who dream of total dominance, this power is a complete game-changer.
3. Magic and Mysticism (Doctor Strange, Loki)
There’s something hypnotic about the mystic arts, especially in the possession of a Doctor Strange or a Loki. Whatever it is, opening portals, spell-casting, or toying with time, magical abilities just beg to be innovatively abused. They’re also two of the most visually stunning powers in the Marvel universe. The downside? You might take years of schooling and an almost unbreakable will not to become a cause of devastating backfires (and maybe a chatty cape for back-up).
4. Cosmic Power (Captain Marvel, Thor)
For fans drawn to raw, unstoppable force, cosmic power is the holy grail. Captain Marvel and Thor boast flight, energy projection, enhanced durability, and super strength, making them near-invincible on the battlefield. These powers come with a heavy burden—like fending off galactic threats and dealing with god-level responsibilities—but if you’ve ever wanted to punch a spaceship out of the sky, this is the fantasy for you.
5. Super Intelligence and Technology (Iron Man, Vision)
Brute strength is not the sole requirement of heroes. Others use brainpower and advanced technology to revolutionize the world. Tony Stark and Vision personify the desire to be a mastermind futurist: inventing incredible suits, building AI, and creating solutions to world crises before breakfast. True, this kind of intelligence is a double-edged sword—only a rogue algorithm away from disaster—but the potential for innovation and intellectual superiority is too tempting to resist.
6. Super Strength (Hulk, Captain America)
There is a reason that super strength is timeless. It resonates, it’s fulfilling, and it never gets old. Hulk’s destructive rage and Captain America’s super-human strength are two aspects of the same coin—one raging with fury, the other tempered by restraint. Flipping tanks or throwing shields, strength-based powers provide that eternal “power fantasy” that readers can never tire of.
7. Speed (Quicksilver)
Being quick isn’t cool—it’s convenient. Picture racing by traffic, flying over oceans, or cramming extra time into your day. Quicksilver’s speed is motion plus—it’s freedom. But with a dark flip side as well—super speed means moving the world at a breakneck pace, possibly making everyone else dreadfully slow. Nonetheless, for fans who detest waiting around, it’s an obvious choice.
8. Shapeshifting and Size-shifting (Ant-Man, The Wasp)
Whether it’s avoiding bad guys or sneaking somewhere you shouldn’t be, the versatility of altering your size or shape is both useful and fun. Ant-Man and The Wasp demonstrate just how versatile this can be—first you’re teeny-tiny, the next you’re towering above city blocks. And, of course, the stealth aspect cannot be beaten. Who wouldn’t want to sneak past airport security or access the top shelf without a ladder?
9. Mind Control and Telepathy (Professor X, Mantis)
Reading minds. Manipulating emotions. Influencing decisions without an open word. These are the sorts of abilities that can alter not only battles, but lives. Professor X employs his powers judiciously and with compassion, and Mantis prefers a softer, emotional touch. But the moral dangers are not negligible—when does manipulation become influence? Nevertheless, the vision of strong connection (or strategic leverage) places this ability near the top of many people’s lists.
10. Elemental and Environmental Control (Storm, Magneto)
Controlling nature or elemental manipulation has a certain type of grandeur to it. Storm’s manipulation of the weather and Magneto’s control over metal can redesign cities and direct fights. But these abilities also have a built-in warning label: they’re as devastating as they are breathtaking. Control over the environment is a great burden, but also a certain, undeniable sense of power.
Marvel superpowers strike at our deepest desires—control, freedom, transformation, connection. Whether it’s to exist without pain, to soar above the clouds, or to fix the world’s greatest problems with your brain, there’s a power out there for every type of dreamer. Just make sure you’re careful what you wish for.