Physical might: Strongest characters in comics and other media, and benchmarks

[megaplayboy]

Was just thinking about this the other day, wondering "who is the strongest character in comics?" Then I thought it might be fun to start a thread here about this. Obviously, there are a lot of candidates from comics that come to mind, including

Superman(especially the pre-Crisis version)

Captain Marvel

Black Adam

Gladiator

Sentry

Thor(with or without belt of strength, warrior madness or Odinpower enhancement)

Silver Surfer(with or without cosmically boosting his might)

Hulk (probably of World War Hulk vintage)

Hyperion

Mr. Majestic

Supreme

Superman Prime

Hercules

 

From other media, we might include Atlas(greek mythology), Magni(norse mythology), Optimus Prime, etc.

 

My personal nominee for the title: Validus. It took the combined might of Superboy, Mon-El and Ultraboy to subdue him, and these were the planet-shifting variety of those characters.

But other villains are also ridiculously strong:

Juggernaut

Count Nefaria

Bizarro

Doomsday

General Zod

Red Hulk

Omega(from LSH--but this character appeared only briefly and their exact strength is difficult to gauge--but he could one-punch pre-Crisis Mon-El!)

Broly (of Dragon Ball Z movie infamy)

 

I think, absent a meaningful quantifiable measurement of all these characters, there is a useful set of benchmarks for super-strength I worked up:

Level 1--character can lift a car

Level 2--character can lift a truck

Level 3--character can lift a main battle tank

Level 4--character can lift a jumbo jet

Level 5--character can lift a barge

Level 6--character can lift a battleship or aircraft carrier

Level 7--character can lift a skyscraper

Level 8--character can lift a pyramid

Level 9--character can lift a mountain

Level 10--character can lift/move an asteroid

Level 11--character can lift/move a moon

Level 12--character can lift/move a planet

Level 13--I've never seen this in a comic book or anywhere else, but this would be nigh-infinite strength--e.g., the character can lift/move a star or equivalent amount of mass

 

I think Marvel comics characters are typically operating around level 3 or 4 on this scale, with the high end characters occasionally hitting level 5 to 7 and rarely getting into the 8 to 10 range. DC comics characters tend to skew a couple levels higher, with a handful of them being able to actually move planets. I peg Validus between a 12 and a 13, simply because he's substantially stronger than characters who can move planets.

 

Anyway, gotta run before I get snowed in here. Have fun arguing for your "top" bricks.

[Clonus]

Re: Physical might: Strongest characters in comics and other media, and benchmarks

 

Count Nefaria was intended to be an equivalent for the pre-crisis Superman as was the X-Men's Gladiator.

[Guest steamteck]

Re: Physical might: Strongest characters in comics and other media, and benchmarks

 

Pre-crisis Validus gets my vote also. I remember Superboy bouncing off his jaw. the same Superboy who towed a 1/2 dozen planets out of a solar system.

[lapsedgamer]

Re: Physical might: Strongest characters in comics and other media, and benchmarks

 

Don't forget the Gladiator from the Imperial Guard in Marvel. He is just a Silver Age Superman clone, but I believe that he was written to be as strong as he believed that he was. He had a form of contact telekinesis that worked with his strength to allow him to pull off physically improbable feats as long as he was confident that he could. Technically, he would be Level 11 or 12, but I've never personally seen that in print.

 

While we are talking about this, I want to complain about DC's power level. One of the reasons I've never been into DC as much as Marvel is the fact that DC characters all tend to be the strongest one there is. You have people with massive strength in addition to broad suites of secondary powers. Most of the Justice League is stronger than someone like The Thing, and then they have laser vision and flight on top of that. Hell, even Aquaman is about as strong as, if not stronger than, Luke Cage. Don't even get me started on Superman and the Martian Manhunter and that power-of -the week stuff they used to pull. Marvel only has three examples of this that I can think of: Iron Man, Thor, and The Sentry.

 

The Sentry is like Marvel making fun of Superman, so he doesn't really count. Iron Man used to be written as significantly weaker than a Thor or Hulk, but things may have changed. In head-to- head combat, Thor was deemed to be less than Superman, so... Anyway, DC has always been a little over the top for my tastes.

[RexMundi]

Re: Physical might: Strongest characters in comics and other media, and benchmarks

 

Validus. In any DC "crisis" version.

 

Easier though to Break it up by Company.

 

~Rex

[Guest steamteck]

Re: Physical might: Strongest characters in comics and other media, and benchmarks

 

While we are talking about this, I want to complain about DC's power level. One of the reasons I've never been into DC as much as Marvel is the fact that DC characters all tend to be the strongest one there is. You have people with massive strength in addition to broad suites of secondary powers. Most of the Justice League is stronger than someone like The Thing, and then they have laser vision and flight on top of that. Hell, even Aquaman is about as strong as, if not stronger, than Luke Cage. Don't even get me started on Superman and the Martian Manhunter and that power-of -the week stuff they used to pull. Marvel only has three examples of this that I can think of: Iron Man, Thor, and The Sentry.

 

.

 

I have to agree with you. Although theoretically my favorites tend to be the DCs. Its more from less powerful incarnations that have shown up like Roy Thomas Earth 2 stuff. Bruce Timm's earlier Justice league stuff and TAS Superman are the more preferred power level for me. One of the nice things about very early post crisis was the powering down but they used their powers more efficiently. Flash who can run at about the speed of sound with appropriate reflexes is plenty for me. The TAS style Superman is pretty much one of my favorite characters ever. The higher level guy not as much.

[palaskar]

Re: Physical might: Strongest characters in comics and other media, and benchmarks

 

What, if I may ask, is TAS?

 

BTW, let's not forget Magog. I've never seen him, but I've read he had the power of an entire warrior race -- a billion billion people, IRC. Also IIRC he fought the entire legions of Asgard, and was strartin gto win, before Thanos called him back. Or so I heard.

 

Odinpower Thor is also stupidly powerful. He den't Captime America's shield! And then he hammerd out the dent. Probably this is due to the Odinpower...didn't Odin have power around the level of Galactus?

 

And then there's World Hulk, who held down this Thor when he had x10 strength from warrio's rage....maybe the stupid level of power above (denting Cap's shield) only apply to hs hammer?

[Bloodstone]

Re: Physical might: Strongest characters in comics and other media, and benchmarks

 

Was just thinking about this the other day' date=' wondering "who is [b']the[/b] strongest character in comics?" Then I thought it might be fun to start a thread here about this. Obviously, there are a lot of candidates from comics that come to mind, including

Superman(especially the pre-Crisis version)

 

Meaningful comparison ceases to exist as soon as you reach the "as strong as the plot demands" and "physics as we know it need not apply" levels of strength.

 

At the point where you are so strong that you can change history by punching the walls of reality, we're not even talking about super strength any more.

 

Plus, lets be honest here, cosmic level stuff like Plant Pushing or moving a Sun has less to do with strength and more to do with other powers.

 

Flying Supers push planets. Macroscopic heroes push planets. Guys with cosmic level telekinesis can push planets.

 

Dudes like the Hulk?

 

Just kinda does a hand stand and grunts a lot...

[Bloodstone]

Re: Physical might: Strongest characters in comics and other media, and benchmarks

 

What' date=' if I may ask, is TAS?[/quote']

 

The Animated Series

[Bloodstone]

Re: Physical might: Strongest characters in comics and other media, and benchmarks

 

Of course, there's always this too...

 

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Physical might: Strongest characters in comics and other media, and benchmarks

 

In terms of sheer physical strength, I'd have to put Marvel comics' Mangog among the top contenders. At his peak Mangog was supposed to contain all the power of the "billion billion" members of his race, and was able to swat aside Thor's hammer Mjolnir with his bare hand.

[lemming]

Re: Physical might: Strongest characters in comics and other media, and benchmarks

 

The Sentry is like Marvel making fun of Superman, so he doesn't really count. Iron Man used to be written as significantly weaker than a Thor or Hulk, but things may have changed.

 

Iron Man could channel energy for brief periods of time to get him into their range, but normally he was weaker.

 

I'm with Rex, maybe easier to break down by company.

 

And yes, Vladius seemed at least to be the toughest (and certainly pretty dang strong). Not sure I saw anyone else tow a few planets around on a chain other than superboy...

[Steve]

Re: Physical might: Strongest characters in comics and other media, and benchmarks

 

From DC, I'd add Darkseid to the list of physical powerhouses.

 

From Marvel, I'd add the Destroyer. That suit of magic armor has slapped around Thor more than once.

[Enforcer84]

Re: Physical might: Strongest characters in comics and other media, and benchmarks

 

as much fun as these debates are...

 

I'd say Sllverage Superman established the benchmark.

 

That said, in my write ups the strongest tend to be The Hulk and Herakles.

[Greywind]

Re: Physical might: Strongest characters in comics and other media, and benchmarks

 

Nefaria was Power Man/Goliath/Atlas multiplied by a factor of 100 after he was repowered. He also had Whirlwind's speed and Living Laser's power multiplied the same.

 

Then he became a depowered old geezer...

[lapsedgamer]

Re: Physical might: Strongest characters in comics and other media, and benchmarks

 

Nefaria was Power Man/Goliath/Atlas multiplied by a factor of 100 after he was repowered. He also had Whirlwind's speed and Living Laser's power multiplied the same.

 

Then he became a depowered old geezer...

 

Great storyline by the way. One of the great classics of the Avengers book. Jim Shooter/ John Byrne team. Just a great read.

[megaplayboy]

Re: Physical might: Strongest characters in comics and other media, and benchmarks

 

Great storyline by the way. One of the great classics of the Avengers book. Jim Shooter/ John Byrne team. Just a great read.

 

My respect for the Vision only increased after that--densing up to 90 tons and dropping on the big bad from 2 miles up is serious bada**ery.

[austenandrews]

Re: Physical might: Strongest characters in comics and other media, and benchmarks

 

Captain Marvel

Black Adam

Gladiator

Sentry

Hyperion

Supreme

Count Nefaria

Bizarro

Am I mistaken or are all of these characters riffs on Superman of some stripe or other? Kind of funny.

 

For top brick, I'd call it a tossup between Superman and the Hulk.

[Badger]

Re: Physical might: Strongest characters in comics and other media, and benchmarks

 

Well, mentioning Broly, I think DBZ characters would probably max out at your level 9 maybe level 10. Their big danger is there ability to blast the planet into scrap. THough, I also admit I didnt watch GT or the movies past the 9th (the one I believe between Broly's first and second appearance).

 

Personally, increased power levels didnt look all that more powerful after Freeza got killed off. And Freeza at least show some crazy TK abilities at times, so it could be questioned whether his STR was physical or TK-enhanced I suppose.

 

Course, I always wondered What if Superman vs. DBZ character (hard to see a scenario Goku would fight him, so we'd have to ask Vegeta, Freeza, Cell, Buu, Broly etc) would be like. I am just not sure lifting a planet is so effective when your opponent is likely gonna just explode it in your face. Just saying.

[Badger]

Re: Physical might: Strongest characters in comics and other media, and benchmarks

 

Am I mistaken or are all of these characters riffs on Superman of some stripe or other? Kind of funny.

 

For top brick, I'd call it a tossup between Superman and the Hulk.

 

I'd go with Superman. Hulk never chucked around planets (at least that I remember). Course, Marvel seems a bit less amped on the STR scale overall.

[megaplayboy]

Re: Physical might: Strongest characters in comics and other media, and benchmarks

 

Well, mentioning Broly, I think DBZ characters would probably max out at your level 9 maybe level 10. Their big danger is there ability to blast the planet into scrap. THough, I also admit I didnt watch GT or the movies past the 9th (the one I believe between Broly's first and second appearance).

 

Personally, increased power levels didnt look all that more powerful after Freeza got killed off. And Freeza at least show some crazy TK abilities at times, so it could be questioned whether his STR was physical or TK-enhanced I suppose.

 

Course, I always wondered What if Superman vs. DBZ character (hard to see a scenario Goku would fight him, so we'd have to ask Vegeta, Freeza, Cell, Buu, Broly etc) would be like. I am just not sure lifting a planet is so effective when your opponent is likely gonna just explode it in your face. Just saying.

 

There was some scene in one episode where Piccolo is meditating, and he's levitating stuff while he's doing so...including a pyramid. He's casually levitating a pyramid while meditating.

[Matt Holck]

Re: Physical might: Strongest characters in comics and other media, and benchmarks

 

Fire Wing in my universe

 

Crystal Child was the indestructible body guard of Phantagia, one of the seven living gods.

When Phantaga died, the Heroes didn't not know what to do with the indestructible hostile brick

so Defender flew Crystal Child to the center of the Sun and left him there

where the child remained for years.

 

His shape slowly transformed into a manta ray

and Crystal Child developed a heart that could fuse hydrogen

and used the fusion energy to escape the Sun's gravity

and return with magnetically controlled plasma wings.

 

He now calls himself Fire Wing former Gladiator of the Gods

[lapsedgamer]

Re: Physical might: Strongest characters in comics and other media, and benchmarks

 

Fire Wing in my universe

 

Crystal Child was the indestructible body guard of Phantagia, one of the seven living gods

when Phantaga died, the Heroes didn't not know to do with the indestructible hostile brick

so Defender flew Crystal Child to the center of the Sun and left him there

where the child remained for years.

 

His shape slowly transformed into a manta ray

and Crystal Child developed a heart that could fuse hydrogen

and used the fusion energy to escape the Sun's gravity

and return with magnetically controlled plasma wings.

 

He now calls himself Fire Wing former Gladiator of the Gods

 

But did your world's version of Spider-Man beat him in a fight?

[Matt Holck]

Re: Physical might: Strongest characters in comics and other media, and benchmarks

 

No

but the earth swimming White Tiger, Captain Power and the Black Knight surfing on his own shield

defeated Fire Wing while in free fall to Earth.

Two had to be miraculously treated for radiation exposure later.

[Lucius]

Re: Physical might: Strongest characters in comics and other media, and benchmarks

 

Of course, there's always this too...

 

 

Yeah! Spit it out!! Superman isn't the only one who wants to know!

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary adds - and while you're at it, who the heck are you and these other people? and are you going to shut the machine off or just leave Superman standing there holding it all day?