Top 20 Most Powerful DC Characters
#20: Swamp Thing
As protector of the Green, Swamp Thing holds dominion over virtually all vegetation. Earth, or otherwise! His powers also include morphing parts of his body into everything from long whips to even wings. Considering his massive stature and skin composed entirely of vegetation, his entire body is practically a biome! He’s not only able to regrow chopped off limbs but he can also heal from just about anything. And one of his coolest tricks is being able to transfer his consciousness across various forms of plants and greenery. His vulnerability to pollution is one of the only things keeping him in check. Ultimately, Swamp Thing’s connection to the green is both his biggest weakness and strength.
#19: The Decreator
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This gigantic eyeball first appeared in Grant Morrison’s monumental “Doom Patrol” run. He’s a powerful deity who carries the ability to wipe reality clean and start over. Although he always starts by erasing small things, it’s never long before he moves on to much larger objects. Besides being ultra-powerful, the Decreator’s also incredibly hard to stop. In the past, The Doom Patrol had to come up with wildly out of the box strategies that somehow kept the villain at bay. However, it’s never really clear whether the Decreator is ever gone for good. Thankfully, the Decreator isn’t in a rush. His lack of urgency means it may take an eternity before he decides to try and erase the world again.
#18: Eclipso
Bruce Gordon encountered the demonic Eclipso during an expedition gone wrong. After falling off a cliff, he discovered a diamond known as the Heart of Darkness. It happened to be home to Eclipso, who then possessed Bruce! Unfortunately, that’s not the only person he can take over. Eclipso has managed to twist the minds of everyone from common civilians to the members of the Justice League. And by himself, he’s a powerhouse that can hold his own! After all, he is the original embodiment of the wrath of God! This villain does need a host to be the terrifying threat he’s capable of being. However, his wide variety of powers means that he can eclipse other strong opponents that dare to confront him.
#17: Shazam
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When Billy Batson chants the word “Shazam!” he becomes a superhero with a nice line-up of powers. While we won’t completely spell out what his name means, we’ll highlight his impressive strength, considerable durability and ability to incorporate magic into his arsenal. That last fact has enabled him to take advantage of Superman’s vulnerability to magical foes and put the Man of Steel on notice. Occasionally, Billy Batson’s immaturity will get in the way of Shazam’s full potential. But as the kid grows into a better hero, his alter ego only becomes an even bigger and more dangerous threat.
#16: Captain Atom
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Captain Atom’s complete mastery over energy makes him a very dangerous being. He’s been able to affect and absorb many sources of power. Even forms like magic! He can also transmute elements, send himself through time by concentrating, and regenerate his armored Dilustel skin. Those abilities and more have enabled him to go toe-to-toe with Superman! But when a character’s a living nuclear reactor, you probably already get the idea that he’s powerful. If Captain Atom broke bad, he could destroy entire earths with built up energy. This supremely stacked being is definitely one of the most underestimated heroes in the Justice League roster.
#15: Martian Manhunter
J’onn J’onzz is a founding member of the Justice League, a devout lover of Chocos, and also one of the last aliens you ever want to piss off. This Martian has powers on top of powers. He can fly, use superstrength, shoot lasers, and can also become invisible and intangible. But his most powerful abilities involve telepathy and shapeshifting. He can read your mind and turn into a giant dragon. Maybe even at the same time! While J’onn has a severe weakness to fire, about 8 billion people on Earth share that same weakness. And when even Superman has admitted that he’s afraid of having to face J’onn in combat, you know the Martian Manhunter’s not a chump!
#14: Doctor Fate
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The lord of Order Nabu needed someone to combat the dark forces of magic. In the end, he decided to lend his might to whoever donned his helmet and became Doctor Fate. This superhero can cast a wide range of spells, cross different dimensions, create illusions and more. Doctor Fate’s magical skills give him plenty of options to stay in or even end a fight quickly. Over the years, a series of heroes have donned the helmet. And if the user has considerable magical prowess already, Doctor Fate can become that much stronger. There’s a reason that versions of these heroes have been able to bring order to the world for decades and counting.
#13: Doomsday
There aren’t a whole ton of characters who could claim that they killed Superman right after their debut! So when Doomsday did this, it got everyone talking. Besides looking like an absolute powerhouse, Doomsday is able to adapt to any situation or environment to come out on top. He’s a primal monster who brute forces his way through every fight! And while Doomsday can be taken down, killing him is extremely hard. His physiology is so unique that his body develops an immunity to whatever was previously able to seriously wound or even kill him. It’s no wonder Doomsday was able to break the man of steel. He’s not just a mindless brute, he’s a force of nature that won’t stop until he wins.
#12: Darkseid
Darkseid is typically considered to be the final boss of the DC universe for good reason! In fact, he’s one of the universe–no–multiverse’s heaviest hitters and most talented fighters. Because every version of him is in one way or another an avatar of one singular definitive Darkseid. We’ll admit it's a little bit of a trippy concept! At the end of the day, all that means that he can toss aside most heroes like nothing. Darkseid has walked through versions of the Justice League and Legion of Doom without breaking a sweat. And if he ever completes his anti-life equation, he can bend anyone in the universe to his will. Since that’s describing an average Darkseid, imagine what his true form could accomplish!
#11: The Anti-Monitor
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Named the 49th greatest villain of all time by IGN in 2009, this larger-than-life being hails from the antimatter universe, and is the evil counterpart of multiverse protector, the Monitor. Though the two are arguably similar in terms of power level, the Anti-Monitor’s thirst for conquest means that he typically amasses greater power than his altruistic equivalent, and thus beats him out for a spot on our list. Outside of his “life shell,” the anti-monitor is basically just raw conscious energy. Capable of travelling through space, time and reality, the Anti-Monitor has threatened the existence of the very universe itself, as explored in the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event.
#10: Parallax
President Franklin D. Roosevelt once said “that the only thing we have to fear is...fear itself”. Well then… we should definitely fear Parallax, because this demonic, parasitic entity is the living embodiment of fear. Thankfully, the Guardians of the Universe safely kept this powerful character under lock and key in the Green Lantern Power Battery on Oa for billions of years. But all good things must come to an end, and Parallax escaped and began slowly manipulating Green Lantern Hal Jordan, eventually taking over completely and making him commit atrocities. An immortal being capable of possession and channeling the raw energy of fear, Parallax is a truly terrifying force.
#9: The Flash
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Blink and you miss this speedy hero! While Flash isn’t the strongest or most invulnerable person, he has access to a host of powerful techniques. Since The Flash processes the world faster than most, he can come with strategies in nanoseconds. He can also use the Speed Force in creative ways. Flash can put massive force behind his punches by running fast, vibrate through solid matter, create speed mirages, generate lightning and more! However, his most broken ability allows him to run through time and alter events. The Flash can literally create entire alternate realities on a whim. So, it’s fortunate for the world that he mostly sticks to cracking jokes and fighting street level rogues instead of breaking enemies and time with his abilities.
#8: The Spectre
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A divine spirit, the Spectre serves as an agent of vengeance in the DC Universe. This is a mantle that passes from one human to the next, but regardless of which host it’s occupying at any given time (and whatever personality they bring to the role), the Spectre possesses powers to rival the very highest in the DC universe. Within the comic book continuity, it was the Spectre who destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and brought down the final plague of Egypt. Though Jim Corrigan is the most famous host, Green Lantern Hal Jordan accepted the responsibility for a time. There is very little that Spectre cannot do, and even less that he cannot see.
#7: Mr. Mxyzptlk
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This interdimensional imp and proverbial thorn in Superman’s side might be just one of many rogues in the Man of Steel’s gallery, but he is a cut above the rest in terms of powers and abilities. A being hailing from the planet Zrfff in the Fifth Dimension, Mister Mxyzptlk is imbued with near limitless abilities when visiting the earthly third dimension. Teleportation, matter manipulation, flight - Mister Mxyzptlk can do pretty much anything he can imagine, reshaping reality as he sees fit. Thankfully, his species is an inherently mischievous people, and as such, rather than wiping out all of existence, he tends to focus his attention on sillier endeavors.
#6: Krona
The Guardians of the Universe, though often short-sighted and utilitarian, ultimately operate as a force of order - combating evil whenever it grows too powerful. And considering how powerful they are… that’s truly a blessing. Unfortunately, their species, the Maltusians, are not without their bad eggs. Enter: Krona. Maltusians are all scientifically-minded, but Krona pushed the boundaries of his experiments, dramatically altering reality itself. His punishment? Banishment and the conversion of his body into energy. Remember when we said that the Guardians were short sighted? His powers have only evolved and expanded since his banishment, which, added to flight, energy projection, mind control, genius level intellect and immortality… makes him a force to be reckoned with.
#5: Doctor Manhattan
Originally a character in Alan Moore’s iconic graphic novel “Watchmen”, Dr. Manhattan officially stepped into the mainstream DC Universe with the events of the 2016 DC Rebirth campaign. And that should scare, well… pretty much everyone. Though generally considered to be a hero, Doctor Manhattan’s god-like abilities (the result of a radioactive particle test gone wrong), have also given him the sort of big picture perspective on life and ethics which other, more conventional heroes might not agree with. If at any point he decided that the world would be better off under a single authoritarian government, or worse, devoid of humans, there are few heroes who could stop this nearly omnipotent being.
#4: Superman Prime One Million
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The Man of Steel is undoubtedly one of the more powerful characters in the DC universe. But… if we’re talking about all of the characters (human, alien, celestial and eternal), he might not crack the top 10 at his normal power level. As Superman Prime One Million however… he’s a serious contender. This unique version of Kal-el is the Superman of the distant future who, having outlived his loved ones, first travelled the cosmos for roughly 679 centuries before retreating to live inside of earth’s sun for another 15,000 years. As a result, by the 853rd Century, he had become a “living extension of the sun”, a being of seemingly infinite power.
#3: Michael Demiurgos
In terms of its origin stories, the DC Universe is heavily steeped in judeo-christian beliefs, and in keeping with that, the very strongest characters are inspired by figures from christianity. Long before the time of heroes and villains, or even cosmic beings, the Archangel Michael, one of god’s very first creations, was tasked with putting a stop to a rebellion in heaven (led by his very own brother, Lucifer), and to do so, he was given the demiurgic power (the power of god). With this incomprehensible power, Michael has the very power of creation inside him. Of course, his power would eventually pass on to his daughter, the similarly powerful Elaine Belloc.
#2: Lucifer Morningstar
But… if there’s one person who can best the near infinite power of Michael Demiurgos, it’s his brother Lucifer, the very same angel who once tried to overthrow the creator, ruled in hell for eons, and then retired to earth to open a piano bar. Seriously, we can’t make this stuff up. The rundown of his powers and abilities read very similarly to Michael’s, but while Michael has the power of creation, he cannot give it shape - only Lucifer can do that. And that’s exactly what he did when stabbed his brother, releasing the Demiurgos energy and wielding it to create his very own reality.
#1: The Presence
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This mysterious being is the single most powerful character in all of the DC universe, but you wouldn’t know it from the looks of it. Originally introduced as a disembodied voice, the Presence sometimes appears as a portly aging gentleman in a suit; other times, it presents itself as a talking dog. But don’t let the unassuming forms fool you… the Presence is effectively the equivalent of god in DC Comics. Not the greek gods or the new gods… but the singular creator responsible for all of existence. Created by Jerry Siegel and Bernard Baily in 1940, the Presence rarely intervenes, but should he decide to, there’s really no one to oppose his will.
