Top 10 Most Powerful DC Characters

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions

Eclipso

Decreator

Kismet

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 Bailey in 1940, the Presence rarely intervenes, but should he decide to, there’s really no one to oppose his will.