Summary

• The Marvel universe is filled with powerful villains like Malekith, Wiccan, and The Maker who pose a threat to reality itself.
• Characters like Jean Grey, Doctor Doom, and Galactus have the potential to destroy planets and universes with their abilities.
• Living Tribunal, Scarlet Witch, and Thanos are among the strongest beings in Marvel with the power to wipe out realities at will.

Being home to multiple God-like beings and powerful sorcerers, the Marvel universe is always at risk of being attacked. There are numerous mutants, magicians, and even actual Gods that have the ability to wipe out all life. While each of them might not be evil, some are hell-bent on using their powers to create chaos.

Fortunately, in many timelines, these catastrophic events have been avoided due to The Avengers saving the day. However, when put up against cosmic giants that have lived for billions of years, even they might not be able to save the universe. That said, here are the most powerful characters in Marvel that pose a threat to reality itself.

10 Malekith

Leader Of The Dark Elves

• First Appearance: Thor #344 (1984)

As the leader of the Dark Elves, Malekith is a formidable villain in the world of Thor. Wielding dark magic and the casket of ancient winters, Malekith was already a powerful antagonist in Thor: The Dark World. However, his powers increased even more when he turned the Reality Stone into a weapon called Aether.

With the combined power of all his weapons and abilities, Malekith could plunge the entire universe into darkness and wipe out all life. That said, he could only do this during the Convergence, which is when the Nine Realms are in alignment and at their weakest.

9 Wiccan

A Reality-Warping Mutant

• First Appearance: Young Avengers #1 (2005)

The son of Scarlet Witch is another character with the anility to destroying the universe. Similar to his mother, Wiccan possessed reality-warping abilities. On top of that, as he grew up, his powers increased even more, turning him into The Demiurge.

At his peak, he became so powerful that he was in line to become the Sorcerer Supreme. Of course, as a member of the Young Avengers, Wiccan had good intentions in his heart. However, if he were to be corrupted and join the dark side, the universe would be in catastrophic danger.

8 Reed Richards (The Maker)

Genius Turned Rogue

• First Appearance: Ultimate Fantastic Four #1 (2004)

Being an incredible genius, fans always wondered about what would happen if Reed Richards were to go rogue, and that’s exactly what happened with The Maker. With Reed Richards turning to the dark side, all his powers and abilities became a threat.

As The Maker, he had all his elasticity powers as well as the added ability of reality manipulation. On top of that, The Maker equips all the knowledge about the multiverse and the Council of Reeds, making him lethal. During the Secret Wars timeline, he took part in destroying multiple universes to protect his own. If he wanted to, he could wipe out another one with ease.

7 Jean Grey

The Dark Phoenix

• First Appearance: The X-Men #1 (1963)

As an Omega-level mutant, Jean Grey is not someone to brush aside. While she’s usually a good person, her corruption by the cosmic Phoenix Force can change her into a super-villain. Adding to her usual abilities of telepathy and telekinesis, with the Phoenix Force, she can warp space and time.

On top of that, she has the ability to absorb any kind of energy and survive in any environment. In previous timelines, her corruption by the dark forces has led to her destroying a solar system and consuming the universe, so there’s no hesitation to say she can't do it again.

6 Doctor Doom

The Scientific Supervillain

• First Appearance: Fantastic Four #5 (1962)

Similar to Reed Richards, Doctor Doom is a super genius. However, he uses his intellect in the completely opposite way. While Reed Richards tries to save humanity from all kinds of threats, Doctor Doom spends his time scheming to bring new threats to the universe.

Being one of the most iconic villains in Marvel, Doctor Doom is a great sorcerer. His combination of dark magic, scientific knowledge, and sheer willpower make him a great antagonist. In the Secret Wars timeline, he steals the powers of the Beyonders to become God Emperor Doom. In doing so, he acquires the ability to merge realities and universes. If he wanted to, he could single-handedly wipe these universes out.

5 Galactus

The Devourer Of Worlds

• First Appearance: Fantastic Four #48 (1966)

Galactus, aka. The Devourer of Worlds, is the perfect character for this subject. With his ability to transform matter, he can turn entire planets into energy, and then devour them. Staying relevant to his nickname, he has consumed countless worlds.

While he doesn’t go on a world-eating rampage, if he were starving, it wouldn’t be an easy day for superheroes. Being a cosmic giant, Galactus could transform the entire universe into energy and, quite simply, eat it.

4 Kang The Conqueror

The Conqueror From The Future

• First Appearance: The Avengers #8 (1964)

Kang the Conqueror, or Nathaniel Richards, is a future descendant of Reed Richards. Hailing from the family of Richard, Kang possesses a genius-level intellect and has perfected time travel technology in the 31st Century. With the combined power of time manipulation and futuristic tech, Kang becomes a formidable villain in The Avengers storyline.

On numerous occasions, Kang has threatened the space-time continuum and, to further his ambitions of being a conqueror, has put the universe in grave danger. While his ambition is far from the destruction of the universe, he could very well achieve it.

3 Thanos

An Eternal Turned God

• First Appearance: The Invincible Iron Man #55 (1973)

Born on Titan, Thanos is perhaps the most renowned villain in Marvel. Due to his appearance in the MCU, Thanos has become a fan-favorite. However, while he fails to achieve his end goal in the MCU storyline, that doesn’t take anything away from his legacy.

Being a member of the Eternals, Thanos is said to be nearly immortal. He attains many abilities, from genius-level intellect to telepathy, and that is all without considering his main weapon of mass destruction: the Infinity Gauntlet. With the power of the Infinity Gauntlet added to his arsenal, alongside all the Infinity Stones, Thanos is basically a God, and he is more than capable of wiping out the universe in that state.

2 Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff)

The Chaotic Sorcerer

• First Appearance: The X-Men #4 (1964)

Similar to her son, Scarlet Witch is one of the biggest threats to the Marvel Universe. Being a master of chaos magic, she can warp reality and time. However, that’s just the start. With the right conditions, she can create or erase anyone from any part of the universe, making her one of the most powerful characters to ever exist.

That said, she can destroy universes and create new realities at her will. In House of M, she creates a new world where mutants are the dominant species. In another instance, her character in Multiverse of Madness causes chaos on the multiversal scale, making her a threat to reality itself.

1 Living Tribunal

An Actual God-Like Being

• First Appearance: Strange Tales #157 (1967)

It wouldn’t be ignorant to call the Living Tribunal a Marvel God. Being the cosmic judge of the multiverse, he’s basically one of the most powerful entities in all of Marvel. With limitless power at his fingertips, he can wipe out realities within the blink of an eye.

Since he’s the judge of the multiverse, he’s tasked with keeping all things in check. To do so, he’s aware of all the events going on in every single timeline. So, to keep balance within the multiverse, he can erase an entire timeline from existence if he deems it necessary.