Most overpowered comic characters in your opinion

[Darth Avlectus]

Just as the title says. Which characters of comics are way too overpowered in your opinion?

 

EDIT: Feel free to include a why.

 

Any input is welcome.

 

Unless you're someone who goes from "not replying" to instigating fights in KC.

[Prime]

I think Superman is up there.

[purifier]

Gotta go with Dr. Strange.

 

 

Sucker reeks of power! Anybody who can skillfully manipulate the forces of nature, elements or sometimes called elementals in the magic world, has got to be damn near a god of the universe. I mean dude can even resurrect the dead for crying out loud. But I don't think he's a necrophiliac.

[Alexrd]

too overpowered

 

In detriment to what?

 

As far as overpowerful characters goes, besides Superman I can only think of Dr. Manhattan.

[Darth Avlectus]

In detriment to what?

 

Basically "God mode" where the character is nigh unbeatable and their only weakness is something completely arbitrary.

 

Or no weaknesses at all. I'd like to say the original Kuthulu but that isn't a comic character--last I checked anyway.

[Taak Farst]

Yeah, gotta go with Superman on this. Or Wolverine.

[Dread Advocate]

Superman. Despite how much I love him, he has practically every power and can't truly die.

Dr. Manhattan. He may as well be a deity.

Wolverine. Even if Magneto crushed his skeleton into nice, shiny sphere I don't think he'd die.

[Darth Avlectus]

I don't disagree with what's been posted thus far.

 

I have maybe a few others to add...

Ghost Rider...the ability to defeat anyone by using their own memories and mind is brilliant and bitchmade OP.

 

That one woman who could make a black hole inside peoples' minds.

 

Possibly Solar from Valiant...by accident brought down the whole universe and all of existence to one singularity and himself...and had to live eternally to rebuild it all. So essentially became God. Though I will say he didn't quite do it perfectly and some nasty undesirable concomitants resulted directly. And he ended up kind of weak by the time he had remade all of existence like it was before. Just enough power to fight off the abominations created from his mistakes. So maybe he isn't OP...but still to pretty much become God even for just awhile......

[HED]

I don't know if there's many characters mentioned here that I actually consider overpowered, as that term implies that they would be better off as weaker than they were. Doctor Manhattan wasn't overpowered because his being that power was absolutely key to the character. Much the same, I don't consider Superman overpowered because I think he works best as the superhero who you know is always going to win.

 

Wolverine is a good point. I'm divided about Doctor Strange because he's only overpowered when he isn't going up against cosmic mega-threats and the like.

[Alexrd]

I don't know if there's many characters mentioned here that I actually consider overpowered, as that term implies that they would be better off as weaker than they were.

 

I agree, that's why I questioned its detriment. I merely listed the most powerful comic characters I can think of, despite their powerful nature being the whole point of the characters themselves. I don't think Superman or Dr. Manhattan have "so much power" that makes them unrelatable. On the contrary actually.

[Darth Avlectus]

I agree, that's why I questioned its detriment. I merely listed the most powerful comic characters I can think of, despite their powerful nature being the whole point of the characters themselves. I don't think Superman or Dr. Manhattan have "so much power" that makes them unrelatable. On the contrary actually.

 

Maybe it's a matter of popularity opinion/preference>the objective story.

 

Example: I don't think Thor could absolutely own Superman, but it seems to me Thor's development objectively would make him at least somewhat more able to win and yet in crossovers Superman>Thor more often.

 

So the small minded un-beatable-ness is perhaps the detriment for me personally. Though I've seen arguments on the internet which apparently have much more problems.

 

All I'm asking is which characters you think are overpowered, and why if you should feel so inclined.

[Totenkopf]

Frankly, compared to "mere mortals", superheroes are overpowered by definition. Against one another, it becomes a different story. If superman has a nemesis that he can only fight to a draw, is he then "overpowered"? I would tend to agree w/you about Thor. If he is a god (small "g"), then he should win over superman who is not, or at least more often. I suspect logic isn't always a strongsuit in comics as they are fantasy driven for most part. Never really got into whole superhero thing, so maybe there's somethings I've missed, but that's where I stand on what I know in general.

[HED]

Maybe it's a matter of popularity opinion/preference>the objective story.

 

Example: I don't think Thor could absolutely own Superman, but it seems to me Thor's development objectively would make him at least somewhat more able to win and yet in crossovers Superman>Thor more often.

 

 

With regards to crossover match-ups, I generally agree Kieron Gillen:

 

http://kierongillen.tumblr.com/post/61393178345/character-in-universe-i-dont-mean-to-bother-you-and

 

Characters don’t exist out of context. Characters are created as part of a universe, with a set of rules and conventions.

 

My go to example is the “Batman always wins”. True in the DC universe. Drop him in (say) the Wildstorm one, and the more cynical rules of that place would lead to the rich guy to be incinerated from orbit the first time he pulled on his costume and decided to cross the Authority.

 

More generally, science-fiction universes normally have the trope that Earth tech when facing enormously advanced aliens can do something. Iron Man’s suit can face off against hyper-advanced aliens, due to it being based on the romantic conception of science, etc. Take that to a hard Science-Fiction Universe, and Iron Man is toast. Thousands of Iron Man armours would be killed by a single Knife Missile, in Iain M Banks’ Culture universe. Take a thousand Knife Missiles to the MU, and Tony would take them down on his lonesome.

 

This is why Battle-board style question scan be a lot of fun, but miss certain key elements of fiction.

[jonathan7]

I don't consider Superman overpowered because I think he works best as the superhero who you know is always going to win.

 

Disagree, I think Superman shouldn't even be classed as a hero. If you cannot die, are invulnerable and unbeatable it is not possible to be heroic, brave or courageous. It also sucks any dramatic tension out of the films. Martha Nussbaum is undoubtedly correct that the biggest tragedies in drama consists of impossible choices posed by inalterable circumstances. (Think Batman, with Harvey Dent and Rachel in TDK, or what to do about the Nuclear bomb in TDKR).

 

Superman doesn't face those decisions because apparently when his girlfriend dies he can spin the world backwards to reverse time and save her. His only real weakness isn't cryptonite it's that he's freaking stupid. "What's in that led-lined safe Lex? It has to be my birthday cake, cause you'd never try and get cryptonite close to me would you..."

 

Another problem with his character is he doesn't have any normal human faults. He's "perfect", which in some senses is his whole problem, but it renders any thing he could teach us redundant; because while all the other superhero's have superpowers they still retain weaknesses. Superman has none, you can't even hurt the people he loves as he will just reverse time or some such other crap.

 

Also - "The difference between Superman and Batman"

 

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So yeah, Superman is too overpowered it's ridiculous, he's also a dork.

[Alexrd]

If you cannot die, are invulnerable and unbeatable it is not possible to be heroic, brave or courageous.

 

But he's not immortal, invulnerable or unbeatable. He's an alien and hard to kill when compared to humans. And even if he was immortal, that doesn't mean he couldn't be heroic. The mere choice of actually helping people instead of ignoring them is heroic.

[jonathan7]

But he's not immortal, invulnerable or unbeatable. He's an alien and hard to kill when compared to humans. And even if he was immortal, that doesn't mean he couldn't be heroic. The mere choice of actually helping people instead of ignoring them is heroic.

 

Errr - you can't shoot him, hurt him, he's earthquake, space and nuclear proof, I'm not really sure what else he has to do to qualify for invulnerable save for his own severe lack of intelligence vs Lex Luther half the time.

 

Really? A definition of Heroic;

 

"having the characteristics of a hero or heroine; admirably brave or determined"

 

I fail to see if bullets cannot hurt you, how it is brave to confront a gunman. Being brave necessitates risk and over coming fear - Superman is never at risk and therefore has no fear he has to overcome. Therefore he isn't brave.

 

What's heroic about acting as you should? I think many/most people will help people rather than ignoring them if it costs them nothing. What does being Superman really cost Superman? Nothing, ergo, he's not being heroic. The Clark Kent persona in some respects is more of a hero than Superman... Choosing to limmit himself.

 

On the definition of a "hero" "a person, who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities". If you can lift anything, is it really an outstanding achievement when you do? Since how good a achievement is can only come through comparison with someone of equal abilities there isn't too much that can be said. As I've already argued he isn't courageous...

[Tommycat]

Of course he's vulnerable. All you gotta do is hit him with a thrown gun.

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[Alexrd]

Errr - you can't shoot him, hurt him, he's earthquake, space and nuclear proof, I'm not really sure what else he has to do to qualify for invulnerable save for his own severe lack of intelligence vs Lex Luther half the time.

 

I assume your knowledge of Superman is based on the Christopher Reeve's version alone?

 

Really? A definition of Heroic;

 

"having the characteristics of a hero or heroine; admirably brave or determined"

 

And here's the definition of hero:

 

"a person, typically a man, who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities"

 

I fail to see if bullets cannot hurt you, how it is brave to confront a gunman.

 

It's not. But his choice of confronting a gunman instead of letting him commit a crime is heroic. Not to mention that gunmen are not the only enemies of Superman.

 

Being brave necessitates risk and over coming fear - Superman is never at risk and therefore has no fear he has to overcome. Therefore he isn't brave.

 

Assuming he's never at risk. But that's not true as seen in the comics or the latest film.

 

What's heroic about acting as you should?

 

What's stopping him from acting as he "shouldn't"?

 

I think many/most people will help people rather than ignoring them if it costs them nothing.

 

And many others won't. I've seen a good share of situations that show the opposite. Either way, he's not a person, and with that power he could creat chaos and destruction throughout the planet.

 

What does being Superman really cost Superman?

 

His family? Friends? The sense of belonging?

 

Nothing, ergo, he's not being heroic.

 

Even if true (which it isn't), since when does being heroic imply a cost?

 

If you can lift anything, is it really an outstanding achievement when you do?

 

It is to people who can't. He's not the one who calls himself an hero. People do. Not to mention that people can do "outstanding achievements" as well (they don't always require superhuman abilities). The difference is if they do them or not.

 

Since how good a achievement is can only come through comparison with someone of equal abilities there isn't too much that can be said.

 

I disagree, as explained above.

[jonathan7]

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[Tommycat]

I'd say Superman is Heroic, and Brave(at times). When he's beating up regular baddies with guns, he almost becomes a bully. Seriously, he doesn't have to superpunch them. Now, Zod sure.

[Astor]

Since Superman and Dr. Strange have already been mentioned, I'd have to say Scarlet Witch. 'No More Mutants'.

[HED]

Since Superman and Dr. Strange have already been mentioned, I'd have to say Scarlet Witch. 'No More Mutants'.

 

Well, they went out of their way in the Children's Crusade to decrease her power level.

[greggomonkey]

Deadpool, he does what he wants and basically uses his massive plot armour to be invulnerable.

[Jae Onasi]

Power Rangers. Not only do they always win, but also their chief concern in life is whether or not they made it into band club.

[Darth Avlectus]

I have a couple to add:

 

Since street fighter has gotten its own comics...Akuma. He's apparently a real son of a bitch to fight. He was added as a hidden character in X-Men Children of the Atom, which Capcom produced. Although most appearances of him are non canon, I would say the level of being overpowered he displays is right about there. I mean just getting to him in some games is a ridiculously hard feat in itself--though that may not be entirely 100% true as I hear some SF games the difficulty level can be lowered to a point.

 

And Asura from Asura's Wrath: If you have seen the DLC for Asura's Wrath...you know what I am talking about.

 

@Jae: Well now. Haven't seen you much lately. Not that I've been hanging around all that much either.