Earth (all of them) seem to be among the busiest places in Marvel comics, especially when there is a universal ending weapon or item lying around. Throughout the MCU you will find a multitude of powerful items that could tip universal scales: the Eternal Flame, Hadron Enforcer, Casket of Ancient Winters etc. Avengers Infinity Wars allowed audiences a glimpse at “some” of the most powerful items in the universe; the Infinity Stones. Thanos was capable of changing the universe as he saw fit by combining the power of the Infinity Stones into the Infinity Gauntlet. Individually they allow the wielder power augmentations over reality. Placing the stones (not the Infinity Gauntlet) in an item power ranking, they fall lower on the universal threat scale than you’d think. Thankfully comic writers have created and will continue to create grandeur plot devices of unimaginable power to one up the last one.
Following the theme “if it’s powerful it appears on earth”; the Tactigon first appeared in Avengers: The Initiative #1, as an alien weapon that fell to San Francisco and bonded with the suicidal teen Violet Lightner. This pairing transformed Violet into the powerful hero Armory. The Tactigon was soon passed to Michael Van Patrick’s clone KIA after Armory accidentally killed MVP in a training exercise. Marvel databases classify the alien weapon as an omega level threat ranked among the Kree Nega Bands and Thor’s Mjolnir. War Machine himself stated that the Tactigon was a dangerous omega level weapon, that’s coming from War Machine the guy who uses weapons for a living. What makes the Tactigon so deadly is that after it bonds with a host it begins to learn and exploit an enemies weakness, taking the form of the perfect weapon to defeat your opponent. Along with transforming some other Tactigon’s powers are potent energy projection abilities.
Powerful items often yield terrible results, when it’s the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak it yields an unstoppable Juggernaut. First appearing in Uncanny X-men #12. The Crimson Gem is easily recognized as the source of the Juggernaut villains power. Exemplars are the mortals who come into contact with mystical artifacts like the Crimson Gem and bestowed unimaginable power. As the Juggernaut you are essentially immortal, possessing; limitless kinetic energy, immeasurable strength, physical invulnerability, a nearly impenetrable shield and super speed. Exemplars capable of tapping into the full power of the Crimson Gem become the Trion Juggernaut; capable of matter manipulation, creating portals, causing dimensional tares and growing in size. The Gem itself is a mystical artifact that serves as an extension of Cyttorak, an entity so powerful villains like Dormammu draw on his power. Not to mention the gem itself can be used for creating mystical constructs, teleportation and generating energy blasts. Often the Juggernaut is defeated by his own methods, if the gem fell into the hands of someone with a little more ambition, everyone could be in trouble.
If you blinked in Thor Ragnarok you might have missed the Twilight Sword. First in the weakened grip of a de-powered Surtur, and later being driven into the magical realm Asgard; it receives little attention in the movie. Surtur lugs around what is known as the Sword of Twilight or Sword of Doom. A serious piece of mystical hardware that at one point even houses the infinity stones. Surtur first destroyed the galaxy of the Korbinites (Beta Ray Bill’s home) creating the “burning galaxy” to harness the massive amount of energy needed to forge the Twilight sword. The sword is a conduit for magical energies, increasing the users powers and simultaneously acting as a magical barrier against physical and magical attacks. While in the hands of a champion, the sword has the ability to cut through nearly anything. Not limited to physical objects like metal or rock but also energy/magical barriers and dimensions. Surtur is not the only one to wield the Twilight Sword for terrible purposes. Morgan Le Fay was able to use the sword and her elven magic to completely change reality into a middle ages equivalent with her as the leader. God of tricks Loki even combines his knowledge of science and magic to harness unlimited energy from the sword. The Twilight Sword was created to be coated in the Eternal Flame and used by Surtur to bring about Asgard’s Ragnarok this is a small portion of the many abilities making the wielder a universal powerhouse.
Another item based on a pointy ends that can end you, the Odin Sword is a magical weapon kept under lock and key by the Skyfather Odin. Created from a Golden Nibelung ring it was rumored to be so powerful if unsheathed, “the end of the universe is at hand”. Making its appearance in Journey Into Mystery #117 and later retconned in the “Celestial Saga”. Capable of harnessing cosmic energies primarily drawing on the Odin Force, and cutting through nearly anything including celestial armor. Just to add a background, that powerful magic the Odin Sword uses flows through the Tree of Life and utilizes is one of the most powerful forms of magic in the Marvel universe. Using the power of the Odin Force, Odin is able to access magic as an unlimited source of power, to augment his strength, manipulate matter, alter time and bring the dead back to life. All of this power is being channeled through the sword. Among the strongest weapons available to the Asguardians the might of this weapon allowed Odin to hold his own against a group of Celestials before finally being overcome.
Forged by Avalon’s alchemist from the mystical realm of otherworld, The Evil Eye of Avalon is classified as a dangerous and powerful magical item. Created by Marvel titans Stan Lee and Jack Kirby making its appearance in Fantastic Four #54, originally intended as a weapon against the Formor. Not limited to purely destruction, the Eye can manipulate and disintegrate matter at a molecular level, project blasts of concussive force, emit disintegrating rays, create or destroy force fields, and possess powers over both dimensional and time travel. Equipped with a safety button that when turned on would recharge the device, if left in the on position the Eye would eventually cause a devastating explosion. Used for an occasional villainous purpose, the EEOA was seized by Dormammmu who intended to use it to merge the earth into his dark dimension. The Eye of Avalon was even considered powerful enough by the Grandmaster to be one of the 12 artifacts wagered in the JLA/Avengers crossover event.
Typically used by Annihilus in a terribly underwhelming fashion the coveted Cosmic Control Rod is a force to be reckoned with first appearing in Fantastic Four Annual #6. Annihilus made use of a knowledge transference helmet to acquire the knowledge to create the Cosmic Control Rod rumored to contain the essence of a Tyannan starship’s stardrive. This means the device is on a scale of incalculable power. Capable of manipulating cosmic energies, matter, and interdimensional warps the wielders’ aging is also slowed to a near stagnation. Not even the items most overwhelming feature, any personal abilities the user has are augmented far beyond current levels. Annihilus has a history of using the Cosmic Control Rods mastery of cosmic energy for improving his own abilities; flight, teleportation, superhuman strength and self resurrection. Already a universal boomstick the Rod grants whoever holds it leadership of the Negative Zone and absolute dominion over the universe ending Annihilation wave. What came to be known as Annihilation Day the Annihilation Wave used advanced technology, significant firepower and overwhelming numbers to take overtake million planets on the first day. Mastery over an entire universe and sovereignty over all its inhabitants alone makes the wielder of the Cosmic Control Rod a threat to an entire universe.
Have you noticed Marvel has a thing about imbuing swords with over the top power? Me either. The Necro Sword (All Black) was the first symbiote ever created by the god Knull. Knull pulled the weapon from his shadow and forged it using the power of a fallen celestial to reap a terrible vengeance against all life. All Black has had a number of owners and has even bonded with beings such as Galactus and Odin. Like other symbiotes it will influence/corrupt the host, following its creators plan to wipe out all life in the universe (emphasis on Celestials). If god slaying is on the agenda the Necro Sword is the way to go since it is responsible for killing millions of gods across the multiverse. With sword in hand the owner possesses superhuman strength to a high degree so high that Gor the God Butcher was able to battle old Thor, current Thor and young Thor all at once and still gained the upper hand. Along with planet shattering strength the wielders are given enhanced speed, durability and reflexes that are at least on a God of Thunder level. Due to the dark nature of its creation and master, the Necro Sword also possess a command over dark energy, able to change its physical form to nearly anything it pleases. Similar to the Twilight Sword this weapon will enhance the natural abilities of the user, when Odin bonded with all black it enhanced his rune lighting so much that when striking Galactus it appeared with a fiendish a blackish purple hue. While the main purpose is the killing of Celestials, gods, and other cosmic entities what makes the sword truly terrifying is that it can bypass the victims immortality and slay them like mortals. Like all symbiotes, All Black is susceptible to fire but has survived being thrown into a star with virtually no damage, making its one weakness a nearly invulnerable one.
Described as the universe’s ultimate weapon the Ultimate Nullifier (say that 5 times fast) resides in the possession of the cosmic entity Galactus, is the only known item to inspire outright fear when used against him by Mr. Fantastic. Equipped with the ability to completely destroy a target of the wielders choosing by violating the law of conservation of mass, it first appeared in Fantastic Four #50. Whoever holds the Nullifier has a large impact on the effectiveness, dependent upon the concentration, knowledge, and mindset of the wielder. In the hand of a highly intelligent being like Galactus, the Nullifiers holds multiversal powers over creation and destruction. Even in the hand of a supreme human intellect like Reech Richards, this item holds enough power to force Galactus himself to retreat from destroying the earth. At one point the Nullifier was even pitted against an Infinity Gauntlet powered by five infinity stones. Qasar hoped to use it to stop Magus in the Infinity War, but failed to activate the Ultimate Nullifier. Spider Man actually theroizes in Marvel Adventures that, “ he believes that it instead alters the laws of probability, changing the universe so that “everything has an equal likelihood of affecting everything else”. This is later proved accurate.
Officially existing outside of the main Earth 616, Marvel universe continuity is the Heart of the Universe last appearing in Marvel: The End, a six issue comic series. So powerful that when held by Thanos, he said the Infinity Gauntlet pales in comparison, describing the gauntlet as external control over the universe and the Heart as the actual fabric and understanding of all existences and power. The Heart was created by the One Above All to correct a fundamental imbalance of good and evil in all of existence and to also reigns as a supreme power above all cosmic and extract entities. Using the heart, Thanos easily dispatched the threat Akhenaten, and when the Living Tribunal gathered together the Marvel heroes and cosmic abstracts (Eternity, Infinity, Death and the Celestials) in a vain attempt to take back the heart Thanos simply absorbed all of the Marvel Multiverse. In the End, the Heart was officially stated to be “gone” when Thanos used its power to restore everything he had destroyed but if the past tells us anything, nothing in comics stays dead or gone for long. Similar to the powers of the Infinity Gauntlet the Heart of the Universes gives an ultimate power and understanding of all things that no other object, item, force or artifact can compete with.
Looking to expand on your deadly Marvel item and weapon list , here are some honorable mentions that are still a force to behold; the Darkhold, Nega Bands, Casket of Ancient Winters, Excalibur, Mandarins Ten Rings, Destroyer Armour and the Staff of One. Did you see this list going differently, leave a comment with what you think should or shouldn’t have made the post. Don’t forget to follow to get updates about the latest gaming, comic, movie and nerdy news.
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