Whether seen in a movie theater or on a TV screen, or readabout in a comic book,superheroesare endlessly fascinating. Beings that have superpowers and can use them for good will always make for a good story. Not every one of themhas the same superpowers, allowing audiences to have fun debates on who is the strongest and most powerful. While many of these superheroes will never cross paths, fans can still argue about who would win a fight between them.
While the scope may not seem as grand as on a big screen, superheroes in TV shows still pack a punch. Many of them are rooted in comic book lore anyway, so it gives fans a better understanding of the capabilities of each. While audiences will never fully agree on who could take who in a fight, it’s fun to argue anyway.
Here is a list of some of the most overpowered superheroes you’ll find on TV.
8Clark Kent
‘Smallville’ (2001)
It’s hard to describe just how to portray Clark Kent inSmallvillefor this list. On one hand, he has all of the abilities that Superman has. But the show depicts him in high school and in his late teens and early 20s, mainly. He doesn’t fly in the show, and he doesn’t really fight. He is Superman and has the abilities of the famed superhero. He can save people from peril.
But he isn’t really Superman yet. He’ll grow to become that, but he has a lot to learn first.Smallvilletakes audiences on his learning journey.Tom Welling stars as Kentin the show, which ran for 10 seasons.
7Martian Manhunter
Martian Manhunter aka J’onn J’onzz aka John Jones also appears inSmallville, which, as already stated, is an origin story of Superman. J’onn J’onzz is a member of the Martian race and is a friend of Jor-El, Kal-El’s father, who is sent to Earth to help Kal. His powers include shapeshifting, telepathy, invulnerability, flight, and more. He is played by Phil Morris in the series and appears in 11 episodes.
He loses his powers in the show’s eighth season aftersaving Clark Kent’s lifein the Season 7 finale. It takes until Season 9 for him to get his powers back. During Season 8, he is seen in human form and works as a detective for the Metropolis Police Department.
6Supergirl
‘Supergirl’ (2015)
Kara Danvers, aka Kara Zor-E,l is the main character of the CW seriesSupergirl. Melissa Benoistportrayed the characterthroughout the show’s run as well as in crossover episodes of the Arrowverse, meaningThe Flash,Arrow,Legends of Tomorrow, andBatwoman. Kara is sent to Earth at the same time as her cousin, Kal-El. Unfortunately, her ship gets knocked off course and gets to Earth 24 years after Kal. He has assumed the title of Superman by then, and he has the Danvers family take Kara in.
From there, Kara acts as a vigilante to help National City residents. She has similar powers to those of her cousin, including super strength, flight, resistance to bullets, heat and X-ray vision, and super speed. She is vulnerable to magic and Kryptonite, just like Kal.
5Black Bolt
‘Inhumans’ (2017)
Imagine being able to cause mass destruction by uttering a word or two? Black Bolt, one of the superheroes who appeared in Marvel’sInhumans, can do just that. He leads the Inhuman Royal Family, who live on the moon, and they attempt to save the world. Played by Anson Mount, Black Bolt has the ability to deliver destruction with a whisper, which is why he communicates with sign language.
Black Bolt’s real name is Blackagar Boltagon, and he has superhuman strength. He wasseen in one other Marvel project:Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, when he kills the Strange variant on Earth-838 before Wanda Maximoff takes out the entire Illuminati.
‘The Incredible Hulk’ (1977)
The 1970s and ’80s brought Marvel Comics to life with a few different shows. InThe Incredible Hulk, Bill Bixby played Dr. David Banner, and Lou Ferrigno played The Hulk. Hulk is massive and possesses otherworldly strength, the likes of which aren’t matched by anyone in the series.
He has to deal with Jack McGee, a tabloid journalist who looks to expose the green monster. The Hulk was never defeated on the television series until he met his fate in a TV movie where The Hulk saves a woman from a plane and gets shot in the process. After he falls, he turns back into Dr. Banner, succumbing to his injuries.
3Jean Grey
‘X-Men: The Animated Series’ (1992)
Strong on an entirely different level, Jean Grey is the most powerful mutant out there. She is more powerful than Charles Xavier in terms of being a telepath. She can manipulate people’s emotions and possesses telekinetic abilities, meaning she can pretty much control people’s minds and emotions. InX-Men: The Animated Series, Jean is a member of X-Men alongside Cyclops, Wolverine, Gambit, Beast, Storm, Professor X, Rogue, and Jubilee.
Jean is known as Marvel Girl for portions of the series. Being an Omega-level mutant is difficult, as she frequently has to battle her own powers. This is even before the Phoenix Force thatshe must contend with, which eventually turns her into Dark Phoenix.
2Wanda Maximoff
‘WandaVision’ (2021)
A spinoff of the Avengers films,WandaVisionbrings audiences to Westview, New Jersey, a place taken over by Wanda Maximoff in her grief following the devastating events of the films. Wanda is an impressive empath, telepath, and witch who can harness chaos magic, allowing her to distort reality on a massive scale. She can turn people’s own minds against them.
ThroughoutWandaVision, it becomes clear that she is battling more than just herself, and a showdown against Agatha Harkness bubbles up at the end.Portrayed by Elizabeth Olsen, Wanda’s abilities make her incredibly dangerous to those around her, but she also must fight Agatha to save those in town. While Wanda is both a superhero and a bit of a villain in the series, it’s hard not to let her have a pass after dealing with immense emotional trauma.
1Doctor Manhattan
‘Watchmen’ (2019)
Perceiving time and space in a 4D way must be exhausting, constantly knowing what has happened and what will happen. But that’s the undertaking Doctor Manhattan has inWatchmen. He is a God-like figure with incredible abilities, bigger than anybody else’s in his universe. He doeslimit them in the series, where he takes on the human form of Cal Abar (portrayed by Yahya Abdul-Mahteen II).
He can travel to different dimensions and planets and even create life all on his own. The ability to manipulate matter lies fully with him. While he does come up against serious contenders who want to take him down, he is the strongest and most powerful being inWatchmen.
