Who wouldn’t love to have the power to fly?
The power of flight is a staple to most superheroes, and it seems to be the primary way that each of them gets around. The source of this power often varies among these heroes. Either way, they still get a bird’s-eye view of the world, which is just plain cool.
Let’s look at some of the best superheroes who can fly and how they do it.
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#25 Beast Boy
Publisher: DC Comics
How Can Beast Boy Fly: Beast Transformation
To kick off this list, we have the young titan. Beast boy is a young hero who can shape-shift into any animal or creature. When he started, Beast boy could only transform into a limited number of animals.
As the Titan grew older, he was shown to transform into winged creatures such as Pterodactyls, Dragons, and sometimes even hellish creatures.
Beast Boy is a key member of the Teen Titans and has used his powers to help his teammates on many occasions. The ability to fly has come in very handy on many recon missions.
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#24 Rogue
Publisher: Marvel Comics
How Can Rogue Fly: Powers stolen from Captain Marvel
Rogue is an X-men member with a rather hard power set to live with. Her inherent powers allow her to absorb the life force of anyone she touches and also any powers they may have. For the most part, this power borrowing is temporary, but she managed to permanently absorb the powers of Captain Marvel.
Her absorbed powers allow her to fly, the same as Carol Danvers.
Rogue is a crucial member of the X-Men, and although her powers are such, she is one of the most gentle members of the Team. She has been instrumental in saving the day many times.
#23 Spectre
Publisher: DC Comics
How Can Spectre Fly: Divine Magic
Spectre is an agent of god and the divine spirit of vengeance. With Omniscience, Spectre is put on Earth to judge evildoers and fight evil wherever he may be.
Flying is merely a footnote among the many powers that this god-like being has. His divine powers allow him to fly faster than the speed of flight. Spectre has been a critical member of the Justice Society and has even helped the Justice League on many occasions.
The character, as one would expect, is a mysterious one and is the personification of God’s wrath on the Earth. Wicked.
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#22 Wonder Woman
Publisher: DC Comics
How Can Wonder Woman Fly: Hermes’ flying sandals
When the character was first introduced, there was also an invisible jet that would take her everywhere she needed to go, but in the 1987 reboot of the character, she was given the power of flight.
Wonder Woman was gifted the ability to fly by the Greek God Hermes upon her creation. There are different origin stories for the character, so the reasoning behind her flight seems to vary. The most common mechanic is that she was gifted winged sandals by the Greek God Hermes, enabling her to fly.
Wonder Woman is one of the founders of the Justice League and matches Superman in almost all aspects of power and strength.
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#21 Sentry
Publisher: Marvel Comics
How Can Sentry Fly: Defying Gravity
Sentry gained his powers the same way Captain America did – an offshoot of the super soldier program. However, this program intended to increase the effects of the serum by a thousand times. He gained the power of a ‘thousand exploding suns.’ Sentry can fly by defying gravity, and his superhuman speed allows him to travel at incredible speeds.
Every time he appears, it is like a golden angel in front of the sun. His might is apparent each time he levitates over his enemies. If not for the fact that everyone he helps eventually forgets him, he might just be one of the best heroes on Earth.
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#20 Human Torch
Publisher: Marvel Comics
How Can Human Torch Fly: Blast of Fire
The Human Torch is a founding member of the Fantastic 4. He obtained his powers when exposed to a cosmic storm in space. He developed the ability to control fire and burn at the heat of a supernova.
Torch is probably the coolest member of his team, and among the powers he got was the power to fly. He quickly learned that he could shoot fire from his hands, and that was what initially gave him the idea. Like a jet, he used his power to shoot fire downwards and propel himself into the air. This gave him the appearance of a giant fireball shooting across the sky.
Pyrokinesis is one of the most coveted powers, and that, combined with flight, is just hot. Pun intended.
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#19 Dr. Fate
Publisher: DC Comics
How Can Dr. Fate Fly: Magic
Dr. Fate acquired his powers from Nabu, one of the Lords of Order. When the helmet of fate is worn, Nabu takes over, and Dr. Fate is born. Among his wide array of magical powers, Dr. Fate can fly too. Unlike most of the other heroes, he does not use any kind of gravity manipulation. It is pure magic.
The power to alter reality also comes with the ability to manipulate his density. By doing so, Dr. Fate can change his density to the point where he can levitate and fly. It is not just atmospheric flying. With the addition of magic, Dr. Fate can fly into space at speeds that rival light speeds.
Everything about this character just looks good, from the helmet all the way down to the way he moves in the air.
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#18 Captain Atom
Publisher: DC Comics
How Can Captain Atom Fly: Quantum field manipulation
Captain Atom is a visiting member of the Justice League and among the most powerful of the team. He is essentially a walking atom bomb with strength levels comparable to Superman. The origin of this character is somewhat similar to that of Dr. Manhattan. He gets caught in a science accident and gets turned into an energy being.
His physiology was closely tied to the Quantum field when he was turned into this energy being. This allows him to absorb and manipulate infinite amounts of energy, also used for his flight.
Captain Atom is looked up to by all team members and is often the go-to person when the League is faced with a threat that is too big for them.
#17 Archangel
Publisher: Marvel Comics
How Can Archangel Fly: Wings
Archangel is an on-again-off-again member of the X-men and a pretty cool-looking mutant. Warren Worthington III was born with actually white wings. While that could be considered bizarre, it isn’t in the mutant world.
At first glance, this mutant looks no different from the commercial depictions of an angel, and that is where he gets his name. The wings he was born with span at least 12 feet (3.66 m) across, are white, and are strong enough to create a gust of wind to push a grown man to the ground. Archangel looks majestic when he takes flight and has caught the attention of many female superheroes. With good reason.
#16 Jean Grey
Publisher: Marvel Comics
How Can Jean Grey Fly: Telekinesis
Jean Grey, otherwise known as Marvel Girl, is a core member of the X-men and the love interest of Cyclops. She is known for her unmatched mental abilities that even Charles Xavier has sometimes been afraid of.
There are many depictions of the character flying, with the most famous being Jean possessed by the Phoenix force. However, she is shown to fly without the alien power as well. Her telekinetic powers can lift anything and everything with her mind. She simply applies the same logic, lifts herself off the ground, and flies whenever she needs to.
The movie depictions of the character also show her flying about, using the same abilities mentioned.
#15 Storm
Publisher: Marvel Comics
How Can Storm Fly: Weather manipulation
Storm is an omega-level mutant and one of the teachers at the Xavier school for gifted students. She possesses the power to manipulate the weather, including the ability to control the wind. Storm can call down actual thunder and has been instrumental in the X-men’s missions.
Using her power to control the weather, Storm can create powerful and controlled winds that can lift her off the ground and enable her to levitate. The stronger these winds are, the higher up she can go. Over time, Storm gains better control of these powers and masters her flight. This has given her an areal advantage in many of her fights. Not to mention the fact that she looks badass when she is in the air and cooks up a storm right above her.
We get why T’Challa was so hooked.
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#14 Starfire
Publisher: DC Comics
How Can Starfire Fly: Gravity Manipulation
Starfire is a Tamaranian princess that sought refuge on Earth after her home planet was invaded. When she landed on Earth, she was taken in by the Teen Titans and joined them in their fight against evil. Most depictions of this hero have a few common powers, such as energy beams and flight, among other things.
It is not entirely clear how the princess flies, but our best guess is that the change in gravity on both the planets allows her an extent of manipulation. On her account, her willpower is the limit of her flight speed. She is sometimes shown to fly faster than the speed of light, simply upon feeling a lot of joy.
Starfire is often the heart of her team, and her undefeated optimism has kept her teammates going in hard times.
#13 Shazam
Publisher: DC Comics
How Can Shazam Fly: Magic
Billy Batson turns into Shazam every time he utters the name of his alter-ego. When this transformation happens, he becomes a being with strength comparable to Superman. The powers of Shazam invoke all the powers of ancient Greek gods and turn him into a champion of Justice.
When he received the powers of the Old Gods, he also gained the powers of flight. This power mirrors that of the Greek God Hermes. With this ability, Shazam can fly at unparalleled speeds and across the globe in minutes.
Shazam is seen as the youngest Justice League member and is sometimes underestimated. However, he is one of the most powerful characters in the DC universe.
#12 Doctor Strange
Publisher: Marvel Comics
How Can Doctor Strange Fly: Cloak of Levitation
Dr. Strange’s mastery of the mystic arts earned him the name of Sorcerer supreme. Strange has been shown to muster up spells that can do anything from changed reality or manipulate time. His powers are only bound by his imagination.
Hence, it shouldn’t be so surprising that Strange can also fly. This power does not strictly come from some kind of spell. It comes from a mystical artifact called the Cloak of Levitation.
Every iteration of the character had had this cloak as part of his costume, and for the most part, it seems to be sentient. It has attached itself to Strange and gives him the ability to fly. This cloak can fly on its own, so Dr. Strange is essentially catching a ride from a piece of cloth.
Plus, it’s a style statement.
#11 Superboy (Kon El)
Publisher: DC Comics
How Can Superboy Fly: Tactile Telekinesis
We have been introduced to many versions of Superboy. The particular one in question is Kon-El. He was created from the DNAs of both Superman and his arch nemesis Lex Luthor.
The original incarnations of the young hero did not have most of Superman’s powers. Since he is a clone, he cannot process solar energy as fast as Superman and therefore cannot push his body too far. The leading superpower that Kon-El possess is called Tactile telekinesis.
It is the ability to create force fields between objects and manipulate these force fields to push or pull things. It is using this ability that Superboy learns how to fly. By using tactile TK, he knows to create the force field between him and the ground, allowing him to gain flight.
#10 Hawkman
Publisher: DC Comics
How Can Hawkman Fly: Wings/Nth Metal
Hawkman is the name of each individual who reincarnates the Egyptian prince Khufu Ka-Tarr. The prince gained his powers when he came across a ship from the planet of Thanagar and, in it, a strange metal. The Nth metal, as they called it, had antigravity properties and is what powered the alien spaceship.
The prominent property of this metal was its ability to negate gravity. The Nth metal found in the ship was studied and then later melted to make many weapons and objects from it. The main one is the scarab wings that Hawkman uses. The wings are made of this metal and are the main reason that Hawkman can fly so effortlessly.
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#9 Captain Marvel
Publisher: Marvel Comics
How Can Captain Marvel Fly: Cosmic power
Captain Marvel has proved time and time again that she is not to be trifled with. Heck, she got headbutted by Thanos and didn’t even budge.
When Carol Danvers got her incredible powers, the power of flight was among them. From what we can tell, she can use the cosmic energy beams from her hand to propel her in whichever direction she wants. However, this doesn’t seem to be the only way Danvers attains this, as we can see her levitating midair without using her energy beams.
So, our best guess is that she can manipulate the energy from her to the point where she doesn’t have to go all out and control it, just enough to keep her levitating.
There is no cooler scene than when Captain Marvel comes flying in, leaving a light trail in her wake.
#8 Scarlet Witch
Publisher: Marvel Comics
How Can Scarlett Witch Fly: Chaos Magic
Scarlett witch is one of the scariest characters in the Marvel universe. She has been on both sides of the coin and trusts us when we say she is someone you would want on your team. Her powers and magic limit her mind and can warp reality to her will.
The primary source of her power is chaos magic, and she can do pretty much anything with it. An ability she constantly makes use of is flight. The magic gives her a level of telekinesis. In the same way that Jean Grey uses her powers to fly, so does the Scarlett Witch.
Seeing Wanda levitating in the air with red chaos magic surrounding her is quite a sight.
#7 Silver Surfer
Publisher: Marvel Comics
How Can Silver Surfer Fly: Cosmic surfboard
Silver Surfer spent a reasonable amount of time as the Herald of Galactus and has traveled the universe searching for worlds that the giant can devour. However, the Surfer decided to change his ways after he came to Earth and saw what humanity could be capable of.
He travels the galaxies on his galactic surfboard. This board is powered by cosmic energy and allows the Surfer to travel at unimaginable speeds.
Yes, Silver Surfer has been a foe to the Fantastic 4 but eventually has a change of heart and decides to fight on our heroes’ side.
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#6 Martian Manhunter
Publisher: DC Comics
How Can Martian Manhunter Fly: Density Manipulation
Martian Manhunter is one of the last surviving members of his race. He landed on Earth and hid in plain sight among the people using his shape-shifting abilities. Other than a rather sad weakness, the martian might just be as powerful as Superman.
This hero does not fly the same way as the others, though. The Martian possesses the power to manipulate his density, implying that he can phase through things. Another application of this ability is to fly. He can alter the density of his body to the point where he can levitate off the ground and control his direction simultaneously.
Seeing the character glide across the sky with heroes like Superman and Wonder Woman is pretty cool.
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#5 Supergirl
Publisher: DC Comics
How Can Supergirl Fly: Gravitational manipulation
Kara is the cousin of Superman, who crash-landed on Earth a little after the Man of Steel. Technically elder to her cousin, Supergirl has all the powers as him, and it could be argued that she just might be stronger.
Among all the superpowers that she possesses, the most obvious one is flight. The gravitation pull on Krypton is much stronger, so Kryptonians can resist that pull. Since the gravity on Earth is weaker, they can make giant leaps on the planet. That, paired with the enhancements via solar energy, gives them the power to fly.
#4 Vision
Publisher: Marvel Comics
How Can Vision Fly: Density Manipulation
The Vision is an android created with a wide array of powers. The true extent of these powers is unknown, but if this robot decides to go rogue, it would not be pleasant for the rest of the Marvel Universe.
The Vision achieves his powers mainly through density manipulation. This is the primary source of his powers. With it, he can phase through things, become hard as a rock, become very strong, or even reduce his density to the point where he can fly seamlessly.
Since he does not need air to breathe and has virtually no weaknesses, he can fly through space without any problem.
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#3 Thor Odinson
Publisher: Marvel Comics
How Can Thor Fly: Using Mjölnir
The Space Viking is a crucial member of the Avengers and has helped save the universe from countless threats.
The best thing about this character has always been his hammer. It is how he channels his powers, and no one but him is supposed to be able to pick it up. Thor can channel the power of Thunder via Mjölnir, and it has the property to fly. By throwing the hammer hard, he can propel himself from the ground and has mastered the way to steer himself while in the air.
When the Avenger arrives at the battlefield wielding Mjölnir, it is hard not to get goosebumps.
#2 Green Lantern
Publisher: DC Comics
How Can Green Lantern Fly: Green Lantern Ring
The Green Lantern is one of the Justice League’s core members, and many have taken up the mantle over the years. A Green Lantern gets its powers from rings fueled by pure Oan energy and supplied by a GL Power Battery. This energy is the green light of willpower of the Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum.
Green Lanterns can create energy constructs, and when they wear a ring, a field of energy forms around their body. This acts as a sort of protection for them and, at the same time, enables a GL to fly.
They just look fabulous in their outfits and can fly in space with no trouble at all.
#1 Superman
Publisher: DC Comics
How Can Superman Fly: Gravitational Manipulation
We had to top this list off with Man of Steel. When it comes to flight, no one does it better than Superman. Though the Kryptonian did not possess the power of flight when he was first introduced, it soon became one without which he could not live.
Just like his cousin, Superman takes advantage of the fact that the gravitational pull is lesser on Earth. The powers he gains through solar energy keep on adding things in his favor, and long story short, he can fly faster than the speed of sound.
Superman has been shown to fly at speeds that rival Flash and even fly in space effortlessly. He looks simply majestic in the sky, and, like the sun, he gives hope to everyone who sees him.
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Honorable Mentions
- Iron Man
- The Wasp
- Jessica Jones
- Ms. Marvel
- War Machine
This brings us to the end of our list. ‘Flight’ will always be a staple for any superhero, and we’re sure to see more heroes achieve this feat in the future.
Which hero would you like to see if you looked up at the sky right now?
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FAQs
Which Marvel Hero Can Fly?
Thor can fly using his hammer. He uses the hammer to create momentum and has learned to steer himself in the air.
Which DC Superheroes Can Fly?
Superman can fly, as the Earth’s gravity is much weaker than that of Krypton. This allows him to fly very easily.
Who Was the First Superhero to Fly?
The Human Torch was one of the first superheroes to fly. He did so by using his fire powers to blast himself off the ground.
Which Superhero Can Fly the Fastest?
Silver Surfer can probably fly the fastest. He can travel galaxies within minutes and can travel through space faster than the speed of light.
Who Is the Superhero with Wings?
Archangel is a superhero with wings. He is a mutant born with wings and is given the name as his appearance looks like an Angel.
Who Is the Avenger with Wings?
Falcon is an Avenger with wings. He uses mechanical wings to fly about and fight alongside his other teammates. He later dons the mantle of Captain America.
Which Girl Superheroes Can Fly?
Supergirl and Captain Marvel are two of the many female superheroes to fly.
Can Aquaman Fly?
Aquaman’s powers are mainly water-based, so he cannot fly.
Can Loki Fly?
No, Loki does not possess this ability to fly. Even Thor cannot fly without the help of his hammer.
Does Iron Man Fly?
Yes, Iron can fly using his mechanical suits that have propellors. These act like mini jets and can let him travel and high speeds.
Does Superman Fly?
Yes, Superman can fly faster than the speed of light by taking advantage of Earth’s weak gravitational pull.
Can Ms. Marvel Fly?
Yes, Ms. Marvel uses her cosmic powers to fly.
Also, let us know which superhero you like the most and why.
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