Absolute Power: 20 Superheroes Who Are Or Have Become Gods

Is your favorite superhero also a God?

In a world of magic, powered aliens, telepaths, and advanced technology, it should surprise no one that some of these beings have ascended to a place that no one else can even imagine. We have seen many instances where some of our best heroes have achieved Godhood. Unfortunately, some villains have done the same, and these instances have not gone well for our heroes.

Let’s dive in and look at some of our favorite superheroes worthy enough to be worshipped.

#20 Orion

Publisher: DC Comics
How Orion achieved Godhood:

We kick this list off with the New God, Orion. Orion is the Highfather’s adoptive son and Darkseid’s biological son. Like his father, Orion was born with a plethora of powers. With his training in New Genesis, he turned into their champion. 

Orion is well aware of his true origins and strives to defeat Darkseid and his armies. He was traded to New Genesis by Darkseid as part of a truce and was kept well informed of the truth. 

He is as strong as his father and has repeatedly defeated him in battle. If you can beat Darkseid in battle, you must be something else. 

Powers:

• Super strength
• Intergalactic Travel
• Superior warrior
• Highly advanced technology

#19 Lex Luthor

Publisher: DC Comics
How Lex Luthor achieved Godhood:

Luthor was a mortal man who started as a wide-eyed scientist. His jealousy and greed eventually put him at odds with Superman, but Luthor turned over a new leaf. He has been part of the JLA and the Injustice League as well. 

When Darkseid is killed, Luthor, trapped on Apokolips, encounters the forgotten people who tell him a prophecy of a hero who would change the course of the war-torn planet. While they were referring to Superman, Lex lies and says that the prophecy is about him. This makes him the new God of Apokolips. With the omega force now in his possession, Luthor becomes one of the most powerful beings in the universe. 

Powers:

• Reality manipulation
• Atomic reshaping
• Genius level intellect
• Advanced Technology

#18 Loki

Publisher: Marvel Comics
How Loki achieved Godhood:

Another character plucked out of Norse Mythology, Loki, is the god of Mischief and illusions. Loki is born into Godhood and is an adoptive child of Odin. Even though he is not biologically his son, Odin bestowed much power upon Loki and is among the most powerful wielders of magic in the universe.

Loki is often a thorn in Thor’s side and uses his silver tongue to trick people into working for him. The God of Mischief can manipulate minds and ever create illusions. He is technically only a part of an advanced civilization but is worshipped as a deity. 

Powers:

• Illusions
• Trickery
• Metal Manipulation
• Telepathy
• Teleportation

#17 Dr. Strange

Publisher: Marvel Comics
How Dr. Strange achieved Godhood:

Dr. Strange is already one of the most powerful wielders of magic and has held the title of Sorcerer Supreme for many years. There aren’t many spells that he doesn’t know, and there is a spell for practically anything. This itself makes him one of the most powerful beings in the universe. 

Strange loses his title to Loki in a magical tournament in a storyline, and most of his regular magical artifacts are taken away. Facing an Asgardian God who is also the Sorcerer Supreme is a death wish, so Strange needed an edge. Strange traveled to Asgard to ask the World Tree, Yggdrasil, for power. Yggdrasil transferred so much power into him that Dr. Strange referred to himself as the God of Magic. Long story short, Loki was defeated, and Dr. Strange got a major upgrade. 

Powers:

• Mystical powers
• Reality Manipulation
• Molecular warping
• Technomagic

#16 Green Lantern

Publisher: DC Comics
How Green Lantern achieved Godhood:

Just like all the other members of the Justice League, Hal Jordan also becomes a God, the God of Light. At the end of the Darkseid War, Darkseid is brought down, and Earth’s heroes are victorious in their endeavors. However, this creates many ripple effects. With Darkseid not there to control them, a thousand Parademons run rampant. In one instance, millions arrive at OA to steal the Power Battery for themselves, and by the time Hal comes to help his comrades, they are all killed.

Hal finds the power battery merged with the mother box, creating an entirely different sentient entity. However, the new entity needs a host to complete its evolution, and Hal Jordan steps up. This, in turn, makes him the God of Light, and he could easily wipe out the millions of Parademons of OA and even resurrect the fallen Green Lanterns. 

Powers:

• Omniscience
• Energy Projection
• Teleportation
• Enhanced Strength

#15 Franklin Richards

Publisher: Marvel Comics
How Franklin Richards achieved Godhood:

Franklin Richards is the strongest mutant to have ever been born. Born to Reed Richards and Sue Storm, this young mutant has powers that make every other superhero look like a joke. At the age of 5, Franklin was creating pocket universes in his palms simply because he could. This did not need any kind of technology or magic. It was merely the work of his imagination. 

His powers matured, and he even traveled back in time to train himself. He has the power to alter reality and manipulate matter on a molecular scale. Franklin could dream up the future and create anything he imagined. He was the one who restored the Multiverse after it collapsed during the Incursion events. If he isn’t a God, then who is? 

Powers:

• Universe creation 
• Reality Warping
• Matter Manipulation
• Precognition
• Energy Projection
• Astral projection

#14 Spectre

Publisher: DC Comics
How Spectre achieved Godhood:

There have been many Spectres over the ages, with the most famous one being Jim Corrigan. Spectre is the divine spirit of vengeance and is put on Earth to exact God’s vengeance on whoever deserves it. Aztar is Spectre’s real name, and he is one of the angels that rebelled in Heaven. However, Aztar repented and asked God for forgiveness. This led to him being sent to Earth to assume the role of the Spectre. He must act as the Hand of God until his sins have been washed away. 

Even though he is banished, he is given all the divine powers of a God. Spectre can manipulate time and travel dimensions at will. He is the literal vengeance of God on Earth.

Powers:

• Divine Wrath
• Teleportation
• Telepathy
• Reality Manipulation

#13 Jean Grey

Publisher: Marvel Comics
How Jean Grey achieved Godhood:

Jean Grey is undoubtedly one of the most powerful mutants to ever exist. With her powers as a mutant, there seemed to be no limits to her powers. However, limitless was taken even further. Jean Grey happened to stumble upon the Phoenix Force, a destructive entity that is hell-bent on the destruction of everything. This power isn’t entirely malevolent but is meant to represent the creation and destruction of things. Its job is to simply destroy anything that does not work. 

This cosmic entity gets a hold of Marvel Girl, and with the addition of her powers, it turns out to be an unstoppable force. With it, Jean Grey can warp reality and manipulate matter on a molecular level. She becomes a God in her own right. 

Powers:

• Molecular manipulation
• Telekinesis
• Telepathy
• Teleportation
• Immortality

#12 Joker

Publisher: DC Comics
How Joker achieved Godhood:

The Joker gives people nightmares, even in real life. The Mad Clown, who only wants chaos, has been a thorn in Batman’s side since he first donned the vigilante routine. Even as a mortal, he is one of the most dangerous criminals. His sinister mind knows no bounds when it comes to torturing someone and has caused many of our heroes much pain. He is the reason the Injustice storyline even originated. 

Now imagine the Joker with the powers of a God. An unstable, mad man who could do anything he wanted to. That was a reality at one point. The Joker was able to trick Mister Mxyzptlk into giving him 99% of his powers, and the Clown Prince went straight to work. He massacres China, conducts unspeakable torture on Batman, and imprisons Superman in the Arkham Asylum. In the end, the only thing that stopped him was his instability. 

We’re pretty certain that Batman is glad that’s over.

Powers:

• Reality warping
• Matter manipulation
• Mental manipulation
• Energy and radiation control

#11 Frank Castle

Publisher: Marvel Comics
How Frank Castle achieved Godhood:

Yes, we are talking about Frank Castle, The Punisher. In yet another invasion attempt by Thanos, Punisher is killed in battle. As he dies, he deals with Mephisto to become the new spirit of vengeance, the Ghost Rider. However, when he wakes up, he finds that Thanos has already succeeded in destroying everything on the planet, and the Earth is now a wasteland. 

For centuries, Frank Castle is forced to ride the Earth with no life in sight until Galactus finally comes to Earth while on the run from Thanos. A wounded Galactus makes Ghost Rider his herald, and they set out to devour new worlds so that Galactus can regain his strength. 

When he receives the power cosmic, Frank still has the power of the Ghost Rider, and he finds that his powers have been enhanced to unthinkable levels. He should be as powerful or more so than any other being in the universe, including Thanos. However, the years of mental deterioration turn this Cosmic Ghost Rider into a puppet that seemingly anyone can use. 

Powers:

• Hellfire manipulation
• Cosmic power control
• Intergalactic travel
• Super speed
• Power cosmic utility

#10 Shazam

Publisher: DC Comics
How Shazam achieved Godhood:

Shazam is a hero whose powers are based on Greek Mythology. Each letter of this hero’s name is meant to represent the six Gods of the Greek Pantheon. So Shazam essentially has the powers of all the Greek Gods combined. He is one of the big hitters of the Justice League and is on par with Superman. 

Shazam is named the God of Gods. This does not mean that he becomes the rules of the Greek Pantheon. Since he has all of their powers, he is called such. Shazam can call down lightning like Zeus and travel at unimaginable speeds like Hermes. 

Powers:

• Superhuman strength
• Flight
• Hyperspeed
• Skilled warrior
• Enhanced wisdom

#9 Thanos

Publisher: Marvel Comics
How Thanos achieved Godhood:

Thanos is not born a god, but with his power, he might as well be one. An Eternal born with the deviant gene, Thanos was almost killed by his mother. The people of his planet looked at him with disgust. He went out to kill everyone on his planet and set out on a conquest to capture all planets in the universe. The Mad Titan got pretty far as well. 

He has been close to Godhood on many occasions, but the most powerful he got was when he bathed in the God Quarry. The God Quarry is where Gods go to die, and it is guarded by three witches that use the leftover energy for their sustenance. Thanos seeks this power source to defeat his son Thane, who has the Phoenix Force.

With this newfound power, the first thing he does is slay his brother Eros, who had been helping him until that point. The Quarry amplified his powers to the point where he was even more powerful than a celestial.

Powers:

• Enhanced strength
• Genius level intellect
• Matter manipulation
• Reality warping

#8 Flash

Publisher: DC Comics
How Flash achieved Godhood:

Like many other individuals on this list, the Flash does not need the title of God to be a God. There have been instances where Flash becomes the living embodiment of the Speed Force, one of the most powerful entities in the universe. The Flash is generally synonymous with hope and light, and it would be shocking for some to learn he becomes the God of Death.

The Flash ascended to this form when he was merged with the Black Racer by Anti-Monitor. The Anti-Monitor did this so that he could be used as a weapon against Darkseid. The black Racer is the personification of Death in the DC Universe. A unity between Death and the Speed Force created a Flash that was more powerful than any other version of the character. This new God of Death even had the Anti-life equation in his veins.

This Flash was so powerful that he could one-shot Darkseid without breaking a sweat. The death that travels faster than the speed of light. 

Powers:

• Immortality
• Superhuman strength
• Unimaginable speed
• Possession
• Cosmic hellfire manipulation

#7 Batman

Publisher: DC Comics
How Batman achieved Godhood:

Batman has been called one of the most dangerous men on the planet by Superman himself. That is saying something. You don’t want to mess with the Bat unless you want to be humiliated. Now, if Batman is overpowered as a mortal, what if he becomes a God?

During the events of the Darkseid War, pretty much everyone seems to be turning into Gods. During its events, Metron arrived on Earth to warn everyone of the upcoming threat. Wonder Woman did not trust Metron, so she tied him with her Lasso of Truth in a play to get additional information out of him. Batman sits on the Möbius chair in that split second to find a way to victory. He is immediately bonded with the chair and becomes Bat-God, the all-seeing deity of the DC Universe. In this instance, Batman becomes the God of Knowledge, as he now has access to pretty much every bit of data about the universe. 

Batman could guide the rest of the League in their battles with his newfound powers and even discover Joker’s true identity.

Powers:

• Unlimited knowledge
• Travel at light speed
• Instant information
• Telepathy
• Teleportation

#6 Wonder Woman

Publisher: DC Comics
How Wonder woman achieved Godhood:

Dianna of Themyscira is a Demi-God, born to Queen Hypolita and the Greek God Zeus. Technically, she is born a God and appears to do everything a high being can. However, Wonder woman goes one step further as she becomes the God of War. 

When her evil half-brother, “First Born,” tries to attack Earth, Wonder Woman takes him on alongside an old and crippled Ares, the God of War. During this conflict, Wonder woman is forced to kill Ares and become the new God of War. She continues to rule Paradise Island as Warrior Queen and the new God of War. The conflict with First Born continues throughout all this, but her newfound power gives her the strength and knowledge to finally kill First Born. 

Powers:

• Enhanced strength
• Immortality
• Unmatched warrior
• Expert swordswoman

#5 Thor

Publisher: Marvel Comics
How Thor achieved Godhood:

Thor is the resident God of the Avengers. Plucked straight out of Norse Mythology, this God of Thunder is one of the most powerful members of the Avengers and practically a living God. Thor is the firstborn son of the All-father Odin and therefore born a God. He has been bestowed the power to control lightning by his father and also given Mjölnir, which helps him channel his powers. 

For the most part, The Asgardian race that Thor is part of seems to be a highly advanced race that uses techno-magic. However, when they first appeared on Earth, it was primitive, and this advanced technology was presumed to be that of a God. Nonetheless, Both Earth and Asgard revere Thor and other members of his family, and we find many places of worship dedicated to these mythological Norse Gods. 

Powers:

• Power of lightning
• Super strength
• Flight
• Enhanced durability
• Cosmic travel

#4 Victor Von Doom

Publisher: Marvel Comics
How Victor Von Doom achieved Godhood:

Dr. Doom is undoubtedly one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe. He is capable of being magically charged and is a sorcerer that is as powerful or even more powerful than Dr. Strange. On many occasions, he has proved to be a formidable foe against the entire Avengers in his normal state. However, Dr. Doom’s scariest form is when he becomes the God Emporer Doom. 

Thanks to Molecular Man, Doom was able to steal the powers of the Beyonder. The Beyonders are beings that live outside the Multiverse and are strong enough to easily destroy beings like the Living Tribunal. When Doom acquired these powers, he became the most powerful being in the universe and began shaping reality to his liking. Doom only gets to keep this power as long as Molecular wishes. If he decides otherwise, Doom could lose everything. 

The most impressive part of this storyline is when Earth’s heroes finally band together to find this Emperor God. Among their ranks, we see Thanos walking up to Doom. With just a swift movement of his hand, Dr. Doom evaporates Thanos, leaving only his skull and spine behind. Anyone who can do that to Thanos is on another level altogether. 

Powers:

• Reality manipulation
• Multiverse reshaping
• Matter manipulation
• Energy weapons
• Enhanced strength

#3 Superman

Publisher: DC Comics
How Superman achieved Godhood:

With the powers that the Man of Steel possesses, he might already be a God. However, it is not until the events of the Darkseid War that he finally makes his ascension. The events leading up to this War put Darkseid and the Anti-Monitor on a collision course that would destroy many planets. The only defense was the Justice League. Lena, seduced by Darkseid, transports Superman and Lex to Apokolips. The only problem is that this war planet does not have a yellow sun, which diminishes Superman’s power.

To resolve this issue, Lex Luthor desperately pushes the Man of Steel into one of the fiery pits, hoping that it will somehow restore his powers. Luthor wasn’t too far off, as Superman reemerged with his powers and then some. His appearance had changed to what looked like a negative photo print, and he appeared to be more violent.

At this point, Superman had been turned into the God of Strength. However, this was short-lived as his powers were killing him on a cellular level, and it would be the cause of his eventual demise.

Still looked pretty badass, though!

Powers:

• Super strength
• Invulnerability
• Faster than light speed

#2 Darkseid

Publisher: DC Comics
How Darkseid achieved Godhood:

Darkseid was born one of the New Gods and did not have to go through any process to achieve his powers. He is the second son of King Yuga Khan. Darkseid’s former name is Uxas, and he is second in line to the Apokolitan throne. He kills his older brother and absorbs the fabled Omega force, turning his skin to stone. 

After being born into this torturous world, Darkseid only knew pain and disdain, and after he had to kill his wife Suli at his mother’s orders, he grew even colder. He even reached the point where he poisoned his mother. Living up to that name, eh?

As one of the most powerful beings in the DC Universe, Darkseid has found himself at odds with the Justice League on many occasions and has even succeeded in invading Earth. 

Darkseid is immortal, and it seems impossible to kill him. Even when the League managed to slay him during Darkseid War, it created a ripple in space-time and caused many others to become Gods too. 

Powers:

• Omega beams
• Flight
• Full control of Apokolips
• Genius level Intellect

#1 Dr. Manhattan

Publisher: DC Comics
How Dr. Manhattan achieved Godhood:

We wrap this up with none other than Dr. Manhattan. When caught in a science accident and vaporized, everyone thought it was the end of Jonathan Osterman. He was torn to shreds during his accident, and his body was no more. Following this event, the area had begun to show signs of a supposed haunting, but it was just Jon’s body piecing itself back together.

Eventually, Jonathan reemerged with an entirely new, blue form and was turned into an energy being that did not need to sleep or eat. Shortly after his transformation, Dr. Manhattan joined the Watchmen and helped his comrades fight crime. Even this slowly started to bore him, and his mind expanded beyond that which no one has gone. 

Over time, Dr. Manhattan gains cosmic awareness and begins to see time as one large picture rather than a single line. He is the sole reason for creating the New 52 DC universe and is considered the God of this new universe.

Powers:

• Energy manipulation
• Matter reshaping
• Reality Warping
• Time travel
• Self-duplication
• Omniscience

Honorable Mentions

• Ironman
• X-23
• Cyclops
• Hercules
• Beta Ray Bill
• Jane Foster
• Spawn

FAQs

What Superheroes Are Linked to Mythology?

Wonder Woman is linked to Greek Mythology, and she is the daughter of Zeus. Even Thor is linked to Norse Mythology and is the son of Odin.

Which Marvel Character Is a God?

Dr. Doom becomes a God for an extended period. He achieves this by stealing the powers of Beyonder.

Who Is the God In DC Universe?

There are many Gods in the DC Universe. However, the most powerful being is said to be The Presence. The presence is the DC comic incarnation of the God in the bible. 

Does Spiderman Become a God?

Yes, Spiderman does become a God for a brief period. He does so by acquiring the Uni-power for a short term, giving him powers to which he did not know the limits.

Which Superhero Is a God?

Thor is the God of Thunder in the Marvel universe. He is the son of Odin and taken out of Norse Mythology.

Who Is Jesus in Marvel?

Jesus is considered one of the first mutants in the Marvel Universe. He has been seen by many characters, such as the Sphinx, and is said to be a historical figure.

Who Is the Strongest God?

The Presence might just be the strongest God in both Universes. It is implied that every universe in the Multiverse was created by this version of God.

Is Superman a God?

Yes, Superman does achieve Godhood. When Darkseid is killed, Superman siphons the energies coming from Apokolips, and he becomes the God of Strength. 

Who Is the God in Eternals?

The Eternals are not technically Gods. They are the representatives of Gods on Earth. However, their power made people worship them as Gods. 

Who Is Strongest God in Marvel?

Dr. Doom was the strongest God so far in Marvel. He was able to reshape reality to his likes and wants, and no one could stand in his way. 

Who Is the God of Avengers?

Thor is the only God who is part of the original Avengers. He is the son of Odin and the God of Thunder.

Is Thanos a God?

Thanos is not inherently a God, but he has achieved Godhood on many occasions. The most prominent are King Thanos and Infinity Gauntlet Storyline.

Who Is the Weakest God in Marvel?

Loki might be the weakest God in Marvel. He is a trickster God but has become predictable over time.

This brings us to the end of these Godly Superheroes. If you didn’t know how your favorite superhero became a God, now you do. Revisit averagebeing.com for more fun articles and comic news!

Later, Nerds.