A popular debate among comic book enthusiasts is the timeless question, “Who is the strongest superhero?” The reality is that a hero’s power level depends on the creators who write and illustrate the comic — a hero who appears weak in one issue could be victorious over a supervillain in the next. For fans of Marvel’s famous mutants, 1986’s “Uncanny X-Men” #208 introduced a significant power classification: Omega-Level.

For many years, this ambiguous term was applied inconsistently to various X-Men, but 2019’s “House of X” #1 clarified “Omega-Level” as “a mutant whose dominant power is determined to possess — or attain — an undefined upper limit of that power’s specific classification.” The comic also provided a list of all known Omegas, officially recognizing them as Marvel’s most powerful mutants. (So, even though Wolverine might be immortal, he does not qualify as an Omega-Level mutant.)

Nonetheless, since X-Men comics are still being produced, new Omega mutants continue to emerge — and how can one compare weather manipulation and telepathy with abilities like reality warping or resurrecting the dead? For this list, we took into account their remarkable feats and accomplishments as well as their roles within the broader Marvel universe to decide who is the most powerful among the most powerful. Below is our ranking of the strongest Omega-Level mutants in the Marvel Universe.

The “golden boy” of the X-Men, the healer Joshua Foley first appeared in “New Mutants” (Vol. 2) #5 as a teenage member of the anti-mutant Reavers. Unknowingly a mutant himself, Josh is disowned by his bigoted parents, but he is also ostracized by his new peers at the Xavier Institute because of his past.

Taking the codename “Elixir,” Josh’s skin turns bright gold after healing himself from near-death. Multiple traumas, such as the mass-depowering of mutants on M-Day and William Stryker’s slaughter of his former classmates, leave Elixir emotionally unstable.

Elixir’s Omega-class biokinesis enables him to control organic matter at the genetic level, and when he uses his powers to kill — as he does when he takes revenge on William Stryker – his gold skin turns black. In “House of X” #5, Elixir joins the special mutant circuit known as the Five with Hope Summers, Egg, Proteus, and Tempus. As part of the Five, he’s able to resurrect slain mutants by the millions, giving him a measure of peace.

Look beyond Iceman’s reputation as the class clown of the X-Men, and you’ll discover one of the most powerful Omega-Level mutants alive. Possessing the ability to manipulate cold temperatures and generate ice, the teenage Bobby Drake who debuted in “Uncanny X-Men” (Vol. 1) #1 looks like a cute and cuddly snowman. As he trains with the X-Men, he refines his powers, generating a more intimidating ice-form and creating ice slides to transport him during battle.

Raised by a bigoted father, Bobby is afraid for years of reaching his full potential, both as a gay man and a mutant. His greatest fear ultimately comes true — infected by an apocalyptic Death Seed, Bobby realizes he’s holding himself back and can freeze the entire Earth if he so chooses. Now out and proud, the astonishing Iceman uses his powers to combat climate change on Earth and generate polar ice caps on the terraformed Mars to help it sustain life.

The aquatic, axolotl-headed mutant Sobunar of the Depths is a living biome. Debuting in “Planet-Size X-Men” #1, Sobunar is descended from a line of mutants (all also named Sobunar) who originate in the ancient mutant homeland, Okkara. After Okkara is split into the islands Arakko and Krakoa, Sobunar is among the mutants who are trapped in Otherworld, fighting an endless war against the demons of Amneth.

Sobunar is a member of Arakko’s ruling council, the Great Ring, when Amenth is defeated in the 2020 “X of Swords” event. Liberated from Otherworld, the Arakki mutants are hardened after thousands of years of war, and need a new home; Sobunar joins other Omega mutants in terraforming Mars into the new Arakko. Sobunar’s blood contains an entire ocean inside it, teeming with marine life — only a few drops shed on Mars brings water to the entire planet. A noble warrior, Sobunar later appeared in the second volume of the “NYX” comic series, having resigned from the Great Ring to live among the mutant Morlocks on Earth.

“Deadly Genesis” #1 answered one of the X-Men’s most persistent mysteries: “Who is the third Summers brother?” Years earlier, an alien scout ship damages the Summers family plane, and while Scott and Alex escape in a parachute, their parents, and their unborn brother, are captured by the Shi’ar Empire. Named Gabriel, the youngest Summers escapes the empire and flees to Earth. Recruited by Professor X, who discovers his true identity, Gabriel is part of a disastrous mission that leaves him in suspended animation.

The mutant energy released by Scarlet Witch on M-Day awakens Vulcan, and he’s horrified to discover that his teammates are dead and that Professor X has telepathically erased memories of his existence. The vengeful Vulcan declares war on the universe, dethroning the Majestrix of the Shi’ar, appointing himself Emperor, and even killing his long-lost father. Though Vulcan apparently dies in the “War of Kings” event, which ends his plans for intergalactic conquest, he later reunites with his family.

As an Omega-Level mutant, Vulcan can control and project powerful bursts of energy, such as generating force fields, firing beams from his eyes, or reigniting the core of the dead planet Mars so that it can sustain life. 

Absolon Mercator is the most enigmatic of all Omega-Level mutants, preferring to live as a hermit far away from any superheroics. First appearing in “District X” #2, the Belgium-born “Mister M” has unlimited control of matter and molecules, which makes him virtually omnipotent. As a child, Absolon lashes out at a bully and accidentally turns him inside-out with his powers; he flees, living anonymously in the part of New York City known as Mutant Town.

After the 2004 “House of M” event leaves only 198 fully-powered mutants on Earth, Mister M is forced by Sentinels to live on a “reservation” on the X-Mansion grounds. Mister M gains a cult leader-like following and is seemingly murdered, though his powers transform him. Later, Apocalypse entrusts Mister M with guarding the Siege Perilous gateway, allowing him to live in complete solitude in the magical province now called “Mercator.” Possessing an array of impressive powers like intangibility, telekinesis, and even the ability to generate nuclear blasts, Mister M’s neutrality in mutant affairs may be a blessing in disguise.

The Master of Magnetism, the Omega-Level mutant called Magneto uses his powers to defend his people from oppression — at any cost. Introduced as the X-Men’s very first foe in “Uncanny X-Men” #1, Magneto has complete control over metal and the forces of magnetism, and can even bend the Earth’s electromagnetic field to his will.

His powers even extend into space: he established a base on Asteroid M and once brought an enormous space “bullet” back to Earth to save Kitty Pryde, who was trapped inside it. During the “Judgment Day” event, the Eternal Uranos rips out Magneto’s heart, but he’s able to keep the blood pumping in his body with tremendous effort.

A child during World War II, Max Eisenhardt is a victim of Nazi brutality in Auschwitz. After his powers manifest, he vows that he will never let humanity persecute mutants — instead, “Homo superior” will inherit the Earth. The oldest and truest friend of Professor X, Magneto resists the professor’s dream of human-mutant co-existence and leads the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants against the X-Men. Magneto realizes his ultimate dream when he and Professor X found Krakoa, an island nation for all mutants. One of the most significant mutant leaders in Marvel’s history, Magneto is as beloved as he is feared.

Debuting in “Uncanny X-Men” (Vol. 1) #119, Kevin MacTaggert is the son of the brilliant scientist Moira MacTaggert and can warp reality at will, though his powers burn through his physical body. Eventually escaping his mother on Muir Island, Proteus unleashes his powers on an unsuspecting world and kills several human hosts (including his absentee father). His only known weakness is metal, and it takes a punch from the steely-skinned Colossus to end his rampage.

Proteus returns to torment the X-Men, but finds a new reason for living on Krakoa. Now one of the Five, Proteus is entrusted with the sacred duty of enacting the Resurrection Protocols. No longer needing to possess unwilling hosts, Proteus is healed of his antisocial (and homicidal) tendencies, and in “The Trial of Magneto” #5, he joins forces with Scarlet Witch and Legion to create a metaphysical pocket dimension for the souls of mutants not yet in the resurrection queue.

Little is currently known about the ancient mutant Lactuca the Knower — which is ironic, given that her power is omniscience. Lactuca is an ancient mutant from Arakko, and a ruling member of its Great Ring. Classified as a “universal shaper,” she can fold and manipulate space on an inter-dimensional scale and possesses unlimited knowledge of the universe and its inhabitants. In “Planet-Size X-Men” #1, her first appearance, she uses her powers to help teleport the island of Arakko and its entire population onto Mars with perfect precision.

Lactuca’s past and present are both shrouded in mystery; for reasons yet to be revealed, no one may see her face, and she conceals her physical form under a black, starlit cloth. While most Arakkii mutants are offensive warriors, Lactuca abstains from participating in the Genesis War that ravages Arakko, favoring balance and neutrality instead.

The first new mutant born after M-Day, Hope Summers is nothing less than the Mutant Messiah. Hope is conceived when a time-traveling Jean Grey impregnates firefighter Louise Spalding with a fragment of the Phoenix Force, and the 2007 “Messiah Complex” crossover follows the X-Men as they fight to protect the baby from anti-mutant forces. Believing that Hope is destined to save the world, the freedom fighter Cable raises Hope as his daughter and trains her for the battles ahead.

Hope has the ability to mimic or amplify the powers of any mutant in her proximity, with no limit on how many powers she can control at one time. Her connection to the Phoenix Force makes her an ideal host, and during the “Avengers vs. X-Men” event she uses the Phoenix to reverse the effects of M-Day. On Krakoa, Hope serves on the ruling Quiet Council and, as a member of the Five, leads the Resurrection Protocols. Hope meets her final fate in “X-Men: Forever” #4, sacrificing herself to resurrect the Phoenix Force that originally gave her life.

Isca the Unbeaten’s mutant power is incredibly direct: she can never lose. Introduced in “X-Men” (Vol. 5) #12, Isca is an immortal warrior from the ancient island of Okkara and the sister of its leader, Genesis. Isca’s power ensures that she always wins, under any circumstances, which extends to wagers, games of chance, and battles to the death. 

When the demons of Amenth attack Okkara, Isca fights alongside Genesis until her powers compel her to defect to Amenth, the eventual victors. In 2020’s “X of Swords” event, Isca suddenly switches sides in battle, signaling that the X-Men will ultimately win against the invading Amenthi forces.

Considered an “oath-breaker” by her people, Isca is proud of her undefeatable nature, but her powers can be used against her. In “X-Men: Red” (Vol. 2) #3, while watching Isca’s lover Tarn the Uncaring battle Magneto, the X-Man Sunspot slyly bets Isca that Tarn will win — automatically assuring Magneto’s victory, to Isca’s outrage.

For X-Men fans, Storm hardly needs an introduction: this weather-controlling Omega mutant has led the X-Men, been worshipped as a goddess, and even served as the regent of the entire galaxy. Ororo Munroe dramatically debuted as one of the All-New, All-Different X-Men in “Giant-Size X-Men” #1. An orphan of war, she traverses the continent of Africa from Cairo to Kenya, becoming a skilled pickpocket and using her emerging abilities to aid local tribes.

Storm’s time with the X-Men brings her into greater harmony with the forces of nature and life itself. A noble leader and a fierce combatant, the “wind rider” has unlimited dominion over the Earth’s weather and atmosphere, from creating lightning bolts and tornadoes to generating cosmic storms.

Storm descends from a line of magic users, and her connection to the divine amplifies her powers. While queen of Wakanda, her people’s faith helps her become the Hadari Yao, a goddess who restores balance to the universe, and in the alternate “Sins of Sinister” future timeline, Storm is able to form a wormhole through a combination of magic and Omega mutant energy. More recently, she has become an avatar for the cosmic entity Eternity – so woe to anyone who cannot weather the Storm.

The self-titled Monarch is Jamie Braddock, older brother to the superheroes Captain Britain (Betsy Braddock) and Captain Avalon (Brian Braddock). First appearing in “Captain Britain” (vol. 1) #9, Jamie is a racecar driver and, unbeknownst to his siblings, an internationally-wanted criminal. The cyborg Doctor Crocodile captures and tortures Jamie to avenge his victims, driving Jamie insane and triggering his Omega-Level reality warping powers.

Jamie can see the “quantum strings” that constitute reality, and he can pull or break them to transform the world. Despite his dubious morality and questionable sanity, he is loyal to his siblings and raises Betsy from the dead after she’s killed by a supervillain. On Krakoa, Jamie takes the codename Monarch and aids Captain Britain in deposing Morgan le Fay as the regent of the mystical kingdom Avalon. Now King of Avalon, Jamie helps terraform Arakko, using his powers to create Port Prometheus and physically giving birth (really) to the space station known as The Keep.

Of all the mutants on this list, Legion stands out as the first X-Men character to lead a solo live-action television show – the 2017-2019 FX series “Legion.” But before he was played by Dan Stevens, Legion was simply David Haller, the secret son of Professor X. First appearing in “New Mutants” (vol. 1) #26, David survives a terrorist attack that kills his stepfather. The trauma triggers his ability to manifest unlimited mutant powers; he also develops dissociative identity disorder, with his “legion” of alters possessing their own mutant gifts.

Though David’s core personality is a thoughtful young man, many of his alters are violent and hostile. Legion travels back in time to kill Magneto before he becomes Professor X’s nemesis, only to accidentally kill his father in “X-Men” (Vol. 2) #41 – erasing himself from existence and activating the dystopian “Age of Apocalypse” timeline. Reality (and Legion) is restored, with Legion gaining control over his alters and joining the X-Men.

After the founding of Krakoa, David establishes the Legionaries, a peacekeeping group that operates out of the Altar, a pocket dimension he creates on the Astral Plane. Though Legion makes great strides in psychic self-control, he remains at war with himself.

Franklin Richards is possibly the most controversial mutant on this list — because he may not be a mutant at all. Born in “Fantastic Four Annual” #6, Franklin is the son of the Fantastic Four’s Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman. Unlike most mutants, Franklin exhibits signs of psionic power as a baby, likely a result of the cosmic rays that give his parents their super abilities. The supervillain Onslaught kidnaps Franklin for his nascent reality-warping powers; when several heroes, including his parents, die in battle, they are actually “reborn” inside a pocket universe created by Franklin.

Following the 2015 “Secret Wars” event, Franklin uses his powers to help his family rebuild the multiverse. Still an adolescent, Franklin’s cosmic power is said to rival a Celestial’s, and in one possible timeline he is an immortal being who witnesses the birth of a new universe alongside his herald Galactus. 

In the controversial “Fantastic Four” (Vol. 6) #26, Professor X tells Franklin that he has subconsciously altered his genes to falsely appear to be a mutant. Later, “Fantastic Four” (Vol. 7) #18 reveals that Franklin, fearing his unchecked powers, alters reality so that he only realizes the extent of his abilities one day a year. Whether or not Franklin Richards is truly a mutant, his future remains unwritten.

“I am fire! And life incarnate! Now and forever — I am Phoenix!” So says the resurrected Jean Grey in “Uncanny X-Men” (Vol. 1) #101, announcing herself as the Marvel Universe’s most powerful Omega-Level mutant.

Jean’s telepathic and telekinetic powers are linked to the cycle of life and death; they emerge in childhood when her best friend is hit by a car and she links her thoughts to the dying girl’s mind. Debuting as Marvel Girl in “Uncanny X-Men” (Vol. 1) #1, Jean is one of the original X-Men. To save her teammates, Jean pilots a shuttle through cosmic radiation and bonds with the Phoenix Force, the manifestation of life in the universe. As Phoenix, Jean’s psychic powers are amplified to astronomic levels, allowing her to fly interstellar distances and repair the M’Kraan Crystal, the nexus of all realities.

Under the corrosive influence of the Hellfire Club, Jean becomes Dark Phoenix and consumes an alien sun for sustenance, killing billions. Jean sacrifices herself to end the threat of Dark Phoenix, but she inevitably rises from the ashes. In her ultimate form as the White Phoenix of the Crown, she can “amputate” entire futures from existence, and in “Rise of the Powers of X” #4, Jean gathers the powers of every mutant in the multiverse to stop the godlike superintelligence known as Enigma. Jean has been killed, cloned, and even confronted her angry teenage self via time travel, but this cosmic superheroine has never been conquered.