Marvel Characters Who Could Defeat Thanos Singlehandedly

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been gearing up for a fight with Thanos for years now. Several movies have teased the galactic villain’s evil intentions, and the first trailer for Avengers: Infinity War proved that he is more powerful than anyone imagined.

It seriously seems like the entire Avengers team is going to have trouble taking Thanos down.

When looking back through the comics though, things weren’t always that difficult. Plenty of individual characters possess the ability to take him down on their own, no team required.

Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-Man, Thor and many others have failed to take out the almighty baddie, but here are a few heroes, and a couple of villains, who could defeat Thanos without anyone else’s help.

Sentry

People often forget about Sentry since he hasn’t played a part in any of the films to this point, but the guy can do just about anything. 

Robert Reynolds is kind of like Superman in that he has superhuman strength, incredible strength, healing powers and so much more. 

There is also a dark side to Sentry called The Void, that acts a lot like the Phoenix. When the Void took over Sentry in the comics, he was literally able to rip Ares, the God of War clean in half, without a second thought.

Phoenix

When Jean Grey evolves into the Dark Phoenix, there is no one that can stand in her way.

As we’ve know from the comics, Jean is one of the most powerful mutants in the entire Marvel universe. She can manipulate the minds of anyone she chooses, and that’s even before she turns into the Phoenix.

When the Phoenix takes over, Jean is virtually unstoppable. We saw her take down Professor X in The Last Stand and, in an even more impressive feat, she conquered Apocalypse without the help of the other X-Men in the latest film.

Hulk

Hulk is an interesting prospect because the extent of his power has changed throughout the history of Marvel comics. At times, he can beat just about anybody he comes across, but that’s not always the case.

When Hulk is at his greatest though, like his World-Breaker or Gladiator versions, it’s hard to believe anyone can stop him.

It’s also worth remembering that Thanos himself has listed Hulk as one of the only heroes he believes could beat him in a fight.

Drax the Destroyer

In the movies, Drax doesn’t seem like someone who could take on Thanos alone, considering Ronan made a fool out of him on Knowhere.

However, in the comics, Drax is a much different story. Most people forget that one version of the character was actually created specifically to defeat guys like Thanos.

Drax can take a beating better than anybody, and his ability to last into the later rounds of a fight give him a chance against any villain.

Silver Surfer

Like Galactus, Silver Surfer contains the Power Cosmic, allowing him to change the fabric of the entire universe.

Silver Surfer is able to not only bend the will of other beings, but he’s incredibly durable as well. The villain-turned-hero can literally survive a black hole, making anything Thanos could throw at him seem obsolete.

The character played an important role in the Infinity Gauntlet storyline, and it’s hard to imagine the Avengers defeating Thanos without his help.

Death

The powers of Lady Death have gone through multiple iterations over the years, but that doesn’t change how Thanos feels about her.

For whatever reason, the villain has an unparalleled attraction to the physical embodiment of death. Most of Thanos’ evil actions were actually moves to impress his demonic love.

By twisting around the strings of his desire, Lady Death could easily will a victory against Thanos.

Beyonder

If you think Thanos is all-powerful, you’ve probably never read much about the Beyonder.

Originally, the Beyonder was created as an omnipotent being that existed outside of the known multiverse, allowing him to pull the strings of all living things. He’s the one that created the Secret Wars, pulling all of the heroes away from our universe and tossing them onto Battleworld.

By taking the outside approach, Beyonder could literally defeat Thanos with nothing more than a pinch of his fingers.

Legion

The FX series brought Legion to the forefront, showing casual fans just how powerful the son of Professor X truly is.

An Omega Level Mutant, Legion has the ability to control reality, twisting the minds and worlds of others to bend to his will.

Even the strong mind of Thanos wouldn’t stand a chance against Legion.

Galactus

Thanos conquers entire worlds, but Galactus completely devours them.

On his own, Thanos pretty powerful. It takes the addition of the Infinity Stones to really make him dangerous. Galactus contains the Power Cosmic, which is basically like having the Infinity Stones all of the time.

This would be a showdown for the ages, but it’s likely that Galactus would come out on top.

Squirrel Girl

Yes, this is completely absurd, and her power of controlling woodland creatures doesn’t make Squirrel Girl a convincing opponent. However, as ridiculous as it sounds, the character has actually defeated Thanos on her own.

Throughout the pages of The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, this hero has used unorthodox tactics to defeat the likes of Thanos, Wolverine, Dr. Doom and even Galactus.

People love Squirrel Girl, and she can do just about anything she wants. Don’t count her out of this one.