Marvel’s 2099, or Earth-928, was first introduced to readers in Spider-Man 2099 #1. In this universe, the world had been affected by a long-lasting war between humans and mutants. The humans won, but there were countless losses. In a world of anarchy, the gap between rich and poor widened enormously as those at the top gained absolute control. Fortunately, in 2099, Miguel O’Hara attempts to replicate the original Spider-Man in a self-inflicted experiment.
He succeeds and became Spider-Man 2099 (how original...) as a new age of heroes began. This led to the appearance of various other “2099” heroes and villains, including some from other separate universes. Many of them are alternate versions of iconic characters from the original universe. But how do they each compare against their counterparts? Here are the 5 Marvel characters who got stronger in 2099 (and 5 who got weaker):
10 10. Stronger: Tony Stark
Like his MCU counterpart, Iron Man ages like a fine wine. Then again, this a man who has no limit for both what his scientifically gifted brain can conjure up and what his heroic stubbornness can achieve. In an alternate reality that is neither the Prime universe nor Earth-928, Tony Stark is able to convince every world leader to give him and a few other individuals the resources to “make the world a better place.”
Surprisingly, the group is actually able to do exactly what they had promised, going as far as successfully instituting global peace. If that wasn’t enough, by the year 2099, Iron Man is no longer the Armored Avenger. But in this case, that only makes him stronger, as he trades the armor for the Mystic Arts and becomes the world’s Sorcerer Supreme. It’s Iron Man and Doctor Strange merged into one all-powerful human being.
9 9. Weaker: X-Men
This one’s a bit unfair, but true nonetheless. While the likes of Professor X or Magneto were not present in 2099, mutants were still around. One mutant, Xi’an Chi Xan, attempted to recruit a huge gathering of similarly powered individuals with the intent of following in the footsteps of Charles Xavier’s original X-Men. Unfortunately, it never really worked out. Immediately, an ex-friend of his disagreed with his ideals and alerted security forces to their secret gathering. From then on, nothing really worked out.
Xi’an was nearly killed and left in a comatose state, mutants turned to the dark side or joined other groups, and many others were killed. In addition to all this, there's also the fact that not one single X-Men was even remotely based on past legendary mutants. No 2099 Wolverine, or Jean Grey, or Storm, or Cyclops, or anyone, really. The creation of X-Men 2099 was a noble act, but a failed one.
8 8. Stronger: Steve Rogers
This one is pretty straightforward. Remember the epic Captain America vs Thanos fight during THAT final battle in Endgame? Who doesn’t?! This was the strongest version of Steve Rogers we’ve ever seen on screen. Cap in peak physical condition and in possession of Thor’s hammer. Well… Captain America 2099 also woke up post-frozen, decades in the future. Like the original Avenger, he also returned in great physical condition.
The difference is that in 2099, Mjolnir was given to the Captain himself. Not as a temporary trinket, but as his primary weapon, in addition to his Vibranium shield. With the mighty hammer, he is able to harness all of Thor’s powers. In addition to this, the joint powers of both the Super Soldier Serum and the God of Thunder give him unlimited stamina, meaning he can theoretically fight forever. Essentially, this is just a convoluted way of saying that 2099 Cap is Endgame Cap.
7 7. Weaker: Green Goblin
The Green Goblin is one of Spider-Man's primary foes and always has been since his first appearances. In the Prime universe, it's Norman Osborn who bears that name. He's an ultra-wealthy, mentally unstable man hungry for power. In addition to that, he does have powers, given to him by his Goblin Formula. His strength, speed, agility, and durability were all boosted, in addition to an increased healing factor.
As the Green Goblin, he is also accompanied by his iconic suit, glider, and weapons. The 2099 version is much weaker. No glider, no powers, less money, fewer weapons, and a lack of insanity. All he has is the suit, and the one wearing it is just some unknown character. There was really never any doubt: Norman Osborn wins this round.
6 6. Stronger: Doctor Doom
Doctor Doom is one of the greatest Marvel villains ever conceived on paper. But how would he compare against a future alternate self? When a man awakens in 2099, he does so with a distorted memory but a belief that he is the original Victor Von Doom. Naturally, his first intent is to reclaim the country of Latveria as his own. It does not go according to plan, and Doom is nearly killed by the current leader.
However, he recovers and is able to acquire a titanium suit fitted with nano-technology. He then manages to take back Latveria, but he doesn’t stop there. He defeats a resurrected leader of Wakanda, steals much of the country’s technology, successfully takes over Valhalla, and even ends up becoming president of the United States! In 2099, he is known as All-Father Doom. This is a whole new level of villainy.
5 5. Weaker: Hulk
In the chaotic 2099 world, a small group of people joins together to become the "Knights of Banner." As in Bruce Banner. These individuals thought of the original Hulk as some kind of god. Unfortunately, they were also quite reckless. Their main goal was to recreate the gamma experiment that gave Bruce his powers. One incident sees them all be killed, while a lawyer named John Eisenhart is struck by the accidental detonation of the gamma bomb.
If this wasn't clear enough, this is his origin story as Hulk 2099. Like another hero (who we will get to later), this version of the Green Goliath is more reptilian than the original, with the fangs and claws to show it. And even though he is extremely powerful, it's hard for any hero to achieve the sheer strength of Banner's Hulk. Eisenhart actually ends up being seemingly killed by mere SHIELD agents, something the real Hulk would never succumb to.
4 4. Stronger: Fantastic Four
Yes, all of them. Comparing the original team to their future selves is both a very tough, yet very easy task. The little time we saw the 2099 crew in action means we didn't see much of their powers, making it hard to do a side-by-side comparison with the opposing heroes. This is made even harder by the fact that each member looks exactly the same, suit and all, as their corresponding doppelganger. But this is exactly why ranking them is so straightforward.
They all look alike because the 2099 Fantastic Four is the artificial creation of Uatu the Watcher. In other words, they are clones. Plus, Uatu is no idiot, so he'd have obviously sought to create better versions of them. At the end of the day, the 2099 team will always trump the original, because they ARE them. Just stronger.
3 3. Weaker: Vulture
There seems to be a trend in 2099 regarding weak, loosely-based imitations of major Spidey villains. Joining non-Norman Osborn is non-Adrian Toomes. The Vulture has one of the most ridiculous outfits, being an old man dressed as a bird, but Toomes is definitely a whole lot more deadly than he looks. While he may not have any powers, his wings do more than just enabling him to fly.
The technology behind them gives him superhuman strength and agility, while the wings themselves also serve as weapons. Besides his wings, Toomes is also an electronics and engineering genius. Like the 2099 Goblin, future Vulture has none of this. He is an unknown cannibal with a weaker pair of wings than the one belonging to the original Birdman.
2 2. Stronger: Rick Jones
A surprising entry, to say the least. Rick Jones' first appearance was of an American teenager, who just so happened to stumble upon the imminent explosion of a revolutionary gamma bomb. Luckily, he was saved by the lead scientist. Unfortunately, Dr. Bruce Banner was unable to escape on time, and...well, you know the rest. Since then, Rick Jones has remained a friend of Banner's and, except for his brief stint as a Hulk-like hero, he's always been as powerful as any average human being.
In 2099, the situation is drastically different. Rick Jones is able to fully master an unstoppable power known as the Destiny Force, kills the Kree's Supreme Intelligence, and becomes a supervillain. With his powers, he gains super strength, he can fly, shoot laser beams, and become giant. Clearly, an evil Superman/Giant Man hybrid (who by the way, names himself Thanatos) is stronger than your average Rick Jones.
1 1. Weaker – Spider-Man
There’s no better way to end this list than with the one responsible for the 2099 universe. This is bound to be a hotly contested topic, but we're sticking to our guns (or webs?) in stating that Miguel O’Hara is highly skillful… but he’s no Peter Parker. Spider-Man 2099 has some advantages over the original Spidey. For one, there was no accidental spider bite.
Being one of the world’s top geneticists, Miguel experimented on himself and became Spider-Man. Also, sharp talons and fangs make their way into his body, making him more physically threatening. On the other hand, Peter Parker has his powerful spider-sense, but most importantly, he has a ton of superhero experience. That alone would maybe be enough for him to best the 2099 web-slinger in battle.