Marvel has a lot of powerful heroes and villains, but some win battles without using their fists. These heroes and villains fight with their minds and their words. Some use their powers, some use tricks, and others use the sum total of their intellect and persuasion skills. They're known for manipulating their foes to get what they want and many of them have been quite successful.
These master manipulators have a lot of competition in the Marvel Universe, as many have powers that make their manipulation skills that much more potent. They frequently leave their opponents in the mental dust, winning the day in their chosen arena.
10 Purple Man Can Make People Do Whatever He Wants
The Purple Man's powers are pheromonal in nature, allowing him to make people do what he wants. He's used this power to his advantage over the years, as both a spy and supervillain — manipulating events to win. As long as he's close enough to someone, they're putty in his hands.
Purple Man's abilities do have their limits and there are ways around them, but he knows his limitations as well as anyone. His arrogance has sometimes made him bite off more than he can chew, but even then, he has a great chance of manipulating his way out of the situation.
9 Mastermind's Illusion Powers Even Affected The Phoenix
Working with the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and the Hellfire Club, Mastermind has been a thorn in the X-Men's side for a long time. His powers allow him to cast complicated illusions, throwing his enemies into any scenario he wants them in. It's allowed Mastermind to manipulate events however he sees fit, using his illusions to confuse his enemies.
Mastermind's powers were so great, they managed to manipulate the Phoenix Force when it was posing as Jean Grey. No one was safe from Mastermind's illusions casting powers, making him one of the most dangerous manipulators around.
8 Mesmero Is The World's Greatest Hypnotist
Mesmero has always held a special place among mutantkind's mind controllers. While Mastermind has used his powers on telepaths, they can break from his illusions. Mesmero's hyper-hypnosis is foolproof against even the most potent psionic talents, allowing him to control just about anyone he needs to.
Even people who can usually resist telepathic control don't have a chance against Mesmero. He's worked with multiple villainous organizations, his hypnotic abilities allowing them to tailor their attacks and threats in a way they were never able to before.
7 Loki's Been Pulling People's Strings For Millennia
Loki's status as the God of Mischief has made him Asgard's greatest manipulator. He'll use any tools he at hand to tilt circumstances in his favor — such as his magic and his intellect. Loki's worked behind the scenes for years, trying to gain power, playing this one against that one, and taking advantage of his enemies.
Loki's manipulative abilities have earned him an important spot among the villain community. Brute strength is fine for others, but Loki prefers to use his wits. He figures out the perfect leverage use against his enemies, ensnaring them in mental traps that leave him pulling all the strings.
6 Mystique's Shapeshifting Has Allowed Her To Manipulate Many Foes
Mystique is extremely dangerous in more ways than meet the eye. She's a skilled combatant and a brilliant spy, both made possible by her shapeshifting talents. This power increases her effectiveness as an expert manipulator. Mystique can transform into anyone she wants to be, allowing her to get into any place, or make people think and do anything she needs.
Mystique manipulates events the old-fashioned way. She just pretends to be someone else and sets events into motion, before executing her next move. It's simple and brilliant, and it's given her a fiercely efficient reputation.
5 Jean Grey's Psionic Prowess Is Second To None
Jean Grey has long been integral to the X-Men. Her telepathy is second only to Professor X's and her telekinesis is a potent offensive and defensive weapon. Jean has always been a rather good person; she doesn't like to use her telepathy to dominate people like some telepaths do. However, when she puts her mind to it, Jean can manipulate anyone she needs to.
There are few out there who can resist Jean when she's serious. As an Omega level telepath, she's always taken her power seriously. Jean's enemies have learned not to underestimate her skill, as she can easily force them to act against their will, or freeze them in their tracks.
4 Mister Sinister Has Been Working Behind The Scenes For Years
Mister Sinister has spent years gathering knowledge and is the world's foremost geneticist. While Sinister has powers which allow him to manipulate others, he prefers more subtle methods. He's been alive for a very long time and knows how to use people in ways they can't even imagine. Nearly everything Mister Sinister does is meant to manipulate someone in some way.
Mister Sinister doesn't use any one method to manipulate events. He's smart enough to know using repetitive schemes is a recipe for getting caught. He uses multiple techniques, keep his enemies guessing while they inevitably follow the path he's laid out for them.
3 Mysterio Is A Master Of Illusions
Mysterio has spent years honing his illusion technology. At first, it was rather simplistic, allowing him to pull of some crimes but not much else. However, Mysterio's gotten to the point where he can create entire worlds, making his foes see and believe anything he wants them to. Even heroes with super senses like Wolverine and Daredevil aren't immune to his abilities.
The world is honestly lucky that Mysterio tends to have smaller goals. His illusion abilities are amazingly potent and if he really was serious about the manipulation game, he could do massive damage to the world.
2 Emma Frost Has Been Using Her Telepathy To Dominate For Years
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Emma Frost isn't the most powerful telepath in the world, but her sheer skill is impressive. She can take out the rest of the X-Men if she desires and has made a fortune with her mental powers. Emma is more amoral when it comes to her use of telepathy. Jean Grey will only mind control someone as a last resort, but for Emma, it's her first inclination.
Frost is the telepath who gets sent in when a mind needs changing. She's been doing it for a very long time, and she's one of the best. Even with her power to turn into diamond giving her physical oomph she never had before, she still prefers to manipulate others from the background.
1 Professor X Has The Most Powerful Mind On Earth
The most powerful telepath, Charles Xavier can affect the minds of countless people at once and has taken to backing up the memories of every known living mutant on a regular basis. His mental prowess has allowed him to defeat powerful foes, and he's also used it to protect the X-Men and the mutant race.
Professor X will mind control people, erase their memories, and generally use his telepathy to make anything he needs a reality. It's been his main tool for dealing with the world for years, protecting the mutant race in the only way he knows how.