Marvel fans have grown to know and love some of the most powerful items in the universe, like Mjolnir, the eye of Agamatto, and even the dreaded Infinity Gauntlet. Many of the most memorable artifacts have made their way into the cinematic universe, becoming even more iconic.
There are artifacts that have been hidden away on Asgard or lost in the endless number of realities that have unbelievable capabilities. Some artifacts have been used for terrible pursuits, but plenty of them have been used to defend the universe before they disappeared into obscurity.
Updated on November 29, 2022 by Scoot Allan: The return of formerly obscure Marvel artifacts like the Siege Perilous and M'Kraan Crystal have threatened the stability of the comic multiverse. They are just a few of the incredibly powerful objects in the Marvel universe that may have disappeared from the spotlight but are still out there to potentially endanger the universe again one day.
13 Casket Of Ancient Winters
First Appearance: Thor (Vol. 1) #346, by writer/penciler Walt Simonson, inker Terry Austin, colorist Christie Scheele, and letterer John Workman Jr.
Created by the frost giants, this ancient weapon has limitless power stored within it. The Casket of Ancient Winters can unleash a devastating icy wind that can consume entire worlds. It often gets forgotten because it has been stored in Odin's treasure room safely for years.
The Casket of Ancient Winters briefly appeared in the MCU. Loki used it to help the frost giants take over Asgard. His plan was unsuccessful, and the artifact remained locked in Odin's vault, but it is an endlessly powerful tool that has been seemingly forgotten by Marvel fans.
12 Ka Stone
First Appearance: Nova (Vol. 1) #6, by writer Marv Wolfman, penciler Sal Buscema, inker Frank Giacoia, colorist Marie Severin, and letterer Joe Rosen
The Infinity Stones aren't the only powerful rocks in the Marvel universe. The powerful villain known as the Sphinx gains his incredible reality-altering abilities from the mystical Ka Stone he wears on his brow. He even increased his power further when he accessed a second Ka Stone from another reality, nearly becoming one of Marvel's most powerful gods.
The Ka Stone gave the Egyptian wizard named Anath-Na Mut immortality and several abilities. It also led to the ongoing reincarnation of a woman named Meryet Karim, who also used the power of the Ka Stone to become the Sphinx. She rewrote reality using the Ka Stone, but the New Warriors were able to restore the world and convince her to relinquish the power.
11 Dragonfang
First Appearance: Defenders (Vol. 1) #12, by writer Len Wein, penciler Sal Buscema, inker Jack Abel, colorist Petra Goldberg, and letterers Gaspar Saladino & Charlotte Jetter
Dragonfang is a magical sword and powerful weapon that hasn't gotten the attention it deserves. While it has had many users, the sword primarily has been wielded by Valkyrie. It was given to Valkyrie by Doctor Strange, who had received it from the Ancient One.
Dragonfang has several magical abilities. It can be recalled to the hand of its owner, it can pierce through magical barriers, and it can enhance the combat abilities of whoever is wielding it. Unfortunately, Dragonfang fell into the hands of Bullseye, making him even deadlier. The new Valkyrie Jane Foster had no other option but to destroy the powerful blade.
10 Norn Stones
First Appearance: Journey into Mystery (Vol. 1) #116, by writer Stan Lee, penciler Jack Kirby, penciler/inker Carl Hubbell, inker Vince Colletta, colorist Stan Goldberg, and letterer Artie Simek
The Norn Stones are ancient artifacts from Asgard. They were primarily used by Loki for his schemes, but they have been used by a few others like Parker Robbins/The Hood as well. The Norn Stones have a mind of their own, and their powers change depending on who is using them. They have been used to create portals and enhance magical abilities.
Norman Osborn was unable to use the stones at all once he got his hands on them. In different variations, these stones are from the same material as Mjolnir, possessing some unique and powerful magical abilities. They have been around for a long time, yet the Norn Stones seem to be nearly forgotten, despite being one of the more powerful artifacts in the Marvel universe.
9 Evil Eye Of Avalon
First Appearance: Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #54, by writer Stan Lee, penciler Jack Kirby, inker Joe Sinnott, and letterer Sam Rosen
The Evil Eye of Avalon was a device that was first created by the alchemists of Avalon. It was split into six parts and spread around the globe to prevent it from ever being used at its full power. The weapon comprised an unknown material. It was nearly indestructible, could manipulate molecules, disintegrate material, and it could fire powerful concussive blasts.
The Evil Eye of Avalon has been wielded by many villains, including Dormammu and Morgan Le Fay. This device is certainly powerful and could potentially be devastating if it were ever used at its full capabilities. For a device with this much potential power and a mysterious origin, it is certainly overlooked more than it ought to be.
8 Molecule Man's Wand
First Appearance: Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #20, by writer Stan Lee, penciler Jack Kirby, inker Dick Ayers, colorist Stan Goldberg, and letterer Artie Simek
Molecule Man is certainly one of the stranger villains to go up against the Marvel heroes. He focused his abilities through his wand, using it to warp reality around him. The wand quickly became one of the more powerful artifacts in the Marvel universe, despite being largely overlooked.
Molecule Man could store his life force inside his wand, granting him the ability to overtake the mind of anyone who wielded it. He once even used the wand to create a new body. Molecule Man's wand is definitely one of the more powerful weapons in the Marvel universe, even though he no longer needs to use it.
7 Mandarin's Ten Rings
First Appearance: Tales of Suspense (Vol. 1) #50, by writer Stan Lee, penciler/inker Don Heck, and letterer Ray Holloway
These strange and powerful rings came from a crashed alien ship that landed in the hills of China. Mandarin discovered the crashed ship and became captivated by the mysterious rings. He began wearing all ten of them and learned to wield their incredible powers. Each ring had a unique power, possessed by an alien spirit that slowly started to take over Mandarin's mind.
The rings give Mandarin the ability to manipulate energy, allowing him to create fire blasts, ice blasts, and electromagnetic energy. While the rings are a bit more obscure in the comics, they've been reimagined as new objects of power in the MCU thanks to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
6 Zodiac Key
First Appearance: Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Vol. 1) #1, by writer/penciler/colorist Jim Steranko, inker Joe Sinnott, and letterer Sam Rosen
The powerful Zodiac Key was originally known as the Scorpio Key due to its most common wielder, the villainous Scorpio. The Zodiac Key was created in another dimension and sent to Earth to further the battle between good and evil in bold, new ways. However, it has several different abilities and uses that make it a deadly Marvel artifact.
The Zodiac Key can grant its wielder incredible psionic abilities that can be used to project powerful blasts of energy. It can also lead to prophetic visions and open doorways to alternate dimensions. The Zodiac Key has fallen into good and bad hands over the years, so S.H.I.E.L.D. likes to keep a close eye on the dangerous weapon.
5 Wand Of Watoomb
First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man Annual (Vol. 1) #2, by writer Stan Lee, penciler/inker Steve Ditko, and letterer Sam Rosen
The Wands of Watoomb are from different dimensions and they each possess the same abilities. They are primarily used to enhance magical abilities. The wands can intuitively connect to the mind of whoever is using them, making them incredibly powerful tools for magicians when creating spells.
The Wands of Watoomb can create barriers and powerful blasts, and they can even open up portals for teleportation. There are six wands in total, each one with incredible potential power. The wands have been owned by Doctor Strange and Doctor Doom in the past. If they were all collected by the same magician, the amount of power they could wield seems to be limitless.
4 Black Vortex
First Appearance: Legendary Star-Lord (Vol. 1) #5, by writer Sam Humphries, penciler Paco Medina, inker Juan Vlasco, colorist David Curiel, and letterer Joe Caramagna
The Black Vortex is a powerful object that was created by a Celestial. It can grant incredible cosmic abilities to anyone who looks into the mirror and submits to the Black Vortex. It temporarily altered and increased the powers of members of the X-Men and the Guardians of the Galaxy when they first encountered the Black Vortex.
Unfortunately, that level of incredible power often led anyone who submitted to the Black Vortex into war. The first being to use the Black Vortex was named Gara, and she became the guardian of the Black Vortex. It was so powerful and destructive that she dedicated her life to watching over the Black Vortex so it couldn't corrupt any more beings.
3 Twilight Sword
First Appearance: Journey into Mystery (Vol. 1) #104, by writer Stan Lee, penciler Jack Kirby, inker Chic Stone, and letterer Artie Simek
The Twilight Sword was created by the fire giant Surtur from the remains of a burning galaxy. The sword is strong enough to block some of the most powerful strikes and has potentially planet-destroying power. Surtur has used his sword to block the strongest attacks from Thor and Odin.
The Twilight Sword has been used by other powerful magicians, like Loki and Morgan le Fay. The powerful weapon also appeared in the MCU when Surtur used it to destroy Asgard in Thor: Ragnarok. It's one of the most powerful swords in the Marvel universe, but it only appears every so often to threaten reality.
2 Cosmic Control Rod
First Appearance: Fantastic Four Annual (Vol. 1) #6, by writer Stan Lee, penciler Jack Kirby, inker Joe Sinnott, and letterer Sam Rosen
The powerful cosmic control rod allows the wielder to control cosmic energy. Annihilus was the most notable wielder of the rod, and he used it to slow his cellular degeneration. The cosmic control rod has nearly limitless potential applications. It can be used to create powerful cosmic blasts, travel through space, and even move across dimensions.
The Fantastic Four wielded the powerful weapon for some time after defeating Annihilus. The cosmic control rod grants the wielder authority over the Negative Zone, which is a dimension that is full of life and potential power. This artifact is nearly limitless in its potential and does not get used nearly enough in the grand scheme of the Marvel universe.
1 Ultimate Nullifier
First Appearance: Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #50, by writer Stan Lee, penciler Jack Kirby, inker Joe Sinnott, colorist Stan Goldberg, and letterer Sam Rosen
The Ultimate Nullifier has the potential to end entire realities. In one of Galactus' first and best comic appearances, Reed Richards threatened to use the weapon against him. The Nullifier struck genuine fear in Galactus and it worked to keep the giant villain at bay.
The Ultimate Nullifier has some truly devastating consequences, so it's only brought into situations when there are truly no other options. For a device with world-ending capabilities, it's a relatively simple-looking metal device. Despite its appearance, the Nullifier is truly an incredibly powerful device that fades into obscurity until it's needed again.