The Marvel Universe is chock full of incredibly powerful characters who get their powers from magic or are able to tap into magical energies to make themselves even more powerful. However, power doesn't necessarily equate skill, and more often than not a knowledgable magician will beat a powerful one any day of the week.
While we often debate over the strongest or most powerful, today we are going to explore a few characters who are the most skilled magic users in the Marvel Universe. So while Scarlet Witch could be considered one of Marvel's most powerful magic users, her lack of skill and unpredictable powers don't earn her a spot on this list.
10 SHAMAN
Michael Twoyoungman was a doctor who was unable to save his wife using the medicine of science, so he decided to learn the ways of his tribe's medicine man, a role he had rejected years before. Micahel eventually became the hero known as Shaman and joined the Canadian super-team known as Alpha Flight.
As Shaman, Michael had a unique relationship with the energies of the Earth and the magic of nature which made him more gifted than many magic users. He also carried a mystical medicine bag that contained a pocket dimension that he was able to summon magical items from, which could also drive people mad if they looked into the Void.
9 BROTHER VOODOO
Jericho Drumm spent years in the U.S. as a psychologist before he returned to Haiti to follow his brother's dying wish of training in Voodoo. When Jericho has reached a sufficient level of training his soul was bonded with the spirit of his deceased brother who had also been a Voodoo houngan, and together they became Brother Voodoo.
Drumm is the foremost practitioner of Haitian voodoo in the Marvel Universe, and his understanding of the mystic arts led him to become the new Sorceror Supreme after Doctor Strange. Unfortunately, his time as the Sorceror Supreme was short-lived to his death, though he was returned to life during the Axis event.
8 KULAN GATH
The Hyborian sorcerer known as Kulan Gath is an interesting inclusion on this list as he's not technically owned by Marvel Comics, yet he has menaced a number of Marvel characters over the years. Gath first appeared in the pages of Conan the Barbarian, and like the titular character, he has crossed over into the MU a few times.
Gath's abilities largely come from his knowledge of the various dark magics and entities that he has made deals with or stolen power from, which has left him with reality-altering abilities that he most famously used against the X-Men in the Marvel Universe. Gath is frequently bested and destroyed (usually due to his own hubris), but he always finds some kind of magical loophole for his return.
7 AGATHA HARKNESS
The witch known as Agatha Harkness was one of the original witches involved in the Salem Witch Trials and comes complete with her transforming familiar, Ebony. Her magical abilities have prolonged her life and allowed her to continue helping those who require her magical tutelage or assistance.
Harkness was first introduced as the nanny of the Fantastic Four's Franklin Richards, though she may be best known as Scarlet Witch's teacher, though their relationship didn't end well. While her long life appeared to finally have ended during Avengers Disassembled, she was brought back to life in the pages of Scarlet Witch.
6 KARNILLA
Karnilla is also known as the Norn Queen, and she is considered one of the most powerful mystics in the Asgardian realms, which is quite the achievement. As the Queen of Nornheim, Karnilla is an Asgardian herself, meaning she naturally possesses the same superhuman qualities as other Asgardians like Thor and Sif.
However, due to her deep knowledge of the arcane and connection to the mystical Norn Stones, Karnilla is a powerful and skilled sorceress who specializes in powerful Asgardian magic. She is often considered Loki's equal among Asgardian magic users, though he has proven his magical superiority a few times over the years.
5 DAIMON HELLSTROM
Hellstrom is more commonly known as the Son of Satan, though his true heritage has been retconned a few times. Regardless of the father's true identity, Daimon and his sister Satana are both half-demon magic users who were trained in the demonic arts by their father to become the potential ruler(s) of Hell.
Hellstrom would abandon his teaching to study anthropology, though his dark heritage would lead him to become a supernatural detective, which has made him an experienced demonologist and exorcist as well as in incredibly powerful sorcerer with access to the almost limitless energy of Hell.
4 LOKI
While he was raised in Asgard and learned their magic under training from his mother Frigga, Loki is actually a member of the Jotun race of Frost Giants, and as such his physical abilities match those of the Asgardians, and in some cases surpass them. This has allowed him to learn magics many would consider dangerous or too powerful to master.
Loki's magical abilities come in many forms, and he often seeks out powerful arcane items to enhance his abilities, such as the Twilight Sword, Norn Stones, and even the Infinity Stones. Loki was also at one point considered the Sorcerer Supreme, though true to Loki's nature, he tricked his way into the role.
3 DOCTOR DOOM
While Doctor Doom is considered one of the most brilliant scientific minds on the planet on par with Reed Richards, he also has a surprisingly deep understanding of the mystical arts. His knowledge and studies revolved around his lifelong drive to free his mother's soul from Hell.
When the Eye of Agamotto was searching for a new Sorceror Supreme, the former holder of the title was worried the eye would choose Doom as his successor, though Doom's studies had dropped off since he had achieved his goal of saving his mother's soul, with a little help from the most skilled magic user in the Marvel Universe...
2 DOCTOR STRANGE
While there are a number of other more powerful magic users, Doctor Strange has the mystical knowledge, training, and abilities that have made him the Sorceror Supreme. He's worked with teams like the Avengers and the Defenders over the years and has become a pivotal character in the Marvel Universe.
Even when his connections to Earthly magics were lost, he found other magical sources in the universe to increase his abilities again. When he dipped into dark magic which cost him his title of Sorceror Supreme, it was only a matter of time before Stephen Strange again found himself worthy of the role, because he is, quite simply, the best man for the job.
1 MERLIN
In Arthurian legend, Merlin is the wisest wizard of the land, and his various appearances across all mediums continue to reinforce his magical knowledge and legend. The Marvel Universe has its own version of the Arthurian legend, with many characters like the Black Knight and Excalibur finding their origins based in that time.
However, as revealed by the Omniversal character known as Merlyn, Merlin exists as a kind of nexus point that is connected to every version of himself across every Multiverse, allowing him to exist both in and out of time as a higher magical entity whose actions are unknown to even omniscient beings like the Watchers.