When facing a barrage of threats both street level and galactic ending, the heroes of the Marvel Universe have come forward to face those threats head-on. While some do so knowing their lives could be forfeit in the process, others head into battle knowing they will be able to protect the Earth indefinitely thanks to their immortality.

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Yes, while they can fall in battle from injuries or other unnatural means, these heroes can patrol the universe and keep it safe thanks to one form or another of immortality. Here are the ten most powerful heroes of the Marvel Universe who are also immortal.

10 Madame Webb

One thing that Marvel fans have learned over the years is that there are many different forms of immorality, as is the case for a character like Madame Webb. Born Cassandra Webb, the young woman was born paralyzed and blind, but her mutant abilities gave her the ability to see the future, as well as use telepathy and clairvoyance as well.

Cassandra finds herself tied cybernetically to a chair that takes care of her bodily functions. However despite her abilities and her immortality thanks to her technology, she has faced death before, and has also been cloned and appears in astral forms as well.

9 Hope Summers

One of the more powerful heroes of the Marvel universe is the mutant known as Hope Summers, the adoptive daughter of Cable and one of the most powerful Omega level mutants in the Marvel Universe. Foretold that she would either be responsible for saving both mutant and humankind or be responsible for their destruction, Hope has been a target for groups for years.

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During the Avengers vs. X-Men storyline, Hope is targeted by the Phoenix Force to wield it’s power, leading to the resulting conflict. She works with the Scarlet Witch to harness the Phoenix force, not only restarting mutantkind but giving her immortality as the Phoenix force can heal all.

8 Franklin Richards (Earth-12665)

The heroes of the multiverse often find their powers vary depending on the universe they hail from. For the mutant and Fantastic Four born hero Franklin Richards of Earth-12665, one of his powers has become immortality. In the comics, the mainstream version of Reed and Sue Richards son has reality-altering powers, making thoughts come to life.

In one alternate universe, however, an adult version of Franklin managed to gain enough power to take down not 1 but 2 Celestials in combat, and from that point on he was considered immortal. He even managed to bring back an unconscious Galactus to be Franklin’s herald.

7 Nightcrawler

The next hero on the list who has gained immortality is Nightcrawler, aka Kurt Wagner. The son of Mystique and the demonic-looking villain known as Azazel, Kurt is a teleporting mutant who looks like a blue-skinned demon and was forced to participate in circus events until he was discovered by Professor Xavier, joining the X-Men.

While happy in the circus, Kurt found purpose amongst the X-Men. However, after having passed on and been resurrected after sacrificing his soul, Kurt found himself quasi-immortal, unable to age but able to feel the pain of every injury his body sustained.

6 The Thing

One of the strongest heroes of the Marvel universe who is also immortal is the Fantastic Four hero The Thing, aka Ben Grimm. Exposed to radiation alongside Reed Richards and siblings Sue and Johnny Storm, Ben’s unique ability has transformed him into living rock, only able to transform back into a human one day a year.

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What is unique about his power is that when he is in his rock form, he cannot age, and thus is immortal. So whenever he changes back into a human, he only ages by a day, resulting in an immortal The Thing who survives well into the future.

5 Jean Grey

The most powerful telepath and X-Men original team member is the all-powerful Jean Grey, the most iconic host of the Phoenix Force and a hero who has become instrumental in the Marvel Universe and its history. While she herself is a powerful mutant and hero, her connection to the Phoenix Force is what gives her her immortality.

Thanks to the raw cosmic power of the Phoenix Force, Jean is able to heal from almost any injury, and if she ever perishes by unnatural means she can be resurrected by the Phoenix Force. This makes her a powerful hero to have on the Marvel Universe’s side.

4 The Sentry

One of the most powerful beings in the entire universe is The Sentry, aka Robert Reynolds. When a middle-aged Bob remembers he was once the superhero the Sentry, he returns to his heroic life when he finds the Void, his archenemy, is returning to Earth. However, most of Earth’s population has no memory of him.

It turns out that the Void is a second personality within himself, and that both personas had been erased to protect himself and the world. His powers come from a special version of the super-soldier formula, and has given him the power of immortality.

3 Thor

One form of immortality comes in the form of magic, where people such as the magic and scientifically advanced civilization known as Asgard has found a way to lengthen their lives by consuming magical fruit known as the Apples of Idunn, giving them the longevity of immortality to live in.

This extends to Thor Odinson himself, aka the god of thunder. Thor has been shown to live far into the future, shown as King Thor with children and grandchild to boot thousands if not millions of years into the future, giving him functional immortality so long as the Asgardian pantheon of gods exists.

2 Wolverine

The most powerful and iconic mutant hero of the Marvel Universe who is also immortal is Wolverine, aka James Howlett. Born in the 19th century in Alberta, Canada, the mutant hero has the ability to heal from most injuries, expanding his lifespan greatly to give him a form of immortality.

He’s also been shown to live well into the future of the Marvel Universe, surviving naturally until he faces unnatural injuries that take his life. However his body always finds a way of healing itself, and that is what makes him such a powerful hero to have working alongside the Avengers.

1 Bruce Banner

The most powerful and longest living hero of the Marvel Universe is the conflicted hero known as Bruce Banner, aka The Incredible Hulk. Having gone through many iterations of the character over the years, the hero’s appearance as a monster and the conflicting nature of it’s personality make him often a tragic figure of sorts.

However his enhanced strength and speed derive from the super soldier formula and gamma radiation, leading to the Hulk’s birth. He has been shown in many timelines and universes to survive well into the future, and often being either the last line of defense or the next great universal threat.

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