Superhero comics have always been about power and its responsible use. They are a parable to teach developing young minds that any form of power; whether it's learning to drive or being able to hurl elemental bolts, must be treated with respect. It took a few years for young readers to see heroes of their own age crusading for justice.
The Marvel Universe features a few teenage characters with extraordinary power who are now learning from heroes like Kitty Pryde who started in their places years ago. Young Marvel characters like Jubilee ditched their teenage behavior for motherhood while young Champions like Ms. Marvel have introduced new ways to be a hero. These young Marvel superheroes are a true inspiration for new generations.
Updated on September 6, 2023, by Mayra García: DC is famously known for its teenage sidekicks, but Marvel also has a fair share of young superheroes in its ranks. In fact, some of Marvel's youngest superheroes are also among the most powerful ever. This list has been updated to include more Marvel teenage superheroes that everyone should know about.
20 Jubilation Lee/Jubilee
First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #244 (January 1989) by Chris Claremont and Marc Silvestri
Chris Claremont's legendary run on Uncanny X-Men introduced the "pint-sized" mutant in 1989, but many first fell in love with her thanks to the excellent animated X-Men series of the 1990s. Jubilee was an orphan who struck up a quasi-paternal relationship with Wolverine. She represented the "mall-rat" culture of the era and soon became a powerful member of the X-Men.
Jubilee's psychokinetic blasts are similar to fireworks, but they are actually far more powerful than your average firecracker. In fact, her untapped ability to detonate matter on an atomic level makes her powers equivalent to a nuclear fusion bomb. Her powers grew further after becoming a vampire, though she was later restored to her original powerful self.
19 Daisy Johnson/Quake
First Appearance: Secret War #2 (May 2004) by Brian Michael Bendis and Gabriele Dell'Otto
Nick Fury first recruited Daisy Johnson to S.H.I.E.L.D. when she was only 17 years old. In the Secret War miniseries, Nick Fury recruited Spider-Man, Wolverine, Captain America, Daredevil, Luke Cage, and Black Widow to secretly infiltrate Latveria and overthrow its dictator, Lucia Von Bardas. Quake landed the killing blow upon Von Bardas in her explosive debut.
Quake may have been young and inexperienced, but her Inhuman powers are devastating in their scope and application. Quake can make seismic, earthquake-like vibrations with pinpoint accuracy. She used them to defuse an anti-matter bomb inside Von Bardas and exploded Wolverine's heart. She was also one of the youngest directors of S.H.I.E.L.D. after Fury went into hiding.
18 Miles Morales/Spider-Man
First Appearance: Ultimate Fallout #4 (August 2011) by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli
Peter Parker was the original teen hero as Spider-Man who resonated strongly with young readers. By the turn of the millennium, Peter Parker was in his mid-20s, so the Ultimate Spider-Man title launched in 2000 to bring the character back to basics. When the Ultimate Peter Parker died, Miles Morales replaced him as Spider-Man.
Miles Morales earned his name fighting alongside the 616 version of Peter Parker after moving to the mainstream universe. Morales' powers are similar to his predecessors and are the result of a genetically engineered spider bite designed to replicate the original Spider-Man's powers. However, he is also able to blend in with his surroundings and fire devastating bio-electric blasts.
17 Amara Aquilla/Magma
First Appearance: New Mutants #8 (June 1983) by Chris Claremont, Sal Buscema, & Bob McLeod
Many gifted mutant teens have come through the doors of the Xavier Institute For Gifted Youngsters. Amara Aquilla made her debut with the New Mutants as the powerful hero known as Magma. Her geothermic abilities allow her to manipulate lava from the Earth's core.
Magma can also create balls of heat energy to use as projectiles. In many cases, when using her powers, she assumes an energized form, coating her body with intense light and heat in the same way that Iceman encases himself in ice. This means that not only does she have devastating attack power, but she's very difficult to harm with melee attacks.
16 Eli Bradley/Patriot
First Appearance: Young Avengers #1 (February 2005) by Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung
Captain America is one of the greatest symbols of hope and justice in the Marvel universe and he has created a lasting legacy. The U.S. government made numerous efforts to replace him after he disappeared in WWII. They created numerous versions of the super soldier serum, though their effects were far less stable. Among the few who received the serum was Isaiah Bradley.
Isiah's grandson Eli, inspired by his grandfather's example, became a hero known as Patriot and a founding member of the Young Avengers. He claimed that his powers were a result of a blood transfusion from his grandfather, though he initially used Mutant Growth Hormone. Eli later received a real transfusion that enhanced his strength, speed, and reflexes.
15 Teddy Altman/Hulkling
First Appearance: Young Avengers #1 (February 2005) by Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung
Hulkling's powers actually have nothing to do with the more familiar green-skinned goliath. His power comes from his alien lineage. Teddy Altman/Dorrek VIII is the son of the Kree Captain Mar-Vell and the Skrull Princess Anelle, making him the rightful ruler of both empires. Hulkling's part-Skrull physiology makes him a talented shapeshifter.
Hulkling can independently alter different body parts to manifest a range of physical abilities. His skin is all but impenetrable, even to high-caliber weapons, and he has an enhanced healing factor like Hulk and Wolverine. His enhanced Kree blood also gives him superhuman strength. His diverse skillset and raw power make Hulkling an extremely powerful member of the Young Avengers.
14 David Alleyne/Prodigy
First Appearance: New Mutants #4 (September 2003) by Nunzio DeFilippis, Christina Weir, and Keron Grant
It's safe to say that the ever-shifting roster of the New Mutants has seen some of the most prodigiously powerful young mutants ever to grace the pages of Marvel Comics. David Alleyne is no exception. Even before his mutant powers began to manifest, David was an extremely intelligent young man, but everything changed in his teen years.
Alleyne discovered that the answers to tests and exercises just came to him whenever his teachers were in the room. As Prodigy, he can absorb the knowledge and skills of anyone near him. While this may not be the most visually spectacular of powers, Prodigy has the potential to end world poverty and rid the world of known diseases with his combined knowledge.
13 Laura Kinney/Wolverine
First Appearance: NYX #3 (December 2003) by Joe Quesada and Joshua Middleton
Laura Kinney is a clone of Wolverine who trained as a ferocious assassin. She formed a close relationship with Logan and eventually became his successor by donning the familiar cowl after his death. Like her forebearer, she has an extremely fast healing factor, an adamantium-laced skeleton, and an extensive knowledge of martial arts.
Upon catching a whiff of a trigger scent, Wolverine could fly into a berserker rage-like state and destroy anyone or anything with alarming savagery. Laura joined the X-Men as Wolverine while on Krakoa, where she spent a hundred years trapped in a time-displaced vault. While the older version of Laura became Talon, a younger Krakoan duplicate carried on as Wolverine.
12 Billy Kaplan/Wiccan
First Appearance: Young Avengers #1 (February 2005) by Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung
Billy Kaplan is a founding member of the Young Avengers and husband to Hulkling. Like Hulkling, Wiccan has a complicated genealogy. He is the long-lost twin brother of the young hero Speed and was forged using one of the five fragments of the demon Mephisto's soul. He idolized Scarlet Witch even before he found out that she was his mother.
Wiccan is potentially the most powerful magic user in the Marvel Universe who could become a potential candidate for Sorcerer Supreme. Wiccan can track and locate people all over the world, teleport himself and others, wield telekinetic bolts, breach force fields, astrally project himself, and pretty much anything else he can imagine with his mystical reality-altering abilities.
11 Tommy Shepherd/Speed
First Appearance: Young Avengers #10 (February 2006) by Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung
After Billy Kaplan/Wiccan learned his true origins as the reincarnated son of Scarlet Witch and Vision, he used his magic to track down his long-lost twin brother, Tommy Shepherd. Wiccan and the rest of the Young Avengers soon discovered that Shepherd had inherited superpowers as well, though from his uncle Quicksilver instead of his mother.
As Speed, Shepherd joined the Young Avengers, though he didn't initially form a close relationship with his twin brother. They bonded after deciding to search for their lost mother together and soon formed a new family dynamic. Shepherd has incredible superspeed, though he isn't on the same level as some of the fastest speedsters in comics.
10 Noh-Varr/Marvel Boy
First Appearance: Marvel Boy #1 (June 2000) by Grant Morrison and J.G. Jones
Noh-Varr is a young officer of the Kree Empire from an alternate dimension. He has many of the same physical traits as the alien warrior race but is much more human in appearance. His DNA has been infused with that of a cockroach, giving him a host of powers unavailable to his fellow Kree. He came to our reality when his interdimensional ship was shot down by Dr. Midas.
Marvel Boy has a range of eclectic and outlandish powers. He has Kree superhuman strength and speed, but his part-insect DNA also allows him to survive attacks that would crush others of a similar power set. He can even reprogram his synapses to make himself impervious to pain. Marvel Boy spent time with teams like the Young Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy.
9 Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel
First Appearance: All-New Marvel NOW! Point One #1.NOW (January 2014) by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona
Kamala Khan's adventures as Ms. Marvel brought a refreshing perspective to Marvel Comics, coming from the point of view not only of a millennial teenage girl but of a Pakistani-American and practicing Muslim. Ms. Marvel's powers enable her to stretch, grow, or shrink parts of her body at will.
Kamala can become as large as a building which increases her strength as well. She also has an accelerated healing factor and can alter her appearance to impersonate both people and inanimate objects. Recently, it was revealed that Kamala is also a mutant, which opens the door for a new power set, yet to be revealed.
8 Ellie Phimister/Negasonic Teenage Warhead
First Appearance: New X-Men #115 (August 2001) by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely
Ellie Phimister was born in the mutant country of Genosha and rocked a much more gothic aesthetic in her early appearances Negasonic Teenage Warhead. 2012's Marvel NOW! initiative reimagined Negasonic Teenage Warhead with the familiar buzz cut seen in the cinematic Deadpool films.
Negasonic Teenage Warhead's powers in the comics are incredibly diverse and potent. She's a telepath and a student of Emma Frost, and she also has some precognitive abilities. She has superhuman strength, speed, and reflexes and can even absorb and manipulate huge amounts of energy. Fans have yet to discover the full extent of Negasonic Teenage Warhead's powers.
7 Amadeus Cho/Brawn
First Appearance: Amazing Fantasy #15 (November 2005) by Greg Pak and Takeshi Miyazawa
Bruce Banner's green-skinned alter-ego is one of the strongest Marvel characters. But his successor Amadeus Cho may well be his superior, both physically and intellectually. Amadeus Cho was an intellectual prodigy from a very young age. He was a close friend of Hercules and even briefly inherited his mantle as the Prince of Power.
When Banner's Hulk received a lethal dose of radiation, Cho used nanites to remove the Hulk from Banner's body and use it to transform himself. He retained the original Hulk's strength, durability, and healing factor and even reverse-engineered Ant-Man's helmet for limited telepathic powers. He kept his gamma strength as the Champion's Brawn when Banner regained the Hulk.
6 Nico Minoru/Sister Grimm
First Appearance: Runaways #1 (April 2003) by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona
The most powerful member of the Runaways, Nico Minoru comes from a long line of magic users thanks to the Staff of One. This weapon -- a former magician turned into a staff by Nico's ancestor -- allows her to alter reality however she wants, as long as she sacrifices a drop of blood.
The only downside to the Staff of One is that it cannot perform a spell twice. Given this, Nico must give it different orders each time -- sometimes even using words from other languages. If it wasn't because of this, Nico would be the most powerful witch in Marvel.
5 America Chavez/Ms. America
First Appearance: Vengeance #1 (July 2011) by Joe Casey and Nick Dragotta
America Chavez has not only been a member of the Young Avengers but also the Teen Brigade, A-Force, and the West Coast Avengers. As Ms. America, she can literally punch holes in the fabric of reality itself. She originally believed she grew up in the Utopian Parallel, though she eventually remembered her true origins.
Ms. America was part of a science experiment to cure her rare disease when her power to punch into other realities manifested. She traveled across a range of realities before becoming a superhero. She has superhuman strength and can fly at almost the speed of light. She can create fissures in space-time to travel across the multiverse at will.
4 Sam Alexander/Nova
First Appearance: Nova #1 (February 2013) by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness
Richard Rider will always be some fans' favorite Nova, though his successor Sam Alexander later became one of the most powerful teen heroes in the Marvel Universe. Sam's father was a school janitor who would drunkenly regale his son with tales of his days as a Centurian in the Nova Corps. It wasn't until his father went missing that Sam learned that his father's stories were true.
Sam trained with Gamora and Rocket Raccoon to use his father's helmet to access the Nova Force. This gives him incredible strength, reflexes, and durability and the ability to propel himself at near-limitless speeds. He can generate and channel enormous amounts of energy, which he uses as one of the founding members of the Champions alongside other teen heroes.
3 Hope Summers
First Appearance: X-Men #205 (November 2007) by Mike Carey and Chris Bachalo
Nathan Summers/Cable adopted the infant Hope Summers, who was the first mutant to be born after the events of House of M nearly eradicated the mutant gene. Cable believed Hope Summers was a powerful messiah who would save both humankind and mutantkind. When she returned, the X-Men discovered Hope Summers was an incredibly powerful omega-level mutant.
Hope Summers was also chosen as a vessel for the Phoenix Force. She can mimic the abilities of any other mutant close to her and can even enhance the mutant powers of others. This makes her possibly the most powerful mutant in the entire Marvel Universe. Her powerset is a crucial element in The Five's resurrection protocols on Krakoa.
2 Doreen Green/Squirrel Girl
First Appearance: Marvel Super-Heroes #8 (November 1991) by Steve Ditko and Will Murray
While Squirrel Girl's powers may seem innocuous, they can be surprisingly formidable. She can control and communicate with squirrels but she also has superhuman strength and agility and is one of the Marvel Universe's most accomplished martial artists.
Doreen Green has bested some of Marvel's most powerful characters, including decisive victories against powerful villains like Kang the Conqueror and Thanos. Squirrel Girl's quirky determination, incredible power set, and ongoing popularity make her one of the most successful teen Marvel heroes ever.
1 Vivian Vision/Viv
First Appearance: Vision #1 (November 2015) by Tom King and Gabriel Hernandez Walta
Vivian Vision is not a real teenager, but she was programmed as such, and she went through puberty and all the angst it entails sometimes. Among the many teenage Marvel heroes, she ranks among the strongest ever thanks to her nature as a synthezoid.
As Vision's daughter and absolute creation, Viv shares her father's abilities. Since she can control density, Viv is one of the strongest beings ever, as she can lift 25 tons with her bare arms. Additionally, she can fly and pass through solid objects. Finally, she can absorb solar energy and use it to project a destructive beam.