Superheroes have access to some amazing powers; sometimes they're born with their powers and other times they gain them from outside sources. These outside sources take on many forms- sometimes they are sentient, other times they are universal forces, or are gifted by powerful beings from beyond. The heroes and villains so empowered are often some of the most powerful in their respective universes.
Two of the most powerful forces in comics are Marvel's Phoenix Force and DC's Speed Force. The Phoenix Force gives it bearer phenomenal power but at the cost of their sanity and the Speed Force empowers its users with the power to move very fast. Both of them are very powerful, but which is the greatest force in comics? Let's take a look.
10 Phoenix Force: A Primal Force Of Creation
One of the things that makes the Phoenix Force so feared is because it is one of the most powerful sentient forces in the universe. The Phoenix Force represents life and rebirth and for rebirth to happen, well, there needs to be destruction and that's the thing that the Phoenix is most known for in the universe- destroying whatever it comes into contact with.
However, those with the power have been known to be able to create new things as well to replace what they destroy, although it's rare for its mortal instruments to do so because of just how much the power affects them.
9 The Speed Force: A Power... And A Place
The Speed Force is an energy field that empowers its bearers, but it's more than that. It's also another dimension where the energy is stored and it's the resting place of dead speedsters who have become one with the Speed Force. In extreme circumstances, living speedsters can go there, like when several of them pulled Superboy-Prime there to halt his rampage in Infinite Crisis.
However, it's very hard to get back from, with only a few ever leaving the Speed Force to return to the real world and time flows differently there, as learned by Bart Allen who exited it years older than when he went in.
8 The Phoenix Force: The Scourge Of The Universe
The Shi'Ar, one of the Marvel Universe's most powerful alien races have had long dealings with the Phoenix Force... and they've all been bad. In fact, anyone in their empire who shows even the slightest sign of Phoenix power is guaranteed a visit from the Imperial Guard and either death or imprisonment.
When the Phoenix Force came to Earth, the Shi'Ar held off their usual attacks because of the Empress's relationship with Professor X and X-Men, but the minute the Dark Phoenix showed up, they attacked. Later, they would go after Rachel Grey in an attempt to cleanse the universe of the Phoenix's taint.
7 The Speed Force: A Cross Time Phenomena
The Speed Force has a very curious origin- it came into existence the day Barry Allen gained his superpowers. As the Flash, Barry would act as the engine of the Speed Force, producing its energy and that energy would flow backward and forwards through time so that it always existed.
The Speed Force started existing at one point and also always existed. Its very existence is a paradox and a perfect example of just how powerful it is and what it's bearers can do if they really take the time to hone their abilities and practice.
6 The Phoenix Force: The Will Of The Phoenix
While the Phoenix Force is most well known for taking hosts, it's also a distinct entity that can exercise its own will. For example, it once helped Odin and a collection of powerful beings fight against Mad Celestials on prehistoric Earth. Another example is its time as Jean Grey, the Phoenix Force made itself into a simulacrum of the X-Man and experienced human life through her before being driven to go Dark Phoenix by a variety of circumstances.
The Phoenix Force speaks to its bearers, exhorting them to use the full extent of its power and that's one of the reasons they go Dark- because it wants them to both create and destroy and use it to its utmost potential.
5 The Speed Force: The Negative Speed Force
For every positive, there is a negative, whether it be the charge of atomic particles or matter and anti-matter and the Speed Force is no different- there is a Negative Speed Force. It's a burning parasitic energy that can consume any who connected to it by touch- so if a user of it touches another who uses the regular Speed Force, it will destroy them, like when matter and anti-matter touch.
It is produced by the Flash's arch-nemesis, the Reverse Flash, one of the most dangerous speedsters in the universe, and it gives him abilities that users of the regular Speed Force don't have, such as the ability to travel through time unaided.
4 The Phoenix Force: The Power Of The Phoenix
The Phoenix Force grants its user amazing power. It gives them access to amazing telepathic and telekinetic ability, allowing them to read, sense, and control minds to a degree that is unheard of to even the most powerful telepath. The telekinetic power it grants is also amazing, allowing users to manipulate the molecular structure of matter.
They can also increase their strength and durability and manipulate vast amounts of energy. A bearer of the Phoenix Force, even a portion of it is powerful enough to give gods and the most powerful heroes pause and grants power to its user that dwarf that of Omega class mutants.
3 The Speed Force: The Power Of Time
The Speed Force allows its users to run at amazing velocities and even allows the users to manipulate time. Barry Allen used this ability against his nemesis Reverse Flash to push the flow of time and space forward. When a Speed Force user moves fast enough, they can also travel through time but it's not very accurate.
However, using an instrument called the Cosmic Treadmill allows speedsters to move to where they want in time. Barry Allen once used it to try and stop his mother's murder and that opened up a whole can of worms. Still, time travel is a very impressive power that should only be used with the greatest of care.
2 The Phoenix Force: The Dark Phoenix
The Dark Phoenix is seemingly inevitable for most users of the Phoenix Force, with only three exceptions- Jean Grey, Rachel Grey, and Kid Omega. Other than that, everyone falls to the power to the Dark Phoenix. It desires to be used and it's constantly whispering in the ear of its users, exhorting them to embrace it totally.
That is huge problem because once one embraces the Dark Phoenix, the danger to the rest of the universe increases exponentially. It takes a lot to take down someone who has gone Dark Phoenix, but it's not impossible; however, it's better for it not to happen.
1 The Speed Force: The Power Of Lightning
The Speed Force gives its users many powers, some that make sense and some that don't. However, the main power it gives its users is speed and lots of it. Someone with the Speed Force can move much faster than anyone else, with the most powerful being able to move faster than the speed of light. It also makes their thinking faster and allows them to heal faster as well.
One who can use the Speed Force can hit a target many times in a second, generate powerful lightning and cause tornadoes by running in circles, and much more. For the ones who can move at the speed of light, they can hit their foes with the infinite mass punch, as their mass hits an infinite level as they hit the speed of light. It's a powerful attack and one that can end most fights with one hit.