Todd McFarlane's Spawn is one of the most popular characters and properties to come out of Image Comics, and was undoubtedly one of the biggest reasons for the publisher's success in the 1990s. Much of the series, at least initially, dealt with Al Simmons relying on his skills and training as a mercenary. As the series went on, however, the man who came back from Hell would become increasingly powerful.
Despite his supposedly limited power supply, Spawn boasted an incredible array of demonic abilities that made him ridiculously powerful. These only increased as the deus ex machina of a power counter was eventually done away with. Here's how Spawn was secretly one of the most overpowered superheroes ever.
Spawn's Magical Abilities
Spawn's costume and empowerment via Malebolgia are all bolstered by necroplasm. This mystical energy source gives Al Simmons the ability to use all manner of magical abilities. One such power is a kind of phasing or teleportation in which he becomes intangible or literally evaporates from a certain location. This power is first used in the comic book and the HBO animated series when he's caught trying to steal weapons from Jason Wynn.
Spawn can also draw additional necroplasm and other dark energy from evil locations and creatures. This places include crime ridden areas such as parts of New York or Chicago. Likewise, the macabre animals that can empower him include insects, bats and even black cats. In drawing from these sources, he keeps from depleting his own energy. He can also speak to the animals that he draws from, as well.
Perhaps Spawn's most notable "power" or weapon is the control he has over his costume, which is actually a symbiotic creature called K7-Leetha. The molecular control that Spawn boasts over it allows him to manifest chains, spikes and of course a billowing cape that allows him to fly. These can all be used defensively and offensively, protecting Spawn while attacking his opponents.
Spawn's Physical Prowess
Spawn's necroplasm can also be used to resurrect and even control the dead, as well as manipulate the minds and souls of other beings. It can also be ejected offensively in powerful blasts or allow Spawn to use similar techniques such as breathe fire. That's to say nothing of its power to transmute items, control time and warp reality. If all else fails, Spawn's physical faculties are also heavily augmented, giving him superhuman strength, speed, durability and dexterity. His body weights over 400 pounds due to its excess of energy, but this doesn't keep Al from being as limber and nimble as necessary.
He has an impressive healing factor that allows him to recover from some of the most horrendous wounds. Thus, any damage to his body and even internal organs are quickly rendered moot in a brief amount of time. Said organs are supposedly mostly vestigial and exist due to Spawn clinging to his human past. This healing factor allowed him to take one of Batman's sharp Batarangs to the face and simply walk away from it inconvenienced.
There's also Al Simmons' history as a mercenary, which gave him extensive knowledge of weaponry and hand-to-hand combat. He's also rather acrobatic and knows a variety of different martial arts styles and even languages from his times abroad. With all of these skills, powers and training, it's a miracle that most of his fights have been any real challenge to him. Some of this stems from his ignorance of all of his newfound abilities back when Spawn was first published. Nevertheless, for as much as he may brood on the streets like Batman, Spawn has enough power and powers to put even Superman to shame.