Much like in the real world, the Marvel Comics world is filled with gods and deities, whether or not you believe in them. These beings are extremely powerful and exist as part of the fabric of the Marvel Universe. A lot of the gods and deities in question mirror those in our own cultures and history. From those who inhabit Asgard to those who live on the lofty Mount Olympus, inspiration and characters are taken from real-world religions and are re-imagined alongside some of our favorite Marvel heroes. Some of the gods are heroes themselves, joining together with mortals for the greater good. With this, however, comes nefarious gods who seek to torment or use mortals to their own end. The spectrum of good to evil does not leave out these beings and gods in the Marvel universe are often as fallible as their human counterparts.
In some cases, individuals are granted powers akin to that of a god, and become worshiped simply due to the power they possess. Objects of power, stealing another beings abilities or even usurping another god, there are many ways to make deities in the Marvel universe. There are even gods who are long forgotten, who still exist but are not worshiped as they once were and are believed to be deceased. Whether a god is mingling with Midgard and joining Earth's Mightiest Heroes or sitting on the council of Sky Fathers, rarely interfering with the worlds they oversee, they occupy an important space in the lore and structure of the universe. CBR gets a little polytheistic as we venture beyond the veil to reveal the gods and deities of the Marvel Universe!
20 GOD-EMPEROR DOOM
When the Marvel multiverse was facing a crisis, and was collapsing all around, the heroes tried everything to prevent this fate. They weren't successful, however, and all hope seemed lost. An unlikely hero defied the Beyonders, the all-powerful beings orchestrating the mayhem, and stole their power.
That unlikely savior was Dr. Doom, and in taking the Beyonders' power, made himself a god. He created his own world from fragments of the multiverse and rules over it as its God-Emperor. Though at first he maintained a tenuous balance across the territories of the planet, it did not last, and he was defeated by Molecule Man.
19 THOR
Possibly the most famous god that is active in the Marvel Comics landscape, Thor has been a part of the Avengers for a long time. Finding himself enamored by the people of Earth, Thor has a keen interest in the affairs and safety of Midgard. He has stood alongside mortals on countless occasions, much to the chagrin of his father, Odin.
Thor's affinity for Earth is such that long into the future when Earth has long perished, he still protects it from Galactus. Thor has faced down some of the most lethal beings the cosmos has to offer including Gor the God-Butcher, Mangog and The Serpent of Fear.
18 LOKI
To say that Loki is a complex god would be an understatement. The Asgardian God of Mischief has taken on many forms, many alignments and many enemies over his tenure. Tormenting mortals and raising the ire of his brother, Thor, appear to be his most enjoyed hobbies. Using his Norn magic, he lies, cheats and charms his way through the universe.
Though not always evil, Loki is definitely self-interest orientated. He briefly tried changing his ways when he returned to life following Siege, but this did not last long. He even had a go at being the Sorcerer Supreme, bringing him into contention with Dr. Strange.
17 ODIN
Odin is the All-Father of the Nine Realms and uses a power known as the Odinforce. An extremely powerful being, after using large amounts of this overwhelming power, he must recharge his form in a state known as the Odinsleep. Say what you will about him, but having very powerful processes named after him gives Odin a strong brand.
He's had a rough time trying to control his sons Thor and Loki. Thor being hard to control given his fixation on Midgard and Loki being hard to control given his .. nature. Odin is often angry and puts Asgard in front of the other realms, refusing to help protect Midgard in Fear Itself and refusing to show respect to the human Jane Foster when she took up the mantle of Thor.
16 STORM
Ororo Munroe is not actually a god, but rather a mutant with the power to control the elements. Her power usually manifests in weather control, allowing her to dictate things such as climate and rainfall. With powers that are so intrinsically linked to the world around her, this control makes her appear to be a god.
For a time, this is exactly what she was labelled as, and Storm was worshiped by an entire tribe. In reality, Ororo was a regular young mutant, confused by her powers just as much as those who revered her. She's come a long way since then, even wielding Asgardian hammers, like a true god.
15 HERCULES
Much like Thor, Hercules liked to fraternize with mortals and make merry wherever he pleases. Hailing from Olympus and born the son to Zeus, Herc has been party to several of Earth's super-teams and has befriended a great many of Earth's heroes. He is also known to hang out with other characters of lore and legend including Beowulf.
Herc is always game for a fight, championing the common man and siding with Captain America during Civil War. While Hulk was absent, he took up his responsibilities dubbing himself the Incredible Hercules. Working with Amadeus Cho, he did his best to fill the Hulk-shaped hole in the superhero landscape.
14 KHONSHU
Khonshu is a deity originating from ancient Egypt, though not as prevalent as other gods in his pantheon, he has a more focused role in the Marvel Universe. The being has one primary servant among the superheroes of Earth, and that hero is Moon Knight.
While in Egypt on an assignment as a mercenary, Marc Spector almost lost his life. As life was ebbing from his body, he managed to struggle into a nearby tomb where he encountered monuments to Khonshu. It was there he made a deal with the deity, to serve Khonshu in return for his life. While this didn't help Marc's already trouble psyche, he now serves the moon god.
13 HYPERION
Though Hyperion is extremely powerful, and versions of the hero have subjugated entire realities, he is not a god in the traditional sense. While his power level is on par with some gods in the Marvel universe, this is not the result of any divine source. However, during Hyperion's time on the Avengers as part of the Avengers machine, he would be worshiped.
After several organic bombs went off around the world as a result of an attack from Ex Nihilo, strange alien children emerged from one site. They saw Hyperion as a sun god, and revered him as such. After consulting with Thor, Hyperion sought to set the best example he could for his new followers.
12 BAST
Bast is the primary god of Wakanda and is sometimes simply referred to as the Panther God. She blesses whosoever takes up the mantle of the Black Panther and watches over not only Wakanda, but the City of the Dead, aka Necropolis, that exists outside of the city proper. Wakanda has both a monarch of Wakanda and a monarch of the dead, both serving the Panther God.
Bast isn't above serving her own interests, however, and looks for servants beyond Wakanda, also. In one attempt to garner support, she tried to recruit She-Hulk to serve her. She was quite persistent in this, and would not relent until Spider-Man tricked her into leaving She-Hulk alone.
11 THE ONE-ABOVE-ALL
The One-Above-All is allegedly the reason all life in the Marvel multiverse exists. It is also suspected that he had a hand in the creation of life and concepts outside the multiverse, also. The being is said to be the only person above the Living Tribunal, the all-powerful cosmic judge of the universe.
In his own words, the being's only weapon is love, so his motives are seemingly non-hostile. He usually appears as a male, though he has been known to swap representation on a whim and has no certain form. Thanos and Adam Warlock were once able to bargain with One-Above-All, indicating that they can be reasoned with.
10 ARES
Ares is another god who enjoys getting involved in both the world of mortals, enjoying a good fight. Being the god of war, he delights in the mayhem of battle and is adept at just about ever form of combat. Not content to simply observe superhuman battles from Olympus, Ares joined the Avengers.
After Norman Osborn took charge of the Avengers and the security of the U.S. as a whole after the events of Secret Invasion, Ares remained as an Avenger. However, this was Norman's Dark Avengers, a sinister reflection of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. It didn't matter much to Ares -- a fight is a fight -- he even helped train H.A.M.M.E.R. agents for Osborn.
9 HELA
In the Marvel Comics Universe, Hela is the daughter of Loki and rules over Hel. Largely operating in her own interest, much like her father, she has had dealings with everyone from the Avengers to Thanos, even arranging to marry the Mad Titan, though it never came to fruition.
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Hela is the sister of both Thor and Loki and once helped Odin subjugate worlds across the cosmos to establish Asgard as the supreme power of the Nine Realms. She was shown as powerful enough to destroy Mjolnir, catching it and breaking it in their first encounter.
8 SURTUR
Surtur is a godly fire giant and ruler of the dimension known as Muspelheim, one of the nine realms. He has a particularly aggressive relationship with Odin, such is the natural order. The reason the two beings are destined to be mortal enemies is that Surtur plays a destined role in Ragnarok, the end of Asgard.
It is Surtur's destiny to cross the Bifrost and plunge his sword into the heart of Asgard, enacting the end of their current life cycle. This is the case in both the comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, in the MCU his crown gives him the power to fell Asgard, in the comics it is his Twilight Sword that allows him to fell Asgard.
7 PHOBOS
On first appearance, Phobos is simply a child, but there is more to him than meets the eye. Phobos is a young god of fear and dread, though not as sinister as his powers would suggest. He is also the son of Ares, the god of war. Under the guidance of Nick Fury, Phobos used his powers for good, joining Fury's Secret Warriors team alongside the likes of Quake and Yo-Yo.
Phobos answered the call to action during Secret Invasion, helping rescue the Young Avengers from peril. While on a mission with the Secret Warriors, Phobos battled with the Gorgon and lost his life. He was reunited with his father in the afterlife, who expressed great pride in his son.
6 CUL BORSON
Cul is the former Asgardian God of Fear, who relinquished this title after being defeated by Thor in Fear Itself. Pardoned by his brother Odin, he now serves as an enforcer for Asgard. Though relations with Cul were not always this amicable, as he was once an enemy of the nine realms.
Sealed away at the bottom of the ocean on Midgard by Odin, he was set free by the Red Skull's daughter. What ensued was a war that ravaged Midgard, with sinister reflections of Asgardian hammers falling from the sky, imbuing powerful individuals with the ability to spread fear. The fear empowered Cul, making him nigh-unstoppable.
5 BOR
Bor is the father of Odin and Cul. A very powerful being indeed, he sired the All-Father and the God of Fear, setting the bar for Asgardian power across the realms. He has even come into contention with Thor, proving himself to be in a much different league to the God of Thunder.
During the battle, Thor attempted to use Mjolnir against his grandfather. Bor simply caught the mythical hammer, much to Thor's confusion, and tossed it aside as if it were a toy. Casting aside one of the most potent weapons in the Marvel Universe and showing no regard for it was a vulgar display of power indeed.
4 ENCHANTRESS
Enchantress has been a thorn in the side of many of Earth's heroes including Thor, Dazzler and even the X-Men overall. Her powers of influence, magic and manipulation allow her to enamor people to her, making their will her own. She is sometimes accompanied by Executioner, also referred to as Skurge, who protects her from more physical threats.
She has, on occasion, displayed remorse for some of her schemes and has the capacity to do good, though she doesn't exercise this often. Once teaming up with the likes of Lady Deathstrike to try and defeat the X-Men, Enchantress is as unpredictable as she is dangerous.
3 BALDER
Balder is the brother of Thor and Loki and one of the protectors of Asgard. A lot less decorated than his brothers, he still serves Odin diligently. He was once trusted with ruling over Asgard for a short while, while Asgard was stranded on Earth. The Asgardian did his best to help his people acclimate to Earth, though there were some teething problems.
Balder stood with Earth's heroes against Norman Osborn and his Dark Avengers during the Siege event. Unfortunately for Balder, the entirety of Asgard would be destroyed in the battle by The Sentry, who had been taken over by The Void.. A most unfortunate debut for the young leader.
2 ZEUS
Zeus is the leader of the Olympian Gods and father to Hercules. Though not as involved in the world of mortals and the Asgardians, he has had several dealings with them as a result of his son, Hercules, spending a great deal of time on Earth. This god is more concerned with the business of deities, often meeting with and assisting other pantheons.
He helped prevent Mikaboshi from subjugating the rest of the Japanese pantheon of gods and he is a firm ally to Odin. Zeus once defeated Hulk in combat simply to embarrass him, though he allowed Hercules to free Hulk after the defeat, deeming that Banner having to exist as the Hulk was a torture far greater than any Zeus could deal to him.
1 CELESTIALS
The Celestials are an ancient race of beings with god-level powers that helped form the universe and the beings within it. They ensure that life continues in their image throughout the cosmos, seeding worlds where they see fit. Their influence and descendants occupy the Marvel universe to this very day.
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star-Lord has the lineage of a Celestial in Eson the Searcher and Ego. The Celestials are also facilitators of evolution, seeking to ensure all life improves as time goes on, even granting beings technology to act as their agents. One example of this is Apocalypse, who enacts his survival of the fittest policy with technology given to him by Celestials.