Over the years, Marvel fans have seen heroes and villains alike from all walks of life. From science nerds who were bitten by a radioactive spider and in turn became a hero, to galactic beings with dreams of conquest in the name of gaining the love of Death itself, the Marvel Universe is truly vast.
One part of the Marvel Universe that is known but doesn’t get talked about in detail as much is the vast amount of royalty that resides within it. From galactic villains to active members of royalty who rule over kingdoms, here are the ten most powerful members of royalty in Marvel Comics.
10 Vulcan
The first interesting member of royalty on here that fans may be shocked to see is Vulcan. The third mutant to be a part of the Summers family, Vulcan was the third child of Corsair and Katherine Summers. In an abduction of the two parents, Katherine was seemingly stabbed and the child lost in the battle.
However, Vulcan would awaken on the Shi’ar Throneworld, grown to maturity and sent to Earth until he was rescued by Moira MacTaggert. After briefly leading a mission for a new team of X-Men that resulted in his seeming passing, he returned in a villainous way, and eventually became the Emperor of the Shi’ar Empire.
9 Loki
One of the most notorious and well-known members of royalty, thanks to the MCU, has to be Loki, the god of mischief. A child of the Frost Giants who was rescued by Odin and taken in as his own son, the child grew up a Prince of Asgard himself.
However, his bitter rivalry and hatred for his brother Thor led to him becoming a villain, becoming the god of mischief and a longtime foe of Thor. He even was responsible for the Avengers formation to begin with, making him not only royalty but important to the history of Marvel Comics as a whole.
8 Storm
The next most powerful member of royalty in the Marvel Universe has to be Storm, aka Ororo the mutant. A member of the X-Men, she was found by Charles Xavier and given a home and purpose. However, she was born the Princess of Kenya and would later go on to marry the King of Wakanda, T’Challa.
This made Storm the Queen Consort of Wakanda, a powerful nation in the Marvel Universe with some of the most advanced technology on the planet. Using her mutant powers to help the people there, she would eventually lose her title when the two became divorced.
7 Medusa
One of the more powerful figureheads of the royal family of the Inhumans is none other than Medusa. Born to the royal family, she was exposed to the Terrigen Mists at a young age, which gave her power over her living hair. She also gained super strength, speed and other powers as well.
Meeting her far removed cousin Black Bolt as young teenagers, the two learned to communicate with one another using body language. The two fell in love, and when he was made King she became his Queen, where she serves as his voice for the Inhumans.
6 Namor
Much like his DC Comics counterpart, Namor the Sub-Mariner is a member of royalty, being half-human and half-Atlantean in Marvel Comics. Unlike his counterpart, however, he is considered an anti-hero, and is also considered a mutant as well. His loyalty to the seas and his kingdom have made him take some questionable actions against the surface world.
From attacking and going to war with Wakanda to declaring war on the whole surface world, he is not shy about making his presence known. Despite becoming a hero at times as well, he is not to be trusted completely.
5 Odin
One of the more powerful members of Asgardian Royalty is Odin, the All-Father. A powerful figure who saw much of the early years of the Marvel Universe, Odin has had quite an interesting history. The father of Thor and Loki, (as well as his mysterious daughter Angela), Odin has been the cornerstone of power for Asgard for many years.
However, he is not number one, as despite his godhood and seemingly unlimited power, he has been outshined and outmaneuvered by other heroes and even royal heroes as well. He has been nearsighted, and has even lost battles to many powerful foes over the years.
4 Black Panther
Another one of the heroes who has become iconic and recognizable over the last few years thanks to the MCU and who is definitely a member of royalty is Black Panther, aka King T’Challa. The young man who took over for his father after his passing became the Black Panther, and has been an integral member of the Avengers for years.
Even in recent years, T’Challa has become the financier of the Avengers, and has even joined the ranks of the Illuminati. He is a brilliant fighter and has a brilliant mind as well, and has shared or given the throne to his sister Shuri over the years also.
3 Doctor Doom
The third most powerful member of royalty is also one of the longest-running foes of the Fantastic Four and a longtime adversary of the entire Marvel Universe, Victor Von Doom, aka Dr. Doom. The leader and ruler of Latveria, Victor is a man of magic and science, using his power to attack the heroes of the Marvel Universe all while being protected by his nation’s sovereignty.
His power grew even greater when he took the power of the Beyonders for himself at the end of the multiverse, creating his own kingdom of Battleworld and becoming known as God Emperor Doom.
2 Black Bolt
Black Bolt is the second most powerful member of royalty in Marvel Comics. A member of the Illuminati and the King of the Inhumans, the hero is known for being unable to speak, for his power gives his voice the destructive power to destroy entire cities. This leads to his wife Medusa acting as his voice by reading his body language.
He has fought and gone toe to toe with some of the greatest forces of the multiverse, from Thanos and his army to the destruction of the multiverse at the hands of Incursions leading up to the Secret Wars event.
1 Thor
The most powerful member of royalty in all of the Marvel Universe is Thor, the once former Prince of Asgard and recently upgraded to the King of Asgard. A founding member of the Avengers, Thor is an all-powerful Asgardian warrior who calls upon the powerful storm held within Mjolnir to fight his enemies and is known as the God of Thunder.
Recently in Marvel Comics, during the War of the Realms event, Thor sacrificed his eye and the last piece of Mjolnir to gain the knowledge to defeat Malekith, only to gain the hammer back by channeling the raw power of the storm himself, defeating the dark elf’s army once and for all and proving himself to be a King.