The Avengers are one of the greatest superhero teams in Marvel Comics. They have proven themselves time and again to be the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes as they defeat countless all-powerful villains capable of annihilating the Earth and beyond. The Avengers are also notable for having an ever-changing roster, with nearly every Marvel hero at one time or another becoming an official member. The team has been so open to new members that they have even allowed numerous notorious supervillains into their ranks. Such decisions often stem from desperation or a desire to reform their enemies. Either way, some of the Avengers’ strongest members have been rehabilitated villains who decide to use their power for good.
Many of the Avengers’ most powerful members started as evildoers before changing their hearts and becoming fully-fledged heroes. In contrast, some evildoers stay with the Avengers for only a short time before deciding that they actually prefer to continue their villainous ways. Members of Norman Osborn’s Dark Avengers team won’t be included in this list because the official Avengers team opposed them. These are the most powerful villains to have ever received official Avengers membership.
10) Quicksilver
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Marvel’s answer to the Flash, Quicksilver, started as a founding member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Under the belief that Magneto was his father, Quicksilver served him in his battle against the X-Men. When Magneto went missing, Quicksilver and his twin sister, Scarlet Witch, decided to join the Avengers because they were people who would accept them. The pair became members of Captain America’s Avengers team, nicknamed the Kooky Quartet. Quicksilver is Marvel’s premier speedster because of his ability to run thousands of miles per hour. He can create giant tornadoes, phase through objects, and, at his peak, run faster than the speed of light.
9) Sandman
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After a lab accident turned Sandman into a being of living sand, he became one of Spider-Man’s first and most powerful adversaries. However, Sandman was never outright evil; in fact, he sought redemption by becoming a reserve member of the Avengers. Tragically, because of a series of misunderstandings, Sandman quit and returned to a life of crime. Sandman is unbelievably tough, as he has complete control over his sand body, which allows him to create weapons, manipulate his density, create clones of himself, and transform into a giant skyscraper-sized monster. Naturally, he’s also incredibly durable and ageless, potentially able to live for billions of years.
8) Vision
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Ultron built the android Vision solely to destroy the Avengers. However, since Ultron modeled the Vision’s mind off of Wonder Man’s, Vision soon broke free of his creator’s control. He then defected to the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, becoming one of their most iconic members and even marrying fellow Avenger Scarlet Witch. As an android, Vision possesses a hyper-advanced intellect and is strong enough to defeat Jane Foster Thor. He also possesses the power of flight, intangibility, and invisibility. He’s used his intangibility to take down Captain Marvel and Nova. Lastly, Vision can absorb solar energy to fire powerful lasers from his eyes and forehead gem that can rival Iron Man’s repulsor beams.
7) Moondragon
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Hilariously, the mighty telepath and telekinetic Moondragon was initially called Madame MacEvil. Originally possessing a massive god-complex, Moondragon fought heroes like Iron Man and Namor. However, Moondragon quickly outgrew her villainous period when Thanos proved to be a much bigger threat to the universe. Recognizing his menace, Moondragon joined the Avengers and developed a desire to protect Earth. Although her time as an Avenger was short-lived, she was still the strongest telepath to have ever been recruited into their ranks. Moondragon’s telepathy allows her to communicate with people across solar systems, create illusions, and brainwash an entire planet’s population. For a time, she also possessed the ability to turn into a massive fire-breathing dragon.
6) Red Hulk
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General Thunderbolt Ross’s obsession with killing the Hulk led him to become the one thing he hated, a radiated, mutated monster. As the Red Hulk, he went insane and took over the White House before the Hulk ultimately stopped him. Eventually, the Avengers sought to reform Red Hulk by enlisting him into their ranks. While some of his teammates were wary of him, Red Hulk quickly proved himself to be an invaluable asset thanks to his decades of military training and gamma-enhanced body. Although Red Hulk’s not as strong as the Hulk, he’s still able to match Heralds of Galactus and Thor. He also possesses the ability to absorb energy to grow stronger, then release it as intense heat that burns and melts everything within his vicinity.
5) Rogue
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For many years, Rogue used her life force-draining touch and immense strength to battle the X-Men. Of course, Rogue would famously undergo a significant character arc that would make her one of the X-Men’s most iconic members. When the Avengers sought to strengthen ties between humans and mutants, they created the Avengers Unity Squad and recruited many X-Men, including Rogue. The former villain Rogue is one of the strongest members on both teams, as her permanent absorption of Ms. Marvel and Wonder Man’s powers has allowed her to match Juggernaut and the Hulk, and has even overcome Graviton’s gravity-increasing powers. Rogue’s absorption abilities are so potent that she once was able to temporarily absorb all the Avengers’ powers simultaneously to defeat a Celestial.
4) Wonder Man
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To destroy the Avengers, the Masters of Evil recruited Simon Williams. They transformed him into a being of pure ionic energy called Wonder Man. Initially, he pretended to be a hero to join the Avengers and acted as a spy. However, Wonder Man soon had a change of heart and even sacrificed his life to save the Avengers. Of course, Wonder Man failed to stay dead, came back, and cemented himself as one of the physically strongest Avenger members. Since he is pure energy, Wonder Man is immortal and can recover from any damage. He’s also strong enough to lift over 50,000 tons, effortlessly defeat Red Hulk, match Thor, and make the entire planet tremble when he battled the Sentry.
3) Ex Nihilo
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The Builders are an ancient alien race that creates beings called Gardners to terraform planets to their liking. The Gardner assigned to Earth was Ex Nihilo. The Avengers at first fought Ex Nihilo to prevent him from causing irreparable damage to the planet. He soon surrendered when he recognized the hero Captain Universe as his superior. Betraying the Builders, Ex Nihilo then joined the Avengers to help save the multiverse from his creators’ plans. Ex Nihilo is a master of terraforming and life manipulation. He aided in completely reshaping Mars’ ecosystem, could manifest powerful beasts to fight for him, create vines that could drain Iron Man’s suit, and was able to withstand Thor’s lightning bolts. With the power to reshape worlds, Ex Nihilo is practically a force of nature.
2) Ultron
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In the pursuit of advancing AI, Avenger Hank Pym accidentally created one of their most powerful enemies: Ultron. However, after spreading his mind across multiple bodies, Ultron’s mind became fractured and developed a more benevolent personality. This good Ultron became a member of the West Coast Avengers, a team that works to help reform villains. Ultron’s hyper-intelligent mind, adamantium body, ever-evolving nature, and legions of drones make him one of the most powerful robots in the Marvel Universe. He’s exterminated all life on Earth in multiple futures, defeated Kang and his army of superhumans countless times, slaughtered billions across the universe, and assimilated the technorganic race known as the Phallanx and used them to conquer the intergalactic Kree Empire in 48 hours.
1) Scarlet Witch
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Starting as a mere lackey to Magneto and a member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, Scarlet Witch unlocked her true potential after she became an Avenger. She, along with her brother Quicksilver, joined the Avengers’ second roster for a chance at redemption. Scarlet Witch is a master of Chaos Magic, which allows her to bend all existence to her will. As the Sorcerer Supreme and focal point of all magic in the universe, her power is practically unrivaled in the Marvel Multiverse. She’s rewritten history, erased most of the X-Gene from existence, destroyed planets, created new universes, and temporarily destroyed the Phoenix Force. Unfortunately, such raw power has led Scarlet Witch to periodically revert to her villainous roots as the overwhelming power drives her to madness.
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