The Most Overpowered Characters In Marvel Rivals

The developers at NetEase Games have released the newest hero shooter, Marvel Rivals. This game features thirty-three characters from Marvel, each with its own pros and cons. While the launch is considered mostly smooth, it is a hero shooter, and it would be a miracle if it launched without some imbalances and heroes that are considered overpowered.

From having a bit too much health to powerful abilities that are already menacing the multiplayer servers, Marvel Rivals does feature characters that have the community grumbling. Thankfully, as it is a live-service game, there are opportunities for NetEase to make changes through updates in the future.

Updated January 12, 2025, by Melody MacReady: Marvel Rivals continues to be one of the most popular free-to-play games as it enters its first season with a new set of content. The latest update not only introduces new maps and modes but also adds two new characters: The Invisible Woman and Mr. Fantastic from The Fantastic Four. These characters fill the roles of strategist and duelist respectively, each with their own unique abilities that make them stand out in this hero shooter. Additionally, over time, other characters have received buffs and nerfs, leading to a more balanced gameplay experience for some, while others remain as overpowered as ever.

15

Star-Lord

Being Legendary Is More Than Just Him Showing Off

• Class: Duelist
• Difficulty: 2/5
• First Appearance: Marvel Preview #4

Armed with his dual Element Guns, Star-Lord is a duelist who quickly fires a barrage of rounds at the opponent and then retreats, making him ideal for flanking. However, the leader of the Guardians Of The Galaxy features a black flip ability, allowing him to not only dodge an attack but instantly reload his guns for another round of his own attacks.

When surrounded by enemies, his Blaster Barrage attack does exactly as it sounds, making Star-Lord unload his weapons in all directions to damage anyone around him. The character also boasts a strong ultimate attack that makes his Element Guns fire like a beam attack that can cut through armored vanguard characters in seconds.

14

Groot

He Is Not Just A Friendly Wooden Giant

• Class: Vanguard
• Difficulty: 1/5
• First Appearance: Tales to Astonish #13

Everyone’s favorite lovable talking tree, Groot may be a kind soul, but his kit in Marvel Rivals makes him a deadly foe. Not only do his basic melee attacks have an impressive range for a vanguard, but he can also trap his enemies thanks to his thick vines, and is able to craft walls to keep foes from retreating or protect allies from a barrage of damage while doubling Groot’s attacks like a turret.

His Spore Bomb is the perfect special attack to combo into Groot’s basic attacks, already dealing a good amount of damage, but it spreads out into a small cluster bomb attack as well. Groot can also use his ultimate attack to pull multiple foes together and deal damage over time while imprisoning them.

13

Scarlet Witch

Wanda Can Turn The Tide With Her Chaos Magic

• Class: Duelist
• Difficulty: 1/5
• First Appearance: X-Men #4

Scarlet Witch is already an overpowered character in the comics and the movies, so it should be no surprise that she continues to be one in Marvel Rivals. In the game, she saps the life out of opponents using her chaos magic and players have the advantage of her attack tracking opponents, reducing the need for precision aiming and allowing her to defeat an enemy in seconds.

Newcomers should beware, though, that if they hear Scarlet Witch yell out, “Pure chaos!” that is their cue to run for their lives, as she is unleashing her ultimate attack. It is a massive explosion that can destroy everyone, no matter how much health or armor they have, and can result in an entire team being wiped out.

12

Winter Soldier

Fans Are Terrified By This Super Soldier’s Ultimate Attack

• Class: Duelist
• Difficulty: 2/5
• First Appearance: Captain America #6

Similar to Scarlet Witch, Winter Soldier features an ultimate attack that most players fear. He can leap into the air and slam down with a powerful bionic arm attack. If he immediately defeats an enemy or quickly takes down other enemies that were wounded by the attack, he can use the ability again right away. If timed correctly, the Winter Soldier’s ultimate can be used until the entire enemy team is gone.

The Winter Soldier’s basic attack is a high-powered pistol that can effectively take out enemies from a distance. When combined with the abilities of his bionic arm, he can defeat even the toughest opponents. It’s advisable to immediately focus on the Winter Soldier when he enters the fight.

11

Venom

• Class: Vanguard
• Difficulty: 3/5
• First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #300

Venom is the prime example of a tank and DPS character fusion, able to charge in and deal a lot of damage fast in a match. Like most Vanguard classes, he has a lot of health already, but at any point, he can use his Symbiotic Resistance ability to grant him an extra 100 health points to keep him going. He can even survive some ultimate attacks thanks to the extra health.

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The powerful attacks and other abilities turn the playable version of Venom into a force to be reckoned with, such as plummeting down on enemies and swinging faster than Spider-Man. Additionally, his standard attack has a surprising range for a melee attack, all of which turns him into the ideal Vanguard for distracting the enemy team while the rest focuses on the objective.

10

Iron Man

Unlimited Flight Turns Iron Man Into A Sniper

• Class: Duelist
• Difficulty: 2/5
• First Appearance: Tales of Suspense #39

As expected, Iron Man is armed with his trusty repulsors in his gauntlets, missiles, and chest beam like most versions of the character. His attacks can hit anyone at seemingly any range, which makes him a danger to anyone because of his ability to fly without any limitations.

Amid an intense battle, Iron Man can easily hide high in the air, launching repulsor blasts and energy beams akin to a sniper attack. It wouldn’t be so bad if Iron Man didn’t have the fastest movement out of all the airborne characters, even without his bonus ability to jet off at great speeds to avoid any possible attacks.

9

Squirrel Girl

She Lives Up To Her Reputation As Unbeatable

• Class: Duelist
• Difficulty: 1/5
• First Appearance: Marvel Super-Heroes #8 (Vol. 2)

Many characters from the Overwatch roster can be compared to Marvel Rivals characters and Squirrel Girl is no different. Squirrel Girl is essentially an analog of Junkrat, featuring a main attack to lob projectiles that explode after a second or on impact of an opponent.

Unlike Junkrat, Squirrel Girl’s main attack is far more precise and with better range to make Squirrel Girl take out an opponent far across the map. Additionally, she can unleash a stampede of squirrels that can devour foes in seconds, which is technically comic-accurate since Squirrel Girl took on Thanos and won in the past.

8

Jeff The Land Shark

The Best Shark Dog Is Also A Menace To Enemies

• Class: Strategist
• Difficulty: 2/5
• First Appearance: West Coast Avengers #6

On the one hand, Jeff The Land Shark is considered the cutest character in the game as he is a tiny shark that looks and moves like a puppy. On the other hand, however, Jeff is a Strategist character who sprays water and launches bubbles that heal teammates, arguably having the fastest healing abilities in the game.

Jeff can also heal himself, simply by swimming under the surface of any floor. While he is not invincible while swimming, his small dorsal fin is a challenge to hit, since he moves faster in this mode. Then there is his ultimate attack, which allows him to swallow all teammates and enemies whole. If positioned correctly, he can launch his enemies off the map for multiple kills at once.

7

Peni Parker

The Strongest Of The Spider-People

• Class: Vanguard
• Difficulty: 3/5
• First Appearance: Edge of Spider-Verse #5

Wearing her SP//dr mech suit as one of many Spider-Verse heroes, Peni Parker has heavy cannons that mow through enemy health fast, even large ones like Venom. That’s not what makes her overpowered, though, that honor goes to her Spider-Mines, which she can lay many out onto the map as traps combined with her cannons that make her a nightmare for players.

Peni Parker also features a Spider-Nest, which has multiple functions: sending out drones that attack opponents within range, allowing Peni to heal over time, and enhancing her speed. It all results in Peni Parker being a constant barrage of abilities that can turn the tide of an entire battle.

6

The Punisher

Guns, Guns, And More Guns

• Class: Duelist
• Difficulty: 1/5
• First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #129

In the early betas of Marvel Rivals, The Punisher became a notoriously brutal character to go up against. On top of an assault rifle and a shotgun that deal tremendous damage, the Punisher also has access to an armored turret that can wipe out an entire team without even being an ultimate attack, making him a perfect character for beginners.

There is humor to be found in a human character like Frank Castle defeating gods and aliens with Earthly firearms, but that’s also part of the fun. However, Punisher does have one otherworldly weapon in the form of an exosuit decorated with multiple guns as his ultimate attack, which has already made players run in terror whenever he unleashes it.

5

Hawkeye

He’s Called The Greatest Sharpshooter For A Reason

• Class: Duelist
• Difficulty: 4/5
• First Appearance: Tales Of Suspense #57

Thanks to his sharpshooting skills as an archer, Hawkeye has become the bane of many players in Marvel Rivals. He is ideal for up-close combat or sniping enemies from afar, with his trusty bow dealing out a large amount of damage and one headshot able to eliminate most foes.

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Hawkeye also has a defense mechanism via his melee attack, where he can swipe enemy projectiles out of the air. However, his ultimate attack is what can make him everyone’s worst enemy, as he can see the shadows of his foes wherever they go, and as long as he hits a shadow, the player takes the damage, which can allow him to wipe out the whole enemy team without even seeing them.

4

Invisible Woman

Susan Storm Is A Perfect Fusion Of All Classes

• Class: Strategist
• Difficulty: 4/5
• First Appearance: Fantastic Four #1

Introduced in Season 1, Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman, is a top-tier strategist thanks to her combination of healing and shielding abilities. She can attack and heal simultaneously with her main attack, while her alternate attack generates a small shield that can protect a teammate from imminent defeat or create an opening for Sue to flank the enemy. Additionally, she can utilize her force field powers to push or pull enemies.

Fitting given her name, Invisible Woman also grants herself and her allies invisibility via a massive force field, forcing enemies to fire blindly or enter the field to regain their sight. At the same time, the force field heals over time, meaning enemies are trapped with teammates who are constantly healing. As a bonus, if she is paired with her husband, Mr. Fantastic, she can grant him an armor ability that makes him more durable.

3

Hela

The Queen Of Hel Is Not To Be Trifled With

• Class: Duelist
• Difficulty: 3/5
• First Appearance: Journey Into Mystery #102

Even after being nerfed by the developers, Hela continues to live up to her title as the Goddess Of Death. She uses her magical darts, which have seemingly unlimited range and deal significant damage, particularly with headshots. Hela becomes nearly unstoppable in certain matches when paired with the right healers and tanks.

On top of her basic attack, Hela can escape hectic situations with her Astral Flock ability, turning her into a crow that quickly flies a short distance. Hela can also bombard the enemies with her ultimate attack, sending Nastrond Crows down to deal massive explosive damage that can take out most characters in one or two hits.

2

Cloak & Dagger

Healing Or Damaging Can Lead To A Powerful Game Of Swapping

• Class: Strategist
• Difficulty: 3/5
• First Appearance: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #64

Having two characters in one makes Cloak & Dagger a bit technical with a lot of experimentation needed to learn their controls. Dagger is all about healing and supporting the team her abilities with minimal damage against enemies, while Dagger can drain an opponent’s health in seconds, stun them with his cape, and make allies invisible.

When a player learns how to bounce between Cloak & Dagger, swapping between healing and damage properly to balance the two playstyles, it can feel like playing a two-person army. As a result, Cloak & Dagger are the ideal Strategist character for those who want to balance healing and damage.

1

Iron Fist

His Hands Are A Weapon In Every Possible Way

• Class: Duelist
• Difficulty: 4/5
• First Appearance: Sword Master: Warriors Of Three Sovereigns #1

Duelists are supposed to focus on unleashing damage, but Iron Fist has quickly gained a reputation as a character the community loves and despises at the same time. Given that the character is an elite martial artist, he features fast and powerful combos that can be used in midair or on the ground, fitting his Iron Fist moniker, but he takes it even further with wall running and self-healing.

With the Dragon’s Defense ability, Iron Fist absorbs attacks from his foes and redistributes them with Yat Jee Chung Kuen as a rapid-fire barrage of attacks that can demolish nearly every character on the roster. Following up the barrage with his healing ability is enough to allow Iron Fist to potentially go an entire match without being eliminated.

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Third-Person Shooter

Action

Multiplayer

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Released

December 6, 2024

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Developer(s)

NetEase Games

OpenCritic Rating

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Strong

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