Five of the Deadliest Blades in Marvel Comics
In a world positively stuffed with powerful living weapons (i.e., superheroes), one would think an average sword utterly ineffectual. However, in Marvel Comics, even the blades are super.
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Whether godly, magical, man-made, or an extension of mutation, the following five blades are the deadliest people-pokers (and god-slayers) in the entire Marvel Universe.
All-Black, the Necrosword
(Image credit: Marvel Comics)
“All-Black” was created by Knull, god of the symbiotes – it was part of his living darkness, and tempered with the incalculable power of a slain Celestial.
In the midst of a god-killing campaign, Knull was briefly incapacitated while fighting deities adorned in golden armor. And the world upon which Knull crashed was inhabited by Gorr – an alien being who recently lost his family due to perpetual hardship never once addressed by his apparently dispassionate gods.
All-Black, currently without a conscious master, bonded its sword-shaped self to Gorr. And Gorr, now armed with a weapon capable of slaying gods, held aloft the instrument of his revenge; he would punish the negligently aloof gods for their callous indifference. And by “punish,” I mean “kill them.” Kill them all (including Thor).
All-Black bequeathed Gorr the power of Knull coupled with a power-enhancing link to an undead Celestial – and said power was provided in exchange for a constant supply of souls slain by the Necrosword. Because of this power, Gorr was able to murder several gods across several pantheons with very little effort. He also bested various Thors across time, eventually suffering defeat at the hands of a brief Thor collective, and by the “current” Thor who managed to absorb – and bond with – the All-Black. (A loose interpretation of this storyline is featured in the film Thor: Love and Thunder, which is currently streaming on Disney+)
The All-Black Necrosword is a god-slaying implement of IMMENSE power. And honestly, it could be the most powerful bladed weapon in the Marvel Universe.
Wait-a-second. Hold that thought.
The Twilight Sword
(Image credit: Marvel Comics)
Surtur, lord of the Fire Giants, forged the Twilight Sword (aka, the “Sword of Doom”) by invading, and destroying, the Korbinites’ home galaxy (the reason behind the Korbinites’ creation of an enhanced super-protector named Beta Ray Bill).
The energy of destroyed planets empowered the sword – a sword destined to usher in Ragnarok, the prophesied destruction of Asgard’s gods.
The power of Twilight is, unsurprisingly, off the charts (and perhaps more powerful than All-Black). It has the ability to snuff galaxies, destroy the Bifrost Bridge, shatter dimensional boundaries, and drastically inhibit Odin’s powers. Its incredible magical properties have often been siphoned – and reutilized – with various outcomes and degrees of success (one such reutilization, at the hands of Loki, transformed Thor into a frog. Yes, a frog). You can see the Twilight Sword in action in the film Thor: Ragnarok, currently streaming on Disney+.
The Ebony Blade
(Image credit: Marvel Comics)
Currently (and begrudgingly) wielded by Dane Whitman, aka “The Black Knight,” the Ebony Blade was forged by Merlin and Sir Percy from the Starstone meteorite. Its magical abilities? To cut through any object, deflect any magic, and protect the wielder from perilous harm (i.e., death).
Unfortunately, the sword came with a curse – each time the blade spilled blood, the wielder was incrementally corrupted to spill more, until said corruption was absolute.
Initially, Merlin explained said curse as a reaction to Sir Percy’s bloody exploits. Unfortunately, the blade didn’t turn him into something vile and corrupt — the blade actually fed on and expressed Sir Percy’s inner rage and bloodlust; it magnifies/expresses the inner violent urges of any and all wielders. Later, an agent of Knull (remember him?) verified – and expanded upon – the Ebony Blade’s aforementioned nature: It magnifies the user’s inner darkness, and it’s really meant for someone impure of heart.
Dane still wields the Ebony Blade, but only on occasion, and with great hesitancy. The Ebony Blade made it’s big screen debut in Eternals after being revealed briefly in an end credits scene. Marvel’s Eternals is streaming on Disney+.
Wolverine’s Claws
(Image credit: Marvel Comics)
Technically not a sword but six “snikt”-ing blades from Wolverine’s sizable forearms, these unbreakable, above-the-knuckle daggers can penetrate (almost) any and all materials. Why? Because Wolverine’s naturally occurring bone claws are layered with the man-made metal adamantium – a nearly indestructible steel alloy that can withstand multiple nuclear explosions, blows from Thor’s hammer, and really, any considerable destructive force.
Who layered Wolverine’s skeletal structure with adamantium? The Weapon Plus/Weapon X programs – pseudo-secret arms of the American government tasked with creating or augmenting superhumans for controlled military application.
Successfully bonding this atomically unbreakable metal to Wolverine made the already formidable mutant an unstoppable weapon of concise destruction.
Addendum: One of the few objects able to withstand a direct claw slashing? Captain America’s shield – it’s made from proto-adamantium, a slightly purer adamantium that's currently impossible to reproduce.
Wolverine will once again be brandishing his claws in live-action in the upcoming Deadpool threequel, which is slated for release in 2024.
The Soulsword
(Image credit: Marvel Comics)
Illyana Rasputin (aka, “Magik”), sister of Peter Rasputin (aka, “Colossus”) manifested the sword while spending considerable time (unwillingly) in Limbo. Created as an extension of her own mutant magic, the Soulsword, also powered by the Limbo dimension, grants any wielder rulership over the inhospitable reality.
Its other powers/attributes/limitations include “maiming the ethereal“ (the ability to strike ethereal/intangible opponents; “striking the supernatural” (the Soulsword only hurts magical creatures/objects, and very rarely non-magical people/objects); magical augmentation (increasing the magical power of the current sword wielder); the summoning of a nearly indestructible armor; and the manifesting of Limbo’s “stepping discs” for above the ground encounters.
After bonding with the Phoenix Force, the Soulsword gained additional devastating attacks, and became noticeably less hesitant when considering a killing strike. Magik and a version of the Soulsword can be seen in the 20th Century Studios film The New Mutants, recently added to Disney+.
Are these the most powerful blades in the Marvel Universe?
There may be a few more (hint: rhymes with “Flexmalibur”), but these blades are indeed the cream of the crop. Unless you disagree? Unless you have an addition (or three)? Let us know in the comments (below).
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