For as long as superheroes have existed side-by-side in the pages of our comics, the question has been lurking in the back of our minds; who is the toughest? The heroes’ appearances in comic books and on the big screen alike have come to reflect these questions, as writers have pit them against each other from time to time, but now we’ve got a new medium through which to experience these heroes — on the latest generation of consoles. Marvel’s Avengers is out now, and with it, comes a new Avengers team.
Each character possesses a series of “heroic” moves, a chargeable ability that has three categories: assault, support, and a special ultimate move to perfectly encapsulate the hero’s abilities. Looks like you’ll need them, too, as the game has already showcased the appearances of the likes of The Abomination, Taskmaster, and M.O.D.O.K as villains standing in the way of your quest to tear down the oppressive Advanced Idea Mechanics, or A.I.M.
Every Avenger is a little different to how we’ve come to know them in the movies, so, with their exciting new abilities and a brand new story to see them excel — who’s the strongest?
Black Widow
Natasha Romanoff is known for her tactical and efficient combat strategy, and her in-game appearance is no different. Her approach is rooted in her skills as a melee combatant — getting up close and personal with the enemy, using her abilities as an assassin to deftly take down foes with acrobatic flair. One of her heroic moves sees her use the Widow’s Bite as seen in her appearance in Black Widow #1: an electrical projectile that will incapacitate a foe ready for you to finish them off. Her agility makes her a difficult target to hit, and her stealthy approach paired with her precise training will make tearing through ground-level goons look like a picnic.
Captain America
Seen at the opening of the game during A Day, Captain America’s skill set is exactly what you’d expect from him. Another ground-level combatant, this time making use of his iconic vibranium shield to pick off enemies from afar. His nigh-unbreakable shield for defence supported by his insurmountable strength make him an incredible adversary — even when not considering his devastating ground pound attack, slamming into the ground and producing an immense shockwave around him that makes sweeping a room of enemies a breeze.
Hulk
Naturally, you can discern Hulk’s role in the gameplay simply by looking at him. He is able to pick up enemies and use them as weapons against their fellow goons, devastating large packs with ease. He’s incredibly useful for clearing paths with his heroic ability, The Shockwave Clap, tossing debris aside and destroying tanks and large structures. He can also scale buildings and other obstacles, ready to bound long distances using them as a jump pad. He defines the tank class and serves as the perfect choice to dispatch large groups of enemies in a hurry. So, to put it simply — Hulk smash.
Iron Man
Tony Stark may be adept in hand-to-hand combat, but he truly excels in Marvel’s Avengers when he takes to the skies. His high-tech suit makes air travel a breeze, and dispatching enemies with his laser blast attacks is even easier. His air support is a godsend in tense co-op scenarios and is able to grant a greater perspective on the battlefield. This doesn’t mean he’s not a powerful hero on the ground, mind you; his heroic laser spin attack is devastating to those around him, and he can ruthlessly use his hand-cannons to blast holes straight through any henchmen who stand in his way, or destroy larger enemies with a blinding blast straight from his arc reactor. Let’s not forget his ability to call in some Hulk-Buster armour to really tear things up.
Ms Marvel
Serving as the newest addition to the team, Kamala Khan is an Inhuman teenager who is able to “embiggen” in order to vanquish her foes. Her timidity does not stand in the way of her abilities; expanding her hands in order to fling enemies around the screen and into the ground in front of her is an exciting way to tear through stages, and her heroic ability sees her grow to five times her size, making clearing a room of underlings seem menial. She’s nimble and small in stature, but she makes up for it with her huge punch and unique stretching abilities.
Thor
The God of Thunder is – predictably – incredibly powerful, but he’s equally versatile. Using Mjolnir he is able to fly around stages for swift movement and come crashing down to Earth to demolish the opposition with his lightning abilities. He can pin enemies to the ground with the infinite weight of his hammer, and rain thunder upon those around him. His heroic abilities tie him back to Asgard; using Warrior’s Fury to grant brief invulnerability to his allies, or using the Bifrost bridge to bypass unbreakable shields and clear the screen of enemies. He’s a hero that suits any playstyle, and once mastered, will be able to decimate baddies in a pinch.
Each Avenger is powerful in their own way. When considering sheer ability and strength, it’d be safe to presume Thor as the toughest of the bunch, with his devastating attacks and remarkable versatility (not to mention he’s a literal god), but totally depending on your playstyle, in your hands, any could be the strongest Avenger. Whether you’re more into whittling down baddies with expert precision as Black Widow or clearing entire waves with immense strength and fury as Hulk, Marvel’s Avengers makes it easy to have fun tearing through henchmen and bosses alike in whatever playstyle suits you best. So no matter which hero you choose to play as, you’ll be ready enough to take on the oppressive organisation of A.I.M.
