There have been some occasions in theMarvel Cinematic Universewhere characters' full powers have only been shown in a single fight. From the very beginning of theMCU’s movie timeline, the franchise has seen many powerful heroes and villains introduced, adapted from the pages of Marvel Comics. Though the franchise may not always strictly adhere to the source material, it typically keeps its characters and their abilities relatively close to their comic book counterparts.
However, in some cases, characters’ full power sets have only been showcased on a single occasion. These characters might only have been given one major battle to participate in, or have only unlocked their full potential in a single circumstance, but regardless, the movies andTV shows of the MCUhave only allowed them to fully embrace their potential once. With that in mind, here are 10 MCU fights that were the only time we got to see a character’s full powers.
10Quicksilver At The Battle Of Sokovia
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
When it comes to MCU characters who were not given enough opportunities to show their capabilities, few were held back as completely as Quicksilver. Marvel’s most iconic speedster made his full debut inAvengers: Age of Ultronafter appearing in a brief cameo in one of theMCU’s post-credits scenes. However, the film only really allowed him to show his full power in a single scene:Age of Ultron’s climactic Battle of Sokovia.
In the battle, Quicksilver was shown speeding through the battlefield, rescuing civilians and assisting his fellow heroes in battling Ultron’s forces. Quicksilver’s capacity for heroics was revealed to be surprisingly high, as he was able to help evacuate the city and save countless lives, including Hawkeye’s. However,as Quicksilver was killed during the battle, it remains the only time the MCU has actually showcased the extent of his abilities.
9Vision Vs Ultron
There are many powerful Marvel heroes who have been introduced into the MCU, but few can boast the same power level as the franchise’s iteration of Vision. Brought to life by the Mind Stone inside a body made of vibranium, Vision was immediately established as one of the most powerful figures in the MCU. Additionally, Vision’s ability to wield Mjolnir added another level to his abilities, withAge of Ultronseeing him demonstrate all of those talents in the battle against Ultron.
Unfortunately, that was the only time when Vision’s full power was truly shown. In his subsequent appearances in themovies of the MCU, Vision did not ever use the same level of power, and was overcome in battle several times ahead of his shocking death inAvengers: Infinity War. As he was resurrected inWandaVisionwithout the Mind Stone,it seems as though Vision’s full potential will have only been reached on a single occasionin the MCU.
8Ant-Man At The Battle of Earth
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
The MCU’s approach to introducing Ant-Man skipped over the most iconic Marvel character to have used the name, instead establishing Scott Lang as its main iteration of the hero. His abilities have been demonstrated on numerous occasions, but the full potential of his power has only been glimpsed within the franchise. Ant-Man’s most impressive feat came duringAvengers: Endgame, in which he was able to take out a Chitauri Leviathan in one-on-one combat.
Considering the only other character to achieve such a feat is the Hulk inThe Avengers,Ant-Man’s impressive punch while supersized in Endgame seems to imply he is capable of Hulk-like levels of strength.However, he has not used the same power in any of his other MCU appearances, making it seem as thoughEndgamemay well have been the most significant use of his abilities. Whether he could recreate the feat is unclear, but Ant-Man’s potential has only been truly demonstrated once to date.
7Savage Hulk Vs Hulkbuster
Avengers: Age of Ultronmight be far from the most popularAvengersmovie, but it did contain perhaps thebest Hulk battle in the MCU. After an encounter with Wanda Maximoff, the Hulk was manipulated into a rage that saw him rampage through Johannesburg, requiring Tony Stark to don his Hulkbuster armor to stop his teammate. The scene marked the only real appearance of Savage Hulk in the MCU, and as such is the only time he has unlocked his full potential.
Though Hulk has achieved many other impressive feats throughout his MCU story, the battle between Savage Hulk and the Hulkbuster saw him reach his most destructive point.The way that Wanda stripped away the last of his inhibitions made him as dangerous and as brutal as he has ever beenin the MCU. This allowed the franchise to showcase the full extent of his destructive potential, although it has not been revisited at all since.
6Captain Marvel Vs Thanos
Debates about which of the MCU’s Avengers is the strongest often see a single candidate ranking higher than the rest: Captain Marvel. Carol Danvers’ cosmic abilities make her one of the franchise’s most formidable heroes, as she possesses an especially versatile power set that allows her to be one of the most valuable members of the Avengers. However, her full strength has only really been showcased on a single occasion to date within the MCU.
InAvengers: Endgame, Captain Marvel joins the battle at a crucial moment, stepping in to resist Thanos’ brutal attack on the heroes. In their melee,Captain Marvel is able to withstand the Mad Titan’s attacks without so much as flinching, definitively proving that she’s stronger than the likes of Thor or Hulk, both of whom were overpowered by Thanos while he possessed fewer Infinity Stones. Unfortunately, Captain Marvel’s full powers have not been displayed as clearly since, with just one encounter truly proving the extent of her strength.
5Scarlet Witch Vs The Illuminati
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
The events ofDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnesssaw Wanda Maximoff unlock her dark potential as the Scarlet Witch after using the Darkhold. Wanda’s villain turn forced Strange to travel to another reality, where he encountered a team of that world’s most powerful and influential heroes.Doctor Strange 2’s Illuminatichose to help defend against Wanda’s attack on their reality, affording her an opportunity to demonstrate her full powers.
The scene that follows sees the Scarlet Witch dispatch the Illuminati with ease, brutally killing each of its powerful members with her dark magic.It’s the only fight in the MCU that has seen Wanda use the full might of her magic, using it with such potency that even the strongest heroes can’t stand against her. As she went on to die shortly after, the battle remains the only time in the MCU that she has been able to use her full power.
4G’iah Vs Gravik
Secret Invasion, season 1, episode 6, “Home”
Despite being considered the worst entry into the MCU,Secret Invasionfeatured some of the franchise’s most powerful characters.Secret Invasion’s endingsaw G’iah make use of the Harvest, imbuing herself with all the powers of the Avengers in order to face Gravik, who had done the same. The battle between the two saw both use their incredible range of abilities, showing just how versatile they can be using the amassed abilities of the MCU’s heroes and villains.
The scene was the only time that G’iah or Gravik fully demonstrated their abilities inSecret Invasion.Interestingly, G’iah survived the battle and is theoretically able to use her full powers again in future battles, but the same is not true of Gravik. Though at present it may be the only time each character has fully used their whole set of abilities, it seems to be certain that only Gravik will never get to demonstrate his power again.
3Sinister Strange Vs The Multiverse
What If…?, season 2, episode 9, “What If… Strange Supreme Intervened?”
The Multiversal narrative ofWhat If…?has addressed several intriguing hypotheticals within the wider context of the MCU. One of these stories saw a full exploration of Sinister Strange, a variant of Doctor Strange who was transformed and corrupted by his use of the Darkhold. This in turn saw him become a formidable threat to the Multiverse, eventually pitting him against some of Marvel’s most powerful hero variants.
Seeing Sinister Strange combat the amassed might of the Multiverse was an impressive display of power from the villainous variant. Though he was ultimately unsuccessful in his goal to amass enough power to recreate a destroyed reality,it remains the only time Strange’s dark potential has truly been shown in the MCU.As it’s unlikely that the franchise will allow its main Doctor Strange to undergo such a major villain turn, it will almost certainly remain the only occasion when his full power is actually demonstrated.
2Death Vs Agatha & Billy
Agatha All Along, season 1, episode 8, ““Follow Me My Friend / To Glory at the End”
One of the most interesting introductions to the MCU in thecast of Agatha All Alongwas Rio Vidal, a powerful magic user whose true identity was shrouded in secrecy. The show eventually revealed Rio to be Death, establishing her as an unstoppable entropic force that Agatha had been opposing for centuries. The show saw Death eventually face Agatha and Billy in battle, fully demonstrating her power.
Death’s full powers were only truly shown once, as the battle quickly proved too much for Agatha and Billy to win. The fight swiftly ended with Agatha opting to finally die, appeasing Death and saving Billy from her clutches.Considering Death had been present throughout the show’s previous episodes, the battle was in fact the only time the frightening extent of her power level was actually shownon screen, easily outmatching two of the MCU’s most powerful magic users.
1Dormmamu Vs Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange (2016)
Despite being one of the most powerful beings in the entire Marvel Universe, Dormammu has been sparingly used within the MCU. Although he was mentioned many times throughout the events ofDoctor Strange, he only appeared briefly in the movie, during the climactic scene in which he engages Doctor Strange in battle. Hopelessly outmatched, Strange is able to use a time loop in order to force Dormammu to an unfair stalemate.
The one-sided battle between Doctor Strange and Dormammu remains the only time that the villain’s abilities have been shown. The colossal amount of power wielded by Dormammu was talked about, but was only shown in a few fleeting moments, establishing him as one of the MCU’s most powerful beings. Even so, the final battle inDoctor Strangeis the only time that has actually been demonstrated within theMarvel Cinematic Universe.
