DC Comics created the superhero in the Golden Age but the argument can be made that Marvel Comics perfected them in the Silver Age. The superhero wasn’t exactly a new idea – the ideas of heroes with great power defending the weak has been around for as long as humans have been telling stories – but it’s one that has been able to resonate with fans over the years. While there are all kinds of reasons to love superhero stories, one of the best parts about them is the action. It’s fun to see superheroes battle supervillains, their superpowers making their battles into what amounts to wars between gods.
However, those awesome looking battles can be a major problem for the heroes as well. While they’re ostensibly fighting to protect the weak from harm, their battles often cause massive destruction. They try their best to mitigate the destruction, but sometimes it cannot be helped. In fact, some heroes cause much more destruction than the villains, their powers making their battles ever more dangerous. These five comic heroes cause as much destruction as the villains, their battles the stuff of destructive legend.
5) The Sentry
The Sentry was first introduced in the year 2000. Marvel and Wizard Magazine decided that the best way to advertise the book was to pretend that the Sentry was a forgotten Stan Lee character based on Superman that Marvel never used. This would play into the central conceit of The Sentry – that no one could remember him – and gave the book a perfect hook to get readers interested. The reason they couldn’t remember him is the reason he’s on this list. Bob Reynolds was a drug addict who ended up stealing and injecting a supersoldier serum that gave him the power of a million exploding suns. He ended up becoming a superhero, but there was a problem – his mental issues and extreme power levels combined to create the Void, the Sentry’s greatest enemy. This means that everyone the Void kills is actually killed by the Sentry. Everything the Void does is actually done by the Sentry, leading the heroes to wipe the memory of the Sentry from the world in order to make sure it didn’t show up again. The Void is constantly trying to destroy the world, causing untold destruction every time he shows up, all of which can be laid at the feet of the Sentry.
4) Invincible
Invincible has become one of the greatest success stories in 21st century comics. He was created in the early ’00s by Robert Kirkman, becoming a popular enough hero and eventually growing to the level he’s reached. We all know his story by now – the son of Viltrumite hero Omni-Man, he joined the superhero community to fight alongside his dad. However, he soon learned the terrible truth about his father – that he wasn’t sent to Earth to help, but to conquer the world for the Viltrumite Empire. Invincible became one of the most talked about comics thanks to its action scenes. Invincible found himself in the most brutal battles you can imagine, ones that didn’t skimp on the destruction. Invincible is super strong and durable and he often fights enemies that are just as powerful. Their battles are terribly destructive, showing off just how big these conflicts can get when the fighters have high power levels. Invincible is basically an unstoppable object being punched really hard by other unstoppable objects who he is also hitting really hard. It’s basically like two people throwing wrecking balls at each other in the middle of a crowded city, leading to destructive fights on another level.
3) Nick Fury
Nick Fury first joined the battle against evil in World War II, him and his Howling Commandos going up against the Nazi threat. He’d eventually reach the rank of colonel and began working with the CIA after the war, battling against the Soviets and other enemies of democracy. Eventually, he would become Director of SHIELD, leading the fight against the various evil secret organizations of the world. Nick ended up working with the greatest superheroes on Earth, defending the planet from the biggest threats. Fury is the ultimate pragmatist; he’s all about the mission succeeding no matter what. He’s the kind of person for whom the ends always justify the means. Over the years, his secret war against evil has been incredibly destructive. While he would prefer for missions to go off without a hitch, he doesn’t have a problem throwing soldiers at a problem until its solved. Sometimes, the only thing Nick can do is call in an air strike or send a person to their death, making the tough call to save the most people. He doesn’t like doing it, but he’ll pay any price to save lives.
2) Superman
Superman has saved the multiverse many times and always does his best to keep the destruction to a minimum. However, much like Invincible, he’s an unstoppable object getting punched really hard and that’s going to lead to some problems for everyone around him. There are plenty of times when he can’t help how much destruction he causes. Superman is all about trying to solve problems with as little violence as possible, because he knows that violence is only going to cause more destruction. Supes does his best to save as many lives as possible during his fights, often evacuating the area while under attack, but that doesn’t change how much destruction his fights cause. Superman fights the most dangerous bad guys out there, so there’s going to be a lot of wrecked buildings after one of his fights. The Man of Steel is quite cognizant of the destruction he causes, often using his powers to help rebuild the area after the fight ends. He does his best to keep the destruction to a minimum, but when he can’t, he makes sure to at least clean up after himself.
1) The Hulk
The Hulk is the strongest one there is. Bruce Banner had a terrible childhood, abused by his alcoholic father. This led to him developing DID, with the Hulk first appearing as someone to protect him from his terrible life. It would take on a life of its own after the One Below All opened the Green Door, birthing the most powerful force on Earth. The Hulk isn’t really a superhero, at least not in any way that counts. He didn’t gain powers and set out to fight evil. He just wants to be left alone and this has led to the vast majority of his fights over the years. The thing about the Hulk is that he has infinite strength in a body that’s under control of what amounts to a very angry toddler. His fights are extremely destructive and he does little to lessen their impact. The Hulk has caused countless billions of dollars of damage over the years, his destructive rampages destroying entire cities in a matter of hours. He’s basically a walking engine of destruction and makes most villains look tame by comparison.