Marvel Comics has no shortage of powerful superheroes who run the gamut when it comes to fantastic and unusual abilities. While some Marvel heroes have a litany of superpowers that make them massive threats, other heroes manage to get by with only one superhuman ability.
While most Marvel Comics superheroes possess special skills that they have honed over years of training, superhuman abilities are a very different story. When it comes to superpowers, Marvel heroes like members of the Fantastic Four, X-Men, or Avengers must make the most of their singular abilities.
10 Captain America
Captain America is an Avenger who boasts one of the greatest Marvel legacies. Despite just how well-renowned a hero as he is, Captain America really only possesses a single superpower, generated by the Super-Soldier Serum that he took during World War II.
The Super-Soldier Serum's enhancements led to Captain America's increased strength, which itself has added to the character's general speed and agility in combat. While Steve Rogers is also quite skilled in hand-to-hand combat, disk throwing, and other modes of fighting, these are all capabilities that were developed through training, as opposed to stemming from actual superpowers.
9 Medusa
Medusa is the Inhuman Queen and Black Bolt's wife who reigns in the lunar city of Attilan. While Medusa is afforded several enhanced abilities as a part of her Inhuman physiology, the only power that sets her apart from the other members of her people is her acute control over her hair.
While one's control over their own hair might not seem impressive at first, Medusa's hair is nearly unbreakable and can be used to great effect in close-range combat. Despite her singular power, the Inhuman Queen has remained one of the most prominent heroes in Marvel Comics, continuously establishing her importance to her people.
8 Colossus
Piotr Rasputin, a.k.a. Colossus, is a mutant and a prominent member of the X-Men. Like many other members of the mutant team, Colossus only possesses one physiological mutation in that he is capable of turning his body into solid metal that is nearly unbreakable.
While metal mimicry is the only power attributed to Colossus, this mutation still makes him one of the strongest X-Men. Piotr's metal body is far stronger than a human's, giving him an extra edge in combat, as he is both offensively and defensively stronger than most opponents.
7 Mister Fantastic
Reed Richards, also known as Mister Fantastic, serves as the leader of the Fantastic Four. In addition to his genius-level intellect, Reed Richards possesses a solitary superpower to stretch his body far beyond that of a natural human's physiology.
While elasticity is Mister Fantastic's sole superpower, this ability can be stretched to fit any number of uses. Richards is capable of shape-shifting by stretching his body to fit whatever model he chooses. His rubber-like physiology also grants him greater durability, as most blows simply bounce off of the elastic man.
6 Ant-Man
Ant-Man is one of Marvel Comics' first major superheroes, who often serves as a member of the Avengers. While many different characters have taken the mantle of Ant-Man over the years, most have one thing in common: their sole ability is to change their size.
Ant-Man is one of many Marvel heroes who are stronger than they appear, using his size-changing capabilities for many sensitive missions. Capable of shrinking between atoms or growing up to one hundred feet in length, Ant-Man has remained one of the most prominent superheroes in the Marvel Universe.
5 The Thing
Ben Grimm, also known as the Thing, is a leading member of the Fantastic Four and one of the physically strongest superheroes in the Marvel Universe. Grimm's strength stems from the cosmic rays that changed his human body into one made of solid rock, which remains the Thing's only notable superhuman feature.
The Thing is one of many Marvel heroes whose sole superpower is their incredible strength. Grimm's incredible superhero feats are no less impressive for his lack of extraneous powers, as his rock-like physiology is more than enough to carry him through his many missions alongside the Fantastic Four.
4 The Human Torch
As a member of the Fantastic Four, Johnny Storm's incredible superhuman feats were granted by cosmic rays, which granted him incredible fire-based abilities.
At a glance, the Human Torch appears to have a vast number of abilities, including pyrokinesis, immunity to fire, flight, and heat absorption. However, each of these superpowers stems from the same source: an ability to generate and be resistant to fire. Every other power merely comes as a brilliant side effect to this core ability, which has made the Human Torch one of the most beloved characters in Marvel Comics.
3 Storm
Ororo Munroe, a.k.a. Storm, is a mutant and a prominent member of the X-Men. Storm happens to be one of Marvel's most underrated superheroes, whose incredible power of atmokinesis, otherwise known as weather manipulation, makes her an incredibly strong superhero.
Storm's weather manipulation manifests itself in different ways extreme weather-based temperatures, but all lead back to the core singular mutation in her genome. With this solitary but versatile ability, Storm is able to manipulate winds to help herself fly, create lightning storms, and accomplish many other extraordinary feats all related to weather.
2 Cyclops
Cyclops is one of the most experienced X-Men leaders. The hero was among the first class at Professor Xavier's mutant school and has since gone on to lead various offshoots of the X-Men team, using his concentrated energy blasts.
While Cyclops's energy beam, which originates in his eyes, can often be difficult to control, it is also very powerful when harnessed correctly. Scott's singular mutation sometimes referred to as "optic blasts," makes him one of the most dangerous and powerful members of the X-Men, especially after he learns to control this incredible ability.
1 The Hulk
The Hulk is one of Marvel's most popular characters of all time, whose superpower is often treated as a curse as often as it is a gift. Dr. Bruce Banner's experiments with Gamma radiation cause him to turn into the Incredible Hulk, whose size, strength, and rage far exceed that of his more timid human counterpart.
While different versions of the Hulk have occasionally added ancillary powers to better round out his character, the best-known version of the superhero generally possesses only one power: his incredible strength. This abnormal fortitude makes him nearly invulnerable to any attack and makes him dangerous when angry. Additionally, the Hulk can leap humongous distances and create powerful thunderclap shockwaves. Aall of these abilities can be traced back to strength provided by Gamma radiation.