The MCU is packed with iconic displays of power, but some of the franchise’s best feats are rarely the subject of discussion. Plenty of jaw-dropping MCU moments remain unforgettable, like Captain America’s Mjolnir fight and Iron Man’s Snap. After all, it took several years of set-up to deliver these scenes.

However, there are so many powerful characters in the MCU that several exploits of skill and strength fly under the radar. Some moments are overshadowed by bigger events, while others aren’t depicted as visually striking as they should be. Even for Avengers or Avengers-level villains, some feats are worth another look.

10

Steve Rogers Withstands Multiple Rage-Filled Punches From The Winter Soldier

At the end of Captain America: The Winter Soldier‘s final battle, Steve Rogers gives up fighting Bucky Barnes, who repeatedly punches Steve’s face. Bucky isn’t holding back in this scene, and his Winter Soldier programming is still active. On top of that, Steve falls from the crumbling Helicarrier into the water, unconscious.

The sheer punishment Steve endures is impressive, even for a Super Soldier. Cap withstands the full might of Bucky’s rage-fueled, тιтanium-powered punches, and he survives a fall from an extraordinary height and possibly drowning without any permanent injuries. While feats like holding back a helicopter with a single arm are more immediately spectacular, this particular moment in Captain America’s superhero career is worth highlighting.

9

Daredevil Casually Puts Up A Fight Against She-Hulk

Daredevil squares off against Jennifer Walters in a playful She-Hulk: Attorney At Law action scene. What’s remarkable is that Matt Murdock, a street-level hero with no super soldier serum or super-strength, goes toe-to-toe with a literal Hulk. Despite She-Hulk’s immense size and enhanced abilities, Daredevil dodges She-Hulk’s every attack and almost manages to escape.

Matt Murdock’s first encounter with Jennifer Walters is one of the clearest demonstrations of Daredevil’s enhanced senses and mastery of martial arts. If Matt can handle She-Hulk without being immediately overpowered, it implies that his training allows him to adapt to superhuman battles more easily than his solo shows suggest. One can only imagine how many similarly impressive, off-screen confrontations Daredevil has survived off-screen.

8

Spider-Man Shakes Off Being Hit By A Train At Full Speed

In Spider-Man: Far From Home, Mysterio finishes his string of illusions by leading Peter Parker to be struck head-on by a speeding train. Any normal human would be instantly killed on impact. Instead, Spider-Man not only survives the blow, but later wakes up in a jail only mildly dizzy and battered.

The train hits Spider-Man so fast it’s easy to gloss over the implications. Tobey Maguire’s Peter uses all his strength and abilities trying to stop a train, to the point that he pᴀsses out after achieving it in Spider-Man 2. Tom Holland’s Peter Parker simply wakes up with a headache. Like Steve Rogers, Peter Parker never develops any long-term health side effects.

7

An Injured Smart Hulk Lifts The Avengers Compound

In Avengers: Endgame, Smart Hulk pulls off one of the MCU’s most impressive feats of endurance when he snaps half of the universe back into existence. However, Hulk’s snap overshadows an even more impressive achievement. Burnt, exhausted, dazed, and drowning, Smart Hulk manages to lift the Avengers compound’s wreckage as the whole structure collapses on top of him and his fellow heroes.

Iron Man’s sacrifice and Captain America’s Mjolnir battle steal the spotlight in Avengers: Endgame‘s final battle. Yet, Hulk lifting Avengers HQ is one of the best demonstrations of raw durability and willpower in the whole MCU. Smart Hulk had just endured a force strong enough to nearly kill Thanos, and while injured, he still accomplishes something that Savage Hulk would struggle to do.

6

Thanos Survives A Full-Speed Stormbreaker To The Chest

In Avengers: Infinity War, Thor hurls Stormbreaker at Thanos during the climactic Wakanda battle, but Thanos is able to perform the Snap, telling Odinson he “should have gone for the head”. Besides Thor’s misguided attempt to make Thanos suffer, it’s actually surprising how durable the Mad тιтan’s body really is. Thor throws Stormbreaker full-speed at Thanos and digs into his chest. Yet, Thanos manages to survive long enough to recover.

The tragedy of the Snap completely overshadows every surrounding detail. Thanos barely reacts to every hero fighting him in Wakanda. But most villains would have been finished instantly by Stormbreaker’s direct hit, especially when fueled by Thor’s lightning. The fact that Thanos is more gravely hurt by the Infinity Stones than Stormbreaker is a feat of its own.

5

Tony Stark Defeats Aldrich Killian’s Henchmen With No Iron Man Tech

In Iron Man 3, Tony Stark infiltrates Aldrich Killian’s base with nothing but makeshift gadgets cobbled together from a hardware store. Using tasers, nail guns, and flash grenades of his own design, Stark overwhelms Extremis-powered soldiers who are exponentially better equipped and trained than him. This sequence is the perfect proof of Tony Stark’s genius outside the armor.

Although Iron Man 3 has many flaws, it does a great job proving that Iron Man is more than Tony Stark’s suit of armor. Nobody can replicate Iron Man because Iron Man is Tony Stark’s intellect and resourcefulness. Before storming the compound, Stark also displays remarkable combat skills by physically outmaneuvering Extremis-enhanced foes, who are literally fire-powered supervillains.

4

Black Panther Knocks Out Cull Obsidian With A Single Punch

Spider-Man, Iron Man, and Wong have trouble restraining Cull Obsidian in Avengers: Infinity War, and Bruce Banner in the Hulkbuster armor barely holds his own against the strongest member of Thanos’ Black Order. Meanwhile, Black Panther delivers a single, perfectly timed punch that instantly knocks Cull Obsidian out cold during the Battle of Wakanda. Although T’Challa doesn’t kill Cull Obsidian, he brushes the villain away effortlessly.

T’Challa’s vibranium-enhanced strength and speed allows him to finish the fight before it starts. Of course, Black Panther is aided by his energy-absorbing suit, but he still needs superhuman precision to knock out the brute. Before this, Black Panther displayed similarly overlooked feats of power, like taking down a rhino and several full-speed vehicles, all by himself.

3

Mantis Puts Thanos & Ego To Sleep

Mantis is often depicted as comedic relief, but her feats show an astonishing level of psychic power. In Avengers: Infinity War, Mantis restrains the Mad тιтan himself by subduing Thanos’ thoughts in the middle of battle. In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Mantis is also strong enough to incapacitate Ego in his planet form. Few heroes can boast such direct control over cosmic villains.

Thanos wields multiple Infinity Stones during the тιтan fight, yet Mantis manages to hold him back long enough for the team to try removing the Gauntlet. Mantis’ abilities aren’t flashy like energy blasts or brute strength, but they’re quietly among the most useful. The fact she can incapacitate both a Celestial and a тιтan puts her among the MCU’s most underrated heavy hitters.

2

Sam Wilson Stops A Flagpole Attack From Red Hulk With No Super Soldier Serum

In Captain America: Brave New World, Sam Wilson naturally has the odds stacked against him with none other than Red Hulk unleashing his anger against him. Hence, Sam needs to approach the fight accordingly, relying on strategic attacks and careful dodging. However, Captain America takes the full force of a flagpole swing from Red Hulk with his hands. As well-armored and equipped as he is, Sam Wilson shouldn’t be able to survive such an attack from a full-powered Hulk.

Of all the underrated feats in the MCU, Sam Wilson’s flagpole catch might be the most difficult to believe. In theory, all the bones in his arms should have shattered from the impact. Still, it could be argued that he used his jetpack to shift the momentum away, and that the vibranium in his costume absorbed the rest of the energy.

1

Silver Surfer Escapes Spaghettification

The Fantastic Four: First Steps introduces three of the MCU’s most powerful characters. But while Galactus and Franklin Richards’ power takes center stage in the plot, Silver Surfer’s Power Cosmic shines in one particular scene. When the Fantastic Four try to shake off Shalla-Bal while returning to Earth, they push Silver Surfer into a black hole, which pulls her into its singularity.

If black holes behave normally in the MCU, Shalla-Bal shouldn’t be able to survive. Once an object crosses a black hole’s event horizon, not even light can escape. However, Silver Surfer somehow comes back unscathed. While she achieves it off-screen, Silver Surfer’s close encounter with a black hole is probably the most impressive feat of power in the franchise, as it defies scientific explanations.