Heroes with a healing factor are a dime-a-dozen these days, but only a few have the power to essentially cheat death. Originally conceived as a serious villain, the intergalactic mercenary Lobo quickly turned into a parody of the gritty mid-90s Marvel comics, then became a gritty character himself.
One thing that has remained consistent about the character is his super-strength and healing factor, although the degree of these powers varies greatly depending on the writer. In some comics, bullets and bladed weapons can injure Lobo, while in others, he can body a military missile without any issue. Lobo is immortal and immune to the effects of aging, as well as is able to survive in space and stand toe-to-toe with Superman. With his cigar-smoking grittiness, it isn’t hard to see that Lobo takes a lot of inspiration from a certain Canadian Marvel mutant.
8 Wolverine Is All About Healing
Probably the main inspiration for the gritty parody aspect of Lobo, Wolverine is one of the most powerful characters in the Marvel Universe. With an adamantium skeleton and accelerated healing, Wolverine has withstood countless injuries that would be beyond fatal to other heroes. However, this healing power usually works proportionally to the amount Wolverine was damaged and does not stop him from feeling the pain of his injuries or the regeneration. While the degree of healing depends on the state of Wolverine, he is always able to bounce back from essentially any injury.
7 Slapstick Is Made Of Unstable Molecules
Slapstick is one of the most unique entries on the list because his healing powers work a little bit differently from other Marvel characters. Steven Harmon was a normal human until he was struck with supernatural abilities given to him through an extra-dimensional device.
Since then, his unstable molecules allow him to become completely invulnerable and bounce back from any injury like a cartoon character. A small device in his left glove allows him to maintain the physiology of his basic shape and constantly return himself to his original shape if need be.
6 X-23 Takes After Her Dad
If there is anyone who can surpass Wolverine on a basic healing factor level, it is his clone/daughter Laura Kinney, X-23. With only a small amount of adamantium in her skeletal structure, Laura is able to heal at a faster rate than Wolverine. Not only can she reattach severed limbs, but her ability is also so powerful that she can instantaneously regrow new limbs from nothing. Her healing factor seems to also be correlated with her psychological state somehow, though the full connection is unclear.
5 Deadpool Can Lend His Healing Ability To Others
Deadpool’s healing factor is derived from the genes of Wolverine, so one might not be blamed for thinking it would act to a less powerful degree. This couldn’t be further from the truth, however.
Deadpool can regrow limbs, entire sections of his body, and even his head at a much faster rate than Wolverine or X-23. Even if his head is removed, he can control his detached body for a few minutes. His blood, when given to others, can also grant them intense healing abilities as well.
4 Hulk Can Control His Cellular Structure
While being by far the weakest character on the list in his human form, when Bruce Banner turns into the Hulk he becomes a Marvel legend with god-like abilities. Unlike most characters on this list, Hulk got his powers from gamma radiation. This actually allows him to have full physiological control over his nervous system and individual cells. Hulk was once blasted into a ton of pieces from a nuclear bomb and put himself together through sheer willpower. He is also completely invulnerable to any human disease.
3 Elixir’s Healing Abilities Continue To Grow
While not much of a fighter, Elixir possesses one of the most unique and powerful healing abilities in the Marvel Universe. Joshua Foley, or Elixir, was first only able to mend broken bones or heal wounds of not only himself but of anyone he touched.
This expanded to eventually being able to regrow limbs of himself and others instantly. He eventually became so powerful that he could resurrect the dead with a touch as well as kill them. He was also able to cure X-23 of the powerful Legacy Virus.
2 Sabretooth Is The Evil Wolverine, With Healing Powers And All
Victor Creed, or Sabretooth, is the dark foil to the hero of Wolverine. This evil mutant has very similar powers to Wolverine, being able to almost instantaneously heal from virtually any damage done to his body. Bullets and blades barely affect Sabretooth, although he does still feel the pain of his wounds and healing. Like Wolverine, his healing is proportional to the amount of damage caused. He doesn’t seem to have any control over his healing ability and it stays mostly stagnant, no matter his mood.
1 Sentry Can Bend Reality To Heal Himself
Possibly the most overpowered character in Marvel Comics, Robert Reynolds, or The Sentry, has an incredibly strong healing factor. Sentry gained his powers from Golden Sentry Serum which allows him to draw power from the sun. His god-like abilities give him the power of molecular manipulation and the ability to warp realities. Because of this, he can simply wish for any injury to be undone. The limit of Sentry’s powers is unknown, being compared frequently to the power of a million exploding suns.
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