Who Can Survive a Nuke in the MCU?

During the Battle of New York in The Avengers, a nuclear blast nearly occurred and it would have had devastating effects on the population.

Some of our favorite heroes like Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, and Captain America would have found themselves in the blast’s path. So, had the nuke detonated, would it have killed them?

Below, we will outline several Avengers and a few villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) capable of withstanding a nuclear blast.

Note that, for the following characters to survive, they must be in their respective suits or evoking a magical superpower, as it’s virtually impossible for the average human to withstand such a blast.

1- Iron Man

While Tony Stark (Iron Man) succumbed to radiation from the Infinity Stones in Avengers: Endgame, he was the one who carried the nuke into space through a wormhole that the trickster god Loki opened.

Shortly after Stark took the missile through a wormhole over Stark Tower, it detonated. While his ensuing freefall may have killed him on impact had it not been for Hulk, Stark’s ability to intercept the missile shows he probably would have survived it in his Iron Man suit.

His Iron Man armor can absorb most forms of radiation. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case with the radiation from the Infinity Stones. But the armor was built to withstand even the strongest weapons on Earth.

2 – Thor

Thanks to Avengers: Infinity War, there is evidence that Thor can survive a nuclear explosion. However, if you look at Marvel forums stemming from the early days of the MCU, many claimed Thor couldn’t do this.

This rumor came from Scott Landall’s Iron Man: Volume 2, when Thor and the Thing traveled to an overheating gamma-radiated energy core. The core was in danger of going nuclear, but the duo believed they could withstand the energy and fix it.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case, and the task was left to Hulk. But in the MCU, things were different. During Infinity War, Thor needed a weapon that could kill Thanos, so he went to Nidavellir to forge Stormbreaker.

During the process, he absorbed a star’s gamma-radiated energy. And while the feat briefly knocked him out, he was otherwise uninjured.

3 – Hulk

Hulk (Bruce Banner) is the given on this list since he was exposed to gamma radiation during the opening scenes of The Incredible Hulk (2008).

The exposure made Banner virtually indestructible when his heart rate reached 200 beats per minute, allowing him to turn into the Hulk.

Since his body can withstand radiation, he would survive even the strongest nukes.

We also saw this occur in the comic Hulk: The End by Peter David and Dale Keown. The comic told a story where Hulk was the sole survivor of a devastating nuclear war, leaving humanity plagued with radiation sickness. Disturbed, Hulk fled to a cave as humanity died out.

Instead of rescuing him, an alien left a recording machine for Hulk so the Green Goliath could electronically document his sad existence.

Despite the bleakness of the comic, it showed Hulk could survive not just one nuke, but also a nuclear war.

4 – Black Panther

Hailing from the technologically-advanced nation of Wakanda, Black Panther’s vibranium suit would help him survive just about anything. We know it can withstand strong bullets, and it also makes him agile enough to outmaneuver lightning-fast projectiles.

Thanks to his vibranium armor, Black Panther could also survive a nuke. Since we know vibranium can absorb kinetic energy, the suit would take in even energy released by the strongest nuclear weapons.

5 – Loki

While Loki may not survive a nuke in his true form, we need to remember that the Trickster God is the ultimate shapeshifter. Loki would only need to shift into something that can withstand enough radiation to survive the blast.

If Loki couldn’t think of something capable of withstanding radiation to shift into, he could always conjure objects. Suppose Loki conjured vibranium armor. If he did this, the God of Mischief would survive any nuclear blast.

6 – Thanos (With the Infinity Gauntlet)

The Mad Titan is one durable villain, but he could not survive a nuke without at least his armor. But even then, it’s ticky-tacky as to whether he would survive a more powerful blast.

Therefore, if Thanos were to live through the strongest possible nuke, he would need the Infinity Gauntlet. There are many ways Thanos could protect himself from a nuclear explosion, but two of them come to mind before anything else.

The first method would require him to manipulate the nuke’s energy, rendering it far weaker than it would otherwise be if he didn’t have the gauntlet working for him.

Thanos can also alter reality with the gauntlet, which would save him in a nuclear explosion.

7 – Doctor Strange

While it would be hard to imagine Doctor Strange surviving a nuke if it caught him off guard, he would survive if he was quick enough to conjure a spell to subdue it.

In Avengers: Infinity War, we saw Strange go into a trance-like state. During this time, he witnessed tens of millions of outcomes where the Avengers lost, and one outcome where they won.

If Strange used that same ability, he would see the nuke coming before anyone else. His powers alone would stifle the bomb, even if it detonated.

Strange could also send the nuke into another dimension, saving not just himself, but those around him.

8 – Scarlet Witch

As one of the most powerful characters in Marvel and the MCU, Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch) has used her powers for both good and evil. In the case of her extensive magic, a nuke would be no match for her.

Like Doctor Strange in the above section, it’s possible a nuke could kill her if she didn’t do something to subdue it.

But Scarlet Witch can control reality, so she’d only need to conjure one up where she survived such a blast, and she’s safe from a nuclear weapon’s catastrophic effects.

We also know that she once subdued 90% of the world’s mutants with a mere thought. Therefore, she could potentially evoke the same thing if she found herself on ground zero of a nuclear attack.

9 – Visio

Since his birth in Avengers: Age of Ultron, we’ve seen Vision pull off some extraordinary feats, like wielding Thor’s Mjolnir.

In the case of surviving a nuke, Vision would only need to change his body’s density. Once it reached a density capable of withstanding such an attack, he’d be safe.

Like Loki, Vision can pull off his own brand of shapeshifting, even if it’s nothing like what the Trickster God can do. He can structure his cells in any way he pleases, which would theoretically give him an advantage during a nuclear event.

Just as we stated Loki could shift into something capable of surviving a nuclear detonation, Vision would do the same.

10 – Ant-Man

Scott Lang would have a huge advantage if a nuke went off in his neck of the woods. He could avoid the blast by shrinking to the size of an ant and escaping into the Microverse.

While the Microverse is full of a good deal of threats, Ant-Man would at least keep himself safe from a nuclear attack.

There is also evidence, however, that Lang could simply shrink and still survive the onslaught. In Avengers: Endgame, we saw Thanos attack the Avengers Compound, only for Lang to shrink and somehow survive the first blast at point-blank range.

11 – Spider-Man

We’ve seen Peter Parker take some hard hits, as he survived a train hitting him in Far From Home. But a nuclear explosion would pack a more powerful punch, so it could kill Parker if he didn’t see it coming.

However, we know Parker has spidey senses, and that would let him know a blast is on its way, giving him time to react. From there, he would use his web shooters to deactivate the nuke.

Not only would Parker survive the blast via deactivation; he could also save large numbers of civilians in the process.

12 – Captain Marvel

Many characters on this list would have to dig deep to survive a nuke. For example, Scott Lang must shrink while Peter Parker must be fast enough. But Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel) could easily survive a nuke, as she could, in Tony Stark’s words, “absorb the blast.”

We saw Stark make this quip in The Death of Doctor Strange #1, by Alex Paknadel and Ryan Bodenheim.

However, there would be a major problem here. Danvers could absorb the radiation, but she would be unable to transform the energy into anything less radioactive.

This means that ordinary people couldn’t go near her, or else they would die of radiation sickness thanks to the radioactive half-life that lingers after such a blast.

13 – War Machine

James Rhodes’ War Machine suit is based on Iron Man’s, and it contains many similar abilities. Since we saw earlier that Tony Stark’s suit can absorb radiation, you can say the same for War Machine.

While War Machine probably wouldn’t survive radiation from the Infinity Stones, since Stark intended the suit to withstand the strongest weapons on Earth, it would ensure Rhodes survives a nuke.

Sion Fawkes

Sion Fawkes has been covering Star Wars since January 2022, expanding his expertise in Star Wars Canon, Legends, and MCU. When not writing, you can find Sion in the gym or running trails. He also likes watching sports and listening to audiobooks.