Sasha Baron Cohen will reportedly play Mephisto in the upcoming Ironheart Disney+ streaming series. The demonic supernatural villain might surprise some fans, but Riri Williams is no stranger to powerful villains in Marvel Comics. In fact, fans can expect her to face off against Marvel's heaviest hitters in the MCU as she has in the comics.
Ironheart did confront Mephisto's son, Blackheart, in the comics. She also fights Doctor Doom, Thanos, and other iconic Marvel villains whose power and reach extend far beyond hers. These villains and her struggles against them likely paint a picture for fans when it comes to understanding her live-action future.
10 Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden ranks with the best martial artists in Marvel Comics. A deadly assassin and spy, she emerged from the Cold War era like Black Widow. She differed from Black Widows like Natasha Romanov and Yelena Belova in that she wears an armored suit that augments her strength and endurance considerably.
The armor houses advanced weapons as well, including energy emitters. Though not as substantial as Ironheart's armor, Iron Maiden still proved a worthy foe for Riri Williams in the comics and may in the MCU as well.
9 Lady Octopus
Lady Octopus, a powerful Doctor Octopus variant, challenged Ironheart in the comics. She wields four robotic arms with the same strength and dexterity as Otto Octavius' original arms. These generate enormous force and strength and also allow her to move through urban fights very quickly.
Though she lacks natural superhuman powers, Lady Octopus commands considerable technical and engineering knowledge and expertise she uses against a similarly brilliant Ironheart.
8 Rhino
Rhino counts among the best Spider-Man villains in Marvel Comics, but he also menaced Ironheart. Rhino wields superhuman strength thanks to gamma radiation, allowing him to bench over 100 tons in his virtually impregnable suit. The suit protects him against most conventional attacks, including Ironheart's armaments.
Ironheart fought Rhino early in her career, testing her armor's limits and hers as a hero. Depending on if the MCU or Sony Marvel Universe leverages Rhino in future movies, she could fight him in live-action.
7 Armadillo
Armadillo potentially takes on Ironheart in the MCU thanks to his origins in the comics. He derives his powers ultimately from The Power Broker in Marvel Comics, including his considerable superhuman strength and durability. Though he lacks Rhino's raw power, he possesses far more skill and knowledge in martial arts.
Armadillo also cuts through his enemies with his retractable claws. These shred virtually all materials, including the dense metal comprising Ironheart's advanced armor. With The Power Broker creating superhumans in the MCU, numerous comic characters like Armadillo could appear.
6 C.R.A.D.L.E.
C.R.A.D.L.E. (Child Hero Reconnaissance and Disruption Law Enforcement) brought the American government resources and will to bear in enforcing the Underage Superhuman Welfare Act. This agency leveraged thousands of agents, soldiers, and assets including advanced weapons into capturing teenage superheroes including Ironheart and Ms. Marvel.
C.R.A.D.L.E. likely appears in the MCU if the franchise follows the comics, which saw Ironheart join The Champions alongside Ms. Marvel and Miles Morales, the Ultimate Comics Spider-Man. The organization may stem from Damage Control, which hounded Kamala Khan in her streaming series.
5 Lucia von Bardas
Lucia von Bardas counts as another character with MCU potential. This powerful Latverian politician wielded considerable power and influence that she translated into succeeding Doctor Doom as Latveria's ruler. As the country's monarch, she commands vast resources and assets, including Latveria's armed forces.
She also possesses cyborg implants which greatly enhance her stature as a villain. Her implants give her the ability to fly, generate energy shields, and also interact with computer systems. In a fascinating story that could lead to interesting live-action possibilities, Ironheart displaced Lucia as Latveria's ruler to govern the country.
4 Hydra Supreme
Ironheart encountered a major threat early in her Marvel Comics career when she fought against Hydra Supreme. This powerful Captain America variant shared all Steve Rogers' powers and abilities, including peak human strength, speed, and agility. He lacked Rogers' morality, becoming a cold, ruthless dictator.
Hydra Supreme conquered the United States in Secret Empire, a comic book storyline that required all surviving superheroes, including Ironheart, to band together to fight back. Steve Rogers always being a Hydra agent proved a shocking retcon for Marvel Comics fans, making adapting this story for the MCU questionable.
3 Blackheart
Comic book fans know Mephisto creates and controls demons. Blackheart stands with his most powerful creations. This immortal creature wields numerous mystical abilities, including the power to influence and capture souls. He also controls minds as he did with Ironheart, manipulating her to fight her own friends on The Champions.
Blackheart also exhibits superhuman strength, speed, and endurance, which makes him a difficult opponent in a conventional fight. These attributes increase along with his size and density, which he also can manipulate along with matter and energy.
2 Thanos
Thanos ranks with the most powerful cosmic beings in the Marvel Universe. Most fans know his vast power with the Infinity Gauntlet, which combines the Infinity Stones to make him virtually a god. With this power, he snapped away half the life in the entire universe in The Infinity Gauntlet comic book series.
Even without the Gauntlet, Thanos proves powerful, as Ironheart found out. His Titan physiology gives him superhuman strength, stamina, and other abilities, which he used to destroy Ironheart's armor with little effort.
1 Doctor Doom
Doctor Doom arguably stands atop all Marvel Comics supervillains. His genius results in technological creations like the Time Platform, which grants him time travel. He also possesses vast skill and knowledge in magic, enough to permit him to travel to Mephisto's hellish dimension in an attempt to reclaim his mother's soul.
Doom certainly appears in the MCU in the near future, and he likely challenges numerous heroes. He served as the Invincible Iron Man in the comics during the same time Riri emerged, pitting them against each other in a storyline live-action may adapt.