The cathode active particles-embedded polyacrylonitrile nanofibers/multiwalled carbon nanotubes heteronanomat cathode (HM cathode) is demonstrated as an effective and versatile electrode platform to address the long-standing challenges of conventional cathodes. The material/structure uniqueness of the HM cathode enables substantial improvements in rate capability, cycling performance and, most notably, areal capacity far beyond those accessible with conventional cathode technologies.