20 Marvel and DC Characters That Can Easily Defeat Superman
When it comes to the world of superheroes, we often think of Superman as the poster boy of the comic book universe due to the fact that he is one of the most recognizable superheroes of all time. Of course, the reason why Superman is so recognizable as a superhero goes back to the fact that he is one of the strongest superheroes of all time and has a lot of different comic book stories written about him.
But while Superman is indeed an incredibly powerful superhero that is capable of some of the most extraordinary feats in comic book history, the thing is that he is far from being the most powerful superhero in the pages of comic book history. That’s because there are plenty of different Marvel and DC characters that are easily stronger and more powerful than Superman. As such, we are here to look at the Marvel and DC characters that can easily take on the Man of Steel.
20. Gladiator (Marvel)
In many ways, Gladiator is a Superman expy because he is basically a different version of Superman and is simply a blue version of the Man of Steel. Gladiator is the champion of an alien race of powerful beings, and he is the strongest out of all of them by far. He has all the tools at his disposal to defeat Superman in a fist fight because he has most of all of the Man of Steel’s powers but is stronger.
Gladiator is strong enough to easily move planets and was able to take hits from incredibly strong beings like Juggernaut and the Hulk. Unlike Superman, Gladiator’s powers are the result of his confidence, and as long as he is incredibly confident, the Man of Steel has no chance. He is powerful enough to destroy planets quite easily when he is at his most confident, and we don’t see how Superman can contend with that.
19. Trigon (DC)
Trigon is an extra-dimensional demon that exists in the DC universe. He isn’t exactly a demon like the ones in Hell, but he exists in his own dimension. Trigon is the father of Raven, who we know is a powerful member of the Teen Titans. And considering that he is a being that belongs to a different dimension and has powers that are akin to magic, it becomes easy to understand why he can quickly defeat Superman.
We were able to see Trigon at his best when he went up against Mister Mxyzptlk in the Injustice comics and went toe-to-toe with the imp that Superman could never defeat. Of course, Trigon was also seen brushing off Superman’s attacks in Justice League vs. Teen Titans. And the fact that he is capable of magic, which Superman isn’t invulnerable to, means that the Man of Steel is nothing to him.
18. Scarlet Witch (Marvel)
Physically speaking, Scarlet Witch wouldn’t be able to handle Superman unless she augments her physiology with her reality-altering powers. But, of course, it is the fact that she has control over reality itself that makes her capable of easily defeating Superman, who isn’t immune to the laws of reality. Of course, we also know that the Man of Steel cannot handle magic.
Scarlet Witch, as the name suggests, is a being of immense magical power that is said to be one of the strongest sorcerers in the entire Marvel universe. As such, she can cast spells that not even Superman would be able to handle, as there is no doubt that she is a character that could take on the Man of Steel with her magic.
17. The Anti-Monitor (DC)
The Anti-Monitor is one of the most powerful beings in the entire DC universe and is the brother of the Monitor. When the two are together, they are incredibly powerful and are capable of affecting the entire multiverse. But the Anti-Monitor is already immensely powerful on its own to the point that he was able to kickstart the entire Crisis on Infinite Earths storyline in the comics.
In short, the Anti-Monitor was so powerful that almost all of the superheroes and villains on Earth needed to work together to try to defeat this being. Even Darkseid was forced to team up with Superman and the rest of the Justice League. And the fact that Superman needed the help of a lot of other superheroes is the proof we need to understand just how incredibly powerful the Anti-Monitor is.
16. Proteus (Marvel)
Not a lot of people are familiar with Proteus from the pages of the Marvel Comics universe, but the fact of the matter is that this mutant is Omega-level, and that means that it is capable of things that are beyond the imagination. Specifically, Proteus is so powerful that this mutant is capable of warping reality.
While Proteus has abilities similar to Scarlet Witch, he is a lot more powerful because he has a lot of different tools at his disposal. He can travel from one universe to another and can even manipulate molecules to a certain degree. There was even a point where he terraformed an entire planet all on his own. In that regard, Superman has nothing in his arsenal to use against a being like Proteus.
15. Mister Mxyzptlk (DC)
Those who have been following the Superman comics would be familiar with Mister Mxyzptlk because this is a fifth-dimension imp that often comes and goes every three months to mess with the Man of Steel. Mister Mxyzptlk often appears to give Superman a few challenges that the Man of Steel usually overcomes.
However, they never really fought in a straight-up battle with Mister Mxyzptlk, unleashing everything that it is capable of doing. Let’s just say that Superman wouldn’t last a second against this imp’s incredible powers as Mister Mxyzptlk is nearly omnipotent in terms of what he can do when all the cards are on the table.
14. Franklin Richards (Marvel)
Franklin Richards is one of the most powerful beings in the entire Marvel universe, and that is quite impressive because he was born human. He is the son of Reed and Susan Richards from the Fantastic Four and was able to achieve Omega level in terms of his strength. He is so powerful that he is potentially the most powerful mutant in the entire Marvel universe.
What makes Franklin so powerful is that he has the capacity to create pocket universes and even alter reality itself. In the past, he was able to defeat Celestials, which are incredibly powerful beings that are also powerful enough to defeat Superman. That means that Franklin has the capacity to easily defeat someone like Superman, whose powers are irrelevant compared to what he could do.
13. The Spectre (DC)
The Spectre is a being that was chosen to carry the Wrath of God in the DC universe. That is why this being is quite powerful and has the capability to defeat almost anyone and anything in the entire DC continuity, except for the DC characters that are further down this list. And the Spectre is so powerful that it was able to defeat the Lords of Order, which include Doctor Fate.
Considering that Doctor Fate is stronger than Superman due to his incredible control over magic, the Spectre can easily defeat the Man of Steel. And due to the fact that the Spectre is the embodiment of God’s wrath, he has powers that are nearly omnipotent, as there is no doubt that this force is quite unstoppable and is capable of doing some of the things that God is capable of doing.
12. Sentry (Marvel)
Sentry is one of the most recognizable Superman expys in the Marvel universe but is actually much more than Superman in terms of what he could do. He was actually the product of a failed super-soldier experiment that was supposed to duplicate the experiment done on Captain America. And the results turned Sentry into an incredibly powerful being that not even Nick Fury knows how to defeat.
Due to his incredible powers, Sentry was able to defeat the lies of She-Hulk, Thor, and Captain Marvel at the same time without much difficulty. He is capable of traveling from one place to another in an instant. There was even a point where Sentry showcased his ability to control molecules and even exceed Professor X’s telepathic powers. As such, he is an Omega-level threat and is a Level 10+ threat in the Marvel universe.
11. Doctor Manhattan (DC)
Doctor Manhattan is one of the most powerful beings in the DC universe because he has nigh-omnipotent capabilities due to the fact that he was able to acquire powers that allowed him to manipulate molecules at will. In that regard, this character is basically capable of doing almost everything imaginable, including creating new realities and even life. He is a god as far as regular people are concerned because of how incredibly powerful he is.
At one point, Doctor Manhattan even incapacitated all members of the Justice League at the same time. He is also a being that is present in all universes in the DC multiverse, especially after he discovered that there are numerous universes that exist. And Doctor Manhattan is so powerful that he can also erase an entire universe at will, and we can’t see how Superman could ever contend with a being like him.
10. Molecule Man (Marvel)
Molecule Man is a lot like Sentry in the sense that this character is capable of controlling molecules at will, as hinted by his name. He got his powers from a freak accident that opened a portal between Earth and the dimension of the Beyonders. In that regard, he gained powers that were so incredible that he could control the molecules of almost everything. The only thing that ever hampered him was his psychological problem.
Nevertheless, when he is at his best, Molecule Man is so powerful that he can manipulate any molecule at the subatomic level. This allows him to change the shape of any object or person at will. He is also capable of traveling from one dimension to another due to his incredible control over molecules. As such, he can easily defeat Superman with a single gesture due to how powerful his control over molecules is.
9. Ellaine Belloc (DC)
Elaine Belloc is the daughter of Michael Demiurgos in the comics, and that means that this is an incredibly powerful character that is near the top in terms of how powerful she is. We will get to Michael later because his daughter is the subject matter of this conversation. And for those who are familiar with Michael, it is easier to understand just how powerful Ellaine Belloc is when compared to someone like Superman.
Basically, Ellaine has powers similar to what the Creator God can do because she can manipulate atoms, perform magic, and has omniscience and omnipotence. She is one of the strongest DC characters due to the fact that she carries the genetics of one of the most powerful beings to ever exist in DC. Ellaine was even named the successor to the throne of Heaven after the most powerful DC character willingly abdicated. In that regard, there is nothing that Superman can do against a character like her.
8. Cosmic Pantheon (Marvel)
The Cosmic Pantheon in the Marvel universe is composed of some of the most powerful cosmic entities. This includes the likes of Eternity, Death, Infinity, and Oblivion, who are all some of the most powerful beings in Marvel and basically nigh-omnipotent entities that are capable of doing anything they want.
While the Cosmic Pantheon is composed of beings that are not entirely fleshed out in terms of what they can do, there is no arguing against the fact that they are so powerful because they are manifestations of the universe itself due to how important they are to the existence of the universe. In that regard, they have powers that are immeasurable, and it is quite possible that one of the members of this pantheon can easily erase Superman from existence with a snap of a finger.
7. The Endless (DC)
The Endless is a family of entities that exist due to the fact that they have functions that are important to the survival of the universe. You can say that they are the DC counterparts of Marvel’s Cosmic Pantheon. However, the difference is that the Endless are given more human traits than their Marvel counterparts, thanks to the Sandman comics, which follow the story of Dream, who is one of the members of the Endless.
Dream and his siblings (Destiny, Death, Destruction, Desire, Despair, and Delirium) are all important aspects of the universe and have their own realms and responsibilities regarding the existence of life itself. As such, they are incredibly powerful nigh-omnipotent beings that are so powerful that they can defeat Superman with just a mere thought. The only DC characters more powerful than the Endless are the ones ahead of them on this list.
6. The Beyonder (Marvel)
The Beyonder is one of the most powerful characters in Marvel Comics history, even though he isn’t necessarily someone who came from the same dimension as the Marvel characters themselves. As the name suggests, the Beyonder exists well beyond the Marvel multiverse and was an observer for a very long time until he interfered by launching the entire Secret Wars storyline in the comics.
Basically, the Beyonder is a being that is nigh-omnipotent and is only surpassed by two other characters on this list. In fact, in the comics, it took three Beyonders to defeat the Living Tribunal, which is one of the most powerful beings in the entire Marvel multiverse. In that regard, it is easy to understand just how powerful the Beyonder is when compared to someone like Superman, who is a mere speck of dust to him.
5. Michael Demiurgos (DC)
Michael Demiurgos is the Creator God’s most trusted angel and is one of the most powerful beings in the entire DC multiverse due to the fact that he is a nigh-omnipotent being that has almost all of the powers of God. In fact, the only other DC character capable of matching Michael’s powers other than God is his brother, Lucifer. And when he and Lucifer work in tandem, there is no duo more powerful than them.
Due to Michael’s nigh-omnipotent capabilities, there is nothing in the DC multiverse that could defeat him in a fair fight. He is the guardian of the Gates of Heaven and is the general of Heaven’s armies. In a fight against Superman, a single pinky finger would be enough for him as he was able to swat away the Spectre in a fight. And we all know that the Spectre is much more powerful than Superman.
4. The Living Tribunal (Marvel)
The Living Tribunal is one of the entities that the most powerful being in the Marvel multiverse left in charge to oversee everything that’s happening. In that regard, we could say that the Living Tribunal is basically the god of the Marvel multiverse. Of course, that also means that this being is an incredibly powerful entity with powers that are nigh-omnipotent.
One good example of how powerful the Living Tribunal is can be seen in the fact that three Beyonders were needed to defeat this entity. Of course, considering that the Beyonder is well beyond Superman’s strength, there is no way that Superman can even put a scratch on the Living Tribunal, who is more powerful than one Beyonder. The only being more powerful than The Living Tribunal in the Marvel multiverse is the One Above All.
3. Lucifer Morningstar (DC)
Lucifer Morningstar is one of the most powerful entities in the entire DC multiverse and is said to be second only to the Creator God in terms of how powerful he is. He is also said to be the strongest, wisest, smartest, and most beautiful out of all of God’s angels. But it was his pride and hubris that led to his downfall as he led a failed rebellion that forced him out of Heaven. That is why Lucifer became the ruler of Hell.
At his most powerful, Lucifer is nigh-omnipotent and can do anything imaginable. When he works in tandem with Michael, who possesses the power of the Demiurge, he is capable of creating universes with a mere thought. And even without the Demiurgic powers of Michael, his power over creation is second to none, and that is why someone like Superman is not even worth Lucifer’s time.
2. The One Above All (Marvel)
The One Above All is the most powerful Marvel character of all time and is said to be the representation of the writers behind Marvel Comics (Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, among others). That is why The One Above All is literally above everything, including the Living Tribunal, because this entity represents whatever the writer or the author wants to happen in the Marvel Comics multiverse.
In that regard, whatever the One Above All says will happen will indeed happen due to the fact that this is an omnipotent character as far as Marvel Comics is concerned. And the One Above All is so powerful that it can create a new Living Tribunal through sheer will after the first one was killed by the Beyonders.
1. The Presence (DC)
The Presence is the DC counterpart of the One Above All, as it is the omnipotent being that exists in the DC multiverse. This is also the Creator God that is above both Lucifer Morningstar and Michael Demiurgos and is the being with the power to create and destroy anything in the DC multiverse with a mere thought. That is why Lucifer was never able to defeat this entity when he tried to rebel against Heaven.
Considering that the Presence is basically the very essence of what the DC multiverse is, there is no doubt that Superman is nothing compared to this entity. There is nothing that Superman can do to even hurt or even affect the Presence, who is an omnipotent being that stands at the very pinnacle of DC.