From classrooms to cafeterias and colleges to corporate offices, there’s one debate that’s always a hot topic no matter what generation or age group of people we are talking about. As soon as the topic of a standoff between DC and Marvel superheroes comes up, it doesn’t take long for people to engage in heated arguments over their favorite superheroes engaging in battle with one another.
In this article, we are going to draw a comparison between the superheroes of Marvel and DC and what would happen if they engaged in a fight based on how they are represented in the comics. The comparison made here is non-biased and is based strictly on statistics and research.
1. Quicksilver vs The Flash
The first comparison in our list of Marvel vs DC is going to be between the two speedsters of both universes. If we talk about Quicksilver, he falls under the category of a mutant who was born with his powers as a mutant. Meanwhile Flash, specifically, Barry Alan, got his powers after an accident at his lab, which drew a connection between him and the Speed Force giving him his superhuman speed.
See, if we talk about Quicksilver, his powers are limited by a top speed of 10 Mach or 7,600 Miles per Hour Whereas, Flash’s top speed is clocked at a whopping 10,925 Mach or 8.3 Million Miles per hour so yeah, Quicksilver is seeing nothing but dust if he ever stands against the Flash.
Now, if we talk about other powers they both have, Quicksilver has superspeed and that’s pretty much it. The Flash, on the other hand, has superspeed, can produce and manipulate high-voltage electricity, and using the Speed Force, can also manipulate time itself. So yeah, the winner is going to be the Flash.
Winner: The Flash
2. Captain America vs Green Lantern
Captain America and Green Lantern have pretty much the same origin story. Steve Rogers was given the super soldier serum because of his goodness of heart and strength of character, and Green Lantern was chosen to wield the power ring, for his humanity and willpower. They both have served their country in different ways.
If we ever get to see a standoff between Captain America and Green Lantern in a possible Marvel vs DC faceoff, Green Lantern without a doubt has an upper hand over Cap because of his superpowers. But, if Captain America is wielding the Mjolnir as shown in Avengers: Endgame, the Green Lantern can have a hard time. Assuming they both are wielding their generic weapons vis-a-vis shield and power ring, Green Lantern has a higher possibility of standing victorious.
Winner: Green Lantern
3. Deadpool vs Deathstroke
Next up in the Marvel vs DC comparison is Merc with a Mouth versus the Terminator of Gotham. Marvel has publically accepted that Wade Wilson was heavily inspired by Slade Wilson, the Deathstroke. Deadpool himself has displayed his dislike towards Slade Wilson because he is aware that he is not an original character.
Deadpool is one of those characters who can teleport and time travel as well using Cabel’s tech. The upcoming Deadpool 3 movie is based on this very concept. If Deadpool and Deathstroke ever engaged in a standoff, Deadpool has the upper hand. If we look at both characters, Deadpool is unkillable because of his regenerative abilities. Meanwhile, Deathstroke gets fatigued, has no superpowers at all, and relies completely on his combat skills.
Another difference between the characters is their moral code. Deadpool doesn’t care as long as his job gets done meanwhile Deathstroke is a man of his values, which can prove to be a disadvantage while being engaged in combat with someone as twisted as Deadpool. So, in this standoff, Deadpool stands victorious.
Winner: Deadpool
4. Black Widow vs Black Canary
Black Widow and Black Canary have a distinctly different origin story. Black Widow was brought up and trained in the red room to be a deadly assassin, whereas Black Canary was a highly trained fighter who carried on the heroic legacy of her family. They both played integral parts in their respective teams. Black Widow was an integral part of the Avengers and Black Canary was one of the founding members of the JLA.
If we ever see a standoff between Black Widow and Black Canary, Black Widow might have the upper hand when it comes to hand-to-hand combat but her stingers might not be able to stand against Black Canary’s sonic Canary Cry. So, this one goes to Black Canary.
Winner: Black Canary
5. Ant-Man vs The Atom
Living up to the title of “heroes come in all sizes”, the next standoff we have at hand when we compare Marvel and DC is the one between Ant-Man and the Atom. Both these heroes have mastered the ability to both shrink and increase in size significantly. Originally, Hank Pym and Ray Palmer took up the mantle of Ant-Man and The Atom respectively, gradually passing on the title to their successors.
Both Ant-Man and the Atom played vital roles in the Avengers and the Justice League but if we ever see them go toe to toe, Ant-Man might have the leverage because of his ability to command a literal army of ants and I don’t think any amount of strength can stand against thousands of hungry ants charging at you. Considering The Atom’s lack of any such ability, Ant-Man will most probably take the win here.
Winner: Ant-Man
6. Elektra vs NightWing
Elektra is one of the finest hand-to-hand combatants Marvel has produced. On the other hand, when we talk about Nightwing, he is not only the finest combatant, but also one of the best tacticians, and leaders DC has produced. Elektra is trained in ninjutsu and is a deadly assassin whereas Nightwing has been trained by Batman and is the former Robin. He is one of the few characters who can boast about defeating Batman in combat, something only a handful of people can do.
If we talk about a standoff between Nightwing and Elektra in a Marvel vs DC scenario, Elektra has a history of being defeated by Marvel villains with a similar aerial and acrobatic combat style as Nightwing. Elektra sure is excellent at what she does but Nightwing is an excellent tactician as well which can prove to be a huge disadvantage for Elektra. In a fight between Nightwing and Elektra, after a significant struggle, Nightwing stands victorious.
Winner: Nightwing
7. Thor vs Wonder Woman
Both Marvel and DC have taken characters from mythology and turned them into their superheroes. The most popular among these mythological characters are Marvel’s Thor and DC’s Wonder Woman. Thor is the God of Thunder and the son of Odin himself. Meanwhile, Diana is the daughter of Hippolyta and Zeus, making her half-human and half-God or, a Demi-God.
Thor is the literal God of thunder who has the power to control, produce, and manipulate electricity at his will. He also has incredible strength and agility which makes him the strongest Avenger. In the comics, his most powerful weapon is his God blast, which is powerful enough to take down planets. If we talk about Wonder Woman, she has superhuman strength and agility making her strong enough to stand even against Superman. She is equipped with her magical gauntlets as well as the Lasso of Truth which she uses to neutralize and take down her enemies. She also possesses a certain degree of super speed as well.
If Thor and Wonder Woman ever go toe to toe, their fight would be epic but in the end, The Mighty Thor will stand victorious because his powers simply overpower those of Wonder Woman.
Winner: Thor
8. Hulk vs Atrocitus
Moving on with our DC vs Marvel list, now we move toward our rage-fueled characters. The Hulk is Marvel’s rage-fueled beast, the alter ego of Bruce Banner who turned into the Hulk after being exposed to severe gamma radiation. Now, if we talk about Atrocitus, his whole family was murdered by rogue guardians filling him with rage. He channeled that rage and forged the Red Lantern ring which, as compared to Green Lanterns’, generates power out of pure rage.
Hulk is strong, certainly, but his powers are just pure physical strength. Whereas, Atrocitus is the leader of the Red Lantern Corps who can create objects using his ring, has his infamous vomit which is a mix of Napalm and acid, the ability to fly, and his brute force amplified significantly by his red power ring. He can literally fly Hulk into deep space and suffocate him to death. So this one goes to Atrocitus.
Winner: Atrocitus
9. Captain Marvel vs Superman
The next standoff is between Captain Marvel and the Last Son of Krypton, Superman. Captain Marvel is equipped with cosmic powers, superhuman strength, and flight. Meanwhile, Superman has insane superhuman strength, laser eyes, freeze breath, super speed, flight, and X-ray vision.
See, Captain Marvel sure is strong, really strong but she just can’t take a stand against someone like Superman. If it was Thor, things would be different. Since high-voltage electricity is one of Superman’s weaknesses but as far as Captain Marvel is concerned, she can’t even put a scratch on Superman. So if they ever face each other in a battle, Captain Marvel is up for all the smoke from Superman.
Winner: Superman
10. Iron Man vs The Batman
The final showdown of Marvel vs DC comes down to the two most popular characters of both universes. Iron Man versus The Bat of Gotham. If we talk about Iron Man, he has really advanced tech and weaponry powered by the Arc Reactor on his chest paired with a really high IQ.
DC’s Batman has the tech, he is the greatest detective of all time, a master tactician, trained in all forms of armed and unarmed combat known to mankind, and has a high IQ.
Let’s face the fact that if there’s a universe where Batman and Iron Man co-exist, Batman already has a contingency plan against Iron Man. If you watch Justice League Doom (2012), you’ll see that Batman had contingency plans for all Justice League members which were working pretty efficiently until Batman himself intervened. Iron Man certainly has weapons and better tech but so did a lot of villains that faced Batman.
Now if we talk about strength, Tony Stark is Iron Man only when he’s in his suit, and without it, he’s powerless especially when it comes to hand-to-hand combat. However, Bruce Wayne doesn’t need a suit to have Batman’s combat abilities. Even without his suit, Bruce Wayne is a master martial artist. Other than that if you look into Batman comics, Bruce Wayne possesses the Hellbat armor. Now, this armor is forged in the sun by Superman, made out of nano-kinetic metal armed to the teeth by tech built by Cyborg himself. Jarvis is certainly smart, but he just cannot compete with a tech built by the master of technology himself.
Now, you might love both Iron Man and Batman equally, but at the end of the day, you have to admit one thing. Based on all the facts presented in the comics to us, if they ever stand against each other, Batman overpowers Iron Man in physical combat, tactics, and durability. So the win for this showdown goes to The Dark Knight.
Winner: The Batman
