Who is really the most powerful DC superhero?

[Mr Silver]

It's something I've been thinking about and come to the conclusion that Batman is quite capable of defeating any other DC superhero.

When most people think of the most powerful superheroes, the first one that usually comes to mind is Superman. It's quite obvious that Superman has the ability advantage over the other heroes, with the exception of maybe Martian Manhunter and Green Lantern.

It got me thinking though that Superman has a clear weakness in Kryptonite, whilst Batman doesn't. Yes, Batman is human and vulnerable just as any human is, but his strength comes from his mind and not his body. Batman is often called "The World's Greatest Detective" and it's with this type of processing that could enable Batman to discover the weakness of any superhero and find a way to implement it, even sacrificing himself to make sure it works.

Obviously, the only times that Batman would see sacrifice as an option is if there was no other way and against another DC hero and we're talking about either Batman or the other hero going rogue and/or posing a risk.

Then again, Batman's weakness could be that he won't kill because he believes that not killing is what seperates him from the villains that he battles. Then again, Batman is less strict about these kinds of things as Superman. Superman absolutely won't kill under any circumstances and will try and save whatever foe he encounters no matter how dangerous they may be, if killing Batman was the only way to stop him defeating Superman (and others like him), does that mean Batman would defeat him?

The concept of Batman as actually being the most powerful of the heroes is probably something that's discussed quite frequently. But let's discuss it anyway!

 

[Jetfire]

DC has a lot of great heroes...Even given all drawbacks mentioned...I still would put Superman at the top.

 

[Mr Silver]

I sometimes think that Superboy Prime is the most powerful superhero known to exist within the DC universe. He's certainly the most overpowered and not bound by weakness to Kryptonite. Still, he's not as well disciplined as Superman is and that could be his weakness.

 

[OdoWanKenobi]

In terms of sheer power? It's actually probably Sodam Yat as long as he's near a yellow star. His Daxamite physiology gives him the same abilities as a Kryptonian, plus he has all the abilities of a Green Lantern, in addition to being the carrier for Ion.

If this is about who would actually win in a fight, though, it becomes a little more hazy. Fights between, say, Batman and Superman tend to end with Batman as the victor. This is usually attributed to Batman's ability to completely out-think Superman at every turn. If it were Superman vs. any Green Lantern, all the Lantern would have to do is create a Kryptonite construct and Superman would be in trouble. Deabtes about this kind of thing have raged on and on and on.

 

[Jetfire]

@Admiral M Agreed. Superman's strength's are about his upbringing as much as his Kryptonian powers...some may see it as a weakness(human upbringing)...but it makes him well rounded.

 

[Cicero]

I would think it would be someone along the lines of The Spectre or Doctor Fate.

 

[OdoWanKenobi]

Yet the Specter has been corrupted by the likes of Parallax, Atrocitus, and Nekron. (Actually, all within the same freaking storyline)

 

[Skellington]

Morpheus, if he can be classified as a hero. (I wonder if they'll bring him back.)

 

[Mr Silver]

Batman's biggest advantage is his genius and the ability to out-think the likes of Superman. It's a concept that I really like about the character and one that the writers have excelled with.

As for Superman against a Green Lantern, couldn't he just wear a yellow suit? Sure it wouldn't be a very effective strategy against the more experienced Lantern's, but he could defeat several rookies by utilising it.

@ Eviscero: I thought about Dr Fate as well, but given that Superman can create sonic soundwaves which would prevent Fate from hearing Nabu, wouldn't that make Dr Fate useless?

 

[sojourner]

Technically, I don't think Green Lanterns can create "Kryptonite constructs" that would have any effect on Superman. It may look like kryptonite, but I haven't seen any evidence that it would emit the killing radiation of kryptonite.

I was thinking the other day about Superman's 3rd big vulnerability behind kryptonite and magic: the JLA teleporters. Think about it, if he can be dematerilized for a teleport he is effectively being destroyed. The teleporters just put him back together again.

 

[Jetfire]

The whole Batman Vs Superman things is funny to me because it makes Superman out to be a moron...which he isn't...I always thought Supes was an intelligent guy...and given his abilities...

 

[OdoWanKenobi]

Technically, I don't think Green Lanterns can create "Kryptonite constructs" that would have any effect on Superman. It may look like kryptonite, but I haven't seen any evidence that it would emit the killing radiation of kryptonite.

Yeah they can, and have via wikipedia:

Green Lantern Corps power rings can be used to emit simulated green kryptonite radiation. Kyle Rayner did so in Man of Tomorrow #19 (1998). The duplicate "Hal Jordan" Green Lantern form of N'Gon also created Power Ring-based green kryptonite in DC Comics Presents #26, and Superman used the yellow of his cape's "S" design to block the effect. Green Lantern Hal Jordan also uses his ring to make Kryptonite effects in numerous Justice League of America stories in order to cause Superman to be temporarily affected by things his invulnerability would otherwise prevent. This radiation is apparently just as powerful and painful to Superman and other Kryptonians as the genuine rays, but it can be blocked by interposing anything yellow between the Green Lantern's green kryptonite and the Kryptonian (however, this may no longer be an option due to the recent development of yellow no longer being an automatic weakness of power rings). Breaking the ring-bearer's concentration will also dispel the effect.

 

[Mr Silver]

The whole Batman Vs Superman things is funny to me because it makes Superman out to be a moron...which he isn't...I always thought Supes was an intelligent guy...and given his abilities...

He is extremely intelligent and that's clearly made out to be part of his characterisation. I agree that it can make Superman look pretty naive when Batman out-thinks him. I did say earlier that Batman's mind is his greatest asset and he could just be that bit more mentally resourceful than Superman. That's one of the main reasons that Lex Luthor has lasted so long against Superman - because he's a genius and isn't bound by any morals that restrict his resourcefulness.

They've got to give Batman something when it comes to him going against Superman!

 

[Nerys Myk]

Why would you send a rookie GL against Superman? ( or any Kryptonian, Daxamite or Martian) The yellow thing is over isn't it?

For Batman to defeat Superman you have to overwrite Batman and underwrite Superman. The fact Superman moves and most likely thinks at superspeed makes pretty much makes anything Batman can throw at him ineffective. Even the less powerfull postCrisis version of Superman would be able to end any fight with Batman microseconds after it starts ( prep time or not). The preCrisis version would take care of it even quicker.

 

[Jetfire]

A rookie GL sounds like a great premise for a comedy TV series.

 

[Mr Silver]

Batman can be devious which isn't really a trait associated with Superman. Batman could pretty much plan out everything needed to defeat Superman before engaging him, thus negating Supes' superprocessing advantage.

Like I said before, Superman won't kill and Batman would probably find a way to take advantage of that in order to defeat him. The worst that Superman could do to Batman is imprison him in the Phantom Zone, Ultraman on the other hand wouldn't hesistate to do away with Batman, making it that much more difficult to find a way to defeat him.

 

[Myasishchev]

Why would you send a rookie GL against Superman? ( or any Kryptonian, Daxamite or Martian) The yellow thing is over isn't it?

For Batman to defeat Superman you have to overwrite Batman and underwrite Superman. The fact Superman moves and most likely thinks at superspeed makes pretty much makes anything Batman can throw at him ineffective. Even the less powerfull postCrisis version of Superman would be able to end any fight with Batman microseconds after it starts ( prep time or not). The preCrisis version would take care of it even quicker.

Yep. Pre-Crisis Superman would take him back in time and make him watch as he executed his parents. FASTER THAN A SPEEDING BULLET, BRUCE!

Anyway, ignoring the Spectre, who outside of his own series is just a monster/plot device, I'd say the Wally West Flash (who could gain arbitrarily great amounts of mass as he approached lightspeed and hit commensurately), followed by Captain Marvel (Superman minus any cognizable weaknesses plus magic). Zatanna (NamrepuS pord daed!) and Element Lad (Superman, you're nitrogen) would be the most powerful in a world without superspeed, but with that in play they're just statues at the mercy of the faster. Wally could make their heads explode before their first neuron fired. The superspeed angle is something I think a lot of people really forget or underplay.

The real answer is "whoever the writer feels like," though, and distressingly that's pretty much always Batman. Sigh.

 

[Skellington]

The whole Batman Vs Superman things is funny to me because it makes Superman out to be a moron...which he isn't...I always thought Supes was an intelligent guy...and given his abilities...

I think that. In his first appearance it was established that he was mentally superior to humans. The vision of him as intellectually lacking probably stems from the Frank Miller Batman's internal monologue, and the Frank Miller Batman is a nutjob.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Writing or claiming Batman as "devious" shows a lack of understanding of the character. And there is a reason why "time to prepare" is a punchline.

Superman could do a lot to Batman and not come close to killing him. Batman's own code against killing would hamper him as well.

 

[Myasishchev]

Oh, yeah, and Superman has killed; sure, Superman's a little crazy about his code, but Batman's the one with the real pathology. This is why Wonder Woman is the most admirable of the "trinity." She doesn't have a moral code designed for absolutist nutjobs.