For over eight decades, Marvel and DC have been rivals - now, thanks toX-Men, the House of Ideas finally has a hero who can matchSuperman’s raw strength. When it comes to physical strength in superhero fiction,there’s no beating Superman. And while Marvel has its fair share of reality-warpers and magic users who could defeat the Man of Steel, it’s never been able to top his strength. Indeed,heroes including Hulk and Thor have battled Superman in the past, never quite measuring up.
Now, that just changed. Emerging from the X-Men franchise,Marvel finally has a physical powerhouse who can surpass Superman’s strength. Of course, in superhero fiction there’s always a twist, and Marvel’s new mutant hero will have to actuallyfaceSuperman before they officially surpass him…
Superior’s Mutant Power Makes Her Marvel’s Strongest Hero…
But Only Under One Strict Condition
In the recentGiant-Size X-Men #1, Al Ewing, Sara Pichelli, Federico Blee and Clayton Cowles' ‘Revelation: Superior’ introduces Justina LaGuardia. An Italian detective, Justina is one of the heroes Charles Xavier tried to recruit onto his second official X-Men roster, and should have joined the team alongside icons like Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler and Colossus. However, whenXavier introduces himself to Justina,she reveals herself to be the world’s most powerful psychic, removing all memory of her existence from his mind.
Justina explains that her mutant power is to be ‘Superior’ to anyone she meets (the story heavily implies this will be her mutant codename.)Whoever is nearby, Justina becomes faster, stronger and tougher than they are- and once superhumans are added to the mix, she can also manifest superior superpowers. Once Xavier encounters Superior, she’s granted even more powerful psychic abilities than him.
That’s not to say that Marvel’s heroes can’t challenge Superman - Hulk is officially strong enough to kill him, just notstrongerthan the Kryptonian hero.
That’s a staggering feat, given that Xavier was recentlyconfirmed to have Omega-level psychic powers.Up until now, it wasn’t possible for anyone tobemore powerful than that, and even other Omega-level telepaths have struggled to beat Xavier, who has decades of experience wielding his powers. Despite this, Justina instantly shuts down Xavier, revealing that there are no limits on her ability to be ‘Superior.’
How Justina Can Overpower Superman
X-Men’s New Hero Just Needs to Get Near Him
Due to her ‘Superior’ powers,Justina simply needs to get in Superman’s vicinity and she’ll suddenly have superstrength even greater than a Kryptonian. It’s a shocking fact, but her ability to surpass Omega-level powers confirms there’s no true limit on her abilities. That’s not surprising, as many of the most powerful mutants can alter the rules of reality as part of their powers - both directly and in hyper-specific ways (for example, Domino has luck powers that cause events to work out in her favor, but she can’t consciously decide how events will play out.)
Superman first appeared in 1938’sAction Comics #1- one year before the founding of Timely Comics in 1939. Timely later became Marvel Comics in 1961.
The drawback is that because they live in fictional universes that haven’t crossed over in decades, Justina isn’t ever likely to meet Superman… or at least that’s what fans would have believed before the recent announcement thatMarvel and DC are once again about to start publishing crossover adventures…
Marvel Has Never Beaten Superman’s Physical Strength
But Hulk and Thor Have Come Close
Marvel fans may be surprised to know thatthere’s no Marvel hero who is officially stronger than Superman, especially given the wealth of candidates. However, Superman has directly fought and overpowered most of them. Clashes with the Hulk (in stories includingIncredible Hulk vs Superman) and Thor (in theJLA/Avengerscrossover) have settled that while these heroes areamong Superman’s strongest opponentsof all time, they’renotstrong enough to overpower him.
Heroes like Phoenix, Doctor Strange and Photon could take Superman down in a fight, but only due to specific weaknesses, not physical might.
Other candidates include Hyperion, Gladiator and Sentry - each of who was at least partly inspired by Superman - and while they’re each Kryptonian-level powerhouses, they also have losses in their column that imply they couldn’t match the Man of Steel. Juggernaut should be a surprise dark horse, given his powers give him ‘Magic Momentum’ that allows him to keep charging forward even when opposed by a stronger foe. However, when Superman and Juggernaut clashed inDC Versus Marvel #1, the Man of Steelknocked out Juggernaut with a single punch.
That’s not to say that Marvel’s heroes can’t challenge Superman -Doomsday Clock #12(by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank) essentially confirms that Hulk is stronger than Doomsday, and the latter was still mighty enough to kill the Man of Steel in a fist fight. However, in tests of strength, Superman has still always come out ahead. Heroes like Phoenix, Doctor Strange and Photon could take Superman down in a fight, thanks to playing on his weaknesses or warping reality, but when it comes to out-punching Clark Kent, Justina is at the top of the list.And given the timing of her introduction, thereisa chance fans will get to see it happen.
The New Marvel/DC Crossover Means Superior Could Actually Fight Superman
But First We’re Getting Deadpool vs Batman
Marvel and DC’s last crossover was 2003’sJLA/Avengers- a well-received story that was so disastrous behind the scenes, it stopped Marvel and DC working together for over 20 years. However, that streak is at an end, as the two publishersjust announcedDeadpool/Batmanfrom Grant Morrisonand Dan Mora. While it’s far from a total universe crossover likeJLA/AvengersorDC vs Marvel,fans are taking this as the first step to a new series of crossovers.
If that prediction holds out, then Justina may actually get to achieve her ‘Superior’ status by meeting and surpassing Superman, becoming Marvel’s strongest hero of all time. While Justina wants to protect innocents, she makes it clear she has a different agenda to Xavier’s X-Men, and it’s possible that when she emerges in the modern day, it will be as an antagonist. In any crossover similar toJLA/Avengers, that would put her squarely in the Man of Steel’s crosshairs.
After years watchingSupermanoverpower superstrong characters like Hulk, Thor and Juggernaut, theX-Menfranchise has finally given Marvel fans a hero stronger than DC’s flagship hero… just as long as she manages to get close enough to the Last Son of Krypton to surpass his powers.
Giant-Size X-Men #1is available now from Marvel Comics.
X-Men
The X-Men franchise, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, centers on mutants with extraordinary abilities. Led by the powerful telepath Professor Charles Xavier, they battle discrimination and villainous mutants threatening humanity. The series explores themes of diversity and acceptance through a blend of action, drama, and complex characters, spanning comics, animated series, and blockbuster films.
Superman
The icon who launched the entire world of superheroes, the last son of Krypton escaped his dying world to crash land on Earth and be raised as Clark Kent. The world knows him better as Superman, the Man of Steel, the leader of the Justice League, and the most well-known hero in the DC Comics Universe. Blessed with the powers of a demigod, Kal-El of Krypton fights enemies both small and cosmic in his endless pursuit of truth, justice, and a better tomorrow.
