TheX-Menofficially have a new leader, and he’s so powerful that evenSupermancouldn’t stand against him for more than a few seconds. DC’s Kryptonian hero is a byword for power in superhero comics, despite having several specific vulnerabilities including Kryptonite, magic and red solar radiation. However, even without any of these classic weaknesses,the new leader of the X-Menwoulddispatch the Man of Steel in under a minute.
The X-Men Have a New Leader
Cyclops Steps Aside as Revelation Takes Over
In the recentX-Men: Age of Revelation #0- from Jed MacKay, Humberto Ramos, Edgar Delgado and Victor Olazaba - Doug Ramsey’s Revelation officially joins the X-Men. The formerNew Mutantshero has been given a power upgrade, and Cyclops welcomes his increased firepower onto the team. However,after a rescue mission goes disastrously wrong, Cyclops steps down(accompanied by Xorn and Juggernaut), handing over leadership to Revelation.
Introduced in 1984,Doug Ramsey is an omnilingual mutantwho could understand and communicate in any language. However, after being chosen as Apocalypse’s heir, he was enhanced on the genetic level.His powers now allow him to reprogram the mind of anyone who hears him.On the surface level, he can command anyone to do anything, while at his most powerful, he"has administrator access to thinking minds."
InX-Men #19, Revelation already confirmedhis powers are strong enough to kill, meaning Superman would be in serious trouble in any clash. It’s a godlike ability that even Superman can’t resist - indeed, it seems almost like a mutant ability custom designed to bring down Clark Kent’s heroic alter ego.
Superman Has a Dark History with Mind Control
From Injustice to Poison Ivy, Superman Goes Down Hard
While Superman is incredibly durable when faced with physical attacks, his mind is traditionally more vulnerable. While Superman is by no meansweakto mental control, he’s also not protected against it, and his history is littered with example of him being mentally dominated.Superman has been controlled by Poison Ivy, Gorilla Grodd, Darkseid, the Joker and - most relevantly - Maxwell Lord, whose psychic abilities are a powered-down version of Revelation’s.
Revelation’s powers would destroy Superman, which makes it disturbing that he’s still growing stronger…
Many villains havesought to control Supermanso that he can be used as a weapon, and whether using advanced tech, psychic powers, phermones or magic, they tend to succeed. What’s worse is thatSuperman’s altruism means his first choice is always to talk down a threat, meaning Doug is essentially guaranteed the opening he needs to bring Superman under his influence if the two ever clash.
The most famous instance of Superman being mind-controlled comes from theInjusticeuniverse, where Joker uses Scarecrow’s Fear Toxin to cause Superman to see Lois Lane as his old enemy Doomsday, resulting in her death and (thanks to a bomb triggered by her passing) the destruction of Metropolis. Superman’s resulting trauma and guilt result in him seizing authoritarian control over the planet, wanting to protect the innocent even at the cost of their freedom. It’s a showcase of how bad things can go when Superman’s mind isn’t his own, even for a matter of minutes.
Revelation’s Base Powers Could Beat Superman… But He’s Still Getting Stronger
Doug Ramsey Is Changing the Planet Itself Thanks to Multiple Power Boosts
As deadly as Revelation’s powers are,X-Men: Age of Revelation #0ends with them growing stronger. Jumping ten years into Marvel’s future, it’s revealed thatRevelation has gradually recruited followers whose mutant powers can boost his own, giving him control over any living thing that hears his voice, seemingly able to alter them on the genetic level. He’s also impossibly strong and durable, thanks to further changes that Apocalypse made to his body.
While DC heroes are generally more powerful, several of X-Men’s mutants are now the strongest in comics.
Revelation has another power that would make him a threat to Superman. InNew Mutants Volume 3 #6(from Zeb Wells and Diógenes Neves), Doug is resurrected from death, unlocking a new level to his powers. Doug (then Cypher) now percieves body language itself as a language, and his mastery of this form of ‘communication’turns him into a master combatant, predicting and countering his friends’ combat moves.
Givenhe could probably just order Superman’s heart to stop, Revelation doesn’tneeddurability and combat skills, but they increase the likelihood he could get close enough to bring down the Man of Steel.Age of Revelation #0ends with Revelation seemingly losing his sanity (leading intoX-Men’sAge of Revelationevent, coming this October), meaning he also probably wouldn’t hold back despite Superman’s heroism.
Multiple X-Men Could Take Down Superman
Despite DC’s Reputation for Power, Marvel’s Mutants Are Always Evolving
While Revelation is capable of taking down Superman, he’s not the onlyX-Menhero who could perform this feat. While DC’s heroes are generally more powerful than Marvel’s (indeed, 2003’sJLA/Avengersconfirmed this is due to different physics in each universe),the X-Men now boast several of the most powerful heroes in modern comics.
The most recent candidate is Justina LaGuardia, introduced by Al Ewing and Sara Pichelli.Justina’s mutant power makes her ‘superior’to anyone in her vicinity, including granting her new powers. When confronted by Charles Xavier, LaGuardia manifested psychic abilities superior to Xavier’s own Omega-level telepathy, rewriting his memory.Justina is probably the only X-Men hero who could beat Superman in terms of raw strength, however other mutants can bring him down in unique ways.
The most obvious candidate isJean Grey’s Phoenix, currently considered"the most powerful person in existence.“Having merged with the Phoenix Force more fully than ever before, Jean now has control over reality in excess of even the gods, including the ability to will herself and others back from death. Meanwhile, Storm has become the herald of Eternity, channeling cosmic power as the Eternal Storm (as well as wearing new Vibranium armor.) Other mutants like Legion and Mister M have similar abilities to rewrite reality in their favor.
Finally, there are mutants like Isca the Unbeaten, whose mutant power is that she cannot lose any form of challenge. A powerful warrior, she seemingly affects probability so that she always comes out victorious. No matterwhat Superman did against Isca, causality would bend and break to hand her the win.
While comic fans often considerSupermanthe most powerful superhero, theX-Menfranchise has officially caught up to Clark Kent’s incredible powers, and there are now several Marvel mutants who could wipe the floor with the Man of Steel.
X-Men: Age of Revelation #0is available now from Marvel Comics.
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.
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.
