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- Marvel Vs. DC: Who Would Win?
In the world of superhero comics, there is an age-old question: who would win — Marvel’s heroes or DC’s? This issue has caused discord among fans for years and sometimes the companies themselves have gotten in on it. This was most notable at Marvel during Stan Lee’s time and Joe Quesada’s, who stoked the fires of this friendly rivalry.
It’s one of those questions that will probably never have a satisfactory answer, but fans can review the tales of the tape, or page, as it were. Heroes in both the Marvel and DC Universe have distinct advantages. By looking at them with a discerning eye, fans can determine a concrete victor.
Updated on January 6th, 2023 by Casey Coates: As the age-old Marvel Vs. DC debate continues and as both universes experience serious shake-ups, both companies develop more heroes for their “side” of the conflict. This list has been updated to better match CBR’s current style and to help dedicated Marvel/DC fans quickly find the answers they’re searching for.
Marvel Vs. DC: Marvel Wins
The Cosmic Marvel Heroes Are Ridiculously Powerful
One place where Marvel has always had an advantage over DC is its cosmic heroes. DC has the heroes of New Genesis, powerful gods all. Compare one of them to the Silver Surfer or Cosmic Ghost Rider, who control the fundamental energy of the cosmos and can rearrange matter itself, and suddenly Orion doesn’t seem quite so fearsome.
Cosmic Marvel is full of amazing heroes, frequently facing down threats to the universe that are pretty much unprecedented in the DC Universe. The power curve in the DCU is often much higher, but Cosmic Marvel has a lot of advantages.
Factions Like The Inhumans, The Hulks, And Eternals Have A Variety Of Powers
Marvel and DC both have families of heroes, but Marvel handles this concept differently. Whereas DC hero families all share the same powers, Marvel families are more like factions; each group comprises related individuals with remarkably different powers. The Inhumans and Eternals are some of Marvel’s best examples.
Both the Eternals and Inhumans are groups are full of powerful heroes who are dangerous in a fight. Beyond them, the Hulks remain among Marvel’s scariest heroes. Hulk’s power is almost infinite and his cousin, She-Hulk, is practically on his level. Marvel’s factions bring a lot of power to the table.
Scarlet Witch And Doctor Strange Lead An Impressive Magic Corps
Marvel’s magic heroes might not be their most well-known faction, but Marvel has a host of powerful mystic heroes. Scarlet Witch’s powers are well-established, as are Doctor Strange’s, but magic users like Wiccan, Brother Voodoo, and Agatha Harkness aren’t slouches either.
That’s not even counting the various mutant magic users like Magik, Pixie, and Rictor. These magical defenders have faced down some of the most dangerous threats imaginable and always won. Their skill and power have made the difference in many battles, and they are among Marvel’s most feared and respected heroes.
The Avengers Are A Fighting Force Like No Other
The Avengers are known as Earth’s Mightiest Heroes for good reason. The team has combined the most powerful champions into a potent fighting force that’s handled everything the cosmos threw at Earth.
Moreover, leaders like Captain America, Black Panther, the Wasp, and many more have formed the Avengers into a powerful and cohesive unit. The Avengers have won intergalactic wars, tackled evil gods, and defeated genocidal androids. They represent a martial force like no other and would be more than a match for many DC teams.
The Mutants Have Every Power Imaginable
Mutantkind gives Marvel a big advantage in the war between heroes. Marvel’s most powerful mutants are world-shaking powerhouses, can literally bring life to Mars by working together, have come up with a method for immortality, and can alter reality itself. Additionally, Marvel’s telepaths — led by Xavier, Jean Grey, and Emma Frost — remain mostly unmatched by anyone in the DC Universe.
Throw in other powerful mutants like Cyclops, Wolverine, and Colossus, and the mutants represent a fighting force that would devastate many of DC’s heroes in ways they’ve never thought possible. Marvels mutants are especially dangerous now, united under the banner of Krakoa.
Marvel Vs. DC: DC Wins
The Green Lantern Corps And The Guardians Of The Universe Are Potent
One place where DC can match Cosmic Marvel heroes is with the Green Lantern Corps and the Guardians of the Universe. The Corps is one of the most potent heroic forces in comics, with thousands of highly skilled officers all wielding the most powerful weapon in the universe. The Oan Guardians of the Universe are cauldrons of cosmic energy and are nigh unstoppable as a group.
The Green Lantern Corps can vie with Marvel’s space heroes through sheer numbers alone and the Corps’ most skilled members would be a challenge even for Marvel’s most powerful heroes. If the Oans themselves got involved, it would spell defeat for the marvelous heroes.
The Flash Family Is Unmatched
Both universes have speedsters, but DC’s speedsters are infinitely more powerful. The Speed Force is a multiversal constant and an important force in DC’s reality. Those who are touched by it can reach speeds and use powers that their Marvel counterparts can’t come close to mimicking.
Marvel has some speedsters who can conceivably match a Flash’s speed, like Makkari, but they don’t have the additional powers that come with the Speed Force. Most Flash Family members are powerful enough to take down teams of Marvel heroes solo, and there are many members in this family.
DC’s Magic Heroes Are Better Defined And More Powerful
Magic users like Scarlet Witch, Wiccan, and Doctor Strange are powerful, but none of them could deal with the Spectre. As the literal Spirit of Vengeance for the Presence, aka the One Above All, Spectre could devastate any of Marvel’s magic users with a thought, using their own wrongdoing against them. That’s only the beginning for DC’s magic corps.
Zatanna, Black Alice, Doctor Fate, and John Constantine are some of the greatest magic-users in comics. There’s also Enchantress, the Shazam Family and Black Adam, the Phantom Stranger, Mr. E, Dr. Occult, and the Demon Etrigan, all powerhouses in their own right. DC’s greatest magic users bring so much power to DC’s side of the magical divide that Marvel’s magic users wouldn’t stand a chance.
The Justice League Are Unmatched
The Justice League is the greatest assembly of heroes in the DC Multiverse. They’re more than just an army of powerful superheroes. They’re a team whose members can handle just about any threat solo, and they become unbeatable when united. Sure, the Avengers can fight with the best of them, but the Justice League is better than the best.
The Justice League have dealt with threats that take more than just power to beat, although they have power in spades. Members like Superman, Firestorm, Captain Atom, and the Flashes make the League nearly unbeatable. They also boast the smartest heroes imaginable, scientists and strategists who specialize in pulling victory from the jaws of defeat.
The Superman Family Is Pretty Much Unstoppable
DC’s various factions are quite powerful, but none can match the Superman Family. Every one of them is formidable, and they all have Superman as a role model. There are few groups of heroes in the Marvel or DC Universe that have the mixture of powers Kryptonians sport, and if they do, they definitely aren’t on Superman’s level.
The Marvel heroes won’t be able to exploit the Superman Family’s weaknesses very well. Trying to plan for heroes with Superman’s powers is difficult, especially when there’s a team of them running around at superspeed and smashing everyone in their way.
Marvel Vs. DC: Who Would Win?
DC Is Going To Blitz The Marvel Heroes
While the two company’s heroes are pretty evenly matched in some places, DC’s are just too much for Marvel. Beyond the fact that DC’s heroes are overall more powerful, they have numerous advantages. From magic-users to Kryptonians to the Flash Family, Marvel can’t match DC’s power.
Even Marvel’s mutants would fall against a concerted assault from a team of Flashes. Marvel’s heroes taking on DC’s heroes would be a universe-shaking battle fans would love to see, but in the end, DC is walking away as the victor.
