5 DC Heroes Who Beat Superman Without Kryptonite

Superheroes are often depicted as the pinnacle of strength, and nobody embodies that better than Superman. The Man of Tomorrow was introduced as a physical marvel, being able to lift impossible weights and leap impossible heights. Very quickly, he became much, much stronger, leaping to orbit and throwing mountain-sized boulders like pebbles. Over the years, somehow, he’s gotten even stronger. Nowadays, it’s common to see him trade blows that could cleave planets in two, and he shows no signs of ever slowing down. Superman is DC’s number one picture of power, and he seems altogether invincible. He’s so powerful that DC felt the need to nerf him just to give the others a fighting chance.

Superman is a man of impossible strengths, but also very abusable weaknesses. The most famous of which, of course, is Kryptonite. It’s the ultimate wincon against the Man of Steel, instantly turning him from the strongest being on the planet to a useless bystander, unable to do practically anything. Nine times out of ten, when Superman loses a fight, something like Kryptonite is involved. However, that one out of ten is what we’re here to talk about today. We’re taking a look at five DC heroes who didn’t need Kryptonite or any other cheap shot to beat Superman in a one-on-one fight. Without further ado, let’s swing into Superman’s super-defeats.

5) Captain Atom

Captain Atom has always had a one-sided rivalry with the Man of Steel. He’s a man who has always wanted to be a hero, giving his life and humanity to his country, but never received the respect he felt he deserved. Superman, meanwhile, effortlessly commands everyone’s adoration, even though he never asked for it. Captain Atom wants to be a hero who matters to people, like Superman, and though his intentions are noble and he is a good man, he’s definitely known to let loose some jealous rage, which is exactly what fueled him in DC K.O.: Superman vs. Captain Atom. This three-round tournament saw these two battle to the death, and Captain Atom took the first round.

Granted, Superman didn’t want to fight, but his moment’s hesitation was more than enough for Captain Atom to unleash a salvo that not even the Man of Steel could withstand. Yes, Captain Atom had one fist infused with Kryptonite radiation, but his other fist was pumping out red sun radiation, and neither is even how he won, just how he made Superman hurt. His actual wincon was draining Superman dry of all of his solar energy until his cells burst, letting Captain Atom finish him off with no trouble. He employed a teeny bit of Kryptonite, but it was far from necessary, and his actual victory was too interesting for me to not acknowledge.

4) Martian Manhunter

Martian Manhunter was originally made with a whole lot of influence from Superman, which is fairly obvious when you look at just how many powers these two share. They have comparable strength, speed, and even laser eyes, but J’onn definitely has some unique traits of his own. He can shapeshift into practically any shape he needs, turning himself into a living weapon that can rip through anything he can’t already punch through, and he can manipulate his density to make himself practically untouchable. Of course, his main strength is his telepathy, which is among the strongest in all of DC, and has been used to cast people into illusions they couldn’t decipher from reality.

This incredibly strong telepathy is exactly what earned him the win in Martian Manhunter (2015) #2. J’onn didn’t just beat Superman, but the entire Justice League, trapping them in an illusion where they waged an epic battle against him, only for the Martian to beat back all of their advances. His mind control let him take Superman, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, and the Flash out of commission at the same time, which is about as high a feat as you could ask for from a single hero. Forget Kryptonite, Martian Manhunter beat Superman without even raising a fist.

3) Spectre

Superman is one of the strongest heroes around, but the Spectre is, without a doubt, one of the most powerful beings in the multiverse. This Angel of Vengeance sits at a level high above what even the Man of Tomorrow could hope to reach. The Spectre is nigh omnipotent, letting him know and do practically anything he sets his mind to. His singular mission is to punish those he deems have sinned, and he enacts his job with extreme passion. He can alter reality on a fundamental level, casting people into dark depths created by their own mistakes, or even literally pull colliding worlds apart. There’s virtually no limit to his magical might.

The Spectre has proven to be Superman’s better plenty of times over the years, but one of their only solo conflicts came in the pages of DC Comics Presents (1978) #29. Supergirl was launched beyond the veil of reality, and Superman tried to give chase, but the Spectre said that to do so could very likely destroy the universe. Superman gave it his all, but to call this a fight would still be giving him too much credit. Superman couldn’t even touch the ghastly angel, who spent the entire time imparting the lesson that even a Superman needed to ask for help on occasion. It was a schooling in every sense of the word.

2) Wonder Woman

As much as Superman represents the pinnacle of might for most superheroes, Wonder Woman is the same for superheroines. She’s not quite as strong, fast, or invulnerable as Superman, but she’s pretty darn close in all of those categories. At the very least, she can match him well enough that the difference hardly matters. Her level is close enough that she can outmaneuver or even outright defeat Superman if the circumstances are favorable, and Diana is nothing if not a woman who knows how to turn things around. Her unbreakable Lasso of Truth doesn’t hurt, either, given that Superman has a distinct vulnerability to magic.

They’ve fought plenty over the years, with Wonder Woman eking out a fair number of wins, but the best example of a victory from Diana came in Wonder Woman (1987) #175. Circe transformed the world’s male heroes into monstrous forms bent on destruction, and only Wonder Woman could stand up to Superman. He clearly outclassed her physically, but she got in her own hits. In the end, she won by binding him in the Lasso and forcing him to see the pain he caused those around him, which was enough to free his mind as he broke down in tears. Wonder Woman won through her compassion, not her strength, which is how a hero should win.

1) Captain Marvel

Also called Shazam, this Big Red Cheese was made to be his own world’s Superman a long time ago. Heck, Fawcett Comics were sued practically out of existence because he resembled Superman too much. Of course, that means that everyone is constantly comparing these two, and for good reason. The good Captain is one of the very few who can match and even overcome Superman through physical might alone. Their strength is equal, with each having overpowered the other in kind. Instead of super-senses or heat vision, the power of Shazam granted Billy magical wisdom and lightning, which definitely came in handy in All-Star Squadron (1981) #36.

This Earth-2 tale set the original Captain Marvel up against the original Superman. In a classic war-era plot, Hitler mind-controlled Captain Marvel to become his Super-Nazi and unleashed him on the battlefield, leading to the All-Star Squadron being called in to stop him. Unfortunately, Captain Marvel proved too powerful. He clashed with Superman and easily downed him with a few blows, knocking Superman into a building so hard that the rest of the team had to pull him out and wake him up. Not many could hit Superman half that hard, but Billy continues to prove that he is nothing if not a kid with infinite potential.

Which heroes would you love to see battle the Man of Steel? Let us know in the comments below!

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