Superman Just Became the Most Powerful Magic Hero Alive

Superman’s already the strongest hero in the DC Universe, so imagine how much mightier he’d be with an incredibly powerful magic buff. Like many DC heroes and villains, Superman is caught up in the most high-stakes tournament in history. Darkseid is this close to conquering everything, and the only way to stop him is by competing in a tournament to claim the power of the Heart of Apokolips, a mysterious relic that can endow the victor with cosmic power. It’s been a tough battle, and every round has forced Superman to act in ways he ordinarily never would.

This tournament has been filled with twists and turns that no one has seen coming. The first round was a scavenger hunt that had the fighters gather incredibly powerful power-ups, and Superman ended up temporarily gaining Darkseid’s Omega Sanction. The second round was a one-on-one fight that saw Clark fight Captain Atom, and though the latter had Superman on the ropes, Superman won after merging with Captain Atom’s origin, using the hero’s own power to defeat him. Superman’s gotten some amazingly powerful upgrades, but the tournament’s latest round is giving the Last Son of Krypton a seriously godlike buff.

Superman Claims the Power of Shazam to Defeat Two Green Lanterns at Once

In DC K.O. #3 by Scott Snyder, Joshua Williamson, Xermánico, and Javier Fernández, the remaining eight fighters are summoned for the competition’s third round. This round is a tag-team battle, and everyone is allowed to pick a fighter who was eliminated from a previous round. After a bit of debate, Superman chooses Shazam, who appreciates the opportunity to redeem himself after being eliminated in the preliminaries. Together, Superman and Shazam are facing off against Green Lanterns Guy Gardner and Hal Jordan. However, Hal comes prepared for this fight, having smuggled in a Black Mercy plant to impair Superman.

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Thankfully, Superman is able to break out of the Black Mercy’s hold, but by the time he’s out, Shazam is nearly defeated. But as it turns out, Superman had another reason for making Billy his partner, namely, because Superman knew about Shazam’s ability to share his magic power. Billy says his magic word, and in a flash of lightning, Superman is overflowing with the power of six gods (on top of Clark’s already amazing Kryptonian strength). In an instant, Superman uses the Power of Shazam to defeat Hal and Guy, allowing Clark to sail on through to the fourth round.

Superman With Shazam’s Power is a Huge Upgrade (That We Won’t See More Of)

There’s a real irony to this upgrade here. Superman notably has no defenses against magic, but by taking on the full might of Shazam’s power, Clark, in effect, becomes possibly the most powerful magic hero around. After all, Clark is god-level strong, as is Shazam. So when you pool that power together, you have a hero that is way more than the sum of their parts. All it takes is just one move from Superman with his new upgrade, and suddenly, Hal and Guy are a threat no more. It’s just a shame we’re not getting more of this.

Admittedly, I don’t know what’s going to happen in the next DC K.O. issues. But I’m confident in saying that Superman’s stint as the Big Blue Cheese won’t last. As mentioned earlier, Superman previously gained Darkseid’s Omega Sanction and later merged with elements of Captain Atom’s history. However, every time Superman advances to a new round, these upgrades are gone, which is extremely unfortunate. It would have been so cool to see Superman use any of these new buffs, but there’s a real missed opportunity in not letting him work with the Living Lightning for just a bit longer.

But for such a brief period for Superman, this is one of the most powerful forms he’s ever had. Taking the bevy of Superman’s abilities and buffing him with the power of six additional gods? That takes Clark to a level he never gets to operate on. While Superman and Shazam are fine heroes on their own, it really is cool to see them pool their resources into one hero. All we can hope for is that the two decide to replicate this move one day and really show off how powerful a magic hero Superman is with Shazam’s power.

What do you think about Superman gaining the power of Shazam in the latest DC K.O. issue? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!