DC Comics has been giving readers the most powerful superheroes out there for decades. When it comes to power-scaling, even Hulk fans have nothing on Silver Age DC writers and editors. We’ve seen insane things in DC books, with characters destroying entire universes, time travel to the beginning and end of time, widescale reality changes, transports across universes, and planets destroyed like they were nothing. When you think of power, you think of Silver Age Superman, a characters who was basically as powerful as he needed to be and what he needed to be was godlike. While power levels have lowered, they’re still sky high and DC has given fans some of the toughest heroes in comics.
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Tough heroes in DC are on another level. These characters have survived everything, including death, and have kept coming back every time to keep fighting. These are DC’s ten toughest superheroes, good guys who can survive anything.
10) Martian Manhunter
Martian Manhunter is DC’s most underappreciated superhero, a superlatively powerful hero who has protected the Earth in numerous guises for decades. J’onn has mostly conquered his fear of fire, to the extent that it really doesn’t bother him. His array of powers and years of experience have made him into one of the most potent heroes out there, and his unique fluid biology means he can survive all kinds of damage. However, he’s vulnerable to chemicals that can render him to liquid state, so that’s a weakness that puts him lower than he otherwise would be.
9) Nightwing
Nightwing is a DC legend, and a big reason for that is his innate toughness. Now, on the one hand, Dick Grayson is a normal human being with no superpowers, so that works against him. However, Nightwing has proven again and again that he deserves his place among the upper echelons of the superhero community. He’s been fighting evil for most of his life. His strength and endurance are basically inhuman, and being trained by Batman has put his mental toughness off the scales. On top of all that, everyone respects and listens to him, because he’s proven to be one of the best tacticians/team leaders out there. He’s the total package and has survived the worst that two of the most dangerous cities in comics can throw at him.
8) Batman
Batman is widely considered the toughest hero out there, but everyone knows that he’s not exactly the toughest. Bruce Wayne is basically a superhuman at this point, able to spend all night fighting, all while getting hit himself, and never slow down. He has inhuman will, and never gives up. However, as far as it goes, Batman’s own legend makes him rigid, which weakens him. Sure, he can always come up with any plan he needs to win, but he’s not as tough as he likes to pretend he is. Still plenty tough, obviously, but he’s more human than he pretends to be.
7) Cyborg
Cyborg became a legend as a Teen Titan, and has since been retconned into a founder of the Justice League. However, one thing that hasn’t changed over the decades is how tough he is. In fact, he’s gotten tougher. His new origin saw him bond with a Mother Box, making him much more powerful and durable than he was. His mental toughness has always been off the charts as well; he’s had to live with feeling less than human at times, but he’s done a fantastic job of overcoming that. He’s an icon, and deserves his place at the top of the lists.
6) Shazam/The Captain
Shazam, now known as the Captain, has always been one of the toughest heroes out there. He’s empowered by the Wizard Shazam with the power of numerous gods and heroes, and has been presented as an equal in strength and durability to Superman. He can take a beating and keep coming, and his strength and magical lightning can be devastating when he needs to do a lot of damage. Billy Batson is just a kid, but he’s fantastically mentally tough, and has been vying with some of the most dangerous villains out there for years. The Captain is a titan, and will always be a welcome presence in any battle against evil.
5) Orion
Orion is New Genesis’s Dog of War and one of the most dangerous gods in the DC Multiverse. He is the son of Darkseid, traded to New Genesis in a peace deal and is one of the greatest fighters around. Empowered by the Astro-Force, he’s also fantastically strong, able to go toe-to-toe with Darkseid. In fact, it’s believed that he will be the one to destroy the God of Evil in combat. His only weakness just so happens to be one of his greatest strengths: his rage. On the one hand, his anger makes him strong and indomitable, but it also is a danger, as he can be tricked and lose himself in the rage with little trouble. He’s dangerous in more ones than one.
4) Big Barda
Big Barda was raised in Granny Goodness’s orphanage on Apokolips. She survived the worst that the evil matron threw at her, and rose to the top, becoming the most dangerous Female Fury. She was able to defeat all of the pain and torment that Granny used to control her because of the love of Scott Free and has since become one of the fiercest enemies of Apokolips. Barda grew up with torment and indoctrination to a level that no one can understand, and she not only survived, but thrived. She is something very special (based on creator Jack Kirby’s wife), and is way tougher than anyone gives her credit for.
3) Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman has always been superlatively powerful, and this has been making her one of the toughest heroes around for decades. Diana is on a mission of truth and peace, but she was trained to be the ultimate warrior. She can take insane amounts of damage and is strong enough to use the Washington Monument as a spear. She’s one of the best fighters on Earth, if not the best, and is as mentally tough as they come. This is a woman whose main enemies are gods, and who fights alongside the strongest beings in the multiverse. She is one of the toughest heroes there ever was.
2) Mister Miracle
Mister Miracle is the son of Highfather, and was traded for Orion. He was put into Granny’s Orphanage as well, and she did her best to destroy him and break him for Darkseid. Every day, she tortured him and every night he escaped. Eventually, with the help of Barda, he was able to leave and never look back. Since then, he’s become one of the greatest heroes in the Multiverse, joining the Justice League and batting against the biggest threats imaginable. Scott Free lived through things that no one who didn’t experience it themselves could imagine. If he could live through that, he can live through anything. He’s an unstoppable force.
1) Superman
Superman has faced the greatest threats ever and always come out on top. Superman is the original unstoppable hero, someone who can deal with any kind of attack and keep coming. His power level is completely off the charts, but his plot armor is so great that it’s become a feature of the DC Multiverse. He’s the living embodiment of the power of hope, and there’s literally something called “Superman energy” that makes the multiverse a better place. He is everything good in the DC Multiverse, and always wins, automatically making him the toughest.
Who do you think is the toughest DC hero? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
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