7 DC Heroes That Have Actually Beaten Superman

Superman is the Man of Steel, the Last Son of Krypton, and one of the most powerful superheroes to ever fly across a comic page. He’s the guy who kick-started the entire genre with his exploits defeating villains and defending the oppressed. In the decades since, he’s become the face of DC and the number one hero standing against the tides of chaos and crime. Ever since he leapt onto the scene like the rocket that carried him to Earth, Superman has also been one of DC’s strongest characters. He’s only grown exceptionally more powerful over the years, and to this day, he remains the premier hero to take down threats to the DC Universe.

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Superman is the pinnacle of strength for comic books in general, but that isn’t to say nobody can challenge him. The Man of Steel has actually lost his fair share of fights against heroes and villains over the years, and sometimes, those conflicts generate some of his best stories. Today, we’ll take a look at seven heroes who have defeated Superman at one point or another. Six of these heroes have what it takes to stand alongside the best DC has to offer, and one will never not be hilarious. With all that said, let’s somersault into some of Superman’s losses.

7) Batman

Getting the most obvious hero out of the way first, Batman and Superman are constantly pitted against each other. They’re DC’s most popular heroes, best friends, and embody two ends of the heroism spectrum, so it’s only natural that they duke it out now and then. Obviously, Superman has every physical advantage by a lightyear and a half, but Batman’s resourcefulness has let him eke out a couple of wins against the Man of Tomorrow. Their most famous bout took place in The Dark Knight Returns #4, where Batman bested him with a mix of power armor and Kryptonite. This set the precedent that Batman can win, even against all odds. Of course, not everyone here has Kryptonite to spare, and they don’t need it, either.

6) Captain Atom

Captain Atom is DC’s resident jobber, always losing fights to prove that other characters are strong. Of course, that wouldn’t work if he weren’t incredibly powerful himself. Captain Atom is a physical match for Superman, along with controlling radiation and nuclear force. At his peak, the good captain can manipulate reality on an atomic level, letting him do everything from time travel to alchemy. He demonstrated all his strengths in DC K.O.: Superman vs. Captain Atom, where he utterly decimated the Man of Steel in the first round. He tore Superman apart and, in the end, killed the hero. Superman came back in the next rounds, but Captain Atom proved that he was just as powerful as Superman and then some.

5) Spectre

The Spectre is one of the most powerful beings in the DC Universe. He’s an angel, the living embodiment of God’s wrath, and strong enough to wipe out foes like Darkseid without a sweat. The Spectre is on an entirely different level. Typically, when he fights other heroes, entire teams unite to stand up to, and ultimately fall to, his awesome might. Superman took him on mano a mano in DC Presents #29. Supergirl was launched to the veil beyond mortal comprehension, and the Spectre stepped in to stop Superman from shattering the laws of reality to chase after her. Superman hit the Spectre with everything he had, but he couldn’t even budge the angel, who spent the entire time teaching him a lesson about needing to ask for help.

4) Supergirl

Speaking of Kara, the Woman of Tomorrow has thrashed her cousin a couple of times. Oftentimes, Supergirl has been stated to be even stronger than Superman, and she demonstrated how she physically outclassed him in Supergirl (2011) #2, where she spent most of the time after she crashlanded on Earth punching her cousin through the Great Wall of China. Superman tried repeatedly to calm her down, but Kara was stronger and kept throwing him away. They stopped fighting to avoid endangering innocents, but this is just one example of Supergirl outclassing her Earth-raised cousin, and one of the best showcases of how powerful she is even after just landing on Earth.

3) Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman is DC’s number one heroine, and as such, she’s often pitted against the number one hero. Wonder Woman might not be as strong or tough as Superman, but she’s one of the few who can truly keep up with him, and far outclasses the Man of Steel in technique. Their most brutal showdown was depicted in Wonder Woman (1987) #175. Circe transformed the world’s male heroes into insane man-animal hybrids, and only Wonder Woman could stand up to Superman. The rabid hero beat her into a bloody pulp, but Diana has never given up. She managed to bind him in the Lasso of Truth, restoring his mind and ending their fight with Wonder Woman as the victor.

2) Green Lantern

Green Lantern’s Power Ring is known as one of the universe’s strongest weapons. Superman typically outclasses a single Lantern, but in Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #4, Hal Jordan was finally given the edge. The Devil Nezha possessed Green Lantern and amped his ring with magic, letting the constructs hurt Superman. With his invulnerability compromised and the magic weakening him, Hal beat Superman into the dirt until Batman came to his rescue. This might have been a clean fight, but it proved that Hal was more than capable of standing up to the Man of Steel.

1) Jimmy Olsen

Jimmy is Superman’s number one pal, and he might not look like much, but he’s the number one person I’d call if I needed to take down Superman. He’s the world’s most interesting man, and ping-pongs between being the luckiest and unluckiest, depending on whatever’s funnier. His best fight against Superman came in the legendary All-Star Superman #4. Superman’s power had recently risen to unparalleled heights, which made him losing his mind to Black Kryptonite three times more dangerous than ever before. Thankfully, Jimmy always had a trick up his sleeve and infected himself with an experimental mixture to transform him into Doomsday. He bested the inverted Man of Tomorrow, and they brought each other back to their senses.

Which hero would you love to test their mettle against the Man of Steel? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!