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7 Overpowered Marvel Superheroes Who Could Totally Beat Superman

Superman, on paper, isn’t the most powerful hero in the DC Multiverse. However, in practice, he’s proven to be one of the most unstoppable heroes in the history of comics. This is a guy who casually flies many times the speed of light and is often strong enough to move planets; fighting him is going to be a challenge for anyone south of Yahweh or Lucifer (or various other major gods from other extant religions). His powers make him the greatest defender of good in comics, but that doesn’t mean that he’s unstoppable. Over the last century, we’ve seen him battle against the most dangerous enemies out there and there are times when he loses. He’s as powerful as they come, and honestly more so, but he’s not unbeatable.

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Marvel Comics isn’t as known for the power level of their heroes as DC, but there are definitely some characters who would be overpowered in either multiverse. However, even among this already illustrious number, only a few could actually beat the Man of Steel. These seven overpowered Marvel heroes could take down Superman, proving how potent they are.

7) Magik

Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics

The New Mutants has produced numerous legends, but the most dangerous is easily Magik. It’s easy to think that she isn’t overpowered, but looks can be deceiving. She’s one of the most skilled magic users on the planet (she got robbed for Sorcerer Supreme; Marvel Rivals fans need to buy more of her comics), forged in the demonic battleground of Limbo, and has the mutant power to teleport anyone anywhere. She’s nowhere near as strong or fast as Supes, but her Soulsword will hurt the Man of Steel, and she could use her mutant powers to drop him in a black hole or into the space between universes or anywhere else she can think of โ€“ including in the middle of one of Limbo’s interminable demon wars. It wouldn’t be a fancy win, but it would be a win.

6) Captain Universe

Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics

Jonathan Hickman’s Avengers run was phenomenal, bringing together the largest, most powerful team of Avengers ever. The group’s biggest powerhouse wasn’t Thor, Captain Marvel, Hulk, or even Superman analogue Hyperion, but Captain Universe. She was a comatose woman possessed by the power of the universe itself and she could do anything she wanted. She’d be able to drain Superman’s energy immediately if he was coming towards her, rendering him harmless and allowing her to win the battle (which would honestly just turn into them talking with each other about existence; she is literally the living universe).

5) Silver Surfer

Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics

The Silver Surfer and Superman have a lot in common, including being much too powerful for their own good. However, Surfer has an advantage in this fight between them because of the Power Cosmic. It allows him to manipulate energy, meaning that he can transform yellow sun radiation into anything he wants in Superman’s system. He could take away the Kryptonian’s powers once he figured it out and his speed and indestructible skin would keep him in the fight long enough to realize how to win. This would be another fight where the two of them would almost certainly end up as best friends afterwards and it would be great to watch happen.

4) Doctor Strange

Doctor Strange - Damnation
Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics

While he’s been replaced as Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange is still Marvel’s best magic user. He’s protected the universe from the worst metaphysical threats and is a master of every kind of magic you can imagine. Magic is one of Superman’s key weaknesses and Strange is smart enough to take advantage of that. He’s fought beings way more powerful than him for years now, so that really wouldn’t be a problem for him. It wouldn’t be a quick fight, but it would be a win for the former surgeon.

3) Phoenix

Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics

Jean Grey has always been powerful, but recent years have seen the Phoenix Force return to her, making her more powerful than ever. She’s basically a cosmic being at this point, a force of nature greater than any god and she would lay waste to Superman. This is someone who was able to stop a black hole in the first issue of her last solo series; she can basically do whatever she wants. She could definitely drain the energy from the Man of Steel, but her powers are so strong she could smack him around with cosmic being-level telekinesis and telepathy while flawlessly keeping her from hitting him. There’s really nothing he would be able to do against her if she wanted it to be a real fight and if she didn’t, she could just shut him down with a thought.

2) Scarlet Witch

Scarlet Witch in Sorcerer Supreme
Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics

Scarlet Witch is the latest Sorcerer Supreme, her magic backed up by her power to manipulate reality. She’s the definition of a glass cannon โ€“ she can do a lot of damage but can’t take nearly as much in return โ€“ but she could beat Superman if she got lucky. He’s weak to her magic, she’s smart enough to keep herself protected because she’s been fighting more powerful beings than her for years, and she has an entire bag of tricks to choose from to take him down. If she faltered for a second, she would lose the fight, but the definition of the verb “could” is about having the ability to do something, not the ability to always do it (I’m sorry for this grammar lesson in the middle of your power-scaling discourse), and that checks out in this case.

1) Thor

Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics

Thor is Marvel’s most storied warrior and he could beat Superman in the same way that Scarlet Witch can, in that he does have the ability to win the fight if everything goes right. The Odinson is probably physically weaker than Superman and he’s nowhere near as fast or durable, but he has that magic in him and that’s always made a big difference the few times the two of them have met. Even Superman can only take so many Mjolnir-amped lightning and anti-energy blasts and that’s before we even get to how many times Thor is going to swing for the fences โ€“ in this case, the fences are Superman’s head โ€“ with the Uru hammer. There’s only so much magical punishment Supes can take and as long as he doesn’t look at the God of Thunder and decide to hit him a million times with full strength while moving at a significant portion of the speed of light because he knows the Norse deity can take it, Thor can win this battle.

What overpowered Marvel heroes do you think can beat Superman? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!