The Arrowverse’s 10 Most Powerful DC Heroes, Ranked by How Strong They Are

The Arrowverse was the most successful live-action superhero franchise to date, starting with Arrow and moving on until the end of Superman & Lois. It all started with Arrow, introducing Oliver Queen as the man who held it all together, and then moved on to bringing in everyone from Flash and Superman to Supergirl, the Legends of Tomorrow, Black Lightning, and more. It also brought some of DC’s best storylines to the small screen, with Crisis on Infinite Earths marking the beginning of the end, as Arrow ended after that event. With so many great DC heroes introduced, it featured some of the strongest in comic book history.

From the start of the Arrowverse, with Green Arrow himself, through the end of Superman & Lois, here are the most powerful heroes in the Arrowverse, ranked.

10) Green Arrow

Green Arrow has no superpowers, but as the man who held the entire Arrowverse together, he remains one of the strongest, at least when it comes to his fighting skills and determination. Like Batman, Oliver Queen didn’t need superhuman powers to succeed. He survived being trapped on a deserted island and beat almost every single villain he crossed paths with, including those with superhuman powers. He only died because he needed to sacrifice his own life to save the world, and the fact that he is the one strong enough to make that decision proves his worth.

9) Atom

Atom showed up in the third season of Arrow, with Brandon Routh (Superman Returns) starring as Ray Palmer. His origin story in the Arrowverse was different from the comics, as his wife, Anna Loring, was killed when Slade Wilson attacked Starling City. As a tech billionaire, he bought Oliver Queen’s company, Queen Consolidated, and wanted to use it to help provide free energy to Starling City. It was during this time that he began developing his Atom suit with some high-tech offensive powers, and eventually added his DC character’s powers of shrinking.

8) Black Lightning

Black Lightning was one of the oldest heroes in the Arrowverse. Jefferson Pierce was the principal of Garfield High School in Freeland and someone who had retired from his life as a superhero before ever appearing in the Arrowverse. However, when he realizes that his city still needs a hero, he takes on the role of Black Lightning again while also still serving as the principal. His powers are not based on a suit, but were given to him in a tainted vaccine when he was a child. With the power to generate electricity, he remains extremely dangerous and is one of the most powerful metahumans in the Arrowverse.

7) John Constantine

John Constantine is the most powerful magic user in the Arrowverse, and his devious nature makes him one of the most dangerous as well. Constantine first appeared in his own television series, and when that ended after one season, Matt Ryan brought his character over to the Arrowverse. He ended up joining the Legends of Tomorrow and remains one of the Arrowverse’s most popular characters. Constantine is the master of the occult and mystic arts, and while he died, he continued to help the team from beyond, showing the extent of his powers.

6) Martian Manhunter

In DC Comics, Martian Manhunter rivals Superman in power levels, and with his telepathic powers added on, he might be even stronger than the Man of Steel. Just like in the comics, J’onn J’onzz in the Arrowverse is one of the last Green Martians who was raised on Mars before the Martian Holocaust killed his entire family. He went into hiding on Earth and eventually took the form of DEO director Hank Henshaw. His power levels are so high that Superman called him the most powerful being on his version of Earth.

5) The Flash

Barry Allen is second only to Oliver Queen when it comes to serving as the face of the Arrowverse. He had the longest-running show, and he is the most popular of all the superpowered beings in this franchise. Barry got his powers in an accident when the STAR Labs particle accelerator exploded, giving numerous people powers. However, Flash’s powers surpass everyone in that event. Flash taps into the Speed Force, and he can move faster than almost anyone alive. His body also rapidly heals from injuries, and he can run so fast that he can travel through time. He is so fast that he can theoretically win almost any fight before anyone knows it started.

4) Superman

Superman is often considered the most powerful hero in DC Comics, and this is almost true in the Arrowverse as well. This is the same Superman as most fans are used to seeing, as he is from Krypton, has super strength, super speed, is invulnerable to all human weapons and devices, and has almost no weaknesses at all. However, he is also the best of most heroes, and he will almost always pull his punches and will fight to save people before ever fighting to hurt anyone. However, there is one Kryptonian in the Arrowverse who is stronger than Superman.

3) Supergirl

In what might shock many people who didn’t watch the Arrowverse, Supergirl is actually stronger than her cousin Superman. The two seem almost evenly matched, as their Kryptonian physiology gives them immense and almost unstoppable powers under the yellow sun. However, the two actually fought in the Arrowverse when they had a massive battle while Superman had lost control of his facilities. In this fight, Supergirl actually knocked Superman out. Shockingly, Superman said he wasn’t holding anything back and still lost to Supergirl.

2) The Monitor

While the Monitor might not be a traditional hero, he is not a villain. He travels the multiverse to prepare heroes for the coming of the Anti-Monitor after learning the villain would cause the end of the entire multiverse. Every world he tested for the upcoming battle failed until he reached Earth-1, and it was then that their heroes passed. He then sent Superman and Supergirl to Earth-1 to help them fight in the Crisis on Infinite Earths. As for his powers, he is a cosmic-empowered alien who has lived for over 10,000 years, has dimensional awareness, and has several abilities, including molecular manipulation, telekinesis, chronokinesis, precognition, resurrection, and power bestowal.

1) The Spectre

The Spectre is a rare spirit that is in tune with the energies of the multiverse. In the comics, the Spectre has bonded with different heroes over the years to serve as a protector and hero in his own right. This includes Jim Corrigan, who was also the Spectre for a time in the Arrowverse. However, the most important Spectre in the Arrowverse formed when Oliver Queen died, and he ended up taking this form to help save the multiverse. The Spectre has just about any power imaginable, including almost everything the Monitor has, as well as a connection to the Speed Force and multiversal manipulation.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

Six Years Ago Today, One of the Most Important DC Shows Ever Ended (And Created an Iconic Meme)