Comic Book Battles: Superman vs Wonder Woman

Superman vs Wonder Woman All New Collectors' Edition

On January 1978, DC Comics published an All New Collectors' Edition featuring a fight for the ages: What would happen if the Man of Steel fought The Amazon Princess in a no holds-barred fight?

The fight takes place in Chicago, then on the moon over Wonder Woman's decision to rid the world of nuclear weapons. The ending of the fight is inconclusive, though Superman seems to succeed in reasoning with Wonder Woman as both heroes realize there is a nuclear threat on Earth related to their respective investigations, which they must deal with cooperatively.

Superman and Wonder Woman represent the pinnacles of the American heroism and fortitude. They symbolize America at its greatest, and they, coming from an alien world and a Greek Paradise Island, are champions of the American spirit. That their fight takes place over a disagreement about nuclear weapons reveals the importance of both heroes in the geo-political arena, and of their role as ambassadors for Peace and Justice.

In a fight between these two gods, who would win? Let's decide by examining the different comparisons of their super powers.

SUPER-STRENGTH

Superman and Wonder Woman have been described as comparable physically. They are physical peers. According, to Checkmate database, a secret government operation that had a role during The OMAC Project(2005),and the events of Superman: Sacrifice (2006), Superman and Wonder Woman are both listed as strength class A-1.

Checkmate Database: Superman

Checkmate Database: Wonder Woman

It is part of Superman's power to be defined as the strongest hero and the most invulnerable. According to feats from Post Crisis, though Superman and Wonder Woman are comparable, Superman outclasses Wonder Woman. In JLA/The Spectre: Soul War, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Martian Manhunter were able to lift The Spectre, a being with infinite mass. In Superman Beyond #1, Superman with the help of Captain Marvel has been able to lift the Book of Limbo, a book with infinite pages. He has been shown to contain a black hole in his left hand. In All Star Superman #1, an alternate version of Superman, he has been able to lift with his left hand 200 quintillion tons while on the moon with his strength having tripled. The extent of Superman's strength appears limitless. In the New 52, in Superman Vol 3 #13, Superman has been shown to bench press the weight of the Earth in the center of the Earth for five days without exposure to sunlight.

SUPER-STRENGTH: VERDICT

Though Superman and Wonder Woman are peers in strength, Post-Crisis and New 52 feats show that Superman outclasses Wonder Woman in the strength department.

SUPER-SPEED

According to Checkmate database, Superman and Wonder Woman are both listed as comparable in speed, class A-2. Superman seems to exhibit faster travel speed, whereas Wonder Woman, due to her fighting ability, exhibits faster reaction time or reflexes. Since her inception, Wonder Woman has been shown to deflect bullets, which are known to have speed up to 1700 mph. In Post-Crisis, inJLA: Tower of Babel, she has been shown to race The Flash, though she lost. Wonder Woman has been shown to fight Cheetah regularly at super-speed, and react to her faster reflexes. Wonder Woman has displayed the ability to engage Superman in combat and keep up with his superior speed. Superman is said to be "faster than a speeding bullet!" Superman outclasses Wonder Woman in travel speed. He regularly races The Flash and Captain Marvel. He is able to trace EM transmissions with his senses and his super speed. Superman has shown the speed to travel faster-than-light on numerous occasions. In Superman: For Tomorrow, Superman #204, Superman travels to Vega in a matter of seconds upon hearing the cry for help of Green Lantern Kyle Rayner: "Superman... Save me!" Vega is located 25 light years from Earth. Superman has been shown to circle the Earth in seconds. In Superman #204, Superman searches the Earth twice in the space of one page looking for the rhythm of the heartbeat of his wife, Lois Lane. In combat, Superman has demonstrated the ability for superior speed in comparison to Wonder Woman through what is known as the speed-blitz, a technique that allows him to deal multiple super-speed punches at extremely quick reaction times. In Our Worlds At War, Superman accesses his powers with a combination of super-speed, heat vision, cold breath, and super-speed punches to take down Imperiex probes in space.

SUPER-SPEED: VERDICT

Though they are listed as comparable, Superman outclasses by feats Wonder Woman in the super-speed department through faster-than-light travel, regularly racing and matching speedsters, and performing super-speed feats in combat. Wonder Woman does on most occasions, exhibit higher level reaction times, which Superman matches with his higher level of super-speed, and the ability to combine his powers in combat.

ENERGY PROJECTION

Superman and Wonder Woman, though varied in their super-powers possess the ability to project energy, and to manipulate forces. Both differ in the fact that Superman's powers are science-based, while Wonder Woman's powers are magical, and derive from the Olympian pantheon of gods. Wonder Woman possesses a power granted by Zeus, by which she is able to call upon the magical power of the lightning. In multiple instances, Wonder Woman has held the power of Zeus in the full force of the lightning. She has used it in various ways. Superman projects energy primarily in the form of beams of heat focused through his eyes, a power called heat vision. Superman has used his heat vision for various applications. In Superman Vol 1 #620, Superman uses his heat vision in order to heat the Earth. Superman regularly uses heat vision as a blast to take down foes. In Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, Superman incinerates an army of Doomsday clones with a blast of his heat vision. Superman also uses heat vision in applications of science. Here, Superman uses his heat vision to free himself, Batman and Robin from the Omega barrier that was a force field that was simulating the event horizon of a black hole.

ENERGY PROJECTION: VERDICT

Superman has a vulnerability to magic, which Wonder Woman's energy projection exploits. However, her magical power of calling upon the lightning of Zeus is used rarely, whereas Superman uses his heat vision regularly with varied uses for solving global crises, battle and combat energy projection, sensory analysis and powers, and for science uses. In this department, Superman far outclasses Wonder Woman in power output, skill, and use, though his vulnerability to magic makes him susceptible to this power as an advantage for Wonder Woman.

FORMIDABILITY

Formidability has much to do with fighting prowess and the advantageous use of super-powers. Superman's varied powers—his superior super-strength, super-speed, invulnerability, energy projection, sensory powers and genius intellect grant him a decisive advantage. In practice, however, Wonder Woman is equally as formidable, as she is able to match him as much in every decisive category, and displays a decisive advantage: a millennia's-worth of combat training advantage that grants her knowledge of war, tactics, fighting styles, and a warrior spirit of the Amazons that is indomitable! Superman has the superior physical stats, as well as the superior mental stats, Wonder Woman has comparable formidability due to matching physical stats and a millennia's-worth of superior fighting skills. In the end, it comes down to a fight between an alien from an advanced scientific civilization with godly powers under the yellow sun that allow him to operate at a solar system level with the power of a sun, and a magical being, an Olympian goddess who can commune with the Earth and the elements, and unleash with ferocity in her fighting spirit the power of the magical lightning of Zeus, and the physical strength of Gaia. One can contain a black hole and infinity in his hands, the other can move the Earth with her lasso.

Superman proves more formidable in the end. He is the one who is called upon to take on inter-galactic and universal threats such as defeating Darkseid in Final Crisis, defeating Imperiex in Our Worlds at War, defeating Mandrakk in Superman Beyond, and defeating Doomsday in Superman/Doomsday: Hunter/Prey using the help of Waverider and advanced technology from the Mother Box.

FORMIDABILITY: VERDICT

Superman and Wonder Woman both function as different archetypes. Superman values justice through hope and Wonder Woman labors for peace through war. One displays physical power effortlessly, the other uses physical power with grace.

Superman has shown the ability to take on more serious threats to the DC multiverse, and is frequently called upon as Earth's last hope against alien invasion, mad scientists, super-villain organizations, terrorist attacks, and even magical threats. Superman is simply more formidable in combat though in their direct head-to-head confrontations, there often is no clear winner. It seems, Wonder Woman often is displayed as more formidable whereas Superman is portrayed as more powerful.

Formidability is essentially an aura of invulnerability and Superman displays this ability as part of his super-powers. Superman is able to use his super-powers in more formidable ways than Wonder Woman, whether to deflect the Omega Beams with his heat vision, correct an erasure in the space-time continuum, or use his super-strength to shake the Earth with his blows, punch with the power to crack the moon in half, as seen against Black Adam, or use his super-speed to vibrate himself intangible, and even use his super-speed to shatter Cyborg Superman by vibrating his punch at super-speed.

Wonder Woman is best equipped for magical threats, and for geo-political threats to the world. She is an expert in diplomacy though through the use of war and force.

Formidability is the power to conquer foes against unimaginable odds. There is no greater formidability than Superman matching Doomsday in Superman/Doomsday: Hunter/Prey by submitting the monster to a barrage of heat vision to which the monster evolves an attack against Superman.

THE VERDICT

Though Superman and Wonder Woman differ greatly by super feats with Superman having superiority, they are seen as physical peers in the DC multiverse due to their heroic deeds, and of their mission to make the world a better place. If Superman is seen as the first and most powerful superhero in the superhero community and the DC multiverse, Wonder Woman is seen as his number two, and his most trusted ally as seen in Kingdom Come.

In the end, Superman is more formidable, and is the one that the DC multiverse looks up to, and Wonder Woman is his most formidable ally, though Captain Marvel is seen as Superman's equal.

In a no-holds barred fight, the Man of Steel would come out on top, barely.