Superman and Captain Marvel are both formidable superheroes. From the DC and Marvel Comics respectively, they use their incredible powers to fight evil within their universe.
The two heroes have similar abilities, such as strength, flight, and intelligence. This makes many people wonder, if they were to fight against each other, who would win? The answer isn’t as simple as one or the other.
We’ll break down things further in this article, so keep reading to find out more.
Arguably the most iconic superhero in the DC universe, Superman was born on an alien world. His birth planet, Krypton, rotated around a dying sun.
It was later destroyed, which is why he was sent to Earth as Krypton’s sole survivor. His parents initially named him Kal-El, but his adoptive Earth parents changed his name to Clark Kent.
Powers
Clark started showing his powers as he grew older. His Kryptonian cells take in solar energy from the sun, which turns into superhuman abilities. Clark has an enormous amount of strength.
He isn’t infinitely strong, but his strength capacity is so large that it has never been fully calculated. His punch is strong enough to break a hole in space-time while destroying his body is practically impossible.
Other than strength, he also has abilities like flight and X-Ray vision. X-Ray powers allow him to see through objects and buildings.
His flight powers are incredible; not only can he levitate above the ground on Earth, but he can also lift off into space at will. Clark also has laser vision that’s powerful enough to melt concrete structures.
Superman’s character is also important. He may be able to remove threats quickly and efficiently, but he keeps his ego in check. Instead of using his powers negligently, he assesses the situation, then decides what action is best appropriate.
Weaknesses
Even the most powerful heroes have low points, and Superman’s main one is well known. The term ‘kryptonite’ has entered modern-day language, so most people understand that it refers to one’s weakness.
Once Superman is exposed to Kryptonite, he is easily taken down. Kryptonite is a material that comes from Superman’s birth planet, Krypton. It looks like a green crystal substance.
Kryptonite weakens him by emitting special radiation that would affect other Kryptonians as well.
Superman also has another weakness. As his abilities come from solar power, he needs the Sun regularly. Without solar power, his cells won’t be charged, so he won’t have the energy needed to give him his abilities.
He needs to have enough exposure to the sun’s light and radiation. If he doesn’t, Superman has no way to recharge and use his powers to fight.
Other than physical weaknesses, some have beaten Superman through psychological means. One example is found in the Injustice story.
The Joker tricks Superman into using his powers to demolish Metropolis, the city in which his pregnant wife lived. In the process, Metropolis is destroyed, along with his wife, expected child, and many innocent lives.
Before this, it’s easy to think that Superman’s ethics mean that he is principled. This disaster shows that even good people like Clark Kent can be manipulated into wrongdoing.
CaptainMarvel
Context
Several superheroes from the Marvel universe have been named Captain Marvel. We now see the title belonging to the character Carol Danvers, also known as Warbird and Binary in the comics.
Carol began her journey as a pilot working for the US Air Force. In an accident, she was exposed to a powerful object called the Tesseract. The Tesseract provided energy to a power source within a test aircraft.
This source exploded as Carol was near it. She absorbed energy from the blast which gave her superhuman abilities.
After the accident, she also received a blood transfusion from a Kree, which transformed her into a human-Kree hybrid. Her biostructure changed, which also gave her certain abilities.
Powers
Carol Danvers, or Captain Marvel, is half human and half Kree. She is known as one of the most powerful heroes in the comics. Her Kree DNA gives her certain abilities.
Compared to regular humans, she is stronger, faster, and adaptable. However, she never knew about her otherworldly powers that resulted from her accident.
These newfound abilities mean that she can hold up against alien threats and other powered individuals.
One of her stellar abilities is that she can absorb energy. For example, if a missile was heading in her direction, she could take in all of its energy and stop it in the process.
Any attacks that would harm other people can give her strength, as she converts the energy into any form that she wishes. Another superhuman power is that she can fly faster than light travels.
This allows her to travel in space at impressive speeds. Carol is also incredibly strong and has extra healing potential. Her Kree DNA gave her strength, but she became even stronger after gaining full access to her powers.
Weaknesses
Captain Marvel has no physical weaknesses as of yet. However, it’s fair to say that her personality could hinder her in a fight. Carol is headstrong, which can sometimes be a healthy quality.
Nevertheless, this makes her jump into fights or arguments without assessing the situation first.
Freely displaying powers is expected from one of the strongest superheroes, but Carol doesn’t show modesty or restraint when doing so. This can be a deadly weakness, especially against someone as level-headed as Superman.
Who Would Win In A Fight: Superman or Captain Marvel?
This is a source of contention for many people. These two characters are similar in many ways, so it can be hard to figure out who would win against the other.
It’s important to note that not all fights are the same. They come in categories: abilities, overall strength, or hand-to-hand combat.
Abilities
Superman and Captain Marvel have a lot of the same powers. They are both super strong, can travel in space, and possess great intelligence. However, there is one important difference, their DNA.
Captain Marvel may possess a little Kree DNA, but her human half has no powers. On the other hand, Superman has Kryptonian DNA. The DNA in his cells takes in solar energy to convert into several powers.
This means that Superman can access more powers than Captain Marvel. The blast from the Tesseract may have given Carol powers, but Clark still has many more abilities than Carol.
When it comes down to abilities, Superman would win over Captain Marvel.
Strength
Both of these heroes are known for their strength. We’ve seen Captain Marvel fly through a spaceship and Superman pick up buildings with ease. Still, when it comes to who is stronger than the other, Superman wins hand down.
Captain Marvel is impressively strong, but in the DC comics, Superman has broken time, reality, and space with a single punch. He’s also towed literal planets from a dying galaxy to another area of the universe.
There is no contest here. Superman is stronger than Captain Marvel.
Hand to Hand Combat
Superman may fight villains with impressive skills, but if we’re just looking at combat expertise, Captain Marvel would take him down easily. There may be other experienced fighters in the Marvel comics, but Carol has had military training from both Earth and the Kree world.
She also fights villains from different parts of the universe, adding to her skill set over time. Superman may be able to fly in space, but he stays near the Earth to stay powered and for its protection.
In a hand-to-hand fight, Captain Marvel would win against Superman.
