Marvel versus DC

I never really liked DC..
Their characters heroes were either too lame power wise, that it didn't seem real (I know I know heh comics aren't real) that they could keep winning against everything thrown at them.. or so overpowered they were boring.. like superman.. lets see from the tiny bit I know about superman he's: basically invincable to everything but kryptonite which there is a limited supply of. Can fly. Can see through everything but lead. Can shoot lasers or heat (or both?) out of his eyes, can run faster than anything, but who cares.. cause he can fly that fast too.. and who wants to run when you can fly? Has icebreath.. and can turn back time, by flying around the world in the opposite direction and hitting it really hard.. to spin it back.. and I'm sure over the years they gave him more powers..
How can that be interesting?

I really liked some of the Marvel characters though..

but truth is.. in a super hero/villain battle royal.. The Tick, and Arthur clean house :p

Well if this is about a fight then neither side would win. Marvel and DC simply have to many characters ranging from beings with no powers to ultimate beyond believable doubt super cosmic beings who are never main characters. If you put X-men against the JLA or you put individual characters like Spider-man vs. Batman against eachother and you want to call it Marvel vs. DC then fine, you can call it that but is that what it is. The answer is emphatically No. The comics represent to whole universes of characters. There would have to be an all out war at least between the two earths and even if there was and lets say DC beat Marvel I'm pretty sure Marvel could plant some character in the DC Earth that would blow it up as soon as the superbeings came home. Then there are characters on both sides who could recreate the whole earths and all of the people.

[edit on 15-3-2006 by NeoQuest]

Go MArvel, DC sucks! DC?

Alien who is a weakling on home planet, but on Earth he is Super. He is a God, you can't kill him, he was shot in the heart with a kryptonite bullet and lived.
Batman? Guy has no powers, but lots of money. Take his belt away and a three year old could beat him.
Wonder WOman? Blah, whats so wonderful about her? Try Black Cat, or Sue from F4.
Also, the Flash, all he can do is run fast, so stick your leg out and trip him.
Green Lantern? NO POWERS! It's all in the ring, give me the ring, and I am Green Lantern, and yellow can kill him, a bannana can kill him.

But Marvel? Wolverine is the best! Even after he got the metal taken out of him by Magneto. And Spiderman, guy is a genius, and a geek! Not a hunky alien from Krypton, but a GEEK!

X-Men, F4, Iron Man! Can't forget him, although he is mostly the suit. And Captain America would whoop on Batman, he is the man, the Patriotic Man!

The Marvel Vs. DC line was kinda cool. If I remember correctly it relied on votes from the audience to decide the winners.

Marvel had it's Cosmic Beings which could blow the crap out of anyone. They had a knack for using the omnipotent as charecters. For example, Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet could destroy everything (especially that flaming boyscout troop leader Superman). Come to think of it, if we hold Superman as the definitive DC superhero, and take Kryptonite out of the picture, I bet Silver Surfer would still whoop his little white behind red.

Spoilers Follow

The ultimate clash between Marvel and DC, which is often touted as canon but which was not intended as such, is the Amalgam series of comics. The essential gist of Amalgam was that the DC and Marvel universes began to bleed into one another, as a result of two all-powerful brothers (who were, in fact, incarnations of their respective universes) becoming aware of one another after untold eons.

Amalgam featured much-hyped fights between characters which were viewed as similar. So, you had Superman versus the Hulk, Thor versus Captain Marvel, Wonder Woman versus Storm, Batman versus Captain America, etc. As Rasobasi420 stated, the winners of the various bouts were decided by popular vote. This tactic has been the cause of much contention and fiercely heated debate over the years, as it was generally believed that characters which should not have won their battles prevailed solely due to their popularity with fans. The example which is always raised is that of Wolverine defeating Lobo.

From what I could tell, Marvel actually won the battle, although there were a number of fights which were implied but never shown. However, accepted winners include:

Superman beat the Hulk
Thor beat Captain Marvel
Storm beat Wonder Woman
Silver Surfer beat Green Lantern
Spiderman beat Superboy
Batman beat Captain America (but just barely)
Elektra beat Catwoman
Wolverine beat Lobo

In the end, the two brothers began to duke it out themselves, despite the efforts of the two primary cosmic entities of DC (The Spectre) and Marvel (The Living Tribunal) to prevent such a battle. In a sickly sweet moment, the two brothers decide to shake hands and congratulate each other on having done so well with their respective universes after witnessing what they considered to be the finest examples of each other's work in Batman and Captain America respectively.



When it comes to an actual duel between Marvel and DC characters, without the bias of fanboy voting stakes, the situation becomes complicated. Which characters do we include when we talk about a given universe's stable? Do we, for example, include characters such as The Endless or Lucifer from DCs Vertigo line? Because if we do, these characters represent just about the most powerful characters in comicdom and would be more than a match for any Marvel character, including Thanos with the Infinity Gauntlet.

The problem with DCs treatment of their characters is that, although they are generally more powerful in terms of raw power than their Marvel counterparts), they rarely work effectively as a team. The fact that the JLA has a line-up including Superman (Superman for crying out loud!!!), Martian Manhunter and Wonder Woman and still manages to lose engagement after engagement says something about the effectiveness of working together as a team, rather than as a collection of powerful individuals. Marvel always emphasised teamwork (The X-Men, Avengers, Fantastic Four) over individualism and, as a result, Marvel characters work far better together than their DC counterparts. One-on-one, many Marvel characters don't stand a chance against their DC equivalents. Superman is stronger than the Hulk and Flash is faster than Quicksilver, for example. Yet, in a team-based arrangement, such as the JLA versus the Avengers, I'd give the nod to Marvel due to their ability to function together as a cohesive whole much more effectively.

Another interesting point to note is that DC's characters are often more powerful due to the fact that DC has always been more willing to apply outright supernatural aspects to their characters, whereas Marvel tend to give their charcters some sense of scientific rationalism. A good example of this is the DC and Marvel versions of Death. In Marvel, Death is a cosmic entity who doesn't really cause deaths and who seems to be more of a powerful cosmic entity who controls an aspect of death, rather than the personification of the concept itself. As a result, there are Marvel characters more powerful than Death - Eternity and the Living Tribunal, for example. In DC, Death (one of the Endless) isn't the god of death or the spirit of death, but the thing itself, personified. Whereas Marvel's Death can be harmed or limited, DC's Death comes across as a primal aspect of Creation itself, rather than simply a powerful cosmic entity who happens to have death as their "sphere of influence". Having read widely from the stables of both publishers for over 20 years, I cannot really think of any character who can match DC's Death or Lucifer in terms of sheer power. And again, this is due to DC's willingness to portray their characters as outright supernatural or abstract concepts, rather than powerful cosmic beings with funky powers.

In the end, though, no manner of reason or rationalism will prevail in the face of rabid fanboy adulation for their favourites. Can Batman be beaten by Captain America? Of course, given the right circumstances. But try getting a Batman fan (of which I am one of the biggest) to admit this. In the end, we are all fortunate enough not to have to choose sides. Both publishers produce some awesome (as well as some dreadful) comics. I love these Marvel-versus-DC debates (as long as they are debates and not simply "Hulk would beat Superman coz he rox!!!"), but too much debating and they might try and pull another Amalgam on us. And if you think that's a good thing, you must never have been subjected to the horrors of Dark Claw, who was nowhere near as cool as the seperate characters which created him.

i think Galactus could woop much ass.

and wolverine is virtually un killable unless your magneto or have a huge stock pile of magnets

or a somesort of super virus that kills quick before his system would adapt to it.

i dont even think you could chop his head off caus the sword would not cut the adamantium neck bones

also Dark Phieonix would also own quite a few DCites

Originally posted by Eternal_Question
and wolverine is virtually un killable unless your magneto or have a huge stock pile of magnets

or a somesort of super virus that kills quick before his system would adapt to it.

i dont even think you could chop his head off caus the sword would not cut the adamantium neck bones

Wolverine can be killed, it's just that nobody ever thinks of creative ways to do it. Here are some off the top of my head: a strong enough character (Superman, perhaps) could simply throw him into orbit. Even his prodigious healing factor would be hard pressed to survive the friction associated with being launched into space. Failing that, just strap him to the outside of a rocket and repeat. Of course, any telekinetic character could simply stop his heart, or freeze his brain, or send a blood clot to his brain.

Then there's the possibility, however remote, that Wolvie could simply be beaten to death. After all, his brain can still be bashed around in his skull and his heart can still be damaged. A character with superior physical strength - like Superman or Hulk or Thor - or a character with superior fighting skills - such as Captain America or Sabretooth - could potentially deliver physical injuries which would tax Wolvie's healing factor beyond its ability to repair the damage.

also Dark Phieonix would also own quite a few DCites

No doubting that. Dark Phoenix even went toe to toe with Galactus! Still, there's no way whatsoever that either Dark Phoenix or Galactus would be able to match the power of DC characters (albeit ones drawn from the Vertigo line) such as Lucifer or the Endless. These kind of higher characters simply have no peers in the Marvel Universe in terms of sheer power.

[edit on 13/6/06 by Jeremiah25]

I'm not sure I agree with the fact that the Phoenix Force wouldn't have a chance against such Beings, but nevertheless DC Vertigo is a totally different Universe from the regular DC Universe with the heroes in tights. Though I do have to agree with you that fans very often pick their favorite characters.

Truth be told though the attitude about Marvel characters versus DC(not including Vertigo) in terms of DC characters powers is one that I've seen very often, and many people act like DC can't be defeated because of it, but that's because they spend time either putting characters whom they know is stronger than the other in a battle to see whose the strongest and it's ridculous. Then there are some arguments, like Superman vs. Hulk which could be argued all day long. Is it impossible for a character like Hulk to reach a high enough strength to knock out Superman? And then what is the basis for deciding which characters are equivalent? Their popularity or their powers, it just depends on the situation. There are characters in both Universes that may not have an absolute equal. I believe Marvel's superiority comes from beings of extreme energy and not physical strength. Just as DC has played out the superspeed, Marvel has played out telepaths and telekenesis.

Nevertheless once again, is Hulk Supermans equal? Or is it Gladiator? Or better yet what about Sentry? and can Thor kill Superman? But speaking of Thor, he represents the other big strength of Marvel which is it's hidden strength of secret or Trojan horse powers which allows it equality with more powerful characters. Does Psylocke have enough power to beat Superman? Well technically no, but her powers still allow her to knock out the man of steel.

What I see happen very often is this, someone picks one or two characters from DC who they see as more powerful then Marvel's so called equals(and maybe its true) then they decide that DC is more powerful. Its easy to claim Superman is more powerful then Hulk, because Superman is suppose to be the King of the Muscle heroes, and everyone knows Flash is quicker then Quicksilver, but does that give Wonder Women superiority over whoever her equal is? And who is her equal? Is it Storm? Or is it Ms. Marvel?

I think this battle would simply be to close to call too many heroes.

Well, how about the Beyonder from the Secret Wars? Or Dr. Doom after he absorped the power from Galactus and the Beyonder? Although then Dr. Doom became nice as he had his wish, being the most powerful being, until the good guys started plotting against him...

But Spiderman has fought against so many different opponets, from the Tinkerer to Dr. Doom to Doc Ock to well, everyone. He even fought and beat F4 and X-Men before, although the time he beat the X-Men they were at about half strength, only Wolverine, Storm, Rogue, Cyclops, and Dr. Xaiver. Colossus was off with thr alien healer I think at the time.

But he wins not just by powers but by brains, like when he first beat the Vulture he didn't do it by being stronger he did it by being smarter. Is he smarter then Super Man? Definately, but Super Man doesn't count, he is immortal, it is like asking "Can Marvel beat God?"

Also, I have The Amazing Spider Man V1 1-441 and V2 1-78, so 519 altogether. I know, I have no life, but this is why I love Spider Man so much, a great super hero, who has Angst, love problems, life problems, unlike Super Man who's biggest problem is "Which Amazingly super charged un-balanced Power do I use to defeat Lex Luthor today?"

MARVEL VS. DC ...hmm....that's a tough one. I would have to give MARVEL the edge on this one due to the fact that they have "The Rocket Racer!"
MARVEL WINS!

[edit on 23-8-2006 by carnival_of_souls2047]

Originally posted by Johnny Ohm
But Spiderman has fought against so many different opponets, from the Tinkerer to Dr. Doom to Doc Ock to well, everyone. He even fought and beat F4 and X-Men before, although the time he beat the X-Men they were at about half strength, only Wolverine, Storm, Rogue, Cyclops, and Dr. Xaiver. Colossus was off with thr alien healer I think at the time.

A bit off topic, but Wolverine and Spider-Man went at it one and one and ended up being a draw. IIRC, Spider-Man was hitting Wolverine "hard enough to wreck cars" and Wolverine was just smiling at him.

One Marvel villian that is under-rated and could take out just about anyone is Molecule Man. Hard to fight a guy if he completely destroys your molecular structure.

i'll go for MARVEL. Marvel is all about people. whether they are mutants or humans, Marvel concentrates on the more-human storyline unlike DC's Superman.
But i do like Superman coz he is a symbol of strength and manhood. LOL. You cannot rope Wolverine on a rocket and send him in space coz he would fight fiercely for that not to happen and Logan is a smart guy. duh! Even superman can't beat wolverine. take off their powers and Superman will weep like a baby. ^_^

P.S.
I love Superman Returns. ahehehehe. all because of Kevin Spacey's super fantastic portrayal of Lex Luthor.

Originally posted by VincentValentine
i'll go for MARVEL. Marvel is all about people. whether they are mutants or humans, Marvel concentrates on the more-human storyline unlike DC's Superman.

True, Marvel have generally been more willing to confront social issues through their characters. This often gives them a human appeal that can be lacking in DC titles.

You cannot rope Wolverine on a rocket and send him in space coz he would fight fiercely for that not to happen and Logan is a smart guy. duh! Even superman can't beat wolverine. take off their powers and Superman will weep like a baby. ^_^

[geeky comic fanboy]

He can fight as fiercely as he likes. His claws won't do much against Superman's invulnerability or strength. He's not unbeatable. Characters like the Hulk or Thor or Sabretooth or Captain America should be capable of disbaling him long enough to strap him on that rocket. And if these characters can do the job, Superman certainly could. Of course if you take away their powers Wolverine would beat Superman - he has more fighting experience. But, well, Supes does have his powers and against them Wolverine is no match at all. I love Wolvie - always have. But I have to be realistic about these things and, realistically, Supes would spank him good.

[/geeky comic fanboy]

I love Superman Returns. ahehehehe. all because of Kevin Spacey's super fantastic portrayal of Lex Luthor.

Agreed. The movie was fantastic. A great, faithful reproduction of the mythos.

[edit on 2/9/06 by Jeremiah25]

adamwarlock will destroy anybody so yeah marvel wins

this guy defeated thanos when he had the infinity gauntlet

adamwarlock will send anyone who mess with him inside his soul gem/soul world
where they have to spend an eternity with all the other loser/villians he defeated

My favorit comic book saga is the Infinity Gauntlet! with this power Marvle would defeat DC comics. The watchers, and Even Galactis, silver surfer, adam warlock!
I love DC for batman, but in the end, the gauntlet would be rule!
Did DC have anykind of Supergodlike artifacts in their story lines?

Gotta say, I uded to be a Marvel fan-boy, but then I just got away from them. When I came back to comics it was DC that I flocked to. I started as a Green Lantern Fan (was when I was little too), from there it went to Justice League, then it just branched off from there.

DC has some great stuff. The whole Infinite Crisis thing was brilliant. Especially if you ready all the tie-ins. And 52 is one of the best ideas to hit comics in a long time.

And no, (can't remember who posted), if you had a Green Lantern Ring you WOULD NOT be a GL. Its true that the super-powers are derrived from the Green Lantern Power Battery on the planet Oa, but its the wielder's will-power that controls the constructs. Green Lantern has always been a story of a normal person given the ability to do something great based on strength of character, not because the were bit by a spider, or were just born that way. (& BTW yellow hasn't affected a GL ring in years, but the way that they explained the "impurity" was pretty cool when they brought back Hal Jordan.

"In brightest day, in blackest night
No evil shall escape my sight;
Let those who worship evil's might
Beware my power, GREEN LANTERN'S LIGHT!"

*breathes* WHEW! Sorry, I blacked out there for a sec, where was I...*reads above* DAMNIT! I geeked out again. Sorry.