Not that we want to throw down or anything, but this is a pretty hot topic among comic book fans. Who is the strongest DC superhero? Are we judging this solely on strength? Or do we take superpowers into account? Is strength the only superpower they can have? The answer to all of these is a resounding no. Strength alone does not signify a strong superhero. There are so many more attributes to take into consideration. So, let’s get on with it, shall we? Here are some of our votes for strongest and most powerful DC Superheroes. Please note, these are in no particular order.
The Presence
You ask some comic fans and they’ll probably say The Presence is the strongest DC superhero of all time. Technically, he is the one that is above all others. In the DC universe, he is the highest form of being you can be. Created by Jerry Siegel and Bernard Baily, The Presence is known as the God of the Covenant and the creator of the entire DC universe, starting with brothers Samael and Michael. He goes by an array of names including The Voice, The Hand, The Source, Yahweh, and even - Wally.
While his exact “powers” are not ever really fully mentioned, he is considered almighty. Omnipotent, if you will. The Presence is the DC version of the Abrahamic God and he has the ability to create a number of powerful angels at will.
That’s pretty powerful, but does that make him the strongest?
Lucifer
Most comic fans are familiar with Lucifer Morningstar, rebel that he is. Remember Samuel and Michael mentioned above? Yes, well Samael decided he wasn’t a rule follower and sort of took things into his own hands. While Lucifer arguably first appears earlier in, and at different parts, in the DC comics, the Lucifer most are familiar with was created by Neil Gaiman, Sam Keith, and Mike Dringenberg.
Guilty of leading an angel’s rebellion in Heaven like no other, Lucifer was sent to rule over Hell and there he stayed for about ten billion years before he retired. That’s a pretty long time. How does this make him powerful? Well, unlike most fallen angels, Lucifer Morningstar was able to keep his omnipotent powers when banished, including fire. FIRE! Together with Michael (and fire!), he still had the ability to create entire beings, entire universes; however, he could not create something out of nothing. Confusing I know. Karmic loophole perhaps? In any case, it is said that the only one capable of destroying him is The Presence.
So yeah, pretty powerful. Still — the strongest? We shall see.
Spectre
Spectre is pretty much a ghost out there, ready to seek vengeance on the bad guys. Another creation of Siegel and Baily, Spectre is arguably the one DC character that may be stronger than Superman. Superman is a pretty cool tough guy; however, Spectre is the Wrath of God. That’s right. Spectre is the one who carries out the wrath of the creator of all things. Honestly, that does sound pretty unnerving.
Being a ghost, Spectre has been tied to the spirit of a handful of humans, Jim Corrigan being the latest to be his gracious host. While we have the Presence as the creator of the DC universe, we have the Spectre as his vengeance. Once an angel named Aztar that rebelled with the above mentioned Lucifer, Spectre repented his sins and his memories were then wiped clean. From that, he became the Presence’s justice. His ghostly existence now had a purpose. Spectre was given the job of distributing retribution for the sins against God and wrongful murders of others.
That’s pretty...intimidating.
Michael Demiurgos
Well, we can’t talk about Lucifer without mentioning Michael. While we have wrath and fire-throwing hell raisers, Michael has also been dubbed the second mightiest of all the beings God created. That’s quite a title.
Created alongside Lucifer as Yahweh’s first two creations, Michael is the one responsible for tying Spectre forever to a human soul. Brought to life by Gaiman, Bolton, and Carey, Michael is based on the archangel of the same name. Because he carries God’s Demiurgic Power within him, it is argued that it is possible he is the most powerful of all God’s creations. While Lucifer was given God’s will, Michael was given God’s power.
This guy seems like a pretty good bet, no?
Superman
Well, with a name like that, we can’t leave this guy off the list. Famously faster than a speeding bullet, known as The Man of Steel, Superman is one of the most powerful superheroes of all time. Also one of the more famous. This is something you simply can’t argue with. Created by Jerry Seigel and Joe Shuster in 1939, Superman was born on the planet Krypton and was the first superhero to get his very own comic. He possesses such powers as superhuman strength, flight, x-ray vision, and incredibly enhanced hearing — just to name a few. Superman undoubtedly has a lot of incredible gifts to work with here. But does this make him the strongest?
Well, he is the superhero with a study to show that he is. That’s right, students at the University of Leicester in England did a comparative study to decide who really was the strongest superhero. Using scientific principles, these students, with graphs and charts and everything, suggested that in all probability, Superman was the best-equipped superhero and had the greatest chance of winning a fight. They released these results on Superman Day of all days. That’s right, this superhero even has a day named after him.
While definitely tough by superhero standards, Superman actually has significantly more weaknesses than his counterparts. There are four main things that can affect him physically: gravity, red sun, magic, and the one everyone and their brother knows — Kryptonite, which is radioactive fragments from the planet Krypton. Without getting all comic book science-y, kryptonite pretty much messes with the chemical makeup that makes Superman what he is, deeming him weak. However, even taking all this into consideration, Superman is arguably the most famous superhero in history, and still considered by many as the strongest (or at least has the best chance in a brawl according to some college kids).
So, there you have some of our votes for the greatest DC Superheroes of all time. Did your vote for strongest make this short list? To show your support for your favorite DC character, don a shirt and wear it proudly. Show the world who you think is boss.