12 Marvel Characters Who Would Absolutely Destroy Superman

As far as superheroes go, one of the most iconic in any comic book universe is Superman, who has been DC Comics’ flagship character since 1938. True to his nicknames as the Man of Steel and the Man of Tomorrow, Superman is easily one of the most powerful figures in the entire DC Universe. However, he also isn’t completely invulnerable, with several major weaknesses not limited to his biggest weakness Kryptonite. Just as there have been multiple characters in the DCU that have pummeled Superman, there are also numerous figures in the Marvel Universe that could wreck the Man of Steel.

Whether it’s characters capable of standing toe to toe against Superman in a physical brawl or characters’ unique abilities capitalizing on his weaknesses, Superman isn’t unbeatable in the Marvel Universe. This distinction is shared by Marvel’s greatest heroes and villains, each ready to tangle with the Last Son of Krypton in their own way. Just to be clear, this isn’t a commentary on which character is better overall on an abstract level, but just who could theoretically defeat Superman in a fight. Here are 12 Marvel characters who would absolutely destroy Superman in a fight.

One of Superman’s more overlooked weaknesses is that the Man of Steel is vulnerable to magic, something that was introduced as early as 1942’s “Superman” #14 by co-creator Jerry Siegel. This vulnerability has been depicted inconsistently since its introduction to the mythos, but it has remained in some form for over 80 years. There are plenty of Marvel heroes and villains that are expert magic wielders, with one of the most brutal being the longtime Fantastic Four nemesis Doctor Doom. One of the strongest villains in the Marvel Universe, Doom could easily solo Superman despite nominally being a human under a metal suit of armor.

A scientific genius rivaling Mister Fantastic and Iron Man, Victor Von Doom has also trained himself in dark magic, eventually replacing Doctor Strange as the Sorcerer Supreme. Doom also has a vast array of resources at his disposal as the leader of the European nation of Latveria, with an entire army of killer robots under his command. This makes Doom the ultimate threat for Superman on multiple fronts, given the supervillain’s heightened intellect and mastery of the mystic arts. And judging by the worst things Doctor Doom has ever done to the Fantastic Four alone, the iron-clad villain has no moral qualms with inflicting the same viciousness on Superman.

2002’s “JLA/Avengers” intercompany crossover event saw Superman and Thor cross paths, with Superman revealing himself worthy enough to wield Thor’s mythical hammer Mjolnir. With this in mind, the God of Thunder still maintains a slight edge over Superman, especially with significant upgrades Thor has received in the comics. Thor is roughly on par with Superman in terms of brute strength, speed, and endurance, though he admittedly doesn’t have heat vision or frost breath. However, the Asgardian commands magical lightning, powerful against any target, but especially those vulnerable to magic like Superman.

Additionally, Thor has received the power of the All-Father and, separately, been imbued with the Power Cosmic from Galactus. Each of these boosts scales up Thor considerably, with the former granting him more godly potential and the latter allowing him to access the same powers as the Silver Surfer. If Superman faced off a Thor with these upgrades, he would find himself on the defensive from the outset against the already formidable foe. As far as heroes that can directly trade punches with Superman, Thor is more than a match, and even deadlier when his powers are significantly boosted.

As much as Victor Von Doom might contest it, Stephen Strange is arguably the strongest magic user in the Marvel Universe, worthy of the title of Sorcerer Supreme. Trained by the Ancient One, Strange claimed the title of Master of the Mystic Arts, backed by extensive knowledge of spells and magical gear. The vast array of the paranormal abilities at Doctor Strange’s disposal allow him to bend the laws of reality itself, including the time-altering Eye of Agamotto. Given his notable weakness to magic, Superman would quickly find himself in over his head against Doctor Strange.

One of the biggest weapons in Doctor Strange’s arsenal is his ability to tap into astral forms, essentially a character’s soul separated from their physical body. If Strange needed a quick way to stop Superman in his tracks and level the playing field, he could separate his astral form from his nigh-indestructible body. Completely out of his element and without his physical powers, Superman would be even more vulnerable to Doctor Strange in this scenario. This, coupled with the exhaustive mastery over magic at his fingertips makes Doctor Strange a nightmare opponent for the Man of Steel.

While Baron Mordo’s role in the MCU was overhyped before his limited participation in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” his comic book counterpart is far more menacing. In the comics, Mordo was a protege of the Ancient One before Doctor Strange, quietly plotting to usurp and murder his mentor. Exposed by Strange, Mordo was exiled by the Ancient One and began training in dark magic that his teacher had expressly forbidden during his tutelage. This made Mordo Strange’s first major magical nemesis, with claim to the title of Sorcerer Supreme often the subject of their feud.

While consistently bested by Doctor Strange, Baron Mordo is still one of the most dangerous magicians active in the Marvel Universe. Mordo is adept at many of the same spells and enchantments as Strange, with Mordo’s magic leaning into darker and more sinister conjurations than Strange. With that in mind, Superman would find himself enduring more twisted and horrific spells fighting Baron Mordo than he would confronting Doctor Strange. A deadly wizard with no moral qualms about the types of magic he uses, Baron Mordo would gleefully take advantage of Superman’s vulnerabilities.

One of the worst things Superman has ever done is murder Lois Lane in the “Injustice” video game universe, kicking off events culminating in him becoming a tyrant. This inciting incident was done while Superman was under mind control from the Joker, taking advantage of the Man of Steel’s vulnerable mind. “Injustice” isn’t the only story featuring Superman affected by mind control, with DC’s Maxwell Lord steering the superhero to attack his allies through his telepathic powers in the comics. Of course, the Marvel Universe has no shortage of powerful telepaths, with the strongest arguably being Professor X, founder of the X-Men.

Professor X has demonstrated that his mental powers are sharp enough to control numerous individuals at once, including some of the strongest heroes and villains in the world. In addition to his own mutant powers, Charles Xavier has augmented his abilities through Cerebro, a device connecting his mind with everyone on Earth. Taking on Superman, Professor X could render the Man of Tomorrow into a helpless shell of himself without lifting a finger. Whether it’s controlling Superman or incapacitating him with mental attacks, Professor X perfectly demonstrates the triumph of brains over brawn.

Though self-control and vulnerable to sinister manipulation, the strongest Avenger, at least in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is the Scarlet Witch. Wanda Maximoff channels something she refers to as chaos magic, altering the rules of reality with spells she conjures to achieve what she wants. Using her magic, Scarlet Witch was able to go toe-to-toe with Thanos, a cosmic being with comparable physical strength to Superman, and nearly overpowered him single-handedly. A corrupted Scarlet Witch in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” was even more powerful, decimating the MCU’s magic users and wiping out the Illuminati in an alternate universe.

Scarlet Witch is even more powerful in the comics, using chaos magic to completely rewrite reality in the “House of M” storyline by Brian Michael Bendis and Olivier Coipel. The 2005 storyline culminated in Wanda nullifying the powers of the majority of the world’s mutant population in an instant. With this in mind, Scarlet Witch could immediately alter Superman’s Kryptonian physiology, making no more than an average man. An uncontrollable powerhouse in any universe, Scarlet Witch could absolutely level the Man of Steel.

Introduced as a herald for Galactus, announcing planets’ of their impending doom as his master came to consume their world, the Silver Surfer has since become the ultimate cosmic hero. For his service to Galactus, the Surfer was upgraded by the Power Cosmic, a raw energy that gives those imbued with it a degree of omnipotence. More than just augmenting users with superhuman strength, speed, and endurance, the Power Cosmic makes everything from matter transmutation to time travel possible. Of all the characters in the Marvel Universe connected to the Power Cosmic, the Silver Surfer is one of the most adept users of this raw force.

Facing Superman, the Silver Surfer could use the Power Cosmic to surround his opponent in Kryptonite, draining Superman of his powers and eventually killing him. The Surfer could use his powers to project red solar radiation, which would nullify Superman’s powers and make him vulnerable. Physically, the Silver Surfer is more than a match for Superman in a straight-forward hand-to-hand fight, and just as fast on his signature board. As someone who once heralded the annihilation of countless worlds, the Silver Surfer would have no trouble in throwing hands with the Last Son of Krypton.

If the Silver Surfer is capable of beating Superman, it stands to reason that Galactus could crush the Man of Steel even more decisively than his herald. A universal force of nature, Galactus devours entire planets as part of his insatiable hunger taking him across the cosmos. Given his role as the Devourer of Worlds within the given life cycle of a universe, Galactus has complete mastery over the Power Cosmic. This means that all of the powers and capabilities that the Silver Surfer has, Galactus possesses to an exponentially higher degree.

With this in mind, that means Galactus can similarly transmute matter to weaken and kill Superman, in addition to the raw destructive that the planet eater is capable of. In the 2006 comic book storyline “Annihilation” by Keith Giffen and Andrea Di Vito, Galactus obliterated several planetary systems at once. It’s not everyday Superman takes on world-eating entities with that capacity for destruction. The Marvel villain is a devastating reminder that there are far more powerful cosmic forces in the universe than Superman. For further proof, just check out some of the worst things Galactus has ever done.

As the upcoming “Avengers: Secret Wars” prepares to shake up the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse, the original 1985 comic book storyline was a groundbreaking tale in its own right. Created by Jim Shooter, Mike Zeck, and Bob Layton, “Secret Wars” had the greatest heroes and villains on Earth whisked away to a composite planet known as Battleworld. The facilitator of this contest of champions was the Beyonder, a mysterious omnipotent being who wanted to witness an ambitious clash between the forces of good and evil. Following this story, the Beyonder has resurfaced occasionally throughout the Marvel Universe, often displaying different facets of his cosmic powers.

In “Secret Wars,” the Beyonder withstood a Power Cosmic-upgraded Doctor Doom, allowing the villain to steal a portion of his power to see how Doom’s plan would play out. Subsequent storylines hinted that the Beyonder could destroy the entire multiverse if he wanted to, hinting at nigh-limitless cosmic potential. With powers of this scale, Superman could be transformed into an infant or relocated to a planet with an energy-sapping red sun in an instant for the Beyonder’s amusement. Superman has faced god-like beings before, but the Beyonder could eliminate his Kryptonian on whim if he chose to do so.

Initially starting out as an unassuming Fantastic Four villain, Molecule Man is secretly one of the most powerful figures in the entire Marvel Universe. True to his supervillain moniker, Owen Reece is capable of affecting matter at a molecular level, though he hadn’t realized the full potential of that power for years. When a frustrated Beyonder attempted to destroy the multiverse, Molecule Man realized his mastery over molecules extended even to cosmic beings, defeating the omnipotent villain. Doctor Doom would take advantage of Molecule Man’s powers in 2015’s “Secret Wars” by Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic, using Reece to kill off the Beyonder’s race.

Against a being capable of destroying and reshaping reality on a multiversal scale, Superman really has no chance against Molecule Man if the villain is locked in. If Molecule Man could wipe out the Beyonders, with just one Beyonder already proving too powerful for Superman to contend with, defeating a single Man of Steel is easy. Superman could be wiped from existence by Molecule Man before he would even know what he was up against. A villain of humble origins capable of recreating reality in his image, Molecule Man’s timid nature is the only thing keeping the multiverse safe.

Franklin Richards, the first child of Reed Richards and Susan Storm, is not only more powerful than anyone on the Fantastic Four, but one of the strongest Marvel characters ever. Due to his parents’ altered physiology, Franklin was born with immense superhuman powers himself, which began manifesting when he was just a toddler. Franklin displayed the ability to completely rewrite reality on the fly, subconsciously warping it with his imagination without visible effort. To protect his son and the world around him, Reed put mental blocks on Franklin until he could better control his powers.

Even with these safeguards, whenever glimpses of Franklin’s full potential emerges, it’s clear that he’s peerless in the Marvel Multiverse. Franklin can create entire pocket universes and alter reality around him merely with his thoughts, using these powers to save the heroes from the omnipotent villain Onslaught. Recognizing his vast abilities, Galactus willingly takes orders from Franklin, hinting that the boy is beyond even Galactus’ mastery of the Power Cosmic. If Superman couldn’t stand a chance soloing Galactus, he stands even less of a chance taking on Franklin Richards.

2024’s “Venom: The Last Dance” introduced Knull, one Marvel’s most powerful villains and easily a Thanos-level threat to the universe. The cosmic god of symbiotes, Knull is a primordial being who hibernates in the forgotten corners of outer space, waiting to awaken and plunge the universe back into the shadows. The 2020 comic book crossover event “King in Black” by Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman had Knull envelop Earth in darkness with only the combined might of the heroes stopping him. Given that Superman is fueled by the unique radiation of Earth’s sun, Knull’s mastery over the dark cuts off the hero’s primary power source.

Knull telepathically commands entire armies of symbiotes, which can quickly swarm over a target, wearing them down and overwhelming them. Any figure bonded to a symbiote immediately becomes Knull’s thrall, with even heroes as strong as the Hulk vulnerable to symbiote possession. Physically, Knull is among the toughest bad guys that Marvel has ever introduced, capable of soloing Superman-level heroes with ease. Knull killed Sentry in the comics with bare hands, something that should have Superman thinking twice before engaging the darkness-shrouded villain.