Marvel Characters vs DC Characters: Which Comic Version Reigns Supreme

By Jodi Smith | Lists | March 29, 2017 |

By Jodi Smith | Lists | March 29, 2017 |

This is clearly not an all-inclusive list. I tried to stick to the obvious and then it was really involved and I cut the list further. DEAL.

Catwoman (1940) vs Black Cat (1979)

Selina Kyle/Catwoman is an excellent thief who spends her time being a selfish villain and sometimes strays toward the heroic. She also has romantic ties to Batman.

Felicia Hardy/Black Cat is an excellent thief who spends her time being a selfish villain and sometimes strays toward the heroic. She also has romantic ties to Spider-Man.

Catwoman came first and I have a soft spot for Batman and his rogue’s gallery. Winner: DC.

Green Arrow (1941) vs Hawkeye (1964)

Oliver Queen/Green Arrow is a billionaire playboy who uses archery to fight crime in his hometown and with Justice League. He’s died and returned from the hereafter to hero again. He’s romanced Black Canary.

Clint Barton/Hawkeye was a villain turned hero who uses archery to fight crime with The Avengers. He’s died and returned from the hereafter to hero again. He’s romanced Black Widow.

I cannot bring myself to care about Green Arrow, even though that one time he imprisoned Harley Quinn was sort of funny. Winner: Marvel.

Deathstroke (1980) vs Deadpool (1991)

HAHAHHAHHHA DOES IT EVEN MATTER? Winner: Marvel.

It does matter? FINE.

Deathstroke/Slade Joseph Wilson is a mercenary and assassin for hire with questionable morals. He was once in the Army and was given enhanced powers by a secret experiment to create super-human soldiers.

Deadpool/Wade Winston Wilson is a mercenary and assassin for hire with questionable morals, mental problems, and a mouth that won’t stop. He was once in special forces (depending on who is writing him) but was then given special enhanced powers in the program Weapon X. Thanks for the healing factor, Wolvie! Deadpool breaks the fourth wall often and is aware of his existence inside a comic book or movie. He is the best and I will brook no argument.

NO ARGUMENT. WINNER: MARVEL.

Aquaman (1941) vs Namor (1939)

Arthur Curry/Aquaman is the son of a human father and Atlantean woman. He is the King of Atlantis and his powers include living under water and for a short time on land, superhuman strength, stamina, endurance, durability, reflexes, agility, senses, healing, telepathy and mind control extending to aquatic life. He’s one of the Justice League founders.

Namor McKenzie/Namor is the son of a human father and Atlantean woman. He is the King of Atlantis and his powers include living underwater and doing water stuff, being on land for a short time, superhuman strength, speed, agility,reflexes, mild invulnerability, longevity, and formerly the power of telepathic control over sea creatures and copying sea creature powers. And flight via tiny wings on his ankles. For serious. He’s been a member of The Avengers and the All-Winners Squad. What the fuck, dude? How can you be more of a dork than classic Aquaman?

Have you seen our new Aquaman?? No tiny wings on those ankles. Why would an aquatic superhero need to fly any damned way? Winner: DC.

Darkseid vs Thanos

Darkseid is the ruler of Apokolips who wants to rule the entire universe and rid it of free will. He kidnapped Big Barda as a baby and trained her to be a great assassin for him, before she turned on him and went her own way.

Thanos is complicated. His mom tried to kill him as a kid. He was a pacifist until becoming obsessed with nihilism as a teen (at least it’s an ethos, Dude) and with the embodiment of death: Mistress Death. In order to woo Mistress Death, Thanos seeks to acquire the Infinity Stones and Cosmic Cube. He also attempts to create himself a new family, since he murdered his original family for his lady. He kidnapped Gamora as a baby and trained her to be a great assassin for him, before she turned on him and went her own way.

I didn’t know until today that Thanos was doing things to impress Mistress Death. He seems like a bitch to me now. Winner: DC.

The Flash (1940) vs Quicksilver (1964)

Barry Allen/The Flash is a forensic scientist who gains the power of super speed after mystery chemicals douse him. He’s like, really fast. He has a quick mind and body and can vibrate fast enough to move through solids. He also has high endurance and durability.

Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver is the son of mutant Magneto and the twin brother of Scarlet Witch. He’s a mutant, so he was born to gain his powers. He has a quick mind and body and can vibrate fast enough to move through solids. He also has high endurance and durability.

Quicksilver is less whiny and more interesting to me. Winner: Marvel.

The Atom (1961) vs Ant-Man (1962)

Ray Palmer/The Atom is a physicist and professor who found a mass of white dwarf star matter and used it to create a suit to shrink in size. He would later sort of absorb the power into his body. He can shrink and grow his body and gains superhuman strength and speed.

Hank Pym/Ant-Man is a biochemist genius who discovers strange subatomic particles (later named Pym particles). He uses these particles to become a superhero who can shrink and grow his body and gain superhuman strength and speed. He can also communicate with insects via his helmet.

This is only because I am enjoying Brandon Routh as The Atom on DC’s Legends of Tomorrow and because I didn’t like Ant-Man. Winner: DC.

Bumblebee (1977) vs Wasp (1963)

Karen Beecher-Duncan/Bumblebee was DC’s first African-American superhero. Her high-tech suit allowed her to increase her strength, speed, stamina, endurance, agility, reflexes, protected her with body armor and allowed her to fly. It also allowed her to shoot electric bolts that stung like bee stings. Later, she is permanently shrunken, gaining superpowers allowing her to fly and produce hypersonic blasts.

Janet van Dyne/Wasp uses a specially-made suit that allows her to use Pym particles to shrink to a small size or grow larger, fly, and exert power that increases as her body becomes smaller. She can also shoot bio-electric energy from the suit and communicate with insects via antennae.

Winner: DC.