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Marvel vs. DC, part one

WAIT! Before you go thinking “Oh god, here he goes again, he’s gonna go off on one for 16 paragraphs about why DC rules and Marvel sucks” – But you’re wrong. Instead, in this little article, I’ve decided to pit specific DC characters against similar Marvel characters and use a non-biased (honest) formula to see who out of each fight would remain victorious.

This idea came to me, after a discussion on facebook where a friend of mine likened a fight between Superman, Batman and Thor. I immediately put my best geek hat on to debunk the fight, but then I thought to myself “But how about Hulk? Supes vs. Hulk would be a damn close fight”. I then read on the internet that Capcom are wanting to develop a “Marvel vs. DC” videogame in the same vein as Marvel vs. Capcom or Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. And then I really got thinking…and what follows are the results…

1. Aquaman (DC) vs. Namor (Marvel)

Who are they:

 Aquaman is Arthur Curry, a water-breathing superhero from the lost city of Atlantis. Due to his heritage, Aquaman possesses various superpowers such as superhuman strength, tremendous swimming speeds, and could also fully communicate with all sea creatures and have them do his bidding. Aquaman’s biggest weakness is that he has to come into contact with water once per hour or he will die.

 Namor the Sub-Mariner is Namor McKenzie, the mutant son of a sea captain and of the princess of the mythical underwater city of Atlantis (yeah, I know, I’ll admit DC ripped off Marvel on this one. Totally). Like Aquaman, Namor possesses superhuman strength allowing him to swim at tremendous speeds, incredible durability and agility, and he can also fly.

Who wins:

An interesting fight this. Both characters are almost exactly the same and share very similar powers. There are two things that Namor has over Aquaman. The first is his ability to fly, which would enable him to escape defeat, but then what? How is he going to defeat Aquaman? We could end the fight on a draw due to escape, but that would be boring, and eventually Namor would have to return to finish the job. The second thing Namor has over Aquaman however is Aquaman’s vulnerability to oxygen. Aquaman has to return to water every hour or he will die. Namor doesn’t have this problem. There are some comics that depicted Namor having mood swings whenever he went too long without water, but he never had the risk of dying. However, in my eyes, this fight can be cleared up by one single ability: Aquaman’s ability to communicate with sea life, and thus summon an entire army of furious sharks, killer whales, barracudas etc. Now you could say “Why would they attack the prince of Atlantis?” But then the very idea of Namor and Aquaman existing in the same plain is a paradox in itself, considering they are pretty much the same person. Aquaman wins.

2. The Flash (DC) vs. Quicksilver (Marvel)

Who are they:

 The Flash is Barry Allen (as well as other incarnations), a forensics scientist who was hit by a load of chemicals that somehow gave him immense superhuman speeds. The Flash has many abilities that attribute towards his speed increase such as incredible running speeds, superquick reflexes, and incredibly fast information flow. The Flash also has the ability to tap into Speed Force; a seperate dimension allowing speedsters to tap into their true powers and even enter an entirely new physical dimension.

Quicksilver is Pietro Maximoff, the son of mutant Magneto. Like his father, Quicksilver is a mutant, but instead of being gifted with the ability to control metal, Quicksilver is gifted with the power of speed. As well as being able to move and think at superhuman speeds, Quicksilver can also use his speed to create cyclone strength winds.

Who wins:

Again we have two very similar combatants. With one notable difference. Now, bare with me on this one as you all know my Marvel knowledge is somewhat limited, so I could be talking complete bollocks, never the less hear me out: Quicksilver has a sister known as Scarlet Witch. Now, it is to my belief that Quicksilver can use his sister’s powers to alter reality to his own advantage. It’s something to do with something in the Marvel universe known as the Terrigan Mists. Do I still have you attention? Good, ‘cos now it gets interesting. When Quicksilver enters this mist he looses his mutant powers, but gains new powers. These new powers enable Quicksilver to jump between time frames and create new versions of himself in different spots. In other words, to The Flash it would seem like Quicksilver is so fast that he is literally bouncing all over the place. This would confuse The Flash and lower is stance drastically. Sure, The Flash could simply move to the Speed Force dimension, but then we are faced with the same problem that Namor had in his fight with Aquaman – eventually he would have to go back. Quicksilver wins.

3. Wonder Woman (DC) vs. She-Hulk (Marvel)

Who are they:

Wonder Woman is Princess Diana of Themyscira, the Amazon people. Wonder Woman’s many abilities include incredibly high strength possibly only rivalled by Superman himself, Super speed movement and endurance, expert in several martial arts techniques, self-healing, complete resistance to all magic, ability to gain the truth through her Lasso of Truth, and a huge array of other magical weaponry.

She-Hulk is Jennifer Walters, cousin of Bruce Banner (the original Hulk). Exposed to the same gamma radiation that affected her cousin, Walter is transformed into She-Hulk, giving her superhuman strength and endurance as well as other abilities that include regenerative healing, and the ability to power switch.

Who wins:

This fight simply comes down to strength and who has more of it. There are a few conflicting powers here and there but none of them really matter. Wonder Woman’s flight could only be used as an escape tactic, her self-healing is pointless since She-Hulk has the same ability. She-Hulk’s power-switching is pointless because it only works on women of the same race. So in order to come to an outcome here, we have to look at some of the physical achievements the characters have achieved. At one point, She-Hulk was able to lift The Thing with one arm, her body is almost entirely invulnerable and she is without doubt the most physically strongest female character in the entire Marvel Universe. However, Wonder Woman has been said time and time again to be so strong that she could possibly surpass even Supergirl. Supergirl is Superman’s cousin, and therefore also Kryptonian. Now, while Supergirl may not be as strong as Superman, she is still Kryptonian which makes her incredibly strong. Also Wonder Woman’s skin produce no acids, which gives her flawless endurance. She-Hulk also has the weakness of loosing slight intelligence and just becoming a wrecking-ball upon transformation. Whereas Wonder Woman has a brilliant warrior mind throughout as well as careful martial arts mastery. And let’s not forget that Wonder Woman once held her own (albeit didn’t defeat) against Doomsday, the one being who has successfully killed Superman. Also what’s to say that Wonder Woman wouldn’t find a way to revert She-Hulk back into her human form? And then what? It would be incredibly close, and would go on for a long time…but Wonder Woman would definitely eventually win.

4. Batman (DC) vs. The Punisher (Marvel)

Who are they:

Batman is Bruce Wayne; millionaire by day, Dark Knight by night. Batman is a regular man with extraordinary fighting skills and intellect that set him apart from almost every other human being on the planet. His many abilities include being a master of almost every single form of martial arts on the planet, expert with various high-tech equipment and weaponry, genius-level intellect and incredible observation skills that gives him the title of “the world’s greatest detective”.

The Punisher is Frank Castle; the ultimate Marvel anti-hero and vigilante who uses such extreme tactics as murder, war, torture and kidnap as part of his battle with crime. An established war veteran, Punisher is a master of various types of martial arts, he is highly trained in all forms of armed combat, a demolitions expert and has an exceptionally high pain tolerance.

Who wins:

The big difference here is the types of weapons that both fighters use. Batman employs defensive, ninja-like weapons like smoke bombs and throwing stars. The Punisher on the other hand uses guns and explosives, and lots of them. But, having said that, what separates  The Punisher from the countless “badguys with guns” that have tried to dispose of Batman in the past? Sure, Punisher may be a highly trained ex-operative, but so are most of Joker’s men as well…and look how far they’ve got. We also have to remember Batman’s tactical skills. Punisher is a brilliant tactician as well, but it is never stated that he is the greatest in the world. Where as the DC Universe make this statement about Batman all the time. Also look at all the foes that Batman has vanquished, Bane with his incredibly enhanced strength and endurance, Joker the greatest criminal mind in the world, etc. When all said and done, Punisher is just some dude with a lot of guns. Batman wins.

5. Green Lantern (DC) vs. Dr Strange (Marvel)

Who are they:

Green Lantern is Hal Jordan, gifted test pilot who has become a member of the Green Lantern Corps; a corps of intergalactic law bringers who use the energy of willpower as their weapon, fueled by a ring that enables them to create solid objects out of anything they envision in their minds. Green Lantern can use his ring to create any object, heal himself to full, create huge shields and even fly, covering himself in a protective coating that allows him to breath in space.

Dr Strange is Dr Stephen Vincent Strange; a neurosurgeon who is gifted with magical powers by an ancient being in the Himalayas. Dr Strange is a master magician, who can use his magic to create any effect or object he desires (much like Green Lantern’s thought process abilities). He can also heal himself, resurrect the dead, freezing time, and contact anyone telepathically.

Who wins:

This may at first seem like a pretty uneven match, but both superheros so in fact have very similar powers. Both can think up and summon any object they desire with their minds. Now, there is one huge advantage that Green Lantern has over Dr Strange: he can breath in space. However, before Green Lantern would have the chance to use this advantage, I think Dr Strange would use this little yet effective maneuver: freeze time, steal Green Lantern’s ring. Dr Strange wins.

6. Superman (DC) vs. The Incredible Hulk (Marvel)

Who are they:

Superman is Kal-El (or Clark Kent as he is known in his seemingly human alter-ego); an alien being from the lost planet of Krypton who was sent to Earth before his planet’s destruction. The difference in gravity on planet Earth (Krypton’s gravity is MUCH higher) bestows Kal-El with near unfathomable strength, almost complete invulnerability, super speed stamina and reflexes, super breath, x-ray vision, heat vision and flight.

Hulk is Dr Bruce Banner; a  brilliant scientist who is hit with gamma radiation transforming him into The Incredible Hulk, a huge green beast in incredible almost unlimited strength, accelerated healing and dynamic durability. However, upon transformation, Banner looses a huge amount of intellect and control, and pretty much just becomes a huge green wrecking ball.

Who wins:

These two have been the debate of many a comic-book fan for many years, so I’m here now to put it to rest. It has been stated countless times that Hulk is the physically strongest character in the whole Marvel universe. However, he has on occasion been beaten in hand-to-hand combat by the likes of Spider-man and even Namor. Whereas Superman has always upheld his dominance over the rest of the DC heroes, instead only ever being beaten in speed by the likes of The Flash, and never actually being beaten in actual combat. In fact, post-Crisis Superman was at one point so ridiculously strong that he destroyed anti-matter (a fucking black hole) with his bear hands. And even if (and that’s a big if) Hulk could match Superman’s strength, he certainly can’t match his intellect. But really this fight does just come down to one thing and one thing only: Superman can breath in space…Hulk can’t. Superman wins.

7. Martian Manhunter (DC) vs. Thor (Marvel)

Who are they:

The Martian Manhunter is J’onn J’onzz; an alien from the planet Mars who is accidentally beamed to Earth by a scientist who dies shortly after. With no means of returning home, J’onn decides to use his many abilities to join the Justice League and fight crime until an opportunity presents itself that will allow him to return home. Among J’onn’s many abilities are super strength, shapeshifting, telekinesis, speed, invisibility, heightened senses and intelligence, self-healing and flight.

Thor is Thor Odinson; the Asgardian god of thunder who is sent to Earth by his father Odin to learn humanity and compassion. Thor’s powers and abilities differ, and depend on whether he is in possession of his mighty hammer Mjolnir. Without his hammer, he is still gifted with super strength, speed and durability. With it, he becomes a god and powerhouse with abilities such as flight, energy absorption, weather manipulation and dimensional transportation among many others.

Who wins:

This would make one hell of an interesting fight. One one hand Thor is practically a god, but on the other hand even with his mighty hammer, Martian Manhunter has a LOT more defensive abilities. Thor’s morale relies on his teammates and his relationship with his family a lot of the times. Which means Martian Manhunter could try a shape-shifting tactic to reduce his opponents morale to allow for a sneaky ambush. There is no doubt in my mind that Martian Manhunter is a LOT more intelligent than Thor. He may not be as strong (but then even that is debatable as it has been stated that MM’s strength is in fact quite close to that of Superman’s) but he would definitely out-fight his opponent in wills and wits. Thor’s extra abilities are defined by his hammer , so without this hammer, Martian Manhunter would undoubtably win the fight. But getting rid of the hammer would be a real pain in the arse. However, should the hammer be destroyed, Thor would loose his abilities all together. This is a really tough fight that could literally go either way. I think in the end though, it comes down to who has more abilities and intellect. Thor isn’t exactly invincible. In fact, at one point during the comics Dr Strange told Thor that were his hammer to break again, Thor would definitely die. Martian Manhunter wins.

8. Nightwing (DC) vs. Daredevil (Marvel)

Who are they:

Nightwing is Dick Grayson; formerly known as Robin and Batman’s sidekick, he is now a completely self-dependant superhero in Gotham City. He adopted his new persona as a means of maturity, and adopted a new costume of dark blues and blacks and armed himself with two escrima sticks as his weapons of choice. Nightwing has a formidable amount of martial arts mastery under his belt including escrima, capoeira, aikido, savat, and judo among many others. He also carries with him various tactical weaponry including batarangs, jump-lines, and gas capsules. He is a prodigal athlete, possessing near superhuman agility and acrobatic skills.

Daredevil is Matt Murdock, a lawyer who, as a young boy, was hit by radioactive substances that turned him blind, but heightened the rest of his senses to superhuman capabilities giving him superhuman senses, reflexes and amazing acrobatic skills. Daredevil also fights with two escrima sticks employing a huge number of martial arts styles.

Who wins:

Man, this is one hell of a tough fight. Both fighters are pretty much an exact match as far as fighting skills and agility go. The only noticeable difference being Daredevil’s blindness and thus his heightened senses. But in Daredevil’s greatest strength also lies his greatest weakness. Because of his superhuman hearing and smell, he can very easily be subdued with a very strong odor or a high pitch sound-wave. This added with Nightwing’s various tactical weapons, would ensure his victory. Nightwing wins.

So then, so far we have:-

Aquaman (DC) vs. Namor (Marvel) – Winner: Aquaman (DC)

The Flash (DC) vs. Quicksilver (Marvel) – Winner: Quicksilver (Marvel)

Wonder Woman (DC) vs. She-Hulk (Marvel) – Winner: Wonder Woman (DC)

Batman (DC) vs. The Punisher (Marvel) – Winner: Batman (DC)

Green Lantern (DC) vs. Dr Strange (Marvel) – Winner: Dr Strange (Marvel)

Superman (DC) vs. The Incredible Hulk (Marvel) – Winner: Superman (DC)

The Martian Manhunter (DC) vs. Thor (Marvel) – Winner: The Martian Manhunter (DC)

Nightwing (DC) vs. Daredevil (Marvel) – Winner: Nightwing (DC)

So as it stands we are at: DC – 6, and Marvel – 2

I hope you’ll agree that thus far I’ve been very fair (even made Green Lantern – my favorite superhero – loose), and taken all aspect and powers into account.

Tune in for part two when I’ll be pitting the villains of DC against the villains of Marvel!

Comments below as always…