Superman has always been seen as the strongest superhero out there. He can fly almost faster than the speed of sound, lift mountains, and survive impacts that would topple most beings. To many, he seems unbeatable, but across the worlds of DC, Marvel, and beyond, there are heroes who can stand toe-to-toe with Superman, or go even further by using his few weaknesses against him.
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This list isn’t about who has more muscle or raw power than Superman. It’s about heroes whose special skills, tactics, or powers can give them the upper hand against the Man of Steel, especially when taking into account his known limits. “Stronger” here doesn’t always mean “physically stronger.” Power can mean control over energy, mastery of magic, or simply knowing how to win a fight before it begins.
Shazam
Channels Magic To Bypass Kryptonian Defenses
- First Appearance: Whiz Comics #2
- Released: February 1940
Shazam almost matches Superman in strength and speed, as both can fly, move planets (in some stories), and trade blows powerful enough to crack landscapes. However, the biggest difference between them is magic. Superman’s body resists most kinds of damage, but magic slips through his defenses completely. Shazam’s lightning and spells hit on that weak point, making his attacks far more dangerous to Superman than physical punches could ever be.
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Shazam can call down magic lightning that would damage Superman regardless of how tough he is. Since Shazam’s power comes from gods and ancient enchantments, he can summon energy that even Kryptonian invulnerability cannot block. This gives him several ways to win, including using magic to restrain Superman, disrupting his energy, or attacking directly with enchanted force. Basically, when it’s only about raw strength, Superman and Shazam often even out, but when magic enters the fight, the balance shifts. Superman has no natural defense against it, and Shazam can take advantage of that loophole at any moment.
Captain Atom
Can Absorb Solar Energy, Turning Superman’s Power Source Against Him
- First Appearance: Space Adventures #33
- Released: March 1960
Captain Atom’s power doesn’t come from muscles or sunlight. His body is bonded to a quantum field, letting him control matter and energy at the atomic level. Superman’s strength protects him from explosions or impacts, but not from having the energy around him changed or drained. Captain Atom can manipulate radiation, rewrite atomic structures, and even disrupt Superman’s solar energy power source.
Captain Atom’s power level varies from story to story, but his ability to manipulate physics itself keeps him above Superman in terms of raw potential. He doesn’t have to out-punch him; he can simply create red sun radiation that renders Superman powerless. Or he could even create kryptonite radiation, which would take out Superman completely. This kind of power makes him one of the few heroes who can defeat Superman through science, not strength.
Martian Manhunter
Uses Telepathy And Shape-Shifting To Break Superman’s Focus
- First Appearance: Detective Comics #225
- Released: November 1955
Martian Manhunter is probably one of the most underrated heroes in DC Comics. He has many of Superman’s powers: he can also fly, heal quickly, and lift almost as much as Superman, but his real power is telepathy and shape-shifting. He can read minds, create illusions, and turn intangible so that physical attacks pass through him. Superman’s speed and strength mean little when he can’t land a hit or when his mind is under attack.
A fun fact some fans may not know is that Martian Manhunter was actually created as an alternative to Superman and blessed with extra powers. He can enter Superman’s thoughts, cause confusion, or shut down his mind completely. He can also alter his body’s density to avoid being touched or attack Superman internally while phased through solid matter. This mix of telepathy and intangibility gives him tools Superman simply doesn’t have an answer for.
Scarlet Witch
Twists Reality Itself, Making Superman’s Physical Abilities Useless
- First Appearance: X-Men #4
- Released: March 1964
Scarlet Witch’s strength isn’t physical. She alters the fabric of reality itself, trapping her enemies in illusions and alternate worlds that they won't even realize are a fabrication. In House of M, she reshaped the entire world and took away mutant powers with three words. Against someone like Superman, that ability is devastating. She doesn’t have to fight him; she can just change the universe so that his powers don’t exist.
Superman’s power, speed, and heat vision all rely on the physical laws of his universe. Scarlet Witch can rewrite those laws at will. She could stop sunlight from reaching Earth, erase his Kryptonian genetics, or alter reality so that he’s not only just a human, but has been nothing but a human his whole life. None of Superman’s abilities can defend against that level of control.
Doctor Strange
Seals Superman In Mystic Bindings And Dimensions
- First Appearance: Strange Tales #110
- Released: July 1963
Doctor Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme, has mastered magic on a level that reaches across time and dimensions. Since Superman is vulnerable to magic, Strange can use countless abilities to disable him. He could bind Superman with enchanted restraints, banish him to another realm, or strip away the solar energy that fuels his power.
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Strange’s spells don’t rely on physical damage. They change reality itself by stopping time, altering space, or summoning cosmic entities. Superman’s invulnerability can’t block that. Even a spell to cloud his mind or remove his senses would immediately give Strange the upper hand. In a physical contest, Superman would easily win but magic is his blind spot, and Strange specializes in exactly that. In any scenario involving sorcery, Strange can counter or remove Superman’s greatest strengths.
Professor X
Can Shut Down Superman’s Mind Before He Has Time To React
- First Appearance: X-Men #1
- Released: September 1963
Charles Xavier, aka Professor X, is one of the strongest telepaths in comic book history. He can read, control, or completely shut down minds. Superman’s mental defenses vary by story, but he has no built-in protection that can equal Charles Xavier’s psychic reach.
If Xavier connects telepathically, he can stop Superman from moving, erase his memories, or force him to stand down without throwing a single punch. His experience with Cerebro, which enhances his abilities, allows him to locate and influence minds across vast distances, meaning he could strike before Superman even knows it’s happening. Superman’s physical strength doesn’t help against telepathy. If Xavier takes control Superman becomes a powerless body under psychic command. That mental dominance gives Professor X a way to defeat someone who is otherwise invincible.
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