Most audiences have likely had that debate about which DC Comics characters could win in a fight, especially with the new developments in the DCU. It’s a topic that has graced schoolyards and dens for years, arguing whether the Flash could outrun Superman or if John Constantine could best Doctor Fate in a magic duel. The argument ultimately boils down to who is the most powerful among the thousands of characters within DC Comics lore.
To keep this engaging discussion going, it’s worth noting which DC Comics characters are the most dominant in their abilities. We sifted through the many characters that appeared in the franchise’s comics, TV shows, and movies to find the best of the best. Be they alien, god, or meta-human, these are the strongest characters that DC Comics has in its arsenal.
26
Mera
Although Aquaman tends to get most of the attention under the sea, Mera is one of the most powerful warriors to rise from the depths. Coming from another dimension, she possesses the ability to manipulate water into constructs. Her powers are not limited to the ocean, as she can control the water within the human body, an ability that felt woefully underused in the Aquaman movies.
While Mera does have weaknesses, including increased dehydration and sound sensitivity, her water-controlling abilities make her even more powerful than Aquman at times. It’d be easy to scoff at her as Aquaman’s ally for being better suited to underwater adventures than surface-based quests. But audiences may not want to smack-talk a woman who can telepathically control the element that makes up the majority of their body.
25
Green Lantern – Hal Jordan
Formerly a jet pilot, Hal Jordan was inducted into the Green Lantern Corps after inheriting the ring of the late Abin Sur. Since that fateful encounter, Hal has become a key member of the Green Lanterns, utilizing the ring to generate energy constructs. While most Green Lanterns possess the same powers, there was more to Hal than being the human who challenged the intergalactic police force’s status quo.
During his 1990s comic run, Hal would turn into the villainous Parallax, using his Green Lantern powers to obliterate the Corps and destroy the universe. His powers were so great that even when defeated as Parallax, he took on the mantle of the otherworldly Spectre for a brief time. To do all that and still come back as a Green Lantern once again, Hal is one of the most resilient superheroes, despite his lackluster 2011 movie that failed to garner a sequel.
24
Doomsday
Doomsday is closely associated with being the first villain to end Superman. The genetically engineered monster that hailed from Krypton was known for obliterating entire worlds before he arrived on Earth. When he landed on the planet, he ripped through nearly the entire Justice League before Superman was able to stop this creature, but at the cost of his own life.
As the central antagonist in the comic The Death of Superman, the monster, also known as the Ultimate, is Superman’s most formidable opponent. His presence in every adaptation usually signals that Superman won’t win this fight, as seen in the gritty Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. For his destiny being so ordained, it’s almost eerie when he is defeated, as with two appearances in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited signaling that something is off about this timeline.
23
Mogo
Among all the Green Lanterns, Mogo is one of the rarest for being a literal planet. An entire living ecosystem possessing the powers of the Green Lantern ring is the most intimidating member of the corps. The planet’s surface can either be a paradise for fellow Lanterns or a nightmare for its enemies.
Mogo is so powerful that its gravity alone can destroy nearby planets, where the character’s debut comic was fittingly titled Mogo Doesn’t Socialize. During the Blackest Night comics, the planet used its gravity to pull zombies toward the surface and burn them with magma to prevent regeneration. DC might’ve plenty of villains who can destroy planets, but no other planet is like Mogo for its sentient abilities, where every natural planetary force can be used against its enemies.
22
Lex Luthor
Anybody brazen enough to keep starting fights with Superman must be as confident as Lex Luthor. While not endowed with superpowers, Lex’s high intellect grants him the ability to conceive the most destructive forces. He’s created weapons that could injure Superman, schemes that literally shook the Earth, and has more than enough influence to run for public office. He continued his cunning evil plans in 2025’s Superman, serving as one of the best live-action adaptations of Lex Luthor to date.
While Lex Luthor has his own super-powered suits that could tangle with superheroes, his most outstanding achievement might be his ability to work with other villains. In Justice League Unlimited, Lex was able to form partnerships with Braniac, Darkseid, and the entire Legion of Doom. There always seems to be a device or associate that Lex has access to that can make him a threat to heroes and villains.
21
Vandal Savage
Vandal Savage is a villain built for the long haul. He was a prehistoric warrior whose interaction with a strange meteorite granted him the powers of healing and immortality. Having lived on Earth for eons, Vandal has seen and done almost everything there is in human existence. From a warrior of the Dark Ages to a tyrant aligning with Nazis to the mastermind of a secret organization in the Young Justice cartoon, Vandal’s legacy of villainy is seemingly without end.
Being immortal is an incredible power, and Savage uses it to wage wars on numerous fronts, squaring off with foes as human as Batman and divine as the Spectre. During the New 52 comic era, he would also briefly gain the abilities of flight, organic armor, and the ability to generate an energy field. Savage’s enduring nature seemed to outlast every hero and villain, which he did in an apocalyptic vision of the future from the Justice League animated series.
20
Mister Miracle
Growing up amid the dark, torturous world of Apokolips, Scott “Mister Miracle” Free is a hero accustomed to performing extraordinary feats. Branding himself as an escape artist, the superhero dressed in red and yellow defies the odds and escapes the authoritarian teachings of Granny Goodness for a better future. Scott not only escapes his imprisonment, but also finds a happier life with his warrior wife, Big Barda, and long-time pal, Oberon.
As a part of the New Gods, Mister Miracle is already impressive for essentially being an immortal, but he has more going for him than that. He’s one of the few superheroes who can stand his ground against Darkseid. His Alpha Effect power can counter Darkseid’s Omega energy, and he possesses the Anti-Life Equation, something Darkseid desperately desires. Mister Miracle is also capable of pulling off stunts to escape any trap, including death itself, as in the comic book run by Tom King, so good that it’s getting an HBO series.
19
Maxwell Lord
On the surface, Maxwell Lord might look like a mere egotistical man of business who specializes in managing superhero ensembles. In truth, he is a meta-human with grand-scale mind-control abilities. While using this power gives him a nosebleed, Lord is capable of manipulating the memories of everybody on Earth, as he did in the comic book series Justice League: Generation Lost.
Maxwell Lord has appeared in movies like Wonder Woman 1984 and James Gunn’s Superman, but his calculating nature has rarely been accurately portrayed outside the comics. Lord has gotten away with murdering Ted “Blue Beetle” Kord and faking his death at the hands of Wonder Woman. Being a behind-the-scenes man for organizations like Justice League International and Checkmate would make him cunning enough. Having mind-controlling powers, however, makes him a far greater threat because of how many more strings he can pull.
18
John Constantine
A man who seems to disappear into his own nicotine smoke, John Constantine is a detective who deals in the occult. Hailing from Liverpool, the smoker also known as Hellblazer dabbles in the magic of warlocks and the ghastly business of exorcism. All of his extraordinary investigations and interventions are marked by his trademark cynicism and wit, bringing a working-class charm to the dark business of demons, ghosts, and all things magical.
Constantine can be thought of as the ultimate magician with a mouth. He isn’t afraid to be a little vulgar and can afford to be a little brash with his magical skills, ranging from illusions to necromancy. While John has had his own solo adaptations in a 2005 movie starring Keanu Reeves and a 2014 TV series, Constantine is more fun when playing off others, as in the Justice League Dark comics and animated films. He’s even powerful enough to be a key magical figure in the animated movie trilogy of Crisis on Infinite Earths, where his magic may be the key to preventing the end of reality.
17
Captain Atom
When a scientific experiment mutated Air Force pilot Nathaniel Adam, he gained superpowers that made him Captain Atom. With his skin replaced by the alien metal Dilustel, the man becomes an immortal being bound by nuclear energy. His exterior is durable, but if it tears, his radiation can leak out, triggering an atomic-level explosion. Atom can survive the blast and regenerate his body, but everyone around him won’t be so lucky.
Captain Atom’s most impressive power is his ability to not only absorb energy but also create it. In an episode of Justice League Unlimited, he showed Superman how easily he could use red sun radiation, making his punches powerful enough to slam the Man of Steel through walls. Captain Atom is so mighty that those who manage to leave a wound should vacate quickly if they want to survive the blast. And even if they get away in time, the radiation-based hero being will return for round two.
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