| Posted: 09 January 2012 at 8:24pm | IP Logged | 2
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Back in Spider-Man Annual #16 (I think), there was a comparative showing of the various Marvel characters' strength levels. The only ones listed in the top "Super-Heavyweights" class were the Hulk, Thor, Hercules, and Wonder Man. Iron Man was also pictured, saying that under the right conditions, he could operate at that level for about two seconds. And while I disagree with the general perception that Captain Marvel is simply a "Superman duplicate," Michael's list makes a good point. At DC, there are Kryptonians, Daxamites, and perhaps a few members of the New Gods who play in the big leagues. Wonder Woman, as a requisite of living in a shared universe, MUST I suppose be AS strong as Superman, or everyone at DC is a damnable misogynist or something or other, but while Herculean strength has always been an element of her character, it's never been the primary focus, at least not in the same manner Superman's has been in his feature. Wonder Woman was more about being equal to any challenge or opponent thrown at her, usually by being more clever, skilled, or spirited than her rivals. This often involved using great strength, but she wasn't the type who routinely capped volcanoes with icebergs or hefted the Queen Elizabeth across the ocean in mere seconds the way Kryptonians often did. (Cue Google image search: "Wonder Woman," "Iceberg") Unfortunately, in a shared universe, no one's history or powers is about who they are or have been, it must always be about how they stack up against everyone else... sigh... Therefore, she's up there as well. The Earth-2 Superman, while shown to be capable of amazing feats back in the day (surviving A-Bomb explosions, for instance) is usually said in 70's & 80's comics to be notably less strong than his Earth-1 counterpart. This holds true for Power Girl as well I believe. Characters who are simply moustache-versions of the originals don't rate in the big leagues in my estimation. There is inevitably some flaw in their make-up that takes them out too easily, be it a lack of understanding of their own psycho-kinetic nature or what have you. I would not categorize Hyperion in the same class with Superman. Maybe Bizarro, but not Superman... Beings such as the Celestials, Galactus, and the Spectre transcend such discussions as their physical forms are apparently transient manifestations of some greater energy that defines them. What we see is not necessarily all that there is of them. A list of Super Heavyweight Villains would, I fear, break down into a list of "mash-up" type characters such as the Super-Adaptoid, Amazo, and Composite Superman, along with characters who've gone "toe to toe" with the Big Boys and come out the other side as full of bluster and braggadocio as they went in, such as Doomsday, Kalibak, Juggernaut, and Ulik. Almost anyone whose gone up against Thor or the Hulk is a potential Super Heavyweight, and that's likely how it should be. The good guys are always outnumbered... :-)
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