The 10 Most Powerful Superheroes Of All Time And Their Weaknesses

OK, I KNOW I am going to get arguments on this list.  We all have our opinions on this topic, some very STRONG opinions (no pun intended, OK well maybe it was intended).  I welcome any arguments you may have on this list:

Without further delay, here is The Comic Whisperer’s The 10 Most Powerful Superheroes Of All Time List:

10.)  Wolverine:  I agree, the argument could be made that this position could be occupied by someone else such as Silver Surfer or Green Lantern, but I disagree.  Wolverine has a couple of things that make him a powerful character.  First, he has no moral compass.  This is the man that could put his claw through Jean Grey, a woman he loved, and a person who can do what needs to be done.  Second, his skeleton is laced with Adamantium making him extremely tough to mangle.  Third, he has a healing ability that allows him to recover from injuries gained in a fight during the fight!  Last, and perhaps most important, is Wolverine’s berserker rages.  The time when Wolverine gets lost in his own blinding anger and becomes nearly unstoppable.  All of these things make him powerful.  Not Hulk or Superman powerful, but still someone I would not save until last when picking sides against a bad guy.  His weakness?  As Magneto so readily pointed out, his bones are laced with metal.  Anyone with the power over magnetism could make short work of him.  Next, he’s human underneath it all.  Mutant, but human.  Strip away the healing power and what do you have?  The Death of Wolverine comic series.

9.)  The Incredible Hulk:  It’s a simple idea; he’s super strong already and the madder he gets the stronger he gets.  What else can be said?  The flip side of that same coin is when he reverts back to Bruce Banner you have one of the most intelligent people in the Marvel Universe.  It’s quite the combination.  There are a couple of weaknesses to be noted, though.  The first is you can just kill him when he’s Bruce Banner.  The second is that he has to breath, so just hit him with a silent gas that knocks him out then kill Banner.  The third is to freeze him.  I can only assume his skin is impervious to heat.  But nothing is impervious to cold.  You can freeze anything (well, theoretically you can  burn anything too, but let’s set that fact aside for the time being).  Once frozen smash him into tiny Hulk pieces.

8.)  Flash:  I have said this before in a previous blog and I stand by it.  I put him above the Hulk because the Hulk can’t hit what he can’t see or catch.  Flash could run superfast circles around the Hulk creating a vacuum and suffocate him (he has to breath, right?  where have I heard that before??)  So, where do we begin?  He can think and act superfast.  He can phase through walls.  He can travel through time.  He can change the time stream.  He can even gather knowledge at an increased rate.  His weakness?  Tough to say.  Professor Zoom figured it out...kill the ones he loves or change the time stream so they didn’t even exist.  The only other idea I had was to have him vibrate into wall, then have someone with super speed continue to build onto that wall until Flash tires out and can’t vibrate anymore solidifying in the wall.  It’s outlandish I know, but so is a cosmic treadmill.

7.)  Superman:  Stronger than the Hulk?  Better than the Flash?  Yep.  As a matter of fact, for those of us who’ve been around for awhile, there was a giant sized comic where Superman battled the Hulk and won.  I don’t think it’s even a contest.  Arguably, he could also keep up with Flash.  Arguably.  But add incredible strength with the ability to do things extremely quick and you have Superman.  Let’s face it, he’s a super-powered Boy Scout.  He can fly, is super strong, has x-ray vision (barring his issues with lead), heat vision, etc., etc., etc.  His weaknesses, however, are numerous.  A red sun, kryptonite, a strong moral compass, and even his genetics.  If you watch the animated film All-Star Superman, you will see how Lex Luthor dispatches the Man of Steel via genetics.  The way I would show Superman’s main weakness?  I would have him married with Lois calling him for dinner.  I can guarantee even with super speed he won’t be quick enough to keep her happy.

6.)  Jean Grey:  Known as the most powerful telepath on the planet and the host of the Phoenix Force, Jean Grey is one tough cookie.  Not only is she a telepath (able to read other people’s minds) she is also telekinetic (which means she can move things with her mind).  If she was able to fully control all of the forces at her command her power would be limitless.  That leads to her weakness, her inability to fully control all the power at her disposal.  Let’s face it we can barely control what goes on in our daily schedules let alone being able to focus power to which there is no limits.  All that being said, I’d like her on my side if we ever formed a kickball team.

5.)  Doctor Strange:  This is almost like Jean Grey but with a Black Belt.  Yes, if you look at Doctor Strange’s history he does have extensive martial arts training.  So, in review, nearly unlimited power with the ability to defend himself without the power.  He’s virtually a God.  I think it’s fair to say that we have yet to see what the former Sorcerer Supreme’s true limits are.  His weakness is simply that he is still a human with human weaknesses.  He can be assassinated, come down with a deadly illness (which has been seen already in comics past) and, even though he is a skilled martial artist, he’s no Superman or Hulk.  Worse comes to worse he could close up shop and move to Vegas and earn some easy dough.

4.)  Nova:  Simply stated he can go anywhere in the universe, has a power set that can destroy planets, he can absorb any type of energy thrown at him, and has access to the most intelligent computer ever devised.  Hmmm, could you want anything more than that?  I can’t think of anything.  His main weakness is the one suffered by most superheroes he has a moral compass.  He is restricted by laws that allow villains to continue to get second chances.  Second is his helmet.  Remove the helmet, remove the power.  All that power contained in a hat.  Wow.

3.)  Thor:  Even the Avengers agree that he is probably the most powerful of them all.  I have heard him called a God and I have heard him called a Demi-God, either way that’s power beyond mere mortal understanding.  To have all that strength and invulnerability and then have lighting bow to your command (why is he the God of Thunder anyway?  thunder never hurt anyone.  shouldn’t he be the God of Lightning?) and, on top of all that, have that huge freakin’ hammer?  Yikes.  His weakness?  It depends on the time of the writing.  At one time he reverted back to human form in the way of Donald Blake and could have been killed that way.  He does, however, seem to be sensitive to the magics of his brother Loki which may mean he has a weakness to magic.  He may also be killable by his colleagues in Asgard.  Can a God kill a God?  I dunno.  I always wondered if he was the class clown when he was a Godling.  He could say, “I am Thor!” and when everyone turns to look at him he can say, “Well, It hurth.”  Get it?  He’s ‘sore’ then says, ‘well, it hurts’...but he pretends he has a lisp?  Never mind.

2.)  Martian Manhunter:  It actually hurts to write this one.  It is always stated in stories of the Justice League that he is a long standing member and probably the strongest, even stronger than Superman.  Further, in Injustice: Gods Among Us, he seems to be on the verge of snuffing out Wonder Woman when Superman came to her rescue.  But why is he so easily defeated in all the other stories?  Surround him with fire.  Burn him with fire.  Threaten him with fire.  Show him a picture of fire.  It seems like he is the easiest to dispose of.  So then why is he the highest on the list?  Because if the writers ever let it all hang out he would be unstoppable.  His weakness?  Can you guess?  Yes, strike a match and you win.  Even though he supposedly found out that it is only a mental thing, not a physical one, fire remains his biggest foe.  He would even have an advantage in the newer cars because they don’t come with cigarette lighters anymore.

1.)  Sentry:  Touted as the strongest hero in the universe and able to go head-to-head with the Hulk, and smile about it, the Sentry is the most powerful superhero in the Universe.  Let me clarify, I am talking about the more recent, long blond flowing hair Sentry.  Not the one from yesteryear in the blue and yellow costume with his hair all tucked in.  You know, the Sentry who TORE ARES IN HALF during Siege.  THAT Sentry.  No hero is more powerful or, as Norman Osborn easily showed, more manipulatable (is that a word?  spell check didn’t correct me so I’m going to assume it is) than the Sentry.  He, undoubtedly, would be my first pick when choosing sides in a Rugby game.  His weakness?  He is, as the creators put it, is an “over the hill guy, also an addict, who has an unnatural connection to his dog”.  Further, he was most recently a resident of the “Raft” for supposedly murdering his wife Linda Lee.  There is also his questionable bouts with The Void which may, or may not, be himself.  All that being said, Sentry is, without a doubt, THE most powerful being in the universe and voted “Most likely to fight himself to the death”.

I’ve loved comics since I was a child.  I loved them for the ability to stoke the imagination and to allow me to believe in the unbelievable, even if just for a moment.  Knowing the answer to who is the most powerful in the universe would be like knowing the answer to a magic trick.  Sure, you know how it’s done, but you don’t go to a magic show to figure out how it’s done.  You go to believe in the unbelievable.  To let go of reality for just a little while.  So, tell me who is the most powerful in your reality,  I’d like to visit there for awhile.

CHALLENGE! CAN YOU SOLVE IT BEFORE WE DO An Idea That Should Be Revisited

DC had an idea that I love to this day and I feel it would have been HUGE if the internet was around to spread the idea.  Let’s revisit something that would go big if done today.

The idea was a series of comics called CHALLENGE:  CAN YOU SOLVE IT BEFORE WE CAN?

DC Challenge was a 12-issue comic book series produced by DC Comics from November 1985 - October 1986.  It was a round robin experiment in narrative.  The tagline was “Can you solve it before we can?”

I want to interject here real quick about when this came out.  In 1985 - 1986 I was in college and the internet was just in it’s infancy.  The fact is there really wasn’t one readily available.  The only thing one could do is send messages to people across seas.  I did it regularly.  The issue was that you could send a message but it could take hours or days to get a reply.  Because the login to the messaging site was so complicated, and there was no notification system that you got a message, people may never get back to you.  So, there really wasn’t a way for great ideas to spread quickly like they do today.  OK, now back to the story.

The series concept was conceived during the San Diego ComiCon in 1983 during a rooftop party.  The full story can be found in the editorial section of the first edition of CHALLENGE!

The idea was that each chapter, or comic, would be written by a different author and illustrated by a different artist.  Sounds simple right?  Just wait.  No consultation between authors and illustrators was allowed.  Further, each chapter would end in a seemingly impossible cliffhanger from which that chapter’s author had to have planned a feasible escape, and the name of the next chapter would be provided.  Authors could use any character or concept currently in the DC bullpen (at the time there were 50 years of characters to use) EXCEPT those whose appearance they were currently writing.  The last issue would then be a collaborative effort by six of the twelve writers.

Again, let me interject.  Think about this for a minute.  The first writer and artists probably had it easy.  Take some characters and go crazy with them by putting them into bizarre scenarios, and cook up a crazy cliffhanger, for the next team.  The next team then had approximately 30 days to come up with a “response” comic.  So, if you put yourself in the place of Team 2 you realize that they have to take what is given them, continue the storyline, then come up with their own twists and impossible cliffhanger ending.  Imagine how difficult this really was.  You are served up whatever the team before you can imagine and then you have to create a story with a different set of characters to make a feasibly connected storyline.  Then, in the last issue, you had to tie all of the previous twists and turns together into a cohesive ending that made sense.  Yikes.  Personally I’d like to see that type of challenge again today.  It truly lived up to the tagline “Can you solve it before we can?” because nobody, including the writers and artists, knew how it would end until...well...the end.

I won’t lay out each chapter and who was in it but I do want to give a shout out to the writers and artists who were involved in the incredible undertaking:

The writers were Mark Evanier, Len Wein, Doug Moench, Paul Levitz, Mike W. Barr, Elliot S. Maggin, Paul Kupperberg, Gerry Conway, Roy Thomas, Dan Mishkin, Marv Wolfman and Cary Bates.

On the artist side you had Tom Mandrake, Ross Andru, Frank McLaughlin, Steve Lightle, Stan Woch, Jan Duursema, Luke McDonnell, Denys Cowan, Dan Spiegle, Keith Giffen, Curt Swan, Terry Austin, Don Heck, Rick Hoberg, Dick Giordano, Gene Colan, Bob Smith, Chuck Patton, Mike DeCarlo, Carmine Infantino, Gil Kane, Klaus Janson, Dave Gibbons, Mike Farmer, Dan Jurgens and Joe Staton.

The featured characters involved a HUGE lineup and dug DEEP into the DC vault.  The characters were Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Adam Strange, Riddler, B’wana Beast, Jonah Hex, Congorilla, Hawkwoman, Aquaman, Viking Prince, Hawkman, Martian Manhunter, Zatanna, Detective Chimp, Jimmy Olsen, Doctor Fate, Captain Comet, Captain Marvel, Uncle Sam, Blackhawks, Silent Knight, Deadman, Mister Mxyzptlk, Plastic Man, Woozy Winks, Orion, Enemy Ace, Lightly, Joker, Geo-Force, Metron, Son of Vulcan, Guradians of Oa, Tomar Re, Arisia, Vigilante, Phantom Stranger, Darkseid, Desaad, Green Lantern, Flash, Elongated Man, Vixen, Vibe, Firestorm, Spectre and Perry White.

Here are the covers from 1 - 12.

 

 

 

 

 

All total there were 12 writers, 26 Artists, and 48 characters.  When has a 12 issue series had that many writers, artists and characters?  If you haven’t read them, do so, they are a masterpiece of art and writing.

Dick Giordano was the original editor of the series but turned the job over to Robert Greenberger before the first issue was published.

My argument here is that in this day and age of social media and the internet a collaboration like this would have received much more fanfare, and a much higher distribution, than it did back then.  Perhaps it’s time that DC take a look back at projects like this and reissue them so that the fans of today can enjoy them and give the writers and artists the credit they deserve for such an undertaking.

A special thanks to Wikipedia for the backstory, along with the editorial page in issue 1 of Challenge!

The 10 Super-Heroes I’d Like To See Done PROPERLY In The Movies

I just finished a blog about the 10 villains I’d like to see done properly in the movies, so let’s just say that the introduction is the same as that one.  I don’t try to even out DC and Marvel heroes, nor do I list them in the order of preference or importance.  There may even be some that have been in movies already that I’d like to see redone and redone properly.  All that being said, let’s cut to the meat of it.

1.)  The Flash:  Come on, arguably the most powerful of all the heroes in the DC Universe and he’s been absent?  “Most Powerful”?  Come on, what about Superman?  (this is you saying this to me in case it’s unclear).  Yes, the most powerful (this is me again).  He can run super fast, he can travel in time, he can mess with the time stream, he can vibrate through walls, and other things you already know.  I think he is out and out a powerhouse.  Not muscle-wise, but in other ways.  He’s been done on TV (done poorly, but he has been done), now let’s get him into a movie....but done properly.

2.)  Ghost Rider:  But, but, but hasn’t he already been in a couple of movies?  Yes, he has, but not done well.  If you’ve seen the movies you know what I’m talking about.  Voted by many as the worst comic character movies ever made, Ghost Rider was a disaster.  With updated CGI and better actors that Nicholas Cage there should be no reason that one of the coolest characters in comicdom can’t be remade into a huge hit.

3.)  Grendel:  The only one to make it on both of my lists, Grendel is a versatile character.  Books could be written about the arguments you could make with this character.  First, Grendel is not DC or Marvel.  In fact, you may not even know Grendel.  If you don’t, get some of the books you won’t regret it.  Second, for those of you who do know Grendel, which version should be used?  The male?  The female?  The young?  The old?  The Villain who fought Batman and The Shadow?  The “hero” who tried to escort a child safely across dangerous lands?  Who cares....just put Grendel in a movie and make him/her/it look awesome!  Grendel is, perhaps, my favorite comic character of all time.  I have the books, statues, etc.  A big thanks to Matt Wagner who made Grendel possible.

4.)  Doctor Strange:  The one time Sorcerer Supreme is a great candidate for his own film.  I know there one is in the making.  Let’s hope they do it right.  It won’t take much...get a strong actor...put him in a well made costume....add some special effects to show his magical might...add script and shake well and you have a movie!  Have him square off with any of the fan favorite villains and you should have a success!  Is there a doctor in the house?

5.)  Martian Manhunter:  I have mixed emotions about this one.  His character in the comic books is so powerful it is said that he could beat Superman in an all out fight to the death.  Yet, it is rare that they show him as being so formidable.  That could be rectified by showing him as the juggernaut that he is in a movie.  Start with his origin, show why he came to Earth, and then give him a solo project away from the Justice League.  CGI would be needed to give the full breadth of his power, but Guardians of the Galaxy showed that CGI can be made to look as real as real can be.  

6.)  Midnighter:  Hands down one of my top 5 favorite characters Midnight is an incredible hero that deserves a shot at the silver screen.  With his ability to think a fight all the way through before it even begins, put him up agains Jet Li or something creative like that.  Again, just a guy in a costume would  do it along with some well choreographed fight scenes. Sure, he’s been with The Authority and Stormwatch, but let him go solo on this gig.

7.)  Grifter:  With all the shoot-em-up Rambo like movies that have made it big, how could they have not made a film with Grifter in it?  Incredible reflexes, down and dirty, guns-a-blazing, and a hanky covering his face, Grifter is a character worthy of his own flick.  Put him in the next Expendables movie next to Sylvester Stallone or in a Full Metal Jacket II.  He’ll quickly become a fan favorite, I can guarantee it.

8.)  Iron Fist:  Again, with all the successes had by the martial arts films I am stunned that there hasn’t been an Iron Fist movie.  As both DC and Marvel have used up their top characters in films already this would be the perfect time to introduce Iron Fist and his origin.  It’s a cool story and could make for some great special effects.  You would draw the male demographic, the martial arts demographic, and the women who like guys with dragons on their chest demographic.  No matter how you spin it an Iron Fist movie would be awesome!

9.)  Scarlet Spider:  If you don’t know the origin of the Scarlet Spider I’m going to need you to research it yourself.  It’s far too in-depth for me to elaborate on here.  The long and short of it is that the Scarlet Spider is a stronger, cooler, more agile version of Spider-Man minus the ethics.  Scarlet Spider pretty much marches to his own drummer and if that means beating up an old lady, so be it.  It’s everything Spider-Man would never be except for the fact that he’s a clone of Peter Parker.  Wait, I said I wouldn’t get into that.  If you want to really juice up the ratings, put him in a movie with Spider-Man...it would be double the fun!

10.)  Cloak and Dagger:  Yes, I know it’s two super-heroes but it still counts as my tenth choice.  Not only do Cloak and Dagger have a great background that is relevant to this day and age they are also a powerful duo.  With Cloak able to send people to some nether realm Dagger being all beautiful and able to throw daggers of light, this team would translate well to the big screen.  The only drawback?  They aren’t exactly household names like Wolverine or Superman.  All characters started there, however, and the way to bring them out is through advertising and making them into kid’s meal toys.  Bring this pair to the general public and watch people swoon.

Well, there you have it.  The top 10 super-heroes they should bring to the big screen if they agree to do them PROPERLY.  It’s high time to start moving away from Batman 12 and Superman 17.  Give them a rest.  You’re running out of ideas and it shows.  Bring people up from the bench and watch the box office overflow.

Give me your feedback, who would you choose?