DC Comics has its fair share of powerhouse superheroes able to lift entire buildings out of the ground and catch planes falling from the sky. No matter what threats arise on earth or elsewhere, a hero with amazing powers and super strength always swoops in and makes the impossible a reality.
Whether it’s Superman, Wonder Woman, Shazam, or any number of super-powered aliens and cosmic gods, DC has a tremendous supply of the most powerful superheroes in existence. Whether their strength comes from innate traits of their biology, magical blessings, or powerful artificial enhancements, DC's strongest heroes are capable of feats a normal person can only dream of.
Updated on December 31st by Sage Ashford: This list has been updated to add more information about DC's strongest superheroes.
10 Biggest Secrets In DC Comics
From destroyed realities to the identities of Gotham City's greatest hero, there are massive secrets the denizens of DC Comics have yet to discover.30 Rex Tyler Has His Strength In One Hour Bursts
First Appearance: |
Adventure Comics #48 |
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Creative Team: |
Ken Fitch, Bernard Baily |
Impressive Feats: |
Using His Strength To Battle Evil |
Rex Tyler used the drug Miraclo to become the original Hourman all the way back in 1940. Miraclo allowed Hourman to become super strong for one hour. A longstanding member of the Justice Society of America, he wasn’t always the strongest member of his own team, but he could sure throw a punch.
The Miraclo drug proved to be addictive, but once Rex gave it up, he realized his body had internalized the effects of the medication. This allowed him to power up for one hour without the drug's help. For a brief period of time, Rex Tyler went from being able to lift cars over his head to going toe-to-toe with the likes of Black Adam. Strong as he is, his power's time limitation holds him back.
29 Wonder Girl Is A Descendant Of The Gods
First Appearance: |
Wonder Woman Vol. 2 #105 |
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Creative Team: |
John Byrne, Patricia Mulvihill |
Impressive Feats: |
Tanked Airplane Missiles, Defeated A Superboy Clone |
Many of the most iconic superheroes have their own sidekicks. Wonder Woman has partnered with a couple of different Wonder Girls over the years. Introduced as the daughter of Zeus and a true demigoddess, Cassie Sandsmark possesses incredible powers as Wonder Girl. However, she's a little less powerful than her predecessor, Donna Troy.
From her time as a member of teams like Young Justice and the Teen Titans, Cassie has become a stronger and more effective hero. She has shown the ability to overpower her teammate Superboy and wiped the floor with powerful villains like Major Force and Mammoth of the Fearsome Five.
28 Loose Cannon Gave DC Their Own Version Of The Hulk
First Appearance: |
Action Comics Annual Vol. 15 |
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Creative Team: |
Jeph Loeb, Lee Moder, Joe Rubinstein, José Marzan, Jr., Terry Beatty, Tom Ziuko, Albert DeGuzman |
Impressive Feats: |
Knocked out The Eradicator |
Back in the early 1990s, DC Comics used the “Bloodlines” crossover as an excuse to create a bevy of new superheroes and villains. These “New Bloods” were given powers when alien parasites attacked them. Eager to have its own version of the Hulk, DC introduced Loose Cannon, a cop named Eddie Walker who gained incredible superpowers.
Eddie took on a massive, hulking form when he got incredibly angry. Loose Cannon also had several stages to his transformation. When he initially became angry, his skin turned blue, but as he got angrier, it changed hues. The next stage was purple, followed by red, until finally, his skin became completely white. Like most other New Bloods, Eddie was quickly forgotten.
27 Atom Smasher Ignored His Villainous Relatives And Used His Strength For Good
First Appearance: |
All-Star Squadron Vol. 1 #25 |
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Creative Team: |
Roy Thomas, Jerry Ordway, Mike Machlan, Gene D'Angelo, David Cody Weiss |
Impressive Feats: |
Destroyed An Apokoliptian War Hound |
Frequent Justice Society of America member Al Rothstein can grow in size and can alter his density and strength directly proportional to that size. If grows to a height of 60 feet, his abilities will match the strength of a 60-foot person.
Towering in at over seven feet, even in his natural state, Atom Smasher possesses a lot of untapped power. He's capable of plucking jet planes out of the sky with ease and can compete with just about any superpowered person. Atom Smasher has put up a fight against the likes of Power Girl, Solomon Grundy, Martian Manhunter, and Black Adam.
26 OMAC Wields Enough Power To Stop Entire Armies
First Appearance: |
OMAC Vol. 1 #1 |
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Creative Team: |
Jack Kirby, Mike Royer |
Impressive Feats: |
Defeated the entire Justice League |
There have been several interpretations of OMAC over the years, but they have all wielded incredible physical strength. The original, Buddy Blank, was created by Jack Kirby and introduced into the apocalyptic wasteland later revealed to be where Kamandi lives. The character worked with the sentient satellite Brother Eye as the One Man Army Corps.
A new version of OMAC, known as Kevin Kho, debuted in 2011. This incarnation has proven far more powerful than the original. On more than one occasion, this OMAC went out of control and wreaked havoc among his own allies. He laid waste to Justice League International at one point and violently defeated the likes of Power Girl and Steel.
25 Hawkman Has Strength Tempered With Experience
First Appearance: |
Flash Comics Vol. 1 #1 |
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Creative Team: |
Gardner Fox, Harry Lampert |
Impressive Feats: |
Held a helicopter in mid-air, punched out Blockbuster |
10 DC Comics That Get Better If You Give Them A Few Issues
While several DC series impress right out of the gate, other series need a few issues to find their footing.There have been a few different versions of Hawkman over the years, although the current version is a human named Carter Hall. However, Hall has been reincarnated several times since he was first exposed to an alien element known as Nth Metal when he was known as Prince Khufu.
Hawkman wielded powerful weapons and wore armor made of Nth Metal, which increased his strength and durability. However, exposure over the centuries has permanently enhanced his strength. Coupled with the powerful Nth metal, Hawkman held his own against powerhouses, like Black Adam and Superman.
24 Captain Marvel Jr. Gained The Power Of The Wizard For A Time
First Appearance: |
Whiz Comics Vol. 1 #25 |
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Creative Team: |
Ed Herron, C.C. Beck, Mac Raboy |
Impressive Feats: |
Battled Against Solomon Grundy Evenly |
Superhero comics love their sidekicks, but Freddy Freeman has the distinction of being one of the first to debut. After Batman got Robin in 1940, Captain Marvel was given Captain Marvel Jr. just a year later. Like the Wizard imbued Billy Batson with the power of Shazam, the Captain imparted a portion of his power to Freddy.
Freddy eventually took on the role of Shazam when Billy became the new Wizard. As Shazam, Freddy even joined the Justice League for a short period of time. The New 52 reboot of the Shazam Family introduced a new version of Freddy who became Shazam Jr. alongside the rest of his adopted siblings who shared Shazam's powers.
23 Superboy Can Handle Anything With His Tactile Telekinesis
First Appearance: |
Adventures of Superman Vol. 1 #500 |
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Creative Team: |
Jerry Ordway, Tom Grummett, Doug Hazlewood, Glenn Whitmore, Albert DeGuzman |
Impressive Feats: |
Lifted a yacht, fought Wonder Girl as a Black Lantern |
After Superman lost his life in the battle against Doomsday, Cadmus cloned the Man of Steel in order to ensure that Metropolis always had a protector. Superboy has many of the same superpowers as his mentor, as well as an added ability called tactile telekinesis, which gave him a measure of control over anything he touched.
Unfortunately, Conner went through many hardships over his career. He discovered he was partially cloned from Lex Luthor. Then he was killed in battle. Then Connor had his entire story rewritten during the New 52. The character finally returned in the pages of Young Justice, and his strength levels had only grown since his previous appearances.
22 Starfire Is A True Warrior Princess
First Appearance: |
DC Comics Presents Vol. 1 #26 |
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Creative Team: |
Marv Wolfman, George Perez, Dick Giordano, Adrienne Roy, Ben Oda |
Impressive Feats: |
Drained the energy from a Kryptonian and knocked them out |
While her strength has been written inconsistently over the years, Starfire remains one of the strongest female superheroes in the DC universe. She was Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran before she was taken by slavers and experimented on.
Princess Koriand'r developed the ability to produce powerful starbolts of energy which allowed her to escape to Earth. She started a new life with the Titans as Starfire, although the New 52 version first appeared with Red Hood as an Outlaw. Able to absorb solar energy, Starfire went toe-to-toe with Superman on more than one occasion.
21 Ultra Boy Uses One Super Power At A Time
First Appearance: |
Superboy Vol. 1 #98 |
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Creative Team: |
Jerry Siegel, Curt Swan, George Klein, Milt Snapinn |
Impressive Feats: |
Fighting evenly with Pre-Crisis Daxamites |
In the far future, young heroes from around the universe banded together to form the Legion of Super-Heroes. When the team needs some muscle, they call upon Jo Nah of Rimbor, more commonly known as the superhero powerhouse Ultra Boy. Out of all the Legionnaires with all their different powers, he's easily among the strongest of all.
While many of these characters use the natural abilities of their alien heritage to protect the citizens of the United Planets, Ultra Boy received his powers from exposure to radiation. He has all the same abilities as Superman, but Jo Nah can only use one of those powers at a time.
20 Big Barda Abandoned Apokolips To Aid Her Husband
First Appearance: |
Mister Miracle Vol. 1 #4 |
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Creative Team: |
Jack Kirby, Vince Colletta |
Impressive Feats: |
Overpowered the other Female Furies, defeated Wonder Woman One Million |
The Justice League's 15 Best B-List Heroes, Ranked
DC's Justice League is more than the Big Seven, and the best B-list heroes have proven they deserve to stand alongside the A-list team members.The New Gods of New Genesis and Apokolips are some of the most powerful cosmic entities in the DC Universe. They may pale in comparison to the likes of Darkseid, but each has their own levels of strength and unique abilities. One of the most powerful among these New Gods is Big Barda, who was trained from a young age to be the leader of Darkseid’s elite warriors, the Female Furies.
Big Barda eventually rebelled against her controllers, escaped Apokolips, and joined New Genesis. Big Barda and Mister Miracle married and lived together on Earth, but they joined the fight when needed. Over the years, Big Barda proved herself one of the fiercest warriors in the DC Universe, her strength and fighting skills rivaling the abilities of Wonder Woman.
19 Aquaman Wields Power Befitting A King
First Appearance: |
Adventure Comics Vol. 1 #260 |
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Creative Team: |
Jerry Coleman, John Sikela |
Impressive Feats: |
Punched out Despero, defeated an OMAC |
While Aquaman is usually associated with his powers to communicate with sea life and ability to swim really, really fast, he's also able to throw quite the punch during the heat of battle. Aquaman has to be incredibly strong to swim proficiently and survive the vast depths of the ocean Atlantis sits in.
In the grand scheme of things, Aquaman's strength is very impressive. On one notable occasion, he even punched Superman in the face. Instead of breaking his hand, like what would happen to any normal person who tried that, Aquaman sent the Man of Steel flying.
18 Lady Shazam Has Taken Over The Role Of Shazam's Champion Many Times
First Appearance: |
Captain Marvel Adventures Vol. 1 #18 |
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Creative Team: |
Otto Binder, Marc Swayze |
Impressive Feats: |
Knocked out the god Quezacotl, cracked Booster Gold's force field |
Mary Marvel has the distinction of being the first female spinoff of a male superhero, predating Supergirl by more than a decade. Just like her twin brother Billy Batson, she has become involved with the world of wizards and magic words. By calling out the name Shazam, Mary can take on the same powers as her brother.
Mary has also received her powers from other sources outside of Shazam. Black Adam previously gave her his power, making her more prone to violence. Darkseid further manipulated Mary's powers, turning her into a purely evil entity who could overpower someone as strong as Wonder Woman. Going by Lady Shazam in the current continuity, Mary has previously taken over as Shazam.
17 Jon Kent Is Shaping Up To Be An Excellent Superman
First Appearance: |
Convergence: Superman Vol. 1 #2 |
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Creative Team: |
Dan Jurgens, Norm Rapmund, Brad Anderson, Tom Napolitano |
Impressive Feats: |
Knocked out Earth-3 Superman with just his electric powers |
Comic book fans have always wondered what it would be like if Superman had a kid. There are several Elseworlds tales that explored this idea. However, DC’s Rebirth era introduced Jonathan Samuel Kent, a 10-year-old kid trying to figure out who he was and where he stood in the great DC Universe.
Jonathan had all the superpowers of his father, just on a smaller scale. However, after a trip across space and time with his grandfather, he returned as an adult. Jon Kent has stepped into the role of Superman on Earth while his father handles larger business around the galaxy and multiverse. Still growing, Jon has used his abilities and strength in ways his father never did.
16 Donna Troy Is Gifted By The Gods
First Appearance: |
The Brave and the Bold Vol. 1 #60 |
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Creative Team: |
Bob Haney, Bruno Premiani |
Impressive Feats: |
Defeated Grodd, saved a crashing helicopter |
Donna Troy was originally a younger version of Diana, but eventually became her own character without any origin to speak of. As a result, several creators attempted to make sense of her place within the DCU with varying success. No matter what direction Donna goes in, she is always extremely strong.
Donna was an orphan. Then she was related to the Titans of Myth. Then she was a magical duplicate of Diana, and then it was established that she was created to fight her former mentor. With similar abilities as Wonder Woman, Donna Troy has established herself as one of the strongest members of the superhero community — able to take on almost any villain on her own.
15 Bizarro Wields Power Equal To Superman But Can't Control It
First Appearance: |
Superboy Vol. 1 #68 |
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Creative Team: |
Otto Binder, George Papp |
Impressive Feats: |
Snapped the Lasso of Truth |
10 Ways Bizarro Is Different Than Superman
In DC Comics, Superman has a lot in common with his 'imperfect duplicate,' Bizarro but Bizarro inverts many of the Man of Steel's core attributes.Originally introduced as the imperfect copy of Superman, Bizarro has all the abilities of Superman (although often reversed), but with none of the intelligence or sense that comes along with the real deal. Whether he came from the alternate universe Bizarro World or was a failed genetic clone of the big man himself, Bizarro possessed raw power only Superman could match.
In Red Hood and the Outlaws, the group included a Superman clone with uncontainable power. Bizarro became super-intelligent, allowing him to use his abilities in the most efficient way possible. However, there was still a Bizarro who lived on Bizarro World. Superman fought him and the two were seemingly equal, despite Bizarro's inverted powers, like cold vision and heat breath. Despite Bizarro's strength though, Superman pointed out he's not capable of using it to the fullest, placing him far behind Superman and heroes who rival him.
14 Damage Wields Incredible Power For A Short Period
First Appearance: |
Damage Vol. 1 #1 |
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Creative Team: |
Tom Joyner, Bill Marimon, Tom McWeeney, Buzz Setzer, John Costanza |
Impressive Feats: |
Punched Superman through a mountain |
The powerful super-soldier codenamed Damage is almost as strong as Superman. Two different characters have taken the name Damage over the years, both after being experimented on by a secretive government agency. Whether as Grant Emerson or Ethan Avery, Damage is easily among the strongest DC superheroes.
Damage makes simple work of modern military weaponry like tanks and aircraft. On top of that, he defeated the Suicide Squad and has proven too much for someone like Wonder Woman to handle. However, the one-hour limitation on his powers means Damage wouldn't last against a hero like Superman.
13 Lobo Is The Main Man For Good Reason
First Appearance: |
Omega Men Vol. 1 #3 |
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Creative Team: |
Roger Slifer, Keith Giffen, Mike DeCarlo, Anthony Tollin |
Impressive Feats: |
Fought evenly with Superman, snapped a blade made of unbreakable metal |
As the Last Czarnian, Lobo had the power to destroy his entire race. Living the life of a bounty hunter, it’s hard to really consider him a superhero. However, Batman drafted Lobo into his Justice League of America, despite the terrible things Lobo had done.
Aside from his incredible ability to heal from any wound imaginable, Lobo possesses a massive amount of physical strength. When he’s not letting his guns do the talking, the Main Man is using his muscles to match opponents as strong as Superman. Lobo’s fought the Green and Red Lanterns and even took out powerful New Gods.
12 Mon-El Created A Legend With His Powers
First Appearance: |
Superboy Vol. 1 #89 |
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Creative Team: |
Robert Bernstein, George Papp |
Impressive Feats: |
Defeated the Dominators, helped create the United Planets |
Daxamites are an evolutionary offshoot of the Kryptonians. Like their cousins, they gain incredible powers when exposed to Earth's yellow sun. The superhero Mon-El traveled to Earth when a young Clark Kent was still living in Smallville. When he was exposed to lead, Mon-El had to be placed in the Phantom Zone until he was cured and recruited into the Legion of Super-Heroes.
Even though Daxamites aren't considered to be as strong as Kryptonians, they can still hold their own. Mon-El has shown he can take anyone from the Superman family in a fight. He's wiped the floor with the likes of Supergirl, Superboy, and even the big man himself on occasion.
11 Wonder Woman Represents Themyscira As The Goddess Of Truth
First Appearance: |
All-Star Comics Vol. 1 #8 |
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Creative Team: |
William Moulton Marston, Harry G. Peter |
Impressive Feats: |
Pulled Martian Manhunter from a black hole. |
Whether she was made out of clay by her mother or was the secret child of the Greek God Zeus, Wonder Woman remains one of the most powerful superheroes in the DC Universe. Gifted with the powers of the gods, she has many of the same abilities as Superman, including strength, speed, and durability. However, Wonder Woman's Amazonian training also makes her one fierce warrior.
Whether Diana could beat Superman in a fight is an evergreen debate among comic fans. While she's capable of hurting him, she doesn’t have the same raw power. Instead, Wonder Woman dominates her opponents through a combination of her special abilities, superior tactics, and special equipment gifted to her by the gods.