They’ve beaten Ronan the Accuser and Ego, stood up to Thanos, and even managed to wield the Power Stone without being incinerated. Not bad for a motley band of space-exploring outlaws. They may not be the most powerful beings in the galaxy, but there doesn’t seem much the Guardians of the Galaxy can’t handle, provided the circumstances are right.
Yet how might they do against Superman? If they worked together as a group and had something on par with the Power Stone or even Star-Lord’s former powers, they may stand a chance. Yet what would happen if they faced Kal-El one-on-one?
9 Yondu Udonta
He’s no physical threat to Superman, but Yondu might give the Man of Tomorrow a little trouble if he whistles just right. Yondu’s Yaka Arrow can kill swaths of enemies within moments and can be highly maneuverable and quick when wielded by an expert. It’s hard to say whether its sharpness can hurt Superman, but it could at least cause discomfort on contact.
That said, Superman could probably destroy it easily if he got ahold of it or blasted it with heat vision; he could also warp its trajectory with his Super-Breath. And once the Yaka Arrow is destroyed, Yondu would be toast.
8 Nebula
The cybernetic enhancements Nebula received every time she lost to her sister have finally made her Gamora’s equal or possibly her better, as seen when Nebula nearly choked Gamora to death in the second Guardians film. Furthermore, Nebula may not have hurt Thanos much with her punches, but she fights with a ferocity born from being always treated as second best.
Her attacks wouldn’t harm Superman much but might bruise him a little, especially if she fought with her electrified batons. Nebula’s robot parts can also heal her from extreme injury, meaning her fight with Superman could go on a while.
7 Mantis
While Superman is physically stronger, Mantis’ durability could save her from losing easily, as she once survived a blow from Thanos himself. Mantis would still present a unique challenge, given her ability to make even powerful beings like Ego fall asleep by touch.
Whether Superman could resist depends on his strength of will, which is by no means small—in the storyline “Up, Up and Away!,” he demonstrated enough willpower to at least levitate himself with a Green Lantern ring. Touching Superman would also be challenging, as Clark can evade with super-speed or knock Mantis back with heat vision and Freeze Breath.
6 Groot
Groot is arguably the strongest Guardian, capable of piercing through Drax’s skin and lifting several Outriders and alien soldiers at once after impaling them with his arm. However, Groot was unable to survive the crash of Ronan’s warship, the Dark Aster—something Superman would have walked away from with relative ease.
Through Groot’s regeneration would help him recover quickly from attacks, Superman does exceed Groot in strength and durability, and impalement might fail against Superman’s dense skin. Groot could try stuffing a branch arm in Superman’s mouth and suffocating the Kryptonian by growing from within, although Kal’s innards are likely just as invulnerable.
5 Rocket Raccoon
Rocket’s certainly stronger than the average raccoon, once even knocking down Gamora. Yet Superman has him beat by miles. Furthermore, even Rocket’s raccoon-like agility might not be enough to counter Superman’s speed.
Rocket would likely have to rely on his abilities as an expert engineer to take on the Man of Steel, such as by creating a weapon powerful enough to cause Superman harm. Or he could combine his engineering skills with his strategic mind and create a trap that could at least slow Kal-El down. Rocket would probably need at least a little prep time, although he is a highly-skilled improviser.
4 Drax the Destroyer
One of the strongest members of the Guardians and capable of taking considerable damage, Drax would definitely give Superman a fair workout. Furthermore, despite not being able to hurt Thanos with his strength, Drax was able to cut Thanos’ skin with one of his knives, meaning his blades might be able to do the same to Superman’s.
However, just as Thanos was only briefly incapacitated by the attack, Superman likely wouldn’t be too affected, either. While Kal-El’s strength has varied over time, readers often view Superman’s might rivaling the Hulk’s—someone whom Thanos, who’s far stronger than Drax, defeated with ease.
3 Gamora
As a fighter, Gamora is exceptional, and her Godslayer sword can slice through metal and thick-skinned creatures like Groot and the Abilisk: it has even been said to be sharp enough to take an Asgardian’s life. On top of that, she has super-strength and resilience, though not at the level of Drax the Destroyer or Groot.
Assuming the Godslayer lives up to his name, Gamora’s best bet against Superman would be to combine her sword strikes with her martial arts ability, although Superman’s superior speed and strength would still make it exceptionally difficult for her to land a hit.
2 Star-Lord
As a normal human, Star-Lord wouldn’t stand much of a chance against the Man of Steel, even with his Quad Blasters. However, if Peter somehow regained his Celestial abilities, he’d have an entire planet powering him, as well as super-strength, durability, and regeneration.
Since Peter would also be able to create just about anything he wanted out of matter and energy, Superman would be in for quite a fight; even more so if Peter’s father, Ego, turned up alive, as that would restore Peter’s immortality. Ironically, the Guardian least likely to defeat Superman would become one of his most challenging opponents.
1 Thor
Though the Thunder God's status as a Guardian may be a matter of debate (at least as far as Star-Lord is concerned), there's no denying Thor would be a force for Superman to reckon with.
Only beings like Thanos, the Destroyer, Hela, and the Hulk (when extremely angry) can surpass the thunder god’s strength, and a single hit from Mjölnir can knock many foes beneath Superman's level out cold. On top of that, Thor actually pierced through Thanos’ skin with Stormbreaker and can summon lightning and create weather catastrophes even without Mjölnir. Superman may be powerful, but against the Odinson, he just might lose.