The year-long Dawn of DC event teased an exciting new comic series starring a few of the most powerful characters in the DC Comics universe. Heroes like Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl lead the new series, which promises to tie into the larger year-long storyline. The focus on some of the strongest DC characters teases a larger threat at the climax of the Dawn of DC.

These epic comics will continue sparking ongoing discussions with fans over who the strongest or most powerful DC character is. Wonder Woman has several powerful equals in the DC universe, such as Superman and Black Adam, who have all claimed to be the most powerful DC character.

Updated on March 30, 2024 by David Harth: DC Comics originated the superhero as modern audiences know it, starting with a character who would become defined by his high power level: Superman. Since then, DC has been creating extremely powerful heroes and villains, and their amazing super strength is often a defining characteristic. DC's super-strong characters are in a league of their own.

35 Mary Marvel Has The Power Of Shazam

• First Appearance: Captain Marvel Adventures #18, Otto Binder, Marc Swayze, C.C. Beck, and Al Liederman

The Shazam mythos stretch back to the Golden Age and are much more important to the history of superhero comics than most people realize. The original Captain Marvel was very influential and nearly as important to comic history as Mary Marvel. Mary debuted in 1942, so she wasn't the first female superhero but one of the first female sidekicks. While the Shazam mythos have changed a lot since they started, Mary's relationship with Billy - she's his sister - has made her integral to the adventures of Shazam. She's been a member of the Marvel family in long-standing and has even been a member of the Justice League, albeit the rebooted Justice League International version, taking Billy's place.

Mary has all the same powers as Shazam, but the level has changed significantly. Shazam shared his power with his partners for a long time, and Mary was only half as powerful as Shazam. However, that still makes her very powerful, and her strength has allowed her to vie with even the most potent foes. Mary even acted as the primary champion of the Wizard Shazam, with the requisite power upgrade. Despite being known for her chipper demeanor, Mary's strength has made her a feared hero.

34 Donna Troy's Amazonian Strength Has Made Her The Muscle Of The Titans

• First Appearance: The Brave And The Bold #60, by Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani

Wonder Woman took years to get her sidekick, with Donna Troy debuting as the first Wonder Girl in the Silver Age. There was technically a Wonder Girl before this point, but that was Diana herself when DC published her adventures as a young girl. The legend goes that writer Bob Haney and artist Bruno Premiani didn't know that Wonder Girl was Diana when they included the character in the Teen Titans, and thus Donna Troy was born. Troy's origin started with a retcon, which would become a hallmark of the character. Donna Troy is an amazing hero, but her history is very confusing.

Donna's origin has gone back and forth, but the current version is a throwback to the original. She's an Amazonian, possessing the requisite strength, speed, durability, and fighting skills. Donna is not on Wonder Woman's level in terms of strength, but she's still quite strong. Donna has acted as the muscle of the various Teen Titans and Titans groups she's been affiliated with, overwhelming her foes with her vast strength and amazing fighting skills as the team's powerhouse.

33 Sodam Yat's Daxamite Muscle Allowed Him To Battle Superboy-Prime

• First Appearance: Tales Of The Green Lantern Corps Annual #2, by Steve Engelhart, Mindy Newell, Paul Cupperberg, Alan Moore Bill Willingham, George Freeham, Trevor von Eeden, Kevin O'Neill, Joe Rubenstein, Anthony Tollin, Albert Guzman, David Cody Weiss, and John Constanza

The Green Lantern Corps has been home to many aliens; some have powers beyond the Green Lantern ring. Readers have been introduced to many powerful Green Lanterns, but few can match Sodam Yat. Sodam Yat is a Daxamite and gained great power under the yellow sun. The Daxamites were quite insular, with no one allowed to leave their world, but Yat desired more out of life than being trapped on one planet and made for the stars where he became a Green Lantern. The Prophecy of the Blackest Night said that Yat would become the ultimate Green Lantern and eventually became the host of the will entity Ion.

Sodam Yat's time as a Green Lantern took him to planets with yellow suns, which gave him Superman-level strength, speed, durability, and more. However, being a Daxamite meant that he also had a weakness - lead was fatal to him, and he eventually was exposed to it. The power of the Green Lantern ring and Ion were able to keep him alive after being poisoned by lead. Sodam Yat was able to battle Superboy-Prime, and while he wasn't successful, no one else has been either. Sodam Yat's strength, while his cells were charged with yellow sunlight, puts him in the upper echelons of the universe's strongest fighters.

32 Superwoman Is Earth-3's Most Powerful Woman

• First Appearance: Justice League Of America (Vol. 1) #29, Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky, Bernie Sachs, and Gaspar Saladino

Earth-3 was the first "evil" Earth the Justice League ever encountered. Everything on this Earth was the opposite, so there was a Crime Syndicate instead of a Justice League. The Crime Syndicate was a dark mirror for the Justice League, each a powerful villain in their own right. Ultraman, the team's Superman analog, was the most powerful but not the team's only powerhouse. Superwoman is the team's Wonder Woman and as such, she is very strong.

Over the years, multiple versions of Superwoman have existed, and all of them have had very high-level super strength, especially her pre-Crisis version. In terms of strength, Superwoman is on par with Wonder Woman, which means she's not slouching in a fistfight. Superwoman is as impulsive and headstrong as the rest of Crime Syndicate, so she's known for making foolish mistakes in battle but still strong enough to be quite dangerous.

31 Ultra-Boy Could Access Mighty Super Strength

• First Appearance: Superboy (Vol. 1) #98, Al Plastino, Jerry Siegel, Curt Swan, George Klein, and Milt Snapinn

The Legion of Superheroes has long been home to many powerful heroes, like the original Superboy and Mon-El. However, there was another super-strong member of the Legion, although his strength did come with a caveat. Jo Nah/Ultra-Boy was swallowed by a space whale and exposed to cosmic radiation. He gained super strength, super speed, invulnerability, flight, penetra-vision, and flash vision. However, he only had access to one power at a time. In later versions of the Legion, his powers came from his heritage as a native of the Rimbor.

Ultra-Boy's super strength was considered on the level of Superboy and Mon-El, which is saying something. He used his super strength pretty often—he didn't have to worry about flight because of his Legion ring and could switch to invulnerability on the fly. Ultra-Boy's strength made him one of the Legion's heaviest hitters, and he was known as the fiercest member of the Legion. The Legion's enemies thought twice about attacking when Ultra-Boy was around.

30 Conner Kent Got More Powerful As The Years Went On

• First Appearance: The Adventures Of Superman #500 by Jerry Ordway, Louise Simonson, Roger Stern, Dan Jurgens, Tom Grummet, Jon Bogdanove, Jackson Guice, Doug Hazlewood, Dennis Janke, Denis Rodier, Glenn Whitmore, Albert DeGuzman, Bill Oakley, and John Constanza

The Death Of Superman is a milestone moment in pop culture. Superman had "died" before this story, but that was mostly in imaginary stories, the Silver Age equivalent to Elseworlds. The Death Of Superman was a multimedia event followed by Funeral for a Friend. The story took a turn in The Adventures Of Superman #500, as four replacement Supermen were introduced. Well, three replacement Supermen and one Superboy. Conner Kent arrived with a massive chip on his shoulder, as evidenced when anyone called him Superboy for a time, a clone of Superman created by Project: Cadmus.

Cadmus couldn't get cloning the Man of Steel right, so they stabilized his genome using Lex Luthor's DNA. This led to Conner developing different and, for a time, lesser powers. The future Superboy's powers were based on tactile telekinesis, the de rigeur explanation for Superman's powers back then. Conner's strength wasn't physical; instead, it came from a telekinetic energy field that surrounded his body and allowed him to lift objects of immense weight. As the years went on and Conner accepted the mantle of Superboy, his powers became more like the standard Kryptonian, but his strength was lesser than other Kryptonians. Conner is still very strong, able to go toe-to-toe with Superboy-Prime for longer than most heroes and villains could.

29 The Cyborg Superman Has Proven To Be A Powerful Villain

• First Appearance: The Adventures Of Superman #465 by Dan Jurgens, Art Thibert, Glenn Whitemore, and Albert DeGuzman

Hank Henshaw first appears in a story that puts a twist on the Fantastic Four's origin, a group of family and friends going to space and being mutated into something new. However, Henshaw and his crew didn't come out of it as well as the FF had, and the experience drove messed with Hank's psyche. He gained control over machinery, and Superman defeated him, his body dying and Hank becoming a ghost in the machine. Henshaw bided his time and after Superman died, he created a body that combined flesh with Kryptonian machinery to become the Cyborg Superman. Everyone thought he might have been the real Superman, but Henshaw showed his villainous colors. He teamed with Mongul and destroyed Coast City before the resurrected Man of Steel and the other replacement Supermen turned on him.

That wasn't the end of Hank Henshaw. Cyborg Superman has returned many times, and his sheer power makes him a deadly villain. Cyborg Superman has been a Guardian of the Sinestro Corps, and his physical power has made him a match for Superman and many other super-powerful heroes of the DC Multiverse. He retains his technological control powers, making him a multi-faceted threat, but his amazing strength is still his most dangerous attribute.

28 The Eradicator Is A Powerful Creation Of The Kryptonians

• First Appearance: Action Comics Annual (Vol. 1) #2 by Jerry Ordway, George Pérez, Roger Stern, Mike Mignola, Curt Swan, John Statema, Brett Breeding, Glenn Whitmore, and Bill Oakley

The Eradicator was created as a weapon by the Kryptonians. The Kryptonians would fire it in a modified birthing matrix, and it would possess an inhabitant, giving them amazing power and making them into a living weapon. The Eradicator was meant to destroy anything that wasn't Kryptonian and considered Krypton the apex of life in the universe. Superman defeated the Eradicator, but they returned after his death and became one of the four Supermen. Eradicator was more known for his powerful energy blasts, but he was no slouch in the strength department ever.

Many thought the Eradicator was destroyed in the battle of Engine City, taking Kryptonite radiation and transforming it into energy that gave the resurrected Superman back his full powers. The Eradicator came back and wandered back and forth between hero and villain. Eradicator's super strength is enough to challenge any Kryptonian, and it even fought off Lois Lane in Batman's powerful Hellbat armor. The Kryptonians were great at making powerful living weapons, and the Eradicator was easily the most versatile of them, his vast super strength pairing nicely with his other powers.

27 Mongul Has Proven To Be A Strong And Persistent Thorn In The DC Multiverse's Side

• First Appearance: DC Comics Presents (Vol. 1) #27 by Len Wein, Bob Rozakis, Jim Starlin, Romeo Tanghal, Dick Giordano, Frank McLaughlin, Frank Chiaramonte, Jerry Serpe, Todd Klein, and Gaspar Saladino

Mongul is an interesting villain in DC history. The villain was the star of Superman Annual #11, the Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons story that many count among the best Superman stories. In recent years, Mongul starred in another best-of-all-time Superman story, "Warworld Saga." That's an impressive pedigree, not even considering his time in the Sinestro Corps. However, the characters are so interesting that each Mongul in those stories is completely different. Mongul is a title given to the most powerful warrior in Warworld, who's committed to destroying everything before him.

The three Monguls became well known for their super strength. The original Mongul battled pre-Crisis Superman to a standstill. The second battled Superman and many of the most powerful heroes ever, and the third smacked around Superman and his Authority team. The strength level of the Monguls has fluctuated with Superman's overall strength level, but he's always been among the strongest villains out there. Mongul is a titan, regardless of which one appears in the story.

26 Ultraman Is The Superman Of Earth-3

• First Appearance: Justice League Of America (Vol. 1) #29 by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky, Bernie Sachs, and Gaspar Saladino

The DC Multiverse is full of different versions of Superman, and over the years, readers have met many versions of evil Supermen. It's become a trope nowadays that many Superman and DC fans are tired of. This trope has been around for ages, but for decades, there was only one: Ultraman. Ultraman was the Earth-3 version of Superman. Earth-3 is the world of evil, where good always loses and the Justice League analogue is the Crime Syndicate. Ultraman is their leader, and his superpowers make him the greatest villain on a planet of villains.

Ultraman has changed as the Multiverse has waxed and waned, and the source of his powers sometimes differs from Superman. The New 52 Ultraman, for example, gains power from Kryptonite. However, every version of Ultraman has enough strength to battle Superman and defeat anyone weaker than him. Superman and Ultraman have clashed many times, most often with their teams at their backs, but Ultraman doesn't need help. His super strength gives him the power to tear apart basically anything in front of him, making him a challenging villain like few others.

25 Doomsday Is A Physical Powerhouse Like No Other

• First Appearance: Superman: The Man Of Steel #18 by Louise Simonson, Jon Bogdanove, Dennis Janke, Glenn Whitmore, and Bill Oakley

Doomsday made quite a splash when he first debuted. The alien monster, eventually revealed to be a Kryptonian weapon, ran afoul of Superman, leading to a battle that ended in both deaths. However, Doomsday was created to return from the dead, so he's returned many times. Despite winning against it several times over the years, Superman fears the beast, which says everything about how dangerous Doomsday is.

Doomsday doesn't have fancy energy powers or anything of that nature. He is extremely strong and durable. He can take heavy shots from Superman without flinching and dish out blows that would pulp anyone who wasn't invulnerable. Doomsday's stamina is off the charts as well, so it doesn't matter how long He battles someone; he never gets tired. Doomsday killed Superman just by beating him to death, so his strength is impressive.

24 Superboy-Prime Moved Planets And Tore Through Anyone In Front Of Him

• First Appearance: DC Comics Presents #87 by Elliot S. Maggin, Curt Swan, Al Williamson, Gene D'Angelo, and Ed King

Superboy-Prime was from the pre-Crisis DC Multiverse. Earth-Prime was the real world, and young Clark Kent was the only person on Earth with superpowers. Prime's life is tragic. He lost everything in Crisis On Infinite Earths and eventually became a villain, working with Alexander Luthor. Prime lost so much at a young age that he became ruthless. Since his return, he's worked with Sinestro Corps and the Legion of Supervillains after being thrown into the Legion of Superheroes' future. Prime returned several more times and died in the battle against the Batman Who Laughs.

Superboy-Prime was a pre-Crisis Kryptonian, which means he was ridiculously powerful. Prime was strong enough to push planets out of orbit, something he did so the center of the universe would shift. With his Anti-Monitor armor, Superboy-Prime was much stronger than Superman, Shazam, and nearly everyone he fought. Superboy-Prime appeared unstoppable, but his unreasoning rage made it easy to take advantage of him.

23 Kalibak Relied on Brute Strength

• First Appearance: New Gods #1 by Jack Kirby, Vince Colletta, and John Costanza

Kalibak is the son of Darkseid's oldest son. Kalibak didn't inherit Darkseid's godlike powers; he couldn't use the Omega Effect and didn't have access to the Astro-Force like his younger brother Orion. Instead, Kalibak is a mountain of muscle. Kalibak's strength and invulnerability were easily on Superman's level, allowing him to go toe to toe with the most powerful heroes in the universe. As a result, the enemies of Apokolips came to fear his strength and ferocity.

Kalibak wasn't a great tactician and was easy to fool but dangerous when angered. It's hard to tell exactly how strong Kalibak is. He's weaker than his father and Orion and is possibly on the same level as Superman. Kalibak carries the Beta Club, a weapon that can fire either force bolts or nerve beams that cause agonizing pain to anyone they hit. It's a little cherry on the sundae of suffering that Kalibak likes to serve his foes.

22 Rogol Zaar Was Powerful Enough To Fight Several Kryptonians At Once

• First Appearance: Action Comics #1000 by Brian Michael Bendis, Jim Lee, Scott Williams, Alex Sinclair, and Cory Petit

Rogol Zaar isn't exactly a beloved character, but denying his power is impossible. The leaders of different worlds hired Rogol Zaar to destroy Krypton, who were all afraid of the Kryptonians and their technology. Years later, Zaar discovered Superman and the other surviving Kryptonians on Earth and decided to destroy them. Zaar fought Superman and Supergirl to a standstill and was only defeated by the Phantom Zone Projector. Later, Zaar fought Superman, Supergirl, and General Zod simultaneously.

Rogol Zaar's battles with Superman and the other Kryptonians prove his strength. His strength and invulnerability made him extremely dangerous. In all his battles against Superman, he barely seemed to feel any of Superman's offense, let alone any of the other Kryptonians. It's rare that anyone can no-sell attacks by Kryptonians, let alone the three most powerful like Superman, Supergirl, and Zod. Zaar was eventually defeated, mostly because Superman and company outsmarted him, not overpowered him.

21 Jon Kent Is Young But Very Powerful

• First Appearance: Convergence: Superman #2 by Dan Jurgens, Norm Rapmund, Brad Anderson, and Tom Napolitano

Jon Kent is Superman and Lois Lane's child. He grew up with the best parents imaginable, learning how to be a hero from his father, Batman, and Nightwing. Meanwhile, his mother taught him to depend on more than his powers. Jon became a superhero and eventually got stuck on Earth-3 for a few years before escaping to his own Earth, where less time had passed. Since then, Jon has had to deal with a lot, including taking over for his father as Superman.

Jon has all the same powers as his father, and his human/Kryptonian heritage makes him more powerful than Superman in some ways. Jon liked figuring out ways to win that didn't always involve fighting, but he packed quite a punch when he needed to fight. His power level can only go up from here, so while he's very strong now, he's definitely going to get stronger in the future.

20 Mon-El's Daxamite Heritage Gave Him Amazing Might

• First Appearance: Superboy (Vol. 1) #89 by Robert Bernstein and George Papp

Mon-El's origin has changed quite a few times over the years thanks to the shifting origins of the Legion of Super-Heroes. What's consistent, though, is that much like Superman, he gains incredible power while under the light of a yellow sun. And like Superman, he has incredible super-strength, speed, and invulnerability after exposure to yellow sunlight.

Mon-El operated as a hero on Earth and outer space in most continuities. However, when he was exposed to the natural Daxamite weakness lead, Superman had to seal him away within the Phantom Zone. One millennium later, Brainiac 5 freed him, curing his lead poisoning and allowing him to become a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Mon-El quickly became one of the team's heavy hitters and most powerful members.

19 Nubia's Strength And Skill Allowed Her To Become The Leader of Themyscira

• First Appearance: Wonder Woman (Vol. 1) #204 by Robert Kanigher and Don Heck

Nubia was originally introduced in the '70s when it was revealed she was Diana's long-lost sister. In that appearance, Nubia proved to be Diana's equal in both strength and skill after they faced one another in battle. In the modern era, Nubia is acknowledged as the Queen of the Amazons after spending many years as the guardian of Doom's Doorway.

As always, Nubia remains one of the most powerful Amazons alive. She possesses the same super-strength, nigh-invulnerability, and stamina as her sister Diana. She's also equally skilled in martial arts and weapon use, making her one of Themyscira's greatest warriors and a valuable hero in Man's World.

18 Mr. Majestic's Multifarious Might Gives Him Momentous Muscles

• First Appearance: WildC.A.T.s (Vol. 1) #11 by H.K. Proger, Ryan Benjamin, Tom McWeeney, Joe Chiodo Wildstorm FX, Richard Starkings, and Comicraft

Mr. Majestic, or Majestros, was originally the WildStorm Universe's Superman analog. He was brought into the DC Universe proper with the New 52, where he's been a member of both Team 7 and the WildC.A.T.s, just like he was in the WildStorm continuity.

The Kherubim lord version of Majestic is one of the few characters capable of rivaling Superman in strength. He has an invulnerability that extends to magic spells, can move planets with his strength, and can move several hundred times the speed of light. He also possesses incredible telepathic and telekinetic abilities, making him seem like a more powerful Martian Manhunter.

17 General Zod Is A Match For Superman

• First Appearance: Adventure Comics (Vol. 1) #283 by Robert Bernstein and George Papp

Superman is rarely tested physically by most of his villains because Kryptonian might is unmatched. However, much like Kal-El, General Zod is also a Kryptonian. Originally exiled inside the Phantom Zone, Superman made the mistake of freeing him once, and Zod has been a problem for him ever since.

Zod matches all of Superman's Kryptonian abilities, from his incredible super-strength to his heat vision, super-speed, and invulnerability. As a military man, Zod is also a trained fighter, meaning he's better in combat than Superman. This power is so great Zod even repelled the Green Lantern Corps while he and his family were ruling their own planet.

16 Darkseid Can Overpower Even The Strongest Foes

• First Appearance: Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 Jack Kirby and Vince Colletta

Darkseid, the ruler of Apokolips, has been one of the most powerful beings in the universe longer than many of his rivals have been alive. He used his power to wrest control of Apokolips from his family and has spent every waking moment of his life since as the biggest enemy of New Genesis and the world.

During Pre-Crisis, Darkseid easily defeated enemies like Superman or Wonder Woman. His power levels have fluctuated throughout the years, but in this most recent era, he's experienced a massive power boost. He even displayed enough strength to crush the Quintessence, catching them unaware and destroying them all at once.