You would be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn’t heard of Superman. From the first comics to the black and white serials, from the Christopher Reeves movies to the Warner Brothers animated series and beyond, Superman has become a cultural icon synonymous with heroism and with Americana. He is the best of what we could be, a symbol of what is right and good about humanity. He's transcended the medium of comics and has become an icon of pop culture around the world. And if for some reason someone out there was not aware of how much of a global presence Superman has, his recent rebirth in the DCEU (and saving the entire team in Justice League) showed the world just how impactful he is.

Some would say that Superman is the strongest of all superheroes, and we wanted to dive in and see how true that is. The best place to start? With the other members of Superman’s family. So, we gathered together 20 of the top Kryptonians, Superman Clones, Alternative-Earth Supermen, and a few Superman stand-ins. Once all was said and done, we determined who the strongest Man of Steel might be. Read on to discover the strongest members of the Superman Family, ranked from weakest to strongest.

20 BIZARRO

There are several different backstories for the Bizzaros, but the main idea is almost always the same: someone creates a replicating device that creates a flawed clone of Superman. These clones are usually unintelligent, speak in opposites, and are basically the antithesis of what Superman is.

Even their powers are opposite those of Superman as heat vision becomes freeze vision and freeze breath becomes flame breath.

One Bizarro is bad enough, but as the comics have continued over the years, the Bizarros have managed to replicate themselves and others, creating entire Bizarro worlds. Get a bunch of Bizarro’s together and you can cause a whole lot of damage but still, as the opposite of Superman, they earn the lowest spot on this list. Bizarro is simply no real threat to Superman.

19 ZIBARRO

In All-Star Superman, Grant Morrison takes Superman on an adventure that pulls together all of the best pieces of Superman’s universe in one massive story. Part of this is a Bizarro world that exists within the “Underverse”-- a universe that is parallel to our own. On this planet of Bizarros, there is one Bizarro that is not like the others, showing an intellect, speaking ability, and appearance that was much more akin to Superman than to the Bizarros.

He wrote poetry, cared about his world and those in it, and helped Superman build a rocket to escape. Because of how different he was from the other Bizarros, he felt frustrated and isolated. We don’t get to see him really showcase his abilities, but as a Bizarro, we can assume that Zibarro is still not one who could hold a candle to Kal-El.

18 JOHN HENRY IRONS

John Henry Irons isn’t a Kryptonian and has no true connection to Superman in terms of his power set. That said, he is one of the four possible Supermen in the "Reign of the Supermen" story arc that followed Superman’s death at the hands of Doomsday. Each of these possible Supermen was known by one of Superman’s nicknames and in John Henry Irons’ case, he was the Man of Steel.

This was later shortened to just “Steel” after Superman returned and gave Irons his blessing to continue fighting as a hero and ally.

He has a suit made of steel that augments his strength and endurance, giving him abilities that are close to that of Superman. He also has a rivet gun and sledgehammer as a tribute to the John Henry of folklore.

17 SUPERWOMAN (LANA LANG)

When Superman was destroyed at the start of DC Rebirth, his solar energy was absorbed by Lois Lane, leading to her having his powers for a time. Lana Lang also absorbed his powers, though hers manifested in an ability to convert solar radiation into various forms of electromagnetic energy. When Lois died, Lana was the sole Superwoman left behind. Though she tried to remain underground, she decided to become a more public hero after Lois’s death.

Lana has, of course, been around for quite some time, but her powers have only very recently been developed, so she’s still not quite reached her potential. Additionally, her powers are very different from the typical Kryptonian, so it’s hard to rank her very high on this list. Still, she is Superwoman, solidifying her place in the Superman Family.

16 KRYPTO THE SUPERDOG

Krypto the Superdog is another survivor from Krypton, where the evolution of various species ran parallel to Earth. Because of this, Krypto has the appearance and behavior of a typical dog from Earth, but also has all of the abilities of a Kryptonian. Of course, because he is much smaller than an adult human, his power and abilities are proportionately weaker.

Nonetheless, he is one canine companion that is ready to leap into battle and save the day at a moment’s notice.

He’s gone through several redesigns and retcons to his history, appearing at times to be much more of a cartoon-like character with human behaviors and facial expressions. Most often nowadays, he is drawn as a plain white dog. Either way at the end of the day, Krypto is a good boy and always will be.

15 NIGHTWING (CHRIS KENT/LOR-ZOD)

The son of General Zod and Ursa, Chris Kent’s birth name was Lor-Zod. He was born and raised in the Phantom Zone, where Zod and Ursa had been imprisoned, but due to being born within the Zone, was immune to it’s time-stopping effects. When he arrived on Earth, he was adopted by Clark Kent. Because of his abuse at the hands of his parents, Chris has always felt a stronger connection to Earth than Krypton, and doesn’t like being called by his Kryptonian name.

Nonetheless, he is the avatar of Nightwing, a mythical Kryptonian figure. Though his powers are not as strong as those of other Kryptonians, he does have some extra abilities, like immunity to most forms of Kryptonite and some unmastered telekinetic abilities.

14 SUPERBOY (JONATHAN KENT)

When DC underwent another reboot, entitled DC Rebirth, another Kryptonian was introduced into the DC Multiverse. This time around, the new character was the half-human, half-Kryptonian son of Lois Lane and Clark Kent.

Turns out that he was around during the course of the New 52, but he and his parents were staying incognito.

He’s still learning the extent of his powers, and is definitely not trained well enough to be as effective of a fighter as his father, but nonetheless, Jonathan Kent has taken on the name of Superboy officially, and was introduced to the Justice League as such. As part of his training, Superman and Batman sent him to train with Damian Wayne; if the latter’s fight prowess rubs off on the former, it would be quite the combo indeed.

13 SUPERBOY (KON-EL/CONNER KENT)

Conner Kent, the “cousin” of Clark Kent, has abilities that mimic those of a Kryptonian, but are not naturally occurring. He is a clone that has been genetically modified to look like Superman, and has also been given a “tactile telekinesis” ability, which functionally provides invulnerability, flight, and enhanced strength.

When he first appears, he asserts that he is Superman, though not the original one. He goes by the name “The Metropolis Kid” during the "Reign of Superman" story, and incorrectly believes himself to be a clone of Superman himself. He is adopted into Superman’s family and given the name Kon-El after Superman officially returns. He continued to fight for years as a member of the Teen Titans, but disappeared after "Flashpoint" rebooted the DC Universe and created The New 52.

12 SUPERWOMAN (LOIS LANE)

Lois has become Superwoman on a number of occasions. Originally, she was Superwoman in a dream sequence in which she received a blood transfusion from Superman. In All-Star Superman, Kal-El gives her a serum that gives her all of his powers for 24 hours. Most recently, she was Superwoman going into DC Rebirth. At the start of DC Rebirth, there were two Lois Lanes, and one had to be destroyed for the universes to merge successfully.

The one to die was Superwoman, who was destroyed after absorbing far too much solar radiation.

Due to her tendency to have her powers for only a limited time (or to die), it’s safe to rank Lois Lane pretty low on the scale, even if her powers are comparable to Kal-El’s when they’re active.

11 SUPERGIRL (KARA ZOR-EL)

Having crashed to Earth years after Kal-El, his cousin Kara becomes one of Kal’s closest allies. Though she is technically older than Kal, he has more experience on Earth, and therefore, a greater grasp of his abilities. Still, Kara is learning, and has the full gamut of Kryptonian abilities at her disposal.

She isn’t quite as strong as Superman, but this is mostly due to her inexperience. As time goes on and she gains more skill and confidence, Kara has gone toe-to-toe with some very dangerous foes and usually manages to come out on top. Another fan favorite character, you can catch Supergirl on the small screen, portrayed by Melissa Benoist. The series has also brought Martian Manhunter, Cyborg Superman, and many more characters to life.

10 POWER GIRL

Hailing from Earth-2, this version of Kara Zor-El goes by the name Power Girl. A fan favorite character, she is a biological cousin of Superman, but, being from Earth-2, she is also weaker than her Earth-Prime relatives. She does, however, have an immunity to Kryptonite, and has had several powers, including telekinesis, that Superman himself has never had.

Her powers and history have been wildly inconsistent.

There was even a time where she thought she was an Atlantean. Nonetheless, she has come back time and again, regaining powers she once lost, developing new powers only to lose them once more, and changing from writer to writer. She is, at her core, a Kryptonian, though, even if her alternative universe origins make her less effective than Kal-El.

9 ULTRAMAN (KAL-IL)

Ultraman is Superman in a universe where Superman was raised from birth to be evil. In this universe, his name is Kal-Il, and he rules Earth-3. He was brainwashed with messages from his father as he traveled in the Kryptonian escape pod, and when he arrived on Earth, he immediately began using violence to get what he wanted: killing the Kents when he was a child, killing the President, and disposing of any who would stand in his way.

The Kryptonians of this universe evolved past the point of those in Earth-Prime, and are powered by green Kryptonite. The greater exposure to the mineral or its radiation, the greater his strength. In his own reality, he is almost unstoppable. Fortunately, the yellow sun of Earth-Prime drains his powers.

8 OVERMAN (KAL-L)

There are a number of different planets in which Kal-El’s Kryptonian escape pod lands in a country that is not the United States, and on Earth-10, landing in the Sudetenland ultimately leads to Kal-L’s pod being studied and the technology used by the Nazi party to win World War II. Rather than being known as Superman, he is Overman.

He expresses regret at the world that his arrival on Earth caused, calling it a utopia that was built on suffering.

Overman has powers are that of the average Kryptonian, which makes him exactly as strong as Clark Kent. Kal-L is a perfect example of the way circumstances can influence history, and that’s part of what makes reading up on Earth-10 so fascinating. If circumstances had changed slightly, this could have been Earth-Prime.

7 SUPERMAN (KAL-EL/CLARK KENT)

As the original superhero, Kal-El is the icon that inspires heroes and civilians all around the world. His undeniable sense of right and wrong is untenable, his strength is unmatchable, and he just simply isn’t beaten, at best, he’s just stopped momentarily. Even death at the hands of Doomsday wasn’t enough to end the hero for good.

From his beginnings in Action Comics #1 to his latest big screen adventures in Justice League, Clark Kent overcomes every challenge he faces, whether he’s facing a supervillain or a deadline at the Daily Planet. The best Superman writers are able to showcase his struggles and doubts, making his greatness that much more impressive. He never gives up, he pushes himself, and he always knows how to appeal to the hopefulness within us all.

6 FLAMEBIRD (THARA AK-VAR)

Thara Ak-Var is one of few Kryptonians to survive the destruction of the planet, Krypton. She managed to survive by being one of the Kryptonians that was in the city of Kandor, which Brainiac had taken from the planet and preserved as part of his collection. She is believed to be the avatar of the Kryptonian myth, Flamebird.

So as such, she is able to heal rapidly, create and control fire and is linked to her mythic counterpart, Nightwing (not the Batman ally).

With all of the powers of a normal Kryptonian and the added abilities of the Flamebird, it’s easy to understand how Thara would be considered one of the more powerful Kryptonians out there. When she is with her partner, Nightwing, the two are nearly unstoppable.

5 MON-EL

Mon-El is a character who, upon his first arrival on Earth, was assumed to be a brother to Kal-El. This is due to a very similar skill set and very similar extraterrestrial origins. However, he has an immunity to Kryptonite, which fans will remember is Superman’s one weakness. Unfortunately, it turns out that his weakness is much more common than Kryptonite: exposure to lead poisons Mon-El, and irreversibly so.

After one exposure, Mon-El is left in the Phantom Zone, where the lead poisoning will be unable to kill him. After some time, he was cured of the poison with a serum made by Brainiac. He also goes by the name Lar-Gand and has been a member of the Justice League, Legion of Superheroes, and Green Lantern Corps, therefore giving him all the powers of a Kryptonian with the added abilities of a Green Lantern.

4 CYBORG SUPERMAN

Cyborg Superman

Hank Henshaw is most certainly not Superman, despite what he’d have you believe. His body was partially replaced with cyborg parts, hence his moniker of Cyborg Superman. He blames Superman for his state (though Superman was uninvolved in the incident that led to the destruction of Hank’s body).

Because of this hatred, Hank has sought to kill or harm Superman on several occasions.

During the "Reign of the Supermen" arc, Hank returns and poses as Superman returned, hoping to use his own abilities to destroy Superman’s reputation and spoil him in the memory of the people who love him. Eventually after Superman’s return, Cyborg Superman goes on to join the Sinestro Corps. He has powers similar to Superman’s, has wielded a Yellow Lantern Ring, and can control technology. He’s quite a formidable opponent.

3 THE ERADICATOR

Originally, the Eradicator was one of several devices intended to preserve the culture of a dying alien race, but one of these was corrupted and the others destroyed. The corrupted device became known as the Eradicator because it sought to eradicate any imperfect forms of Kryptonian culture. Once it came into contact with Superman, its mission changed again; now it needed to protect Clark in order to preserve any form of Kryptonian culture.

Once Superman died, the Eradicator reappeared, taking on a bio-energetic form based on the solar energy reserves from Superman. Thus, during the "Reign of the Supermen" arc, Eradicator believes himself to actually be Superman, and goes by the name "The Last Son of Krypton". He continues to flip flop between ally and enemy, which isn't a great thing since he’s made of pure energy.

2 SUPERMAN (KAL KENT)

Kal Kent, named after his ancestor, the original Superman, is the Superman of the 853rd Century. The character was created by Grant Morrison and first appeared in DC One Million. He has a very thorough knowledge base when it comes to the history of Superman. This has proven itself to be useful at times to Kal-El, who has sought out the advice of Kal Kent on occasion, such as in All-Star Superman.

As a direct descendant of Superman, he has many of the same abilities, and then some.

A total of 853 centuries of evolution have made his powers far stronger than the original Superman -- in fact, he has several powers and senses that Kal-El does not. With his evolved Kryptonian DNA, futuristic technology, and advanced knowledge, Kal Kent is certainly not a hero to be underestimated.

1 QUANTUM SUPERMAN

Out of the 52 Earths in the DC Multiverse, Captain Allen Adam is one of the most powerful beings. He is the Superman of Earth-4, but his abilities and history bear little resemblance to that of Kal-El. Truth be told, he is more of a combination of Captain Atom and Dr. Manhattan. Essentially, the origin story is that his body was disassembled, but his consciousness continued to exist at a quantum level, eventually rebuilding a new and upgraded physical body.

With his quantum abilities, Quantum Superman is able to do just about anything imaginable, but he often keeps these powers in check with drugs. In Final Crisis: Superman Beyond, he stopped taking the drugs to allow himself to fully tap into his quantum powers and defeat Mandrakk, the Dark Monitor.