Superman has gone down in history as DC's strongest hero who can overcome just about any obstacle that tries to get in his way. He's taken on gods, saved entire planets, and helped the League in numerous tough situations. He's practically indestructible no matter how you look at, and that sentiment is shared in the comics, films, and everything in between. It seems that nothing can bring him down no matter how hard countless villains have tried. The DC Universe is much larger than Superman could ever hope to be, though, and has introduced several weapons powerful enough that even the Man of Steel wouldn't know what to do against them. Many of these objects were created by the gods or technologically advanced alien races to become some of the most powerful objects known to comics. They can change the course of the universe, and they can certainly take on Superman.
Even certain weapons held by other heroes are strong enough that they can challenge Superman, meaning that there are some superheroes and villains with the right equipment to take him down if they wanted to. When looked at more closely, there are a lot of weapons strong enough to destroy the Man of Steel. With how prominent a lot of these objects are, he has to be more careful when protecting the universe. He never knows when some reality-altering weapon could delete him from existence. Get ready to see some of the strongest weapons in the DC Universe as we explore 20 weapons from that world that could destroy Superman.
20 TRIDENT OF NEPTUNE
The Trident of Neptune is a symbol of a right to become the King of Atlantis. Because Aquaman wields this trident, it is a sign to all who see him that he is the rightful ruler of the waters. However, the trident is more useful than just functioning as a crown.
The trident, forged by the god Neptune himself, has the ability to control and manipulate water and can fire lightning, giving Aquaman an edge in combat over his enemies. It's also imbued with material so durable that it can cut through Superman's own skin -- a feat that few weapons can achieve.
19 MAGIC
One of Superman's main weaknesses is magic, which means that any person in the DC Universe that knows how to utilize it as a weapon could bring him down. Characters like Zatanna and Doctor Fate would both pose a serious problem for the Man of Steel if he had to fight them. All it would take is a spell that could hold him to the ground and another spell to finish the job.
After all, Superman just became powerful because of the radiation from the sun. He's simply a massive powerhouse and nothing else. He doesn't have the formal training of other heroes nor does he have any magical knowledge.
18 HE-MAN'S POWER SWORD
While He-Man isn't technically part of the DC Universe, there was a recent crossover where the Masters of the Universe and the Justice League came together. Skeletor mind-controlled the League, leaving Batman and He-Man to fight them off. With Superman posing the biggest threat, He-Man rose to the challenge.
With his immense strength and mighty Power Sword, he was not only able to fend off Superman's attacks, but thrust his sword through the Man of Steel's chest, effectively destroying him in a single strike. Superman might be the biggest fish in the pond, but the ocean of the Multiverse leaves him outmatched.
17 KRYPTONITE WEAPONS
Superman's trademark weakness is Kryptonite. A material made from ground back on Krypton, its effects now counteract how Earth's atmosphere and the Sun's rays changed Superman into a powerful hero. Just about any weapon that uses Kryptonite is an immediate threat to the Man of Steel.
Lex Luthor has plenty of Kryptonite at his disposal so he's always prepared for a surprise attack. The same can be said for Batman, who keeps Kryptonite on hand just in case Superman decides to lose his mind and fight the rest of the world. It's the easiest way to defeat the Man of Steel.
16 BLUE BEETLE SCARAB
The Blue Beetle scarab has a lot of advanced technology on its side. Not only did it give Jaime Reyes an impressive and sleek suit, but it can analyze each and every situation to discover what its opponents' weaknesses are and how to exploit them.
It essentially has all the tech to adapt to any battle, which is why it would be a threat against Superman. The Blue Beetle could analyze the Man of Steel and fashion a weapon that could destroy him in just a few minutes. It could also go as far as creating its own variant of Kryptonite.
15 LANTERN RINGS
Lantern Rings are some of the most powerful weapons in the DC Universe. Allowing their wearers to summon constructs, the limit of a Lantern Ring's power is directly tied to the imagination of those that use them. In capable hands, a Lantern Ring could make someone one of the most powerful beings in the whole universe, constructing weapons and objects for each and every situation.
The Lantern Rings have also proven effective against Superman. In the "Injustice" comic series, Superman would've lost to the Guardians of Oa had it not been for him gaining a Yellow Lantern Ring.
14 MECH BATSUIT
One of the most popular Batman stories, The Dark Knight Returns culminates in a battle between Batman and Superman. Sent by the government, the Man of Steel's responsibility was to force Batman back into retirement, but the Dark Knight wouldn't go quietly.
Knowing that he was about to face his oldest friend, Bruce had a massive suit ready to deal with anything Superman could throw at him. It was sturdy and high-powered, which made it durable against Superman's punches. It also had plenty of tools that caused him to bleed, like a massive sonic wave emitter. Batman had the advantage in that fight.
13 THE SWORD OF SUPERMAN
The Sword of Superman is a fairly old and obscure object. It was created at the start of the universe and had a convenient "S" on its hilt. It drifted in the cosmos for years until Superman eventually found it. He was the only one able to wield the sword, but it granted him so much strength that he started to become a god. Knowing what that sort of power would do to him, Superman left the sword behind.
It's not the kind of weapon that would destroy him physically, but it would destroy him mentally, stripping away everything that made him who he was and forging him into a malevolent deity.
12 BETA CLUB
The firstborn son of Darkseid, Kalibak, knew that he was going to eventually have to come to terms with some of the stronger heroes in the DC Universe. Because of this, he had a weapon at his side that was strong enough to take them on.
It was called the Beta Club, and it packed a powerful punch. It's two main features are concussion blasts and the ability to trigger nerve receptors. The blasts are so powerful that even Superman can't withstand them, causing him to get knocked down. The weapon can also trigger every nerve receptor in the body, leaving its victim to experience an insurmountable level of pain.
11 FLASHING BLADE
The gods had a big hand in creating all sorts of powerful weapons, but the Flashing Blade is likely better than all of them. This weapon was created by the Titans of old with its sole purpose being to destroy anyone that it fatally wounds, which made it the strongest blade in the universe.
The Flashing Blade has proven strong enough that characters like Superman and Wonder Woman would be vulnerable to it as well. The scary part about the Flashing Blade is that it can consume its victim's lives and transfer their powers to the wielder. It turned Nemesis into a variant of Wonder Woman.
10 MIRACLE MACHINE
The Miracle Machine is an object that was created almost a thousand years in the future. Its purpose was to turn thoughts into reality, which it made it a serious weapon that could be used for great good or terrible evil. Superman was brought into the future to help use the machine in the efforts to defeat Superboy-Prime.
What's scary about the machine is that it granted any wish that people made, even if they only wished something for a mere second. All someone would have to do is wish for Superman's demise and it would be instantly granted. Thankfully, the Legion of Superheroes locked it up.
9 CLAW OF HORUS
The Claw of Horus was a relic from the time of the ancient Egyptians. It was crafted from Nth metal, which was associated with Thanagarian technology, the same stuff that forged Hawkman and Hawkgirl's maces.
The Claw of Horus was created to have all sorts of incredible powers, and its most impressive feat is having the strength to subdue Superman. Hawkman used it in a battle with him and managed to get the upper hand. The Claw of Horus was also used to help send people through time. The Claw was created by Nabu, who is very closely related to Doctor Fate.
8 LEX LUTHOR'S MECH SUIT
While Lex Luthor mostly keeps his antics on the business side of things, there are a few times when he gets his hands dirty and tries to take on Superman at full force. He built a mech suit that was not only strong enough to match the Man of Steel's attacks, but it was also imbued with Kryptonite, which gave him a significant advantage in battle.
He could also call upon all sorts of his resources to get ahead. What's scary about the suit is that it was effective against many more heroes than just Superman. It was a mark of how Lex used his brains to outsmart the heroes of the DC Universe.
7 SWORD OF ATHENA
The Sword of Athena is more commonly known as the sword of Wonder Woman. After trained as an Amazonian, this sword made her a much deadlier weapon, as it could take on some of the strongest foes in the DC Universe.
In the "Kingdom Come" storyline, it proved to be sharp enough to cut through Superman. In battles with the Man of Steel, Wonder Woman has managed to get ahead several times due to her training and her superior weapon. This sword would be later used in the Worlds of DC and she would try to use it to destroy Ares once and for all.
6 JUSTICE BUSTER
Batman doesn't have just a backup plan for if Superman turns on him, but if the entire Justice League turns on him. At the start of "Endgame", the League all tried to kill him due to some heavy poisoning by the Joker. As such, he brought out his most impressive weapon yet: the Justice Buster.
This suit has enough power and tools to combat every single member of the League at once, and that includes Superman. It's more powerful and armed to the teeth than his suit in "The Dark Knight Returns". It functions at a much higher level than any one of Bruce's suits prior.
5 GOD KILLER
The God Killer blade was forged by Hephaestus specifically to destroy immortal beings. It was designed and gifted to Deathstroke to take on his most impressive contract to date. The blade was a remarkable achievement as a result. Not only could it destroy just about anyone it touched, but it had a mind of its own.
It was capable of altering its size and form to adapt in any fight. Perhaps the most useful attribute of the God Killer is that it can absorb just about any attack (including those from Superman) and send it right back with twice as much power.
4 MAGEDDON
Mageddon might look like an entity, but it's really one of the most powerful weapons in the DC Universe. It destroys entire planets by taking over the minds of their inhabitants and making them all go insane, reverting to primal versions of themselves. It can be used to enact terrible destruction and it can't be destroyed.
However, if it ever feels threatened, it has a "last resort" protocol that will force it to self-destruct, taking about half the universe down with it. Not even Superman knows how to deal with such a massive weapon, so the best strategy is to keep it locked up.
3 WARWORLD
The similarities between the Warworld and the Death Star are uncanny, but there's no denying that both are just as scary for those reasons. The Warworld has the ability to decimate entire planets and is usually under the control of someone who wants to do so. The Warworld has attempted toward Earth before, but only to be stopped by the League.
That said, Superman was not able to tackle this obstacle alone, and it wasn't until he had help that the day was saved. Had the Warworld launched its attack with Superman on the Earth, it's likely that he wouldn't have survived.
2 HELMET OF FATE
The Helmet of Fate holds the spirit of the Lord of Order, turning its wearer into the master sorcerer known as Doctor Fate. Because Doctor Fate is arguably the most powerful magic user in the DC Universe, the Helmet of Fate is one of the most effective weapons to use against Superman.
All it would take is placing the helmet on someone nearby and letting Doctor Fate make short work of the Man of Steel. Another way to get rid of Superman would be to put the helmet on him, as his consciousness would be quickly taken over by Nabu.
1 SPEAR OF DESTINY
The Spear of Destiny was the supposed spear that put a hole through the side of Jesus Christ while hung on the cross. As a result, it had insane powers that would later be used by crazy people in the DC Universe.
While it doesn't quite grant wishes like in the comics like it did in Legends of Tomorrow, the Spear of Destiny has the ability to control anyone who comes under its sphere of influence. It's the kind of weapon that would make short work of Superman, turning him instantly into a puppet for whomever wielded the Spear at the time.