Superman vs Black Adam Was Settled With One Throwaway Line (2024)

When fans debate the Justice League's most powerful figures, Superman and Black Adam rank near the top of every list. Both are examples of the 'flying brick' superhero archetype – caped superhumans with incredible durability, strength, and the ability to soar through the air; that said, there's a clear difference in power between the two, something that Green Arrow and Batman subtly confirmed in the midst of a major threat.

In 2022's Justice League #73, Black Adam's body is taken over by an even more ancient, and more powerful antagonist, who swiftly proves to be a monumental threat to the League, and the world they are sworn to protect.

Superman is noticeably absent as the superheroes recognize and begin to assess the problem at hand, but the issue quickly establishes a concrete reason why: the League can't risk letting the "Lord of Chaos" possessing Black Adam to usurp control of the Man of Steel instead. In this way, DC definitively confirms that Superman is stronger than Black Adam.

A Corrupted Superman Is A Greater Threat Than Black Adam

Justice League #73 – Written By Brian Michael Bendis; Art By Szymon Kudranski, Emanuela Lupacchino, Wade von Grawbadger, & Scott Hannah.

Superman is seen as being synonymous with the highest level of power in the DC Universe; the list of characters able to defeat him in 1-v-1 combat is incredibly short. Nonetheless, two figures that often occupy that list are Black Adam, and his heroic nemesis Shazam. This is because of their relatively similar power sets to Superman, but also due to the fact that their powers are based in magic – a commonly cited weakness of Superman. Certainly, especially considering his aggressive, relentless nature, Black Adam is among the top challengers for the title of Superman's most worthy opponent.

However, if the off-hand remarks by Batman and Green Arrow in Justice League #73 are to be taken at face value, even DC's heroes consider Superman to be unequivocally more powerful. In the issue, Black Adam has been possessed by an ancient Lord of Chaos named Xanadoth, who uses his body to wreak havoc upon the Justice League. This leads to a joint meeting between the main Justice League and their magic-based counterparts in the Justice League Dark, as they try to figure out how to counter this new threat.

During this conference, Batman notes that both Supermen – the original, Clark Kent, and his son Jon – are off-world, and that he has asked them to remain away from Earth while Xanadoth remains at large and in control of Black Adam. Green Arrow agrees, specifically noting:

"We certainly don't need Lady Chaos jumping from Black Adam to Superman..."

This makes it evident that the League doesn't consider a possessed Black Adam to pose the same threat as a possessed Superman would, establishing that they classify the Man of Steel's powers as unquestionably the stronger of the two.

Black Adam's Powers Are No Match For Kryptonian Physiology

Despite Superman's Weakness To Magic

As much as this exchange in Justice League #73 might seem like a throwaway, it reveals that both the Dark Knight and the Emerald Archer believe Superman is the bigger potential threat. Aquaman also raises the possibility of Xanadoth being able to control both Superman and Black Adam as a separate concern, hammering home Green Arrow's original implication. At the same time, the two also seem to imply that Superman's son and second holder of the title, Jonathan Kent, would also be a bigger threat under the thrall of Xanadoth than Black Adam currently is.

This suggests that Kryptonian heroes are more powerful than Black Adam, even if his magic might allow him to challenge them in a direct fight. This makes sense, given how Black Adam fared against Ultraman, Earth-3's evil version of Superman, in the Forever Evil story arc; his jaw was broken by the Kryptonian villain, forcing Adam to retreat from combat. As the dialogue in Justice League #73 suggested, while Superman's specific vulnerabilities give Black Adam a chance against him, that doesn't mean the two are equal in power, and the Man of Steel is clearly stronger by any comparison.

Superman And Black Adam Have Yet To Have Their Greatest Fight

Black Adam Could Still Prevail

Justice League #73 establishes that Superman is more powerful than Black Adam – but that doesn't mean an actual confrontation between the two will immediately go in the Man of Steel's favor. Given the circ*mstances, Black Adam could without a doubt given Superman the fight of a lifetime; among DC fandom, this brief dialogue between Batman and Green Arrow won't be enough to stem speculation, nor should it be. Fans will continue to ask who would win, under what circ*mstances, until DC gives them a definitive Superman vs. Black Adam brawl.

Given the opportunity, an ambitious creative team can craft the perfect battle between the two. Further, beyond just the comic book medium, DC has a wealth of opportunities to make this happen – whether it comes in the form of an animated series, or as part of James Gunn's vision for the future of the DCEU. While that may be a long shot, it is certainly among the most exciting options, as well as the one that would draw the most people into the debate.

Despite Superman's cameo in Black Adam's post-credits scene, it's now clear Clark Kent won't be facing Kahndaq's protector on-screen anytime soon. Combined with Black Adam being a member of the Justice League in the comics, and Clark keeping his distance during this issue, it seems as though fans will have to rely on similar conversations in order to imagine how theoretical showdowns would play out. That said, hopefully a future Superman vs Black Adam confrontation comes soon from DC Comics.

Superman

Superman, the Man of Steel, the leader of the Justice League, and the most well-known hero in the DC Comics Universe. Blessed with the powers of a demigod, Kal-El of Krypton fights enemies both small and cosmic in his endless pursuit of truth, justice, and a better tomorrow.

Alias

Kal-El, Clark Kent, Jonathan Kent

First Appearance

Action Comics

Created By

Joe Shuster , Jerry Siegel