credit: DC Comics
Plenty of fans have stuck up for the man of steel over the years, holding him up as an unbeatable juggernaut who can’t be stopped by anyone other than the most powerful beings with abilities he can’t match or withstand. Sadly, there don’t appear to be a lot of those types of characters out there. Even arguing about which character might be able to beat Superman tends to inspire his legions of fans to pull the ‘aha, but’ card as they point out various issues in which he was able to overcome his weaknesses, which of course, means that he can beat anyone if he has the chance. Unfortunately, what people forget is that this can be applied to just about anyone, even in the most ridiculous yes, Squirrel Girl could beat Superman in her own way, which involves going off the panel to make sure that no one sees the secret. But the many Marvel villains out there are well-equipped to take down the man of steel.
Here are five Marvel villains that could beat Superman.
5. Proteus
credit: Marvel Comics
Superman is fully capable of thinking just as quickly as he moves, but the speed of thought and the ability to attack his mental defenses have always been a weakness that many have been able to exploit. But Proteus isn’t just about mental attacks. He’s a being made of pure energy that has few real weaknesses and can possess just about anyone, thereby taking over their body completely. Superman might be able to find out Proteus’ weakness, but one has to wonder if he would be able to withstand the possession that Proteus would no doubt seek to enact since being made of pure energy gives Proteus the ability to dominate pretty much anyone, save for those that are on par with his telepathic abilities. Unfortunately, Superman isn’t known for being able to fend off all mental attacks.
4. The Beyonder
credit: Marvel Comics
When it comes to villains, it stands to reason that the Beyonder is one of the more terrifying since this is a being that can literally do anything he can think of and is a self-contained being that can create anything and overcome anyone just by wanting to. Even Superman has his limits, but the Beyonder has to want those limits. If he doesn’t want to lose, he won’t, which means that Superman has a seriously tough fight on his hands. There is the argument that Superman has beaten a character that has the same type of power set as the Beyonder, but it’s also wise to remember that it wasn’t an easy fight, and the circumstances could have been very different. The Beyonder might defeat Superman before the man of steel has time to ask him where he came from.
3. Dormammu
credit: Marvel Comics
Apart from mental attacks, Superman is known to be weak against magic, and this is one reason which is one reason magical attacks are dangerous to this hero. Those who deal with magic might not target the man of steel simply because they know what they could do to him or what he might do if their magic fails, but villains don’t have the same moral code and would gladly use what they have against Superman to the greatest effect. When thinking of how Superman would deal with a magical opponent, it’s simple to think that he could find a way around those who don’t really mean to hurt him. With Dormammu, though, it’s very easy to think that Superman would find himself overwhelmed in this fight.
2. Galactus
credit: Marvel Comics
A lot of DC fans aren’t going to want to remember the time when Galactus actually made Superman his herald, but the truth of it is still out there on the internet if a person wants to look it up. Trying to state that Superman has taken on bigger and badder foes than Galactus is an argument that has been made more than once, but this guy was able to survive the destruction of a galaxy, and he’s survived so many different attacks since then that trying to say that Superman could wipe the floor with him, or even beat him, is kind of a weak counter to the argument that Galactus would be a little too much for Superman to handle. He might even punish Superman by making him his herald again.
1. Doctor Doom
credit: Marvel Comics
It might appear that Doom would be well out of Superman’s weight class, but one thing that should never be taken for granted is how hard Doctor Doom can hit and how many resources he has at his disposal. While Superman has taken on the likes of Lex Luthor for years, Doom is the ruler of his own country and usually has a contingency plan at the ready that can handle just about anything a hero can throw at him. Between his legion of Doom bots, the unknown number of resources he has at his fingertips, and the magical might that’s on par with several other magic-users in the Marvel Universe, it’s easy to see how Doom would be able to take on the man of steel and come out the victor.
Superman is entirely beatable, especially by villains that can figure out his weaknesses.