10 Best Superhero Fights In DC Comics History, Ranked

Summary

• DC Comics features some of the most powerful and skilled fighters in the comic book world, from street-level vigilantes like Batman to cosmic superheroes like Superman.
• Some of the best superhero vs superhero fights in DC history include battles between Batman and Wildcat, Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps, Superman and Shazam, and the final battle in Kingdom Come.
• These epic battles showcase the strengths and weaknesses of the characters, often resulting in humbling experiences and character development.

DC Comics is home to some of the most powerful and skilled fighters in comics, from the street-level vigilantes like Batman to cosmic superheroes like Superman. While the heroes spend most of their energy bringing down villains, the time often comes when one superhero must fight a former friend in battle

Whether the conflicts are based on differences, trickery, or long-standing feuds reaching the breaking point, seeing two superheroes fight one another can settle longstanding debates over who would come out on top. The best examples may come when one hero turns to the side of evil, forcing their friends to do the unthinkable to bring them down. However, a simple grudge match can be just as fun, and sometimes a powerful hero needs to be humbled. Regardless of the reasoning, these are some of the best superhero vs superhero fights in DC history.

10 Batman vs Wildcat

Batman/Wildcat #3 (Chuck Dixon, Beau Smith, Sergio Cariello, Danny Miki, Art Thibert & Jaime Mendoza)

Batman / Wildcat, as the name suggests, was a three-issue miniseries that saw Batman and Wildcat working to investigate an off-the-books villain fight ring. However, when the Caped Crusader is captured, he and the JSA brawler are forced to fight one another, though they’re unaware of the other’s identity at the time.

While the fight between the two pugilistic vigilantes could have been longer, it made for a fun brawl that showed the pair to be an even match. The story builds upon the pair’s past friendly competition, as seen throughout The Brave and the Bold, where the pair would often team up.

9 Damage vs Superman

Damage #12 (Robert Venditti, Aaron Lopresti & Matt Ryan)

Arguably the most underrated monster title of the last decade, Damage follows DC’s attempt to create their own Hulk in Ethan Avery. Once a US Army soldier who volunteered for a super soldier experiment, the character is able to turn into the monster known as Damage, a walking WMD who lasts for one hour per day. In his series, he tore his way through the US, taking on heroes and villains alike along his journey.

In issue #12, Damage is confronted by the Justice League, with Superman taking the fight directly to the monster in a surprisingly long, drawn-out battle that saw the Man of Steel take a beating. Holding his own against the Man of Steel’s heat vision, it actually took an act of possession by Deadman to hold back the creature.

8 Batman vs Judge Dredd

Batman/Judge Dredd: Vendetta In Gotham (Alan Grant, John Wagner & Cam Kennedy)

In the 1990s, Batman crossed over with Judge Dredd a total of four times, each one including a scuffle or outright fight between the pair. The best of these came in the pages of Vendetta In Gotham, which follows Mega City One’s top cop making his way to the city to save the Caped Crusader from his death. However, rather than explain himself, Dredd opts for a fight to keep the hero distracted long enough to miss the hour of his death.

The fight between Batman and Judge Dredd is one of the longest continual fights in comic book history, beginning on the streets of Gotham, climaxing on a train and concluding in the river. Clocking in at an impressive eighteen pages of combat, this fight should be better-known by comic fans than it is.

7 Superman vs Wonder Woman

Injustice Year Four #4-5 (Brian Buccellato, Bruno Redondo, Mike S. Miller & Juan Albarran)

Injustice: Gods Among Us takes place in an alternate world where, after a devastating trick by Joker, Superman decides to use lethal force against Earth’s villains. Naturally, this doesn’t sit well with heroes like Batman, and a civil war breaks out within the Justice League. In Year Four, the gods of the DCU show up to counter the Man of Steel, with Wonder Woman torn between them.

After some prodding from Batman, a fight breaks out between Wonder Woman and Superman, with the former gaining an advantage by breaking the Last Son of Krypton’s arm. Resorting to extreme brutality, like gouging the tyrant’s eyes, Diana fights for her life, trading blows with her enemy as the heroes and gods look on.

6 Batman vs Superman

Batman #612 (Jeph Loeb, Jim Lee & Scott Williams)

As one of the most iconic Batman stories of the 21st century, Hush is home to several memorable moments in the hero’s history. Few of them come close, however, to beating out the Caped Crusader’s battle with Superman, as he’s forced to do the bidding of Poison Ivy while under the influence of her toxins. Armed with a Kryptonite ring, Bruce is able to fight off his friend.

Batman #612 shows Batman to be every bit as cold and calculating as readers know him to be when he ends the match by having Catwoman drop Lois Lane from a building. With Superman snapping out of Ivy’s trance, their destructive duel came to an end. For many, this stands out as the best moment from “Hush,” and the issue gave the run arguably its best cover.

5 Hal Jordan vs The Green Lantern Corps

Green Lantern #49-50 (Ron Marz, Bill Willingham, Robert Campanella, Darryl Banks, Romeo Tanghal, Fred Haynes & Dennis Cramer)

The 1990s is a decade best known in comics for pushing everything to extremes, using death, destruction and shocking reveals to sell titles. One of the best examples of this came in the pages of Green Lantern, where Hal Jordan turned to evil in the aftermath of the destruction of Coast City at the hands of Mongul and Cyborg Superman. Denied the right to use his ring to resurrect his hometown, Hal set off for Oa to fight the Guardians of the Universe.

Hal Jordan’s battle against the Green Lantern Corps completed his rise to one of the most powerful characters in the DCU, weaponizing his force of will. So devastating was his attack, that the Guardians turned to Sinestro in the hopes that he could help save them — only for the villain to be brutally killed by Jordan. He even murdered his close friend, Kilowog, in the heat of battle.

4 Superman vs Shazam

Superman vs Shazam (Gerry Conway, Rich Buckler & Dick Giordano)

During the 1970s, DC Comics secured the rights to begin publishing Shazam comics, with Superman vs Shazam standing out as one of the best of the decade. The story begins when Black Adam teams up with the villain Karmang the Sorcerer, who disguises his ally as the heroes, in order to trick them into believing the other is attacking. With each of the two heroes left with a score to settle, they fight in open combat.

Superman vs Shazam sees the heroes duke it out in one of the best battles of the Bronze Age, knocking each other into buildings as they fight in front of Supergirl and Mary Marvel — who figure out the truth behind the fight. Setting aside their differences, the pair ultimately head out to confront their enemies.

3 Batman vs Hulk

DC Special Series #27 (Len Wein, Jose Luis Garcia Lopez & Dick Giordano)

The rivalry between Marvel and DC has long been a source of some of the most entertaining fan debates in comics. Beginning in the 1970s, the two publishers started giving readers what they wanted, with Batman vs the Incredible Hulk standing out as one of the most bizarre yet fun grudge matches of the decade.

Batman’s fight with Hulk is a great demonstration of brains beating muscle, with The Dark Knight resorting to sedative gas to bring down the behemoth. As the Shaper of Worlds uses his powers to keep the heroes at odds, Batman attempts to bring down Joker, while also trying to keep Hulk in check.

2 Kingdom Come’s Final Battle

Kingdom Come #4 (Mark Waid & Alex Ross)

Mark Waid and Alex Ross’ seminal Kingdom Come miniseries takes place in a future DCU, where reckless young heroes cause devastation, and Superman has gone into retirement. After a catastrophic battle, the Man of Steel gets back in the saddle, and reforms the Justice League. As he does, he offers meta humans a choice: join us or be imprisoned. Of course, this ultimatum eventually results in all-out war, spurred on by Lex Luthor’s Legion of Doom.

The final battle focuses on Superman taking on Shazam, with the latter proving himself an equal match for the Man of Tomorrow. Thanks to Ross’ art, every page of the conflict stands out as a masterpiece unto itself, and the Captain’s ultimate sacrifice at the end only hammers home its status as one of DC’s greatest superhero battles.

1 Batman vs Superman

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #4 (Frank Miller, Klaus Janson & Lynn Varley)

The Dark Knight Returns takes place in a future Gotham where Bruce Wayne has retired as Batman, and a crime wave has turned the city into a dangerous pit of violence. After taking on the terrifying Mutant Gang and defeating Joker, The Dark Knight is confronted by Superman who, at the behest of President Reagan, is trying to enforce a ban on unauthorized superheroes.

Batman’s battle with Superman takes up much of the miniseries’ fourth issue, with the Caped Crusader suiting up in mechanized armor to face his friend in Crime Alley. With some assistance from Green Arrow and Carrie Kelly, Bruce is able to weaken the Man of Steel, serving up one of the most epic beatings in comic book history.