When a villain or villains are on the same level of popularity as a famed hero, the villain is immortalized never to be forgotten. Several villains from Spider-Man’s rouge’s gallery, and especially Batman’s rouge’s gallery, are instantly recognized and adored. While the shadows of those groups loom tall, another has a robust collection of characters, with one of them having an instant recognizability. Superman’s rouge’s gallery is no slouch. Lex Luthor alone has been a problem for the Man of Steel himself, the Justice League, the nation, the world, and the universe. Many of the villains give someone as nearly invincible as Superman reason to doubt his unshakeable prowess. But how will Superman fare with some villains from the Marvel side? Which ones will give him a captivating fight?
Doctor Doom will be a villain that combines Lex Luthor and Batman. While Doctor Doom could check the same boxes as Lex Luthor, such as wealthy, intelligent, egotistical, and power-hungry, Doctor Doom is more physical, more external, and more hands-on with his approach to defeating his enemies. Luthor could also do that, but he’s better fitted to outwit Superman with mind and money. Doom brings science and magic to a fight. And since magic is another crucial weakness to Superman, he will exercise extreme caution when he has to confront Doom. But that is just one layer that Doom could create to act as a defense or an offense. He is adept in sciences, so he could create an army of kryptonite laced Doombots, create a suit from himself that has the green rock in there, and make sure all of Latveria is laced with it. And since Doom is also brilliant, he could generate a variety of plans that solely exploit Superman’s humanity in a much more aggressive, lethal way than Batman’s own. Although he has the intelligence to defeat an opponent without moving, he has experience in tough fights. He fights the Fantastic Four and the Avengers and doesn’t even tremble in the presence of Thanos. Doom has the means to give Superman a war.
Erik Kilmonger is a harsh mercenary who has a high kill count. He is great in hand-to-hand combat in many different martial arts, knows how to handle each weapon, and has the battle strategy for each battlefield for each fight he goes into. That’s without the power from the Black Panther and the Vibranium suit. Combining all of the factors, Superman has another deadly foe in front of him. A foe that has many of Batman’s capabilities but has the ability to carry out the lethality of plans fully. Even out of the suit, Kilmonger could set up Superman using war tactics. But once the two meet, some interesting questions will arise. Can Superman break Vibranium, and can Vibranium withstand the hits from the Man of Steel? A simple sonic clap could defuse the structure of the Vibranium, yet Kilmonger is a soldier who goes into a fight with a fight thoroughly planned out, so kryptonite will come into play. And since Wakanda, as a culture, has a firm foot in mysticism, Kilmonger could bring some magic into the fight with Superman. Two of Superman’s greatest weaknesses, combined with a highly trained soldier and a suit that could possibly absorb the hits, is a recipe that could make Superman tremble.
One of the most common narratives Superman has been a part of recently is his going down a dark path. He is a dictator, a world conqueror, a world-ender. That could set up a cruel world in the future that one resident will have enough of. Kang the Conqueror. In some of his outings, Kang returns to the present from the future to stop the Avengers from setting up a cruel world. This same plotline could apply to Superman. Kang could be tired of living in the dictatorial world Superman has established, and Kang figures the best point of attack is going back in time to defeat Superman and his allies before he goes down the dark path. Kang brings futuristic weapons, tools, and knowledge to the fight with Superman. Hating Superman for the cold world he has established, Kang will no doubt learn everything he can about Superman: weaknesses, battle tactics, allies, and so on. Superman will be fighting someone who knows everything about him. An opponent that both hates and fears him. The pain Kang has tolerated, the pain he has witnessed from the people around, fuels him. That pain is yet another layer Superman will have to fight.
Another narrative Superman is put in is the role of being a divine savior. Whether this trope is used as an underlying theme, used throughout the story, or just for a scene, Superman has been a part of this type of narrative quite a bit. People within the DC universe view him as this type of divine being. Yet one villain may see this as threatening and insulting: Gorr the God Butcher. Gorr has made it a vow to eliminate the Gods of mythical pantheons. DC has its fair share of Gods. Wonder Woman could easily be a great opponent for Gorr. However, this collision course between Superman and Gorr could evolve Gorr as a character. In addition to going after mythical Gods, he could expand his list to go after any character that adopts or is given the light of godhood. This could also create interesting dynamics for Superman. He is a person who wants to do the good thing in the best way. Most of the time that calls for him to use his godly level of power. That creates a ripple effect he has no control over, which is the populace viewing him as a god. Should Superman tame his own to avoid Gorr’s wrath? Should he try to change people’s beliefs to avoid Gorr?
Superman has the ability to venture out to the stars and planets. Superman has the pure, caring humanity that persuades him to save an innocent life, no matter where they live. That could put him in the path of Galactus. Galactus needs to devour worlds to stay alive and stay in power. At times, the planets he needs to consume are filled with lives, innocent lives. Word can get to Superman, and that could get him to stop Galactus. While teams within the Marvel universe fight him with intellect or technology, Superman has the physical prowess to physically fight him. Has the type of invincibility to withstand some of Gatactus’ own power. With this type of fight, it creates another interesting dynamic between the two. Galactus has heralds, which he bestows in order for them to prepare the world he needs to devour. Superman could very well be a candidate for the role. And given his power, Galactus could give him a sprinkle of his own power to Superman. In addition, Superman could prep many worlds in a short time, again with his invincibility, any given world may not have the proper defenses against him. Perhaps the perfect candidate for a herald. Having Galactus as a villain will add tons of pressure on Superman since he has to keep an eye on Earth and his ears in space. Superman has a high level of power. Galactus is a villain that could physically reflect that.
Many other villains could give Superman a fight that comes from the Marvel universe. But what makes the fights between hero and villain are the dynamics, the relationships, between the two. Any number of characters could fight. But why are they fighting? What inspires each hit is what’s important. These villains offer that to Superman. And since Superman has such a high level of durability and power, these villains need to bring new things to the fight. Attributes that keep the Man of Steel off balance. Fights that could be cataclysmic and fun to watch.
