The Comic Colosseum | Wonder Woman vs. Superman

Welcome to The Comic Colosseum, where gladiators, titans, demigods, and the mightiest of Earth’s warriors come face-to-face in a fictitious fight in the historic Flavian Amphitheater. Here, in this hallowed hall of Herculean heroes (and some villains), MoviesMatrix.com will position your favorite comic book and anime characters to go head-to-head against each other to see who is the strongest!

In each battle, we will list what kind of gear they have to adorn and protect their physique, their special attributes that shine brightly in a dark battle to the death, the fight location and if there is “bloodlust” involved in the character’s motivations (i.e., if Superman were to have bloodlust against Lois Lane, he would go for the killing blow).

NOTE: This is a bi-weekly monthly clash of champions. Set your calendars and if you have thoughts on an ultimate character battle, let us know in comments or social media. Now, without further ado… let’s get ready for geckaphile war in the Comic Colosseum!

---

red corner: Princess Diana of Themyscira (Wonder Woman)

As DC Comics eloquently put it:

She is as beautiful as Aphrodite, wise as Athena, swifter than Hermes, and stronger than Hercules. Today in the Red Corner is Princess Diana of Themyscira, who fights for peace in Man’s World.

dc comics / characters

Otherwise known as Wonder Woman, she is one of the most beloved and iconic DC Super Heroes of all time. Many equate her strength, power, and beauty with what has been seen on TV or film, but her legacy goes much deeper than what has been broadcast.

Hailing from the obscure, mythical island of Themyscira (or Paradise Island), Diana’s roots traces back to her debut in the 1941’s All Star Comics, No. 8

For eight decades, she has grown from a powerful Amazon with style and grace to a global feminist icon who don’t put up with any man’s sh*t. She has been touched by the Greek Gods with strength, wisdom, and force to rule for good., which she has done through the decades.

Let’s see how that strength and power does her against today’s competitor in The Comic Colosseum.

Powers

• Superhuman strength, speed, healing, and durability
• Increase empathy and emotion, given by the Greek Goddess Artemis
• Power of flight via nature (gliding on current of wind or bolts of lightning)
• Enhanced senses
• Omnilingualism (She’s a polyglot. Cool.)
• She was created by Zeus, so there’s that.

Tools and Equipment

• Lasso of Hestia (aka. the lasso of truth)
• God-Killer (aka. Sword of Athena)
• Bracelets of Submission (aka. Bulletproof Bracelets)
• Shield, forged in the Armory of Themyscira

Prep time / Bloodlust

• None. She comes to the Comic Colosseum ready to rumble.

---

blue corner: CLARK KENT, KAL-EL (SUPERMAN)

Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive. Say it with us… “Up in the sky. It’s a bird. It’s a plane. No, it’s Superman!” Whether you know him as the Son of Krypton or the Man of Steel, Superman is a global icon who fights a never-ending battle for truth, justice, and the American way.

Again, from DC Comics:

From his blue uniform to his flowing red cape to the “S” shield on his chest, Superman is one of the most immediately recognizable and beloved DC Super Heroes of all time. The Man of Steel is the ultimate symbol of truth, justice, and hope. He is the world’s first Super Hero and a guiding light to all.

dc comics / characters

First appearing in Action Comics, No. 1 way back in 1938, acclaimed writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster came up with the prototype for all super heroes to follow — to have a creed, a mission, one that can’t be deterred or damaged under any circumstances. Although Superman was only on one page in that comic, his legend became immediate.

The last son of Krypton was Kal-El, who was placed into a thermal-contained rocket headed for Earth. Specifically, a remote farming community called Smallville, Kansas. His parents, Jor-El and Kara, were brilliant scientists determined to save their son. Since Krypton was about to explode into millions of kryptonites, Kal-El went flying away.

That’s where what was normal on the doomed planet he used to call home is now experienced as imbued supernatural powers in the form of country boy Clark Kent.

Powers

• Vision, both X-Ray and Heat
• Super…everything (i.e., strength, breath, speed, healing, senses, stamina)
• Invulnerability
• Mental acuity
• Flight, like supersonic speed. Remember when he made the earth change rotation?!

Tools and Equipment

• None. He is the tool and equipment

Prep time/Bloodlust

• Bloodlust

---

regulations and stipulations

• Morals and Bloodlust are their base character traits unless stated, they have Bloodlust.
• No leaving the battle location (if not actually in the Comic Colosseum). If it is in the jungle, they can only move around in the jungle. If they leave or are forced out, it is an automatic loss.
• Use feats as a reference only. Much like comic book writers do, use your imagination to decide who wins. (Plus, if you just compare achievements and powers, where is the fun in that.)
• If they can not turn into OP Form (aka. “overpowered”) consistently, then they can not use it in battle unless stated. This means you won’t see a “Superman Prime One-Million” in the Comic Colosseum or Wonder Woman flexing into “God mode,” unless she is really provoked.

• The Battle will be held in Metropolis…at night
• The city will be full of civilians.
• Neither Wonder Woman or Superman will have back up.
• Wonder Woman can not use Hecate’s magic
• Superman can not fly into multiple suns to power-up
• Braniac has Lois Lane and the only way to get her back is to kill Wonder Woman.

Fight!

Within this match-up in the Comic Colosseum, Wonder Woman does have the disadvantage in terms of strength, but when it comes to combat tactics, she has the edge. Being an Amazonian warrior, she has been taught to use different types of weaponry (e.g., Sword, Staff, Shield, Lasso) while also learning different types of martial arts. Not to mention, her own god-like power helps in that way.

As strong as she is, Superman has more super powers than Wonder Woman. Although few can match Superman in terms of raw power and speed, Wonder Woman is just fast enough and strong enough to keep up with Superman and her overall battle experience should allow her to keep up and even surprise Supes during the fight.

Now the deciding factors arise:

• Is Superman holding back against Wonder Woman due to the presence of civilians?
• Is Superman going all out since Lois Lane’s life is in the balance?
• Can Wonder Woman skillfully subdue Superman so she and Superman can save Lois Lane from Brainiac together?
• Even if Superman is not holding back, would Wonder Woman hold her own and possibly even best him in combat?

For starters, Diana would always be just one step ahead of Superman because she often fights enemies more strategically. Many may argue that Superman is faster than Wonder Woman, which is true, but I would like to pull out a comic that talks about speed when it comes to fighting vs racing.

In Justice League of America, Vol. 2 #27 Wonder Woman, Superman, and Batman talk about the difference between raw speed and muscle memory speed or reflex. Watch this:

Wonder Woman has even held her own against Zod and Faora who have the same power-set as Superman but have more formal training as true warriors.

winner

Wonder Woman would take this battle because when it comes to overall battle consistency, she is arguably a more skilled fighter and can just about match Superman’s speed and strength. She brings a complete package to the Comic Colosseum — brawn doesn’t always win.

How do you think it would play out? Do you agree Wonder Woman could pull the upset and take down the son of Krypton? Let us know. And if you have any battles you want to see fully drawn out in the Comic Colosseum, let us know that too. Yours may be next. Just send a comment below or hit us up on social media using #ComicColosseum.