Who Should Be More Powerful: Shazam or Superman?

[Sacred Knight]

When it comes to stuff like this, where the lore can muddle things in regards to power levels, I look to popularity to settle the score. In that, Superman wins in a landslide.

Of course it wouldn't be an issue in the first place if they didn't live in the same reality, which they should not. Not saying ever power-level question can be answered with "put them on different worlds" (Superman and Wonder Woman for instance, that's always an argument and they very much belong in the same reality), but this one could be. Fawcett should be its own Earth.

[Flash Gordon]

Shazam! 100% should be on his own world with its own rules and mythology.

[SiegePerilous02]

Shazam if he's written as he's suppose to be.

DC tends to downplay him or chump him out to make Superman look good. Probably won't change anytime soon.


DC portrays Captain Marvel incorrectly most of the time. When he is imbued with eh wisdom of Shazam he should essentially become an adult making it far more understandable for a child to inherit these powers based on his purity of heart. Most writers miss this point. Wisdom isn't intelligence. Wisdom is gained through experience, it ages Billy and makes him more mature. Captain Marvel can still hold some inclinations and proclivities from his child self but for all intents and purposes he should be an adult version of himself when he calls upon the power.


Anyway to answer the question. Shazam should be stronger, but it will never happen because no current DC written or editor will allow that to happen.

While there is no doubt that DC downplays Captain Marvel to focus more on Superman,* how does him having the wisdom of an adult make him more likely to win? Superman's an adult too. Like others have said, they should live on separate Earths and not have a clear answer to who is stronger.

*Whom they don't treat that consistently well to begin with, so how pathetic is that?

[dswynne]

Should? Captain Marvel. Is? Superman. Personally? Equal in every way that matters.

[dswynne]

While there is no doubt that DC downplays Captain Marvel to focus more on Superman,* how does him having the wisdom of an adult make him more likely to win? Superman's an adult too. Like others have said, they should live on separate Earths and not have a clear answer to who is stronger.

*Whom they don't treat that consistently well to begin with, so how pathetic is that?

Portraying "wisdom" as a super=power has always been the most difficult to predict. I remember an old Legion of Superheroes where there was an heir to Shazam named "Thunder". Her "wisdom-as-a-super-power" was depicted as having a superhuman level version intuition. Meaning, while Brainiac V could uses the scientific method to solve a problem, he can only solve it based on KNOWN facts. Meanwhile, Thunder can solve the same problem, based on having "good judgement". She just knows how to solve the problem on an intuitive level. But in a practical sense, as far as writing comics, it is, again, hard to depict, since comic books are typically "action oriented". Go figure.

[Ascended]

I'd imagine the simplest, easiest way to write "super wisdom" is to give the character a degree of, essentially, future sight. The character is so wise they can anticipate events; allowing them to avoid getting hit in a fight, or pulling the right lever to stop the doomsday machine, or knowing the right thing to say to calm a manic super villain.

As for who's stronger, Clark or Billy? Clark. Sorry Shazam fans (I like him too) but Superman's at the top of that mountain by design. Everyone's got their role to play and their niche to fill in the DCU, and Superman's the strongest there is.

[Timothy Hunter]

Portraying "wisdom" as a super=power has always been the most difficult to predict. I remember an old Legion of Superheroes where there was an heir to Shazam named "Thunder". Her "wisdom-as-a-super-power" was depicted as having a superhuman level version intuition. Meaning, while Brainiac V could uses the scientific method to solve a problem, he can only solve it based on KNOWN facts. Meanwhile, Thunder can solve the same problem, based on having "good judgement". She just knows how to solve the problem on an intuitive level. But in a practical sense, as far as writing comics, it is, again, hard to depict, since comic books are typically "action oriented". Go figure.

Was this a descendant of the WIZARD Shazam or CAPTAIN MARVEL Shazam?

[SiegePerilous02]

As for who's stronger, Clark or Billy? Clark. Sorry Shazam fans (I like him too) but Superman's at the top of that mountain by design. Everyone's got their role to play and their niche to fill in the DCU, and Superman's the strongest there is.

I like the way Morrison set it up in Final Crisis, in which Captain Marvel was pretty much the Earth-5 embodiment of the Superman archetype. Basically making him dead even, because he fills the same role in his own universe.

Which is why they shouldn't be in the same continuity. They make each other redundant, and Billy's usually the one who takes the hit. Not entirely without reason because the DC universe was Superman's first and it owes its very existence to the craze he started, but it's still not very fair or representative of what Billy should be. I agree that Superman should 100% be the strongest there is...on Earth-1. Kal-El and Karen would be Earth-2, Ultraman on Earth-3, and Billy on Earth-5/S, etc.

[stargazer01]

Superman because he's the first and most iconic.

[Star_Jammer]

Shazam.

/10char

[byrd156]

Superman because he's the first and most iconic.

You know that Superman copied Captain Marvel with the whole flying thing right? So part of that iconography like flying wasn't in his original power set. I don't have a horse in this race but Superman copied Captain Marvel when the character became a threat to his popularity.

[daBronzeBomma]

You know that Superman copied Captain Marvel with the whole flying thing right? So part of that iconography like flying wasn't in his original power set. I don't have a horse in this race but Superman copied Captain Marvel when the character became a threat to his popularity.

I have no problem when the original steals back from the copycat:

[Agent Z]

I have no problem when the original steals back from the copycat:

In this case, it’s not stealing back. It’s just plain stealing.

[Kon93]

Wasn't superman jumping over buildings by the time Billy was flying? Wouldn't that just be Billy's writers trying to 1up superman,like many modern day superman wannabes do.

Superman's powers that he has the same with Billy are more powerful,nust not by much,that's why Billy can still knock the **** out of him sometimes.

[Ascended]

I like the way Morrison set it up in Final Crisis, in which Captain Marvel was pretty much the Earth-5 embodiment of the Superman archetype. Basically making him dead even, because he fills the same role in his own universe.

Which is why they shouldn't be in the same continuity. They make each other redundant, and Billy's usually the one who takes the hit. Not entirely without reason because the DC universe was Superman's first and it owes its very existence to the craze he started, but it's still not very fair or representative of what Billy should be. I agree that Superman should 100% be the strongest there is...on Earth-1. Kal-El and Karen would be Earth-2, Ultraman on Earth-3, and Billy on Earth-5/S, etc.

I absolutely agree with all of this.

However, since Billy doesn't exist on his own earth, he's second to Clark. But I feel very comfortable saying he's tied with Diana.

Personally, I'd roll the Charlton characters, and a few other faces (like Booster Gold) into earth-5 as well. I think the likes of Captain Atom, Peacemaker, and Beetle would add nicely to the Fawcett bench, and while Fawcett does have more characters than just Shazam, it still doesn't have a lot of IP's to offer.