TheDCEUisn’t exactly the most coherent or well-thought-out franchise, withbasically no continuityin the live-action scene, but it has a strong following nonetheless. The animated movies, in particular, are worthy of note because of their coherent storyline and interesting plots.
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Among the scattered relics of DC, there live various characters. Some obviously powerful, but some with a more nuanced kind of power. Each one deserves more attention than they’ve gotten so far, and each one is a great character in their own right.
10Peacemaker
Debuting in the second installation of The Suicide Squad,Peacemakerisn’t exactly the ideal hero. He’s brutal, doesn’t care about human life much, and considers Batman a wuss for not killing his opponents. He fits the bill of an anti-hero more, though he does call himself a hero.
Peacemaker doesn’t have any special abilities. He’s just an expert martial artist who’s in peak human physical condition with access to a couple of cool gadgets. So kind of like Batman but more brutal, less rich, and more prone to murder.
Perhaps one of the most underappreciated heroes in DC, Cyborg didn’t really get a chance to shine inJustice League(2017). However, his abilities were explored a bit more in-depth in the much anticipated Snyder Cut. Even then, he didn’t get much screen time.
That being said, Snyder himself has claimed that there’s more to Cyborg than meets the eye. So, even if it might seem like he’s just a man-machine hybrid with self-healing powers and plasma blasters, there’s no doubt that he has a lot of potential.
Historically one of the less powerful characters, Aquaman, got the spotlight when his first movie came out in 2018. Played by Jason Momoa, Aquaman instantly went from being the least popular to one of the leading heroes in the DC universe.
He has the strength to withstand the intense pressure of the deep sea, and his Atlantean heritage allows him to breathe underwater. With the power of the Trident on his side, he’s a force to be reckoned with, even in a world full of gods and monsters.
Without a doubt, Batman is one of the best-performing characters in the DC universe.All of his movies make big bucksat the box office, the fans love him, and even the critics don’t have much bad to say about the eye shadow-wearing vigilante.
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When it comes to raw power, Batman doesn’t have anything to brag about. He’s a normal human in a cool suit with a whole bunch of gear — not exactly on par with the likes ofSupermanor Shazam. However, Batman shines in strategy and critical thinking, coming very close to taking down the strongest hero with careful planning and huge spending.
6Green Lantern
Allegedly the most powerful weapon in the universe, the green ring that grantsGreen Lanternhis powers can’t match the standards of the likes of Black Adam or evenWonder Woman.
Green Lantern has a variety of powers at his disposal. He can fashion anything out of thin air using the ring, he can phase through walls, fly, and even do some healing. From a pure utility perspective, Green Lantern is the most useful Superhero to have around. Since the constructs of his weapon can’t measure up to the power exhibited by the stronger villains, like Doomsday or Darkseid, he can’t be called the strongest hero.
5Black Adam
Though Dwayne Johnson’s adaptation of the hero was met with a big old flop at the box office, the character itself isn’t someone to take lightly. Originally a villain imprisoned by Shazam,Black Adam changes his waysafter five thousand years of isolation from mankind, deciding to become its protector rather than its enemy.
As a hero, Black Adam is essentially a less powerful version of Superman. He is incredibly powerful and has the constitution of an Olympian, making him immortal and practically invulnerable. Perhaps the most useful ability for Black Adam, practically speaking, is the superhuman willpower that allowed him to stay sane despite the thousands of years he was trapped alone.
Blessed by the ancient wizard Shazam, Billy Batson started off his superhero career by using his powers in a questionable manner. However, he managed to get a hold of himself in time and grew into his new adult body with astonishing speed.
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In his powered-up form, Shazam can fly without any restrictions, and he can control lightning. He also has superhuman strength and endurance. His most useful ability is that he can share his powers with his friends, granting him powerful allies that he can call in a time of need.
3Wonder Woman
The original superhero who’s been active for the longest period of time, Wonder Woman is often relegated to a minor role in media and isn’t portrayed in a particularly flattering light. However, Patty Jenkin’s take on the character (played by Gal Gaddot) brings her superhuman abilities to light and gives her the appropriate environment to shine.
She has shown to be as capable as Superman, having similar levels of strength and power. As the daughter of Zeus, she also ages slower than a normal human and carries powerful artifacts with her to augment her abilities.
The Flashis a man of speed. He zips around the city faster than you may blink, and before you know it, the enemies are all tied up and waiting to be transported to a holding cell. However, that doesn’t explain the full extent of his powers.
Time travel is the greatest of Flash’s powers. A lot of people can run fast, but not everyone can run so fast that they reverse the continuity of time. This ability alone makes him incredibly powerful. Extrapolate from this what else he can do, and you’ll understand why he’s ranked so highly.
No one thinks they’re better than Superman. He has enough strength to level the entire planet. He can run as fast as Flash, fly as fast as he can run, shoot lasers out of his eyes, and look through walls. He doesn’t need air to breathe, and he doesn’t care about radiation cooking his body. There’s not much he can’t do.
Superman doesn’t unlock his powers as time goes on. He doesn’t do training arcs to unlock his full potential. He doesn’t train to be stronger. He trains to be weaker. His biggest challenge is modulating his boundless energy so he can defeat his enemies without destroying half of humanity in the aftermath.
