Marvel vs. DC Redux Matchup #2: Superman vs. Gladiator

The tricky thing I find about these matchups is figuring out how each of the characters would end up duking it out. The main reason for this I find, is that when it comes to DC characters a lot of things end up as a fist fight, and thus most of the DC characters have superhuman strength, whereas a large portion of the Marvel characters do not. Superman was a particularly difficult subject to find a matchup for, since he is so strong. I'm certain that there beings equally "powerful" as Superman in the Marvel universe, say perhaps some of the more powerful beings like Magneto or Graviton, I had even considered Silver Surfer to be an adequate matchup against the Man of Steel, however, when considering that this matchup would ultimately degenerate into a fist fight, I needed to find a balance in strength as well as compensating for his other powers. The original matchup had Superman pitted against the Incredible Hulk, which is understandable, as Hulk feasibly has no upper limit to his strength. However, I believe that I've found a more appropriate adversary in Gladiator from the Shi'ar Empire, whose abilities do match that of Superman's.

DC Character: Superman

Alter Ego: Clark Kent

Powers: Superhuman strength, speed, stamina, flight, invulnerability, X-ray vision, heat vision, super breath

Abilities: Combat abilities, increased intellect, indomitable will

There are a number of stories Superman's origin, but the basic gist of it is that he's the child Kal-El from the planet Krypton. He was sent to Earth prior to the destruction of his home planet. Crashing into the middle of farmland Kansas, he was found by an old couple Jonathan and Martha Kent, who named this alien child they found, Clark. Growing up in Smallville, Clark learned of his superpowers, which originate from how Clark's alien body absorbs the radiation of the sun in Earth's solar system. Eventually Kent moved to Metropolis and eventually ended up as a reporter at the Daily Planet. There have been many iterations of Superman in animated, movie, and television form, including the Christopher Reeve movies from the 70s.

Superman is pretty much the undisputed leader of the Justice League, a conglomeration of the superheroes in the DC universe. The zoo and maintenance that he keeps in his Fortress of Solitude implies a fair amount of technical knowledge, as well as knowledge of various galactic species. While most of the characters in the DC universe do have superhuman strength, none have strength that can match Superman's, thus he is often considered the hero of last resort when others have failed. Purportedly, he bears enough strength to shatter worlds, and given that he does not age, his years of experience has given him full mastery of his powers. None are certain of Superman's upper limits in strength, and despite his death at the hands of Doomsday, after returning to life, is still considered one of the most powerful beings in the DC universe. What also makes Superman so powerful is his incorruptibility and unshakable integrity.

Marvel Character: Gladiator

Alter Ego: Kallark

Powers: Superhuman strength, speed, stamina, reflexes, invulnerability, flight, heat beam, super breath

Abilities: Combat abilities

Gladiator isn't a character that is super familiar to me either, I've seen him around, so his appearance is familiar, but he's never been a major character in anything I've seen or read, I don't suppose he's a major character in any of the story arcs in the Marvel universe, most of those characters being humans from earth, the only major non-human character that I know of having his own comic being the Silver Surfer. Gladiator is the head of the Imperial Guard of the Shi'ar empire, an alien race who has strong ties to the X-Men. Beyond that, not much is significantly known regarding Gladiator's origins or history, though it is possible that he was considered that he may have been a herald of Galactus at some point in time.

An interesting thing about the powers of Gladiator is that it is largely based on his confidence in himself and said powers. It seems a rather weird weakness to have, but I suppose it is no stranger than Superman's weakness to a rock. Physically, Gladiator has the power to shatter worlds as well, easily besting or matching even the strongest characters of the Marvel universe, including Colossus, Hulk, and Thor. Like Superman he has heat vision and super breath, though while being able to create gale force winds, Gladiator does not have the ability to chill his breath to freezing temperatures. Beyond that, Gladiator's first and foremost loyalty lie not with any cause but with the throne of the Shi'ar Empire, often regardless of who sits upon it.

Matchup:

Well, I'm not sure how this would end up. I believe that Gladiator and Superman match pretty well strength wise, and while I believe that it would be more likely that Superman undermines Gladiator's self-confidence before Gladiator obtains any Kryptonite, both are warriors of honor and thus I think the overall fight will be a fair one. However, since this may end up becoming a war of attrition, the inability of either to overcome the other quickly will make Superman's indomitable will a much greater asset. With that, I think the decided advantage may go to Superman, if Gladiator can take the fight to deep space, far enough from the sun, even to another galaxy, it's possible that he can wear Superman out. Still, I have to give the match ultimately to Superman, as I believe his will and determination ultimately will prevail over Gladiator's confidence.

Winner: Superman