Since the creation of the first comic book, countless characters have emerged from the various publishers. Among all of them, it can be said that Superman stands out as not only the initial embodiment of a true superhero archetype but also as the original powerhouse of the medium.

Superman made his debut in “Action Comics” #1 back in 1938 and rapidly gained popularity among DC Comics fans. With nearly a century under his cape, it’s no wonder that Superman has a wide array of formidable antagonists, ranging from mortal foes like Lex Luthor to those far beyond human. While assessing the strength of Superman’s adversaries is intriguing, it’s also enjoyable to explore his power by looking beyond his typical foes.

Comic enthusiasts love nothing more than debates over who could defeat whom, which brings us to this topic: superheroes and villains from outside the DC universe who surpass Superman in strength. Although some of these confrontations have taken place in crossover comics over the years, many have not. Keeping that in mind, let’s take a look at characters capable of truly challenging the Last Son of Krypton, without any particular ranking.

Spawn is an immensely powerful magical being who has gone through significant changes throughout his series run. He is the literal spawn of Hell who was created as a commander of Hell’s armies. The original version of the character, introduced in Image Comics’ “Spawn” #1, isn’t a match for the Man of Tomorrow, but other versions of the character are.

For starters, Spawn uses magic, and Superman doesn’t have a natural defense against magical attacks, so he’s vulnerable to what Spawn has to offer in this arena. Still, Spawn initially had a finite amount of power (depicted in the comics via a countdown meter), which Superman could simply run down to defeat him. When Spawn became the king of Hell, this changed, and all of his abilities grew exponentially. Still, even with this power-up, Spawn would have trouble defeating the Man of Steel.

Another version of Spawn, known as Divine Spawn, has similar abilities but is so incredibly powerful that he can depower both God and Satan with ease. This incarnation would likely be able to fight and defeat Superman. Of course, Supes’ tendency to overcome anything and everything thrown at him suggests the victory would either be pyrrhic or short-lived before the Kryptonian came back for round two, which would be a toss-up.

The Spectre has been around for almost as long as Superman, having debuted in 1940’s “More Fun Comics” #52. Spectre isn’t a typical DC Comics superhero because he’s God’s divine representative of vengeance. His powers are pretty much immeasurable, as he’s nearly omnipotent; while Superman is extremely powerful, he can’t make such a claim.

Unlike some of the other powerhouses who can go toe-to-toe with Superman, determining who would win in this fight isn’t conjecture. Spectre and Superman faced off against one another in “DC Comics Presents” #29, and it didn’t end in the Man of Steel’s favor. While trying to save the missing Supergirl, Superman is stopped by Spectre. When he attempts to go through God’s divine spirit of vengeance, Superman literally bounces off him, unable to move him a femtometer.

Repeatedly, Superman attempts to get past Spectre to help his cousin, but in every attempt, he’s thwarted. The comic decisively proves that Spectre is more powerful than Superman, so it’s a good thing they’re usually on the same side. In fact, during their confrontation, Spectre repeatedly refers to Superman as his friend and is more interested in teaching him a lesson than fighting.

Galactus is a cosmic being and the only survivor of the Marvel Universe that existed before the current one. His only purpose is to travel the cosmos, consuming the energy from planets teeming with life, using heralds like the Silver Surfer to help in his goal. In many ways, Galactus is more of a force of nature than anything else, as his hunger and subsequent actions are vital to maintaining the balance of the universe.

Many heroes have fought Galactus, but Superman isn’t one of them, and should DC’s premier superhero find his way to Marvel’s reality and face off against the World Devourer, he’d be immediately outclassed. Comic fans know Galactus is more terrifying than Thanos due to his insatiable drive to annihilate all life on a targeted world, his many technological advantages, and the ill-defined, immensely potent Power Cosmic he wields.

To Galactus, Superman would be little more than an annoying insect who cannot do him direct harm. That’s not to say that the cosmic being is unbeatable — many characters have single-handedly defeated Galactus. Unfortunately for Superman, though, he lacks the knowledge or means to take the massive being down on his own and would only come close to succeeding if his foe were in a weakened state.

Of all the Man of Steel’s allies, the Martian Manhunter is the only one he has admitted he believes could beat him; as Superman once told the Justice League, “I can count on one hand the number of beings in the known universe I would be afraid to face in open combat. J’onn J’onzz is at the top of that list.”

This is a sentiment Superman has expressed many times, saying his ally is stronger than most of the JLA combined. Martian Manhunter has a long and storied history as one of DC Comics’ good guys, but despite this, it’s not uncommon for superheroes to fight one another, and Martian Manhunter and Superman have traded blows over the years.

They reluctantly fight one another in “DC Comics Presents” #26, where Superman comes out on top. But while some might argue this puts the whole “Who could win in a fight?” contest to rest, in reality, Martian Manhunter’s mental abilities alone could likely defeat Superman despite the latter’s impressive skills in resisting psychic attacks. Still, when friends fight, they hold back, and Martian Manhunter has never fully committed to taking down Superman.

MCU fans know Thanos well, and he’s been around for decades in the comics. An Eternal-Deviant hybrid, Thanos has many abilities as a result of his genetics. He’s nigh-invulnerable with the standard set of superhuman strength, durability, stamina, and agility, and he’s relentless in pursuing whatever interests him at the moment.

Honestly, Thanos is probably objectively stronger and more durable than the Man of Steel. They could trade blows for a long time, but ultimately, Thanos would stand over a beaten Superman — and that’s Thanos without a cosmic weapon. Thanos with the Infinity Gauntlet would make the fight a blowout, as he could simply erase the Man of Steel from existence.

Still, even without the Gauntlet, Thanos is at or above Superman’s power levels. Add to that the fact that he’s a genius and master tactician, and Supes isn’t going to have a great day in the Marvel Universe should he come across the Mad Titan. If Superman released all his energy in a rarely used Super Flare attack, he might have a chance at winning, but if it failed, so would Superman.

Dr. Manhattan is a character created by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons for their critically acclaimed “Watchmen” series in 1986. Once a man named Dr. Jonathan “Jon” Osterman, he was accidentally exposed to an experiment that tore him apart on an atomic level. It takes time, but he eventually reforms his body; only he’s bald, blue, and so powerful that the term “godlike” doesn’t do him justice.

Though “Watchmen” took place in its own universe, one separate from the DCU, in 2017 he played a central role in Geoff Johns and Gary Frank’s “Doomsday Clock” crossover event, where he met and sort of fought Superman. Superman angrily tries to hit Dr. Manhattan in “Doomsday Clock” #12, but the Man of Steel passes through his foe — which is a blessing for Superman.

Dr. Manhattan could easily turn him into a pile of pink slime, erase him from reality, or simply remove the DC Universe from existence. His only weakness is tachyons, which disrupt his ability to see the future, but other than that, he’s an unstoppable force that Superman has no hope of defeating.

Doctor Stephen Strange is a master of the mystic arts and the Sorcerer Supreme — titles you don’t get out of a Cracker Jack box. He’s incredibly powerful due to his understanding of magic, and he routinely saves the universe from invasions by extradimensional threats. The good doctor also has an arsenal of magical artifacts he can use for a variety of purposes, and he’s more than capable in a fight.

Since Superman isn’t great with magic, he would have a tough go of it fighting a proper mage. There are several in the DC Universe, but few come close to the level of power exhibited by Doctor Strange. Among his skills are the ability to astral project himself, move between dimensions, travel through time, and much more.

If the two fought, Superman would have to catch the Avenger by surprise because, should Strange see him coming, there’s little Supes could do to stop him. Doctor Strange could abandon Superman in another dimension or transport him into the planet’s core. Really, it’s up to his imagination how he’d like to handle the Man of Steel, but one thing’s for certain: he has plenty of tricks up his sleeves.

Superboy Prime comes from a reality where Superman only exists as a comic book character. Eventually, Prime learns that he’s actually the Last Son of Krypton and gets brought into the cosmic crossover event, “Crisis on Infinite Earths.” Some time later, his values get twisted, and he becomes a supervillain intent on proving he’s the only true superhero in all of reality.

This brings him into conflict with pretty much everyone and shows that he’s not just a mere second-rate version of a young Kal-El. Superboy Prime is significantly more powerful than Superman, making him one of the strongest comic book villains of all time. He’s fully enraged about his place in the universe and slaughters anyone who gets in his way, including Conner Kent, Superman’s young clone-slash-son.

Superboy Prime amplifies his already incredible powers with Solar Armor, which he developed himself. It collects energy from the sun and feeds it to him, further strengthening and protecting him. The armor gives him a distinct advantage over the OG Man of Steel, but in truth, he doesn’t need it; Superboy Prime once destroyed the Watchtower, nearly killed Martian Manhunter, and killed 32 Green Lanterns in a single attack — and could do the same to Superman.

Wanda Maximoff has been running around the Marvel Universe as the Scarlet Witch for decades, having first appeared in “X-Men” #4 in 1964. Initially, her abilities were essentially limited to casting Hex Bolts at enemies, but her powers have grown significantly since then.

Nowadays, the Scarlet Witch is able to alter all of reality with a thought, though she doesn’t have much control over this ability. In her most infamous storyline, Wanda utters the sentence, “No more mutants,” causing the event known as the Decimation. This resulted in a world in which only 198 mutants existed, the rest of them having become normal humans at the Scarlet Witch’s whim.

When she’s in control of her abilities, Wanda is incredibly powerful and a talented magical user, and since Superman can’t handle magical attacks well, that’s a major point in her favor. She could simply decide that Superman never existed, or she could completely strip him of his powers. When altering reality is on the table, there’s very little Superman can do to defend himself short of fleeing to another universe.

Doctor Fate is a Golden Age superhero who’s been around since “More Fun Comics” #55 was published in 1940. Like most comic book characters with nearly a century of history, he’s gone through many changes, but one thing that has remained a constant is his magical prowess. He’s unmatched in the DC Universe, though the Spectre is likely more powerful thanks to his divine gifts.

Regardless of whether he’s at the Spectre’s level or not, Doctor Fate is more than capable of accomplishing great feats of magic, which, of course, Superman has little to no defense against. The hero is empowered by three magical items: the Helmet of Fate, a magical amulet, and a cloak. These combine to grant whoever wears them incredible magical power and fighting abilities — but these abilities do come at a cost.

Most people eventually go insane from wearing the helmet, but while it’s being used, there’s little that can stop Doctor Fate, including Superman. He could take Superman down with a mental attack or put him to sleep if he wanted. He could dump him in the Triassic via time travel shenanigans or alter reality so Superman never existed. The sky’s the limit — or, more accurately, there is no true limit for Doctor Fate in a contest against Superman.

Gold Key Comics’ Doctor Solar first appeared in 1962, but it wasn’t until 1991 that modern readers met him via the Valiant Universe. He’s a bit different, but when you compare the original version to the incarnation known as Solar: Man of the Atom, the latter is significantly more powerful.

Solar’s origin story is similar to Dr. Manhattan’s; Dr. Phil Seleski was working as a physicist when an accident transformed him into something far more powerful than a human. He became a being of pure energy, and, in this new form, he can control all matter and energy in the universe. Essentially, the accident made him into a god.

In a bit of a meta moment, Seleski decides to emulate his favorite Golden Age comic book hero, Doctor Solar, and that’s what happened as the reactor he created essentially functioned like a wish-granting machine. Now a being made of pure energy who can manipulate all matter and energy in the cosmos, he far outclasses DC’s Last Son of Krypton. Solar can manipulate time, gravity, and reality itself, negating anything Superman could possibly do to stop him.

Mister Mxyzptlk is a magical imp from the Fifth Dimension who enjoys annoying Superman. Whenever he appears in Metropolis, his only goal is to torment the Man of Steel, something he accomplishes by altering reality in inventive and humorous ways. For the most part, Mr. Mxyzptlk is an irritation and little more, as he can be banished back to his home dimension by tricking him into spelling or speaking his name backward.

For a while after the events of “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” he complicated his banishment process to include a new task each time he appears. Superman is usually adept at getting Mr. Mxyzptlk to do this, so the extradimensional nuisance comes around periodically, gives the hero a hard time, and then leaves for a few months. But despite his consistent loss record, Mr. Mxyzptlk isn’t a villain who’s outright beaten Superman.

Despite being infinitely powerful and capable of altering reality in any way he sees fit, Mr. Mxyzptlk has only used his powers to harass the Man of Steel. And it’s a good thing that he’s usually happy just to annoy the DC hero because, should he decide to become a being of pure evil instead of an annoyance, he could wipe Superman off the face of reality with nothing but a thought.

Professor Charles Xavier is a complicated character. He’s the headmaster of a school for gifted youngsters whom he sends on dangerous, life-threatening missions, and he’s one of the world’s most powerful psychics. While Superman is able to block some mental attacks, this likely wouldn’t work with Professor X considering the level of his mutant abilities.

In terms of strength, Superman could defeat Professor X by sneezing on him; after all, on the one hand, you’ve got one of the most physically powerful beings in comics, and on the other, a man in a wheelchair. That doesn’t seem likely, though, because Xavier’s abilities would keep Superman from getting anywhere near him. He can use his impressive powers directly, or he could use Cerebro to amplify a psychic attack on Superman from across the planet.

Really, all Xavier needs to do is think really hard about Superman, and he’d probably be able to kill him right then and there. Xavier could also take over Superman’s body if he wanted to, or place him into a coma. The Man of Steel’s only chance would be to catch Xavier unaware, but that’s highly unlikely given the latter’s telepathic abilities.

Created by Jack Kirby in 1970’s “Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen” #134, Darkseid is a New God — but not a benevolent one. He’s the tyrannical overlord of the planet Apokolips, where he rules over an army of parademons and other incredibly powerful beings. While he has other despotic interests, Darkseid’s main goal is to find and control the Anti-Life Equation, which gives its bearer full control over all sentient life.

This relentless pursuit has made Darkseid the bane of not only Superman but the entire Justice League and the entire multiverse. His list of powers is long and includes many of the same capabilities shared by the Last Son of Krypton. Still, Darkseid has much more going for him, as he’s capable of fighting Superman in direct combat.

With an army and an entire world at his disposal in addition to his massive powers, Darkseid is easily one of the most dangerous beings in the DC Universe. He’s fought Superman on many occasions, and while the Man of Steel ultimately wins, as heroes do, Darkseid has defeated his nemesis a time or two as well. That said, in a storyline that reveals a possible future of the DC Universe, they fight one another to the death, a final confrontation that ends in a fatal draw.