Firestorm is one of the most powerful heroes in the DC Universe, but his battles with Darkseid have revealed who is the true powerhouse. Although Firestorm and the Lord of Apokolips have thrown down on only a handful of occasions, their fights have been epic, a true showing of power. All of this led fans to question who would be the clear winner in a fight–and the answer is clear.

In 1980’s Justice League of America #185, by Gerry Conway and George Perez and Frank McLaughlin, Firestorm encounters Darksied for the first time. Darkseid unleashes his Omega Beams on Firestorm, who creates a funnel out of atoms in the air.

Firestorm then funnels the Omega energy back into Darkseid, knocking the villain over.

While this may seem to give the victory to Firestorm, many years later, in 2007’s Firestorm the Nuclear Man #35, by Dwayne McDuffie and Pop Mhan, Darkseid easily defeats Firestorm by simply ripping one of his personas out of him.

Firestorm Is DC’s Underrated Power House

Despite Firestorm’s Power, He is Not a Match for Darkseid

Despite this, Firestorm is still one of DC’s most powerful heroes. Firestorm was born in a lab accident that fused research scientist Martin Stein with one of his students, Ronnie Raymond. Whenever the two join together, they turn into Firestorm. Firestorm’s powers allow him to manipulate matter at the subatomic level, rearranging it into any form he chooses. As seen in Justice League of America #185, he converts air molecules into a funnel. On numerous occasions, Firestorm has used his powers to de-escalate situations: he can turn a gun into a bouquet of flowers, for example.

While the upper limits of Firestorm’s powers have never been discerned, potentially making him one of DC’s most powerful heroes, he is still no match for Darkseid. In Justice League of America #185, Firestorm had time to prepare for Darkseid. Orion warned Firestorm of the Omega Beams, and thus Firestorm was able to counter them. But in Firestorm #35, Darkseid, perhaps remembering their last encounter, was ready for Firestorm. Darkseid ripping a persona out of the Firestorm Matrix is one of the most brutal defeats the character has ever been handed.

Darkseid Is Master of Apokolips–And Apparently, Firestorm

A True Fight Between Darkseid and Firestorm Would Be A Sight to Behold

Darkseid and Firestorm have fought twice before, and despite Firestorm getting one over on the Lord of Apokolips early in his career, Darkseid still emerges as the winner. Firestorm is powerful, but Darkseid is a god. Very few of Firestorm’s foes are capable of pulling out one of his personas the way Darkseid did. To do so require a mastery of subatomic physics that may transcend even Firestorm’s knowledge and skill level. However, the two have never unleashed their full power on each other, meaning the fight could be even more grand than fans think.