Shazam & Supergirl vs. [SPOILER] Settled DC’s Strongest Hero

When discussing the strongest heroes in the DC universe, Shazam and Supergirl are often two of the first names to come up. Both characters possess the power levels of gods (in Shazam’s case, literally) and are nearly unmatched in strength by their fellow heroes. There is, however, one character who doesn’t just meet their combined might; he surpasses it.

Evil versions of Shazam and Supergirl join forces in Batman/Superman (2010) #5 by Joshua Williamson and David Marquez. After succumbing to the Joker toxin of the Batman Who Laughs, the now-evil pair attempt to take on one of their most powerful former allies: Superman. Though Shazam and Supergirl each have enough power to level the mightiest of foes, the fight finally puts to rest that Superman is the strongest of the three heroes.

Related: Supergirl Finally Conquered One of Superman’s Biggest Weaknesses

Superman Can Defeat Shazam and Supergirl at the Same Time

The fight between the Man of Steel and his two former allies comes near the tail end of a plan enacted by the Batman Who Laughs. Wanting to infect the entire world with the same Joker toxin that turned him evil, the Batman Who Laughs plans to reunite the Secret Six. Rather than filling the team with anti-heroes and villains like its direct predecessor, however, the Batman Who Laughs gives this Secret Six a sinister twist. In accordance to his plan, the alternate-reality Bruce Wayne populates his Secret Six with heroes from the DC Universe. The Batman Who Laughs begins infecting heroes using tainted Batarangs covered in the Joker toxin. Eventually, his infected Secret Six consists of Supergirl and Shazam, as seen in their brawl against Superman, as well as Blue Beetle, Commissioner Gordon, Donna Troy and Hawkman.

Holding Nothing Back, Shazam and Supergirl Couldn’t Win

The battle between Superman and the Joker-infected duo of Supergirl and Shazam doesn’t simply prove Superman is the strongest of the three; rather, it proves that he’s stronger than the two other heroes combined. Though Kal-El is teamed up on by his two former allies, he still manages to take them both out at the same time. This means he’s likely significantly more powerful than either Supergirl or Shazam on their own, as he is able to handle their two power levels in conjunction on his own. The eventual outcome of the battle only strengthens Superman’s superiority, as Shazam and Supergirl are sent running by the fight’s conclusion. Superman doesn’t just defeat the Kryptonian and the Champion; he humiliates them.

The outing makes Superman’s lead over Shazam and Supergirl’s power levels even clearer, as the infected versions of the two heroes are likely them at their strongest. Because Shazam and Supergirl are unencumbered by their normal morality, they are likely letting loose in the fight in a way that Superman cannot, much the same as the Batman Who Laughs outpaces Batman through his willingness to do what his heroic counterpart would never. If Shazam and Supergirl’s infected forms are anything like the Batman Who Laughs, this fight proves that, even at their strongest, they still aren’t nearly a match for Superman.