In Heroes Reborn: Weapon X and Final Flight #1, Wolverine proves he would be able to beat Superman but would inevitably lose against Batman. In the Heroes Reborn event, Marvel reimagines its own universe without the Avengers. Instead, a superhero team called the Squadron Supreme, a twisted pastiche of the Justice League, serves as Earth’s mightiest heroes.
Marvel’s Batman analog is Nighthawk. He is a congressman named Kyle Richmond who moonlights as a vigilante. Even though he has some supernatural powers whereas Batman has none, he is a clear mimic of the character. Marvel’s Superman analog is Hyperion. Hyperion has all of Superman’s powers but lacks his moral fortitude. He perverts American ideals to justify doing anything he wishes and has a penchant for merciless killing. He has a long body count in the short series. Hyperion has killed characters ranging from the Hulk to Aunt May. Unfortunately for him, the Squadron Supreme enrages the wrong Canucklehead when they kill Jean Grey.
In the pages of Heroes Reborn #7 by Jason Aaron, Ed McGuinness and Aaron Kuder, Wolverine avenges Jean Grey’s death by killing Hyperion. He is able to do so with only the help of a simple enchantment on his claws placed by Shaman. In Weapon X and Final Flight #1 by Ed Brisson and Roland Boschi, the events immediately following Hyperion’s death unfold. Wolverine charges Nighthawk who easily takes him down. While pummeling him, Nighthawk explains that Wolverine was able to defeat Hyperion because Hyperion’s near invulnerability made him careless. He had forgotten the importance of studying his opponents and learning their weaknesses. Nighthawk, on the other hand, has carefully studied Wolverine and knows his every weakness. Although Wolverine is teleported away before the fight can come to a conclusion, it’s clear who the victor is as Wolverine lays on the ground badly beaten.
Who would win in a fight between all varieties of characters is a hypothetical question fans love to debate. Rarely do readers get to see creators give decisive, canonical, answers. This is especially true when the characters are from different publishers. With Heroes Reborn, Marvel gives fans the opportunity to see their favorite Marvel characters interact with their favorite DC characters, albeit indirectly.
With Nighthawk and Hyperion being such clear pastiches of Batman and Superman, Marvel gives fans answers to how Wolverine would fare against DC’s two most popular characters. Although Superman is infinitely more powerful than Wolverine, he would lose because he would underestimate his opponent and would not be prepared for Wolverine’s very specific skillset. Wolverine, however, would lose to Batman because Bruce Wayne is a master combatant and strategist with a genius-level intellect. Batman would be prepared for the fight and would know Wolverine’s weaknesses. He would know how Wolverine fights and would be able to counter his every move. Batman would likely abstain from gloating the way Nighthawk does when he says, “I know your every weakness, Weapon X. I know how to destroy you.” Heroes Reborn: Weapon X and Final Flight #1 is available now in print and digital platforms.
