Ending the Debate: Why Superman is Definitively More Powerful Than Supergirl 

Order your Flash posters today: bit.ly/AllPosters-TheFlash When you sign up for emails at the bottom of the page, you'll also get up to 55% off your first purchase.

I thought we all knew Superman was more powerful than supergirl

I thought it was common consensus that Superman is stronger but holds back more while Kara is more reckless and quick tempered so she doesn’t pull her punches as much.

What about Dr. Manhattan figured that as long as there's a Superman, there's hope. The reason there's hope is because Superman can probably defeat whatever the threat is.

I hate the logic of "Superman holding back makes him weaker" Like just so you know, there are real world martial arts that teach around physical restraint. Turns out it takes far more strength to restrain one's self.

The fact this needed to be debated is insane lmao

2:05 Speaking of Ultraman, I've always loved the moment from the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" event in which, as the Anti-Matter rapidly consumes Earth Three without anyone being able to stop it, Power Ring asks Ultraman what he plans to do to save the same planet they tried so many times to conquer in the past, to which the kryptonian responds with a sincere smile: "What I've done all my life...I Fight to the very end". He then throws himself into Anti-Matter, dying heroically. It's so f*cking epic to see the wicked Superman finally accepting to become the hero he was destined to be that I can imagine the John Williams soundtrack playing during the scene

Always thought that Superman should have been stronger than the average Kryptonian because his cells have been soaking up Yellow Sun for decades. His cells grew on a planet orbiting a Yellow Sun so may have greater potential to store and release its energy.

I honestly think the writers are gonna make who they want the most powerful to be in certain issues just to fit the storyline

saying supergirl are stronger than superman is like saying she hulk is stronger than the hulk

The tricky thing is that it always depends on the writer but the flaw I see in the argument is that stating what Superman did doesn’t prove unequivocally that he is stronger because Supergirl hasn’t unless it’s show that she cannot do those things. I would be most accurate to compare how they handled the same challenges or head to head.

Actually it wasn't a universe that Superman sneezed away but a Solar system, even the page you showed says it, but yeah it's still impressive af.

8:16 The Anti-Monitor being destroyed by Golden Age Superman himself is one of the most EPIC moments in comic-book history. The first hero ever stopping by his own hand the threat that wanted to destroy everything that came after him. How poetic

Power Girl: "I am a Kara from a different universe, Kal-El. I guess that means we're not cousins..." Earth One Superman: 🤠

It’s been a while sense I’ve seen a video and you didn’t disappoint. Classic. Script and visuals. Perfect.

During Batman’s examination of Supergirl when she first landed, he stated she could be more powerful then Superman due to her escape ship was trapped in the sun’s orbit for I believe 12 years allowing her to take in the sun’s rays directly all those years.

How and why the hell was this even a debate.

This was a debate?

I think the flaw in the logic here is that because more feats haven't been written for Supergirl that means she is less powerful. By this logic if they write a story tomorrow that says supergirl was able to hold a universe together she immediately takes the throne. I think it's better to look at what their power sets are. And there is no reason to believe that Supergirl can't do all of the things that superman has done based on their powers. I think the only argument that can be made is that Superman is older and it stands to reason that a 30 year old man is generally going to be stronger than a 16 year old girl. However, the argument could also be made that Supergirl's younger body better processes the yellow sun energy and she is therefore stronger than Superman.

We need more episodes where Arris goes off like this 👏😂

This is the problem with comic, they want to have their cake and eat it to. They want moon girl and supergirl to be top in strength and intelligence but they don’t want to use the characters. Don’t say characters you don’t want to focus on are #1 if you’re gonna use someone else more popular for all those feats. The statements are made but the displays don’t match because no one wants to use them so it becomes empty words.

I feel like Arris got in a debate over who's stronger between the two, got pissed off and decided to make this video to show the person who was debating with him why he's right LOL

My interpretation of supergirl was that her physical body was more dense or durable but not that she had way more powerful feats of strength than superman for the fact he's had years in earth to prefect his abilities

In comics, the one who has more utilization is generally going to "win" a debate, because they have more to work with: examples and counters. Kinda like Hank Pym vs The Atom.

They made it seem like she was stronger because she had more control over her powers at the time. This is what I have seen in different series.

Because zodd rocked her shit in the flash 💀

There was NEVER a debate

Thanks for the video! Could you please point me to the comic book (title, number, year) where Superman lifted the weight of Earth (machine)? You covered in this video. The artwork looks great. I'd like to check it out. Thanks.

There was a debate?

One of the things that always bugged me in the Supergirl TV show was when Superman himself says Kara is stronger. C'mon it's not even a competition. Edit: Yes, I understand it's all down to the writer and that objectively, that universe's Superman is canonically weaker than every other variation. Which is the main problem I had with the Arrowverse Superman to begin with before Superman and Lois came around. I just don't get why this show had to bring down another famously strong character just to show strength in the titular heroine. I know they had Superman be weaker because they had to have the main girl fight the big bads, but couldn't you have just had Superman incapacitated in some other way? You know how you show strength in a character? Season 1 finale: she lifted an entire prison ship all on her own and it was pretty badass. That's how you show proper strength in a female character. Not by saying Superman is weaker, but by showing Kara's strength.

Can you do history of the Elementals, Cyclone and Sandman along with Kurt Conners the Lizard, Rhino, Kraven the Hunter, Chameleon, Scorpion and the Human Fly along with the Tinkerer, Alistair Smythe the Ultimate Spider Slayer, Living_Brain, and Prowler?

Sup Arris...I could have swore I saw you at a fanexpo in/ near Dallas last week...

Even in the MOS Clark was pushing zod to his limits but in the flash Supergirl didn't even break his armour

Its that kind of writing that has brought modern comics to the pinnacle of the bottom of the piggy bank and has a lot of writers/artists rolling change for ramen!

Didn’t know this was a debate

This was never a debate

It has been stated when it comes to Moon Girl, when ever she is stumped with something she has gone to Dr. Doom for help. While her intelligence rivals Reed and Doom she will go get help when the situation demands it

Superman has been absorbing those rays from our sun longer, so there's that.

Great vide and debate. I like it. but there are also similar sets of feat that Supergirl's demonstrated over the years. I would like you to please upload a video of Supergirl's incredible feats as well.

Amen. I can't believe people were trying to make this into a debate.

5:19 As a matter of fact, I think this actually *is* my first time hearing about her. 6:31 Depending on the continuity, I think he doesn’t even need some of those things.

It all depends on the writer of the story. Superman is created by Joe sushter and Jerry Seigel, but future writers made Superboy prime, Icon, He-L, Zod, and etc more powerful superheroes or supervillains to defeat Superman but hero is hero, thus making their power level variation according to their mindset of stories.

I mean sure, but I mean when it comes down to it that's how writing the super-duo goes. If you want them to do something, they can probably do it. The problem with Kara is she is often treated like Wally West in the comics, oh we'll just get rid of you until your convenient. She has some awesome feats in the comics, my favorite one being one of two entities to safely remove a red lantern ring without help. She'll always play sideline to Clark, and usually be used as canon fodder to push the story forward for the more popular counterpart.

From what I understand is that kryptonian strength mainly depends on 3 primary factors. Exposure to yellow or blue sunlight, also depends on how long they been exposed to said sunlight.(kryptonians bodies acting like solar batteries) Another factor is if the kryptonian is warrior/soldier class or artist scholar or political class, with warrior/soldier classed kryptonians are stronger than the rest of the classes. Last factor being if the kryptonian is natural born or like all other kryptonians(99.99999%} test tube babies genetically engineered for specific roles in life. Natural born kryptonian babies being stronger. A fourth factor could also be whether or not the kryptonian is magically inclined or not. Now the fifth possible factor only applies to superman, that being the gene codex of krypton making kal el peak kryptonian.

He bench press the weight of the world for five days and uses black holes for dumbbells!!!!!How are we even having this conversation!!!!!

Tell that to the Supergirl show 🙄

I like how he adds the issue of each comics

Exactly. Thinking just because a few writers say something with no basis in cannon it makes it cannon.

The black hole was sentient and attacking Superman's mind at the same time.

Superman hands down. First he has more experience and has been basking in the sun's rays for years before she has shown up. They said she has the potential to b more powerful but she uses her emotions more while Clark is more level headed.

depends what version of iteration of the characters we are talking about, like how super girl was the last hero standing in the fight against anti-monitor

I didn't know this was a debate

In Moon Girl's case, Marvel is the one stating Moon Girl is the smartest, so it kinda has to be true. That being said Intelligence does not equal feats, Moon Girl may be smarter than Reed and the others, but they jave definitely done more with their intelligence.

There’s a comic where she was doing all this talking about how Batman’s analysis (which is the only evidence that she MIGHT be stronger) and Superman one shots her. Also what’s the difference between her absorbing sunlight in a ship and Clark absorbing it on Earth? None. He’s stronger.

Can you do history of the characters mentioned in this video?

How is this even a question? Very well done BTW.

When Supergirl arrived to earth, she was a older teen who grown into a young adult who was told not to use her full strength but at times did so while Clark was told from the time of being a little boy not to use his full strength to where he operated at 50 percent, hold back to the point it became muscle memory. For Clark to unleashed his full strength would be devastating

I thought it was said that Supergirl was possibly stronger than Superman. I still love both characters though!

He didn't sneeze away a dead universe but a solar system the panel even mentions that

Would love to know the debate, who is the (in your opinion) best green lantern.

It’s called plot armor, some writers tend to abuse it more than others

Superman has absorbed more energy from the sun and honed the powers for longer. Pretty easy explanation

Are you going to do history of Jentorra, Kryler(played by Bill Murray), Multiple Man, Cassie Lang as Stature/Stinger and the city of Chronopolis in honour of the Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumainia movie?

When was this ever a debate?

Sayings shes new isn't a argument. Naming random feats he has only makes her stronger just like the villans who dont do those things And to the Deny this wouldn't mean you'd need to say that the villains shouldn't scale to him either epically when we don't see them do half of those things Anyways and it's his own statements multiple times that she has more potential than Him but it's true to say that currently she has not reached that potential in the main timeline as he has been on Earth Longer absorbing Earth's radiation while she wasn't while along the way given time to adjust/Grow his powers but that doesn't Negate her entire narrative.

This is the same energy as WW vs Superman. WW has on multiple occasions been shown to match or even take down superman but she's not the poster child like him and he will ALWAYS be written to be better. Nobody in DC is ever going to match superman that isn't some unstoppable force of nature like Darkseid. Yes, they beat him but he's just gonna keep coming back and he's something you deal with not fully defeat

Are we ever gonna get a history/origin of the first lantern or Azrael from the batfamily?

What comic does this video thumbnail come from?

Dope video, but I feel like some instances were ignored for Supergirls' case. They both inhabit the same universe so going off of feats alone isn't necessarily the best method to use in determining who is the better of the two. That's like saying Wonder Woman loses to Superman because her feats aren't on the level of Supermans'. Even though they've fought countless times with both having instances of having the upper hand against each other. Supergirl herself has feats of her own from pre crisis to current day that gives her an impressive reputation. Though not rivaling her cousin due to the focus and hold Superman has. She has had instances of taking Supermans' best hits or making a name for herself to be seen as a threat like her cousin. Superman is the more powerful of the two but it's not truly a huge gap when you look at all of their history.

Superman without a doubt the most powerful superhero to have ever appear in comic book pages

Didn't know this even was a debate.

Thank you I keep telling people it depends on who's writing a book and who they want to come out on so damn for if you want by the base level like you said

So I thought that female Kryptonians metabolized yellow sun radiation faster than male kryptonians. I also thought that since Kara had the same powers as Clark had as an adult, as a teenager. Correct me if I am wrong but Clark couldn't fly when he was Kara's age right? Basically I always assumed that Kara was weaker but stronger than Clark was when he was her age. So if they were the same age and had the same amount of yelloe sun radiation, she would probabaly be stronger in that instance but because of the age gap Clark is stronger. At least that makes sense to me

I wonder if this is an argument of what has been done vs what can be done. . . If its stated that supergirl absorbs more solar radiation readily and that's the source of their power. . . Doesn't that make her potentially stronger?

Actually.. the black hole being held by superman just goes to show some comic writers don't understand basic physics... the force of gravity is that mass pulls on all other mass, a persons hand doesn't negate that force. Everyone in that room would fly to Supermans hand and stick to it and be crushed even if superman was strong enough for his hand to not get sucked in and deformed by the force of gravity.

I'm surprised this is even a debate

This is largely (but no exclusively) a modern conceit created by agenda driven writing. Writers with more activism than storytelling in their repertoire have tried to do this with other female analog characters or adjacent characters. One recent(ish) egregious one was in the Rebirth restart. It's implied that Kate Kane (Batwoman) is a better detective than Batman. She figures out his secret identity while he's clueless that she's known for over a year, leaving him with a literal dumbfounded look on his face.

Weird I thought it was already said that Supergirl is stronger than Kal or moreso had more potential to be much stronger than him cuz I’m sure it’s been said in the comics at least. I’ve always assumed Superman was stronger anyway tho. Although in my opinion I just always assumed they were equal since they literally have the exact same powers so wouldn’t every kryptonian just be equal in strength and it would just matter on who has more stamina or willpower to beat them?

Wait when was this ever a debate?

6:59 👈😱😱😱😱😱(And I used to think Superman is nothing in front of One Punch Man when people used to compare their strength on the internet but now I know they were correct).

Idk most of the examples that were given only showed supermans feats but not really showing any of Supergirl's feats or how she would handle or stand up during those situations.

I think the flaw in debates like this comes down to fans who pull receipts from character feats in the comics, movies, video games, shows, etc. that we consume to back up our claims. However, it all comes down to what the writers say about a character. If Moon Girl is the smartest Marvel character then she is. Yes, it sucks because this random character has a higher IQ than fan favorites with decades of stories showcasing their skills. Even worse is that DC/Marvel comics have A LOT of different writers so there is rarely ever a consistent pecking order when it comes to brains, power, etc.

What do you think is the best thing about both Superman and Supergirl in the Comics? Which one of their powers and abilities do you think is the best?

The problem with this video, and most super hero debating, is that it's just a bunch of disconnected feats from different writers which is largely unnecessary for the argument at hand. You don't need "receipts" when you can use basic logic to argue Superman is stronger. Kryptonians get their power from a yellow sun and Superman has lived his entire life under one, Kara has only spent a few years. No unreliable and random feats needed.

What was up with Sasha Calle being cast as Kara Zor-El Supergirl in the Flash movie since she's not blonde unlike her comic book counterpart? Are we going to see her as Supergirl in James Gunn DC projects in the DCU?

It does depend on the continuity - New 52 Super Girl is stronger due to traveling around the sun indefinitely in her pod as far as I'm concerned. However in almost every other continuity Superman is definitely stronger.

It also depends on what reboot universe it is.

Can you make a versus video about Saitama vs superman

Sounds like, all those feats that Kal has done. And if Kara was able to beat him up, means she can do exactly the same things, too. Just cause we don't see him do it, doesn't mean she can't. As you mentioned, she beat up the blue boy scout till he had help. It should instead boil down to who has the most yellow sun energy stored in their re-chargeable battery bodies.

Thank youuuuuuuuu!!! Finally someone with logic who isn't talking about girl power. When it comes to comics, no one tops Team Variant's knowledge!!

This can't possibly be a damn debate! 🤦🏾‍♂️

first i agree but it was a mini back hole and the sneeze was a solar system, it never state that it was universes.

This is a silly topic. The sheer amount of stories dedicated to each character is like 21:1? Of course Supes has more trials and displays of strength… Didn’t he live in a sun for years in a storyline? Can’t imagine Super(Woman) ever getting stronger than that.

I think it was Stan Lee who said that the more powerful character is whoever the writer says so for the story. Because he's right, it why power scalers always pull the most obscure feats and losses to win arguments That said I still like the idea the Moon Girl is smarter than T'challa and Tony, just bc it's funny. Same energy as Squirrel Girl beating Thanos

7:03 he didn't sneeze away a universe, you can even read the panel in the video that it says "dead solar system"

Really like your approach. The problem is: How to answer the question METHODICALLY. You did it very convincingly.

In the comic it's super girl for a lot of reasons but the writer keep forgetting. 1 her father added sunstone and Doomsday DNA to her DNA. 2 She grew up on Krypton and its a heavy Gravity world. 3 she was Genetically Engineered for health and strength. Clark was not being created all-natural DNA. 4 She got shot with a gun which started a Fusion reaction in her cells permanently increasing her powers.

This is a pretty flawed argument. I think they got stuck fanboying

it isn't even all about strength. superman is a paragon of righteous good and justice. an incorruptible icon leading by example. always stepping in to help and do whats right. superman represents everything that a superhero should stand for.

What a beautiful image @3:49