10 Underpowered Characters Who Defeated Major Heroes

Every villain has his day.

Superman Muhammad Ali
DC Comics

If there's one consistent trait superheroes possess that endears us to them, it's that they're not infallible. Comic heroes don't fight because they know they'll win - they do it because they know someone has to, and they're willing to put their life on the line to be that person, and to help others.

Even Superman - who by all means is stronger and better than regular humans in just about every way - is capable of being taken down by someone completely underpowered, given the right circumstances.

Without the very real chance that even the strongest heroes could be beat, there'd be literally zero stakes to the comics they're in, and as such, zero reason to actually pick the comics up and read them.

And there's only one solid way to make it appear as though said heroes could be defeated; namely, by having them get beat. Showing significantly weaker opponents taking the likes of Batman and Wonder Woman down proves that, even for the most powerful superheroes, any opponent can become a genuine threat - even if it's only temporarily.

10. Lex Luthor Vs. Superman

Superman Muhammad Ali
DC Comics

Superman #149 covers perhaps the single most unique concept in all of comics, wherein Lex Luthor researches and creates a cure for cancer just to kill Superman. It's... pretty intense.

With Lex clearly having no way to match the Man of Steel in any kind of actual fight, he instead pretends to reform, creating the cure for cancer as a ruse in order to convince everyone that his intentions are genuinely good. After gaining Superman's trust, Luthor convinces him to build him a space laboratory, where he can carry out his research in peace - research that, unbeknownst to Kent, is aimed at using Kryptonite to finally kill him.

And, somewhat surprisingly, his plan works, with the unaware Superman being killed by Lex's newest invention before he can react. For his crimes, Luthor is sent to the phantom zone, but not before getting in a couple final gloats about finally taking down his arch-rival.

Contributor
Contributor

I like my comics like I like my coffee - in huge, unquestionably unhealthy doses.