When it comes to Marvel Comics, you can't get much bigger and badder than the Mad Titan himself, Thanos. As viewers have seen in Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos is no joke and thanks to his Infinity Gauntlet, he is pretty much unstoppable. The entire combined might of the MCU's Avengers, Wakanda, and Guardians of the Galaxy were unable to put him down before he was able to snap his fingers and cull half of all life from existence.
Even without the fully-assembled Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos is no slouch in the butt-kicking department. Within the Marvel Universe, he is quite possibly the smartest character. His ability to think strategically through all eventualities in any given situation has afforded him the ability to win almost every engagement. Granted, Thanos is a bad guy so he doesn't come out on top when the dust eventually settles, but it often takes everyone-- literally, everyone with any power to take him down in the end.
Not only is Thanos intelligent beyond measurable means, but he also possesses the superhuman physiology of the Eternals, is incredibly strong, can teleport anywhere he wishes, and often has an army at his disposal. While he easily handles the folks over at Marvel, we thought it would be fun to tear through the DC Universe and see who could take him out, should they ever collide and have to do battle. For this list, we are analyzing Thanos (with and without the MCU version of the Gauntlet) as he does battle with 25 characters from DC.
Here are 20 DC Characters Who Could Defeat Thanos In Seconds (And 5 He Would Destroy).
25 DESTROY: AQUAMAN
Aquaman is one of DC's oldest and most popular characters who has stood side-by-side with the likes of Wonder Woman, Superman, and the rest of the Justice League. He is a King who controls pretty much the entire ocean, and he can even talk to fish!
When facing an opponent like Thanos, all of his strengths would amount to very little given the cunning and power of his opponent.
Aquaman would certainly put up a good fight, but unless the battle takes place in or near the ocean, it's unlikely Thanos would succumb to Aquaman's various abilities.
24 SHAZAM
When most folks think of DC's biggest and baddest superhero with incredible strength, a cape, and skintight red duds, they picture Superman. The Man of Steel isn't the only character in DC to pack a serious punch; there's also Shazam, a character with the magical powers of the gods.
When Billy Batts speaks the word "SHAZAM," he is invoking the powers of Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury, which magically transforms him into a ridiculously powerful character. A fight between Shazam and Thanos would be messy, but Thanos wouldn't stand a chance without his Gauntlet.
23 DOOMSDAY
Many fans remember Doomsday from the iconic Superman event in the '90s, but he's still around in one form or another. Doomsday is the result of a Kryptonian experiment to create the perfect being, capable of surviving any threat and coming out on top.
Doomsday would relentlessly pummel Thanos into the ground and then do it again.
He's a walking tank who cannot be taken down no matter how hard the likes of Superman tries. Even in his original appearance, neither he nor Superman were actually destroyed in their battle, which means he only got stronger as a result of their conflict.
22 GREEN LANTERN
While there are many Green Lanterns to choose from in a fight against Thanos, the one who would likely take out the Mad Titan would have to be Hal Jordan. This would have to be a battle between the two where Thanos fought without the Gauntlet, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't be a good fight.
Thanos' strengths are great, but they are no match for Jordan's Will. Seeing as this is what powers his Green Lantern Power Ring, there isn't much of a chance Thanos could gain an advantage and beat him. Jordan would destroy Thanos and hurl him into the sun-- or whatever else might be nearby.
21 WONDER WOMAN
Wonder Woman is the daughter of Zeus, which makes her a demigod, but she is far more than that. As an Amazonian Princess, she possesses skills and fighting abilities that go unmatched across the entirety of the DC Universe.
She has taken on gods like Aries, and battled just about every threat imaginable.
When it comes to a fight between her and Thanos, he could have the Glove, but she would just lasso him in the arm and take it away from him before he could use it. The intense beating that would follow would leave the Mad Titan pounded into the dust, making this a fight he simply wouldn't win.
20 DARKSEID
Thanos is to Marvel as Darkseid is to DC. Both characters were created around the same time-- though Darkseid came first-- and stand as the "biggest bads" in their respective universes. Typically, Darkseid is one of Superman's villains and one of the few who can actually challenge him, but his machinations have drawn in pretty much everyone in the DC Universe.
In terms of power, Darkseid has the advantage over Thanos. He is an immortal god who can manipulate matter and energy, teleport, fire Omega beams, and has a slew of other skills, tactics, and abilities he would use to smash Thanos into bits.
19 DESTROY: THE FLASH
Since he first appeared, the Flash has been one of the most important and powerful characters in the DC Universe. His ability to travel through time and to other dimensions has opened up the DC Multiverse and his skills have landed him a role alongside Superman and others in the Justice League. He is respected and powerful, but perhaps, not powerful enough.
Thanos' abilities place him in a league far outside that of the Flash's power level.
He regularly battles other speedsters and humans with enhanced abilities, but without his teammates in the JLA, he wouldn't stand a chance alone against Thanos.
18 BRAINIAC 13
Thanks to a virus in LexCorp's Y2K safety protocols, the Brainiac of the 64th Century was able to come to the present and infect Brainiac 2.5's body. This version of Brainiac was far more powerful than his past counterpart and able to control most machines (and android superheroes) in the 21st Century.
In a fight against Thanos, Brainiac 13's intellect would prove to be far superior. He would find a way to control all the machinery in the area and use it against the Mad Titan to get an advantage. It would be a close fight, but Brainiac 13 would come out victorious.
17 MR. MXYZPTLK
Thanos spent years tracking down the Stones so he could cull half the universe, but Mister Mxyzptlk could have snapped his fingers and done it whenever he wanted. As an Imp from the 5th Dimension, Mr. Mxyzptlk isn't bound by the laws of the 3rd Dimension. This gives him the ability to warp reality in any way he sees fit.
Literally, anything is possible. which means he could simply think Thanos out of existence.
He could also turn him into a houseplant, or shrink him to the size of an electron if he wanted to. Even with the Gauntlet, reality manipulation is more natural for Mxyzptlk making this an uneven fight in the Imp's favor.
16 LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR
Lucifer Morningstar is the fallen Angel who battled the forces of Heaven, but failed. His punishment was to rule Hell, which he did for eons before deciding to hang it all up. He cut off his wings and headed to Earth to become a lounge singer. The various warriors of Heaven didn't appreciate his abandonment of Hell, which brought him back into the game.
In terms of powers, we are talking about the Devil here. Lucifer isn't like Mephisto of the Marvel Universe-- he is literally the devil, but also has the power to ignite the stars themselves. He would barely notice Thanos' presence, much less lose to him in a fight.
15 SUPERMAN PRIME ONE MILLION
Superman could probably beat the crap out of Thanos were they to fight, but if the version of Superman who engaged Thanos was from the 853rd Century, it would be over before it began.
The Superman of the 853rd Century emerged from the heart of the sun where he resided since the 21st Century.
During that time, he became a living extension of the sun, which increased his powers a ridiculous amount. Take everything you know about Superman's powers and multiply them by a factor of 10 billion and you are barely close to the levels of power Superman Prime One Million possesses. Thanos wouldn't stand a chance against him in any reality.
14 PARALLAX
Within the DC Universe, there exist many physical manifestations of emotions. Parallax is the physical embodiment of fear, which makes it an antithetical adversary of the Green Lantern Corps, which focuses on Willpower. Parallax can possess other beings and embody them with significant power, but that's not his only trait.
The best weapon Parallax could employ against Thanos in a fight would be the ability to instill fear. By attacking Thanos in this way, Parallax could take a brief advantage and possess Thanos to do his bidding. By then, the fight would be over and while Thanos would, on the surface, appear to be a souped-up version of himself, he would be under Parallax's control.
13 DESTROY: MARTIAN MANHUNTER
Martian Manhunter is one of the strongest characters in the DC Universe, which begs the question, why is he on this list in the "destroy" category?
While he is immensely powerful and able to shapeshift into anything he desires, J'onn J'onzz has a weakness Thanos would easily exploit.
Since his inception, the Martian Manhunter's biggest fear and weakness has been fire. While he has taken steps to overcome this disability over the years, Thanos would find a way to use it against him. It wouldn't be difficult for Thanos to set up some sort of inferno-trap to take him out, which is why J'onn doesn't win in this fight.
12 SWAMP THING
Many people discount Swamp Thing as not being much of a threat, but on the planet Earth, he is essentially a god. He is able to transport across the globe wherever plant-matter is present and damage to his body is irrelevant as he can simply recreate himself from whatever vegetation is nearby.
His strength is immense and he could easily overwhelm the likes of Thanos were he to step foot on Earth and face him. Swamp Thing isn't limited to Earth, either. He can engage in battle with Thanos across the cosmos so long as some plants exist.
11 LARFLEEZE
Larfleeze is the wielder of the Orange Light of Avarice and was, for a long time, the only member of that Lantern Corps. He is said to be billions of years old and acquired his powers through a deal between himself and the Guardians of the Universe eons ago.
He remains in constant contact with his battery, which only amplifies his powers.
Larrfleeze is already powerful, being able to use his ring to create Orange Light Constructs, but his unique ability to assume the identities of those he destroyed and recreate them as new members of his Corps puts him ahead of Thanos' gang. His power would continually amplify until Thanos falls at his feet.
10 ECLIPSO
Eclipso may be known for an annoying comic book cover from the '90s, but those who've actually read about him knows he's a significant threat to anyone in the DC Universe. Eclipso is the physical incarnation of God's wrath, known as the Angel of Vengeance. He eventually became evil and was replaced by another character on this list.
Eclipso has the ability to possess anyone who comes into contact with the cursed Heart of Darkness gem. He is an infinitely powerful magical being who holds the literal powers of God. His abilities are too vast to detail here, but needless to say, he would make short work of a being like Thanos.
9 MOGO
Mogo is one of the members of the Green Lantern Corps, though he isn't the most powerful. He is, however, a sentient planet who is so in touch with the powers of the Green Lantern Corps,that he is responsible for guiding new rings to potential recruits. He can also alter his gravity and weather in any way necessary.
Mogo could simply fly into Thanos at faster-than-light speed.
There are many other ways Mogo could take out the Mad Titan. If Thanos found himself on the surface of Mogo, he could be trapped by the planet itself via gravity manipulation and destroyed.
8 DESTROY: LOBO
The classic version of Lobo would have been able to wipe the floor with Thanos, but that character has been replaced with a leaner and less over-the-top interpretation.
The new Last Czarnian wouldn't stand a chance against the likes of Thanos.
Classic Lobo beat up Superman and anyone else he came in contact with, which included the combined forces of Heaven and Hell. He was immortal and Thanos would have lost in a fight against him. The New 52 Lobo would barely stand against Thanos for a few minutes.
7 ION
If you thought Hal Jordan as a Green Lantern was powerful, you haven't seen anything yet. After Kyle Rayner acquires the sum total of the energies of both the Guardians of the Universe and the Central Power Battery, he became an ultimate power in the universe, similar in many ways to Thanos with the Infinity Gauntlet.
Ion was able to control all of time, space, and reality. In this form, he would have been able to wipe the floor with Thanos, even with the Infinity Gauntlet. The two simply don't compare because, while Thanos has his tricks, Ion had a level of omnipotence Thanos could never achieve.
6 ANTI-MONITOR
If you thought Darkseid was a tough guy, he has nothing on the Anti-Monitor. This character is primarily a villain of the Green Lantern Corps, but in truth, he is a villain to the entire Multiverse. He is the counterpart of the Monitor who resides in the Anti-Matter Universe.
He has destroyed multiple Universes within the Multiverse, which has given him the highest body count in the entire DC Universe.
His powers are godlike and he has the ability to manipulate matter, energy, and reality itself. He could go toe-to-toe against Thanos with the Gauntlet and still walk away without breaking a sweat.
5 MICHAEL DEMIURGOS
When Lucifer rebelled against God and went to war with Heaven, he fought against the combined might of the Angelic horde under the command of Michael Demiurgos. He is DC's representation of the Archangel Michael, whose powers far exceed those of Lucifer's.
Michael has the ability to use the Demiurgos, also known as God's Power, to create whatever he needs. He used it to defeat Lucifer and his army of Rebel Angels. He is also immortal, omnipotent, and omniscient, which puts him at a level far above Thanos or pretty much anyone who isn't a warrior of Heaven or Hell.
4 IMPERIEX
Imperiex is the physical embodiment of entropy, which is presented as a being of pure energy contained within a humanoid suit of armor. He is gigantic and has existed since before time was time.
His purpose is to destroy the Universe so that it can be created anew from the ashes of the previous one.
When your whole job is to exist through the life/death cycle of the Universe, you aren't the type of being who can be challenged by the likes of the Mad Titan. Imperiex can induce a Big Bang and simply erase everything, everywhere by replacing it with something new.
3 DR. MANHATTAN
Doctor Manhattan may have started out as a man, but thanks to an accident within an Intrinsic Field Subtractor, he was reborn as a being possessing godlike powers. In many ways, Dr. Manhattan is what Thanos hopes to achieve by obtaining the Infinity Gauntlet filled with the Infinity Stones/Gems.
Dr. Manhattan is immortal, can resurrect his form, alter time, and space, and has the ability to manipulate matter and energy at the atomic level. He could simply look in Thanos' general direction and turn him into a pot of daisies if he wanted to. He could also uncreate Thanos and disintegrate his entire being atom by atom.
2 SPECTRE
Spectre was God's answer to Eclipso's turn to evil. When God required a more reliable physical manifestation of his wrath, Spectre was born. Like Eclipso, the Spectre inhabits the bodies of other beings, manifesting when he is needed. His powers are godlike and similar to Eclipso's.
Spectre is immortal and has the ability to warp reality, and to manipulate matter and energy at a cosmic level.
He has precognitive abilities that let him know what will happen long before it comes to pass. Thanos would require the Gauntlet to stand against Spectre, but the Mad Titan would lose in the end.
1 DESTROY: BATMAN
Across the entire DC Universe, there isn't a character as beloved as the Dark Knight. It hurts us to say it, but all of Batman's skills and abilities would be nothing compared to the likes of Thanos. You know how Captain America stood up to Thanos in Infinity War, but was taken out by a single punch? Batman wouldn't fare as well seeing as he has no superhuman abilities, but he would still try.
While he would certainly prepare for their conflict, there is nothing Bats could do to stand against Thanos.
If they came into direct conflict, Batman would inevitably fall at the Mad Titan's feet.
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What other DC characters could beat Thanos? Let us know in the comments!