Even though DC Comics’ Absolute Universe started less than a year ago, it’s already creating some of the most compelling stories and characters of the modern day. Unlike the prime universe of the main DC Continuity, the Absolute Universe is a world where evil reigns supreme, and heroes are the underdogs. This new universe has allowed DC writers to take familiar characters into bold new directions and give them unique storylines that the main DC continuity wouldn’t have allowed. Batman isn’t rich, Superman is homeless, and Wonder Woman was raised in Hell. With such drastically different starting points, heroes can end up either weaker or even more powerful than their prime universe counterparts. While it’s too early to say for sure how comparatively weaker or stronger each of these characters is, here’s a rough power-scaling based on what the comics have presented us so far.
The Absolute Universe has reimagined several DC Heroes in many ways, including their abilities and potential.
6) Batman
Bruce Wayne may not possess the wealth that his prime universe counterpart has, but he compensates with his strength, ingenuity, and engineering skills. Using his technical expertise and know-how to make himself a truly menacing figure, Bruce devised every aspect of the Batman persona to be enormous and durable, including his own body. A master of multiple martial arts and, standing at 6’6” tall and weighing in at 250 lbs., this Batman is a juggernaut. Every part of his costume is secretly a weapon. His cape has hooks to grab and throw opponents, his ears can be detached and thrown like knives, and he can remove his suit’s bat logo and turn it into a battle axe. And his Batmobile is the size of a large house, able to crush cars beneath it like a monster truck. While he may not have powers, the Absolute Batman more than makes up for it with his sheer tenacity as a fighter and engineer.
5) Martian Manhunter
The Martian Manhunter in this universe is no Martian, but rather, a human FBI agent named John Jones, who is bonded to a disembodied alien entity that only calls itself a Martian. The alien gives John psychic abilities, letting him read other people’s thoughts. It also gives John a healing factor, protection against fire, and the ability to teleport. The Martian can also enter the minds of other people and cure them of delusions and outside influences. When the powerful White Martians invade the planet and begin manipulating people’s emotions to become more violent, John and the Martian fight them. The Martian can kill these non-corporeal creatures and free dozens of people from their control at once. While the pair is less violent than other heroes of the Absolute Universe, they are still incredibly powerful as they can directly affect the minds and emotions of their enemies to bring about peaceful solutions.
4) The Flash
Wally West, aka Flash of the Absolute Universe, is more than just a master of speed; he’s a master of fate. Unlike other speedsters in the DC Multiverse, Wally doesn’t have access to the Speed Force and instead gets his powers from a different and unknown source. This other source gives Wally the ability to reach superhuman speeds, phase through objects, and fire electrical blasts. Wally also has the power to travel through time. He can use this ability either go back in time or see possible futures. Because he’s so young and inexperienced, he has very little control over his abilities. However, with enough time and training, he could become a powerhouse in the Absolute Universe.
3) Green Lantern
Sojourner Mullein became the Green Lantern when her wedding ring absorbed the green energy of the alien Abin Sur. As a Green Lantern, she can fly and harness the energy to create hard light constructs such as force fields and giant fists. Only five days after receiving this cosmic power, Sojourner is already capable of fighting Hal Jordan, who is possessed by the more volatile and destructive energy of the Black Hand. The Black Hand can consume light and living things. The fact that Sojourner was able to create constructs that could withstand and even overpower direct attacks from the Black Hand shows that she is already a very powerful Green Lantern. Although the full extent of her power hasn’t yet been revealed, Sojourner is already showing great potential in wielding the Green Level of Light.
2) Superman
Despite not being nearly as strong as his prime universe counterpart, Absolute Superman is still a mighty being who takes on entire armies single-handedly. While this universe’s Kal-El can still absorb yellow sunlight to gain all the standard Kryptonian powers like flight, strength, and heat vision, he naturally has much smaller energy reserves. With fewer reserves, he can become depleted quickly and become vulnerable. Thankfully, his armor more than makes up for his weaknesses. Programmed with artificial intelligence, the suit can warn Kal-El of incoming danger and turn into a solar panel to help him absorb more sunlight to get stronger. The suit’s most impressive function is its sunstone dust. A swarm of nanites, the sunstone dust hovers around Superman like a cape and can take on many forms. It can be used to grab people, act as a shield, dismantle technology, and even transform into a powerful dust storm capable of destroying everything in its path.
1) Wonder Woman
The first public hero of the Absolute Universe, Diana, aka Wonder Woman, is its most powerful. An Amazon raised by the witch Circe in Hell, Diana has all the natural strengths of an Amazon on top of her mystical arsenal of spells and weapons. She can cast all manner of spells, some of which can have effects that span an entire city. Some of her other spells give her the power to teleport, control fire and earth, create forcefields, and travel between dimensions. Diana also carries many weapons in a small pouch that’s bigger on the inside. In addition to having a sword the size of her body, Diana’s Lasso of Nemesis causes those ensnared in it to feel the pain of every sin they have ever committed. And as her secret weapon, she can turn herself into a giant Gorgon and turn anything that makes eye contact with her into stone. With such a powerful array of diverse powers and weapons, Diana is easily the strongest hero the Absolute Universe has seen thus far.
