It ’s an understatement to say thatDC Comics’SupermanandDragon Ball’sGokuaretwo laughably overmaster poor boy in their respective universes , but when fight down against Marvel ’s Thor in a cross - company match for the age , Supes reveals why Goku would mop the floor with him ! rent ’s just say rules are rules , peculiarly the ones governing each type ’s specific universe .

An unavoidable red already explained in 2003 ’s crossover titledJLA / Avengers , written by Kurt Busiek and illustrate by the late and expectant George Perez , the crotchet of this serial is all in the name . play off the Justice League of America against the Avengers in a bid to save their respective universes from total and utter annihilation , this democratic event sawiconic DC and Marvel characterslike Batman , Superman , Captain America , Thor , and more , duke it out in ways that give fans of both companies something to ghost over .

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Part of the bigger Justice League / Avengers battle happening at the time , the brawl in question visit the Mighty Thor front off against The Man of Steel in a way that can only be describe as epic . Blasting Thor in the thorax with his patented heat vision , Superman is attacked with an electrify Mjolnir , fall in mode to a purportedly unimaginable feat : Superman single - handedly holdingThor ’s iconic mystical hammerat bay , something that no one on the battlefield — The God of Thunder especially — can amply comprehend . And as all put up in veneration at the military strength of Superman on full display in front of them , Superman utters a single line that explains everything devotee demand to know about why he could never beat Goku .

discontinue the full might of Mjolnir with the palm of his hand , Superman says , “ Sorry to let down , but in my world , it face like the dial go up to eleven ! ” a second that can ab initio be construed as a fun fiddling one - liner ( orSpinal Tapreference ) for Supes to give tongue to while throw out Thor to the side . Instead , this quote holds a deeper signification , specifically in regards to the very nature of thesediffering Marvel , DC , andDragon Balluniversesand the rule and limitations that determine and mould them into the realities their heroes and villain live and fight in .

Theorizing earlier that each universe has some kind of build - in practice of law of aperient in price of how herculean graphic symbol can become , Superman gives the Marvel Universe ’s power scale a “ 10 ” , with the DC Universe ’s cranked to “ 11 , ” telling devotee through this in - lore account why he could never beat Goku : if DC ’s world croak up to 11,Dragon Ball ’s bombastic index detonating gadget get to 15 at the absolute least . But make no mistake , Superman is indeed a strong bomber , it ’s just that the term “ powerful ” is relevant to the characters inhabiting that particular universe , withDragon Ballcurrently sitting at the top of the list with ridiculously overpowered characters likeUltra Ego Vegeta and Ultra Instinct Gokuutilizing their transmutation of impossible strength and accomplishment in ways that always seem to hint at another evenmorepowerful build on the horizon .

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To summarize , the most powerful heroes in DC Comics willalwaysout - muscle the most herculean ones from Marvel , and the most muscular hero in DC ( Superman ) willalwayslose toDragon Ball ’s most powerful zep ( Goku ) simply because , at this point , Dragon Ball ’s power jacket is beyond human comprehension . So while it ’s highly unlikelySupermanandGokuwill ever meet , Big Blue ’s give-and-take in this crossover will have to act as the unequivocal reason as to why he could never beatthis unassailable   Saiyan warrior .

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Jon Kent (AKA Superman’s Young Adult Son) with Kryptonite in the background

Goku and Superman fight

Superman is stronger than Mjolnir

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