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Anyone who feels that way doesn’t have to embrace the new DC Universe. There are numerous projects within arm’s reach that allow the Man of Steel to flex his muscles without his opponent ever landing a punch. Here’s every animated version of Superman, ranked by power.
14) Super Friends
Saturday morning cartoons were all the rage in the ’70s and ’80s, and Super Friends was the cream of the crop. A bunch of DC heroes come together to tackle a threat to the world. However, the show doesn’t ask its heroes to solve all the problems with their fists. Superman and his buddies like to reason with the bad guys. It sends a strong message to viewers, but it comes at the cost of Superman’s strength.
13) Superman
The 1940s Superman short films dealt with a similar problem. Due to the technical limits at the time, they weren’t able to give the titular character much to do. He flies around and helps out where he can, but that’s about it. There’s never a moment when the Man of Steel has to take the gloves off to win a fight or save the world.
12) The Dark Knight Returns
The animated adaptation of Frank Miller’s iconic story The Dark Knight Returns features a different kind of Superman. For starters, he’s older and no longer in prime fighting shape. That puts him at a disadvantage when he picks a fight with the smartest man on the planet, Batman. While he still has enough raw strength to survive a bout with the Caped Crusader, there isn’t much else to write home about.
11) All-Star Superman
As a standalone animated movie, All-Star Superman doesn’t have to worry about setting up future storylines, a fact it takes to heart. Superman gets exposed to too much solar radiation, and while it makes him stronger for a time, it eventually costs him his life. All-Star Superman is more about the man than the hero, which makes it a unique story, but not one that highlights the titular hero’s power.
10) Justice League Action
Putting Superman in a team environment means he has a great support system — one that is ready to come to his aid at the drop of a hat. However, with Wonder Woman and Batman always hanging around in Justice League Action, there’s not much heavy lifting to be done. Superman shines in a couple of moments, such as in his fight against Steppenwolf, and that’s enough to crack the top 10 on this list.
9) Legion of Super Heroes
There are so many DC TV shows that it’s hard to keep track of them all. One that consistently flies under the radar is Legion of Super Heroes, which sends a young Superman to the future to hone his skills and fight alongside the titular team. Over the course of the show’s two seasons, Superman gets his fair share of solo battles, including a notable one against the Controller, and always holds his own.
8) Superman: Red Son
In an alternate reality, Superman lands in the Soviet Union rather than Kansas and becomes its leader. Superman: Red Son pits the hero against both Lex Luthor and Brainiac, and it takes teaming up with the former to beat the latter. Every challenge the Man of Steel takes on in the movie ends with him victorious, but he does take a couple of nasty beatings along the way.
