Few super villains can equal Darth Vader’s calm, collected rage when it comes to smackdowns. Superman, on the other hand, is a symbol of humanity’s best qualities wrapped up in tights and a Jerry curl.
When they got together, they would put on quite the show: a battle for all time that would leave glaring red scars all over the place and strikes that would rock the planet.
A fight between the two seems like it would be easy for Superman to win. He can punch opponents into space and move quickly enough to complete a planet’s orbit in a single glance.
But his fictitious opponent Darth Vader has no known moral norms to be bound by, nor does he have any exploitable faults that Kryptonite may exploit. Here’s a breakdown of what may occur if Superman and Darth Vader squared up.
Who is Darth Vader?
The Chosen One, Darth Vader, the “Dark Lord” himself, and new member of the Jedi council are in the dark corner. In costume, Vader weighs a massive 299 pounds and is 6’7″ tall, making him a formidable opponent.
He also claims to have accomplished a great deal of amazing things, like moving entire star ships with just his Force connection and easily tossing rebels aside with his hands. But Darth Vader is not limited to using the Force and his physical prowess to his advantage in combat.
Vader, a crafty strategist, played a key role in the complete annihilation of the Jedi order throughout the galaxy. In order to achieve his goals, he is also a skilled manipulator who isn’t beyond using psychological tricks, even with his own son.
Superman has a history of failing at mind control, yet he is still capable of reading minds, influencing those around him, or just using terror and intimidation to get what he wants.
Emperor Palpatine has given Vader a cybernetic, life-saving outfit to wear. The Mandalorian iron inside the suit gives it lightsaber, projectile, and temperature resistance properties.
In addition to having several vision settings (including infrared and ultraviolet), his recognizable helmet has strength-enhancing cybernetics that can throw hundreds of pounds.
Darth Vader’s favored method of execution is to be within slicing reach of his lightsaber, which possesses a temperature of 45,032 degrees Fahrenheit (25 thousand degrees Celsius). He is rarely caught with a blaster in hand.
In comparison, the highest-elevation volcanoes on Earth are capable of erupting molten lava at 2,192 degrees Fahrenheit (1,200 degrees Celsius). Together with the obviously identifiable red sword, all of these elements combine to create a Sith tank that relishes close-quarters combat.
Who is Superman?
A man who doesn’t require an introduction stands at 6’3″ and weighs 235 pounds in the red corner: Superman, the Man of Steel, the Last Son of Krypton, and Earth’s savior.
Since earlier renditions of this character have absurdly high powers (such the capacity to sneeze galaxies out of existence), the most contentious and possibly weakest contemporary version of Superman will be used as the frame of reference in this discussion, which is the New 52.
Nevertheless, it has been demonstrated that Superman from the New 52 possesses the power and endurance to raise the whole weight of the Earth for days at a time, making him one of the strongest characters in the DC Universe.
Keeping that in mind, Superman has always had reason to fear magic and Kryptonite—the latter of which ultimately results in his death in the New 52 plot.
This Superman incarnation has incredible strength, speed, durability, and an ability all his own to expel all the solar energy from his cells and create a giant solar flare known as a “Super Flare”—tools that are need to finish the task at hand.
In a Battle, Could the Man of Steel Stop a Lightsaber?
One thing is made very evident as the two engage in a made-up death fight: Darth Vader is not good enough. Although mind control ought to have been the decisive element in this battle, Superman’s mind control requires a great deal of preparation and thought—that, or Kryptonite, which hasn’t been mentioned in the canon of Star Wars yet.
To be fair, allowing Vader time to get ready would also allow Superman time to get ready. If given the chance, the Man of Steel has previously developed telepathic defenses.
Vader is also unable of dealing a lethal blow. Superman is fuelled by yellow stars, just like the sun, because of his Kryptonian physiology. He has been shown flying through numerous yellow stars and taking energy directly into his body.
Natural solar flares can reach temperatures of about 40 million degrees Fahrenheit (20 million degrees Kelvin), which is tenfold higher than the temperature of a lightsaber. This is a force display that came from within Superman’s body, which he recovered from without any problems.
This supports the theory that a lightsaber with a quarter of the heat would cause very little, if any, damage.
In the spirit of fairness, Vader’s suit should be removed, an action that would ultimately backfire on the Star Wars tyrant, even though supporters of Vader may argue for the usage of a red sun, which renders Kryptonians functionally human. A fair combat can only have one outcome, and Superman comes out on top.
In our hypothetical epic battle between Superman and Darth Vader, who do you think would win? Leave a comment with your thoughts and theories! Remember to return on Investrecords for more thrilling articles on your beloved heroes and villains!