DC’s Newest Hero Is As Overpowered As Superman (By Design)

Warning: contains spoilers for Monkey Prince #2!

DC Comics’ newest major hero, the all-powerful Monkey Prince, is just as powerful as Superman if not more so – but this is a deliberate design decision on the part of the writers, and is historically accurate (insofar as a cartoon monkey’s supernatural powers can be considered historically accurate). Superman is often the textbook example when one considered an overpowered superhero; while many heroes have one or two superpowers, the Man of Steel seemingly has over a dozen, each considerably more powerful than similar characters. But the Monkey Prince gives Superman a run for his money, by staying true to the Chinese legend on which the new hero is based.

Marcus Sun suffered intense trauma as a child living in Gotham City when Batman smashed a window of his home while pursuing a criminal. Now as a new student in high school, he is constantly teased and bullied by practically everyone else in his class. Strange things are happening to Marcus: he has odd dreams, he has difficulty breathing occasionally, and he spontaneously grows a tail in the middle of class. Jumping into the school pool, he finds himself passing through a waterfall and sees a vision of the land of his true father: Sun Wukong, the Monkey King.

As the Monkey Prince, Marcus immediately gains new abilities: he’s incredibly strong and has the dexterity and agility of a monkey (along with opposable toes). When Monkey Prince strikes back against his previous bullies, Damian Wayne (who also attends the school) summons Batman, who – in an astounding reversal of his famed One Rule – misses a Batarang throw and ends up decapitating DC’s new hero. Fortunately, Marcus’ monkey form doesn’t need a body to survive.

In the Chinese story Journey to the West, the Monkey King is easily the most memorable character for many reasons, one of them being the sheer amount of powers he acquires on his journey. He can shapeshift, fly using clouds controlled with his mind, and possesses a giant bow staff called Ruyi Jingu Bang that can grow to the height of a mountain and shrink enough for Monkey King to carry around on his back. His powers are many and are introduced without rhyme or reason – quite similar to Superman’s seemingly-endless powers during the Silver Age of Comics.

Marcus can already control clouds with his mind, fly on command, and survive without his body (it’s worth noting that his body still attempted to fight Batman even while headless). The newest hero of the DC Universe has the potential to become the strongest ever, simply because the writers were being true to the source material. One wonders if Monkey Prince will ever fight Superman in the future…or who would win.