Every Way Iron Man Could Beat Superman

Superman and Iron Man are two of the most popular heroes in their respective universes, able to surmount practically any challenge thrown their way. However, if these two icons came to blows, Kal-El would definitely have the upper hand. Superman’s strength alone puts him leagues ahead of Tony, not to mention his wide array of other powers, but there are a few ways the Armored Avenger may be able to snag a victory over the Man of Steel.

Tony Stark is the kind of hero who tries to solve problems before they happen, planning for every contingency to keep the world as safe as possible. So while Superman would destroy Iron Man in a straight fight, Stark has a chance at winning if he’s given time to prepare. Tony has already built suits designed to combat other heroes, like the Hulkbuster and Thorbuster armors, so it stands to reason he could create one to take on Superman as well, provided he has enough time to study his opponent. Both Batman and Lex Luthor have used mech-suits to fight Superman before, and making weaponized suits of armor is Iron Man’s specialty, so it stands to reason that he could design an even more effective suit than either of them. Given enough time, Stark could make armor that would really give Superman a run for his money, especially if he were able to get his hands on kryptonite and incorporate that into the suit’s weaponry.

Kryptonite is Superman’s most well-known weakness, but it’s not the only way to take him down. The radiation of a red sun, similar to the one from his homeworld of Krypton, can dampen Superman’s powers, leaving him as weak as a regular human. Batman uses this tactic in Superman: Red Son; luring the Man of Steel into his underground lair, thereby cutting him off from sunlight, and activates red sun lamps to drain his power. Without powers, Superman is easily beaten by Batman, and only survives thanks to interference from Wonder Woman. Tony could use this exact strategy – he’s smart enough to figure out how to lure Superman into a trap, and with his resources, designing a red sun room like Batman’s would be a piece of cake. Once Superman is down, Tony could then imprison him in the Negative Zone, an antimatter universe where the arrested non-registered heroes were kept during Civil War. Knowing Tony, he would probably install a red-sun prison cell like the one seen at the end of Injustice to keep Superman in, just for good measure.

Magic is another surefire way to do some damage to the Man of Steel. While Superman isn’t weak to magic in the same way he is to kryptonite, he is vulnerable to magical attacks, so a powerful enough spell could take him down. Iron Man isn’t exactly a wizard, but All-New X-Men Annual Vol 1 #1 showed that Tony Stark does become the Sorcerer Supreme in an alternate future, meaning it isn’t out of the question for him to study and master the mystic arts. Tony has also incorporated magic elements into his suits before – the Thorbuster armor, for example, is powered by an Asgardian crystal, giving it some magical properties. 

If all else fails, Tony still has his trump card: phone a friend. While this would be a cheap way to win, there are plenty of powerful Marvel heroes Iron Man could call on for aid if Superman proved to be too powerful to handle alone. That being said, Tony’s pride would probably prevent him from asking for help except as a last resort, but as long as he has enough prep time, he shouldn’t even need to.

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