DC Characters on a Marvel Power Grid?

[KangConquers]

I know the power grid is a controversial topic among Marvel fans, but I always thought it would be fun to use the power grid to rate DC characters.


Intelligence: The ability to think and process information.

Spoiler

1 Slow/Impaired
2 Normal
3 Learned
4 Gifted
5 Genius
6 Super-Genius
7 Omniscient

Strength:

The Ability to lift weight. (see also: Strength Scale)

Spoiler

1 Weak: cannot lift own body weight
2 Normal: able to lift own body weight
3 Peak human: able to lift twice own body weight
4 Superhuman: 800 lbs-25 ton range
5 Superhuman: 25-75 ton range
6 Superhuman: 75-100 ton range
7 Incalculable: in excess of 100 tons

Speed:

The ability to move over land by running or flight.

Spoiler

1 Below normal
2 Normal
3 Superhuman: peak range: 700 MPH
4 Speed of sound: Mach-1
5 Supersonic: Mach-2 through Orbital Velocity
6 Speed of light: 186,000 miles per second
7 Warp speed: transcending light speed

Durability:

The ability to resist or recover from bodily injury.

Spoiler

1 Weak
2 Normal
3 Enhanced
4 Regenerative
5 Bulletproof
6 Superhuman
7 Virtually indestructible

Energy Projection:

The ability to discharge energy.

Spoiler

1 None
2 Ability to discharge energy on contact
3 Short range, short duration, single energy type
4 Medium range, duration, single energy type
5 Long range, long duration, single energy type
6 Able to discharge multiple forms of energy
7 Virtually unlimited command of all forms of energy

Fighting Ability:

The proficiency in hand-to-hand combat.

Spoiler

1 Poor
2 Normal
3 Some training
4 Experienced fighter
5 Master of a single form of combat
6 Master of several forms of combat
7 Master of all forms of combat

Anyone want to bite on this discussion?

 

[Warhammer]

Batman:

- Intelligence: 6
- Strength: 3
- Speed: 2
- Durability: 2
- Energy Projection: 0
- Fighting Ability: 6

 

[The Question]

Is Batman a super genius? I mean, he's highly intelligent, a brilliant tactician and investigator, but he's not really any kind of visionary scientist or inventor. All of his technology is repurposed from other sources. And what does super genius mean, exactly? What are the qualifications?

The Marvel power grid is like power levels in DBZ. It basically doesn't mean anything.

 

[Donnie Darko]

My issue would be with speed. The jump from 2-3 seems awfully large. There should be like a normal/athletic, then peak human. I mean, I am faster than average in a sprint, but would get absolutely burned by anyone close to peak human (elite track and field athletes).

 

[The Question]

Also, the Marvel concept of "peak human" is really vague and all over the place. Like, Captain America is said not not have super powers, and is simply "peak human," but A) Being in near perfect shape without having to exercise for it is clearly a super power, and B) his stats go on to show that he's capable of peak performance in every area. He's able to bench press and dead lift as much as the world record holders, he's able to sprint as fast as the world record holders, he's able to maintain a running speed as long as the world record holders, and he's able to perform acts of gymnastics and free running as well as the world record holders. That's not how normal muscle development works. If you train to be as strong as a person can be, you'd be too bulky to be able to run at peak speeds, and agility of any kind is certainly out of the question. If you're that string while also being that fast and that agile and possessing that much stamina, then you have superhuman strength, speed, agility, and stamina. Period.

So yeah, peak human is a very nebulous statement.

 

[KangConquers]

Batman:

- Intelligence: 6
- Strength: 3
- Speed: 2
- Durability: 2
- Energy Projection: 0
- Fighting Ability: 6

That is exactly what I get for Batman.

Superman

- Intelligence: 5
- Strength: 7
- Speed: 6
- Durability: 7
- Energy Projection: 6
- Fighting Ability: 2

Wonder Woman

- Intelligence: 3
- Strength: 7
- Speed: 6
- Durability: 6
- Energy Projection: 1
- Fighting Ability: 7


Hal Jordan (All stats except Intelligence and Fighting ability are augmented by Ring)

- Intelligence: 3
- Strength: 7
- Speed: 6
- Durability: 6
- Energy Projection: 7
- Fighting Ability: 4

 

[KangConquers]

Is Batman a super genius? I mean, he's highly intelligent, a brilliant tactician and investigator, but he's not really any kind of visionary scientist or inventor. All of his technology is repurposed from other sources. And what does super genius mean, exactly? What are the qualifications?

The Marvel power grid is like power levels in DBZ. It basically doesn't mean anything.

The system doesn't mean anything, but it's kind of fun.t:

I'd consider Batman a Super Genius, being sort of DC's Tony Stark who Marvel considers a Super Genius.

Super Genius by the Marvel definition, is kind of like the difference between having a 140 IQ and having a 180 IQ (arbitrarily speaking.) Both are considered genius range, but one is significantly higher.

There are admittedly flaws in the grading system, like the one you mentioned for Speed. I believe Marvel considers Superhuman speed being able to sustain top speeds above 30 Miles Per Hour, and Superhuman strength benching more than 800 lbs.

 

[The Question]

But other than owning a company, Batman isn't very much like Tony Stark at all. He doesn't invent anything. He gets his technology from other places and just paints a bat on it.

 

[Warhammer]

Is Batman a super genius? I mean, he's highly intelligent, a brilliant tactician and investigator, but he's not really any kind of visionary scientist or inventor. All of his technology is repurposed from other sources. And what does super genius mean, exactly? What are the qualifications?

The Marvel power grid is like power levels in DBZ. It basically doesn't mean anything.

See, I was hesitant on making Batman a 5 or a 6. I tried to compare him with Tony. You're right, though.

 

[The Question]

In my mind, if we were going to quantify super-genius, it would involve some capacity for innovation and a deeper and more complex understanding of how things work and relate to each other that goes beyond having a doctoral level of knowledge in a field. Like, Da Vinci or Tesla.

Batman's an exceptionally intelligent person, but it's still within the confines of pre-existing knowledge. Like, it would be difficult, but a lot of people could train themselves to have that level of reasoning if they put the effort in. Far fewer people could be the next Tesla.

Like, to me, Super Genius would be like a wizard of science. So, Reed Richards and Tony Stark would qualify. Batman not so much.

 

[Llama_Shepherd]

I know the power grid is a controversial topic among Marvel fans, but I always thought it would be fun to use the power grid to rate DC characters.


Intelligence: The ability to think and process information.

Spoiler

1 Slow/Impaired
2 Normal
3 Learned
4 Gifted
5 Genius
6 Super-Genius
7 Omniscient

Strength:

The Ability to lift weight. (see also: Strength Scale)

Spoiler

1 Weak: cannot lift own body weight
2 Normal: able to lift own body weight
3 Peak human: able to lift twice own body weight
4 Superhuman: 800 lbs-25 ton range
5 Superhuman: 25-75 ton range
6 Superhuman: 75-100 ton range
7 Incalculable: in excess of 100 tons

Speed:

The ability to move over land by running or flight.

Spoiler

1 Below normal
2 Normal
3 Superhuman: peak range: 700 MPH
4 Speed of sound: Mach-1
5 Supersonic: Mach-2 through Orbital Velocity
6 Speed of light: 186,000 miles per second
7 Warp speed: transcending light speed

Durability:

The ability to resist or recover from bodily injury.

Spoiler

1 Weak
2 Normal
3 Enhanced
4 Regenerative
5 Bulletproof
6 Superhuman
7 Virtually indestructible

Energy Projection:

The ability to discharge energy.

Spoiler

1 None
2 Ability to discharge energy on contact
3 Short range, short duration, single energy type
4 Medium range, duration, single energy type
5 Long range, long duration, single energy type
6 Able to discharge multiple forms of energy
7 Virtually unlimited command of all forms of energy

Fighting Ability:

The proficiency in hand-to-hand combat.

Spoiler

1 Poor
2 Normal
3 Some training
4 Experienced fighter
5 Master of a single form of combat
6 Master of several forms of combat
7 Master of all forms of combat

Anyone want to bite on this discussion?

My interpretation of the Justice League:


Bruce Wayne/ Batman

Intelligence- 5
Strength- 3
Speed- 2
Durability- 2
Energy Projection- 0
Fighting Skills- 6

Clark Kent/ Kal-El/ Superman

Intelligence- 5
Strength- 7
Speed- 6
Durability- 7
Energy Projection- 6
Fighting Skills- 3

Diana of Themyscira/ Wonder Woman

Intelligence- 3
Strength- 6
Speed- 5
Durability- 6
Energy Projection- 0
Fighting Skills- 4

Barry Allen/ Flash

Intelligence- 4
Strength- 3 (7 at Infinite Mass Punch)
Speed- 7
Durability- 3
Energy Projection- 1
Fighting Skills- 2

Hal Jordan/ Green Lantern (with Power Ring)

Intelligence- 4 (access to Oan libraries)
Strength- 7
Speed- 6
Durability- 7
Energy Projection- 6
Fighting Skills- 2

Orin/ Arthur Curry/ Aquaman

Intelligence- 3
Strength- 6
Speed- 3
Durability- 5
Energy Projection- 0
Fighting Skills- 4

Victor Stone/ Cyborg

Intelligence- 5 (access to all knowledge stored digitally)
Strength- 5
Speed- 2
Durability- 6
Energy Projection- 6
Fighting Skills- 3

 

[Anubis]

Batman's a 5 in intelligence at best.

 

[Wolfwood]

Does Superman really qualify for genius status? He strikes me as being "Gifted." I've never seen him do something that would make me say "Holy ****, that was genius Superman!"

 

[Llama_Shepherd]

In the last issue of Action he learned how to become a surgeon and performed an operation in under 5 minutes.

 

[Anubis]

Yeah, Super intelligence is one of his powers.

Seldom used though.

 

[The Question]

That's something I'm thoroughly against. The whole point of Lex being his arch is that Lex is better than Superman in the one area he's not super.

 

[Anubis]

Yeah, I think the Super intellect is a bit much. He shouldn't be an idiot though. Just, not able to pull insane tech out of his ass like Reed Richards or somebody. He should be able to understand lots of stuff. I'd say Above Average is a good spot. Highly intelligent, but not a Super Genius. Like Einstein in Manhattan Projects......and if you're not reading that s**t you effin' should, cuz it's effin' awesome!

 

[The Question]

He should be a reasonably intelligent person who isn't a scientist. He can have an understanding of scientific concepts, even a significant understanding, but he shouldn't be a leading scientific mind of any kind.

 

[Anubis]

Exactly.

 

[The Question]

I imagine him being Stephen Fry kind of smart: He knows enough scientific facts and concepts to follow a scientific conversation and have an opinion but he's not a scientist.

 

[Llama_Shepherd]

It's still one of his powers though...... Hence why I listed him as his number on the power grid.

 

[The Question]

It's still one of his powers though...... Hence why I listed him as his number on the power grid.

Super-weaving and super-ventriliquism used to be powers he had too. Besides flight, strength, speed, and invulnerability, his powers tend to come and go depending on who writes him. Even more traditional powers like heat vision and ice breath get forgotten a lot.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Wasn't ice breath retconned into just being able to blow really hard from super-powerful lungs for a while post-Crisis?

 

[The Question]

Wasn't ice breath retconned into just being able to blow really hard from super-powerful lungs for a while post-Crisis?

I think it was always that, but sometimes it makes ice.

It's still kind of silly.

 

[Anubis]

I figure his lungs work like one of them computer dust cleaners only more powerful.....cuz you know....that s**t comes out pretty damn cold.