Now that DC's Aquaman has finally come into his own as a feature film star, it’s time to start taking the underwater warrior a little more seriously in the comics world. The very first thing that lifelong fans need to ask when it comes to superhero powerhouses is that immortal question: who could he they win against-- and who couldn't they beat? These kinds of disputes can put the best of friends at odds. Classic arguments arise as each side passionately makes their case. Perhaps the perfect example is Batman vs Superman. So many would say obviously Superman,  but then a whole contingent of geeks will site The Dark Knight Returns as proof that Batman can beat anybody-- or to put it another way, his real superpower is that he never gives up.

When it comes to Aquaman, such contentious discussion may be a little easier to avoid. Arthur Curry doesn’t have a limitless well of attributes to draw from. He’s strong, can command sea creatures, can breathe underwater, and has some measure of magic. What happens when we put him up against top Marvel characters? The short answer is you win some, you lose some.

Of course, any such speculative clash is open to subjective judgment, so your mileage may vary. However, there are some Marvel characters Aquaman could totally wipe the floor with – and some he wouldn’t last one round against.

Here are 10 Marvel Characters Who Could Defeat Aquaman In Seconds (And 10 He Would Destroy).

Hulk (Defeat)

Let us get this one out of the way right off the bat. They don’t say “Hulk is the strongest one there is” for nothing. Marvel’s alpha dog bruiser is no pushover-- although Thanos made it seem otherwise in Avengers: Infinity War).

There’s no amount of brawn in Aquaman’s body anywhere near enough to go mano-a-mano with Bruce Banner's alter ego. Hulk is stronger than Arthur Curry by orders of magnitude. He can hold his breath underwater indefinitely so that’s not a real advantage for the King of the Sea. Hulks could punch his way through an army of whales and sharks like they were water.

Captain America (Destroy)

Hey, we all love Captain America. Steve Rogers may not be the toughest kid on the superhero block, but he's no quitter. A master tactician, he could use any field of battle to the best of his advantage and soldier through to victory – whatever it takes.

Up against Aquaman, he doesn’t have a chance. The Atlantean is many times stronger, for one thing. If they met in the water, Cap would find Arthur swimming circles around him. Even in a fairer fight on land, the King’s Trident could meet Steve’s shield to a standstill and wear the First Avenger down.

Iron Man (Defeat)

While Tony Stark lacks an inherent superpower, his brilliant mind has created the most effective suits of armor known to human innovation. You better believe that if he can build one to take on the Hulk, he can build one to take on Aquaman. Tony has built custom suits for battle in outer space, under molten lava, and yes, for subaquatic encounters. That means that the whole “I can breathe underwater and you can’t thing” does not apply.

Sure, King Arthur could use a little magic or maybe position some electric eels to try and short-circuit Iron Man, but Tony would anticipate it all and have countermeasures built in the lab way in advance.

Spider-Man (Destroy)

Everybody who knows the story of Peter Parker always wants him to win. The poor kid has gone through so much loss and adversity, audiences can’t help but root for Spider-Man to finally rack up a win after taking so many licks. Unfortunately, we can't expected him to come out the winner against Aquaman.

It’s basically a match up of brute strength. Metahuman agility doesn’t do much in the water, and even on land, Aquaman is probably ten times stronger than ol’ Webhead. if Arthur had his trident, Spidey’s webs probably wouldn’t do much to change the equation.

Doctor Doom (Defeat)

Doctor Doom is hardly a pushover. Not only can he take on the entire Fantastic Four by himself, but he’s successfully stolen Silver Surfer’s powers, can travel through time, and even took on Mephisto, the lord of evil, all on his own. Between his almost unmatched scientific genius and his mastery of several mystic arts, this brilliant mind is almost unstoppable when paired up with his relentless ruthlessness.

Doom would enter battle with probably more effective tech than Iron Man, and any magic Aquaman throws at him will likely not match up with Doom’s arcane Roma roots. Chalk this one up to the vainglorious ruler of Latveria.

Venom (Destroy)

Venom may be able to challenge Aquaman at the box office – his international numbers are certainly terrifyingly strong – but in a one-on-one battle, the symbiotic extraterrestrial supervillain (and sometimes superhero) would be little more than a fly to Arthur Curry’s sea spider.

In terms of raw power, perhaps they come close, but the half-Atlantean probably edges him out. If they meet in the water, there's no way Venom can keep up with all those sharks and kraken and such. On land, Eddie Brock and his alien partner would have a better chance, but Aquaman can employ bio-shocks, spells and yes – that mighty trident. The fight might be fun to watch, but it wouldn’t take long for Curry to come out on top.

Thor (Defeat)

Now we have the Prince of Asgard up against the King of Atlantis. It may seem like a battle royale, but unfortunately, this bout would be over faster than you can say “Mjolnir.” Again, when it comes to weight class, there’s just no contest here.

Thor is closer to Hulk’s league. He can fly, he has a wicked enchanted hammer, and don’t forget – he commands the storm. That means his can shoot lightning into the ocean, summon waterspouts, and drive currents against even a super-swimmer like Aquaman. When it comes to magic, Thor is a god. The energies he can summon up simply outclass Atlantean conjuring. This one goes to Odin’s favorite kid.

Loki (Destroy)

Despite his many defeats in the MCU, the trickster god should still be taken seriously. Loki can create illusions, disguise himself, and manipulate events, but that only takes him so far. If he took Aquaman on with an even playing field at hand, he'd run out tricks quickly.

Unlike Arthur, Loki has no true combat acumen. Maybe he could fake out a bunch of fish or Atlanteans to turn on their monarch, but that would only last so long. When push comes to shove, Odin’s adopted son would have to deal with reality. Once the moment of truth arrives, Loki would be hopelessly outclassed by Aquaman, and hence, be just as easily dispatched as he was by Thanos.

Storm (Defeat)

Remember when we mentioned Thor’s control over the weather? Well, when it comes to controlling the elements, Storm probably has him beat. This is her specialty. She can drop temperatures down to sub-freezing in nothing flat, for example. Could Aquaman swim through a nascent iceberg? Probably not. How many lightning bolts could he deal with?

Unless he suddenly grows wings, he’s not even going to get anywhere close to Storm’s expert flying abilities. All she has to do is churn the oceans around him, rage a few tornados at him, and he’ll be belly flopping his way to defeat in not time flat. It gets worse if they meet on land, of course. His best hope is to get his hands around her, but Ororo won’t let that happen.

Daredevil (Destroy)

The Man Without Fear would be the Man Without a Chance if took on Arthur Curry. Daredevil is a class-A human brawler-- emphasis on the "human." Sure, Matt Murdock can box his way out of a pack of ninjas, but he’s basically a street fighter. Can he take on a king?

Aquaman is fifty times stronger. He’s got magic, he can do his water tricks, and if he summoned just one barracuda, Daredevil would be toast while the King of Atlantis filed his nails. Besides all that, there’s that pesky trident again. This one is nowhere near a fair fight.

Rogue (Defeat)

Arthur Curry wouldn’t have a snowball’s chance in Miami of defeating everybody’s favorite mutant southern belle. Rogue’s basic powers are that she absorbs the abilities of others via physical contact. For the most part, these power acquisitions are temporary, but last long enough to take enemies out.

If we are talking the Rogue of the X-Men film series, all Aquaman has to do is make sure she doesn’t touch him – pretty easy for him to do-- but in the comics, Rogue has at various times “permanently” absorbed the powers of some heroes, such as Carol Danvers (the alter ego of the MCU’s Captain Marvel). This would make her pretty darned strong, and all of Arthur Curry’s natural strength, ability to call on aquatic allies, and magic powers wouldn't be enough to save him.

Wolverine (Destroy)

Wolverine is unbeatable! His healing factor makes him practically immortal! His claws cannot be shielded against! Yeah, yeah – keep telling that to yourself, Logan. Here’s the real deal: the X-Men’s resident berserker is a fierce opponent with formidable weapons built-in and a self-repair system second only to Deadpool. But you can’t hurt what you can’t hit.

If this battle takes place in the water, Wolvie wouldn’t score a single hit against Aquaman. Not only that, but his metal skeleton would sink him straight to the bottom of the sea, where King Arthur could keep him indefinitely, using ocean currents.

Deadpool (defeat)

When we think of Deadpool, it’s pretty much a case of Wolverine’s healing powers on steroids. This is a guy who has survived literally losing his head to the Hulk by simply growing it back. Is there any way to take this dude out? Apparently not. He may truly be immortal.

What can Aquaman do against the Merc with a  Mouth? Well, he’s a lot stronger than Wade. Aquaman can try drowning him, or maybe have a deep sea creature chew him up and swallow him. The problem is that he will always come back, no matter what. Really, it’s over for Aquaman if the Merc with a Mouth gets anywhere near him.

The Punisher (Destroy)

The Punisher is basically Rambo-- or since Frank Castle came into being far earlier, Rambo is basically the Punisher. Sure, he knows how to shoot and blow stuff up like nobody’s business. Take away his ordinance, though, and he’s a human-level soldier. He's an impressive soldier, to be sure, but far less inventive and threatening than the potential superior minds like Tony Stark or Bruce Wayne – also “normal” humans – might be.

Here comes Aquaman, with all the powers of the sea at his disposal. What’s Frank Castle going to do-- fire a couple of bullets into a 100-foot wave? Unless Frank grows gills, he'll get drowned out quickly in this battle.

Mister Fantastic (Defeat)

Reed Richards can stretch his body as though it was elastic, taking on the aspects of rubber or plastic, molding himself into ropes, bouncing balls and slingshots at will, but that is not what makes him a formidable foe. Mister Fantastic is a genius. He has taken out everybody from the almost-blind misanthrope Mole Man to Galactus, the primordial expression of cosmic hunger and a force of nature. He has defeated gods, monsters and Doctor Doom. Whatever the problem is, he figures out a solution.

How in the world can Aquaman even come close to holding a candle to that? In short, he can’t.

Professor X (Destroy)

Professor Charles Xavier, the founder of the eponymous School for Gifted Children – which is actually for mutants with extraordinary abilities – is rightly considered one of the most powerful mutants in the world. His psychic powers can control the minds of others, making him able to turn his enemies against themselves by mental command.

Aquaman has his own telepathic powers. though. Surely, these abilities would have the possibility of mitigating Xavier’s attacks. Add to that a touch of Atlantean magic, which is one of Professor X’s vulnerabilities, and there’s a pretty good chance that Arthur Curry would be untouchable.

Scarlet Witch (Defeat)

We are focusing on the comic book version of Wanda Maximoff here. The film version of the Scarlet Witch, who debuted in Avengers: Age of Ultron, has comparatively tame telekinetic superpowers. In the comics, however, her mutant “hex” power has the ability to massively rework probability and shake up the outcome of natural events at the drop of a hat. Add to that her magical ability to manipulate “chaos energy” over the years and that time she powered by a demon – well, she is one tough contender.

In the House of M storyline, she shook up the structure of the entire universe. Sorry, Aquaman, you've got no shot.

Black Widow (Destroy)

It’s not fair to keep throwing in all of these “normal humans” into the mix, but the Black Widow has become such a household name at this point that she needs to be addressed. This superspy is no slouch. Her martial arts training is not something the average Joe would want to go up against in a dark alley, but here comes the King of Atlantis.

Aquaman could literally hurl a tsunami at Natasha Romanov and there would be nothing she could do about. Yes, if equipped with state-of-the-art S.H.I.E.L.D. weaponry, she might hang in there for a little while, but Aquaman is way too strong for her to deal with.

Namor (Defeat)

Prince Namor, the King of Atlantis, came out two full years before Aquaman. Namor debuted in 1939’ legendary Marvel Comics #1, which also saw the debut of the original Human Torch. Aquaman shows up in 1941’s More Fun Comics #73.

When it comes to powers, these guys are pretty fair to compare. Both are kings. Both are half-humans who are amphibious. No, Namor can’t control sea creatures, although he does have an enchanted conch that he can blow to rustle up sea monsters. He can fly, however, while Aquaman can’t. Here’s the kicker: Namor is almost as strong as the Hulk when he’s underwater. Aquaman loses this one, and fast.

Hawkeye (Destroy)

Again, this one is simply not a fair fight, but Hawkeye is a lot more well-known than many mightier Marvel superheroes, so we must showcase this theoretical battle. Like the Punisher, Clint Barton is nothing more than a regular human who happens to be good with weapons-- in his case, a bow and arrow.

How would said arrows fare against a swarm of sharks or a major sea swell? Aquaman could be doing his laundry and beat the tar out of Hawkeye at the same time. While it looks like the MCU version of the archer may have some role to play in Avengers: Endgame, it's unlikely that the universe will be saved from Thanos because Clint can hit a bullseye at 150 yards!

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What other Marvel characters should Aquaman face in a fight? Let us know in the comments!