While Black Adam may currently be a surprising new addition to the Justice League, once upon a time, he was one of DC Comics’ strongest villains - and one of the few people to ever win against Superman himself. While Adam has always had a staunch personal code, that didn’t stop him from allying himself with questionable characters in his homeland Kahndaq. And when one such alliance put him in the crosshairs of the Man of Steel, Adam showed Kal-El just how powerful the Strength of Amon really is.
In the leadup to Infinite Crisis by Geoff Johns, Phil Jimenez, and more, the villains of the DC Universe - including Black Adam - found themselves united with a common goal. At the time, Adam did whatever he felt necessary to protect his people, even if that meant joining an arm of evil to keep them out of his home. But it was in Action Comics #831 by Gail Simone and John Byrne that Adam’s loyalty to the cause was really put to the test.
When the villainous Dr. Psycho uses his telepathic abilities to manipulate the people of Metropolis, Superman tracks the madman and finds him under the supervision of Black Adam who claims he knows nothing of his charge’s crimes. Knowing that Adam has recently severed ties with his allies in the Justice Society, Superman confronts the Wizard’s former champion, only for Psycho to use his abilities to make Adam strike first. Forced into a battle, the two titans slug it out with Adam essentially refusing to strike Superman and protesting his innocence in Psycho's schemes the entire time. Just as Superman launches into his final blow, Adam ends the fight by turning his back on his foe - knowing that the honorable Man of Steel would never hit a man in the back. While it’s far from the most climactic finish to a battle between such powerful players, it says a lot of Black Adam’s personality and capabilities as a warrior.
These days, the powerhouse duo are teammates instead of adversaries, but Adam has betrayed his team before. If the two Justice Leaguers ever found themselves coming to blows once again, things may not look so good for the Last Son of Krypton. Blessed with the powers of ancient gods, Black Adam is undoubtedly one of the World’s Mightiest Mortals, but his tactical mind is clearly the force to be reckoned with. And now that the pair work together on a regular basis, Black Adam knows that much more about his alien adversary.
In any medium, anyone that can go toe-to-toe with Superman is someone to watch out for. And this matchup could also have quite a few ramifications for the DCEU. It’s no secret that Dwayne Johnson wants his Black Adam to square off against Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel one day. And if the fight was anything like this, it would be a great way to demonstrate both of the characters’ unbelievable power levels. Whether fans will ever actually get to see such a blowout again in the comics or on the silver screen is uncertain, but in the meantime, there’s always Action Comics #831.
Superman is one of the strongest heroes in DC Comics’ but even he admits that Adam is no pushover. Now that Black Adam is a member of the Justice League, there’s hope that the two will never have to face off again. But with Adam’s track record, there’s always a chance that he’ll stray to the dark side again, and even Superman may not be able to stop him.