Black Adam is easily one of the most powerful characters in the DC Universe, but whether or not he could defeat Wonder Woman has already been revealed. Black Adam and Wonder Woman both debuted in the Golden Age of superhero comics and while Wonder Woman became one of DC’s three most iconic superheroes right away, Black Adam was, until recent decades, simply one of Shazam’s greatest enemies. In modern DC stories, Black Adam is less of an outright villain and more of an anti-hero, and while his clashes with Shazam and Superman are well-known, he has also battled Wonder Woman, with DC making it clear who the superior fighter is.
Black Adam was initially a foil to Shazam (a.k.a. Billy Batson), having also been imbued with the powers of six ancient deities but using his incredible abilities for evil. Over time, however, Black Adam, once known as Teth-Adam, was further characterized, gaining a background as a man who had been enslaved in Ancient Egypt and seeks to avenge his murdered family, making him a morally gray character in the DC Comics mythos and allowing him to work alongside heroes as often as he fights against them. Black Adam is more than capable of trading blows with and perhaps even defeating DC’s heaviest hitters, but how would he fare against the daughter of Hippolyta and Zeus, Wonder Woman?
DC Comics answers this question in issue 5 of Dark Nights: Metal by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo, which includes a one-on-one fight between Wonder Woman and Black Adam. The fight is somewhat brief, and although the two have almost the same level of superhuman strength and durability, Black Adam quickly demonstrates that his greatest asset is his lack of restraint, giving him an early advantage in the fight against his more reserved opponent. Wonder Woman, however, is a cleverer fighter, taking advantage of Hawkman’s Nth Metal Mace to absorb Black Adam’s lightning and knock him out with a single blow. Even without the Mace, Wonder Woman is the superior fighter, and while Black Adam can defeat her in some scenarios, she is far more likely to win a one-on-one fight for the simple reason that her fighting skills and tactical mind are greater assets than Black Adam’s unbridled brutality.
Black Adam has no qualms with using the full extent of his power at any given time. As an anti-hero with one of the most potent power-sets in the DC Universe, Black Adam would feel no reason to hold back, especially against an opponent as strong as Wonder Woman, and this would likely give him an early edge in a battle with her. If Black Adam is aggressive enough, he could overwhelm Wonder Woman or other powerful Justice League members like his nemesis Shazam or Superman. This can only take Black Adam so far, however.
Black Adam’s greatest weakness is that his powers can be taken away by saying the word “Shazam,” which transforms him back into Teth-Adam. Wonder Woman could instantly end a fight by simply ensnaring him in her Lasso of Truth and forcing him to say the word, but even this advantage is not necessary for her to beat Black Adam. Black Adam is by no means lacking in fighting skills, as he is a master of Dhritishastra, a martial art created by Vandal Savage which, according to Talia al Ghul, takes multiple lifetimes to learn. Given that he is over 3,000 years old, Black Adam has had more than enough time to master the form, using it as Teth-Adam to defeat Batman on one occasion.
Wonder Woman, on the other hand, is two millennia older than Black Adam and by far the most skilled warrior of all Amazons. Not only has Wonder Woman trained and honed her skills far longer than Black Adam, but she has also mastered a wider variety of fighting styles and tactics, thanks to her upbringing on Themyscira. The two combatants are of comparable strength and durability and although Black Adam is unimpeded by restraint, Wonder Woman has superior fighting skills and tactics, making her the most likely victor in a battle.