How powerful is Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's Black Adam compared to Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman? The producer of the DCEU's upcoming Black Adam film hinted at a potential future crossover with Wonder Woman, spurring a debate over which character would come out on top in a one-on-one fight. Johnson and Gadot's Red Notice co-star Ryan Reynolds argued that Wonder Woman would beat Black Adam as well as his Deadpool if they ever did spar, but is there any real basis for this stance?
Black Adam's comic origins have changed over the years, but his basic powerset has remained the same. Some storylines have portrayed Black Adam as a reincarnation of the son of an Egyptian pharaoh, known as Teth-Adam, who became corrupted by the powers he gained from ancient Egyptian gods. He was defeated when Shazam removed his powers and placed them inside a scarab necklace, which his reincarnation, Theo Adam, stumbled upon many years later. Other comics depicted Black Adam as originating from the North African nation Kahndaq and seeking revenge for the murder of his family and the conquering of his homeland, which he planned to reclaim by any means necessary. This Black Adam was not reincarnated but was instead magically imprisoned for centuries for his brutal methods.
Although Wonder Woman's powers and origin on Themyscira have been well-established in the DCEU, fans will have to wait until Black Adam's release to see how the Shazam! spin-off handles that character. Johnson has been preparing to play Shazam's archnemesis for years, and Black Adam's first teaser trailer hinted at some of his powers. He is often considered one of DC Comics' most powerful characters, with a strength comparable to heroes like Superman and Wonder Woman. If Johnson's Black Adam ever does get the chance to face off against Gadot's Wonder Woman, would either of them have the advantage?
Black Adam's Powers In DC Comics & The DCEU
Although Black Adam's powers originate from ancient Egyptian deities, which are a different set of gods from Shazam's, their abilities are very similar to each other. Saying the word "Shazam" grants Black Adam the stamina of Shu, the speed of Horus, the strength of Amon, the wisdom of Zehuti, the magical power of Aten, and the courage of Mehen. Many of his powers, like super strength, speed, and the ability to fly, are common among DC heroes, but what sets Black Adam apart is the extremes with which he wields his various abilities. His strength and speed are only outmatched by a select few thanks to his unwavering determination. Black Adam is also able to cast certain spells due to his connection to the gods, which adds a level of mysticism that has so far been mostly absent from the DCEU.
Black Adam's DCEU powers will not be properly established until his movie's release, but the first teaser shared during the DC FanDome event showed him levitating, channeling lightning, moving at super speed, and deflecting bullets. The clip also revealed Black Adam waking from some sort of ancient tomb, implying that this Black Adam is likely not a reincarnation but the original wielder of his powers, granting him an advantage of experience. After being imprisoned for countless years, he has had ample time to plan his revenge and would not be easily defeated.
How Powerful Wonder Woman Is In The DCEU
The Batman V. Superman movie and the Wonder Woman solo film cemented Diana as one of the most powerful heroes in the DCEU who is strong enough to break through brick walls and fast enough to deflect bullets. Diana has trained with the Amazons since a young age in numerous types of armed and unarmed combat, and her godly parentage gives her superhuman strength, speed, flight, and semi-invulnerability, and immortality. Her Amazonian bracelets allow her to stop bullets, and, in the DCEU, she has repeatedly used them to absorb and redirect lightning. Wonder Woman also uses her lasso to capture objects and compel people to tell the truth. DC Comics have sometimes portrayed Wonder Woman as being as strong as Superman, but unlike the Man of Steel, she is not afraid to use lethal force when necessary. Her strength was comparable to Superman's in Justice League, but Superman ultimately overpowered her, establishing Diana as the second strongest member of the Justice League as well as one of the most powerful DCEU characters overall, but Black Adam's introduction might just shake up this dynamic.
Black Adam vs. Wonder Woman: Who Would Win In A DCEU Fight
Many of Black Adam and Wonder Woman's powers are comparable to each other, leaving them somewhat evenly matched. They are both superhumanly fast and strong with the ability to fly and deflect bullets. Although Black Adam's lightning powers would not give him much of an advantage since Diana can redirect that energy with her bracelets, his aptitude with magic could potentially give him an edge in a direct confrontation. Since the Black Adam movie has not yet been released, it's impossible to know for certain what magic he will be able to do in the DCEU, but the film's first trailer did reveal that the character possesses a ruthlessness on a level that Gadot's Wonder Woman has yet to display. Diana has maintained a brutal determination before in comics and other media, but unless she is willing to reach that level of savagery in the DCEU, Black Adam would likely prevail against her.
Diana's only hope would be if she could discover and exploit his main weakness. Like with Shazam, Black Adam's primary weak point is his transformation into a non-powered form, but unlike Shazam, Black Adam rarely voluntarily changes back to this form. Although the Justice League has not yet encountered either character in the DCEU, Wonder Woman's battle against Shazam in the animated Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox showed what could happen if she took advantage of this knowledge. In that movie, Wonder Woman and Shazam appeared to possess similar strength levels, but Diana gained the upper hand once she used her lasso to force Shazam to revert back to his non-powered form. In that state, he stood no chance against her. Diana would have a similar advantage over Black Adam if she was able to create a similar scenario, but his experience might make it more difficult to exploit that weakness. Supposing Wonder Woman was not only aware of his transformation, but also able to compel Black Adam to change form, then she would win against him every time.
