Out of all of DC Comics’ heroes, Superman is widely seen as the strongest hero in the world, with many of his Justice League compatriots trailing behind him. While threats like Darkseid or even DC’s own take on Galactus may surpass Clark Kent in terms of raw power, it’s largely unheard of for any hero outside of DC's main lineup to even come close to matching Kal-El’s strength. But there's on major exception.
JLA: The Nail paints a grim tableau of a world without a Superman, where a young Kal-El was never found by the kindly Kents. Even so, the Justice League still forms despite his absence, and many of these lesser-known fan-favorite heroes that popularize DC’s primary timeline still protect and serve the world they call home. But while the story depicts a world without a Superman, it also incidentally positions the one and only Geo-Force as DC’s second most powerful hero...and in so doing, potentially changes the power scaling of the DC Universe.
Man of Steel vs Geo-Force, The Man of Iron
JLA: The Nail by Alan Davis and Mark Farmer features more superhero groups than just the titular League, and one of these groups is the Outsiders – featuring Geo-Force. During an incursion into a mysterious Arctic Fortress, one of his Outsiders teammates refers to Brion Markov as “the Man of Iron” and “the strongest man on Earth.” Though these at first may seem like pithy titles, this is quite a statement on Brion’s base power levels in any continuity.
While Superman clearly isn’t active to take his traditional place as the world’s most powerful hero, many of his Justice League teammates like Wonder Woman and the Martian Manhunter are still widely known. The idea that a lesser-known hero and one-time Justice Leaguer like Geo-Force can surpass even them in terms of raw strength highlights just how skewed DC’s traditional power scales typically are. After all, it’s frequently assumed that the Justice League’s lineup includes the best of the best – and frequently the strongest of the strong as well.
There’s More to DC Than The Classic Justice League
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This acknowledgment of Brion’s abilities proves that outside of the traditional hierarchy of DC’s heroes, there are many lesser known characters with the power potential to rival their more famous Justice League allies. If Geo-Force is truly the strongest hero on Earth outside of Superman, then there are plenty of other super-strong heroes like Captain Atom, Aztek, or even Darkseid’s scion Orion that could give Superman and the League a run for their money.
JLA: The Nail may not be set within DC’s primary continuity, but it shares many similarities with the prime timeline despite Kal-El’s absence. Presumably, one of these similarities is power-scaling, and if Geo-Force is as powerful as it’s said, he could truly become a force to be reckoned with. Even so, it’s clear that when it comes to power, DC Comics’ has far more to work with than just Superman and the classic Justice League.