Since their first meeting in 1947, Superman and Wonder Woman have developed a close friendship and productive professional association. Despite both being moral, optimistic heroes who work for the common good of mankind, however, there have still been plenty of times where these two heavyweights of the DC Universe have come to blows.

When Wonder Woman is the instigator, it tends to come down to a matter of principle, as in 1977’s Superman vs. Wonder Woman, which finds the two of them disagreeing over whether the United States should use the Atomic Bomb to end World War II. Superman, on the other hand, is most often the aggressor when under the influence of one of his various enemies, as in Superman/Wonder Woman Annual #1, where Superman is turning into Doomsday and Wonder Woman must stop him. While both of these examples ended in a draw, the question remains: who has won more of their fights? Superman or Wonder Woman?

Related: Wonder Woman's Plan To Kill Superman is Better Than Batman's

Superman largely relies on brute strength to defeat the Amazing Amazon. Several of their encounters have ended in Diana taking a severe beating before some external force saves her. In Wonder Woman #175, Superman is being controlled by Circe. Diana endures a series of devastating blows and probably would have been killed if Air Force One hadn’t distracted the Man of Steel. Similarly, an alternate-timeline Superman strangles Wonder Woman to death with her own lasso in 2005’s Superman/Batman #15. Diana even admits she can’t beat Clark in combat in JLA: League of One, conceding the potential battle. History has proven that when these two fight, the Man of Tomorrow holds a distinct advantage in one-on-one, no-holds barred battles.

Wonder Woman Kicks Superman

While Wonder Woman isn't quite equal to Clark in physical prowess, her greatest advantage lies in her arsenal of tools. More than once, Diana has been saved from certain doom by one of her various Amazonian items. On at least four different occasions, Wonder Woman has used her magic lasso to bring a mind-controlled Clark back to his senses. She even throws her Tiara like a boomerang in Wonder Woman #219 and cuts Superman's throat. That’s not to say she can’t stand on her own two feet in combat. In 2012’s Justice League #11, Diana kicks Clark so hard that the League has to step in and stop her. There's no doubt that Wonder Woman is an imposing physical force, but as a hero of myth, she's also able to draw on a host of fabled weapons and even divine or magical patrons for unexpected upgrades. While Clark isn't specifically weak to magic, he also has no particular defense against it, meaning that Wonder Woman has plenty of ways to work around his apparent invulnerability if needed.

It seems that barring literal divine intervention, Superman has the advantage, but in 2017, Comic Book Resources compiled a list of all Superman and Wonder Woman’s battles. With a record of six wins, four losses, and five draws, they found that Wonder Woman narrowly defeats Superman. While it is difficult to determine the outcome of fights between friends, it quickly becomes clear that the Man of Steel and the Amazing Amazon are almost evenly matched. Superman fans will argue that Clark was pulling his punches because he is the Big Blue Boy Scout, and Wonder Woman supporters will insist she'd have the lethal edge in any ultimate conflict. Either way, so long as the two heroes occasionally break into battle, the debate will rage on.

Next: Thor vs. Superman: Which Superhero is Stronger?

Source: CBR