# Marvel versus DC **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 19, 2003, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marvel-versus-dc/196281 "2003-08-19T20:41:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marvel-versus-dc/196281/41 "2003-08-22T22:55:29Z")
So, what if we throw the Harvey characters into the mix? Who wins then? ---
**Author:** ![soulmurk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@soulmurk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulmurk)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marvel-versus-dc/196281/42 "2003-08-23T01:10:49Z")
Based on preference over experience or quality, I gotta go with Marvel. It’s just more natural for me to imagine Spidey swinging through NYC than it is Superman flying above the fictitious Metropolis. Plus, back in the day I just adored playing Marvel Super Heroes the RPG. ---
**Author:** ![Muldoon\_s\_Squishiness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Muldoon\_s\_Squishiness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muldoon_s_Squishiness)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marvel-versus-dc/196281/43 "2003-08-23T01:45:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lochdale \* > **I would go for Marvel. I am not at all enamoured by some of the “adult” titles that D.C. produced and I do feel that they played a part in the comic recession of the the mid-1990’s. > I think Marvel can come into some criticism over the number of mutant titles.** Marvel takes a much bigger share of the blame then DC does for the decline of the comic book market in the 1990’s for a couple of reasons. Marvel had something like 15 X-Men X-men offshoots solo titles going, plus they were insanely in love with the dreaded multiple covers format, of which I believe the worst example to be the first issue of X-Men which IIRC had no less then 6 different covers and a limited edition trading card. Needless to say all copies of the comic came pre-poly bagged, thereby insuring that if the bag was opened the value of the comic would drastically decrease. ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marvel-versus-dc/196281/44 "2003-08-23T04:54:17Z")
> [@](#): > > Thor is without doubt the most powerful normal character in the Marvel Universe. By that I mean someone who is not altered or beefed up for a couple of years due to a special story line. I think that’s hardly without a doubt. Silver Surfer is a serious contender for that title, and Thor can’t even defeat the Hulk easily. I agree entirely with **BogieBlanca** that Marvel was a much bigger offender than DC when it came to the decline of the comics market. Remeber Fatal Attractions? The storyline with heavy cardstock covers with _holograms_ on them? Yeah. DC definitely suffered from this (Eclipso, Bloodlines), but not to the degree that Marvel did, and I don’t see how you relate DC’s adult titles to the decline of the industry. ---
**Author:** ![Vlad\_Dracul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/50afbb/32.png) [@Vlad\_Dracul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vlad_Dracul)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marvel-versus-dc/196281/45 "2003-08-23T05:50:22Z")
Assuming Superman actually remembers that he has super-speed, couldn’t he just fly circles around Thor, hitting him several thousand times per second, until Thor collapses? I like an entertaining story, wherever it comes from, so I can’t say that one company is better than another, but I think the single character who’s entertained me the most is probably Spider-Man. ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marvel-versus-dc/196281/46 "2003-08-23T11:27:12Z")
Who beats who in any comic depends mostly on who’s writing the issue. Sure, Superman should be able to beat Hawkeye and Thor should be able to obliterate the Creeper, but if whoever is writing it wants the other way, the other way it shall be. I’ve always hated the “If \'s characters got into a fight with \'s heroes, \ would win” cliche. Both companies have godlike beings of unlimited power so there really is no plausable answer. ---
**Author:** ![New\_Improved\_Scott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f17d59/32.png) [@New\_Improved\_Scott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/New_Improved_Scott)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2003, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marvel-versus-dc/196281/47 "2003-08-24T16:34:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BogieBlanca \* > \*\*Marvel takes a much bigger share of the blame then DC does for the decline of the comic book market in the 1990’s for a couple of reasons. > > Marvel had something like 15 X-Men X-men offshoots solo titles going, plus they were insanely in love with the dreaded multiple covers format, of which I believe the worst example to be the first issue of X-Men which IIRC had no less then 6 different covers and a limited edition trading card. Needless to say all copies of the comic came pre-poly bagged, thereby insuring that if the bag was opened the value of the comic would drastically decrease. \*\* The X-Men #1 didn’t come with a card, but did have 5 different versions. (4 covers + 1 special edition with a poster/cover) X-Force #1 only had 1 cover, but was polybagged with one of 5 collectors cards. You can find them in back issue bins around the world for no more than a quarter a pop. Sorry for the nit-pick. ---
**Author:** ![Vlad\_Dracul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/50afbb/32.png) [@Vlad\_Dracul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vlad_Dracul)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2003, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marvel-versus-dc/196281/48 "2003-08-24T17:50:06Z")
Odinoneeye has a good point… how come nobody ever asks “If the Beyonder and the Spectre fought, who would win?” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![New\_Improved\_Scott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f17d59/32.png) [@New\_Improved\_Scott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/New_Improved_Scott)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marvel-versus-dc/196281/49 "2003-08-26T21:25:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Vlad Dracul \* > \*\*Odinoneeye has a good point… how come nobody ever asks “If the Beyonder and the Spectre fought, who would win?” 🙂 \*\* Well, because that’s a really easy fight. Beyonder wins by going back in time and preventing Jim Corrigan from being murdered. Beyonder wins!😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marvel-versus-dc/196281.md?page=2)