Superman vs. Spider-Man

I like Spider-man, I do. He's the every man of heroes. We can relate to him and he's proven himself as a hero time and time again. This isn't in question, however, when compared to Big Blue, I'm afraid Spidey doesn't match up.

First off, Supes has been at it far longer then Spidey has, of course one can't hold this against the character, nor is there anything that Spider-man can do to change the fact, it is still something to keep in mind though. Superman's the original superhero. Without him, comics would not be where they are and it's quite possible that Spider-man would not exist were it not for Superman's precedent.

In the world of the comics themselves, Superman has a much larger influence. While Spider-man protects New York, Superman provides help on a global (sometimes even cosmic) scale. It was Earth 2's Superman that finally took down the Anti-Monitor during the original Crisis, it was Superman who took down Doomsday, and Superman who went up against the likes of Imperiex, Darkseid and Brainiac. While foes like Venom and Green Goblin are a formidable threat, they are hardly up to what Superman faces on a regular basis.

Of course it is not simply the rogues gallery that is the measure of a hero. There are several ways to gauge them. Spider-man has a strong moral code and an unyielding desire to help people, there's no doubt about that, but Superman has a stronger one. He represents the best of humanity so much so that he's become an icon of purity and goodness. Spider-man is iconic in his own way, true, but again not to the scale that Superman is.

There is also the matter of powers. Batman and Green Arrow may have power per se but they do have an ability that proves to be an asset. Spider-man has superhuman strength, the ability to stick to walls, and his most valuable ability the famed "Spider sense" that warns him of impending danger unless it involves Venom. Up until recently, the web that he shot was not a natural ability simply the creation of his scientific mind. Superman as superior strength, X-ray vision, telescopic/microscopic vision, a superior sense of hearing, super speed, heat vision, and is practically invulnerable. Though it would never happen, if these two were to throw down it is easy to see who the winner is.

One final point to bring up is that Superman is a more natural leader. Spider-man is liked among the superhero community, I would argue that he does not command the respect that Superman does. After all, even a vast majority of the Justice League look to him as both an example and as a leader.

Spider-man is a great superhero; he wouldn't have lasted so many years if he wasn't. Unfortunately in this match up he is simply outclassed. The victory here goes to Kal-L from Krypton.