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Science Answers Which Superhero Is The Best (And It's Not Batman)

Black Bolt was deemed "the single most destructive superhero."

It seems as if the Batman vs. Superman question has finally been answered — by science.

A seven-year study conducted at the University of Leicester used scientific research to examine the "feasibility of the powers behind renowned comic book superheroes."

Students at the university ranked superheroes from Superman to Iron Man on their probability of being able to win a superhero showdown. (Secretly, we're rooting for Captain Marvel.)

The research concluded that (drum roll please) Superman is the "best-equipped" superhero of the bunch.

The students based their (in our opinion, highly controversial) decision on Superman's high density muscle tissue and Super Flare attack, which, according to Gizmodo, "can release energy through every cell in his body with an output of 7.07x105 Joules per second."

In comparison, Marvel superheroes such as Wolverine, Thor and Mystique are categorized as top crusaders. Wolverine, for example, has fast regenerative powers while Mystique can manipulate her genes and Thor has high energy output.

On the other side of the spectrum lies Marvel Comics character Black Bolt, who is deemed as "the single most destructive superhero" as a result of his hypersonic voice which has the scary potential of creating "planetary annihilation."

And bad news for all you Batman fans: the Caped Crusader was named the "most ill-equipped," since, although he has a lot of cool gadgets (hello, Batmobile!), has to rely on those gadgets and his cape, as opposed to actual super powers, which he lacks.

For those wondering how the students backed up their claims, the university released supplemental papers that explain the physics behind some of those superpowers.

Check out this chart, which details the strengths and weaknesses of a sample of superheroes. Although there are a few favourites missing (where's Phoenix? Wonder Woman??), it's a fun way to see how the students broke down who's really "the best."

Do you agree with their assessment? Let us know in the comments below!

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