Marvel vs DC · Cosmic
Shazam vs Thor
A kid who says a word and gets struck by lightning meets the actual god of thunder.
Tale of the tape
| DC | Universe | Marvel |
|---|---|---|
| City to planet | Tier | Cosmic |
| The wisdom, strength, stamina, power, courage and speed of six legends | Strength | Mjolnir and the storm itself |
| A teenager inside a grown-up body | Weakness | Charges in headfirst |
| 1–1 | Record on Versus | 4–2 |
The Arena
Billy Batson said the magic word during the biggest thunderstorm Philadelphia had seen in years, and the lightning that hit him was not his lightning. It was someone else’s. He transformed into Shazam, looked up, and saw a huge blond man with a hammer flying out of the clouds toward him, laughing.
“You stole my lightning!” Thor boomed, landing on a rooftop. Shazam held up his hands. “I didn’t steal it! It just kind of hit me! That’s how it works!” Thor looked at the red-suited hero with interest. “You are a child,” he said, squinting. “I can see it in your eyes.” Shazam shrugged. “I’m fourteen. Inside, anyway.”
Thor grinned. “Then let us see if you are worthy of your lightning, young one.”
Round One
Shazam flew at him with the speed of Mercury and punched him with the strength of Hercules. Thor took it on the chin, laughed, and hit back with Mjolnir. Shazam flew through three buildings and out the other side. He came back with his hair singed, grinning. “Okay! That hurt! That was awesome!”
They fought through the storm, Shazam calling down his magic lightning, Thor answering with the lightning of Asgard. The bolts met in the air above Philadelphia and exploded in a light show that people would talk about for decades.
Shazam had the wisdom of Solomon, and it told him something very clearly: this was a god, and he was a kid who borrowed power from gods.
The Turn
Shazam shouted his name and called down the magic lightning, the full power of six legends, aimed straight at Thor. Thor raised Mjolnir and caught the bolt on the hammer, absorbing it, the lightning crawling over him like a living thing. Then he sent it back.
It hit Shazam in the chest, and for a moment he flickered: man, boy, man, boy. The magic lightning had been turned against its own source. Shazam staggered, dizzy, his body unsure which form to take.
Thor landed in front of him, concerned. “Are you hurt, young one?” Shazam shook his head, trying to clear it. “No. I mean, yeah. A bit. Can we keep going?” Thor laughed. “Ha! The heart of a warrior!”
The Finish
They kept going. Shazam fought with everything he had, every power of every legend, and Thor met him blow for blow, then a little more than blow for blow. Finally Thor called down the God Blast, carefully, a fraction of its full strength, and Shazam was knocked out of the sky and onto a rooftop, transforming back into Billy as he landed.
Billy lay there, a skinny fourteen-year-old in a wet hoodie, staring up at the storm. Thor landed beside him and knelt down, much gentler now. “You fought well, Billy Batson.” Billy laughed weakly. “I lost to a god.” Thor smiled. “Everyone loses to a god. Very few get back up and ask to keep going.”
He helped Billy to his feet, and they sat on the roof and watched the storm pass. Thor told him stories about Asgard. Billy told him about his foster family. When the sun came out, Thor offered him a sip of mead. Billy declined, being fourteen. Thor respected that too.
The verdict
Thor wins
Shazam has the power of six legends and the heart to keep fighting, but Thor is an actual god of thunder who can catch and return Shazam’s own magic lightning.
- Lightning masteryThor absorbs and returns Shazam’s lightning.
- GodhoodThor is a god; Shazam borrows power from them.
- ExperienceThor has fought for millennia; Billy is fourteen.
How the rematch could go differently: A Shazam with the full power of the Shazam family, all of them fighting together, could overwhelm even Thor.
Who do you think wins?
Who would win in a fight between Shazam and Thor?
Thor wins. Shazam has the power of six legends and the heart to keep fighting, but Thor is an actual god of thunder who can catch and return Shazam’s own magic lightning.