Capes cross over · Cosmic
Silver Surfer vs Omni-Man
A conqueror from an empire of conquerors meets the herald who once led Galactus to whole worlds.
Tale of the tape
| Marvel | Universe | Invincible |
|---|---|---|
| Cosmic | Tier | City to planet |
| The Power Cosmic: near-limitless energy, speed and durability | Strength | Viltrumite power plus decades of hiding it among humans |
| Gentle by nature and slow to anger | Weakness | His feelings for his human family, which he refuses to admit |
| 1–0 | Record on Versus | 2–1 |
The Arena
The Silver Surfer was crossing the void between galaxies when he felt a world calling out in pain. He followed it and found a system whose planets were burning, and in the orbit of a gas giant, a man with a white moustache and a red cape, looking down at the destruction with something close to boredom.
Omni-Man turned and studied the silver figure on his board with professional interest. “You’re not from this sector,” he said. “I’m here to prepare this world for the Viltrum Empire. Stay out of the way, and you can leave.” Norrin Radd shook his head. “I have heard that offer before,” he said quietly. “From someone much greater than you.”
Omni-Man smiled and cracked his knuckles. “Then you’ll understand what comes next.”
Round One
Omni-Man crossed the space between them faster than sound could have travelled, if there had been air, and slammed his fist into the Surfer’s chest. The Surfer flew backwards a thousand kilometres, then stopped, his body shimmering. He did not seem hurt. Omni-Man frowned. Viltrumites rarely need a second punch.
He tried again, and again, a flurry of blows that would have cracked a moon. The Surfer weaved through most of them, his board turning like a hummingbird, and absorbed the rest with his silver skin. Then he raised one hand and fired a beam of the Power Cosmic.
It hit Omni-Man like a falling star and threw him back across the system, and for the first time in decades, a Viltrumite was the one tumbling through space.
The Turn
Omni-Man came back furious, and this time he fought like a soldier, all centuries of Viltrumite training, using speed, angles and brutal joint locks. He got behind the Surfer, wrapped an arm around his throat and squeezed with enough strength to crush a starship.
The Surfer did not struggle. He simply turned into energy, flowed out of Omni-Man’s grip and reformed a hundred kilometres away. Omni-Man stared, chest heaving, and realised something terrible: his opponent had not been fighting at full strength at all. He had been holding back, trying to end this without killing him.
For a Viltrumite, there is no greater insult. Omni-Man screamed and charged with everything he had left.
The Finish
The Surfer met him head on. He wrapped Omni-Man in a shell of cosmic energy, a glowing sphere that held him as gently and as firmly as amber holds an insect. Omni-Man pounded on the inside with all his strength, and the shell did not even flicker.
The Surfer brought him back to the burning planet and showed him what his invasion had done: cities on fire, people running, children crying in the ruins. “I did this once,” the Surfer said. “For far greater reasons than yours. I still see their faces every time I close my eyes.”
Omni-Man stopped fighting. The Surfer let him go at the edge of the system, broken more in spirit than in body. “Go home,” he said. “And remember that there are greater powers in this universe than Viltrum.” Then he turned his board toward the burning world and began, slowly, to put out the fires.
The verdict
Silver Surfer wins
Omni-Man is a superb warrior and hits incredibly hard, but the Power Cosmic gives the Silver Surfer far greater durability, energy and speed, and he can end the fight without ever coming in range of a Viltrumite grapple.
- The Power CosmicNear-limitless energy that outclasses Viltrumite strength.
- Energy formThe Surfer can become energy and slip out of any hold.
- RestraintHe wins without killing, which breaks Omni-Man’s spirit.
How the rematch could go differently: There is no Omni-Man in canon who could match the Power Cosmic; only an entire Viltrumite fleet might push the Surfer.
Who do you think wins?
Who would win in a fight between Silver Surfer and Omni-Man?
Silver Surfer wins. Omni-Man is a superb warrior and hits incredibly hard, but the Power Cosmic gives the Silver Surfer far greater durability, energy and speed, and he can end the fight without ever coming in range of a Viltrumite grapple.