Superheroes, generally, fall into one of two categories: those that are a weapon, ie Superman, and those who carry weapons, ie Green Arrow. Which is stronger? The easiest thing to do is just give you, dear reader, an answer, but that’s not why you come to Collider. You are here because you truly want to dissect the question before coming to a conclusion, and well you should. The question is actually much more difficult to answer than what it appears to be on the surface. Without further ado, let’s jump in.
Pros of Being a Superhero Whose Body Is the Weapon
The obvious advantage to a superhero that is a weapon is they already have all they need on them at all times. When Lois Lane’s (Margot Kidder) helicopter began falling to the streets of Metropolis in 1978’s supermanSuperman (Christopher Reeve) had the power of flight and the superhuman strength in him already to save her. At worst, he delayed a few nanoseconds in order to put the suit on. Similarly, in Season 2 of The FlashKing Shark (David Hayter) is subdued by Barry (Grant Gustin) creating an electrified underwater cyclone, leading to the villain’s imprisonment. Again, our hero already has the speed-force in him: there’s no recharging, no Scooby-snacks, just plain old super-speed.
The additional benefit to already having powers is the intrinsic knowledge of how to use them. Heroes like Wonder Woman or Groot have grown up with their abilities, and others that receive powers later in life are quick learners. Take Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) in Spider-Man. He figures out pretty quickly how to climb walls, but when confronted by Flash Thompson (Joe Manganiello), Parker learns about his Spider-Sense abilities and uses them effectively, without having used them before, to dodge Flash’s punches.
Cons of Being a Superpowered Hero
In the words of the great prophets of Poison“every rose has its thorn”, and such is the truth of superheroes who are weapons. These superheroes have all of their eggs in one basket, and if something goes awry, they’re hooped. If we turn to Maguire’s Spider-Man again, in Spider-Man 2 Parker loses his ability to shoot webs in mid-swing. He doesn’t have anything else to use, no backup, so he plummets to the ground. And God forbid should an arch-enemy figure out the hero’s Achilles’ Heel.
There are many examples to choose from here. Dr. Sivana (Mark Strong) prevented Billy Batson (Asher Angel) from saying “Shazam!” by holding his head underwater in Shazam! Namor (Tenoch Huerta Mejía) losing his powers after being kept away from the water by Shuri (Letitia Wright) in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Superman made powerless by Kryptonite in literally every iteration of the hero on film, from the Kryptonite necklace in superman to the beatdown at the hands of Batman (Ben Affleck), aided by a variety of Kryptonite weaponry, in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. On an emotional level, being that superhero is taxing. You can’t hang up your ray guns or what have you in the closet and be normal. There is no escape or respite from being a weapon, and even if you do, a la Superman in Superman IIyou end up needing it back.
Pros of Being a Superhero Who Wields a Weapon
Being a superhero that carries weapons has one big advantage over the other: anyone can be a superhero. If you’re rich enough (Iron Man), talented enough (Green Arrow), or committed enough (Peacemaker), the world is yours to save. There is no need for a genetic mutation, powers by birthright, or a radioactive spider . You just need yourself, a weapon, and the skills to use it (without getting killed, but that goes without saying).
Take Batman, for example. He’s arguably the most loved superhero in comics, and he doesn’t have a single superpower. What he does have is an above-average strength and mind, the foresight to determine what is needed in a given situation, and a vast array of tools and weaponry, and most importantly the funds, to get it done. Because he has so many options available, he isn’t restricted by what he can do naturally, provided he’s packed all he needs (we’ll touch on that shortly). These heroes are more relatable, and at the end of the day they can hang up their costumes and weapons. Take Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner), who can do his superheroing as Hawkeye and then return home to his family for Christmas as a father and husband, as seen in Hawkeye.
Cons of Being a Weapon Carrying Superhero
Let’s double-back now to Batman. His foresight is usually enough to make sure he has everything he may need, but even Batman runs the risk of running out of tricks. In Batman v. SupermanBatman did subdue Superman (Henry Cavill), but only after using each and every tool and weapon he had available. If Superman had even an ounce of strength left, Batman would be in big, big trouble. In The Dark Knight RisesBatman (Christian Bale) did run out of tricks, and paid for it with a literal back-breaking blow from Bane (Tom Hardy).
So if it is possible for Batman to be under packed, it only stands to reason that another hero could fall short in their weapon count or, even worse, forget to include a vital part of their weaponry. Can’t happen? Oh, silly reader. Look no further than The Avengerswhere Hawkeye runs out of arrows during the battle against the Chitauri. He pulled a few out of casualties to use again, but for the most part he can no longer contribute his archery skills against the enemy. It’s one thing to run out of one’s arsenal, but a big issue with weapon-carrying superheroes is the possibility of being separated from said weaponry. Think Green Lantern sans his Power Ring, or Green Arrow not having access to his bow and arrow, or The Punisher losing the key to his vast stockpile of weapons.
Which Kind of Superhero Is Better?
There are superheroes that, by their very existence, understand the positives on either side. The Suicide Squadunexpectedly, counts among their “heroes” Gunter Braun, aka Javelin (Flula Borg), user of javelins, and Cory Pitzner, aka The Detachable Kid (Nathan Fillion), a hero with the ability to detach limbs and use them as weapons. However, time has a way of rooting out the weak, so regardless of which side they fall on, they represent the best of that breed. But can one be stronger than the other?
A very, very, very slight edge goes to those heroes that are the weapon, and here’s why. Each side has heroes that vary in their skill set, and a hero with a strong trait can easily beat a hero with a weaker weapon, and vice-versa, but those that carry weapons are dealing with the finite. Their quivers run out of arrows, their power suits malfunction, and so on. Those that are weapons rarely have to worry about it. Their powers end when they do, and that gives them the win.