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When I was faced with the question of who would win a fight between Wonder Woman vs Thor, I knew this would be a tough choice. Maybe one of the most challenging choices in my life. Wonder Woman has been an icon for me since my childhood. From the 70s TV show to the Justice League animated series, I’ve seen every incarnation of the amazon princess. So it was no surprise one of the first comics I started reading at age 11 was a Wonder Woman one.
On the other side, there is Thor. Though he wasn’t nearly as influential as the amazon princess in my life, he still held a special place in my heart. As the years progressed since I first picked up a Wonder Woman comic, my reading list broadened, and I was swept up by the big sagas from the Marvel Universe. Thor’s comics are a joy for a fan of fantasy and mythology like me. So I became enchanted by the Asgardian prince. Can you see the tough spot I’m in right now? These past days have been hard. I reread a lot of stuff to conclude this Wonder Woman vs. Thor dilemma. After getting reacquainted with my childhood heroes, I’m confident I found a winner.
Are you ready to know who it is?
My Bottom Line Up Front
This fight might initially seem a little mismatched. After all, Thor is a god, and Wonder Woman is only a demigod, depending on the version. However, their different personalities and weapons make things more even. Despite Mjolnir’s power, it can’t explore Wonder Woman’s weakness – piercing weapons. Even with Thor’s might, he may be prone to a few surprises.
Key Differences Between Wonder Woman vs Thor
- Thor is a God, whereas Wonder Woman is only a Demi-God
- Wonder Woman reaches near Flash speed levels, whereas Thor’s velocity matches Quicksilver’s
- Thor is impulsive in battle, whereas Diana is more deliberate
- Diana is vulnerable to bullets and piercing weapons at large, whereas Thor can only be hurt by such weapons if they are magical
Laying the ground
The battle arena is being built, and before the combat begins, we must lay a few ground rules and explanations. First, we’ll work with the most basic version of each character from the comics. So no Wonder Woman, goddess of war, or Herald of Galactus Thor. Maybe in another article. Second, since these are heroes from different Universes, we’ll be looking at fights they had with strong foes to compare their chances. In each battle, I’ll analyze how strong they are and the strategies that made them win or lose. Moreover, I’ll talk about some of their most remarkable feats in the comics.
Thirdly, this might be a cop-out, but this really could go either way. Who wins and who loses depends on who’s writing or sometimes who the public wants to see winning. The latter is why Wonder Woman lost to Storm on the DC vs. Marvel crossover when that would never happen in a million years. I love Storm, but she couldn’t handle the warrior princess. But don’t worry, I have played an intense battle inside my head, and I will write it down in detail for you. I have chosen a winner. The above statement is just a disclaimer, so you passionate fans don’t kill me in my sleep. Jokes aside, let’s head to the deadliest battles Wonder Woman and Thor have faced.
Wonder Woman
Powers and Abilities
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Her powers include superhuman strength, durability, speed, reflexes, agility, and stamina. Also, flight, communication with animals, accelerated healing, and enhanced senses. Regarding her abilities, she is a master at advanced hand-to-hand combat, swordsmanship, archery, and lassoing.
- Most Impressive Victory: Superman
- Most Brutal Defeats: Superman and Bizarro
- Weaknesses: Piercing weapons
- Weapons: The lasso of truth, bracelets of submission, a golden tiara she uses as a boomerang, and a magical sword capable of cutting through electrons.
Characteristics
A master strategist with a hold of a plethora of combat styles. She is calm and collected and observes her enemy before acting.
Main Advantage
Her arsenal of weapons. The Lasso of Truth can subdue enemies and make them come to their senses. Her sword can cut electrons, and her tiara is so sharp it can slice Superman’s throat when used as a boomerang.
See also: Wonder Woman Characters Guide
The Amazon Princess
Diana was born in Themyscira, an island populated only by warrior women. As such, she was trained in all types of combat styles possible from a young age. However, an advanced civilization knows brute force and combat skills aren’t the only important things to succeed in life. Diana has studied many languages and subjects that make her a versatile woman capable of acting as an ambassador of Themyscira in the men’s world. The facts above are essential when considering a battle between Wonder Woman and anyone else.
The amazon princess isn’t one to rush impulsively into battle. Every move is calculated to make a plan of what she needs to defeat the person she’s fighting. Lastly, she can reach a much more powerful state when she takes her bracelets off. I love the mix of brains and force Diana brings. That was always what inspired me about her. When I look at the DC trinity, I see Superman as the strength, Batman as the brains, and Diana as both. For me, Wonder Woman is the best of both worlds, which is tough to compete with.
Wonder Woman’s most brutal fights explained
Zoom
One of the best discussions regarding superheroes is how fast they really are. Though the Flash is the winner in DC Universe, Superman and Wonder Woman are relatively close in that arena. The Amazon princess can’t run as fast as both her colleagues, but she has the reflexes to go toe to toe with speedsters in combat. Don’t believe me? Just read Wonder Woman Vol 2, issue 214. In this comic, the amazon fights against Zoom and subdues him with her lasso. To make things even more impressive, she does that while blind.
Another thing that struck me while reading it was Wonder Woman’s statement that Zoom is not faster than her but that he is traveling through time. I know writers just throw these weird things in that make no sense sometimes, and we must take everything with a grain of salt. But to me, what she meant is that Zoom was ahead of her in time, and to win, she needn’t be faster than him but to predict where he was going to be. How she did that, I have no clue!
Besides the speed element, an essential thing about this fight is that Wonder Woman takes several punches from Zoom at the speed of light. She even states Zoom’s punches hurt more than Superman’s. This is an essential piece of information regarding her invulnerability. It shows that outside of piercing weapons, she can withstand almost anything.
Supergirl
There are two instances Wonder Woman fought against Supergirl and won. The first was in Supergirl Vol 6, issue 17. This fight is an excellent example of how Diana can come out victorious even when her foe has the advantage in brute force. But how and why did this fight unfold? Supergirl is helping H’el with his plan to save Krypton, not knowing it will destroy Earth. Wonder Woman confronts Supergirl and subdues the Kryptonian with her lasso. Supergirl frees herself and punches the amazon. Kara shoots lasers at Diana, who deflects them with her bracelets.
Diana captures Kara with her lasso, but the Kryptonian uses her superior strength to free herself. However, Supergirl had no energy left after getting free of the lasso. And this is where the critical part comes. Wonder Woman states she was studying her opponent and making her waste her energy to finally subdue her.
Supergirl and Wonder Woman are closely matched in strength, but Diana has the upper hand in experience. That’s what makes the difference. So no surprise the next time they faced each other, the outcome was the same. In Wonder Woman’s Rebirth run, issue 47, the so-called Dark Gods are mind-controlling Supergirl. A little spoiler of the article, there will be thousands of references to mind control from now on. How else do you expect us to have these cool superhero fights? Once again, Wonder Woman subdues Supergirl with her lasso. The victory is even more remarkable since it is stated that mind control was making Supergirl stronger.
Bizarro
There are times you just can’t win. Sometimes, intelligence is not good or fast enough to save you. This is one such occasion. In Batman-Superman-Wonder Woman: Trinity, issue 2, Bizarro gives a beating to the amazon princess. For those unfamiliar with the character, Bizarro is a reverse counterpart of Superman. Many versions of the character have different origins, but we won’t get into that in this article. The vital thing to note here is that Bizarro is Superman’s equal in strength. But he is kind of dumb.
So, how did he beat Wonder Woman? She was surprised and then couldn’t react to his punches fast enough. When she tied him with the lasso, his mind was so dumb he shattered the weapon. I take the destruction of the lasso with a massive grain of salt because that is nearly impossible to happen. The essential factor here is that Wonder Woman can lose in battle to someone stronger if taken by surprise or if her weapons don’t work on the opponent.
Superman
There are many instances where Wonder Woman and Superman fought each other. It will usually end in a draw, but there are exceptions. First, I am going to examine an instance where Superman won. In Superman/Batman, issue 15, we meet alternate versions of Batman and Superman that become evil dictators. Wonder Woman fights against them but is choked to death with her lasso; in one of the few instances, the lasso is used against her.
That opens up a precedent. Contrary to the Mjolnir that can only be wielded by someone worthy, the lasso can be taken by a foe. Of course, the theory will always be different than the practice, but it can happen. Now, to an instance where Wonder Woman won! I love this example because Diana used everything she got to defeat the boy scout, but it only worked because she could stop the fight. She acknowledged if the battle lasted longer, she would have no chance.
In Wonder Woman Vol 2, issue 219, Maxwell Lord is mind-controlling Superman. He creates the illusion Doomsday killed Lois and Wonder Woman is the monster. Diana fights Superman and barely stands her ground. He was able to hurt her badly and even break her wrists. I certainly didn’t expect that, and it looked so painful! Still, the amazon keeps fighting.
Wonder Woman shows all her cunning and uses some interesting tricks to fight back. For instance, she slaps Superman’s ears, which causes significant damage to his hearing, and calls a flock of birds to distract him. Diana also used her tiara as a boomerang and slit Superman’s throat. However, these were only temporary distractions. To stop the fight for good, Diana killed Maxwell Lord to free Superman. This decision brought dire repercussions for the heroine’s life. The point is Wonder Woman knew she couldn’t hold against him forever. Still, she devised a plan to hold back for enough time to implement a permanent solution. So although in a direct fight, Superman would most likely win, this shows Wonder Woman can work around almost any circumstance.
Greatest Feats
Changed the Earth’s orbit
In JLA, issue 75, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Martian Manhunter pulled the Earth out of orbit to save the planet. That sure required a lot of strength!
Deflected the shattered god’s fractured pieces
In Wonder Woman Vol.2, issue 194, Diana deflects the pieces of the shattered god coming from all places of the Universe to defeat the villain. This is impressive because the pieces come from the Universe’s farthest reaches at an incredible speed.
Diana proves once more her reflexes are fire!
Defeated the Whole Justice League Twice
This is an excellent example of why Wonder Woman has the best of both worlds. She uses her combat abilities and cunning to defeat the Justice League in different instances. The first occasion is in Wonder Woman Vol.2, issue 212. After Medusa blinds Wonder Woman, her Justice League colleagues create a fighting test to evaluate if she’s still fit to be on the team. She beats them all easily.
The second time is in the one-shot JLA: A league of one. In this story, Wonder Woman devises plans to neutralize every member of the Justice League and face a terrible threat on her own.
Thor
Powers and Abilities
Thor’s powers include superhuman strength, durability, speed, senses, agility, and reflexes. Also, flight, weather manipulation, increased longevity, super breath, increased healing factor, and Thorforce/Odinforce. Regarding his abilities, he is trained in the arts of war and has an immunity to telepathy.
- Most Impressive Victory: Exitar.
- Most Brutal Defeats: Hulk and Superman.
- Main Advantage: Mjolnir.
- Characteristics: He is a god with power over the weather.
- Weapons: Mjolnir and Jarnbjorn.
Weaknesses
Warrior’s Madness, a disease that increases Thor’s strength but damages the god’s sanity. Also Odinsleep. After using Odinforce, Thor has to sleep for an indeterminate amount of time.
The Asgardian Prince
Thor Odinson is a member of the Asgardian race, a group of powerful beings adored as gods by the nordic people. Thor is thousands of years old and has trained in battle all his life. However, for most of his life, he was impulsive and cocky. So his father, Odin, banished Thor to Earth to live as a commoner and learn the value of humility. The experience of living on Earth changed Thor for the better. He became more empathetic and gained a new perspective on life. Still, he didn’t lose his explorer side and would often travel to distant lands in search of adventure.
Though he still took risks, Thor was cautious when necessary. A lifetime of Loki’s trickeries taught him how to see evil schemes from miles away. Depending on which version of Thor I’m reading, I can feel he is a reasonable guy or a jock. In any instance, I would never say he is dumb; however, I believe his cunning is still far behind Wonder Woman’s intelligence. For me, that is a crucial fact for the battle’s result.
Thor’s most brutal fights explained
Silver Surfer
Silver Surfer is the herald of Galactus, one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe. Thus, the surfer possesses the Power Cosmic, an infinite source of divine energy. When you wield this power, you are in touch with the whole Universe. So it’s not hard to imagine Silver Surfer would be a formidable foe. Well, he was, but in Surfer Vol. 3, issue 86, Thor defeated him. The best part is, this wasn’t even the first time Thor beat him, as we’ll see further down.
Exitar
Imagine beings so powerful that they can create Universes and pass judgment on humanity. These are the Celestials, creatures of incredible power. But they can be harmed if you are strong enough. In Uncanny Avengers, issue 21, Thor was able to pierce a hole through a Celestial. However, an envoy of Kang captured the Thunder God before he could finish the deed.
Hercules
Thor and Hercules have a long-lasting rivalry in the comics. They represent different pantheons of gods. Sounds familiar? I imagined you would. Examining Thor’s conflicts with Hercules can provide exciting thoughts on how the Son of Odin and the Amazon Princess will clash. The first time the two heroes faced was in the Journey Into Mystery Annual from 1965.
While traveling through Jotunheim, Thor somehow crashes into Olympus. There he meets Hercules and the two wrestle. For a crucial reason, I might add. Who gets to cross the bridge first. Men and their attitude! None of this would have happened if they had manners instead of bravado. But I must say it is fun nonetheless. The two heroes fight until they cause a cataclysm. Zeus arrives to say they are both worthy, ending the conflict in a draw.
Hulk
In “Hulk: Let the Battle Begin,” the green monster is on the run again after transforming. A group of villains asked for a ransom to not destroy Mount Rushmore. Hulk intervened but caused more damage than good. Thor arrives at the scene and urges Hulk to surrender.
The Asgardian beats the crap out of Hulk with the Mjolnir. But Hulk doesn’t give up and holds Thor’s arm to hit the god with the Mjolnir. This moment is great because it exposes a clear flaw in how the hammer works, which can be Thor’s doom. A foe can use Thor’s arm to wield the Mjolnir and beat the Asgardian with his weapon.
Thor vs Superman: The Ultimate Face-Off
The superhero teams fight one another in the epic crossover, JLA vs. Avengers. Superman and Thor fight. The Kryptonian can withstand the force of Mjolnir and defeats Thor. In the final issue, he is even allowed to hold the hammer by Odin so he can save the day.
This fight is an important note to the combat we’re preparing for. Superman is stronger than both Wonder Woman and Thor. This shows the contestants of this article don’t have a significant advantage in strength over the other.
See also: Thor vs Superman: The Ultimate Face-Off
Greatest feats
Lifted the Midgard serpent
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In Thor, issue 327, the titular character faces a new scheme from Tyr, the god of war, and Loki. They use the Midgard serpent to wrap around Earth and cause geological disasters. Proving his might, he lifts the serpent with a pole. It is a remarkable feat of strength, and this could lead us to believe he is stronger than Wonder Woman. After all, he lifted a serpent with the mass of Planet Earth, and Diana could only carry a third of the planet. However, he used a pole to lift the serpent.
In physics, the law of the lever states that you need less force to move an object if you’re applying this force from a distance, with something like a pole. So the pole multiplied the power Thor used. Don’t get me wrong, Thor is still hella strong, but there is no definite winner in the strength department yet.
Threw a planet out of orbit by arm-wrestling
Thor and Hercules met on a plateau of a deserted planet far away from Earth in Thor, issue 400, for a little arm-wrestling contest. The applied force was so intense it shattered the whole plateau and knocked the planet out of orbit. They keep at it anyway, and the story finishes with no conclusion.
Side note: What I like the most about this story is not the contest but the banter between the narrators. It’s hilarious. Be sure to check out!
See also: Ultimate Guide to Batman Toys
Destroyed the Silver Surfer’s force field
We’ve already established Silver Surfer’s power. So destroying his force field, made from one of the most extraordinary powers in the Universe, it’s a remarkable feat. That’s what Thor did when he met the surfer for the first time in Silver Surfer #4. The two were fighting due to Loki’s manipulation, but they soon found out the truth and became allies.
A clash of myths
So here we are! After careful deliberation of each opponent’s previous fights and feats, the battle begins! A loud thud crashes into the shores of Paradise Island. The Prince of Asgard now faces the Princess of Themyscira. Both know what’s to come, and Thor wastes no time. He lunges at Diana with Mjolnir, but she deflects using her bracelets. Thor inflicts a series of rapids punches until Mjolnir hits the Amazon in the face. Diana feels blood in her mouth but smiles, looking at the Asgardian god. “Is that all you got?” Thor races forward, and Wonder Woman lassos him.
The Thunder God struggles until he releases himself and throws Mjolnir at the amazon. Diana falls with a loud bang. The Mjolnir goes back to Thor’s hands. He laughs jokingly. He’ll make it home earlier than he thought. But the Amazon rises, charging forward straight to him. She grabs his arm and uses the hammer against him when he raises it. One, two, three, bang! Thor throws Diana away. He lunges at her with blood in his eyes. An attack from Mjolnir. Clang! Wonder Woman blocks it with her sword. The blast is strong enough to knock both from their places. The princess looks at her enemy from a distance and expertly throws her tiara.
Thor is still confused by the dust from the impact. Wonder Woman’s tiara draws a large bloodstream from the God of Thunder’s face. Playtime is over. Thor ain’t gonna have it anymore. He enters Warrior mode and throws himself into the amazon knocking her down. She rolls over and gets up. But Thor is at her again. He slams her with strikes as fast as lightning.
One, two, three, slam. One, two, three, bang. The princess counters the attacks. Once, twice, thrice. A shadow comes from above the air, striking lightning into the amazon. Wonder Woman blocks the energy with her bracelets. Thor exploits the distraction and lands a blow on Diana. With Jarnbjorn. The ax rips through Wonder Woman’s shoulder. Everything goes red, and the world stops for a moment. Diana breathes in and looks at the open wound dripping with thick blood. She looks back at her foe. There’s one last thing to do.
She takes off her bracelets and unleashes her full power. In a swift movement, Wonder Woman lunges at Thor and throws the ax away. The princess punches the Asgardian fast and with no mercy, like an avalanche of meteors falling upon her enemy. She reaches for Mjolnir and raises the hammer with a victorious smile. Her last hope came true. Thor stands in awe for a split second before Diana quickly slams the hammer at her opponent, pinning him to the ground. She takes her sword and slices Thor’s head off, ending the battle once and for all.
FAQs
Question: Can Thor kill Wonder Woman?
Answer: Yes. Despite the result of this article, Thor could kill Wonder Woman. But I think Wonder Woman is likelier to win 6 out of 10 times.
Question: Who came first, Thor or Wonder Woman?
Answer: Wonder Woman. The amazon made her comic debut in 1941, while the Thunder God debuted in 1962.
Question: Can Wonder Woman lift Thor’s hammer?
Answer: Wonder Woman has lifted Thor’s hammer in the DC vs. Marvel crossover. Take it with a grain of salt because it is not canon. But I believe Diana is worthy of Mjolnir anyway.
Verdict
Wonder Woman and Thor were a match in many aspects. They were both powerful and had a fantastic arsenal of powerful weapons. However, Diana was shown to be faster in the comics. Thor didn’t have any situation like the shattered god’s pieces feat to prove they were equals in terms of speed. Even if you consider Mjolnir’s traveling speed, that’s a whole different thing from Thor’s combat speed. Which is considerably slower, slightly surpassing Quicksilver’s velocity.
Moreover, despite Mjolnir’s incredible power, it didn’t explore Diana’s weakness, piercing weapons. Though Jarnbjorn did the trick, Diana had a few surprises. Wonder Woman is considered worthy by various magical systems. An example of that is shown in JLA: A league of one. In the DC vs. Marvel crossover, Diana lifted Mjolnir; I considered this to be something possible to happen. The final nail in the coffin is that Diana is a more deliberate fighter. Thor charged into battle and used his warrior mode too soon. All the while, Wonder Woman waited until the last minute.
The amazon observed her opponent and used the surprise factor to strike him with her magical sword capable of cutting through electrons. Despite the advantages Wonder Woman had, this was a tough fight. I would only grant victory to Diana 6 out of 10 times. That’s it. I hope you enjoyed this match. I certainly did! Keep scrolling through our site for more cool battles between fantastic characters!
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