DC Reveals Superman’s Official ‘Threat Level’ But Does It Add Up?

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WARNING: Contains Potential Spoilers for Absolute Superman #2!

DC has given Absolute Superman his official threat ranking, but does it truly capture the full extent of his power? Moreover, with this new ranking, the comparison to the original Superman becomes inevitable—especially when considering who would emerge victorious in a battle between these two sons of Krypton.

Jason Aaron, Rafa Sandoval, and Ulises Arreola’s Absolute Superman #2 picks up right where the previous issue left off, with Lazarus Agent Lois Lane handcuffing herself to the Man of Steel in an attempt to apprehend him. However, things quickly go awry as Kal-El drags Lois along while he evades the rest of the Lazarus Corps Force, giving Lois a firsthand look at Superman’s heroics and abilities. ​​​​​

Once Superman breaks free from the cuffs, the two go their separate ways, with Lois returning to Lazarus headquarters to log her report on the Man of Steel. This leads to Superman receiving his official threat level ranking—a solid 8 out of 10.

DC Officially Gives Absolute Superman a Level 8 Threat Ranking (Out of 10)

Main Cover by Rafa Sandoval & Ulises Arreola for Absolute Superman #2 (2024)

Despite Lois being the only one to witness Superman’s heroics firsthand, it’s Brainiac who assigns the Man of Steel his ranking. Following protocol, Lois uses the “automated system” known as Brainiac—whom she believes to be an AI, not the shadowy puppetmaster he really is—to log her report. Posing as an AI, Brainiac asks Lois questions about her interactions with Superman, including, “How grave of a danger would you rank the subject, on a scale of one to ten?” Having seen Superman’s pure heart, Lois answers honestly, stating she wouldn’t consider him a danger at all, at least not in that sense.

Lois goes on to explain that while Superman is incredibly powerful and raw in some ways, she doesn’t believe his intentions are bad, and thus, he isn’t dangerous from a threat perspective. However, Brainiac disregards the essence of her explanation, twisting her words and assigning Superman a “ranking of eight.” Lois immediately attempts to correct what she believes to be an AI misunderstanding. But Brainiac pushes forward with his questions, deliberately misinterpreting Lois’s answers and drawing extreme conclusions, such as suggesting that Superman should be terminated—despite Lois having suggested nothing of the sort.

Is a Level 8 Ranking an Accurate Representation of Absolute Superman’s Threat Level?

Cover B Card Stock Variant by Mahmud Asrar for Absolute Superman #2 (2024)

Despite Superman’s threat ranking being based on the misinterpretation of Lois’s words and Brainiac’s manipulations, this ranking still carries weight, as it reflects everything Brainiac learned from Lois about Superman’s power levels and abilities. While it’s hard to give this supervillain credit, the ranking actually seems fairly accurate for the Man of Steel. There are several reasons why Kal-El deserves an eight and also several reasons why he isn’t yet up to par for a nine or ten.

First and foremost, the Absolute Universe’s Superman deserves at least an eight because he seems to have all the powers of his Earth-Prime counterpart, and there’s no indication that his abilities are weaker. He also gets additional power-level points due to his somewhat sentient costume, which contains an AI named Sol. However, Kal-El doesn’t yet meet the criteria for a nine or ten due to his clear inexperience. But with time to master his powers, he will undoubtedly claim a nine or ten danger level.

How Does Absolute Superman’s Power Levels Compare to the OG Man of Steel?

Earth-Prime Superman Wins In a Landslide For 1 Reason

When considering Earth’s heroes and villains—AKA excluding overpowered extraterrestrial beings like Darkseid—the Superman of Earth-Prime easily earns a level ten ranking. While Clark’s immense powerset plays a major role in this ranking, his experience is also a significant factor. This experience is what sets the Absolute Superman apart from his Earth-Prime counterpart, as Kal-El of the AU is still extremely inexperienced, still learning not only about his powers but also his identity. If the two Supermen were to meet right now, there’s little doubt the OG Superman would win in a landslide, as he has both the power and the experience on his side.

Absolute Superman #2 is available now from DC Comics!

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