Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's promise to shake up the DCEU's hierarchy of power has been put to the test with the release of Henry Cavill's Superman, Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman, and Zachary Levi's Shazam. These heroes have only started to show their true strength, as the Justice League and the Shazam family have yet to battle their most iconic foes.
Dwayne Johnson's love for Teth-Adam motivated the actor to portray the Shazam villain as a force to be reckoned with. The Rock promoted Black Adam with his now famous catchphrase, "The hierarchy of power in the DC universe is about to change." Black Adam made it clear that the Justice Society is no match for The Rock's favorite anti-hero, but with a power level similar to Superman, whether Teth-Adam shook the DCEU's power rankings to their core is still debatable.
How Strong Is Black Adam Compared To Other DC Characters?
There's no doubt that Black Adam is almost unstoppable. Hawkman, Cyclone, Atom Smasher, and Doctor Fate could barely keep up with him, and Black Adam didn't break a sweat while destroying Khandaq. However, the events of Black Adam would likely have been different with the participation of the Justice League. Black Adam is stronger and faster than Aquaman, Wonder Woman, and Cyborg, and his flight and electricity powers give him an edge. But even though he's fast enough to massacre dozens of Intergang soldiers in a matter of seconds, Black Adam wouldn't be able to keep up with the Flash. While a fight with any of the Justice League would be one-sided in his favor, Black Adam would likely be stopped by Barry Allen.
On the side of the villains, Black Adam could easily obliterate Dr. Sivana, King Orm, and even Steppenwolf, not to mention all the of both Task Force teams introduced so far in the DCEU. A battle with General Zod would be less one-sided, and whoever came out victorious would likely remain quite beaten up afterward. Black Adam would struggle to kill Doomsday without the aid of Kryptonite, though he would likely fare better than Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman when they fought the monster in the controversial Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. All of this places Black Adam roughly on the same level as Zod and Doomsday, but perhaps slightly below Darkseid, who's able to defeat entire armies and kill an unprepared Justice League in the Knightmare future. What Black Adam likely wouldn't do is defeat the Greek pantheon in their prime, given that Ares, Zeus, and Artemis almost killed Darkseid as soon as he came to Earth.
Black Adam Is Powerful, But Can He Beat Shazam & Superman?
Black Adam could give the Suicide Squad, the JSA, and the Justice League a real beating. However, he would find a huge obstacle in Shazam and Superman. Black Adam possesses the exact same set of DCEU magic powers as Shazam due to their shared origin story, and both champions are roughly on the same power level as Superman. In an eventual battle, whoever is willing to go the extra mile will likely gain the upper hand, and given Black Adam's murky morality — in contrast to Shazam's childish personality and Superman's restraint — he would likely be the winner. While the Shazam family defeated Dr. Sivana, they would be in great danger when fighting a more experienced and ruthless Black Adam, who could wipe the floor with them despite them having the same abilities.
Black Adam's post-credits scene, which brought back Henry Cavill's Superman, suggests the one DCEU character Earth could rely on if Black Adam got out of control is the Man of Steel himself. Black Adam wouldn't hesitate to be as brutal as possible in a fight against Superman, who would struggle to contain The Rock's anti-hero without causing lots of collateral damage. With such similar power levels, the battle would come down to stamina and strategy, though Black Adam's ruthlessness could lead Superman to resort to extreme measures such as breaking Black Adam's neck.
Why The Hierarchy Of Power In The DCEU Hasn't Changed... Yet
In true fight between Black Adam, Shazam and Superman can finally let Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's Black Adam change the DCEU's hierarchy of power for good.
