The Super Saiyan vs. the Man of Steel

Since the dawn of civilization, man has always competed to see who is better.  Whether it be in war or one-on-one, in sport or to the death, it is a burning desire to know which power force is superior.  We’ve seen David vs. Goliath, Ali vs. Frazier, Batman vs. Joker…and Mac vs. PC.  But it’s close to the “end of the world,” and there are still so many questions left unanswered.  That is why on the day of the apocalypse, one question will finally be answered; a question so powerful, it will shake the core of the world as we know it: Goku or Superman?

Screwattack, an internet hub for video game news and entertainment, has a popular series called Death Battle, where famous fictional icons fight to the death for superiority.  The battles have been simulated based on stats and biographies, then animated to amuse the viewers, and then questioned openly by fans who hated the outcome depending who they wanted to win.  Popular death battles included Mario vs. Sonic, Luke Skywalker vs. Harry Potter, and Peach vs. Zelda.  Despite biased fan outcry over the losing characters (i.e. Sonic winning against Mario, making Mario fans pissed), it still answers the questions of who is better in a battle to the death using logic.  And it is about time that fans know once and for all which super-powered alien is the greatest.

In the red corner, Goku, a Saiyan…from Earth.  As a baby originally named Kakarrot, he was put in a space pod and sent to a remote planet right before it blew up. (Sound familiar?)  He was found by an old hermit and was raised in the highlands learning martial arts.  Over the years, he would go on adventures with new friends finding the Dragon Balls, seven magical balls that when combined, a magic dragon will grant one wish.  And during his adventure, he would come across a major villain, where each time he would grow stronger and defeat them.  And they get so strong that they can blow up a planet with just a pinky.  His strength and powers come from using ki, energy from within the body.  Using his ki enhances his strength, gives him flight, and use energy attacks, like the famous Kamehameha Wave.  Since he is a Saiyan, he can reach levels that humans never can such as going “Super Saiyan,” which enhances his strength further by going blond and golden.  The problem with using ki, however, is that it drains after using it.  And in a tough battle, Goku can go to different Super Saiyan levels, but drain his ki further, putting him in a huge disadvantage.  Not to mention dying…twice, and then brought back to life through the Dragon Balls.  Which I guess if he does lose, he’ll just check back in and train even stronger until he’s revived again. 

And now in the blue corner, with little introduction needed, is Superman.  Born on Krypton before it blew up, he was sent to Earth as a baby, where he would be raised in a small farm town as a farm boy named Clark Kent.  Even before puberty, young Clark discovered his unusual super strength and other abilities unlike any normal human.  As he got more mature, he discovered his destiny as the last son Krypton, and would dawn his family crest, that trademark “S,” and went out to fight crime with his underwear on the outside.  His enemies are man and ever recurring, ranging from rich assholes to robots and to galactic overlords.  However, there is a drawback to his great powers as there is also great responsibility.  Superman has a strong creed against killing since his powers can be very destructive if unrestrained.  Only rarely does he go all out, but only on enemies that can take a hit.  But that is not the only problem.  The glowing, green space rock known as Kryptonite drains his strength and energy completely unless it’s at a safe distance or in a lead case.  Oh, and he’s eco-friendly as he also draws energy from the sun.  Beats having to make earthquakes and storms by powering up.

So as a fan of Superman and an even bigger fan of DBZ, I cannot wait to see the results later this month.  Whatever the result would be, at least I would be happy to know once the end of the world comes.  Place your bets, folks!

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-"Demon" Matt Little