It’s one of the most highly anticipated DC crossovers in years. Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong #1 has brought some true monster madness to the DC Universe as the two legendary kaiju have smashed right into our favorite heroes.
We couldn’t be more excited about the history-making battle that will be playing out over the months ahead, so we’ve been thinking of some different DC x Monsterverse showdowns. Seeing as we know the series from Brian Buccellato, Christian Duce, Luis Guerrero and Jimmy Betancourt will see the Justice League teaming up against the monstrous Titans, we’re going to have some fun taking the opposite approach—and pitting a few of DC’s baddies against the King of the Monsters.
1) Darkseid
We have to jump immediately past some of the more popular super-villains like the Clown Prince of Crime and consider those who would actually stand a chance against Godzilla. And with that, the first villain to come to mind is the mighty Fourth World being known as Darkseid. His immense powers make him one of the few DC characters who might actually be able to beat Godzilla on his own, especially as his Omega Beams seem fairly close to the beast’s famed Atomic Breath. Darkseid’s fantastical teleporting skills also mean he’d likely be able to avoid some of Godzilla’s death blows and he could even trap the Titan in an alternate reality.
This is hands down the most evenly matched of our dream death matches. But it would also just be really, really cool.
2) Doomsday
Out of the five villains on the list, this feels like it’s the closest to potentially coming true. With Superman at the center of the action in Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong, perhaps he’ll have to team up with his old foe—and killer—to beat Godzilla? We wouldn’t bet against it. But let’s be honest with ourselves and admit that The Death of Superman is one of the big reasons Doomsday made this list. If you can kill Krypton’s most famous son, then you have a solid chance of besting a Titan.
Doomsday’s accelerated healing power would give him a little longer to try and take down Godzilla, and his invulnerability and immense strength would make the odds pretty even. Since his debut in 1992’s Superman: The Man of Steel #17, Doomsday has become one of DC’s most powerful super-villains, so we think he’d make a pretty terrifying foe for everyone’s favorite monster.
3) Harley Quinn
Now despite the fact that we said most of the smaller-stature villains in the DC Universe wouldn’t make the cut, we had to include one of our fave anti-heroes, Harley Quinn. Not because she’d necessarily defeat the King of the Monsters—let’s not kid ourselves, she probably couldn’t—but it would just be so delightful to see her climbing his tail and bonking him on the head with her mallet. Plus, the fact that she happens to be in love with the DCU’s very own plant protector means she would likely find a way to connect with Godzilla and could easily tag in Poison Ivy for a little environmentally friendly backup.
As for how Harley would battle Godzilla, it’s all in that never-give-up energy, righteous anger and sense of humor. Harley is also a woman of taste, so she’s probably a fan of the big guy and would just be happy to get a chance to meet him.
4) Shaggy Man
After some very serious, and may we say, well-argued options, we wanted to have a little fun which is where this iconically weird Justice League villain comes in. Shaggy Man, if you’re unfamiliar with him, was first introduced by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky in 1966’s Silver Age romp, Justice League of America #45. One of the closest things that DC has to Kong, the Shaggy Man is a massive Bigfoot-like creature who was created by Professor Andrew Zagarian.
Not only would it be a blast to see Shaggy Man fight Godzilla, but his speed and powers of regeneration mean he might actually have a chance of beating him. And if he needs a little help—like if the real Kong just happens to show up—there’s a second Shaggy Man who can offer some backup. Another reason that Shaggy Man had to make our list is, just like Godzilla, he’s got a connection to space and has even had some excursions there himself. So, this is a showdown we’d like to see.
5) Frankenstein
This is a deep-cut Godzilla reference, but what are we here for if not to make nerdy dreams come true? While Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong features Legendary’s take on the famous monster, decades ago Toho had plans to make a Godzilla vs. Frankenstein feature. It never ended up happening—instead, it fittingly became Godzilla vs. Kong—but why not fix that missed opportunity by having the iconic Legendary Godzilla fight Frankenstein in the pages of DC Comics?
We’ve seen Frankenstein go up against some of the most famous DC heroes, including Superman and Batman while under the control of Dracula, but he has also been more of a heroic figure during his reign in the Seven Soldiers. Still, even if you choose to see him as more of a hero, Frankenstein vs. Godzilla would be an epic battle worthy of the big screen and the comic page alike.
Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong #1 by Brian Buccellato, Christian Duce and Luis Guerrero is now available in print and as a digital comic book.
Rosie Knight is an award-winning journalist and author who loves Swamp Thing, the DC Cosmic and writing about those and more here at DC.com. You can listen to her waxing lyrical about comics, movies and more each week as she co-hosts Crooked Media’s pop-culture podcast, X-Ray Vision.
NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Rosie Knight and do not necessarily reflect those of DC Entertainment or Warner Bros., nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.
