Happy new year! Season 2025 of the Secret Wars on Infinite Earths is officially over, which means it's time to take stock of the top fights of the year! Usually that means finding the best of our new entries, but since we had such a modest line-up -- this time Rank & File is looking at the Top 10 Fights of 2025 from the entire catalogue based on your interest! It's an all-in melee with well over 750 contenders and I can't believe we haven't always done it this way! So which fights reigned supreme in 2025? Let's crown a champ and rank the rest!
Hey! Before we continue the countdown! Don't forget to check out the 2025 Feature Fight Recap and find out which characters reigned supreme in the 2025 Rankings Recap. Still can't get enough? Return to the main page to find the latest from the Comic Book Fight Club, or explore hundreds of previous featured fights in the Secret Archive! If you like what you see and want to support a bigger & better Season 2026 - consider becoming a Tier 1 subscriber on Patreon or hit the Warbonds Top 10 level to take it to the next level and choose a topic for a future Rank & File! Can't afford it? It's free to become a Patreon member and access additional updates -- so join the fight!
#1 Freedom Fighters vs Superman & Batman (DC)Issue: [Superman/Batman #15 (February 2005)]
Writer: [Jeph Loeb] Penciler: [Carlos Pacheco]
Featured Combatants: [Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Uncle Sam]
We begrudgingly find ourselves at the top of the list with the Elseworlds battle that just won't go away! Readers who follow the weekly trends on X & Discord know that this one always tends to come back to the top of the pops -- and I can only imagine why. In the gamut of alternate realities it's a pretty minor one, but its extreme violence, and tyrannical incarnations of Superman & Batman, may have made it seem a bigger deal to the bloodthirsty, unwashed masses than it really ought to be.
As you can probably detect -- I've soured on it over the years. The "Evil Superman" cliche has well and truly worn out its welcome, the multiverse has become an equally tedious and misappropriated concept, I'm tired of seeing heroes fighting each other instead of evil, and the image of Superman brutalizing Wonder Woman speaks to the ugliest aspects of our contemporary culture. It's all around much less fun than it was back in 2005, and I think there are many far superior choices to top the list.
As you can probably detect -- I've soured on it over the years. The "Evil Superman" cliche has well and truly worn out its welcome, the multiverse has become an equally tedious and misappropriated concept, I'm tired of seeing heroes fighting each other instead of evil, and the image of Superman brutalizing Wonder Woman speaks to the ugliest aspects of our contemporary culture. It's all around much less fun than it was back in 2005, and I think there are many far superior choices to top the list.
#2 Thor vs Captain Marvel (Marvel/DC)Issue: [Marvel versus DC #2 (March 1996)]
Writer: [Peter David] Penciler: [Claudio Castellini]
Featured Combatants: [Thor, Captain Marvel]
They called it the "Showdown of the Century" and the mid-nineties crossover epic of DC versus Marvel and Marvel versus DC continues to be one of the most popular topics here in the 21st century! The specific match-ups come in and out of favour, but as DC & Marvel launched a new wave of crossovers in 2025 with Deadpool/Batman -- it was the god-like dream match of Thor versus Captain Marvel that shot to the top of our list!
This one served as the opening bout of the 1996 crossover supercard and was emblematic of the event as a whole. Thor is firmly rooted to a short-lived, redesigned grunge era specific to that time, and Captain Marvel suffers a defeat that many fans still consider to be controversial. It's not perfect, but it's far from the most divisive battle the event featured. I like some of the ideas present and the way the significance of lightning to both characters plays a major part in the result. It's a match-up I might like to see revisited in 2026, but this time it might be Captain Marvel (aka; Shazam) who suffers the times.
This one served as the opening bout of the 1996 crossover supercard and was emblematic of the event as a whole. Thor is firmly rooted to a short-lived, redesigned grunge era specific to that time, and Captain Marvel suffers a defeat that many fans still consider to be controversial. It's not perfect, but it's far from the most divisive battle the event featured. I like some of the ideas present and the way the significance of lightning to both characters plays a major part in the result. It's a match-up I might like to see revisited in 2026, but this time it might be Captain Marvel (aka; Shazam) who suffers the times.
#3 Bane vs Batman (DC)Issue: [Batman #497 (July 1993)]
Writer: [Doug Moench] Penciler: [Jim Aparo]
Featured Combatants: [Bane, Batman]
Rounding out the Top 3 is another evergreen event battle from the nineteen nineties! Everyone has heard of the moment Bane broke The Bat, but we've gotta imagine there are now some curious readers who have never actually witnessed it first-hand. Some of those may be young readers discovering the rivalry through its latest adaptation in DC's Absolute Batman -- a pumped-up, bombastic, juvenile spin on a classic.
The influence of early nineties comics and headline-grabbing stunts like Knightfall (and Death of Superman) can still be felt in a lot of contemporary releases -- a fate many likely held misgivings about, all those years ago. While breaking Bruce Wayne's back may remain divisive for some, the original text holds up as the culmination of a brutal gauntlet through Gotham City's villains, and a bold confirmation of Bane as a more compelling and cunning character than some of his lesser derivations. There are some fights that command everyone's attention by mutual agreement - and this is one of those.
The influence of early nineties comics and headline-grabbing stunts like Knightfall (and Death of Superman) can still be felt in a lot of contemporary releases -- a fate many likely held misgivings about, all those years ago. While breaking Bruce Wayne's back may remain divisive for some, the original text holds up as the culmination of a brutal gauntlet through Gotham City's villains, and a bold confirmation of Bane as a more compelling and cunning character than some of his lesser derivations. There are some fights that command everyone's attention by mutual agreement - and this is one of those.
#4 Deathstroke vs Green Arrow (DC)Issue: [Green Arrow #62 (July 2006)]
Writer: [Judd Winick] Penciler: [Scott McDaniel]
Recent Combatants: [Green Arrow, Deathstroke]
Climbing the charts right up to the final days of the year is a slightly less well known, but no less thrilling grudge match between mortal vigilante and enhanced masked man. In the years since Green Arrow #62 the rivalry between Green Arrow and Deathstroke has only grown, finding its way into the live-action Arrow series, and lodging firmly in the minds of fans of both characters.
This is a curio from the period of time when Oliver Queen was elected Mayor of Star City and shows a fine example of his tactical cunning and expansion into fighting techniques beyond the bow & arrow. Having enjoyed Judd Winick's time on Green Arrow, I'm personally thrilled to see this one making it onto our list, and enduring as we approach a major milestone of twenty years since its publication. These are the kinds of entries that we aim to serve and provide interesting context for both characters.
This is a curio from the period of time when Oliver Queen was elected Mayor of Star City and shows a fine example of his tactical cunning and expansion into fighting techniques beyond the bow & arrow. Having enjoyed Judd Winick's time on Green Arrow, I'm personally thrilled to see this one making it onto our list, and enduring as we approach a major milestone of twenty years since its publication. These are the kinds of entries that we aim to serve and provide interesting context for both characters.
#5 Nextwave vs Fin Fang Foom (Marvel)Issue: [Nextwave #2 (April 2006)]
Writer: [Warren Ellis] Penciler: [Stuart Immonen]
Featured Combatants: [Fin Fang Foom, Photon, Elsa Bloodstone, Boomer, Machine Man, The Captain]
Digging deeper into the box of curiosities is a very unexpected entry! Nextwave was an exciting slapstick of rubbery absurdity and internet-era superhero silliness that shook Marvel from the fringes. It made an instant impression -- fending off obnoxiousness, while refreshing a cast of characters who had fallen through the cracks by the mid-2000s.
I'm not sure Elsa Bloodstone would be the cult-favourite she is now, appearing in the Marvel Rivals video game and live-action Werewolf By Night special, without this integral inclusion working alongside: a neglected Monica Rambeau, Futurama-esque revamp of Machine Man, bubblegum revival for X-Force's Boom Boom, and Gorillaz-flavoured introduction of The Captain. Having their own theme song didn't hurt, but it was Stuart Immonen's vibrant visuals, and a kaiju big battle against Fin Fang Foom, that gave the series its instant success and most memorable moment.
I'm not sure Elsa Bloodstone would be the cult-favourite she is now, appearing in the Marvel Rivals video game and live-action Werewolf By Night special, without this integral inclusion working alongside: a neglected Monica Rambeau, Futurama-esque revamp of Machine Man, bubblegum revival for X-Force's Boom Boom, and Gorillaz-flavoured introduction of The Captain. Having their own theme song didn't hurt, but it was Stuart Immonen's vibrant visuals, and a kaiju big battle against Fin Fang Foom, that gave the series its instant success and most memorable moment.
#6 Supergirl vs Gorilla Grodd (DC)Issue: [Supergirl #3 (November 1996)]
Writer: [Peter David] Penciler: [Gary Frank]
Featured Combatants: [Matrix, Gorilla Grodd]
Supergirl's imminent return to the big screen in Woman of Tomorrow saw her exploits tearing up the charts throughout 2025. There was that infamous cameo in Superman to talk about, but we were all about the comics, which weren't always all about Kara Zor-El!...
As readers discovered in this now-classic entry from the late Peter David's run on the series; this was the time before Superman's cousin was re-introduced into a post-Crisis DC Universe. Don't worry about all that mess, though. The stakes were as high as ever as Gorilla Grodd began another campaign to turn humanity into damn dirty apes! Only this version of Supergirl could stand against him to save the town of Leesburg, which made it a nice newly topical entry here on the site.
As readers discovered in this now-classic entry from the late Peter David's run on the series; this was the time before Superman's cousin was re-introduced into a post-Crisis DC Universe. Don't worry about all that mess, though. The stakes were as high as ever as Gorilla Grodd began another campaign to turn humanity into damn dirty apes! Only this version of Supergirl could stand against him to save the town of Leesburg, which made it a nice newly topical entry here on the site.
#7 Wrecking Crew vs Deadpool, Spider-Man & Punisher (Marvel)Issue: [Deadpool: Suicide Kings #5 (October 2009)]
Writer: [Mike Benson & Adam Glass] Penciler: [Carlo Barberi]
Featured Combatants: [Deadpool, Spider-Man, The Wrecker, Punisher]
It's not always easy for new featured fights to compete with seasoned Wikipedia sources and popular mainstays, but the drawing power of a superhero team-up between Deadpool, Spider-Man and The Punisher managed to achieve that feat! Yes! We can officially count an update from the past year as one of your favourite battles for 2025!
Actually part of a series spotlighting The Wrecker -- it was an exploration of what happens when so-called "street level" heroes cross the path of magically enchanted super heavyweights! The Wrecking Crew are notorious for throwing down with the likes of Thor, but in this very fun mini-series from 2009, they're hittin the streets in service of another of my favourite Marvel villains -- Tombstone!
Actually part of a series spotlighting The Wrecker -- it was an exploration of what happens when so-called "street level" heroes cross the path of magically enchanted super heavyweights! The Wrecking Crew are notorious for throwing down with the likes of Thor, but in this very fun mini-series from 2009, they're hittin the streets in service of another of my favourite Marvel villains -- Tombstone!
#8 Genocide vs Wonder Woman (DC)Issue: [Wonder Woman #32 (July 2009)]
Writer: [Gail Simone] Penciler: [Aaron Lopresti]
Featured Combatants: [Wonder Woman, Genocide]
Wonder Woman faces one of her deadliest and most vile adversaries in this flashback to a hot period for the series that combined classic Amazonian superheroics with a horrifying new threat! When it comes to smash mouth 2000s battles featuring one of DC's premiere icons -- this is one of the more palatable entries you could revisit!
Genocide was Wonder Woman's dark mirror, created by evil magics from clay gathered at the sites of some of Earth's greatest atrocities. Genocide occupies a villainous status somewhere between Bizarro and Doomsday, expanding Wonder Woman's rogue's gallery with the ultimate physical opponent. These days Wonder Woman herself has evolved into a more aggressive challenger, but I've got an affection for this run, with Simone writing, and Aaron Lopresti superbly inked by Matt Ryan.
Genocide was Wonder Woman's dark mirror, created by evil magics from clay gathered at the sites of some of Earth's greatest atrocities. Genocide occupies a villainous status somewhere between Bizarro and Doomsday, expanding Wonder Woman's rogue's gallery with the ultimate physical opponent. These days Wonder Woman herself has evolved into a more aggressive challenger, but I've got an affection for this run, with Simone writing, and Aaron Lopresti superbly inked by Matt Ryan.
#9 DC vs Marvel (DC/Marvel)Issue: [DC versus Marvel #1 & #4, Marvel versus DC #2-3 (February-May 1996)]
Writer: [Ron Marz & Peter David] Artists: [Dan Jurgens & Claudio Castellini]
Featured Combatants: [Superman, Hulk, Batman, Captain America, Scarlet Spider, Superboy, Juggernaut, Bullseye, Bane, Metallo, Mole Man, Darkseid, Thanos]
It was the crossover conflict so big it occupies two entries into our Top 10 popular picks for the year! Truth be told, in years gone by, we probably would've spent the entire list talking about DC and Marvel's mid-nineties dream matches! Such is the power of seeing some of comics' biggest icons cross company lines for the "Showdown of the Century"!
Two Deadpool & Batman specials published in 2025 opened the door to the first collected reprints of four decades worth of crossovers -- reigniting interest in the now-classic 1996 conflict! Our round-up of all the official match-ups, as well as some obscure skirmishes that happened around them, was a foundational entry for Secret Wars on Infinite Earths, and for many years a go-to source cited by Wikipedia and other websites! While the individual matches are more compelling in their focus -- there really is no bigger fight than that of the DC Universe against the Marvel Universe!
Two Deadpool & Batman specials published in 2025 opened the door to the first collected reprints of four decades worth of crossovers -- reigniting interest in the now-classic 1996 conflict! Our round-up of all the official match-ups, as well as some obscure skirmishes that happened around them, was a foundational entry for Secret Wars on Infinite Earths, and for many years a go-to source cited by Wikipedia and other websites! While the individual matches are more compelling in their focus -- there really is no bigger fight than that of the DC Universe against the Marvel Universe!
#10 Supergirl vs Lex Luthor (DC)Issue: [Supergirl #3 (December 2005)]
Writer: [Jeph Loeb] Penciler: [Ian Churchill]
Featured Combatants: [Supergirl, Lex Luthor]
Rounding out our list is another hyper-violent entry from the mid-2000s -- and a battle many are hoping to see on the big screen when the live-action DC Universe begins to unfold from 2025's Superman, into this year's Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.
The DC cinematic universe will draw from very different sources for their first solo fight with Kara Zor-El, but this featured fight revisits an interesting time when DC Comics themselves had to figure out how to start Supergirl's story anew. She hadn't been included in the DCU after rebooting with Crisis on Infinite Earths and her arrival on the new Earth proved bumpy as she encountered friends & foes, and learned a harsh lesson when she answered the call of Lex Luthor! A brutal battle to finish our list, but you'll find even more spectacular near-misses below, and in the complete 750+ battle archive.
The DC cinematic universe will draw from very different sources for their first solo fight with Kara Zor-El, but this featured fight revisits an interesting time when DC Comics themselves had to figure out how to start Supergirl's story anew. She hadn't been included in the DCU after rebooting with Crisis on Infinite Earths and her arrival on the new Earth proved bumpy as she encountered friends & foes, and learned a harsh lesson when she answered the call of Lex Luthor! A brutal battle to finish our list, but you'll find even more spectacular near-misses below, and in the complete 750+ battle archive.
Bringing Up The Rear:
Werewolf By Night vs Hulk, Chun-Li vs Vega, Fantastic Four vs Gladiator, Zatanna vs Zor, Zangief vs Rainbow Mika & Sakura, Storm vs Callisto, Hulk vs Superman, Hulk vs Sentry
Remember: The Rank & File Top 10 is typically determined by recorded win/loss rankings -- or other data, such as a year's worth of traffic. What was your favourite entry of Season 2025? What do you hope to see in 2026? Share your Top 10 Battles of 2025 in the comments below, hit me up on Twitter [aka; X], and become a Patreon subscriber to choose the next Rank & File Top 10 topic!
