7 Times Heroes Fought Each Other (And One Was Actually Right)

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As a movie critic, I’ve noticed that while comic books often focus on heroes uniting against villains, some of the most compelling stories come from heroes clashing with each other. We saw a prime example of this in Marvel’s Civil War storyline, with Captain America and Iron Man leading opposing sides. What made that particular conflict interesting was the moral ambiguity – it wasn’t simply a case of good versus evil, and your interpretation really depended on your own beliefs. Even if you sided against Iron Man during that series, remember that the US government ultimately considered him the hero, while Captain America faced arrest. But it’s not always so complicated. Sometimes, one hero is clearly in the right, and that makes for a very different, and often more satisfying, narrative.

Whether it was the X-Menclashing internally or the Avengersarguing amongst themselves instead of tackling bad guys, here’s a look at instances where heroes battled, with a clear moral high ground for one of them.

7) Wolverine vs. Cyclops (Schism)

A particularly intense period in Marvel Comics’ X-Men history occurred when the team fractured into two groups, each with its own distinct beliefs. This story arc, called Schism, severely damaged the X-Men. The conflict reached its peak when Cyclops instructed a teenage mutant to eliminate soldiers from the Hellfire Club while protecting those in immediate danger-both humans and mutants.

Wolverine advised her to escape, and when he confronted Cyclops, their fight centered on Wolverine’s accusation that Cyclops was training these young mutants to be soldiers rather than heroes. The conflict was interrupted by an attack from Sentinels, forcing them to stop. Ultimately, Wolverine departed from the X-Men’s base in Utopia, leading to a division within the team. This event significantly impacted the X-Men’s future.

6) Superman vs. Batman (Injustice: Gods Among Us)

Though taking place in a separate world, the story of Injustice started with the Joker deceiving Superman into killing his pregnant wife, Lois Lane. This devastating event caused Superman to lose control and kill the Joker in front of Batman, ultimately leading him to become a dictator and take over the world. Batman wouldn’t comply with his friend’s actions, and a fight between the two became inevitable.

The situation was dire: Superman had become a villain, killing those who opposed him, and Batman was left to figure out how to stop the incredibly powerful alien. The central conflict revolved around Batman vs. Superman. But the story wasn’t just about them; other characters faced their own struggles. Wonder Woman embraced a villainous path, and Damian Wayne fell into darkness after a tragic accident where he unintentionally killed Nightwing.

5) Moon Knight vs. The Avengers (Age of Khonshu)

I remember when the Age of Khonshu storyline hit The Avengers back in 2020 – it was wild! It all kicked off because Khonshu found out Mephisto was plotting some massive takeover, and he decided he needed to do something big to stop him. His plan? He sent Moon Knight after the Avengers, tasking him with stealing their powers. The idea was to make Moon Knight strong enough to actually stand a chance against Mephisto. It was a really unconventional approach, to say the least, and led to some intense battles! Definitely a memorable arc.

Moon Knight initially felt justified in fighting his allies, believing he needed to stop Mephisto. However, he eventually recognized the Avengers were correct and joined forces with them to defeat Khonshu. The surprising revelation at the end was that Khonshu had been right all along, as Iron Man belatedly discovered Mephisto was secretly orchestrating an interdimensional war.

4) Superman vs. Shazam (Kingdom Come)

Kingdom Come is still considered one of the greatest stories ever told in DC Comics. This 1996 storyline, which involves multiple universes, is set on an Earth where the classic DC heroes have aged and stepped away from crimefighting. However, they are forced to return when a new generation of heroes emerges, and these younger heroes don’t share the same values or commitment to doing what’s right.

The situation escalated into a catastrophic conflict, with the Justice League fighting against out-of-control metahumans and a mind-controlled Shazam. It was a decisive battle, during which Shazam overpowered Superman until the Man of Steel cleverly used Shazam’s true name – Billy Batson – to break the mind control, allowing Shazam to regain control and resolve the conflict properly. While Superman was initially justified in his actions, he later recognized how his earlier decisions had contributed to this devastating outcome.

3) Hulk vs. Everyone (World War Hulk)

Throughout Marvel Comics history, there have been times when a hero needed intervention, and World War Hulk was definitely one of those moments. What’s particularly compelling about this story is that Hulk had a legitimate grievance – the Illuminati deserved a reckoning. While it turned out they hadn’t actually killed his pregnant wife and child, they had committed awful acts. Later events, like the Incursions and Secret Invasion, confirmed that the Illuminati were consistently wrong in their actions. Hulk was justified in seeking revenge, even if his methods ultimately went too far.

2) Superman vs. Batman (Dark Knight Returns)

It often appears that Batman is justified in his actions when he clashes with Superman. This held true in Dark Knight Returns as well. This story is set in the future, after Batman’s retirement, and depicts Gotham City overrun by crime and controlled by gangs of mutants.

Batman returns from retirement to protect his city. But the U.S. government, which has become more controlling, sends Superman to stop him, believing that heroes like Batman challenge their power. Superman is acting on behalf of a dishonest government, making him appear to be on the wrong side, yet he ultimately makes the correct decision. He lets Batman pretend to die, allowing him to continue fighting crime in secret from the shadows.

1) Iron Man vs. Thor (Post Civil War)

The Civil War involved countless heroes battling each other, with both sides convinced of their just cause. Afterward, though, the U.S. government surprisingly recognized Iron Man as the hero, even though he had previously imprisoned heroes in the Negative Zone and permitted a weapon created by Thor to kill Bill Foster.

This resulted in Thor being resurrected, and when Iron Man arrived asking him to sign the Registration Act, Thor soundly defeated him, giving the hero his most brutal beating ever. Thor was aware that Iron Man had used his DNA to kill a mutual friend, and he didn’t pull any punches. The fight became the most popular hero-versus-hero conflict in comic book history, and many fans agreed that Thor’s victory was fitting.

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2025-10-05 01:41