When Equals Clash!

It's time for your easy, simple, no-thought-required question for the week:

Which character is more powerful--Dr. Doom, or the Silver Surfer?

Before you leap to your answer--and you have every right to leap to an answer on this one--you've probably recalled that there's been more than one occasion when Doom has outmaneuvered the Surfer in some way to make it seem that he's the Surfer's superior. And if we keep in mind that Doom once figured out a way to beat the Beyonder, it's not such a stretch to accept that he could do the same with the Surfer.

BUT: Put Doom and the Surfer ten paces from each other on a deserted field, and whose power will prevail?

We're probably on the same page on this one: the Surfer. The Surfer, of course. Doom could probably make a fight of it--for all of five seconds, until a burst of cosmic power vaporized him, or melted him into slag, or transmuted him into an iron toad. Doom faced such power before, and where did it get him? First paralyzed, and then incinerated. Without a carefully-laid plan and access to specialized equipment, there are some opponents even Doom isn't a match for.

But would you be surprised to learn that the Surfer disagrees with us? That the Surfer himself feels that Doom is his match?

He didn't initially feel that way, of course; in fact, at one time, after he was sufficiently provoked by the good doctor, the Surfer made it quite clear to Doom where the monarch of Latveria stood as far as being any kind of threat to the power of the Silver Surfer.

That's a pretty potent demonstration, no doubt about it. And as far as the Surfer is concerned, the matter is closed; but Doom feels obliged to counter with a demonstration of his own might, which amounts to--I am not kidding--moving some of the room's rubble back to where it was blasted from. That's it. Moving the rubble back into place. It's still rubble, mind you, but apparently Doom feels he's made his point.

Has he?

Well, we're all probably expecting the Surfer to be doubled over in laughter right about now after seeing Doom's posturing that accompanies this embarrassing display of his "power." But have a look instead at the Surfer's formal response to his adversary, which would likely have had you ripping this copy of Fantastic Four into shreds.

That's right:  Doom and the Surfer are equals in power. You can't un-see a declaration like that.

I'm really hoping at this point that the Surfer has picked up a talent for sarcasm.