Surtur vs. Dormammu: Who Would Win & Why? (MCU & Comics)
Marvel is home to plenty of mythical beings of horrifying powers, from gods and aliens to dark entities and literal fire giants. All of those beings have their place when it comes to the hierarchy of power, but sometimes the lines get blurred, and we have to stage hypothetical fights to see how they would square off against each other. Today we’re going to compare Dormammu, the Ruler of the Dark Dimension, most notable for being the arch-villain of Sorcerer Supreme, and Surtur, the King of Fire Giants, most notable for opposing Asgardians. Let’s see when it comes to a fight between Dormammu and Surtur, who is more powerful, and who would win in a fight, both in the MCU and in the comics?
Dormammu is more powerful than Surtur and would be able to win a fight against him easily. Dormammu is an entity on a completely different power level. He is more dangerous, has a more versatile power set, and is vastly more durable and faster. Surtur might be able to win this fight if he manages to trick the Ruler of the Dark Dimension into leaving his home Universe, however.
Now that we’ve covered that Dormammu takes this one, it’s time to analyze how and why. We will analyze both powers and abilities and the physical aspects of both characters so you can see how we came to our conclusion. If you’re interested in more, stay with us and keep reading!
Powers and abilities
Dormammu rules his own Universe, known as the Dark Dimension. He is a literal omnipotent being with unlimited powers at his disposal. Dormammu can manipulate all known forms of energy and magic and has vast mystical potential. He can alter objects at a molecular level, astrally project, manipulate his own size, and has an omniscient presence all across the Universe.
There’s nothing that Dormammu can’t do while inside his domain. However, this is also a source of his great weakness. As soon as Dormammu leaves his domain, he loses a vast portion of his powers, he is not powerless, but he is easy enough to defeat by enemies much weaker than him.
Surtur is a fire giant composed of living flame with a fire burning so potently it holds the flame of thousand blazing suns. Surtur’s most notable power is his ability to manipulate flames, of course, but he is also known to be able to manipulate cosmic energies to a great extent, with power that might even surpass Thor’s and Odin’s. Surtur can create and project powerful blasts, levitate, affect his own state of being on a molecular level, and even travel through dimensions.
Just like Dormammu Surtur has several notable weaknesses, he is extremely vulnerable to cold and magic.
Both Dormammu and Surtur are powerful kings of their domains. However, Surtur would be affected by Dormammu’s godlike magical attacks, and the Ruler of the Dark Dimension would have no trouble exploiting Surtur’s greatest weakness. The point goes to Dormammu.
Points: Surtur(0:1) Dormammu
Strength and Stamina
Physical strength matters little to Dormammu, but he has plenty of it. Dormammu can lift more than 100 tons. His physical strength may be unlimited in nature since he can always add himself some more or change the meaning of strength inside his own Universe. He also has unlimited stamina, meaning he can exert himself with his strongest attacks, possibly forever.
Dark energies fuel Dormammu, but since his physiology is drastically different than that of humans, the meaning of stamina truly doesn’t apply here.
Like Dormammu, Surtur has unlimited strength at his disposal. He can also manipulate extremely heavy objects with his telepathic abilities if needed. Surtur also has unlimited stamina with Eternal Flame, potentially adding extra energy and power to his already mighty arsenal. Allegeldy, Surtur’s physical strength surpasses that of Thor.
Since Dormammu and Surtur most likely wouldn’t engage in a physical fight, strength is meaningless to them. Both get the point here.
Points: Surtur(1:2) Dormammu
Speed
Cosmic distances mean little to Dormammu because he can teleport, open portals, and use dimensional travel if needed. But, in terms of combat, Dormammu has access to blinding speeds and can blitz his enemies. Dormammu has reflexes, reaction times, and movements on a godlike level and is generally in the fastest category in the comics. No one expects Dormammu to fight with his fist, but if it comes to that, he would be insanely fast.
Surtur can teleport and use his cosmic powers to traverse large distances; however, his base movement speed is not that special. He has superhuman speed, meaning he can move up to 700 miles per hour, which also translates to his reflexes and reaction times. However, this is far below what Dormammu has.
There’s no doubt about it. The official classification is clear enough that Dormammu is faster than Surtur.
Points: Surtur(1:3) Dormammu
Durability
It’s difficult to conclude how durable Dormammu is because he doesn’t necessarily have a physical form. Since Dormammu was created out of pure mystical energy, regular weapons or powers cannot harm him, and he can turn intangible at any given moment. He is immortal and invulnerable, and even if his enemy manages to exploit some of his weaknesses by any chance, there’s no doubt that Dormammu can repair himself at a moment’s notice. Needless to say, Dormammu is immortal.
Surtur is likewise immortal, but he does have a physical form. He has godlike durability that is able to surpass that of Thor. However, he can be harmed and incapacitated for longer periods with both magic and ice-based attacks.
The contest of durability ends in Dormammu’s favor because he can turn intangible at any moment.
Points: Surtur(1:4) Dormammu
Intelligence
Dormammu is extremely intelligent and had a lot of time to accumulate his current knowledge. He claims he is omniscient but has no evidence to support his claims. Still, the fact that Dormammu outsmarts 99 % of the Marvel Universe still stands. He is omniscient inside his own Universe, omnipresent, and literally knows everything. His knowledge of the Universe’s arcane, occult, and magical workings far surpasses that of the best sorcerers inside the Marvel Universe.
Surtur has been around for a long time, and due to this age, he managed to accumulate a lot of ancient knowledge related to magic and arcane wisdom. His knowledge and experience are nowhere close to that of Dormammu since Surtur was pretty much contained to a single realm.
Points: Surtur(1:5) Dormammu
Combat Skills
Dormammu is considered to be a master martial artist when it comes to a specific type of extra-dimensional fighting. It’s unknown whether he excels in other forms of combat, but he can decently stand his ground in hand-to-hand combat even when not empowered by mystical energies.
Surtur is a master warrior and a swordsman, his most notable weapon being the Sword of Doom which is made out of so far unknown metal. The sword has incredible power, enabling the manipulation of mystical energy, breaking dimensional barriers, and weakening even Odin’s abilities.
Both Loki and Morgan Le Fay have utilized the sword’s power to perform extraordinary feats, such as turning Thor into a frog and affecting the health of Asgardians. Combined with the Eternal Flame, the sword’s potency is amplified significantly.
Surtur wins this one for having a cooler weapon and being a better fighter than Dormammu.
Points: Surtur(2:5) Dormammu
Dormammu vs. Surtur: Who wins in the MCU?
Dormammu steamrolls Surtur in the comics, and in the MCU, it is pretty much the same situation. Dormammu was represented as a Universal threat, with enough power to annihilate the Universe and present a real danger. Dormammu absorbed entire dimensions into himself, while Surtur pretty much presents danger only to Asgard alone.
They are both powerful entities in their own right and clearly overpower like most of the MCU, obviously, but Dormammu is someone that can never be fully eliminated, only weakened to an extent, so he wins this one.
Who do you think would win in this fight? Let us know in the comments!
