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This article is about the publicly-stated-to-be-irrelevant sequel to Death Battle's 25th episode. You may be looking for the original classic version of Goku VS Superman from 2013 or the proper re-examination from 2023.

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The rematch of legends begins now. Hold on to your seat.
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Goku VS Superman 2, retroactively titled Goku VS Superman 2 (2015) The Original's Sequel (originally re-subtitled as The Irrelevant Sequel), is the 50th episode of Death Battle, featuring Son Goku from the Dragon Ball series and Superman from DC Comics in a sequel to the battle between world-famous alien heroes. Goku was reprised by Lawrence Simpson and Superman was reprised by Michael Agrusso.

Interlude

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The Chosen Warriors
by Norihito Sumitomo
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Wiz: Goku.

Boomstick: Superman.

Wiz: Titans of power, champions of unimaginable might.

Boomstick: Endlessly requested to fight each other... again. He's Wiz and I'm Boomstick.

Wiz: And it's our job to analyze their weapons, armor, and skills to find out who would win... a Death Battle.

Title Sequence

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Superman vs Goku The Rematch
by Blake Robinson
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Ben Singer as Wiz

Chad James as Boomstick

Lawrence Simpson "MasakoX"

Michael Agrusso "ItsJustSomeRandomGuy"

Scott Frerichs "KaiserNeko"

Original theme by Blake Robinson Synthetic Orchestra

Other original music by Brandon Yates

ACParadise

Animated by Torrian Crawford

Directed by Ben Singer

Goku VS Superman 2

Analysis

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Superman Returns Main Title
by John Ottman
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Wiz: Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Superman entered the world on the cover of Action Comics #1, in 1938. He was the first, and his success paved the way for the superhero genre. The Man of Steel is righteous, courageous, selfless, a perfect boy scout.

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Clark's First Flight
by Shirley Walker
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Boomstick: Very inspirational, but man, does it get boring sometimes!

Wiz: Siegel and Shuster were the sons of Jewish-American immigrants, and knew first hand what it was like living in a world where they felt alien. Thus, this became the basis of Superman's story.

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Flight
by Hans Zimmer
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Boomstick: You know how it goes; his scientist dad found out his home world, Krypton, was getting a bit too explosive and sent his son off to Earth to save him. On Earth, Superman's Kryptonian cells can absorb solar radiation from the yellow sun, giving him awesome strength, speed, durability, flight, and the power to shoot heat from his eyes, which can be large enough to vaporize a planet, or precise enough to perform lobotomies.

Wiz: Superman was so powerful, he could carry entire solar systems on his back, or obliterate them with a sneeze, but over 75 years, Superman has changed quite a bit, including going through two separate reboots, which we'll be focusing on today. These reboots lessened his insane power, not exactly by altering his abilities, but by changing his outlook.

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Superman Doomsday Main Title
by Robert J. Kral
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Wiz: Upon discovering his alien powers, the new Superman rejected them, unintentionally instilling mental barriers on his powers, which he would work to unlock through the rest of his life.

Boomstick: Sorta like when you drink too much and don't remember the night before, so you gotta spend all day figuring out how you got yourself a dozen kangaroos, and married a lamp... don't ask.

Wiz: And then, in 1996, the world changed. Dragon Ball Z came to America.

Boomstick: ♫Dragon, Dragon, Rock the Dragon, Dragon Ball Z!

Wiz: 12 years prior, a mangaka, or author of Japanese comics, named Akira Toriyama introduced Dragon Ball, the story of Son Goku and his quest to become the greatest martial artist in the world, nay, the universe.

Boomstick: Like Superman, Goku was also sent to Earth from a doomed planet, and possessed incredible powers, but that's pretty much where their similarities end.

Wiz: Goku was primarily inspired by the Monkey King Sun Wukong from the Chinese novel Journey to the West. If you have any interest in Asian culture, I highly recommend reading it. It's inspired far more than just Dragon Ball.

Boomstick: Throw a stone at a shelf of anime, and odds are, it hits something inspired by Journey to the West.

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Pikkon Theme
by Bruce Faulconer
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Boomstick: Anyway, Toriyama was smart and knew that fighting is awesome, so Dragon Ball took off like a rocket. Sooner than you can say "power levels are bullshit," Dragon Ball became a hit anime and then came to America.

Wiz: Literally making its own journey to the west...

Boomstick chuckles.

Wiz: ...and forever changing the childhoods of many, Dragon Ball Z became the gateway anime to many westerners. However, since prior anime had very little success overseas due to the differences between Japanese and American cultures, the companies responsible for importing DBZ understandably feared Goku's character might seem a bit selfish and heartless to a western audience.

Boomstick: Their solution? Turn Goku into Superman.

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The Dragon Theme
by Bruce Faulconer
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Wiz: This decision resulted in some strange mistranslations, such as labeling Goku's father as a brilliant scientist.

Boomstick: Yeah, I don't see it.

Wiz: As well as perhaps Goku's most famous line, which many argue actually conflicts with his true character.


Goku: I am the hope of the universe, I am protector of the innocent, I am the light in the darkness. I am truth! Ally to good! Nightmare to you!


Boomstick: And this is where it all began. The nerd debates, the internet wars, East VS West. Which hometown hero would triumph in a brutal fight to the end?

Wiz: In 2002, Wizard Magazine delivered an answer. They deduced Goku would win, stating that Superman would die to a fall from the Moon to the Earth.

Boomstick: A decade later, the website Outskirts Battledome launched, dedicated to answering versus matches. This time, Superman claimed victory. However, the chaotic debate careened out of control and eventually became banned forever.

Wiz: The arguments only grew. The Internet needed a solid answer.

Boomstick: That's where we came in.


The end of the original Goku VS Superman plays on-screen.


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The Clouds of War Spread
by Kenji Yamamoto
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Wiz: However, since January 2012, Goku and Superman have continued their adventures. Superman gained an all-new ability called the Super Flare, which jettisons all the solar energy stored in his body, essentially turning him into a solar bomb. However, it leaves him completely drained of his powers for the next 24 hours. As such, he will only use the Super Flare as an ultimate last resort.

Boomstick: Goku attained a new legendary form called Super Saiyan God.

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Xenoverse Track 22
by Yoshichika Kuriyama, Shiho Terada, Atsushi Yokozeki
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Boomstick: Despite being a temporary boost, Goku's body absorbed the godly power, essentially making it his new base form. Then, after mixing its power with his Super Saiyan ability, he became a Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan... oh come on! There had to have been a better name! Ultra Saiyan, Master Saiyan, Super Ultra Combo with Fries Saiyan, anything but that mouthful!

Wiz: These new powers have naturally rekindled the ultimate debate.

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Genesis Project
by John Ottman
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Boomstick: Is this godly Goku powerful enough to defeat Superman? Or will this just be a repeat of the past?

Wiz: Well, let's end this debate once and for all. It's time for the rematch of legends.

Boomstick: It's time... FOR A DEATH BATTLEEE!!!

Death Battle

In space, Superman has gathered the seven Dragon Balls and has summoned the all-powerful Shenron. He wishes for the Earth and anyone who died in his fight with Goku to be resurrected. He arrives back in the Arctic near his Fortress of Solitude and hears the ground shaking.

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Glamor In Charm and Allure
by Rei Kondo, Masami Ueda, Norihiko Hibino, Takahiro Izutani
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Goku flies from the snow in the ground.

Goku: Hey, Superman.

Superman: Son Goku, I've been expecting you.

Goku transforms into his Super Saiyan God form and amplifies his ki to godly ki.

Goku: Ready for a rematch?

Fight season 2

The two clash and get each other in an armlock. Superman fires his heat vision, which Goku blocks. Goku uses Instant Transmission to teleport behind Superman and knee him in the stomach before kicking him towards a mountain, which explodes. He uses the technique more to inflict more damage on the Man of Steel before firing down a Ki Blast at him.

Goku: Eat this!

Superman recovers and Goku prepares his signature attack.

Goku: Kamehameha!

Superman manages to block the beam as he's knocked into the fortress with Goku following. Superman then starts laying a beat down on his enemy.

Superman: This stops here!

He knocks Goku towards the ceiling and then to the wall.

Superman: I'm impressed. I actually felt that.

Goku: You haven't seen anything yet!

Superman fires his heat vision which Goku blocks, but Superman charges forward and knocks him out of the fortress.

Superman: Neither have you.

Superman punches Goku across the ocean.

Superman: With every step, an earthquake! With every breath, I could create a hurricane!

He punches Goku into a nearby canyon.

Superman: This is my burden. Be thankful it is not yours.

Goku: Don't get ahead of yourself, buddy. You're not the only one with that kind of power.

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Goku then transforms into his Super Saiyan Blue form.

Superman: Blue hair? Meh, I've seen worse.

Goku charges forward and uses Instant Transmission to get some hits and knock Superman into a canyon. Superman charges back and the two trade back blows until Goku punches Superman into the air.

Goku: You're finished!

Goku then uses a Ki Blast on Superman, which sends him careening into the canyon before the two then get into a large clash ending in an explosion. They then start exchanging blows with Goku getting the upper hand.

Superman: Outta my way!

Superman then charges forward and starts landing some punches.

Superman: Take this!

Goku blocks Superman's punches until they end up all the way in Frisco, Texas.

Superman: You can take it, can't you? You're too strong for your own good!

He knocks Goku into a nearby building and then pushes him through multiple buildings, including the one where SGC is being held.[Note 1] Goku then starts to fight back.

Goku: Get off my planet!

Superman then starts to counter back.

Superman: This stops here!

He knocks Goku on top of one of the skyscrapers and follows him.

Superman: All right, have you had your fun? I would prefer we don't accidentally destroy the Earth a second time!

Goku: No, I will never back down from a fight!

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Shingeki St - Hrn- Egt 20130629 Kyojin (Eren's Berserk Theme)
by Hiroyuki Sawano
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Goku: KA... ME... HA... ME... HAAAAAA!

Goku unleashes his Kamehameha once more, but Superman isn't fazed in the slightest from the hit and starts walking forward.

Goku: I will beat you!

Superman continues walking forward with no hesitation. He then grabs Goku's hand to stop the attack.

Superman: Stop it! This is over!

He punches Goku in the stomach and then grabs him by the throat and flies up.

Superman: I'm sorry...

Superman then fires his heat vision into Goku's eyes and disintegrates Goku's brain, killing him. He then flies down to catch the fallen Saiyan.

King Kai: I believe this is the part where I say I told you so...

Goku: But, King Kai I don't understand...

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Kieru Namekkusei to Kibô/Planet Namek, Along with Hope, Vanishes
by Shunsuke Kikuchi
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The deceased Goku is seen with King Kai standing on Snake Way.

King Kai: You can't beat him.

Goku: Sure I can! I'll just train harder than ever!

King Kai: No Goku! You can overcome any limit put in front of you, but his power has no limit! Even if you somehow found the power to surpass him, you wouldn't have anything left to aspire to. Do you truly want that?

Goku: Nah, sounds boring.

Goku's stomach rumbles.

Goku: Oops! Heh heh! Uh, King Kai, do you have anything to eat?

King Kai: Goku, I'm trying to be serious here!

Goku: What? My stomach has limits too you know! Hahahahaha....

Ko season 2

Results

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Superman vs. The Elite Main Title
by Robert J. Kral
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Boomstick: Wooah! Torches and pitchforks down! Before you start raging, please hear us out on this one, alright?

Wiz: Goku is incredibly powerful, a skilled warrior, and a great character. But Superman is on a completely different level. One which really doesn't belong in versus matches like these. Sure, due to the writing style of Dragon Ball, Super Saiyan God Goku's exact limits are difficult to pinpoint. Also, Goku will likely achieve a new form in the future; it's just how Dragon Ball works nowadays. However, none of that is really a factor. Goku will always have limits while Superman's maximum potential is limitless.

Boomstick: Don't believe us? Well, strap in boys and girls, let's look at how Superman breaks reality!

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Bad Presentment
by Norihito Sumitomo
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Boomstick: One day, Superman was hanging out near Vega, the brightest star in the Lyra constellation.

Wiz: For the record, that's 25 light-years from Earth, or 147 trillion miles.

Boomstick: Naturally, a crisis occurred on Earth, so Superman's photographer buddy, Jimmy, activated his signal watch, calling for Superman's aid. And Superman arrived in a matter of minutes!

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Flight
by Hans Zimmer
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Wiz: Being a comic book, the time Superman took getting to Earth is unspecified. However, the comic never mentioned or implied any large time lapse and he arrived as the battle was ending. Even if we seriously lowball this feat to taking 10 minutes, Superman would be traveling over 800 trillion miles per hour, over a million times the speed of light.

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If You Love These People
by Hans Zimmer
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Wiz: But more impressively, Jimmy's signal watch operates by emitting a high-frequency sound only Superman can hear. Which means Superman heard the signal in the vacuum of space 25 lightyears away. That is physically impossible, except for Superman.

Boomstick: Hohoho, you want impossible? How about the time he lifted Spectre off the ground? A guy literally made up of eternity! No, not insane enough for you? Well, then how about the time Superman lifted up a book of infinite pages? That's right! Superman lifted both eternity and infinity!

Wiz: Though he did have some help from Wonder Woman and Shazam.

Boomstick: Hey Wiz, what's half of infinity? In-f***ing-finity!

Wiz: Regardless, they have limits in their own strength, so while they were lifting a specific set part for each load, Superman was lifting everything else, which literally means everything else. Really, Wonder Woman and Shazam didn't even need to be there.

Boomstick: Superman's held a black hole, survived an explosion equal to 50 supernovas, flew through the center of a red sun, which is like tanking millions of nukes rapid-fire, and once easily absorbed enough solar energy to vaporize half a galaxy. And to put an end to the Wizard Magazine's argument, here he is getting thrown from orbit into Earth with enough force to devastate the planet and cause nuclear winter. Oh, look! He stood up moments later more pissed off than hurt! Oh, and by the way, none of this was Pre-Crisis.

Wiz: Believe us, we know none of this makes any logical sense.

Boomstick: And, hey, it's not our fault, these writers just keep making Superman the most impossibly OP guy ever. That's kind of what he's all about.

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Goku vs Superman - Battle
by Blake Robinson
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Wiz: Exactly. Superman isn't just a sketch on paper. He's an ideal. Superman and Goku are more than just characters, they inspire. They show us the best of what we can become. This is why people get so passionate about this debate.

Boomstick: Goku's the epitome of a self-made man in spirit and personal goals. He inspires people to work hard to achieve dreams. To many, Goku is proof that there is no struggle that cannot be overcome.

Wiz: And the world of Dragon Ball fits this mold. Every obstacle Goku faces in Dragon Ball has a limit he can overtake. Even those called gods in his universe can be defeated and surpassed.

Boomstick: And that is where Superman breaks this matchup. His world just doesn't fit the same mold.

Wiz: Superman is an all powerful being who is only weak to alien radiation and supernatural magic. He is not meant to be relatable. He is not meant to lose. While Goku's story is one of a man trying to be the best warrior he can be, Superman's is the story of a god trying to live amongst men. It's not about if he loses a fight, but whether about he's doing the right thing. That's why he stands for truth, justice, and freedom. That's why he doesn't wear a mask. That's why he's called the Superman.

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Life to be Protected
by Norihito Sumitomo
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Boomstick: But, hey, we know some of you out there have some questions, so let's knock them out of the park right now.

Wiz: Technically, if Goku could find a way to draw energy across multiverses, his Spirit Bomb could possibly achieve the kind of limitless power to match Superman. But, not only would that take way too long to charge providing Superman with plenty of time to kill him thousands of times over, the Spirit Bomb does not hurt anyone pure of heart, like Superman.

Goku: (talking telepathically to Gohan) Gohan, you have to bounce it back! If you don't have any evil in you, you'll be okay.

Boomstick: Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan was about on par with Golden Frieza. When asked about Golden Frieza's power level at a panel, Frieza's voice actor said since Frieza is a "nice guy," it's probably 100 quintillion. Which is a pun, because power levels are nothing more than a big joke.

Wiz: Superman has been beaten in battle before when he was still learning. Saying Superman should lose because he lost to Doomsday is the equivalent of saying Goku should lose because he was one shot by Raditz. We are looking at these characters at their maximum potential, not from some random point in their timelines.

Boomstick: Goku may have divine ki now, but it's still ki. Not magic.

Wiz: Ki may be spiritual in nature, but it's still a natural source of living energy even Superman possesses. In fact, Dragon Ball emphasizes a clear difference between ki and magic.

Boomstick: And if Goku did destroy the Sun or the planet, he can't survive in the vacuum of space. Superman can and could always just fly to another yellow Sun, or even a blue one which boosts his powers even faster.

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Look to the Stars
by Hans Zimmer
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Wiz: Ultimately, Goku VS Superman comes down to a difference of limits and purpose. What happens when you pit a man with the power to break any limits against a being with no limits in the first place? Well, only one has limits to give at all. But that's exactly what makes him such a memorable character.

Boomstick: Think about it. If you had a Goku that was as powerful as Superman, would you even want him?

We cut to the "Winner" card.

Wiz: The winner is Superman.

Boomstick: Fucking Superman!

Original Tracks

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Superman vs Goku The Rematch
by Blake Robinson
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Goku vs Superman 2 Track Cover

Compositions

The tracks for this episode are "Superman vs Goku The Rematch" by Blake Robinson and "Alive" by Brandon Yates. "Superman vs Goku The Rematch" is an epic orchestral track accompanied by a choir that is based on "Goku VS Superman", which was itself based on motifs and themes from Dragon Ball and DC Comics, while "Alive" is a vocal rock track sung by Brandon himself whose style takes inspiration from the song "Silent Talk" from the Chrome Shelled Regios anime,[1] which was given as a reference track to him by Torrian Crawford.[2] Unlike most other original tracks, "Superman vs Goku The Rematch" is used exclusively for the intro of the episode and not the fight.

Titles

"Superman vs Goku The Rematch" is simply named after the episode. Unlike future original fight tracks with a unique title, "Alive" doesn't reference either combatant, as Brandon didn't know what episode the track was for while he was making it.[3]

Cover Arts

The cover art for "Goku VS Superman 2" simply depicts silhouettes of Superman with his cape torn blocking a strike from Super Saiyan 3 Goku (which is odd, considering the form does not show up in the fight itself), with Superman's cape highlighted in red and Goku's hair highlighted in yellow, against a background of muted navy blue explosion rays with clouds at the top, while "Alive" lacks an official track cover.

Lyrics

Your last mistake's been made
You're on a fast track to an early grave
And now you're never gonna get away
It's time to face consequences you can't escape

Watch me come alive
And burn so bright you better shield your eyes
I swear I'll watch you die
It should come as no surprise
When I end your life
Watch me come alive
I'm done holding back
This is my full on attack
Watch me come alive
Watch me come alive
Before it all cuts to black

Choked out there's no hope now
I'm 2 steps ahead, and you're 6 feet down
You thought it'd go the other way but no
Just keep on screaming out from under that epitaph you wrote
Your last mistake's been made
Fast track to an early grave
Never gonna get away,
It's time to face consequences you can't escape

Watch me come alive
And burn so bright you better shield your eyes
I swear I'll watch you die
It should come as no surprise
When I end your life
Watch me come alive
I'm done holding back
This is my full on attack
Watch me come alive
Watch me come alive
Before it all cuts to black

(You should've been listening
I'm never giving in
Every single moment that I've been living in
Ecstacy leaving me euphoric next to the
Corpse that remains of the choice that you made
When you made that mistake,
And I made your bones break like it wasn't a thing
Cause it wasn't so bring on the pain
If you think that you can, cause I'm fucking insane
And I'll leave you decaying and slain
Like the brother of Cain
Yeah it's really a shame
That you stepped in this ring
Cause you'll never step to me again

Take a moment, breathe

Unending and bending to nobody
I am an ultimate hero
You're not even near I'll reduce you to zero
In case I'm not clear enough)

There's only one god here

Come alive
And burn so bright that you go blind
I swear I'll watch you die
You seem surprised that I'm still alive
Watch me come alive
I'm done holding back
This is the final attack
Watch me come alive
Watch me come alive
And now it all cuts to black

Trivia

Production

  • The core connections between Goku and Superman are that they are both beloved, god-like protagonists and considered to be some of the most powerful physical fighters in fictional history, as well as the most iconic of their respective mediums (manga/anime and comic books, respectively). Both are also amongst the survivors of an alien race (Saiyans and Kryptonians, respectively) and were sent from their dying planet (Planet Vegeta and Krypton, respectively) to Earth, where they took on the mission of preserving it. In addition:
    • Both were born to notable fathers who were respected members of said race but were on the opposite spectrum of classes from each other (the low-class Saiyan warrior Bardock and the high-class scientist Jor-El, respectively).
    • After arriving on Earth, both were adopted by a man/family who taught them the values of their powers and abilities (Grandpa Gohan and both Jonathan and Martha Kent, respectively), who would also give them alternate identities to differentiate themselves from their original names (Kakarot was named "Son Goku" and Kal-El was named "Clark Kent") and later inspire the names of their sons (Son Gohan and Jonathan Kent, respectively).
    • Both initially rejected their alien heritages after learning about them before gradually accepting them over time.
    • Both practice styles of martial arts that involve channeling life energy through their bodies (Kame-Sennin Ryu and ki for Goku and Torquasm-Rao and Shreearr for Superman) and learned to enter a state of heightened mental control (Ultra Instinct and the theta state, respectively), which lets them move and fight without thinking.
    • Both were the founders of teams made for the purpose of protecting their new home of Earth (the Dragon Team/Z-Fighters and the Justice League, respectively), with whom they have fought against alien invaders (Frieza and Brainiac, respectively), genetically enhanced monsters (Cell and Doomsday, respectively), childish yet dangerous supernatural entities (Majin Buu and Mister Mxyzptlk, respectively), antagonistic members of their own species (Raditz and General Zod, respectively), literal gods (the God of Destruction Beerus and the New God Darkseid, respectively), and evil versions of themselves from alternate universes (Goku Black from Universe 10 and Ultraman of Earth 3, respectively).
    • Both married a human woman and started a family with them (Chi-Chi and Lois Lane, respectively), developed a close relationship with a human martial artist (Krillin and Batman, respectively), powerful green aliens from another planet (Piccolo and Martian Manhunter, respectively), and even a friendly rivalry with an ally of their team (Vegeta and the Flash, respectively).
    • Both use the word "Super" in their titles (Goku's Super Saiyan transformations and Superman, respectively).
    • Both gained new abilities since the release of the original episode (Super Saiyan God and the Super Flare, respectively) that were heavily focused on as a major part of this episode's promotion.
      • Despite this, not only does the Super Flare not show up in the fight despite it being heavily advertised (with it even being shown in the first two thumbnails for the episode and given a dedicated section of the analysis alongside Super Saiyan God), but it also had no impact on the verdict and was not mentioned at all in the post-analysis.
  • The fight was foreshadowed in Kirby VS Majin Buu, Boba Fett VS Samus Aran (2015), Chuck Norris VS Segata Sanshiro, and Solid Snake VS Sam Fisher, with the teasers having a heavy emphasis on Goku's Super Saiyan God form.
    • In Kirby VS Majin Buu, there was a Funimation ad segment where a Goku Funko Pop voiced by Lawrence Simpson told Ben Singer that his Super Saiyan God form would "eat Superman for lunch," and that he saw all the angry comments regarding the outcome of the original episode.
    • In Chuck Norris VS Segata Sanshiro, during the two combatants' final clash at the end of the fight, scenes of previous Death Battle episodes appeared, with the last one shown being this then-yet-to-come-episode depicting Super Saiyan God Goku punching Superman, albeit in sprites rather than in 3D.
    • In Solid Snake VS Sam Fisher, when Sam Fisher was getting data from the computer, one of the windows playing in the top left of its screen showed Super Saiyan God Goku powering up.
  • Much of what was cut from the original 50-minute long script for the original episode was revisited in this episode.
  • In the Road to 100 blog looking back on the Goku VS Superman episodes, Ben stated that Goku VS Superman 2 is his least favorite episode of the show. His biggest problem with the episode was how it was promoted as a big rematch, when it was really meant to be a continuation of the previous episode, describing it as "an unintentional and completely unnecessary kick in the nuts to the Dragon Ball audience."[4]
    • Ben goes into more detail about this in a later blog in 2023, once again stating this episode was intended to be an epilogue rather than a rematch and was originally proposed just to be a special event for the ScrewAttack Gaming Convention. After the episode became the convention's main attraction, however, Ben felt his original intent could not meet expectations, and "In [his] frustration, [he] made a lackluster episode that accidently derides Superman and unintentionally kicks Dragon Ball fans while they're down," with him considering it his worst episode.[5]
    • At ConBravo 2016, both Ben and Chad stated they didn't want to make this episode, but did so anyway due to the extremely high amount of requests. Ben also stated that there would not be a Goku VS Superman 3, regardless of the demand.[6] However, according to the aforementioned Road to 100 blog, he since opened up to the idea of doing a re-examination of the matchup more in line with the other re-analyzed episodes rather than a direct sequel.
  • This is one of the most controversial episodes ever done by Death Battle, having a mere 58% positive reception on YouTube, the second-lowest out of any episodes by far, only beaten by Ben 10 VS Green Lantern's 56% positive reception.
    • The controversial result of this episode was referenced in Deadpool VS Mask, in which Deadpool used the Continuity Gem to show a possible alternate outcome for this episode in which the roles of the winner and loser were reversed, alongside Link VS Cloud (2012), Rogue VS Wonder Woman, Yang VS Tifa, and Gaara VS Toph.
    • On November 20th, 2023, after Goku VS Superman (2023) was revealed at the end of Rick Sanchez VS The Doctor, this episode was retroactively retitled as "Goku VS Superman 2 (2015) The Irrelevant Sequel", likely in reference to the negative reception of the episode and Ben's personal disdain for it, though the subtitle would be changed to the less deriding-sounding "The Original's Sequel" after the episode's release.
      • The tagline was also changed during this time to one shared with the first episode: "This episode is outdated & inaccurate. See the all new Goku VS Superman on Dec 4, 2023." After the episode's release, the descriptions were updated to "This episode is outdated. See the all new one here:" with a link to the episode.
  • This is the first episode to have original music from Brandon Yates.
  • Brandon Yates would eventually release a remaster of Alive on October 17th, 2019.
  • The main refrain of Alive ("Watch me come alive") would eventually be referenced in Dragon Dance, the track for Gogeta VS Vegito (alongside Princes of Pride), and Super, the track for Goku VS Superman (2023).

Easter Eggs

Errors

  • Wiz mistakenly states that the original Goku VS Superman took place in January of 2012 instead of 2013. While it had been planned to come out in 2012, it was delayed from December.
  • The idea that the Wizard Magazine depiction of Goku VS Superman was made with an argument in mind is false. While it does have a scenario suggesting that a fall from such a height might kill Superman, not only does it not factor into the written fight (as Superman already lost by the time Goku noticed this, and he prevents Clark from falling), the fight in question wasn't trying to be a researched depiction of the battle.
  • For the entire fight, the symbol on Goku's gi is flipped from how it should be, making the kanji written on it backwards.
  • There are various points in the fight when the logo on Superman's costume is flipped (Superman saying "Neither have you," as he punches Goku, when Superman lands to say "This is my burden. Be thankful it is not yours,", etc.).

Other

Notes

References

DEATH BATTLE Episodes
Season 1 1 Boba Fett VS Samus Aran2 Akuma VS Shang Tsung3 Rogue VS Wonder Woman4 Goomba VS Koopa5 Haggar VS Zangief6 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Battle Royale7 Zitz VS Leonardo8 Yoshi VS Riptor9 Felicia VS Taokaka10 Kratos VS Spawn11 Bomberman VS Dig Dug12 Vegeta VS Shadow13 Mario VS Sonic14 Justin Bieber VS Rebecca Black14.5 DEATH BATTLE! vs The World15 Luke Skywalker VS Harry Potter16 Chun-Li VS Mai Shiranui17 Starscream VS Rainbow Dash18 Master Chief VS Doomguy19 Eggman VS Wily20 Zelda VS Peach21 Thor VS Raiden22 Link VS Cloud23 Batman VS Spider-Man24 Pikachu VS Blanka25 Goku VS Superman
Season 2 26 He-Man VS Lion-O27 Shao Kahn VS M. Bison28 Ryu Hayabusa VS Strider Hiryu29 Ivy VS Orchid30 Fox McCloud VS Bucky O'Hare31 Terminator VS RoboCop32 Luigi VS Tails32.5 Vegeta VS Mewtwo?33 Pokémon Battle Royale34 Fulgore VS Sektor35 Godzilla VS Gamera36 Batman VS Captain America37 Tigerzord VS Gundam Epyon38 Ryu VS Scorpion39 Deadpool VS Deathstroke40 Kirby VS Majin Buu41 Ragna VS Sol Badguy42 Gaara VS Toph43 Boba Fett VS Samus Aran44 Chuck Norris VS Segata Sanshiro45 Guts VS Nightmare46 Iron Man VS Lex Luthor47 Beast VS Goliath48 Solid Snake VS Sam Fisher49 Darth Vader VS Doctor Doom50 Goku VS Superman 251 Donkey Kong VS Knuckles52 Wolverine VS Raiden53 Hercule Satan VS Dan Hibiki54 Yang VS Tifa55 Mega Man VS Astro Boy56 Green Arrow VS Hawkeye57 Pokémon VS Digimon
Season 3 58 Dante VS Bayonetta59 Bowser VS Ganon60 Ratchet & Clank VS Jak & Daxter61 Flash VS Quicksilver62 Joker VS Sweet Tooth63 Mewtwo VS Shadow64 Meta VS Carolina65 Cammy VS Sonya66 Tracer VS Scout67 Ken VS Terry68 Amy Rose VS Ramona Flowers69 Hulk VS Doomsday70 Zoro VS Erza71 Deadpool VS Pinkie Pie
Season 4 72 Lara Croft VS Nathan Drake73 Scrooge McDuck VS Shovel Knight74 Venom VS Bane75 Power Rangers VS Voltron76 Natsu VS Ace77 Sub-Zero VS Glacius78 Android 18 VS Captain Marvel79 Metal Sonic VS Zero80 Lucario VS Renamon81 Balrog VS TJ Combo82 Shredder VS Silver Samurai83 Smokey Bear VS McGruff the Crime Dog84 Thor VS Wonder Woman85 Naruto VS Ichigo86 Batman Beyond VS Spider-Man 209987 Sephiroth VS Vergil
Season 5 88 Black Panther VS Batman89 Raven VS Twilight Sparkle90 Jotaro VS Kenshiro91 Crash VS Spyro92 Sora VS Pit93 Leon Kennedy VS Frank West94 Doctor Strange VS Doctor Fate95 Ryu VS Jin96 Samurai Jack VS Afro Samurai97 Carnage VS Lucy98 Optimus Prime VS Gundam99 Nightwing VS Daredevil100 Mario VS Sonic101 Ultron VS Sigma102 Roshi VS Jiraiya103 Thanos VS Darkseid
Season 6 104 Aquaman VS Namor105 Mega Man Battle Royale106 Black Widow VS Widowmaker107 Captain Marvel VS Shazam108 Wario VS King Dedede109 Ben 10 VS Green Lantern110 Weiss VS Mitsuru111 Johnny Cage VS Captain Falcon112 Aang VS Edward Elric113 Ghost Rider VS Lobo114 Dragonzord VS Mechagodzilla115 Sasuke VS Hiei116 Ganondorf VS Dracula117 Mob VS Tatsumaki118 Deadpool VS Mask119 All Might VS Might Guy
Season 7 120 Miles Morales VS Static121 Black Canary VS Sindel122 Leonardo VS Red Ranger Jason123 Genos VS War Machine124 Gray VS Esdeath125 Goro VS Machamp126 Cable VS Booster Gold127 Obi-Wan Kenobi VS Kakashi128 Danny Phantom VS American Dragon Jake Long129 She-Ra VS Wonder Woman130 Beerus VS Sailor Galaxia131 Zuko VS Shoto Todoroki132 Flash VS Sonic132.5 The Seven Battle Royale133 Winter Soldier VS Red Hood134 Venom VS Crona135 Sabrewulf VS Jon Talbain136 Red VS Blue137 Batgirl VS Spider-Gwen138 Sanji VS Rock Lee139 Hulk VS Broly
Season 8 140 Yoda VS King Mickey141 Shadow VS Ryuko142 Lex Luthor VS Doctor Doom143 Heihachi Mishima VS Geese Howard144 Blake VS Mikasa145 Iron Fist VS Po146 Steven Universe VS Star Butterfly147 Link VS Cloud148 Batman VS Iron Man149 Goku Black VS Reverse-Flash150 Macho Man VS Kool-Aid Man151 DIO VS Alucard152 Akuma VS Shao Kahn153 Korra VS Storm154 Madara VS Aizen155 Saitama VS Popeye
Season 9 156 Harley Quinn VS Jinx157 Scarlet Witch VS Zatanna158 Tanjiro VS Jonathan Joestar159 Thor VS Vegeta160 Omni-Man VS Homelander161 Magneto VS Tetsuo162 Hercules VS Sun Wukong163 Boba Fett VS Predator163.5 Excalibur VS Raiden164 James Bond VS John Wick165 Black Adam VS Apocalypse166 Trunks VS Silver167 SpongeBob VS Aquaman168 Jason Voorhees VS Michael Myers169 Sauron VS Lich King170 Deku VS Asta171 Gogeta VS Vegito
Season 10 172 Ant-Man VS Atom173 Skyrim VS Dark Souls174 Killua VS Misaka175 Stitch VS Rocket Raccoon176 Darth Vader VS Obito Uchiha177 Phoenix VS Raven178 Guts VS Dimitri179 Martian Manhunter VS Silver Surfer180 Bill Cipher VS Discord181 Cole MacGrath VS Alex Mercer182 Frieza VS Megatron183 Gojo VS Makima184 Scooby-Doo VS Courage the Cowardly Dog185 Rick Sanchez VS The Doctor186 Goku VS Superman187 Galactus VS Unicron
Death Battle '24 188 Omni-Man VS Bardock189 Joker VS Giorno190 Bowser VS Eggman*
Death Battle '25 ??? Wile E. Coyote VS Tom Cat* • ??? Kratos VS Asura* • ??? Light VS Columbo* • ??? Master Chief VS Doom Slayer* • ??? Mahito VS Shigaraki* • ??? Aang VS Traveler* • 200 Ash VS Yugi* • ??? Simon the Digger VS White Lantern* • ??? Ruby VS Maka* • ??? Hulk VS Godzilla* • ??? Gru VS Megamind*
*Currently unreleased
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