Being a student worker at Second Storey Market has its perks. We get to make sandwiches and friends and, most recently, ask customers random questions about trends in the entertainment industry. 

We decided that while we were working our shift at West Campus’ greatest convenience store, we would ask each student who came to the deli whether they preferred to listen to Carrie Underwood or Kelly Clarkson. We soon found out this was a one-sided debate — Underwood received the first five votes, while Clarkson only had one supporter (sorry, Kelly). 

It was then that a customer suggested we ask about people’s preferred superhero movies. It is true that in recent years, Marvel  comic stories have saturated the box office with more superhero movies than Wolverine can count on his claws, and there are plenty more films on the way: “Captain America: Civil War,” “X-Men: Apocalypse” and “Doctor Strange” are all set to be released this year. In addition, there are rumors of an untitled Wolverine sequel, a “Guardians of the Galaxy” follow-up “Black Panther” and a Spider-Man reboot, to name a few.

But what about DC Comics, home to Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash and the Green Lantern (i.e. the Justice League, Suicide Squad and Teen Titans)? The DC Comics company, which found its beginnings in the 1930s, is a staple of 20th and 21st century popular culture. According to Britannica.com, it remains a powerhouse in the comic industry. 

As it turns out, a handful of our respondents didn’t know the difference between Marvel and DC and believed that some of DC’s heroes might actually be part of the Avengers team. However, a few students were loyal to the classic DC brand, and admitted that while Marvel has more recognizable characters, Batman beats them all.

“Marvel may be the most popular comic company now, but give it a few years and DC will make its comeback,” one student said as he ordered a whole wheat hoagie. He argued that the pressure to compete with Marvel will result in a series of movie releases in the DC universe from a company that has been a force in the comic book market since the Bronze Age of comics. 

Hollywood has become crucial to the success of these entertainment companies, so we polled 50 students who ordered sandwiches during our shift about their preferred heroes. Here is what we found: