Gasp. I know this is an old topic but I find the match up very interesting and I thought I would add my two cents, being a newbie and all =O
If I may start, I first wanna say that one, this would be a somewhat unpredictable fight like any other because both combatants are ridiculously powerful beyond real measure. Alex Mercer for one has unlimited potential in terms of growth rate since he can augment his abilities through absorption and as long as their is biological material present, he can indefinitely regenerate from damage. Not only that, he has impressive physical strength, agility, the power to freely shapeshift.
But on the other hand, it seems people haven't quite hit on just how powerful Dante truly is and put his powers within a full scope which so that though not familiar with Devil May Cry truly understand. Not only is Dante in his human state have might comparable to Alex Mercer at full strength, its very well possible that his true form (Devil Trigger) could push him over the edge. However, there is much to consider before hand. I shall proceed to break it down for all to see. That and since I'm off today, I really have nothing else to do lol
Physical Might
Within the first story of Devil May Cry (which would be Devil May Cry 3 based on the timeline), Dante is shown at the age of 18, opening up his now unnamed shop. At the start of the game, he has yet to awaken his true powers and in fact, rejects the bulk of it due to his own issues demonic heritage.
However, he already displays supernaturally enhanced strength. He regularly shows this off by handing his broadsword one handed and swinging it swiftly with minimal effort. A small feat but he has done bigger. Over the developing events, he shows he is strong enough to cut through stone and thick slabs of ice unaided and has the power to slash through any man-made armor and material. Not only that but he regularly overpowers demons much larger than himself
In the later games when he is older and has gained more experience with his abilities and more skill, he becomes even stronger and can punch through solid stone without effort. In one instance in Devil May cry 4, he casually blocks a punch from The Destroyer, a giant demonic statue that towers well over the height of skyscraper just his sword and even has the time to keep up his conversation and make a quip about it all.
Speed and Agility and Reflexes
Dante is incredibly lithe and agile to the point where he overrides the laws of physics most likely due to the magical energy that pulses throughout his body. Often times, he is shown casually running to his destination and speed on par with peak human potential during gameplay but that isn't always the case. If he truly wishes, he can move beyond the speed of perception and disappear within the blink of an eye to overtake the opponents blindspot.
There are also other instances of his own speed such as when he threw a katana with all his might to bash and attack enemies, only to rush forward at speed surpassing it to catch it, not to mention avoiding his attackers along the way and throwing another sword into a wall so that he can balance upon it and keep his positioning in midair.
In terms of reflexes, they are superhuman and magical in nature as well. Even when he was younger in Devil May Cry 3, he proved he was capable of targeting bullets in mid flight and shooting them out of the air and dodging attacks so swift, they would be unavoidable by normal means. He can even catch a bullet in his teeth if he really wanted too as shown in Devil May Cry 3
Magical Powers
I probability should have hit this one first but here it is right here. Dante's demonic heritage grants him a number of supernatural abilities. He is essentially a magical being which makes his strength, speed, and such magical in nature. But there is more. He can channel that power through various means and mediums such as the air itself to deliver a crushing pressure wave, to his own firearms which is regularly does.
Due to this power, any weapon he uses never runs out of ammunition and it can be further enhanced by simply coating it with his power. A simple bullet from a handgun can turn into something with force of an artillery shell. He often finishes off demons with a single bullet which simply rends them asunder or blows them into pieces.
Curiously enough, his powers allow him to instantly master any type of weapon he gets his hands upon as shown in the games which leads to him showing it off in a flashy manner. The big thing is how he can draw on the classic elements or the power within his own weapons such as fire that is well beyond the heat anything on earth will offer (the ifrit gauntlets) or chilling cold of absolute zero (the cerberus nunchaku) There are more powers that he has but, they are so extensive, I will need to cover them elusively.
Regeneration
Dante regularly displays this as its a result of his magical ability. People have said that his regeneration takes time from what I have seen here but it actually doesn't. Dante regenerates instantly from practically any wound he takes. From being slammed into the ground and taking punches that would flatten and attacks that would completely render someone unrecognizable, he survives it and without any noticeable injury. Most notably, he shocked even his demonic attackers in Devil May Cry 3 when he ignored their attacks,(which was him being impaled at every conceivable angle with scythes) walked over to his jukebox, and proceeded to put on some fight music.
He has survived other things such as a bullet to the head and being impaled on his sword which happens basically in every game. The best example of his regeneration was how was basically cut in half by sword swipe but the blade merely passed through his torso, which resulted in not only survival but the avoidance of major blood loss and the spilling out of organs. Though his ability to regenerate can be worn down if he is constantly taking damage, he has supernatural stamina and mostly shrugs off anything that isn't enhanced with tremendous amounts of magic (such as Yamato, his brothers Katana) Unlike Mercer, he doesn't need any material to regenerate from and in theory, he could survive something such as a nuclear explosion though, it would likely tire him to the point that he needed rest.
Devil Trigger and Royalguard
By tapping into his own dormant power, he can transform himself into a pure demon. Though in Devil May Cry 3 and Devil May Cry, his form depended upon his weapon (in 3 and 1, this was due to the fact the weapons were created from the souls of deities and other demons he bested in battle) In 4 and 2 (the last game chronologically) he has a form that doesn't change no matter his weapon and his referred to as his true form. Upon using the devil trigger however, his abilities are all enhanced. He becomes much stronger, faster, and his instant regeneration becomes much more effective. He also becomes more durable too.
In the second game however, he has become so powerful that he has access to two forms, the first most likely to conserve energy. The first one being very humanoid in appearance, with bat-like wings and dark skin with glowing red veins. This form has access to built in handguns that fire bullets constructed of the elements and with more power behind them then his handguns even with magical energy backing them.
His second form is far more powerful and only accessible in dire situations (such as if his life is in danger, hence in the game. its only activated at low health) This form known as "The Majin form" is his true form. Majin Form partly resembles Sparda (his father in his demonic state). But, Dante keeps his bat motif with four bat-like wings, instead insectoid ones like his father.
With this form, he is completely invulnerable to damage of any kind and wields a pair of twin blades that protrude from forearms which lengthen with each of his swings to attack enemies at a distance. He can fire giant fireballs from his palms and freely fly at quick paces. But his more powerful attacks deal with both the dark and light element in unison.
He can create a spherical burst of energy within a large radius to destroy enemies around him for focus that energy in front of him to create a massive beam which rips apart opponents. All of these attacks are capable of bringing even high level demons to their knees within a few strikes, at times even one. Such is its power.
Aside from devil trigger, he can augment his defenses with a fighting style known as the royal guard where he can block and stop any attack if he perceives it and with this style, he has access to a transformation known as The Dreadnaught form which he is completely invulnerable to damage of any kind.
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I could go on but I have said so much as it is in my fit of boredom xD. I'm sorry I couldn't be more simple about it but hey, it happens =O All and all, it would be a fight that could go either way. Magic in theory is something even Alex couldn't adapt too but given his prowess and such and the number of his abilities and healing factor, he could fight on and on. His stamina could outlast even Dante's but.. its not fair to assume. terrian is everything and if Alex was in an area with no living matter or such to use to regenerate and all, he could be in trouble
Haven't enemies tried to consume Dante before and failed? Idk I haven't played them in a long time, but I've beaten all of them but the first one.
Mercer can regenerate from a blast like that, but he would have to consume ppl to be able to keep regenerating. It isn't like he can do it every time he gets hit, he can take a certain amount of damage and die from it... his regeneration isn't like Buu, or Cell (DBZ) for example, it has a limit.
Being in NY city, this shouldn't be a problem for him, considering that there are millions of ppl there. The only thing he would have to worry about is Dante keeping him from absorbing ppl. Dante is no pushover either, Mercer would have one hell of a time trying to consume him.
Dante can regenerate too, being a half demon. In the beginning of 4, Nero impales him with his sword, and he just pulls it out and the wound heals. It didn't even look like it hurt him. I've never seen him blown to pieces, and be able to regenerate... so I'm not sure if he could, or not.
Also, this is kinda off topic, its just a rumor that I heard. One of my friends told me that Nero was supposed to be Virgil's son, and his mom was just some human that he knocked up. Has anyone else heard this, or is it BS?
Originally posted by BloodRain
If Dante got serious about ending him (like how he was before the Mundus fight) then he wont let Mercer get the chance. Though I wonder just how much he'd have to take to be out.@linkownsyousobs: That was said in the DMC4 Novel. Most people are saying its not canon, but its still in the air.
True... IDK, it'd take a LOT, Mercer is pretty beast, but he still has a limit. That gives Dante a chance to beat him. Rockets do a lot to Mercer when he gets hit by enough of them. With that said, Pandora's Box should help out a lot.
Cool, thanks for the info. I didn't even know there was a novel. Is it any good? It should be cannon. It pissed me off when Virgil died, he kicks ass. It'd make up for it if he had a son to take his place.
well, I heard the Vergil rumor too. They say a capcom dood confirmed it at Captivate 2009 as well but its up in the air. Its tough to say because 4 makes so many references saying he has the blood of Sparda but.. who knows? It would explain how he can wield Yamato and all to boot.
As for novels and such, there are a lot of novels out, a few comics (some uncanon and some are) and Manga fox has the Devil May Cry 3 Manga if you wanna check it out.
True, i don't remember exactly where in the game it was shown, but I remember seeing cut scenes like that.
Well damn... just another reason to make me wish I could speak/read Japanese.
Cool, I probably will when I get some extra time.
Have you guys seen the anime? I watched a few of the beginning episodes... its pretty good too.