What two superpowers emerged after World War 2?

The two superpowers that emerged were the Soviet Union (USSR) and the United States (US).

Germany was destroyed, as was much of Europe. The British were losing their Empire after 50 years of war and world upheavals. Japan had expended their resources and manpower, and had their industry decimated by the US bombing campaign. For awhile, only the US had nuclear weapons. When combined with the military strength accumulated during the war, they looked like a dominant force. At least until spies revealed the secrets of nuclear weapons to the Soviets. This began the Cold War nuclear standoff between the US and the new Russian empire, a complex ideological battle between capitalism and communist totalitarianism.