Top 10 Most Powerful Versions of Batman
#10: Predator Batman
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Arnie’s alien adversaries aren’t picky when it comes to the universes they’ll invade. In “Batman Versus Predator,” a ‘90s crossover comic published by Dark Horse and DC, Gotham is plagued by extraterrestrial human skull-removing hunters. After a devastating defeat at the blades of a Predator, Batman fashions a unique exoskeleton that grants him strength and sonar capabilities, making him a superhuman match for the monstrous beasts. The crossover spawned a trilogy, giving Batman the opportunity to upgrade his invention with thermal vision and other Predator-based technology. During a definitive final clash between the titular fighters, involving tranquilizers and blunderbuss fire, Batman delivers the final blow to the Predator with a baseball bat…of all things. No one ever said Bruce Wayne wasn’t resourceful.
#9: “The Dark Knight Returns” Batman
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One of the most compelling things about Batman as a superhero might actually be that he’s not a superhero, but rather a man who uses knowledge, training, and technology to make himself super. Both his most impressive and truest-to-form appearance may be in “The Dark Knight Returns,” Frank Miller’s comic miniseries that pits an older Bruce Wayne against government corruption, an insane Harvey Dent, and eventually: Clark Kent. In a legendary showdown between the Man in Black and the Man in Red, it’s an aging Batman who comes out on top by outsmarting his adversary with skills and a kryptonian-tipped arrow. The Dark Knight is at his best when it’s his mind, not external power, that grants him victory. And Superman will always remember:
#8: Vampire Batman (a.k.a. “Bat-Man”)
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Let’s take a journey into the multiverse. Earth-43, an alternate reality to DC’s most familiar, sees the Caped Crusader exploring the same sewers as the vampire lord Dracula. After sustaining a bite from vampiric vixen Tanya, who hopes to defeat Dracula, Bruce Wayne transforms into one of the creatures himself. He gains super strength, batlike wings for flight, and the obligatory tendency to suck blood. If able to resist specifically human plasma, “Bat-Man” can supersede typical vampire weaknesses, like holy water and crucifixes. The vampire Batman eventually destroys Dracula and lives out his immortal life in full-embrace of the ghoul that he’s become. Further escapades include eliminating Two-Face and Killer Croc, though he can't quite overcome his unquenchable thirst for those red platelets…
#7: Sorcerer Batman
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In some dimension somewhere, we imagine there’s a class teaching the theoretical physics of magic versus superpowers. Doctor Strange isn’t the only wizard in a world of comics, as the “Sorcerer Kings” issues of DC’s “Superman/Batman” series introduce a time-traveling Batman with witchcraft at his disposal. From an alternate future ruled by Arthurian sorceress Morgan Le Fey and other familiar baddies, this Wizard Batman arrives in the present, Terminator-style, to ensure that his evil timeline doesn’t come to pass. His powers are strong enough for him to kidnap Superman, violate the laws of spacetime, and…who knows what else. What do you get when you stuff a spellbook into the Great Detective’s utility belt?
#6: Dark Claw
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Imagine haunting the streets of Gotham with the training of a ninja…and the capabilities of a mutant. The Amalgam Universe, a marriage of both the Marvel and DC realities, provided possibilities for some exciting super crossbreeds. One of the most popular is Dark Claw, a combination of DC’s Batman and Marvel’s Wolverine. After growing up following the deaths of both his parents and uncle, Logan Wayne becomes subjected to military experimentation and gains adamantium bones. He also gains healing abilities, immunity to toxins, enhanced senses, and of course…the claws. He’s globally schooled in science, combat tactics, and ventriloquism (for some reason). But seriously, can someone get these studios together and give us Hugh Jackman in the batsuit?
#5: White Lantern
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Batman’s destiny with the various Lantern Corps seems inevitable across his multiple realities and storylines. A one-off “Elseworlds” publication sees Bruce Wayne become the Green Lantern instead of Hal Jordan, and the Earth -32 universe has Batman become the scourge of Gotham: Dawnbreaker. But it was as the White Lantern where Batman really took the rainbow to overdrive. In “Batman: Universe” #5, a White Lantern ring resurrects Batman with white armor and the ability to wield phenomenal cosmic powers. White Lantern Batman uses the godlike energy to defeat enemies like Vandal Savage and to travel between dimensions. Although, the superhero does admit to feeling trapped within the armor, as though it were a sentience that would always control him more than he would control it.
#4: Hellbat
With great enemies comes great responsibility…and some pretty sick powersuits. Before the Batman faced the infallible Darkseid in “Batman and Robin” #37, the Justice League fashioned the Hellbat, A.I.-infused armor that made Batman a match for the terrifying astral supervillain. The Hellbat’s instruction manual came with built-in invisibility, wings for flight, structural shape-shifting capabilities and near-invincibility. Of all the suits in Batman’s repertoire, this one is a good contender to win in a fight. However, using the Hellbat took a physical and mental toll on Batman, and he could only use it for select amounts of time. Though eventually retired by Bruce, even small portions of the suit retained great strength and came in handy later for Lois Lane.
#3: Red Death
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We return once again to the Dark Multiverse, where we meet the ominously named Red Death. This grim Batman, forever haunted by the deaths of a couple Robins, gains the powers of Barry Allen (better known as the Flash). He joins forces with the supervillain gang the Dark Knights, alongside the disreputable Batman Who Laughs. As the Red Death, Batman gains Flash’s super speed and fuses his Batmobile with Allen’s Cosmic Treadmill for the ultimate speed boost. He never quite gains full control of these powers either, though, as the Flash’s conscience remains a part of his own, like a Jiminy Cricket that does eventually turn Red Death against the Dark Knights and back to the side of good.
#2: Super Bat
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They’re two of the most beloved superheroes ever created, and it was only a matter of time before someone brought them together. Batman actually becomes Superman more than once, as in 1993’s “Speeding Bullets,” which imagined Kal-El discovered by the Waynes and raised as a Red-Caped Crusader. For sheer power, though, we’re going with the “Super/Bat” storyline from “Superman/Batman,” where a magical curse swaps the heroes for a human Clark Kent and a Kryptonian Batman. Bruce Wayne gains all the speed, strength, heat vision and building-leaping of Superman and becomes a truly unstoppable force. The Justice League eventually reverses the spell and returns the growingly evil Batman to normal. Do all of our most powerful Batmen have propensities to be baddies? Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Batman One Million In the Distant Future, He Becomes the Space Crusader! Azrael Batman The Angel of Death Puts on the Batsuit Justice Buster When You Need to Fight the Entire Justice League The Batman Who Laughs What if Bruce Wayne Became the Joker? Amazo Virus Batman A Pandemic Gives the Batman Echolocation
#1: Batman the God
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It’s hard to circumvent an outcome when your number one is a literal god…even if only temporarily. Batman’s been a god before, as the “Trinity” storyline sees him become the terrifying Night Judge. During “Justice League: The Darkseid War,” however, Batman finds his way to the Mobius Chair, a space/time dimensional throne created by the new god Metron. The chair grants its users inter-dimensional travel, as well as omniscient sight, knowledge, and understanding of the universe. For Batman, this meant the knowledge of his parents’ murderer and the identity of the Joker (or rather, three of his identities). Batman is fortunately knocked from the Mobius chair before its power can corrupt him. We shudder to think what he could have become…
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