Top 10 Times Batman Went Beast Mode
#10: Defeating His Evil Doppelganger
“Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths” (2010)
In “Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths”, the heroes are forced to fight their evil doppelgangers. Batman’s sinister counterpart is Owlman, a villain who aims to destroy the entire Multiverse with a bomb. And so the fate of everyone in existence comes down to this epic fight. Batman has to beat a villain who has all the gadgets, intelligence, and martial arts skills… of Batman. And he has to do it with a recently broken rib. Regardless, he manages to turn the fight around at the last second. He then sends Owlman and the bomb to an unpopulated earth with an awesome one-liner. While Batman's doppelganger was a tough opponent, our hero proved that no evil equivalent can top the original Dark Knight.
#9: Fighting the Foot Ninja Clan Solo
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“Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (2019)
Batman’s first fight in this fun team-up film is arguably his most impressive. When he discovers that members of the foot Ninja Clan are trying to steal from his company, he decides to take them on without backup. Before we can blink, Batman’s already left a dozen ninjas unconscious at his feet. But those foot soldiers are just a warmup for his tense clash with their leader, Shredder. The two extremely skilled fighters trade brutal blows—neither giving an inch. Shredder ultimately has to use a special technique to take Batman out of the fight and escape. Although Batman doesn't walk away from this melee victorious, he still put up a heck of a fight.
#8: Terrifying Thugs at the Docks
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“Batman Begins” (2005)
In “Batman Begins”, Bruce Wayne formally introduces Gotham to the dark knight with a terrifying display of vigilantism. A bunch of criminals loyal to crime boss Carmine Falcone are moving drugs on the docks. Suddenly, one of them disappears into the darkness. As the scene continues, more of the gangsters fall victim to the mysterious attacker. It’s only when the thugs are truly terrified that Batman reveals himself. He takes them out with a whirlwind of blows, so quickly and efficiently that they don't even have time to hit him back. After all the thugs are down, he ends his intimidating introduction with two legendary words: (I’m Batman).
#7: Besting Bane
“The Dark Knight Rises” (2012)
The first time Batman fought Bane, the musclebound villain broke the hero’s back. But after some unconventional rehabilitation, he’s ready for a rematch. Bane once again proves to be a fearsome and relentless fighter, but this time Batman is determined and strong enough to take every hard hit and return the favor. By finding and targeting Bane's one weak spot, the hero is finally able to overcome the powerful villain. And because this is Batman we're talking about, he can't resist cementing his tremendous victory with an iconic line. This win proved once and for all that while you can break Batman’s body, there’s no breaking his mind or spirit.
#6: Attacking Amanda Waller’s Black Ops Team
“Batman: Assault on Arkham” (2014)
Amanda Waller thought sending a black ops team would be enough to take the Riddler down permanently. But her plans are quickly ruined when Batman shows up to capture the villain alive. The Caped Crusader begins by taking out the lights to disorient his opponents, then proceeds to take them down. Batman moves with insane speed, power, and precision. Although the heavily armed team outnumbers him ten to one, they barely manage to touch him. Batman makes the trained professionals look like kids playing dress-up. If Amanda Waller had any doubts that the Dark Knight was a threat before, his brutal black-ops takedown convinced her that he’s a force to be reckoned with.
#5: Saving a Cardinal From the Sewers
“Batman: Gotham Knight” (2008)
When a cardinal is abducted by Scarecrow's men and taken into the sewers, Batman follows them into Gotham’s underbelly. Unfortunately, the hero is bitten by Killer Croc and infected with a fear toxin before he can do much rescuing. These setbacks don't stop Batman from completing his mission, however. Despite the pain and hallucinations, the Dark Knight still manages to take on a dozen of Scarecrow’s crazed followers. He knocks out enemies with a single blow, dodges weapons, and even slices a metal pipe in half. Batman doesn't take a break until the cardinal is safe on the surface with Jim Gordon. Seeing the dark knight fight massive amounts of pain and villains at the same time was simply incredible.
#4: Chasing the Joker
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“The Dark Knight” (2008)
When Joker demands that Batman unmask himself, Harvey Dent claims that he is the hero, and is attacked by Joker. Batman uses his tank-like batmobile to help keep his ally safe. Even when Joker damages his ride with an RPG missile, the Dark Knight refuses to give up. He jumps on his Batpod and rides like a...well, bat out of hell. As soon as Batman spots Joker’s truck, he uses some wires and clever thinking to flip it over in an epic crash. Although Gordon is the one who ultimately arrests the Joker, the commissioner wouldn’t have had the chance if it wasn’t for Batman. This is Batman at his most unflinchingly determined.
#3: Escaping the SWAT Team
“Batman: Year One” (2011)
Not every commissioner loves having a masked vigilante in Gotham. Commissioner Loeb hated the concept so much that he dropped a bomb on a building where Batman was recovering from a gunshot wound. When a SWAT team arrived to finish the job, the Dark Knight had no choice but to fight them. Despite his injuries and lack of a utility belt, Batman’s able to hold his own against law enforcement. He knocks enemies unconscious, dodges bullets, and even manages to save a cat’s life. And just when the SWAT team has him cornered, he summons a swarm of bats to make a stylish getaway. Batman's amazing escape earned him a lot of fans in Gotham.
#2: Wrecking the Warehouse Goons
“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” (2016)
Most people went into “Batman v Superman” thinking that the best action sequence would be the fight between the titular heroes. But the standout scene in the movie took place in a warehouse. In order to save Martha Kent, Batman has to fight his way through a bunch of thugs. After disarming most of his opponents, Batman takes each criminal down in a variety of violent ways, making sure that they go down and stay down. He ends his rampage by bursting through a wall and triggering an explosion that KOs the remaining goons. By the time the smoke clears, the audience has witnessed one of the most brutal versions of Batman ever put to screen.
Before we get to the top pick Gotham deserves, here are a few honorable mentions.
Stopping a SWAT Team & Joker’s Thugs, “The Dark Knight” (2008)
He Took Down Enemies on All Sides.
Pummeling Jason Todd, “Batman: Under the Red Hood” (2010)
Batman Taught the Former Robin a Harsh Lesson
Fighting Bikers While in Civilian Clothes, “Batman: Mask of the Phantasm” (1993)
Batman Doesn’t Need a Suit To Fight Crime
Confronting Joker’s Crew in a Cathedral, “Batman” (1989)
They Never Stood a Chance.
Tearing Through Yet Another SWAT Team, “Titans” (2018-)
It Wasn’t Real, But It Still Made Quite the Impression.
#1: Beating Superman
“Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 2” (2013)
In this gritty two-part film, 55-year-old Batman comes out of retirement. After he beats up the mutant gang leader and fights the Joker, the president orders Superman to bring Bruce in. The two agree to fight in Crime Alley, and after plotting with his allies, Batman puts on a powerful mechanical suit and faces Superman. Despite his age, Bruce is able to score some serious damage on Clark. With the help of his allies, Batman gets the upper hand and—as he tells Superman—could have ended the Man of Steel right there. But… he decided to go easy on him. Seeing Batman beat Superman then brag about it is downright savage!
