He may be one of the best heroes in the DC Universe, but that doesn’t mean that Batman is above getting his butt handed to him. When fans think about Batman, they generally go to his greatest victories, whether that be the time he took on the Joker-influenced Justice League or the moment he faced off against Darkseid. And admittedly, those are all really cool moments, and Batman deserves all the credit for his achievements. However, the one thing fans don’t spend as much time talking about is the times Batman has actually lost in a fight.
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And I get it. A loss generally isn’t as exciting as a win. But for someone as hyper-competent as Batman, there is something weirdly fascinating about the times he’s lost. Sometimes it’s because he’s facing an enemy with powers he simply can’t counter, like his brush with the Reverse-Flash. Other times, it’s because he’s fighting a foe just as good at improvisation and planning as Bruce is, like the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh. Whatever the reason, there are a lot of interesting fights where Batman has lost, so read on to discover 5 of them from the Dark Knight’s history.
5. Batman is Beaten by His Own Creation
Batman’s ultimate contingency, the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh, came back with a vengeance during Chip Zdarsky’s time running the main Batman title. But things really came to a head during the “Mind Bomb” arc when Zur-En-Arrh broke out of Batman’s head and took control of Zur-En-Arrh’s ultimate weapon, the Failsafe android. Batman spent the entirety of Batman #141 fighting and running, hopelessly outgunned by Zur-En-Arrh’s brilliant mind and Failsafe’s weapons. Though Bruce put up a valiant effort, the combined forces of his opponents were too much, and Zur-En-Arrh defeated Batman, imprisoning the hero in Blackgate while Zur-En-Arrh took control of Gotham.
4. Reverse-Flash Came Close to Killing Batman
While Batman has a handful of metahuman villains in his rogues’ gallery, he doesn’t have anyone as powerful as Barry Allen’s archenemy, the Reverse-Flash. During the first story of “The Button” crossover in Batman #21, the Batcave was infiltrated by Eobard Thawne, who came seeking revenge on Bruce for the Flashpoint’s Thomas Wayne killing Reverse-Flash. This issue takes place over the course of only a minute, but in that amount of time, Bruce finds himself beaten to absolute hell. The only reason he doesn’t end up dying is that the Reverse-Flash is transported away after touching the Comedian’s button.
3. Wonder Woman Takes Batman Down
Wonder Woman is an incredibly loving person, but she’ll throw a punch just as quickly as she offers up a hug. In Wonder Woman: The Heketia, Batman comes to take a woman who has killed her sister’s murderers back to Gotham to face justice. But Wonder Woman, who has sworn to protect the young woman, stands in Batman’s way, leading to the two’s first true clash. In the middle of Batman’s pursuit, Diana easily takes Bruce down and Batman surprisingly submits to Wonder Woman. As skilled as Batman is, even he knows when he’s outclassed by someone like Wonder Woman.
2. Joker Removes Batman from DC K.O.
The Joker and Batman have had so many clashes over the years, some of which have actually ended in W’s for the Clown Prince of Crime. In DC K.O. #1, the heroes are forced to participate in a tournament for a chance to win cosmic godhood in a bid to stop a nigh-omnipotent Darkseid. During the preliminaries, Batman is unexpectedly shot in the chest by the Joker, who crashed the tournament alongside several other villains. It’s a dirty trick, but it results in Batman being eliminated and, worse, Joker taking Batman’s spot in the tournament.
1. Batman is Broken by Bane
We simply cannot talk about the losses Batman has faced and not bring up his most humbling defeat. The “Knightfall” arc came to an iconic peak in Batman #497. After wearing Bruce down, Bane shows up in Wayne Manor, ready to fight him one-on-one. Batman is already exhausted mentally and physically, yet he puts everything he has into stopping Batman. Sadly, it isn’t enough. The villain gets an edge on Bruce and delivers his most brutal finishing move, breaking Batman’s back. This was a huge loss for Bruce, and it actually took him off the board for a while.
What’s your favorite loss in Batman’s history? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!
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