5 Times Batman Used Another Hero’s Powers

Batman is one of DC’s greatest heroes and is practically the face of the company alongside Superman. Where the Man of Steel is a bastion of unmatched powers that allow him to overcome every obstacle put in his way, Batman is as close to an ordinary human as superheroes can get. He has no special abilities or magical armor. All he has is his determination, wits, and a whole lot of fancy gadgets. Batman has trained himself to be an expert in every practical skill and field of study that exists in DC. He’s not the number one in any spot, but he’s top ten in just about everything. From martial arts to detective work, Batman is one of the most skilled people in any universe.

A huge part of Batman’s appeal is that he’s a man who has trained himself into a near force of nature that even demigods might fear. Batman is Batman because he doesn’t have powers, but that doesn’t mean he’s never had them. In fact, he sometimes even borrows the powers from his fellow Leaguers. Today, we’re taking a look at five times Batman stole, borrowed, or used other superheroes’ powers, and what he did with them. Without further ado, let’s banter about Batman.

5) Mobius Chair

Metron is an on-again, off-again hero who both helps and hurts the other New Gods, depending on the story. In the “Darkseid War” storyline, Batman stole the Mobius Chair from Metron, which granted Batman access to all the information in the universe, as well as invulnerability and teleportation. He used these newfound powers to rout Gotham’s criminals before they could even commit crimes. Eventually, he realized he couldn’t leave the chair if he wanted to, having grown too attached to the abilities it granted him. He only managed to reject godhood with some help from Green Lantern, which brings us to our next entry.

4) Green Lantern’s Ring

Batman has worn a Green Lantern ring a couple of times, but the two best-known instances came when Hal lent Bruce his ring. As mentioned above, Hal once let Bruce borrow his ring to reignite his will and jump off the Mobius Chair. The first time, however, Hal let Bruce use the ring to confront the memories of his parents in hopes of the Dark Knight finally letting go of his fear. In the end, Batman decided not to let go of his fear, as that connection to his past is what stirred him on and inspired him to fight as hard as he does. Batman could have risen above his trauma, but chose to continue embracing it so that he could save others who were suffering the same fate.

3) White Lantern Ring

While we’re on the subject of rings, let’s talk about the time Batman wielded a White Lantern Ring. In the Batman: Universe storyline, Vandal Savage chased Batman across time and space, intent on recovering a package that Batman was keeping away from him. It contained a White Lantern Ring, which empowered Batman to fight an entire battalion of Green Lanterns at once. However, the ring was faulty, and Savage and Batman had to duel over control of it while it sent them careening through time. Batman won out, but because of his own skills, instead of the ring’s obvious reality-warping abilities.

2) Red Death

This Dark Multiverse duplicate of Batman came from a doomed world. After his children died, Batman obsessively tried to steal the Flash’s powers, intent on going back in time and fixing everything. He tied Barry to the front of the Batmobile and literally broke into the Speed Force, but it had horrible repercussions. The two heroes and vehicle merged, emerging as a figure with Batman’s mind, Flash’s speed, and armor made from the Batmobile. Unfortunately, the whole experience drove Batman insane, and instead of saving his family, he slaughtered all of his villains, while Barry’s consciousness was trapped in their shared head, forced to watch. Red Death was an absolute menace right up until Barry took back control.

1) “Super/Bat”

Batman and Superman have always somewhat longed for each other’s lives, and that wish came horrifyingly true in the “Super/Bat” storyline, where Superman’s powers were transferred to Batman. At first, it seemed fine. Batman was more efficient than ever, and Superman got to experience life as a normal man. Of course, this was a monkey’s paw style curse, so the powers slowly drove Batman insane. A Dark Knight with Kryptonian powers is a worldwide threat, and with his mental state literally crumbling by the minute, Batman became one of the greatest threats that the world had ever known. It just goes to show that absolute power is never to be taken lightly.

Whose powers would you love to see Batman wield? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!

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