7 DC Heroes That Batman Has Defeated On His Own

We all know enough about Batman to know he’s one of the best fighters in the DC Universe. During his travels across the globe, Bruce Wayne learned everything he needed to turn himself into a weapon. Upon coming back to Gotham, Bruce was quite possibly the greatest non-powered hero that ever lived. With his keen mind, peak physical condition, and incredible training, Batman was able to make a real impact on his city. While villains are sadly still quite common in Gotham, they all fear running into the Dark Knight and ending up on the wrong side of a butt-kicking.

Interestingly enough, though, Batman hasn’t only fought villains in the nearly century he’s been around. Over the years, he’s faced off with powerful allies he made in the Justice League, like Aquaman or Superman. Hell, he’s even faced off with members of the Bat-Family (none of whom ever stood a shot at defeating the person who trained them). While Batman doesn’t go out of his way to fight other heroes, it’s something that’s happened a few times, and more often than not, Bruce ends up victorious. Read on to see 7 heroes Batman defeated with no help from anyone.

7. Aquaman

I know it’s easy to clown on Aquaman, but he honestly is one of the bigger powerhouses of the DC Universe. That said, even the king beneath the seas found out just how impressive Batman’s fighting prowess was in Legends of the Dark Knight #27. An enraged Aquaman comes seeking Batman’s aid after the Joker has invaded Atlantis. Arthur and Bruce throw hands, and as Aquaman finds out, all his strength is no match for Batman’s martial arts. It’s a quick fight, but at least it ends with Batman agreeing to help his comrade bring the Joker to justice.

6. Robin

I don’t want to rehash “Gotham War” too much, but man, Bruce really went after the Bat-Family hard in his crossover. To be fair, Bruce was being psychologically manipulated by his inner alter ego, the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh, who was pushing Bruce to isolate himself. So when Bruce’s allies threw their support behind Catwoman when she and Batman were having a huge disagreement, he didn’t hold back. He faced off against Robin, and Tim Drake felt the full brunt of Batman’s wrath. Bruce easily clobbered Tim Drake and would have gone further had Batman not been interrupted by Nightwing.

5. Nightwing

Speaking of Nightwing, Batman #138 also featured Bruce getting into it with his very first Boy Wonder. Dick Grayson was doing his best to talk sense into Bruce, but that all went out the window when Nightwing discovered Batman had mentally reconditioned Red Hood to feel intense anxiety when his adrenaline spiked. Nightwing goes after Batman twice in this issue, and both times he’s defeated, the second fight even ending with Bruce leaving Nightwing and Robin tied up for the police to arrest. They got out, but it was crazy seeing Batman nearly expose his partners like that.

4. Catwoman

Batman and Catwoman’s relationship is complicated, to say the least. But Batman #614 showed just how complicated when Bruce came this close to killing the Joker. Selina, looking out for her beloved, stopped Batman from doing the deed. Batman then turned all his anger towards Catwoman, punching her in the shoulder where she’d previously been shot, knocking her out cold. Batman didn’t end up killing his longtime nemesis, so Selina succeeded in her goal. But in a direct fight, Bruce easily took her down, adding another layer of complexity to their relationship.

3. Green Lantern

All of these fights are a little too dark, so why don’t we focus on the one Batman victory we all agree is just hilarious? Justice League #5 is the infamous issue where the hotheaded Guy Gardner manages to get under everyone’s skin, including Batman. Thankfully, Batman manages to get the Green Lantern to shut up with a punch delivered square in Guy’s face. Blue Beetle’s laughter and cry of “One punch!” really says it all, and to this day, this moment stands out as one of the coolest (and funniest) moments in DC Comics’ history.

2. Red Hood

Man, fights among the Bat-Family really are frightfully common, aren’t they? Well, at least in Batman #650, Bruce was doing his damnedest not to hurt his former sidekick. But Jason, having a loaded gun pointed at the Joker, threatening to kill him, really left Batman no choice. Before Red Hood could pull the trigger, Batman throws a batarang at an angle to hit Jason from behind, keeping the Joker alive and disarming Red Hood. It’s not a punch or a beating, but a W is a W, and for better or worse, Batman won the only way he could here.

1. Superman

With the number of times Batman and Superman have fought over the years, it’s kind of hard to just pick one. But their battle in Batman/Superman Annual (2014) #1 actually does give Bruce a more earned victory over the Man of Steel. Bruce and Clark are forced into a battle alongside their families as part of a revenge plot engineered by Mongul’s son. Batman and Superman are told to fight and not hold back, and the former doesn’t, heading into their fight armed with kryptonite. Bruce ends up defeating Superman, but thankfully, refuses to kill his closest friend.

What’s your favorite Batman victory? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!

10 Best Batman Comics Of The 21st Century (So Far)