Comics

7 Spider-Man Villains Batman Could Beat (Ranked by How Hard it Would Be)

Batman and Spider-Man’s rogues’ galleries are two of the most recognizable and fearsome in comic books. Both Batman and Spider-Man primarily fight street-level maniacal supervillains who wear colorful costumes and have deadly weapons. However, Spider-Man generally fights foes with more potent superhuman abilities who have the capability to destroy everything in their paths. Still, even without powers, Batman can match and overcome these Spider-Man villains. By relying on his genius-level intellect, incredible willpower, armory of high-tech gadgets, and mastery in almost every form of martial arts, Batman has what it takes to defeat some of the most iconic criminals in the Wall-Crawler’s vast collection of adversaries.

Videos by ComicBook.com

Batman and Spider-Man are often recognized as two of the most popular heroes of DC and Marvel Comics and they have even crossed over on occasion. If Batman were to find himself in Marvel’s version of New York City again, these are the iconic Spider-Man villains he would be able to beat without any reliance on prep time.

7) Vulture

The Vulture standing under a full moon
Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics

The Vulture’s wings would undoubtedly at first give him the advantage of flight over Batman. Even so, the Caped Crusader has a long history of taking out aerial villains like Man-Bat and Firefly. Batman has used grappling hooks to pull those flying villains down to ground level, and Vulture would be no different. While some versions of the Vulture suit provide super strength and razor-sharp wings, Batman is a far more skilled combatant and can easily dismantle the villain by relying on his vast array of gadgets or by simply striking pressure points to incapacitate him.

6) Mysterio

Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics

A master of illusions, Mysterio relies on holograms, hallucinogenic drugs, and hypnosis to make heroes question their reality and sanity. However, Batman’s countless fights against Scarecrow and Poison Ivy have more than prepared him to fight against people who can attack a person’s mind and senses. Batman’s suit is full of defenses, like gas masks, to protect him from hallucinogenic chemicals and hypnosis. Even when he is exposed to Scarecrow’s fear toxin, the Caped Crusader’s willpower is so strong that he’s been able to resist it. For comparison, that fear toxin is potent enough to subdue Swamp Thing. Furthermore, Batman is the World’s Greatest Detective and can quickly deduce what’s real and what’s an illusion. Without his illusions to protect him, Mysterio stands no chance against the Dark Knight.

5) Doctor Octopus

Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics

With his incredibly tough and lethal mechanical arms, Doctor Octopus is a dangerous adversary who could crush the Dark Knight if he were to catch him. Luckily, Batman’s mastery of acrobatics and stealth would give him the edge he needed to evade Doc Ock’s arms. The Dark Knight is so sneaky that even Superman can’t track him. Batman’s arsenal of flash bangs and smoke bombs would allow him to disorient Doc Ock and leave him vulnerable to attack. Batman’s deductive reasoning would also let him quickly deduce the weak points in Doc Ock’s harness. He would then target them to dismantle the robot arms. Without his arms, Doc Ock is just a regular guy and would be taken out with a swift punch from the Caped Crusader.

4) Kraven the Hunter

Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics

Kraven is an expert hunter who frequently makes animal-themed heroes his prey and would see Batman as a worthy challenge. Like Batman, Kraven is a master of several martial arts, weaponry, and tracking. Kraven also possesses enhanced superhuman strength and agility. Batman has plenty of experience taking on superhuman combatants like Deathstroke and Bane, who have levels of strength and skill like Kraven’s. The Dark Knight is also considered to be one of the greatest martial artists in DC Comics, so he should be able to cripple Kraven with well-placed attacks on his pressure points. Batman’s best bet would be to rely on his superior technology, like his explosive batarangs, flashbangs, shock gloves, and even his Batmobile, to overwhelm Kraven.

3) Electro

Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics

Electro’s ability to fire powerful bolts of electricity capable of tearing down buildings would undoubtedly make him a serious threat to the Caped Crusader. Still, Batman has ways to counter this destructive power. Batman’s suit is heavily insulated, with even a weaker version belonging to Batgirl being capable of shrugging off blasts from Livewire without a scratch. Livewire’s bolts are so powerful that they can hurt Superman, so Batman’s suit should be able to withstand similar attacks from Electro. More importantly, though, Electro is an idiot who’s constantly outsmarted by weaker heroes like Daredevil and Punisher. If Batman were to stick to the shadows and use his explosive or freeze Batarangs to incapacitate Electro, he would have a very good chance of winning.

2) Rhino

Image courtesy of marvel comics

Rhino is one of Spider-Man’s physically strongest foes, as he can overpower a speeding train and frequently trades blows with powerhouses like the Thing and the Hulk. Yet, like Electro, Rhino isn’t the brightest bulb, and Batman can use that to his advantage. Batman’s ninja-like reflexes can ensure that he evades the brunt of Rhino’s punches and attacks the villain’s weak spots. Even Daredevil managed to beat Rhino by using the villain’s own momentum against him, so Batman should be able to pull off a similar feat. Moreover, the Dark Knight’s access to knock-out gas would quickly render Rhino unconscious. If Batman stays out of the Rhino’s bone-crushing grasp, he should be able to pull off a victory.

1) Sandman

Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics

A living sandstorm, Sandman is indestructible, can grow to massive sizes, and can shapeshift. It would take everything in Batman’s arsenal to defeat him. Although Sandman is far more powerful than Clayface, they still share similar weaknesses, such as extreme heat and cold. Significantly, Sandman isn’t smart enough to evade Batman’s traps. Once caught, Batman could use his various gadgets to break down and immobilize the villain. These weapons include freeze bombs, explosive batarangs, and the Batmobile and Batwing’s missiles. Additionally, Sandman’s soul resides within a single grain of sand, which controls the rest of his body. Batman’s cowl can scan people down to the cellular level, so he could theoretically deduce where the grain is located and target it with his various weapons to knock Sandman out.

What do you think? Leave a Comment below and join the conversation in the ComicBook Forum!