7 Batman Copycats Ranked by How Dangerous They Would Be to The Dark Knight

There are countless characters people consider ripoffs, and Batman has more than a few that seem either based on him, or just copied from the DC Comics hero. Some of these are from other companies, with Marvel often accused of ripping off Batman for not one, but two of its major hero characters. There have also been Batman copycats in DC Comics itself, as well as its imprints, as the company wanted to see what a character like Batman could look like with some significant changes to his persona. Of course, there is also The Boys, whose entire team of The Seven is based on Batman and the Justice League.

From characters who have gotten over on their own to copycats who look deep into what Batman could have been, here are the Batman copycats ranked by how dangerous they would be if they faced the Dark Knight.

7) Night-Owl

Night Owl is the Batman copycat from the world of Watchmen. While the character might be more akin to Ted Kord’s version of Blue Beetle than Batman, the hero’s modus operandi shares more in common with Batman than Blue Beetle. There are some differences, such as the fact that Dan Dreiberg is the same whether he is Night Owl or his secret identity. However, when looking at the original Night Owl, Hollis Mason, the fighting skills and plans of attack make Batman and Night Owl comparable.

When it comes to Night Owl battling Batman, Hollis could put up a fight with Batman, and could possibly beat him when he was in his prime. There are even rumors that, on his Earth, Hollis saved Thomas and Martha Wayne from their deaths, preventing Batman from existing in his world. That said, the most recent Night Owl, Dan Dreiberg, would stand no chance against the Dark Knight.

6) Daredevil

Daredevil is not a straight Batman copycat, but there are a lot of traits in the Man Without Fear that show that he is at least influenced by Batman. Much of the comparison comes from the fact that Frank Miller worked on Daredevil’s most influential stories, and then also worked on Batman, albeit after his work on Daredevil (meaning Batman’s changes might be more influenced by Daredevil). That said, Batman’s costume clearly influenced Daredevil and their origin stories of becoming heroes using dark, scary personas (a bat and a devil) to frighten and punish criminals after the deaths of their parents are obvious, even though that is a comic book trait for many heroes.

For Daredevil vs. Batman, this is a fight that would be hard to call. Both men are tenacious fighters and never give up, and Daredevil’s enhanced senses would give him a slight advantage against Batman. However, when all is said and done, Batman would just need to know about Daredevil’s senses to create a plan to throw them off, and the fight would be over quickly, with the Dark Knight easily winning.

5) Nighthawk

Nighthawk is a clear Batman copycat hero, and this is because the Squadron Supreme was Marvel’s attempt to copy the entire Justice League. Most of the characters were easily recognized, with Hyperion a Superman copycat and Power Princess a Wonder Woman copycat. Nighthawk, on the other hand, was easily the Batman copycat, all the way down to him quitting the team at one point because he didn’t trust his teammates.

When fighting, this is a battle where either man could win depending on the fight. If they fight at a random time, and Batman isn’t ready, Nighthawk has every chance of winning the fight. That said, with prep time, Batman has the advantage. While both men are devious and meticulous, the Dark Knight is just that much better. However, in the end, they are carbon copies of each other.

4) Moon Knight

Moon Knight has always been called a Batman ripoff, and with good reason. Both men are heroes who prefer to work at night. They are both men who work to frighten the villains they are stalking. They even have similar weapons, with Batman using his bat-a-rangs and Moon Knight using his crescent darts. However, there are big differences between the two of them. Batman wears black and prefers to fight from the shadows, while Moon Knight wears white so the villains see him coming.

Moon Knight is also willing to kill people when needed, a line that Batman will never cross. They are also very different because Batman is meticulous and relies on his planning, while Moon Knight is more spontaneous and will take a beating if it means winning the fight. If Moon Knight and Batman fought, the battle would be brutal, and Batman would take a severe beating, but the Dark Knight would still win in the end.

3) Midnighter

The Midnighter is DC Comics’ own attempt at creating a Batman copycat. He was originally from the Wildstorm Universe and was part of the Authority. Unlike Batman, he was extremely violent and didn’t hold back when fighting his villains. Also, unlike Batman, Midnighter works mostly side-by-side with that world’s Superman copycat, Apollo. Midnighter and Apollo eventually got married, and both characters ended up crossing over and becoming part of the mainline DC Universe as part of Stormwatch.

Unlike Batman, Midnighter actually has enhanced powers, as he was augmented with cybernetic implants that gave him several superhuman abilities. This includes a neural-inductive combat simulator implanted in his head to recognize every possible scenario in any fight. He also has carbon fiber added to his muscles to give him superhuman strength and durability. In a fight, he would have every advantage over Batman and is one of the few DC characters who could actually beat him.

2) Nemesis

Nemesis is a Mark Millar creation from Icon Comics, and Millar created him with one specific goal in mind. Millar wanted to create a Batman character, but ask “what would happen if Batman was the Joker?” Like Batman, Nemesis is a wealthy playboy who uses his money to create a lot of gadgets to become a vigilante. However, instead of fighting crime, Nemesis commits crimes and kills people for fun.

He also has a strong enemy in police chief Blake Morrow, who wants to protect the general public against Nemesis. Blake, who has no superpowers, defeated Nemesis in the end, but it wasn’t until after a long period of destruction. Batman would likely beat Nemesis in the end as well, but the two men would be so evenly matched, and have the same technical advantages, that it would end up as an even worse battle than Batman vs. Joker.

1) Black Noir

In The Boys, the antagonistic superhero team, The Seven, is also based on the Justice League. Homelander is an evil version of Superman, while Queen Maeve is Wonder Woman’s copycat. They also have an Aquaman copycat and one for Martian Manhunter. As for Batman, his copycat on the team is Black Noir, but there are some serious differences between the two. Mainly in the comics, Black Noir, under the mask, is a Homelander clone.

This means that, out of all the Batman copycats in comics, Black Noir might provide the hardest battle for Batman to overcome. He has most of Homelander’s powers, but on the other end, he is also mentally unstable and is a terrifying villain when he reveals the truth. Black Noir could kill Batman if he got the drop on him. Of course, Batman has contingency plans even for Superman, but he would have to know what Black Noir is to have any chance of beating him.

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