Bizarre To Bold, 10 Times Batman Got Real Superpowers
10. Genie Batman
One of the more bizarre encounters saw Batman turn into an actual genie after being hit by magic dust in ‘Detective Comics‘ #22. As a genie, our caped crusader gained the standard abilities associated with the mystical being like immense super strength, ability to alter his size, and flying. Batman was forced to obey the commands of the villain who held his lamp but ultimately was freed from this magical enslavement by Robin. This made for a very weird and funny spin on Batman that wasn’t expected to be.
9. Blackrock Powered Batman
In ‘Superman/Batman‘ #32, Batman comes into contact with an alien symbiote called Blackrock that temporarily enhances its host’s physical attributes. With Blackrock bonding with him, Batman was granted the power of flight, superhuman strength on par with Superman, and an increased tolerance for damage and pain. While not entirely in control, it allowed Batman to go toe-to-toe with the Man of Steel in combat during an incident where Superman was being mind-controlled.
8. Vampire Batman
One of the most unique supernatural power comes to Batman in the 1992 miniseries ‘Batman and Dracula: Red Rain’ where he encounters the infamous vampire lord. During their battle, Dracula manages to bite Bruce Wayne, turning him into a vampire as well. Among the new abilities granted are enhanced strength, agility, stamina and amazingly, the ability to fly and mesmerize. While reluctant to embrace this change, Batman used his new vampiric powers against other supernatural villains threatening Gotham before ultimately accepting his condition.
7. Evil Bat-Manhattan
In the epic ‘Dark Nights: Metal’ crossover, an alternate version of Batman is exposed to the energy emanating from Dr. Manhattan, gaining all of his phenomenal cosmic powers. These included molecular manipulation, technopathic abilities, reality warping, teleportation, energy projection and being practically omnipotent. With these abilities at his disposal and under the control of the Batman Who Laughs, he became one of the most formidable foes the heroes ever faced.
6. Man-Bat Monster Version
During the ‘Batman Incorporated’ storyline, he injected a prototype serum based on Kirk Langstrom’s Man-Bat formula to gain new abilities. The serum mutates Bruce into a humanoid bat creature, granting him echolocation, flight from membranes between his arms and legs, enhanced physicals, and control over bats. While uncomfortable with his new monstrous form, Batman utilized these powers against the organization Leviathan before purging the mutagen from his system.
5. Amazo Virus Level Up
In the 2015 Justice League storyline, a virus named Amazo rendered most of the superhero team powerless. Batman was affected differently, and if we are being honest, quite strangely. He ended up losing his eyesight but gaining echolocation that let him perceive the world with sound waves. He could also fire ultrasonic beams capable of causing physical harm. It was an interesting spin on the age-old tale, seeing Batman fight without sight but utilizing abilities reminiscent of his namesake, the bat.
4. The Immortal Superhero
In the one-shot ‘Superman & Batman: Generations,’ an old Bruce Wayne is persuaded by Ra’s Al Ghul to take a dip in the Lazarus Pit. Lo and behold, he emerges rejuvenated with the appearance and physical prime of his younger days. The Caped Crusader also gained immortality like Ra’s from the reanimating waters. This allows him to fight crime as an ageless Dark Knight for centuries, without worrying about him the obstacles that came with age. Batman can’t escape basic human issues at times, right?
3. Green Lantern Batman
The Elseworlds tale ‘Batman: In Darkest Knight’ weaves an alternate first encounter where Bruce Wayne is chosen by a dying Green Lantern as his successor. Given a power ring, he wields the full abilities of a Green Lantern such as flight, energy constructs, survival in space without life support, and more. He effectively employs these powers to protect Gotham and becomes a galactic lawman, making him truly formidable.
2. God-Like Upgrade
For the ‘Injustice: Gods Among Us’ fighting game, the story introduces a special Kryptonian pill called 5-U-93-R that vastly amplifies a person’s physicality to superhuman levels. Taking this, the Caped Crusader becomes strong enough to fight an evil regime’s version of Superman one-on-one. Aided by power armor, this temporary power-up lets him fight godlike opponents with enhanced strength, speed, stamina, and resistance.
1. The Red Death
In the ‘Dark Nights: Metal’ spin-off, a deranged Batman from another world defeats The Flash and gains speedster abilities. This psychotic version of The Dark Knight drained the Speed Force from the Scarlet Speedster, earning the moniker, “The Red Death.” The DC superhero then gained super-speed, accelerated healing, and vectors of scarlet lightning bolts under his command. Armed with these phenomenally powerful weapons of destruction, the Red Death becomes one of the greatest threats in the Dark Multiverse.
