There aren’t too many Marvel characters who can beat Batman – or characters anywhere, for that matter – but there are a few who would give the Dark Knight a run for his money. Look, Batman is a lot of people’s favorite character, but at the end of the day, he’s just a guy in a bat costume. Bruce Wayne is not exactly Superman (and even the big, blue boy scout has some Marvel characters who could take him out).
Batman’s best tool in his favor is his plot armor. He’s the hero of his story, so he has to eventually defeat the villains he takes on. However, there are a lot of Marvel villains that either have a unique advantage against Batman, or are frankly just too highly powered for a mortal like him to stand up against.
1. Molecule Man Is Powerful Enough To Destroy Galactus With A Single Thought, So He Could Certainly Do The Same For Batman
Owen Reece, AKA Molecule Man, has the ability to control the molecular structure of virtually anything. Although he began his life as a normal man, one nuclear mishap later and many now consider him to be the most powerful being in the Marvel Universe. Eventually, the Fantastic Four even discover that his demise would trigger the end of the entire universe.
Molecule Man’s powers are so immense that Doctor Doom once channeled them and restructured the entire universe. After this event, Molecule Man is treated with a lot more respect in the Marvel Universe. In one story, upon entering his presence, Galactus remarks that Molecule Man can destroy him with a single thought.
In his original incarnation, Molecule Man may have toyed with Batman by turning his Batmobile into a rubber ducky while he is driving. However, in more modern stories, Molecule Man most likely would just alter reality so that Gotham itself, and thus Batman, never existed.
2. Galactus Can Destroy Entire Planets, Which Includes Earth, Which Includes Gotham, Which Includes Batman
Pitting a world-devouring galactic entity like Galactus against Batman may seem cruel, but he’s a good representation of the scale of villain that heroes have to face in the Marvel Universe. Galactus is so powerful, when he shows up to devour a world, there’s virtually nothing any civilization can do to stop him. The Fantastic Four only defeat Galactus when he comes to Earth because the Watcher leads them to a weapon known as the Ultimate Nullifier in Galactus’s own armory.
Galactus also has the ability to imbue whomever he wants to with the Power Cosmic. Imagine if Galactus chose to grant a certain someone’s rogue’s gallery with the Power Cosmic. Galactus wouldn’t even have to lift a finger if he made Joker and the Riddler his heralds.
3. If Thor Can’t Stop Surtur From Destroying Asgard, Batman Certainly Couldn’t Stop Him From Decimating Gotham
In No Man’s Land, Batman’s city falls thanks to an earthquake. A national disaster changes Gotham from a normal city in America to a lawless wasteland in which the government has completely pulled out. If Gotham’s infrastructure can’t handle an earthquake, there’s no chance it can handle a massive fire giant destined to destroy Asgard.
Surtur is a thousand feet tall and possesses the power of 1,000 suns. Surtur wields a sword that possesses such an immense amount of magical power that Morgan Le Fay once channeled it to transform the entire world into medieval times. All of Asgard falls to the blade of Surtur. Batman and Gotham don’t stand a chance.
4. Annihilus Is A Cosmic Threat Who Would Either Destroy Batman Or Be Reborn Until He Does
Batman typically deals with villains attempting to take over the city of Gotham. In contrast, Annihilus operates on a much larger scale, laying siege to entire planets and even universes.
Annihilus commands the Annihilation Wave, which is a fleet of ships and bugs so powerful, they’ve decimated galaxies. This fleet consists of over 15,000 warships. And, as a reminder, Batman’s fleet consists of a few Bat-themed vehicles. During the Annihilation event, Annihilus slaughtered over a million worlds. The battle with Batman would be over before Annihilus even knew it began.
5. Kang The Conqueror Could Travel Through Time And Destroy Batman Before His Training
Batman spent years becoming a skilled and brilliant crime-fighter. He’s such a worthy adversary at this point, he can take on basically anyone. However, what if a foe could travel back in time to before Batman had that training and defeat him as a teenager?
Kang is a descendant of Reed Richards from the 30th century. Kang uses the technology of his time period to travel across time and wreak havoc on lesser beings. With his powers, Kang can easily go back in time and defeat a weaker Bruce Wayne.
6. Apocalypse Has God-Like Powers And Is A Master Strategist With Millennia Of Experience
Apocalypse is one of the first-ever mutants. He’s an immortal born in ancient Egypt who has only grown stronger as the centuries passed. The Age of Apocalypse storyline shows that in a world with no Professor X, Apocalypse easily overtakes the world and rules supreme.
In the current continuity, Apocalypse has a lot of pull with the mutant nation of Krakoa, which is powerful enough to terraform planets and cheat death. So, not only is Apocalypse strong enough with his brute strength (as strong as Hulk’s base level) and celestial armor to defeat Batman, but he also has an entire nation of superpowered countrymen willing to back him up.
7. Doctor Doom Has Magic, Technology, And The Entire Nation Of Latveria To Use Against Him
Batman is brilliant, but he is really no match for the brains of Doctor Doom and Mr. Fantastic. Batman is a master strategist, but Doom and Reed create world-changing inventions on the daily. They aren’t fashioning grappling hooks; they’re constructing inter-dimensional portals. Batman can never clean up Gotham, but Doom can certainly make Latveria one of the safest places to live for his citizens (as long as they obey the supreme will of Doom, of course). Then, after Doom has cleaned up Latveria and while Batman is still working on Gotham, Doom can go after Batman with the entire might of the Latverian army.
Even without being the sovereign ruler of a country, Doom is an incredibly powerful sorcerer. Doom is next in line to be Sorcerer Supreme, once losing the trials to become the new Sorcerer Supreme only to Doctor Strange himself. During Secret Wars, Doom became the most powerful being in the universe and constructed everything that exists in his own image for his own purposes. Doom is not to be trifled with, not even by Batman.
8. Mephisto Would Toy With Batman Whenever He Wanted
While Loki may be devilish, Mephisto is the actual devil of the Marvel Universe (or at least, he has the powers and the appearance of the devil, and he certainly won’t correct anyone who thinks he is).
Mephisto is most powerful when making supernatural deals. For example, Spider-Man trades his marriage with Mary Jane to Mephisto in exchange for Aunt May staying alive. This deal is so powerful, it alters much of reality and brings various characters back to life. Batman would do anything to stop crime in Gotham, so Mephisto could defeat Batman by offering a peaceful Gotham in exchange for Batman’s life.
9. Juggernaut Could Break Batman Even More Severely Than Bane Did
Bane is a muscle-head without any real super-strength, and yet, he broke Batman’s back and rendered him useless for months. On the flip side, Juggernaut is empowered by a magical entity that grants him vast amounts of strength. The main way to defeat Juggernaut is to remove his helmet and allow a psychic to go to work on his brain, but Batman has no psychic powers to speak of. There’s no reason Juggernaut couldn’t pick Batman up and break him over his knee like Bane did. Except, this time, the Bat’s entire body would snap in two.
Juggernaut’s strength has no upper limits, and he has at times used it to defeat Galactus-level threats. Sadly, for Batman, he’s not susceptible to Kryptonite, either.