As unbelievable as it may seem, after three long years of waiting, we will finally get a chance to see The Dark Knight and the Man of Steel face off on the silver screen in the long awaited Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. It’s a showdown years in the making, and one that will undoubtedly amaze even the most cursory superhero fan. So all that’s really left for us to do is place our bets with regards to who will come out on top later this month.
However, there’s one thing that people always like to point out when discussing a battle between Batman and Superman: Batman is just an average man. Sure, he’s well trained, well financed, and downright spooky, but at the end of the day none of that means much when your opponent has heat vision and super strength. How on Earth could Batman possibly win against Superman? As it turns out, he has a few methods up his sleeve. We’ve poured through the source material and come up with the seven ways that Batman could actually beat Superman when Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice finally hits theaters on March 25. With that said, let’s start off with the tactic against Superman that always comes to mind before any other…
Green Kryptonite
The classic method that just about everyone knows about. Using green K on Superman (or any Kryptonian) will induce pain, sickness, and ultimately death if the exposure remains constant. Batman has utilized numerous forms of green Kryptonite over the years in the comics to combat Superman, ranging from a Kryptonite ring in Batman: Hush, to a Kryptonite arrow fired by Oliver Queen in The Dark Knight Returns, and even a form of chewable Kryptonite gum in Batman: Endgame. We already know that the green space rock will appear at some point in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, so we likely count on Bruce Wayne utilizing it to gain the upper hand on his god-like opponent.
Public Opinion
We’ve known since the very beginning that Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice won’t just revolve around a battle of brute strength – although we’re excited to see that part, too. The long-awaited showdown between The Dark Knight and the Man of Steel will also involve a major war of ideology. As a master tactician, Bruce Wayne could very easily deduce that one of Superman’s biggest weaknesses following the events of Man of Steel will be his struggle with public opinion. If Batman can effectively turn the hearts and minds of Metropolis against Superman, he could very well win the ideological battle – even if he gets physically pummeled in the process.
Sensory Overload
Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice’s predecessor, Man of Steel, devoted quite a bit of time to the notion that Clark Kent has incredibly sensitive senses compared to the average person. He’s taken years to learn how to focus on what he wants to see and hear, rather than taking it all in at once. On many occasions in the comics, Batman has capitalized on this sensitivity by firing waves of sonic noise at the last son of Krypton. We have a sneaking suspicion that the gun Batman holds in his hands when Doomsday shows up will work in a similar manner – a leftover from his previous melee with Superman.
Red Sun Radiation
Superman draws his abilities from Earth’s yellow sun; his cells absorb its radiation, which in turn bolsters his powers. However, under the radiation of a Red sun – such as the one Krypton orbits – Superman loses his god-like abilities and becomes as weak as an average person. As it turns out: Batman eats average people for breakfast. Numerous comics have seen Superman fall victim to characters – Batman included – using Red sun lamps to rob him of his powers; even the recent Batman: Endgame story arc saw Batman using a mech suit that actually had miniature red suns in the gloves – courtesy of Ray Palmer. Having Bruce utilize a strategy such as this would showcase his scientific brilliance, as well as his distinct tactical prowess.
Red Kryptonite
While not quite as well known as green Kryptonite, Red Kryptonite has its own list of effects when a Kryptonian comes into contact with it. The effects have varied over the years, but in the classic Tower of Babel storyline, Batman devised a contingency plan against Superman that involved exposing him to red K. The exposure turned Superman’s skin transparent and caused him to overload on yellow sun radiation. Things went to hell for the Justice League when that contingency fell into the hands of Ra’s Al Ghul, but it’s still something that Bruce Wayne could employ against the Man of Steel when they meet in combat for the first time.
Threatening Someone Superman Loves
Batman may maintain a steadfast refusal to take a life, but he sure as hell isn’t above putting people in mortal danger to beat Superman. During the events of the iconic Hush storyline, Batman enlisted the help of Catwoman to drop Lois Lane off of a building in Metropolis in order to shake Superman free from Poison Ivy’s mind control. While we don’t anticipate that exact scenario going down in Batman V Superman, Batfleck could very easily show his ruthless side by putting someone Superman loves in harm’s way in order to gain the upper hand in a fight. It could be Diane Lane’s Ma Kent, or it could be Amy Adams’ Lois Lane, but no matter what, at that point, the battle will be personal.
Magic
Of Superman’s few weaknesses, one of lesser-known ones has to be his vulnerability to magic. He can take a beating from Doomsday all day, or even a blast from Darkseid’s Omega Beams, but all of his strength won't protect him from magical forces. Magic and mysticism very much exist in the burgeoning DCEU – just look at Suicide Squad – and one of the many magical artifacts that exists in this universe is Wonder Woman’s sword. If Batman somehow got his hands on any of Diana Prince’s weaponry during his battle with Kal-El, then he could turn the tide faster than you could say "The Dark Knight Returns."
