Bizarre Ways Batman Has Cheated Death And Injury

Most superheroes have superpowers –– it comes with the territory of being a superperson. As with all things in life (fictional and otherwise), there are exceptions to the rule. Batman is one such exclusion. Though Batman, who moonlights (if you will) as the playboy and philanthropist Bruce Wayne, is considered a normal human being with no special powers, he clearly has something special about him. Nevertheless, he can't fly, nor can he shoot laser beams out of his eyes, even if he does have pretty amazing gadgets at his disposal. 

If he did have a superpower, it would be immortality. After all, he cheats death and life-threatening injuries on a routine basis –– spanning from the comics to video games to the big screen. Batman just can't seem to die, despite being mortal like the rest of us. That said, in certain universes/comics, Batman has, on occasion, paid the ultimate price — though nothing seems to keep The Dark Knight down for long. Here are some of the bizarre ways Bruce Wayne's alter ego has cheated death and injury.

In the battle between good vs. evil, Batman will seemingly do anything to defeat his enemies — even if that means taking some form of steroids. Because, in the fight between good vs. evil, Rocky vs. Drago, Batman vs. [Fill in the blank], taking performance enhancers apparently isn't bad if the audience doesn't know about it, or the substance is being used for a good cause.

To that end, Batman once used Venom to gain superhuman strength. The highly addictive substance was first introduced to The Dark Knight in "Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #16." Though this substance isn't used in vain –– the Bat essentially uses it so he's strong enough to save people, and never fail a crusade due to a lack of strength again –– he becomes addicted to Venom. Batman eventually hides out in the Batcave to get clean and stay off Venom. Although he succeeds in this endeavor and bravely handles withdrawal, it's not the last time Venom causes problems for him: Venom is eventually used to create one of Batman's strongest enemies, Bane.

In the "Knightfall" arc, Bane — one of the strongest villains in the Batman universe — broke The Dark Knight's back. This injury left Batman disabled –– but, luckily, Gotham's greatest hero doesn't stay down for long. Though his back is fixed rather easily in Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight Rises" (more from that later), Batman had more difficulty healing his back in the comics.

Bruce Wayne and loyal butler/guardian Alfred Pennyworth track down a holistic therapist, Shondra Kinsolving, in another country to attempt to heal Bruce. Because this is a universe packed to the gills with supernatural aspects, Shondra's telekinetic abilities play a role in fusing Bruce's spine. Though she suffered the consequences, and was temporarily left in a childlike state, Bruce was good to go. But alas, there's still crime left to fight, and Batman is only human.

Believe it or not, Batman isn't invincible, as he's died on multiple occasions in the comics. Luckily, there's plenty of enchanted elements can be used to fix him up. The Lazarus Pit is one such wizardly element, as it's a pool that brings beings back to life –– and Batman has taken a dive in the pond's magical waters at one point or another.

In the comic "Batman: Birth of the Demon," Batman and supervillain Ra's al Ghul faced off. Batman, against all odds, is impaled ... and then both Ra's and the Bat fall into a Lazarus Pit. Batman eventually rises from the pit, healed. Batman didn't necessarily plan on falling into the pit, nor did he plan on having to use it. Even so, this mystical pit allowed him to, once again, cheat injury and death. Batman might be as strong as Venom-dipped nails, but he's also extremely lucky.

Whether through an accident at "work" or preparation, Batman has conditioned his body by exposing himself to strains of poisons to increase his tolerance, making him immune to many poisons. This bizarre –– yet effective –– method has come in handy against his enemies. After all, it's not easy for a mere mortal to outduel Batman, but possibly tricking him into taking poison can even the playing field. In "Batman #681," Bruce claims he carries antidotes for poisons he's not already immune to, giving the impression that he's taken measures to immunize himself against certain poisons.

The Scarecrow, one of Batman's greatest villains, uses toxins to make his victims hallucinate. The result? Said victims get to go on an adventure that involves them seeing their deepest and darkest fears play out. Whether it be through willpower or Batman already being under the Scarecrow's mind-altering spell, it appears that he has developed some antibodies, making him somewhat immune to the toxin –– or, at the least, he can withstand the toxin's powers better than most people. 

Though various poisons would kill or, at the least, harm most beings in this universe, Batman has prepared himself for all dangers that inevitably rear their heads. In the long run, poisons never stood a chance.

The creators of Batman have used brilliant methods to bring The Dark Knight back to full strength, and sometimes even back to life. One such technique is time travel, which apparently exists in some of the comics –– and is a perfect example of Batman cheating death.

In the "Final Crisis" storyline, alien villain Darkseid gets the last word (well, sort of since Batman still shoots him with the Radion bullet) against Batman when he takes him out with his Omega Beams. Though Batman is presumed dead and his body is charred, the beams also conveniently sent back in time, and he's seen still alive at the end of the comic. Batman might be considered a human, but he's a being that doesn't stay dead for long. Whether it be an alternative reality or time travel that saved him from Darkseid's lethal blow, Superman holding Batman's lifeless body will forever be a classical shot –– albeit disheartening.

In Bob Haney and Jim Aparo's "The Brave and the Bold #115," Batman is electrocuted, leaving him braindead. If this was any other person, they probably wouldn't be able to come back from this devastating blow. But we're talking about Batman here.

To solve Batman's current case, the Atom — a superhero who can shrink in size yet still retain his strength — decides to shrink himself, jump inside Batman's body, and fight crime. In a way, this kind of morphs Batman into a zombie, as his lifeless body walks the planet. Nevertheless, the Atom controlling Batman results in yet another magical recovery, as this maneuver creates enough stimuli to jumpstart Batman's brain and restore him from his previous state. Though this entire storyline might appear bizarre, Batman doesn't live in a typical world. All the same, the Atom pulled off a masterful assist and inadvertently brought back The Dark Knight.

Although Batman has technically died, some of his deaths aren't permanent. It comes with the territory of being a superhero, whether you have actual superpowers or not. Whether you know the name or not, the Electrocutioner went toe to toe with the champ in a bout that led to Batman's short-lived death.

In a tale inside the pages of "Detective Comics #644-646" by Chuck Dixon, Tom Lyle, and Scott Hanna, the Electrocutioner — as his name suggests — electrocuted Batman, resulting in his heart stopping. Though Electrocutioner had temporarily won in a major upset, Robin came prepared by wearing an insulated costume. Robin forced Electrocutioner to reverse the damage. The Electrocutioner then used his electric gloves as a defibrillator to shock Batman back to life. And just like that, Batman was back.

The lesson? Perhaps it's that Robin deserves more credit than what he's given. Or that you don't mess with Batman. Or, maybe most importantly of all, don't underestimate your opponent.

Batman might seem undefeated on the big screen (though that's not always the case), but he took his fair share of licks in other formats. Case in point: In "The Court of Owls," the Talons and Owls get the best of the superhero. Though they don't technically kill him with their own deadly blow, Batman suffers a fatal heart attack. Luckily, Harper Row discovers Batman and restarts his heart with –– drumroll, please –– jumper cables that are attached to a car battery. There's nothing quite like using everyday items to resurrect the one and only Batman.

To say this is cheating death is an understatement as Batman was left to die –– and he actually did temporarily meet his demise. Thankfully, car batteries and jumper cables serve more than one purpose. Batman is clearly beatable, but that doesn't stop him from being resurrected in an outlandish fashion.

Batman's injuries are severe yet perpetual. In "The Dark Knight Rises," Bane reenacted his crushing blow against Batman and, yet again, breaks The Dark Knight's back. Considering this is a live-action film, it would be plausible to think Batman is done for. Then again, his name is in the title of the movie and Batman isn't only the hero of his own story but this story.

To further stack the deck against Batman, Bane puts Bruce Wayne in a prison cell. Yet as audience members have witnessed over the years, Batman has plenty of allies. Fast forward to a fellow inmate punching Bruce in the back, which apparently puts a misplaced piece of vertebrae back into place. A rope harness is then created for Bruce to hang from until he's capable of walking again. Against all odds, he regains his strength and can return to battle. The Dark Knight rises indeed.

Batman might be considered mortal, but he's evidently trained his mind, body, and soul harder than anyone else in his universe. His plethora of injuries can be described as substantial, debilitating, and life-threatening. Yet a combination of god-like strength, excessive training, and a dash of luck has allowed him to recover from most injuries. His body might be painted with bruises and scars, but his unwillingness to lose –– mixed with a cocktail consisting of revenge, anger, and adrenaline –– has led him to maneuver nearly impossible obstacles. Such obstacles include, for example, a broken back, death by electrocution, and suffering a fatal heart attack. Nearly anyone else would have paid the ultimate price for many of his injuries, but that's why Bruce Wayne is Batman.

Batman might not be the most powerful being in the superhero universe, but that hasn't stopped him from cheating death and injury in spades.