Batman: everyone’s favorite caped crusader.
Somehow, someway, Batman manages to fight head-to-head with just about anyone he comes across in the DC Universe. Every once in a while, however, Batman gains superpowers. Combined with his already vast intelligence and resources, a Batman with superpowers becomes nigh-unbeatable. But how powerful is he? How strong would Batman be if he was more than just a man?
The God of Knowledge
During the New 52’s Justice League: Darkseid War: Batman #1 Batman came into the possession of Metron’s Mobius Chair in an attempt to discover the identity of the Anti-Monitor. With his new powers, Batman became the God of Knowledge.
The Mobius Chair allowed Batman to teleport freely across space and time. It also gave him access to the near-limitless information stored in the chair. He could read people’s thoughts and would imprison them for crimes before they could commit them. Batman had stopped a man who was plotting to kill his own wife and teleported him to Themyscira. He then left the man there to change his perception of women. With the chair’s power, Batman erased all crime in Gotham.
However, the overwhelming power of the chair began to corrupt Batman. He no longer needed to eat or sleep, and he insisted the chair was necessary to be the “Batman Gotham needs.” Yet the chair slowly sapped away his life the longer he sat on it. Realizing this, Hal Jordan lent Batman his Green Lantern Ring to grant him the willpower to finally free himself from the Mobius Chair.
The Dawnbreaker
In Dark Nights: Metal: Dawnbreaker, young Bruce Wayne of Earth -32 came into the possession of a Green Lantern ring. On the night Joe Chill murdered his parents, instead of succumbing to sadness and fear, young Bruce was instilled with rage. His desire to kill Joe Chill was so powerful that a passing Green Lantern ring noticed him. Sensing his immense willpower, it chose him as its bearer. With his new powers, he confronted Chill to take his revenge. But there was a problem. Green Lantern rings aren’t allowed to kill.
But Batman’s will overpowered the ring’s restrictions. Using his willpower and rage, he created dark constructs that were more powerful than the entire Green Lantern Corps. He murdered Joe Chill, slaughtered Earth -32’s Green Lantern Corps, and almost defeated Hal Jordan of Earth 0. He was almost beaten by Raven in Dark Knight’s Rising: The Wild Hunt, as she managed to use her power to take control of his dark constructs.
The Devastator
In Dark Nights: Metal: The Devastator, Earth -1’s Superman went berserk. No one knew why or how, but in his rage, he defeated the Justice League, killed Lois Lane, and laid waste to Metropolis. Batman was the last man standing, facing off against Superman with a Kryptonite spear. Superman severed Batman’s arm with heat vision and taunted him about the fact that the League actually believed Batman could defeat him. However, Batman had a last resort, the one thing that had killed Superman before — Doomsday.
By injecting himself with the Doomsday virus, Batman became the Devastator. He gained Doomsday’s appearance, as well as his regenerative abilities and strength. He even gained a new ability, Kryptonite breath, which made quick work of his universe’s Superman. On Earth 0, Devastator Batman was a force to be reckoned with as well. He defeated Superman again in Dark Nights: Metal #3 and would have killed him if he hadn’t been saved by the Flash.
The Red Death
In Dark Nights: Metal: Red Death, Batman and the Flash became one. In an attempt to harness the Speed Force, Batman recreated the Cosmic Treadmill using his Batmobile. He then strapped the Flash to the hood and drove into the Speed Force.
When they emerged they were one being: the Red Death. The Red Death is Batman with all of the Flash’s powers. In addition to speed, the Red Death can summon Speed Force storms that rapidly age to death any that come into contact with it. With the Flash’s speed in tow, Batman quickly murdered all the villains in Gotham. Scarecrow, Penguin, Riddler, and Manbat are all killed in mere moments by the Red Death’s newfound speed.
However, Barry Allen was still trapped inside Red Death’s body. Barry occasionally forced his consciousness to the surface, but Batman always managed to suppress him. Barry ultimately gains control of the Red Death’s body in Dark Knights Rising: Wild Hunt, and aides the Justice League in battle. However, he is quickly defeated and killed by The Batman Who Laughs.
The Hellbat Armor
Arguably Batman’s most powerful form, the Hellbat Armor stays true to its name. Showcased in Batman and Robin #33-37 Batman completely decimated the inhabitants on Apokolips to retrieve his son’s body. Forged by the entire Justice League, the armor was made to allow Batman to fight head to head with the Universe’s strongest beings. While equipped he defeated countless Parademons, bested Kalibak, and even manage to wound Darkseid himself.
However, the armor comes at a risk. It feeds on the body, and extended use of it will eventually kill Batman. But the trade-off grants him flight, near-invulnerability, energy blasts, and the ability to drain other life energy to power it.