Has Batman ever killed Superman?

Has Batman ever killed Superman?

Can the Caped Crusader beat the Man of Steel?

Editorial Opinion
By hawkngo - Jun 24, 2009 02:06 AM EST
Filed Under: Superman



I was talking to this guy (know-it-all) at a cafe last weekend, and I was telling him that I was watching the Batman on WB series. He then talked about that one (vague) time when Batman killed Superman. He said Batman snapped Superman's neck with his BARE hands (wasn't sure about whether or not kryptonite was involved). He wasn't sure which media format this was in either.

This guy is known to exaggerate at times, and will quip with anything to make himself sound profound. There have been many cases in the past where he would say something, despite being found wrong at that time, and just excuse himself later with selective amnesia and such.

I realize that I am sounding quite anal-ytical about asking about this subject, but this guy just irks me, I have some free time, so that's why I'm asking on this thread. I know for a fact that he's not well-versed in comic lore too.

The only time that I can kind of think of when Superman was beaten by mortals were:
1)Lex beats up Superman under red sun
2)DK1 (Frank Miller) Batman beats up Superman with kryptonite and body suit

But was there ever a time when Batman killed Superman (only to be resurrected later, of course)?

Well here is some more info I found.

Batman did kill Superman in the 1991 Superman annual, in which Waverider viewed a possible future (in the far-off year of 2001 ;)) where Superman became a totalitarian ruler of the world. The end was a Dark Knight homage in which Batman uses a kryptonite ring to kill Superman. Annuals from Adventures of Superman and Action comics later showed that Waverider's observation of this future caused changes to Superman, changing his future.

No snapping of necks with bare hands, however. Maybe the guy remembered Bruce's "I want you to remember my hands at your throat" from the end of Dark Knight Returns?

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LEEE777
LEEE777 - 6/24/2009, 4:56 AM
Good article!
hawkngo
hawkngo - 6/24/2009, 6:17 AM
Yeah hopefully people will read it?
Spilox
Spilox - 6/24/2009, 6:39 AM
Cool :D
theFACE
theFACE - 6/24/2009, 6:52 AM
good article dude
Supermike
Supermike - 6/24/2009, 7:21 AM
Superman also kill Batman when Batman help lex blow up DC
InstigatorGIRL
InstigatorGIRL - 6/24/2009, 9:29 AM
Photobucket

But good article. Batman RULES!!!!
KeepItReal
KeepItReal - 6/24/2009, 9:41 AM
Nice article... interesting... Never heard of Batman killing Superman!
TheDurkinKnight
TheDurkinKnight - 6/24/2009, 10:17 AM
Good stuff! Batman can make Superman his biotch. Batman can take ANYONE...all he needs is a little prep time!
verbicide
verbicide - 6/24/2009, 10:31 AM
InstigatorGirl love that graphic
loganoneil
loganoneil - 6/24/2009, 11:16 AM
I nominate InstgatorGIRL for sainthood for that picture!
InstigatorGIRL
InstigatorGIRL - 6/24/2009, 11:49 AM
Photobucket
AshleyWilliams
AshleyWilliams - 6/24/2009, 11:59 AM
Kittens are awesome....
MarkCassidy
MarkCassidy - 6/24/2009, 9:14 PM
hehehe, Kittens!

I loved the way Bats could have killed Supes at the end of TDKR and start of TDKSA...but chooses instead to insult him!
hawkngo
hawkngo - 6/25/2009, 2:03 AM
Thanks Guys!
hawkngo
hawkngo - 6/25/2009, 2:16 AM
well hopefully its good
BlackAdamLantern
BlackAdamLantern - 6/25/2009, 11:36 AM
I need to read that. I hate Supes and love Bats.
Tobuttica
Tobuttica - 6/26/2009, 2:06 AM
Oh that Supermike! Just when I didn't think IG could get anymore kick ass! Realistically speaking, Batman would never get the chance to kill Superman given Supes plethora of powers at his disposal. Comics aren't realistic though. They are fictional and any scenario can be created for Bats to off Supes. Comic writers always portray Batman as very intellectual and Superman as a meathead. Sure Batman is rich and can kick most any comic characters ass, but it comes back to reality. Brain vs Brawn. Nerd vs Jock. I think Supes getting his ass kicked by Batman whenever they have to fight takes the writers back to deeper emotions within them when they were nerds getting picked on by meatheaded jocks. I for one was not a jock, or a nerd so I think it's complete bull crap that Batman would always be able to take Supes down. The only, and I mean only way it can ever, eeeeevvver happen is if Batman were to somehow have Kryptonite. Whether it be a piece set in a ring, or a chunk big enough to carve armor out of (crap) that's the only way it could happen. Take away the K, and Bats would be deader than a doornail in more than a million ways. I for one would like to see a "What If?" story titled "What if ...Superman turned to villainy and tore everyone apart in a fit of rage?" Never happen. I do know that there will always be a debate on whether Batman could kill Superman, but honestly, who cares. The stories will always have Batman beating Superman because it would take more books/issues for it to happen than the other way around. DC wants to get more of our money so of course we are going to eat it up. They wouldn't be able to sell a two panel comic about Superman melting Batman's eyes with heat vision, or Xraying him so visciously it gives him cancer, or flicking his head off with his index finger. Yeah, that's right, not even his good flicking finger.

Hawk ou....Oh wait, I'm not Hawk, and that's as effing irritating as having peanuts scraping the sides of my butthole when I poop. Hells yeah I just put that! Put that picture in your head!
TheMyth
TheMyth - 6/30/2009, 2:26 PM
Nice article. I agree alot with Tobuttica though in many aspects, especially the nerd/jock analogy, however, knowing enough about Batman, I know that given a proper amount of planning and preparation, there aren't too many characters Bats couldn't bring to their knees. It would definitely take a special set of circumstances for Bats to bring Supes down though.

InstigatorGIRL: Those are my kittens!!! I knew they were pure evil, my psychiatrist just wanted to have me committed!
TheMyth
TheMyth - 6/30/2009, 2:30 PM
Oh, and for the record, I [frick]ing hate Superman. He is absolutely the most horribly conceived character in all of comics, and the more people I see with Superman avatars or proclaiming their love of the character only make me hate the character even more for actually duping people into thinking there is a shred of intelligent conception about the character. Just thought I'd throw that out there.
riddlemethis09
riddlemethis09 - 7/2/2009, 10:43 AM
The only thing that i believe would keep Batman from offing Superman is that Superman has his powers at his disposal for time lapse.
Superman knows Batman lives in Gotham, he can X-ray for the cave, and then beat the crap out of Batman before Batman had time to prepare.
I like Batman and Superman both, but i got to give this one to Superman.
clarkkent80
clarkkent80 - 7/2/2009, 12:46 PM
I agree wholeheartedly! There is no f#cking way that you will ever convince me that Batman could ever defeat Superman. The only way that that would ever happen would that Superman allowed it to happen. The Dark Knight Returns is the perfect example. Total bullsh!t. Frank Miller even admits to hating Superman. With that being the case, why wouldn't that fight end with Superman losing to Batman? If I did that book, it would have a drastically different outcome. IT would end with Superman ripping his spine out of his freaking back as only a god like being with infinite power can. All this Superman vs. Batman bullsh!t is a joke. Batman isn't even in the same powerclass as Superman. No one hardly is. That's why he is and will always be the greatest hero and superhero period...... Batman gets his ass handed to him by Bane and the joker!!!!!
clarkkent80
clarkkent80 - 7/2/2009, 12:54 PM
Oh and for the record, I absolutely hate Batman. He is the most overrated charactr in the history of comics. He doesn't get brownie points from me just for being human. He's a freaking pedophile that keeps Robin's underwear in a glass jar in the batcave. I hate that everything is so easy for him. He has no powers, but is always ten steps ahead of everyone with f#cking "prep time". It's interesting that no one else is shown "prepping" to take his ass down. It's all a gimmick. Batman and Bruce Wayne is the face of "white" America. That's the only reason he can never be shown going down. Because of what it would represent. Even though Superman is a white boy also, because he came from another planet, he is considered a minority. Hence that damn word "alien" always being thrown around. I wish that someone would just freaking kill Bruce Wayne for good!!!!!! I hate Batman!!!
BLADE4040
BLADE4040 - 7/2/2009, 5:02 PM
Batman beating Superman thats funny...only chance Batman has is under certain circumstances... i.e. K-rock or a red sun is involved. Superman can hand batman his heart before he hits the ground... really its no debate. The reason most people love Batman is because he's human and has no super power only his wit and tech. Superman on the other hand has GOD like powers and only three real weakness...magic,a red sun,and of course K-ROCK. Its all according who's writing the story as how the fight would actually end up. My money is on Superman 7days a week and twice on Sunday.
quickben
quickben - 7/22/2009, 2:11 PM
What's with all the Batman haters? Superman acknowledged in some issue or another that the reason he gave Bats the K ring is because Bats is the only person he knows will take him down if the need arises. Everyone is stating well the only way he could beat Superman is if he had some kryptonite, well he ALWAYS has kryptonite. Superman would have to ambush Bats to stand a chance, though Bats could do the same in a reverse scenario.
NoShow
NoShow - 7/26/2009, 2:14 AM
I find another thing people are forgetting is each character's mentality and upbringing. I'll admit that without Green K Bats would lose against Superman, and Batman has admitted that. However Superman didn't get the reputation as being a boy scout for nothing. Bruce on the other hand is very different. He isn't above using underhanded tricks to win. It's like in the Hush series when Bruce said that 'deep down Clark is a good person, and deep down I'm not.' It sums up the two right there. And for anyone to say that Superman is portrayed as dumb, go read a couple Superman comics. Clark is not dumb by any stretch. He does possess the whole of Kryptonian knowledge and technology. All in all, Superman can kill Batman but he won't because he is Superman. If he did kill Bats then he would have turned into what he hates the most.
harborsofmemory
harborsofmemory - 8/31/2009, 11:48 AM
Tobuttica not know to much about Superman? It's not Jock vs Nerd because Kal'El is more intelligent then Bruce Wayne lol... One of Superman's main abilities is being Intelligent in some books he is working on a cure for cancer. The man built his own personal robot which works with him at his HQ.

Both are awesome heroes but to me noone will ever be better then Superman he is the perfect superhero.
Batman5
Batman5 - 9/9/2011, 9:43 PM
Batman pwns supes, I like superman( i mean i like him, but not really that much.) But Superman is BATMAN's Bitch!!!
raecino
raecino - 1/18/2013, 9:43 AM
Batman could easily defeat Superman with prep time because despite Superman's god-like powers he has a ton of exploitable weaknesses. Watch the intro to DCU Online, it takes Lex Luthor less than five minutes to kill a fully charged, bloodlusted Superman with kryptonite. You don't think Batman could do the same thing? Of course he could! Luckily for Clark, Batman is his ally.
felbladex
felbladex - 1/22/2013, 9:34 PM
First: Bats always has the Kryptonite ring.
Second, no Superman is not more intelligent than Batman. In the DC Universe compendium, Batman is considered the most intelligent of the DC universe.
Third, Batman actually has at his disposal a means to kill every superhero and at one point these tools fell into the hands of someone and wound up crippling most of the superheroes, proving that the tools would work if Bats wanted them to.
Fourth, Batman was involved in the yellow sun being turned into the Red Sun during the time Lex beat Supes.
Fifth, Batman in alternate timelines has ALREADY beaten and killed Superman so the debates a nonissue.
Sixth, Batman has beaten other superheroes and villains that were more powerful than Supes, which by proxy proves he could defeat Superman.
Seventh, Superman references Batman as the most dangerous man alive. That was from his own mouth.
felbladex
felbladex - 1/22/2013, 9:38 PM
For the record, I like Supes, just not as much as Bats. And no, the nerd jock thing or white america thing weren't why Batma is super powerful. Batman is super powerful and has a lot of story arcs that show him as badarse because all of his "powers" (training his body to top physical condition to almost superhuman levels (he friggin punches people through walls and dodges bullets AFTER the bullets have left the chamber for pete's sake)) are from hard work, intelligence, planning, and dedication. Most other heroes got them through fate or luck. That's why they focus so much on him as the moral is that hard work wins out over luck.
felbladex
felbladex - 1/22/2013, 10:10 PM
And for my closing remark. Even though Batman HAS beaten Superman several times, he hasn't killed him except in alternate timelines. Why would he? They are BEST FRIENDS in the canon. There's no reason they would fight to the death.
Havok1496
Havok1496 - 5/29/2013, 10:00 PM
Only going to comment because i don't think i have ever seen such silly batman fanboys. A. no matter how much batman trains he is human there is no way he should be able to dodge a gun or punch someone through a wall. The fact that some of you are okay with that just shows you are fanboys. Batman used to be cool when he was human now a days batman pretty much has super durability, super strength and can survive pretty much anything. No batman is no longer about intelligence, planning, and hard work. Its why i loved the nolan movies because at least he was human not a super powered being who is supposed to be human like in the modern comics. You want to talk ridiculous and silly its that.
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