The Wanlorn (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
the_wanlorn) wrote2006-07-01 02:26 am
the_wanlorn) wrote2006-07-01 02:26 am
Entry tags:
Batman triumphs in the end
Everyone who knows me knows that I'm completely in love with Batman. Nothing pleases me more than sitting down and reading/watching a good ol' store about Bruce Wayne and the ridiculous villains he faces and the unbelievable gear he has because he's a millionaire. Every time I watch Batman Begins, I spend the entire time grinning from ear to ear. I swear, I can't move my face for days afterward. The fervor with which I love Batman is matched by the fervor with which I absolutely despise Superman. Clark Kent is the opposite of everything a respectable superhero's alter-ego is. Or, I suppose, not everything. Just the very main trait: the ability to be cautious. It's amazing that no one puts together that Matt Murdock is Daredevil, or that Bruce Wayne is Batman ,or that Peter Parker is Spiderman. But that Clark Kent is Superman? Amazing is an understatement. I mean, in Superman Returns he was tearing off his clothing in the middle of the gorram street. In English class, we're taught to state the purpose of the essay within the first paragraph so that someone who knows nothing about it will be able to decide if s/he wants to read it fair soon. Since this isn't a professional essay - hell, it's hardly an essay at all, since it's only covering a single point - I figure four paragraphs in is good enough. Batman would kick Superman's ass. This all hinges on Superman's greatest weakness: kryptonite. In Superman movies, there's barely any man-to-man action. I mean, if you're going up against Superman, you've basically already lost. It makes for kind of disappointing movies, because half of the fun of seeing a superhero movie is seeing Giant Fights. This all changes when kryptonite comes into play. Superman, what with being allergic to kryptonite and all, becomes a mere mortal! Not just any mere mortal, but a rather weak one at that. To begin with, he hasn't felt pain for X years (depending on how long it's been since the last kryptonite incident), and that has to have some affect on his fighting abilities. The real kicker is that he has absolutely no fighting experience. This is actually my major problem with the Man of Steel. Now, I admit, I know little about Superman. For all I know, he's a ninja. Who just sucks at it. Or something. But the instant his super-strength is gone, he has nothing. The instant he can't run real fast, or leap real far, or fly off, the instant he's not invincible, he's a goner. He's not a superhero by virtue of having actual talent, he's a superhero by virtue of chance. Even the X-men, who can't possibly lose their superpowers (ignoring things such as a cure, the Scarlet Witch, and other such happenstances), have other skills. One might say that this is needed because they each have a single power. But are you telling me that someone who can stop a friggin' bullet with his mind, or fuck up entire worlds with her mind, really need any other skills? And yet they have them. Superman, however, is utterly useless if he is left to fight on his own. One of the best scenes in Superman Returns was right after Luthor stabbed Superman with the kryptonite shard. Four goons, who would've been dispatched in five seconds had circumstances been normal, had a very entertaining time beating the shit out of Superman. He was basically on the ground, groveling in a puddle. Had Lane not made Cyclops turn back for him, he would've been dead. Batman, however, doesn't have that problem. (Neither does Daredevil, neither do the X-men.) Even when everything has been taken away from him, he can still fight. He doesn't have any superpowers, so he needs to be able to take care of himself in a fight, with or without any tools to help him. It can, however, be argued that his mind is his superpower. He has to be able to think his way through situations, plan ahead, come up with various gadgets to help him (or, at least, I assume that he comes up with at least some of his own gadgets), and all that. Even so, he can still operate when it's been/is being taken away from him. Morrison's Arkham Asylum shows that. He's being driven insane by being locked up in there, and yet he still manages to get out in the end. Well, you might say, Superman is surrounded by good people. He does the same thing by surrounding himself with good people. That way, even if something happens involving kryptonite, he will survive. Um, no. Close! But no. Superman doesn't do it on purpose. Superman, in fact, tries to discourage Lois Lane and whomever she is with from assisting him in any way, including coming after him when something goes wrong. If he was actively surrounding himself with good people, there would be more than just Lois Lane around to keep an eye on him. Batman understands this. Batman surrounds himself with good people so that, in the event that something goes wrong, there is someone there to pick up the pieces and save him. Alfred, Gordon, even the various incarnations of Robin. He does this because he enjoys their company, yes. He also does it because he needs people around because he understands that he's not invincible. Superman is called invincible, sure. And, to most people - including me - it's true enough. He can withstand everything except for kryptonite. That makes him pretty damned invincible. However, because he does not recognize that he's not invincible, and thus doesn't prepare for all contingencies, he ends up in near-death situations. Were Batman to fight Superman, it would be the most in character for him to know Superman's weakness and get a hold of some kryptonite. Hell, Batman would probably tip some bullets with kryptonite so that he could just shoot Superman. In any case, within a short amount of time, Superman would be rendered powerless and Batman would quickly dispatch him. No contest. In writing this, I managed to lose three paragraphs of writing. Fuckin'ell. LJ needs to Autosave more often. |
no subject
no subject
Anybody could use a kryptonite gun. That is the easy way.
There are many better ways that Batman can take down Superman. This is not one of them. Batman wouldn't use a gun. It's against his code as you should know. But I second you reading Hush -the comics Batman about 612-618 if for nothing else than the fight with Batman. Superman is a boring character and the only thing cool about him is watching him being systematically taken down which admittedly is hard to do if you don't hold Kryptonite. And if I'm not mistaken, he does it without Kryptonite.