Batman vs. Reverse-Flash: Who Would Win in a Fight?
Despite not having superpowers of his own, Batman is known to be among the most dangerous opponents you can face in combat. He is a master martial artist, and his intelligence allows him to plan ahead and devise several approaches to take down even the most powerful villains in DC comic universe. But what would happen if Batman were to go up against one of the evilest speedsters in DC, Eobard Thawne, aka Reverse Flash? This is what we decided to analyze today, and without further ado, let’s see, when it comes to a battle between Batman and Reverse-Flash, who is more powerful, and who would win in a fight?
Reverse-Flash is more powerful than Batman and would easily win a fight against him. He is faster, more durable, and stronger, but it mostly comes down to speed alone, as there are few characters in DC that are able to surpass Eobard’s speeds. The two fought in the comics. Even though Batman managed to put up a good fight, he was still severely outclassed by Reverse-Flash and eventually lost the fight.
Now that we’ve covered that the matchup already happened and it didn’t turn out as good for Batman, it’s time to analyze why. We’re going to give you a brief overview of the characteristics of both characters so you can see why the conclusion of the fight in the comic was fair and logical. Please take note that we will be comparing the current versions of Reverse-Flash and Batman in mainstream continuity. If you’re interested in more, stay with us and keep reading!
Powers and abilities
One of the most interesting things about Eobard Thawne is that he has his version of Negative Speed Force that he taps into to utilize his speedster’s powers. With Negative Speed Force, Reverse-Flash can utilize natural energies around him to tap into electrokinesis, providing him with destructive sparks that are strongest when he moves at super speeds. He can also project those sparks into powerful blasts with incredibly destructive potential.
This access to electric energy grants him limited control over electromagnetism, although he rarely utilizes this in combat. Reverse Flash is especially dangerous because he can siphon years of other people’s lifespans by absorbing their energy, especially energy related to lifelines.
By manipulating various frequencies, Thawne can utilize hypnosis. He can phase through solid objects. He can even go as far as to possess other people physically due to this mentioned phasing power. It’s all about utilizing the correct frequencies to vibrate on.
With his unique connection to the Speed Force, Thawne can likewise travel through time and alter reality to some extent. At one point, he seemingly gained cosmic awareness as he could track targets via their frequencies alone.
With everything said, it’s obvious that Reverse-Flash is incredibly powerful, and he is rightfully known to be among the nastiest Flash villains we have ever witnessed on the pages of comics.
Batman, on the other hand, has nothing to show for in this department. He is a regular human who managed to surpass human limits through years of training, meditation, and self-sacrifice. And although Batman is dangerous, it’s not due to his superhuman powers and abilities. It’s due to other factors that we will explore in more detail later. Although he is known to manifest superhuman feats on some occasions, Batman officially is not superhuman in nature.
This is why the first point goes to Reverse Flash.
Points: Reverse-Flash (1:0) Batman
Strength and Stamina
While the exact numbers are not available, Reverse-Flash, like most speedsters, has super-strength that goes beyond what humans are capable of. In the fight against Batman, Reverse-Flash was able to toss Batman around like he weighs nothing, and he was seen utilizing his Negative Speed Force to amplify his strength in the past. Eobard also has incredible levels of stamina.
This is mostly due to his speed physiology. He has to have much larger stamina reserves than average humans due to the fact that his superpower is basically running at incredible speeds. Even still, Reverse-Flash is able to fight (and run) for a long time without getting tired.
Batman, on the other hand, has peak human strength and then some. He can apparently lift anywhere between 450 and 1000 lbs, and even though this is more than impressive, it’s nowhere near matching the strength levels that Reverse-Flash can achieve. Due to years of training and indomitable will, Batman has larger stamina reserves than your average human, and in one instance, he fought for 28 hours straight.
Batman is not able to win strength and stamina contests when it comes to Reverse-Flash because his physiology is strictly human, while Eobard has access to superhuman physiology, and thus, his limits are much higher. The point goes to Reverse-Flash.
Points: Reverse-Flash (2:0) Batman
Speed
Despite the answer here being obvious, we still need to analyze this category in order to see the true discrepancy between the speed of Batman and Reverse-Flash, and the answer might even surprise you. Reverse-Flash is known to be able to match Flash’s speed. He could potentially go faster, but his mental blocks never let him be faster than the person he wants to be – Barry Allen.
Reverse-Flash’s speed also shows in combat, as he has vastly superhuman reflexes and agility. In his fight with Batman, Reverse-Flash could throw four punches per second for Bruce’s one punch per second. It’s impressive, but not as much as we would have hoped.
Batman doesn’t have super speed; he can run as fast as 40 miles per hour, which is still impressive, but it’s nowhere near reaching the speeds that Reverse-Flash can achieve. Even in combat, Batman was visibly much slower than Reverse-Flash, so the point goes to Eobard.
Points: Reverse-Flash (3:0) Batman
Durability
Reverse-Flash is highly durable due to several mechanics that keep him protected from harm. The first one, Reverse-Flash has speed physiology that keeps him protected and his tissues harder while he is running at super speeds. This is due to the effects of the Negative Speed Force aura that forms a protective shield around him while he is running. Second, Reverse-Flash can be intangible due to his ability to manipulate his own molecules and frequencies that he vibrates at.
This is what likewise grants him the ability to phase through solid objects and matter in general. Reverse-Flash can also regenerate at great speed; his healing factor is superb and so effective he is able to regrow entire limbs and organs in a short amount of time. In his fight against Dr. Manhattan, Reverse-Flash used this powerful regeneration to resurrect himself from the dead.
Batman doesn’t have superhuman durability, and most of his protection stems from his gear and gadgets, most notably his Batsuits that allow him to withstand bullets, explosions, and similar damage at near point-blank range. After his fight against Reverse-Flash, Batman was seen recovering the old fashioned way, and he looked pretty beaten up.
Points: Reverse-Flash (4:0) Batman
Intelligence
Due to his connection to the Negative Speed Force and his ability to manipulate frequencies, Reverse-Flash can perceive the world in a different way compared to most other humans. His senses are sharper, and at one point, he displayed the qualities of having cosmic awareness. Thawne, with his exceptional intellect and scientific knowledge, created a “negative” version of the Speed Force by utilizing energy remnants from the Flash’s old costume, empowering himself. He is highly versed in world history, including ancient times, and is an expert on the Flash’s history as well as his own, memorizing every detail of his past and future.
Thawne’s expertise in time study and manipulation, aided by his understanding of the timeline, enables him to construct a Cosmic Treadmill and alter the timeline without repercussions, distinguishing him from other speedsters.
Batman’s estimated IQ is 197, and this is according to one sketchy panel. Other sources claim that Batman’s IQ is likely higher than 210. Still, having an IQ of 197 is impressive enough and makes sense in the context, considering that Batman is the second smartest human in the DC comics Universe, followed only by Lex Luthor.
Batman has plenty of feats to showcase his intelligence, such as aviation, business management, chemistry, hacking, and disguise. He is a super genius with an eidetic memory who mostly relies on his own inventions in combat. Batman also excels as a leader and investigator, demonstrating proficiency in a wide range of technologies and weapons.
Batman might be physically inferior, but he is definitely smarter than Reverse-Flash, and, even in their fight, he managed to figure out that Eobard’s legs have to be solid at all times in order to avoid phasing through the floor, which is something that he used against him.
Points: Reverse-Flash (4:1) Batman
Combat Skills
Reverse-Flash is a dangerous opponent and paired with his many other abilities. He is practically unstoppable in combat. Eobard is a master of hand-to-hand combat, as was evident in his fight against Batman. This is due to the fact that he managed to create a fighting style that counters all types of opponents due to him remembering everything about his past lives involving Earth-One, New Earth, Flashpoint, and Prime Earth. He’s an expert and deadly combatant against anyone he faces in battle.
Batman is among the greatest fighters in the comics in general, as he is a master of numerous martial arts. Before he took over the identity of Caped Crusader, Batman spent 12 years wandering the planet looking for the best martial artists to train him.
He studied boxing at Roxbury Fielding Academy and received further training from Wildcat in this style. Additionally, he developed a unique fighting style called “Bam Pow,” specifically designed to fight with the Batman Who Laughs. Batman is also skilled in Dim Mak, an ancient martial art that focuses on striking vital points of the opponent’s body to induce paralysis, intense pain, or even death.
Batman vs. Reverse-Flash: Who won the fight in the comics?
As we’ve mentioned in our intro and later in the analysis, Reverse-Flash gave quite a beating to Batman in ‘Batman #21 – The Button’. He proved himself to be stronger and much faster.
This was not a matchup that Batman could feasibly win under any circumstances, and he knew that. This is why the goal wasn’t to win or to deal with Reverse-Flash. He was simply meant to stall him without dying or losing consciousness until Flash could arrive to deal with him.
Batman stood his ground, and I believe that this count as a victory in itself. He was, however, badly beaten up following the fight.
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