Out of all superheroes, Batman probably boasts the largest and most diverse rogues’ gallery, and the last five years have given rise to some particularly powerful new additions. While it remains to be seen if they can hold a candle to the unassailable likes of Joker and Two-Face, it is safe to say that at least a handful show some promise as Batman is embroiled in some mind-bending new adventures.
Part of what makes Batman so interesting is how powerful he is despite lacking the superpowers of his Justice League colleagues. Nevertheless, even in recent years, threats that could give Superman cause for concern have nonetheless struggled against the Caped Crusader. Meanwhile, others who shouldn’t come near to Batman’s power in the face of it have pulled off some surprising victories despite their apparent shortcomings.
Mister Worth Backs His Wealth Up With Raw Power
Roland Worth squares up to Batman while towering over him in DC ComicsImage via DC Comics
Roland Worth is a man of many parallels. Emerging in the wake of an overwhelming crime spree in Gotham in 2021, Mister Worth targets Bruce Wayne after believing him to be responsible for the death of his daughter. This is similar to Bane, who capitalizes on Batman’s fatigue after an Arkham prison break. Worth is also just as physically imposing, managing to overpower Batman through sheer strength alone. Unlike Bane, however, Mister Worth fails to “Break the bat.”
Worth’s power is bolstered by his vast wealth and connections, which help him to escape repercussions after blowing up a police precinct. This, combined with his tragic motivations, reflects Bruce Wayne’s own descent into vengeful vigilantism. Given his stature and villainous intentions, however, Mister Worth feels more like a DC parallel to Kingpin. While his brawn and power are impressive, they are nonetheless all too human.
The Gardener Shows Potential As Poison Ivy’s Successor
As the ex-girlfriend of Dr. Pamela Isley’s Poison Ivy, Bella Garten, AKA Gardener, is something of a protégé. Both have roots in eco-terrorism, though Gardener doesn’t share Poison Ivy’s tenacity, thereby diminishing her overall threat level. She hasn’t played nearly as big a role in DC Comics as Poison Ivy, however, with the upper limits of her powers being unclear.
Nevertheless, even if the Gardener is slightly less powerful than Poison Ivy, she still shows vast potential. Her ability to create plant hybrids as her minions is versatile and potentially ruinous, depending on whether Garten decides to go full villain. Still, in her current, nascent state, she doesn’t pose too much of a threat to the Caped Crusader.
Miracle Molly Is A Tech-Imbued Antihero
Miracle Molly is similar to Gardener in that she isn’t outright villainous. Instead, she is more of an antihero activist seeking to pull Gotham’s downtrodden denizens from the gutter through technological means, which is where her entire MO lies. Also, like Gardener, she hasn’t had much space to flaunt her “powers,” which amount to intelligence and the technological augmentations it begets, but she has much potential.
In addition to her cybernetic enhancements and gadgets, which could come to rival Batman’s own, Miracle Molly stands at the head of a movement that threatens Gotham with their numbers. As a champion of the little people, Miracle Molly could also feasibly earn the support of legions, besting Batman through sheer numbers alone.
Hue Vile Actually Infected Batman
Vile is one of Batman’s more grotesque villains, and that is saying something for the Caped Crusader’s stuffed rogues’ gallery. The seemingly human body that causes trouble for Batman (even being the one truly responsible for the death of Roland Worth’s daughter) is actually an alien parasite using the body as a host with the purpose of propagating among as many victims as possible. Vile’s more gruesome moments see the parasite’s mandibles extending from his throat, shedding pieces of itself to infect new hosts and subsisting off the rage and violence they go on to exhibit. As the parasite grows stronger, so do the powers it bestows, including enhanced strength.
Vile’s overall threat levels are increased by the fact that he was able to infect both Huntress and Batman during his short tenure in DC Comics. The infection was short-lived, however, as Batman’s incredible willpower was enough to suppress the violence the parasite needed to thrive. Vile was ultimately defeated, with Hue Vile’s human body dying in the process. Nevertheless, some residual egg-like material suggests the parasite could return in a stronger guise.
Close-up of Punchline on a stylized background in DC ComicsImage via DC Comics
Although not as superficially strong or dangerous as other Batman villains introduced in the last five years, what Punchline lacks in physical strength she makes up for in other ways evocative of Batman’s arch-villain, the Joker. She follows a similar MO to Harley Quinn, becoming obsessed with Joker before attempting to supplant Quinn as his new romantically involved sidekick. Unlike Quinn, however, Punchline is more unscrupulous and sadistic, even defeating her predecessor in a fight by slicing her neck and leaving her for dead.
Although Punchline doesn’t stand much of a chance against Batman one-on-one (apart from successfully subjecting him to her toxins once), she is following a similar route to his biggest foil. Punchline is a master manipulator and just as willing to kill and terrorize both Batman and Gotham as the Clown Prince of Crime. She has also held her own against the more experienced Harley Quinn and even Catwoman, despite being new on the scene, and even battled the latter while wielding nothing but knives against her guns.
Abyss Is Batman, But Even Edgier
Lex Luthor is responsible for creating Abyss, one of the most threatening Batman villains to emerge in the last five years. Luthor empowered Abyss to become a Batman of his native country, Badhnisia, providing him with training and equipment that could rival the Caped Crusader’s own. Unfortunately, Abyss would take a villainous turn and use his newfound abilities to terrorize his country instead, making an archenemy of his successor-to-be, Detective Cayha, and his erstwhile hero, Batman himself.
Kitted with an armored, hooded suit complete with crosses for eyes and a multifaceted scythe, Abyss was a significant cause for concern for Gotham’s foremost protector. The scythe was powerful enough to pierce Batman’s own suit, grievously wounding him and proving that he could surpass the hero on whom he was modeled. His more outlandish powers played a huge role in this, as Abyss’ command of an all-encompassing darkness that regular light can’t penetrate was used to blind Batman before striking the blow. Although Abyss was defeated with the help of Batman’s allies, he still remains at large.
Peacemaker-01 Is Designed To Defeat Batman
First appearing in the possible future that was Future State, Peacemaker-01 is the villainous mantle of Sean Mohoney, an ex-Arkham guard who lost his arm and leg during the events of A-Day. This leads to him being inducted into the Magistrate by Simon Saint, who installs Mohoney with ample cybernetic enhancements and a technologically advanced suit that can analyze a battle in real time, allowing the wearer to adapt accordingly.
Needless to say, this is a useful weapon against Batman, whose hand-to-hand prowess is second to none, but it is almost rendered useless against such a tool. In fact, Mohoney can fight Batman for 20 minutes into a stalemate from which the Caped Crusader retreats. Although Mohoney is later taken out of the picture by his employer, it is safe to say that he (or, at least, his suit) is one of Batman’s most worthy adversaries in recent memory.
Ghost-Maker Is Batman’s Mentally Unstable Counterpart
Although Ghost-Maker is ostensibly a vigilante himself, his more extreme methods and diagnosed psychopathy make him a dangerous counter to Batman, with the two repeatedly clashing with one another since Ghost-Maker’s introduction in 2020. Having been trained by some of the same figures as Batman, he is mainly on a par with his shadowy counterpart, making up for shortcomings in strength with skill and his own high-tech suit. His technological prowess concerns Batman enough that he instructs Oracle to shut down her systems while he is in the vicinity.
This is thanks to Ghost-Maker’s Ghostnet tech, a comprehensive hacking network that helps him infiltrate the criminal underworld. His single-minded pursuit of crime-fighting has helped to nurture a sprawling set of skills that match those of his rival, though Bruce Wayne is far more concerned with upholding justice within a moral framework. Ultimately, the fraught nature of their relationship means Ghost-Maker is an ever-looming threat, whether directly or indirectly, whose abilities match Batman’s.
The Orgham Family Represent A More Insidious Power
As the Joker himself typifies, some of Batman’s most compelling villains are those who don’t match his own physical power but exhibit power over him nonetheless. Still, the power of the Orgham Family runs deeper than their wealth and connections, which are powers shared by villains such as Roland Worth and the Cobblepots. Instead, the Orgham Family, a royal family that founded the village that would become Gotham City, wielded the power of the occult and even successfully subdue Batman as a result.
The Orghams are an unsettling clan with a vicious mission that goes far beyond either killing or maiming Batman. Instead, they wish to erase his legacy entirely and use reality-warping and demon-summoning abilities to get within inches of achieving their goal. Although they don’t succeed, Batman is forced to make a drastic decision that reinstates the fear of his presence across the entire city, albeit with the desired added effect of making him a symbol on which Gotham relies.
Failsafe Can Stand Up To The Entire Justice League
Closeup of Failsafe holding Batman’s skull while bathed in red in DC ComicsImage via DC Comics
One of Batman’s most compelling features is the long list of contingencies he has prepared to take down any fellow superhero that may go rogue, including the most powerful members of the Justice League. Failsafe is an android created by Batman’s constructed alternate personality, Zur-En-Arrh, for the same purpose. Batman’s contingency list is a prime example of what makes him so powerful despite his lack of superpowers, so it stands to reason that Failsafe would become the perfect foil to Batman, the Batman Family, and even the entire Justice League. In short, the robot is one of Batman’s most fearsome enemies.
This has played out over Failsafe’s extended tenure in DC Comics, during which it has become a Justice League-level threat. It possesses a dizzying array of features designed to counter the League’s combined might. Interestingly, however, as it is specifically designed to activate if Batman himself were to go rogue and break his no-killing rule, it also isn’t programmed to kill the heroes, even though it probably could.
The cover to Batman issue #1 depicts Bruce Wayne as Batman and Dick Grayson as Robin swinging through Gotham City.
Created by
Bill Finger, Bob Kane
First Film
Batman: The Movie
Upcoming Films
The Batman – Part II