Why?
Cause he's BATMAN.
All joking aside, there are quite a few very good reasons why Batman is so darned attractive. These apply both to girls in the comic/tv/movie series and in real life. My experience is with all the various animated series' and the movies. I know a bit about the comics, but not enough to reference.
And I know, my response is about a year and a half after everyone else's. Why I bothered: I really care about the subject, my answers were different from the others, and I have no life.
My Credentials - I am female, adore Batman (NOT his false cover identity Bruce Wayne, though I would tolerate that to "nab the Bat"), and honestly find him marriage-worthy - and he's one of only four that I would consider (Megamind, Raistlin Majere, and my boyfriend being the others).
My Reasons (in approximate order)
10. Loyal. You'd think that after having so many women, the guy would be playboyriffic and never stick with one gal - but honestly, he really stays only with one woman at a time. Women are always frightened of losing their man to another woman, but hey, don't have to worry about that with Bats.
9. Strong. This description is kinda misleading, since I don't mean physically strong; though that's definitely a good thing, what really gets Batman in this category is his willpower and perseverance. Whether it's gas, exhaustion, physical pain, insanity, or grief, Batman manages to find a way around, under, above, or through the difficulty. And sometimes you can tell that the guy really HURTS. As he said himself, "I never give up." His emotional strength and the detachment that comes with it makes women whose whole point is to be strong and powerful feel gentle and caring in contrast. You just can't see a guy suffer and sacrifice like that without wanting to comfort or thank him. Basically what this means is that when the man acts manly, the woman is free to act womanly.
8. Dangerous. Everyone either respects or fears the Batman, usually both. He looks like the darkness come alive, terrifies everyone into confessing all their sins, and his glare makes even the most powerful of heroes' knees knock. Ever see the cover of a romance novel? You know, the one about the guy who would kill us as soon as kiss us? Oh yeah. We chicks DIG the danger.
7. Cool. Like "strong," I don't mean cool as in temperature or even popularity. Instead, I'm focusing on the fact that Batman is even-keeled, a cool customer. You can dismay or surprise him - but not for long. A man that keeps his head in a crisis keeps his woman and children safe.
6. Dedicated. He never, ever leaves his job. Ever. You call Batman, you get Batman, day or night. Why is this sexy? Because frankly, men who are dedicated to their jobs tend to be successful, reliable - and willing to commit. Eventually.
5. Charismatic. Batman can get anyone to do what he wants. He's manipulative, cunning, and persuasive. His usual tools are intimidation, leadership, deceit (though usually not directly lying), sympathy, flirtation, annoyance, apparent helplessness, and the list goes on. Basically, he gets you to underestimate him as a threat or view him as a god of vengeance; to shrink in horror, befriend him, or fall in his arms. He's not truly amazing until he opens his mouth and convinces you that up is down, left is right, you are inseparable with your friends - or that they never really were your friends at all. His use of the truth for his own ends is extremely impressive. The best example of this I found is the episode of Justice League called "Injustice for All." Batman's charisma is great for a woman not only because he can make a girl feel like a million bucks if he wants, he also uses it to get ahead.
4. Badass. Mm mmm mmm mm MMM. It isn't really the darkness that's attractive, it's the badassery. Guys on motorcycles are sexy in a thrilling sort of way, and Batman excites the same feeling. He breaks laws, threatens people, and is constantly getting in brawls where he shows the other guy up. He's independent, self-reliant, and doesn't allow himself to be afraid. Women really are attracted to the bad boys, especially when they're the good boys too. That's the best thing about Batman - you get the bad boy thrill, but you don't have to be afraid he'll hit you if you tell him "no." It makes us feel loving and wild at the same time. Mother meets prostitute meets tigress. Rawr.
3. Brilliant. He invents many of his own gadgets and deduces how everyone else's gadgets and chemicals work. He plans strategy and tactics, often for the whole group. He thinks on his feet and never stops planning. Batman's memory is nearly flawless, enabling him to recall any information he absorbed, no matter how insignificant - and he can figure out how to find anything he doesn't know. The Dark Knight's attention to detail and clue analysis rivals famous detectives such as Sherlock Holmes, Ellery Queen, and Nick Charles. He is, without a doubt, a supergenius. Therefore, intriguing.
2. Capable. I quote Zatanna: "Is there anything you can't do?" The answer is yes, but VERY little. Look, the man can run a multi-billion dollar corporation while saving an entire world from disasters - with no sleep for over four days. He can sing and dance, too. If the man got any more capable, copies of Batman would save all of humanity an infinite number of times. Oh wait.
1. Selfless. Cosmo really hit the nail on the head for this one. Ever heard the phrase "women love a man in uniform?" Altruism is the real reason that we love them. Firemen, policemen, soldiers, doctors - they all represent selflessness, protection, safety. Batman's suit functions like a policeman or soldier's uniform - frightening yet reassuring. And his soul reflects the same courage, sacrifice, and love that you would expect from any uniformed member of society. Batman is willing to sacrifice everything for innocents - his dignity, his life, his friends' lives, his chances for marriage, his son. The only thing he will never do is give up, either on morals or on a person. Batman's refusal to kill anyone except by their own hand stems from his care for life. He strongly believes in rehabilitation of all criminals, no matter their crime. Often, this care for others is hidden behind terse words and glares, however, it is obvious by his actions - checking up on a little girl to make sure she is still safe, opening a potentially deadly present from the Joker to save three police officers, making sure a supervillainess got the dress she purchased, being the big brother to everyone in the League, sitting with a villain while she died. He is understanding and sympathetic whenever the situation allows - within the bounds of his cautious and overly-realistic personality. The way his caring leaks out the cracks of his stoicism makes him very attractive, because it's always surprising when the caring shows.
Some girls search for the knight in shining armor; Batman proves that the Dark Knight is even better, even if he uses manipulation and batarangs as his weapons instead of a shining sword.
So, those are the main reasons we admire him. Or at least, the reasons that I and the female characters of the shows admire him.
Things that are kinda neutral? Brooding/darkness, wealth, vehicles, stoicism, rebelliousness, and swag. These tend to be things that the guys admire about him. Yeah, some girls care about being rich, but the girls that kiss Batman don't even KNOW he's ridiculously wealthy. His mysterious attitude would be a bonus, but in comparison to the other traits it wouldn't really add much spice. It's like adding a jalapeno to a vat of habenero peppers.
The next question is, if he's so sexy, why do the chicks dump him?
Answer - Because they're idio- I mean, because he's married to his job, and they aren't willing to spend most of their time either fighting crime or at business luncheons. He also likes to ignore tact for cold hard blunt fact, and girls have a tough time handling the truth. Gotta say, DC ladies - FAIL.
So, that pretty much covers it for the DC girls. Other heroes just don't have as many of these characteristics as he does. The badassery and danger draw the girls to him, and he keeps them there with charisma, brilliance, and sympathy.
For the 'real' women out here in Stupidworld, I'd have to say that Batman's kind of like Prince Charming. Yeah, sure, Batman is a superhero, just like Prince Charming is a prince. They aren't really real. But they're near enough that maybe, just maybe, a girl could find someone close enough in real life.
You just can't believe that with the last alien survivor of Krypton.
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