DC's Earth is full of formidable heroes. There's characters who can shatter mountains with their fists, read your thoughts, move faster than the eye can follow, and manipulate energy. Despite there being so many different heroes with so many different and crazy powers, many villains are left fearing a human more than all of the surreal titans that populate the planet. That human is Bruce Wayne, a.k.a. Batman. With a brilliant mind, vast resources, and exceptional skill, the Dark Knight has spent years striking fear into those who want to harm the innocent. However, several baddies still defy him and are even brazen enough to want to take him down. The Caped Crusader's list of enemies is always growing (he's lovable like that), but some of these enemies are way more worrisome than the others. To give Batman trouble, his villains need to be a special kind of scary, and a fair amount of 'em are truly horrifying It wasn't easy, but we've narrowed down Batman's rogues gallery to just seven that we believe are the deadliest and most dangerous ones.
Bane
The man who broke the bat. Some think Bane's just a dumb brute who relies on sheer strength. Others think he's useless without venom flowing through his body. I'm here to tell you neither of those things are true. Bane is one of the few who can challenge the world's greatest detective on a mental and physical level. Born and raised in a savage prison, Bane spent a majority of his life pushing his body and mind to their limits. And when those limit were reached, he did what he could to expand them even further. He has what it takes to give Batman one hell of a fight (a majority of their pre-52 fights are off-venom, by the way), and he has the mind required to come up with elaborate plans. He was able to easily figure out Batman is Bruce Wayne, after all. Physically formidable, skilled, intelligent and not afraid to crush someone's neck, Bane is a character who has proven to be much more than just a small threat to Batman. It's a shame his showings in The New 52 fluctuate so much (one day he's humiliating Batman, the next he's a total chump), but history has proven this is a villain who Batman seriously needs to keep an eye on and never underestimate.
Deadshot
Floyd Lawton, a.k.a. Deadshot, is debatably the most accurate character in the DC universe and he has no problem putting a bullet between someone's eyes -- well, unless that character is Batman. You see, it's been strongly implied time and time again that Floyd has a level of respect for the popular hero and he refuses to pull a lethal shot on the bat. Not everyone has the luxury of being Batman, though, and Floyd being hired to take someone out is usually what causes these two to cross paths. Floyd may not know dozens of different forms of martial arts, but he knows dozens of different ways to shoot someone in the head. He's proven he can effortlessly find weak points in armor and even pull off an assassination while falling at a ridiculous speed. As you can see above, he's so good that he doesn't even need to look at his targets to tag them. Give this guy a firearm and he becomes one of DC's deadliest fiends. A game of darts with Oliver Queen (DEADSHOT Vol. 2) proved he's absurdly talented with throwing weapons, too.
Deathstroke
Slade Wilson, a.k.a. Deathstroke, is without question one of the most dangerous men on the planet. With enhanced physicals, an amazing tactical mind, extensive hand-to-hand knowledge and a mastery of both melee and ranged weapons, there's a reason people come to him when they want to accomplish the seemingly impossible. As if Slade's advantages weren't enough, he's often sporting an impressive armor and if that fail him, he doesn't need to worry because he has an accelerated healing factor. It's not enough to regrow his eye, but it's enough to let him take more punishment than any human should be able to. Smart, shockingly skilled and armed to the teeth, Deathstroke is a character Batman knows he can't take lightly.
Joker
Joker may not have the hand-to-hand skills as the others on the list and he may not be as accurate with his weapons as they are, but he has one frightening advantage: unpredictability. What's going on in his head? What does he truly want? Always coming up with a twisted plan and managing to stay a step ahead of Batman, not knowing what the Clown Prince of Crime will do next makes him even scarier than the thought of Bane cracking his knuckles and saying "you're next" to you. Will he slit someone's throat, cover them in acid, or torment them for a prolonged period of time, leaving the victim guessing if he'll cross the line or just leave a permanent physical and mental scar? In a straight-up fight, he's probably the least dangerous one on this list, but that's hardly an insult considering who we're comparing him to and honestly, Joker's plans rarely rely on a direct battle. Even when you think you have him all figured out, his messed up mentality more than likely has another surprise or two in store for you. He's the kind of guy you can't even give a second of mercy to, because the one time you do, you're going to get a bullet or a knife in you. He may have bad or downright silly plan from time to time, but history shows this villain is no joke.
Lady Shiva
One of the most impressive things about Batman is just how insanely good he is at fighting. The guy has mastered a ridiculous amount of styles. Just because he won't cross the line doesn't mean he doesn't know hundreds of ways to disable an enemy. A very small amount of people can give him a run for his money in a hand-to-hand fight and Lady Shiva happens to be one of those people. Not many square off with Lady Shiva and live to tell about it; she's just that vicious in a fight. Her technique is phenomenal and she has no hesitation taking a life. She's mastered the leopard blow -- a strike capable of immediately killing a person -- and she's formidable with melee weapons. She doesn't have a glass jaw, either. As Batman said in A Death in the Family, she strikes like Ra's al Ghul, moves like Sensei, and "can take it as well as dish it out." She is the most dangerous woman on Earth and absolutely one of the most gifted hand-to-hand fighters around. No one in their right mind would want to face her.
Ra's al Ghul
With centuries of experience, a tremendous amount of resources, and grand schemes brewing in his mind, Ra's al Ghul isn't your ordinary robber or evil murderer. He's a man with a mission and, if you're on his bad side, you can expect a tidal way of danger to head your way. Batman has overcome him in a sword fight before, but the Demon's Head most definitely has what it takes to give Batman trouble in a physical contest. And the worst part of all? He'll keep coming back for more thanks to his use of the Lazarus Pit. It's basically a cheat code for unlimited lives. Dirty cheater. Anyway, Ra's al Ghul's intellect, wealth, centuries of combat experience, and driven nature makes him a huge threat to Bruce Wayne and anyone who would dare to get in his way.
Wrath
Have you ever asked yourself, "what if Batman was evil?" Well, Elliot Caldwell would pretty much be the answer to that question. Shockingly skilled, resourceful and murderous, the second Wrath is a force to be reckoned with. Caldwell was able to hold his own and stand up against anything and everything Batman tossed his way. Even when equipment was used, Caldwell was able to counter and use it to his advantage (just ask Dick Grayson). In the end, he only fell because Bruce has such phenomenal teamwork with Grayson. Caldwell hoped he could use them against one another, but he had no such luck and was eventually taken down. Still, it took quite a lot of defeat the second Wrath and his ability to counter everything Batman sent his way is staggeringly impressive. Even though he didn't have many appearances, he absolutely proved he's the anti-Batman.
Batman has plenty of lethal villains, but which ones do you think are the most dangerous?
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