Why Batman isn't a SUPERhero.

I've seen a lot of Batman fanboys go on about how Batman is the best superhero ever and I'm absolutely sick of it. I'm here to prove to you how Batman isn't a superhero.

Let me start with the definition of the word 'hero'. A hero is basically a knight in shining armour that helps people, like Batman. So what does the 'super' part mean?

A superhero is a hero with super abilities and powers, hence the name, SUPERhero. Batman as we all know is an extremely intelligent human (as intelligent a human can get without super powers) and has peak human strength. Peak human means the best a human can get without super powers, therefore if Batman has peak human abilities and no super powers, he can only come under the definition 'hero', not SUPERhero.

Of course people say that his intelligence is his power but as I've quite proven, it isn't.

So there you go, kids, Batman is a hero (or anti-hero, however you like to look at it), not a superhero.

PS: if you give me hate you're just proving my point that 1. You're fanboys that try to see past the truth but ultimately fail, or 2. You're just not intelligent enough.

Ironman isn't a superhero then...

Batman is beyond peak human.

Each side weighs 500 lbs, making this lifting feat 1,000 lbs. The world record in weight lifting is just over 1k, and they required a harness to meet that. The world record without the harness is around 700 lbs. Batman is lifting 1,000 lbs without a harness.

So, yeah, Batman is beyond peak human. Sorry to ruin your oh-so thought out blog.

WHAT A PROFOUND AND AVANT-GARDE REALIZATION! NO ONE'S EVER COME UP WITH THIS IDEA BEFORE!

Batman is a superhero because he has a costume and fights crime, end of story. By your logic, everyone from Iron Man to Hawkeye to (arguably) Captain America aren't 'superheroes' either.

The fact that he manages to fight and survive in the DC Universe alone, a world that is super, makes him a superhero. The guys fights superpowers planetary level threats among other superheroes and holds the same status among them. That makes him a SUPERhero.

If you can kick the crap out of the most powerful being on the earth who is powered by the sun with nouthing eles but your fists and literally a sliver of green rock then you are a by all means a SUPERHERO

@xephcore:

Superhuman: Having or showing exception abilities and powers above and beyond the capacity of human beings.

Batman has limitless wealth. That is a superpower. Batman has access to impossible technology. That is a super power. Batman has skills above and beyond those of human beings, ergo Superhuman.

When I am strictly talking about non-powered heroes, I generally just call them "crimefighter". But when I am talking about them along with guys like Superman, its just easier to group em all together whether or not the have powers and call them "superhero" because at the end of the day, its a label and who really cares if Batman is a superhero, hero, anti-hero or crimefighter. There are far more irritating things in comics that are worth being being upset over than the issue of what to call Batman.

Batman is a superhero, end of story.

@xephcore: Well, welcome to Comic Vine.

At the risk of sounding like a fanboy or that I'm not intelligent enough in your eyes: Anyone that knows anything about Batman knows he doesn't have superpowers.

Here's a different way of looking at it: By real world definition Bats is superhuman. As JediXMan mentioned, lifting 1,000 pounds without a harness is beyond what normal humans can do. But, you've got to understand that even 'peak level' heroes do things that are by definition superhuman at times becuase... Well, because it's a comicbook. It's an escape, of sorts, from real life. People don't really want to read about people that are just human.

He's peak human by comicbook standards, but by real world standards he is superhuman.

It's always funny when children have aspirations beyond their capabilities.

He is a little bit above peak human but that is not the only thing that is making him a superhero.Superheroes aren't called that because they have superpowers or some abillities others don't,that's not the only reason.Superheroes are called superheroes are called superheroes because they save innocent lives when nobody else can save those people.

No by his point Captain America is an Superhero o.o(i guess).

@xephcore: look up the definition of super heros then well talk

OMG! LOL! That was by far the worst and most stupid argument ever. You most be either a troll or someone who hasn't read any comics.

We'll not well

@Battle_Forum_Junkie

Well if he has SUPERhuman strengths, why is he classed as a no power hero?

DC need to make up their goddamn mind. >.>

Superhero is a genre, a category. It's not a term for just about anybody with powers. I guess according to you, Gandalf is more of a superhero than Batman is?

Also, how does Batman not being a "superhero" in your eyes make him any less good? Just because he lacks superpowers he doesn't deserve to be held in the same light as people with powers?

@xephcore said:

LOL. Wow. Just wow. So anybody that disagrees with you is now a fanboy or just stupid?

In that case, gee you disagree with me. What a f**king retard.

Really inaccurate definition followed by "super heroes need powers" hahaha

P.S. - Anyone who thinks i'm wrong is stupid. HAHAHAAHAHA

This is the best thread.

@teerack: i find this thread very amusing

Wow thank you for this grand revelation!!!! Yes, he doesn't have powers but for a real world human, he's pretty much beyond. In the DC Universe, he's classified as having no powers, but compared to our world, he's above peak human conditioning. Also, the term of superhero, in this case, is a genre or category of comic books and its characters. He is in the DC Universe, dresses up in a costume and fights villains who are sometimes super-powered. He's a superhero. By your definition, Iron Man isn't a superhero. If this upsets you, then maybe lie on the bed and count to 10. I don't mind if you think that Batman isn't a superhero. I do mind that you sound completely arrogant (see point below)

P.S. You're saying that anyone that doesn't agree with you is either: 1. unintelligent or 2. a fanboy. Do you realize how arrogant you sound? I don't have time to talk to you 10 year olds who think that they're always right and more intelligent than everyone else. And that those that disagree are simply not "intelligent enough."

And please don't tell me you made an account on comicvine just to tell everyone that you just found out Batman has no super powers.

WOW!!! BATMAN DOESN'T HAVE POWERS? WHAT AN AMAZING DISCOVERY YOU HAVE DISCOVERED!!! PURE GENIUS!!! I AM AMAZED!!! THIS IS THE MOST WELL THOUGHT OUT POST I HAVE EVER READ!!!! By this logic, Batman, Hawkeye, Green Arrow and Iron Man aren't superheroes. Which is stupid as hell. You don't have to be superhuman to be a superhero. This is just pathetic, especially at the end where you basically wrote that if anyone disagrees with you they're stupid fanboys.

I love this thread.

@rulerofthisuniverse:

Batman is so awesome, his haters have their judgement clouded by his awesomeness!

@wolverine08: hey man, sometimes you don't agree me! YOU FANBOY

@batmannflash:

Shut up! YOU'RE THE FANBOY! ARGGHHHHH!

Did you really think no one had ever thought of this before?

@rulerofthisuniverse: HEY YOU'RE A FANBOY

Well, Once again we have someone who is awesome at making a bad first impression.

@batmannflash: I disagree with that accusation, meaning YOU'RE THE FANBOY HAHAHAHAHA.

@batmannflash@rulerofthisuniverse You guys are the biggest fanboys around!

@wolverine08: NUH-HUH.

@rulerofthisuniverse: @wolverine08: y'all are just "not intelligent enough" to understand my highly intelligent observations

@batmannflash: NO I'M NOT!!! You're a fanboy trying to see past the truth but ultimately fail to comprehend MY highly intelligent observations.

oh no, not this again...

anywho, this is either trolling or someone who doesn't quite grasp the SUPER part of super hero.

It's not about having super powers, it's about being above the capabilities of a human. Batman is totally human bu this iron will take him to the next level... he does things no human, EVER, could dream of doing, even if he doesn't have super powers

Batman does have a superpower. His willpower. It is so strong he wills himself through all his injuries, all his inner demons, his physical challenges, and psychological probelms to be the protector Gotham needs.

@wolverine08: in the real world, Batman would be dead by the first week. with all those broken bones, concussions, and loss of blood...

And very true. His willpower is his superpower.

people who say that batman isn't a superhero don't read comics. as much as people try to say that because he's human he is better than every other character, he does impossible things all the time and even the scope of his abilities are impossible. He knows 127 martial arts, knows every single form of science in the world, speaks multiple languages fluently, and can bench a ton. He is a superhero

@ImmortalOne I said if you give me hate, not if you disagree with me. So you just failed there, prehistoric moron.

@citizenbane: It's always funny when the 'children' are smarter than you.

But batman is a superhero..

@xephcore said:

You pretty much said that you were right no matter what. Unless "if you give me hate you're proving my point or unintelligent blah blah blah" is saying something other than exactly what it means.

@xephcore: You've proven nothing. Batman is basically a peak human in every respect imaginable. It's the combination of his entire makeup which makes him a superhero. If you're truly focused on the power aspect, you should already know that becoming Batman is not possible. His feats are consistently beyond human. You're basically saying that because Batman wasn't given a serum or hit by a gamma bomb, he's not a superhero. In other words, you're relying on his origin not his actual powers.

But let's talk about his powers. He's a master of almost every known form of martial arts, has a body which exceeds most Olympic athletes, skilled in just about every scientific discipline, the world’s greatest detective, a professional pilot, driver, and sailor, a computer hacker, an escape artist, so stealthy he can vanish from plain sight, an extremely savvy businessman, the inventor of many unique and advanced pieces of technology, a master strategist, multilingual, and a master of disguise. Plus, he almost never sleeps. Oh yes, and let's not forget the prep. The prep that makes him nearly unbeatable in most hypothetical discussions. If these aren't "super" powers, I don't know what is. They're the powers of a perfect human being. Basically we've taken the hypothetical best that a human can achieve in almost every facet of life, and affixed them all to Batman. It makes him extremely formidable. More so, than your average superpowered being - even with brilliant intelligence.

Now let's look at what the Merriam Webster Dictionary says: SUPERHERO is "a fictional hero having extraordinary or superhuman powers; also: an exceptionally skillful or successful person"

I've just made an argument why Batman's skill-set arguably qualifies as superhuman. That being as it may, I'm pretty sure we could say Batman's showings qualify as "extraordinary." I'll take Merriam Webster over your definition of superhero any day.

@z3ro180 said:

Batman has never beaten Superman in DC continuity.

This thread should be locked

@sheenlantern: Go read Batman Hush.

@reignmaker said:

And this is why I no longer read Batman comics, he's too perfect.

http://www.comicvine.com/profile/citizenbane/blog/superman-vs-batman/79268/

Batman never truly beat Superman by himself.