If there’s one thing everyone knows about one of DC Comics’ most famous superheroes, Batman, it’s that he doesn’t really have superpowers. He’s fit, he has a ton of gadgets, is extremely intelligent and disgustingly rich, but he’s just a human being. His powers are pretty much dressing up like a bat and doing the police’s job for them. Compared to other heroes like Superman or Aquaman, he easily falls flat.
Yet comics wouldn’t be comics if they didn’t mix it up once in a while. One of those ways of mixing things up is giving Batman actual superpowers. Let’s take a look at some of the best stories that came out of that.
Echolocation and Sonic Abilities
Much like actual bats, Batman got imbued with some amazing echolocation abilities in Justice League Vol 2 Issue 38. In this story it’s the result of Batman getting hit by a Lex Luthor-created virus that blinds him and somehow gives him echolocation and the ability to use sonic waves instead.
Immortality
Superman & Batman: Generations saw the most mortal superhero in the DC Universe lose his ability to die. An older Bruce Wayne gets convinced by Ra’as Al Ghul to follow him into the rejuvenating Lazarus Pits and when he emerges he basically comes out at his physical peak, turning the clock back a few good decades.
Green Lantern
Since the Green Lantern powers are basically just tied to a ring and whatever emotion powers that ring, it wasn’t too hard or farfetched to give Batman these powers. In Batman: In Darkest Knight, Batman’s origin story gets rewritten to allow for this. Instead of being inspired by bats to become Batman, Bruce gets offered the chance to become a Green Lantern and he leaps at the opportunity.
