Captain America Vs Batman: Who Is Stronger In Marvel & DC Crossover Comics?

Questions of "Could this character beat that character in a fight?" will never go out of fashion among comic book fans. In particular, hypothetical fistfights that cross the Marvel-DC divide have always proven popular, largely because there is so rarely an opportunity for these characters to actually face off against each other. This has left fans forever debating whether Superman or the Hulk is stronger (it's the Hulk), or whether the Flash or Quicksilver is faster (the Flash), or whether Batman could beat Captain America in a fight.

The Batman and Captain America mashup is particularly interesting because, even though the characters' abilities are not exactly alike, they seem to be almost perfectly matched. Batman has trained himself to reach peak physical condition. The Super Soldier Serum that turned Steve Rogers into Captain America pushed him to the peak of human capability, or potentially just beyond regular human capacities, depending on the writer. Batman is the world's greatest detective, possessing a fierce intelligence that also translates into extraordinary strategic and tactical capabilities. Captain America, however, was created during World War II, giving him hands-on experience in battlefield strategies and the incredible ability to improvise. Batman's utility belt is full of tricks and gadgets, but Captain America's heightened senses and Vibranium shield would provide a strong counter.

The fact that these two characters belong to different publishing companies means there has rarely been an opportunity for them to face off. Rarely, but not never.

Though they are a rare occurrence, Marvel and DC crossovers have taken place on a few occasions. For years, these crossovers have toyed with pitting Captain America against Batman but have shied away from revealing a definitive winner. It's an understandable predicament — neither publisher likely wants their character to lose and, even if the creative teams could agree on a winner, fans of the losing hero would be up in arms.

In 1996, "DC vs. Marvel Comics," alternately titled "Marvel Comics vs. DC" in the issues published by Marvel, saw the heroes of both franchises brought together and forced to fight, with the outcomes determined by readers' votes. Batman faced off against Captain America in a brawl that proved just how evenly matched the two were. After hours, the Dark Knight emerged triumphant, but only because a sudden rush of water in the sewer where they were fighting threw Cap off balance.

Soon after their first fight, Batman and Cap met again in "Batman & Captain America." This one-shot saw the two briefly trade blows as Steve Rogers and Bruce Wayne. However, they both quickly realized who they were really fighting and started working together instead. In 2004's "JLA/Avengers," Batman and Cap clash again, though they merely traded testing blows, before deciding such an evenly matched fight would be pointless –- though Batman conceded Captain America would eventually beat him.

"JLA/Avengers" did eventually give fans a more definitive answer on who would win in a fight between Batman and Captain America, even if it took an indirect route to that answer. "JLA/Avengers" #4 saw Captain America take on the DC villain Prometheus. Similar to Marvel's Taskmaster, Prometheus was able to replicate the fighting style and capabilities of various heroes and villains. Through his computerized helmet, connected to his brain, Prometheus was able to download fighting capabilities directly into his central nervous system.

When Prometheus fought Captain America in "JLA/Avengers," he revealed he was using Batman's combat skills, alongside the hypnotic capabilities of his helmet. Unfazed by this, Cap took on Prometheus in hand-to-hand combat and easily beat him. Cap claimed his WWII experiences had taught him the focus he needed to see through Prometheus' tricks and to overcome any opponent.

If Captain America beating a villain using Batman's fighting skills wasn't proof enough that the Marvel would beat the Caped Crusader in a fight, DC provided a little extra evidence. A few years earlier, in "JLA" #16, Batman had fought Prometheus himself and lost, badly. Both these heroes faced Prometheus while he was using Batman's own skills, as well as his helmet's other tricks. The result was clear –- Captain America wins.