Iron Man vs Batman Guide

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Adam Braunstein

Adam has been in love with comics from a young age, rushing down to the local store to buy the most recent issue detailing the latest escapades of his favorite heroes and villains. This love has carried over into his adult life and as an experienced professional writer, he pours his heart out onto a page, offering up his comic book knowledge for your reading pleasure

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Superheros have long been a big part of pop culture, and in the last decade-plus, two superheroes, in particular, have risen to the top of the pile. Iron Man vs Batman. While Batman has long been a part of modern pop culture, Iron Man always kind of hung around as a B-level superhero, not attracting the same way as Batman and Spiderman tended to do. That all changed with the introduction of the MCU as well as the awesome line of comics that followed Iron Man in its wake.

I’ve been a superhero fan for as long as I can remember, and while Batman has always been one of my favorites, I was also always fascinated by Iron Man and wondered why he didn’t get the mainstream appeal like Superman, Spider-Man, and even some of the other Avengers like The Hulk. Maybe it’s the suit? Maybe he’s looked at as a cheap superhero because he doesn’t have any powers? But guess what! Neither does Batman! They’re actually incredibly similar characters.

While each comes from a different comic book universe, there is a lot to dive into when it comes to the similarities between Iron Man and Batman. They both have plenty of differences as well, so we’re going to dive in and find out everything there is to know when it comes to Iron Man vs. Batman.

The Main Differences Between Iron Man and Batman

There are several things that make Batman and Iron Man completely unique from each other. Here are some of them.

• Batman primarily protects Gotham City and rarely ventures outside of it, whereas Iron Man is more of a global protector, finding himself on missions through not only the entire world but also in space and even completely different universes.
• Gotham City is a fictional city based on New York City, and the majority of locations in Batman’s world are also fictional as well like Metropolis, whereas Iron Man goes on missions all over the world, but that world is based on places from the real world, and he often is seen in New York City, California, and several other countries and places of note as well.
• Batman is a billionaire, but he’s a recluse and not much of a public figure as he tends to keep to himself, whereas Iron Man is a billionaire socialite who is often seen with different women, partying, and generally enjoying life. 
• Batman is a detective who carefully analyzes scenarios before engaging them. He often is better at this than the detectives at Gotham PD at this and is regularly helping out Detective Jim Gordon on cases whereas Iron Man is more of a freelancer, and while he’s also incredibly smart, he doesn’t analyze situations like Batman and often goes in gun blazing, with his considerably powerful suit often being enough to overpower most foes.
• Batman has lots of high-end equipment but does not build it himself, whereas Iron Man creates his own weaponry.
• Batman is a trained and expert hand-to-hand combatant, often completely outclassing multiple opponents at a time whereas Iron Man can fight hand to hand with his supremely powerful suit, but his main form of attack is medium to long-range via the use of rockets, pulsar beams, and various other methods of sophisticated technology.
• Batman travels mostly via the use of the Batmobile whereas Iron Man can fly faster than most planes and is rarely seen needing a vehicle
• Batman has armor, but most of his strength is his own, and without his suit, he would still be an incredible combatant whereas Iron Man is just a man without his suit, and although he’s learned to fight over the years, he isn’t nearly the same combatant without his Iron Man armor.

Main Similarities between Iron Man and Batman

• Batman is the head of The Justice League, a group of superheroes collected from all over to fight evil
• Iron Man is the head of The Avengers, a group of superheroes recruited by Nick Fury to fight evil
• Batman lost his parents during a tragedy at a young age
• Iron Man took over Stark Industries after his parents died at a young age as well
• Iron Man has been with multiple women throughout the comics
• Batman has been seen with multiple women throughout the comics
• Iron Man wears a suit of armor
• Batman wears a form of armor as well
• Iron Man has missiles in his arsenal
• Batman fires missiles via the Batmobile, although they are nonlethal
• Iron Man has a sidekick in the form of War Machine
• Batman has a sidekick named Robin
• Batman has a nemesis capable of mass destruction in the Joker
• Iron Man has a nemesis on even a greater level of destruction named The Mandarin.

Abilities

Iron Man

• Incredible arsenal of weapons that range from missiles to machine guns and powerful laser cannons
• Due to his immense wealth, Iron Man is consistently upgrading his arsenal and Iron Man suits to become more powerful with each new mission he embarks upon
• Thrusters in the hands and legs of his Iron Man suit allow him incredible control while flying, making him a very difficult opponent to fight.

Batman

• Expert hand to hand combatant, fully trained in multiple fighting styles
• High tech arsenal of gadgets from weapons to equipment
• Access to the Batmobile, an impenetrable tank of a car that travels faster than any vehicle ever made.
• Can use the night to camouflage, making it tough for enemies to ever get the jump on him.

See also: Iron Man Characters Guide

Weaknesses

Iron Man

• Vulnerable without his powerful Iron Man suit
• Protective of his family and friends, who are far less dangerous than him.
• Easily accessible residence
• Relies on his technology too much in battle
• Public identity well known
• Often uses too much power and seals himself inside his armor by accident
• Love life gets him into hot water with several villains, such as Count Nefaria

Batman

• His family and friends
• Only human without his Batman suit
• Does not fight as well without the aid of darkness
• A secret identity can ruin him if discovered

The Men Behind the Mask

Iron Man, aka Tony Stark

Tony Stark is a billionaire arms dealer who, due to being kidnapped in a foreign country by terrorists, is forced to create the Iron Man armor in order to escape. Tony Stark is a public figure and is well known as Iron Man in the comics these days. He often is seen at odds with opposing companies in his field, such as ones run by Justin Hammer, his arch-rival.

Tony Stark is well known as the head of The Avengers as well and decides to sign up with the government when it comes time to take sides during the famous Civil War storyline. He sees his prior life as an international arms dealer as a call for him to correct the wrongs he’s done across the world and dedicates his life to making the world a safer place for everyone. He is incredibly protective of his technology and often doesn’t trust that people are good enough to use it besides him. He is a hard person to get to trust you, making it difficult for anyone other than Pepper Pots and Happy Hogan to ever get close to him.

He’s a known womanizer, often seen with many women superheroes as well as normal women throughout his years in the comics. All of his love conquests tend to end pretty badly, and often, they get caught up in whatever an Iron Man villain’s plot is.

I think Iron Man has always been a tough character to love in the comics. His smart-ass nature, genius, millionaire stature, and overall feeling of egoism just has always been a tough thing to connect with from a fan’s perspective, and that’s why it was so crucial that he got such an amazing portrayal by Robert Downey Jr. in the Marvel movies.

See also: Iron Man Suits Guide

Batman, aka Bruce Wayne

Bruce Wayne is one of the most famous men in all of Gotham City, but in the comics, for the most part, he is a recluse who takes refuge in a mansion that is slightly removed from the city. He grew up orphaned after his parents died during a robbery attempt. From there, he began to train, take solace in the dark, and slowly but surely, became the Batman that you and I know him to be today. He is a ruthless businessman and has several companions that help him run it while he is out fighting crime in Gotham City. His public persona is one that is much quieter than Iron Man’s, but he has been linked to several women throughout his time as the Batman and has even fathered a son, Damien.

Bruce Wayne only lets those closest to him come to know his true identity as Batman. Some of those who are privy to this info are Alfred, Lucious Fox, Dick Grayson, most iterations of Robin, and on occasion, women he’s been with.

In order to keep his identity a secret, Bruce only dons the caped cowl at night and often travels through roads and underground paths that are only accessible to him. The Bat Cave is generally where he keeps all his Batman-related equipment, and it’s difficult for anyone but him to even access it.

Have Batman and Iron Man Ever Met?

Batman and Iron Man have met technically during the Justice League and Avengers crossover series; however, this has not led them to fight each other because the two teams joined forces during this time, leading to a thoroughly unfulfilling meeting. It was actually Batman and Captain America who took center stage mostly during this time, and Iron Man was kind of left on the side.

This is annoying, but it makes sense considering Captain America was a much higher commodity than Iron Man in the early 2000s, and it wasn’t till the first Iron Man movie that Iron Man really became an A-tier hero in the Marvel universe. The encounter between the both of them needs to happen at some point, and when it does, it’ll be a clash for the ages because both are powered by technology, both have impressively powerful allies, and both are resourceful and smart in different ways.

Notable Fights, Wins, and Losses

Batman Losses

Bane

Batman is an incredible fighter and has beaten some of the most dangerous beings in the D.C. universe. When it comes to his losses, the list is surprisingly big, but the biggest loss would have to be Bane. Bane not only defeats Batman, but he breaks his spine, making him unable to fight crime or even walk until the supernatural comic book Deus Ex Machina shows up to help him get back on his feet. Bane has actually beaten Batman twice. Once was the breaking of Batman physically, and the next was psychologically. Bane removed Batman from his fortune, friends, allies, and equipment and reduced him to a rubble of a man before the dark knight rose to finally overcome him.

Joker

The Joker has long been Batman’s number one nemesis and has tried various ways of defeating him over the years. Joker is obviously not the physical combatant that Batman is, but his psychotic genius has led him to defeat Batman on more than one occasion despite that. The most dangerous form of the Joker that led to not Batman’s physical defeat but rather the destruction of his fortune and the public’s view of him came in the Joker war, where Joker took control of Bruce Wayne’s fortune to become the richest and most powerful criminal to ever live.

Batman Wins

Batman is one of the most accomplished superheroes of all time, and with that loft title comes an impressive resume of wins. Here are some of the most notable ones out there.

Superman

Believe it or not, Batman has actually taken down the Man of Steel before. Not just once but on many occasions, actually. Despite being physically outmatched every single time, Batman has used different high-powered suits and Superman’s weakness to his advantage many times and taken him down in battle. He has even seemingly killed him on a few occasions. You wouldn’t think that a mere mortal like Batman would have a chance against the almost godlike power of Superman, but it turns out that brains can actually overcome brawn on a few occasions. Of course, Superman has also beaten Batman a few times, as well as The Man of Steel is not one to give up after a few defeats.

Mister Freeze

One of the most underused villains in all of the comic book world is Mister Freeze. He’s also not really a villain because his reason to fight is as noble as it gets when it comes to a supervillain. Despite that, he’s been a fierce adversary to Batman time and time again. Batman has defeated Mister Freeze plenty of times, though, having to overcome his immensely powerful and dangerous armor that gives him super strength.

The Batman who Laughs

Often the biggest foe to Batman can be himself, and that was the case here as a Batman from the alternate universe combined with the Joker proved to be one of the most terrifying villains imaginable. He had Joker’s insanity with Batman’s intelligence, making for an absolute terrifying villain that Batman eventually overcame, although it took discovering how to beat himself in order to finally defeat him.

Iron Man Losses

Iron Man is just a man like Batman, and unfortunately, with that caveat, he has seen his defeat come plenty of times at the hands of many Marvel characters. Let’s check out a few of them.

The Sentry

The Sentry is an insanely strong character that is usually on the side of the good guys, but when his alter ego known as The Void takes over, he becomes a terrifying force of nature that is tough for anybody to deal with. Particularly, he’s beaten the holy hell out of Iron Man on a few occasions, both in his Sentry form as well as The Void form. This isn’t really a knock on Iron Man, as The Sentry has completely dismantled many of Marvel’s strongest superheroes.

Thanos

Although Iron Man gets the last laugh against Thanos in the MCU, Thanos has consistently defeated Iron Man over and over in the comics. The most brutal defeat came when Thanos allowed a woman he created to decapitate Iron Man after Thanos had thoroughly beaten him. Of course, Marvel magic and whatnot kept Iron Man from biting the dust for good. There aren’t many foes that truly strike fear into Iron Man, but Thanos is definitely one of them.

The Hulk

The Hulk has been an ally on many occasions, but there have been times when the big green machine has become too powerful to control. On those occasions, Iron Man turns to his trusty Hulkbuster armor, which is a mega-sized version of his normal suit built specifically for dealing with The Hulk. Unfortunately, The Hulk has barely been phased by this suit in the past, consistently destroying it with ease. The Hulk is simply too strong for most Marvel characters to deal with.

Iron Man Wins

Iron Man has taken the fight to some of the most powerful beings in the universe, and despite just being powered with high-grade military technology, he has come away with some very impressive wins.

Magneto

Bet you thought Magneto was only a problem for the X-men, right? Despite Magneto having the power to control metal, Tony Stark evened the odds in this fight by creating a suit made of carbon tubes to fight Magneto. This allows him to fight Magneto on his own terms, letting him deal with the ultra-powerful mutant on his own terms, winning fairly easily in the process.

The Mandarin

The Mandarin has been a longtime foe of Iron Man, and they’ve had tons of clashes throughout the years. Although The Mandarin is super powerful, his power revolves around his Ten Rings, which on one occasion, Iron Man was about to counter with a new and improved suit and eventually disarm The Mandarin completely, leaving him defenseless.

Ultron

Ultron is easily up there with the biggest challenges the Avengers’s face, and despite not being the original creator of Ultron, Iron Man finds himself coming against him time and time again. While his defeat of Ultron has never come 1v1, Iron Man often comes up with intricate plans in order to defeat the terrifying and immortal AI that is Ultron.

Who Would Win in a Fight?

Ah, the moment of truth. Who would win in a fight if these two ever came to blows? There are so many things to consider here as everything from time of day to the weather could affect how the fight would play out.

How Could Batman Win?

Let’s talk about it from Batman’s perspective. He’s faced off against Superman and won the battle, so how could he possibly lose to Iron Man? Technology-wise, Bruce Wayne is just as capable as Tony Stark in coming up with weapons, so he’d likely be able to counter Iron Man’s attack. The Dark Knight is an expert in hand-to-hand combat, whereas Iron Man is not the most proficient. In order for Batman to win this fight, he would have to fight Iron Man in a closed area, where his flying abilities and use of powerful explosive weapons would become limited.

Batman would need to take advantage of the darkness in the area, attacking Iron Man from several different angles, trying to keep him off guard. One of Batman’s best abilities as a combatant is his ability to bind his enemies. This can be done with variations to the Batarang or completely new inventions he’s used to subdue his foes in the past. Binding a hero as powerful as Iron Man would be quite the difficult task, but considering Batman has figured out ways to limit Superman’s movements in the past, he’s definitely got the technology and smarts to subdue Iron Man as well.

Batman is also a master strategist, so he will be well-schooled one everything Iron Man is bringing to the table. He’s usually pretty adept at turning an enemy’s greatest advantages into their biggest weaknesses, too, famously doing it against Bane and Mister Freeze on multiple occasions.

How Could Iron Man Win?

On the other side, we have Iron Man and the genius of Tony Stark. Iron Man is capable of harnessing the power of a nuclear warhead, so to say he’s a dangerous fighter is an understatement. He’s armed with pulsar cannons, multiple lasers, and a healthy arsenal of machine guns and rockets as well. Iron Man is also a brilliant strategist, so it’s likely he would do his homework on The Dark Knight. In order to counter the likely dark area they would fight, Iron Man would probably come up with some type of device to disperse an immense amount of light throughout the battleground, limiting Batman’s ability to manipulate the shadows to his advantage.

When it comes to fighting, Iron Man is willing to do what Batman isn’t, and that’s killing his enemies. With that comes Iron Man’s far more deadly arsenal compared to Batman. While he may find it tough to deal with Batman in close quarters, his superpowered suit would likely do a ton of damage to him via laser attacks and pulsar cannons, as well as punches and kicks delivered via the Iron Man suit.

Batman will likely limit Iron Man’s ability to fly, so he’ll have to do battle on the ground, and with that comes his ability to use pretty much any weapon on earth. Batman is bulletproof usually, though, so Iron Man is going to have to use his explosives in this battle to come out the victor. Doing that will expose the battlefield to severe amounts of destruction, but due to his firepower, Iron Man would have a great chance to just overwhelm Batman with his arsenal.

The Winner: Batman

While Iron Man clearly is more powerful and has the elite arsenal at his back, Batman is just unmatched when it comes to battle strategy, and I think his clever ability to subdue opponents while also taking advantage of his elite combat training would be too much for Iron Man to handle. As long as Batman avoided the initial barrage of attacks from Iron Man, he would likely be able to get in close enough to disable his suit in some fashion, and from there, the fight would be an easy one as Tony Stark stands no chance against Batman without his suit.

Trivia

Iron Man

Did you know that Iron Man did not star in his own comic to start out? Initially, he was a part of Tales of Suspense #39, which was a running series that introduced a ton of superheroes into the Marvel universe. It would be 5 years until he got his own comic, Iron Man #1, even though Iron Man created the Avengers in 1963

While Robert Downey Jr. would go on to man the iconic role of Iron Man, it was actually almost Tom Cruise that donned the Iron Suit. It would’ve been a very different Tony Stark, and we were very close to seeing it happen. The studio wanted Tom for the role, but he didn’t want the role and despite Marvel saying no to Jon Favreau’s request for Robert Down Jr. time after time, they eventually gave in, and we got the best Iron Man we could imagine.

Batman

Did you know that Batman has killed before despite his no-kill rule? There have been several times in the comics where Batman has ended a henchman’s life without explicitly intending to do so. He has also killed The Joker, most famously in a scene in The Killing Joke where the two longtime rivals shared a delightfully unhinged laugh together before Batman brutally kills the Joker.

Batman may have become the Dark Knight following the famous Frank Miller series of comics, but he actually began as a pretty light-hearted superhero complete with a ridiculous-looking outfit with Robin by his side, who looked even sillier. Over the years, the Batman comics have gotten far grittier and more violent and, to this day, have some of the hardest to look at scenes in comic book history.

FAQs

Conclusion

Batman and Iron Man are two of the most famous comic book characters ever these days, and although they have never officially fought, it’s interesting to look at how much they have in common and what it might be like if the battle ever took place.

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