History Awesome / Batman

* In a ComicBook/{{Planetary}} / Batman crossover, Planetary was shifting between alternate realities and the Batman they encountered in the first one has been changing into his versions from different decades or works. [[UsefulNotes/TheModernAgeOfComicBooks Modern Age Batman]] fought Jakita Wagner -- a woman with super strength, speed and agility -- and clearly has the advantage. Later, Creator/AdamWest's Batman fends Wagner off by spraying her with [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments Bat-Female]] [[NarmCharm Villain Repellent]], but Elijah Snow chases him down... and then the next shift happens and Elijah finds himself facing off with a pissed [[ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns DKR]] Batman. And Snow, who is a hundred year-old immortal and encountered so many wonderful, weird and terrible things in the world he wrote a whole guide to them, whom we never saw losing his cool, was clearly ''frightened''.

* Once upon a time, there was an obscure little [[UsefulNotes/TheBronzeAgeOfComicBooks Bronze Age]] comic book series known as ''DC Special'', and much like any other anthology series, it rotated around members of the DC Universe. Issue number fifteen featured a charming little text story written by Denny O'Neil, entitled "Death Strikes at Midnight and Three". What happened in it? Here's a taste:

* Let me take you back to a magical time, right at the junction of the [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] and the [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]], where The Joker's insanity ''wasn't'' taken for granted. A forgotten little story presented this time, known as "The Crazy Crime Clown", gave us this set-up: Joker has Batman trapped in a straitjacket and locked inside a rubber room at the local insane asylum, which is also rapidly filling up with water. Batman, with the help of Robin and an inmate of said asylum who thinks he's Batman, proceeds to inflict the closest thing that you can get to [[GRatedSex G-Rated]] MindRape on Joker. To sum it up - Batman unmasks and boldly reveals his secret identity to Joker, only for the inmate to show up in a Batman costume of his own, declaring himself to be Batman, and tackling the unmasked Bruce, declaring him to be Joker. The real Joker, his mind already somewhat scrambled, attempts to escape, only for Robin to show up (inmate!Batman calls him a fake as well). By the time the entire hoopla is over, Joker's mind is cracked to bits over just who is who, resulting in him having to spend several days in the asylum to recover. And who says [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] Batman was a wuss?

* ''Awesome/LEGOBatman''

---> '''Alfred:''' Master Bruce, please! You'll freeze to death out there!
---> '''Bruce:''' The bats came back, Alfred.
---> ''[[BecomingTheMask *puts on the Cowl*]]''
---> '''Batman:''' I feel fine.

---> '''Alfred:''' Sir?!
---> '''Batman:''' He has a [[GoodThingICanHeal healing]] [[HealingFactor factor]]. [[GoodIsNotNice Let]] [[DeadpanSnarker him]] [[ThouShaltNotKill heal.]]

* ''Awesome/GrantMorrisonsBatman''

-->'''Batman:''' Chill, I want to tell you a story...without an ending! Maybe you can supply it! It began some years ago in Gotham City...when Thomas Wayne, his wife, and young son, Bruce, were stopped by a bandit...\\
'''Chill:''' You said...W-Wayne?\\
'''Batman:''' The bandit killed Thomas Wayne...his wife died from the shock! Frightened, the cowardly killer ran away...but not before young Bruce Wayne memorized his features! Yes, Bruce Wayne can still identify you! '''You''' were that killer! Admit it!\\
'''Chill:''' Ha! No jury would believe Wayne's identification accurate after all these years! You're bluffing! Besides...how do '''you''' know what really happened?\\
'''Batman:''' ''(DramaticUnmask)'' I know, because I am the son of the man you murdered! '''I AM BRUCE WAYNE!!''' I became '''BATMAN''' because of what you did and I swore I'd arrest you for it some day! I can't prove your guilt, but I'll never stop hounding you... Whatever you do, I'll be watching... Wherever you go, I'll be watching... I'll '''always''' be watching...and someday you'll make a mistake...and I'll be there...waiting! Remember that- and '''this!''' ''(Kicks Chill)''

* The infamous One Punch scene from the fifth issue of ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueInternational'' from 1987. Guy Gardner, one of the most arrogant and {{jerkass}}ed people ever to hold the mantle of the ComicBook/GreenLantern, thinks he should be the leader of the League instead of Batman and challenges him for leadership. Batman tells him that he'd sooner hand the League over to [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]], and tells Guy to stop acting like a mongrel, which gets Guy good and pissed. Captain Marvel tries to get Batman to call it off, but it's just not happening. The result? Bats puts Guy down for the count with '''[[OneHitKO one punch.]]'''

* In another issue of the ''Joker's Asylum'' anthology series, this one focusing on the Penguin, that same villain gets three such Moments. In the first, Cobblepot just sits in his office, talking about how he's met his One True Love (a poor girl he rescued from human traffickers) in the most casual manner, while Batman is punching the snot out of his goons, as if it was just business as usual. The second comes during a date with the aforementioned woman at a fancy restaurant, when he suddenly starts thinking the head chef is laughing at him. While he does nothing then, the narration reveals that over the course of a year, that same chef then loses his job, his girlfriend gets deported, his best friend arrested for child pornography, he gets a horrible new neighbor in his apartment building, and suffers many other torments until he finally snaps and commits suicide, after which the Penguin sticks his obituary in a scrapbook containing many other such obituaries, thus demonstrating how dangerous a MagnificentBastard can be. The final such moments comes at the end of the story, after the girl, discovering Cobblepot's true nature, confronts him about it. He merely returns her to the slavers he saved her from, and walks away.

* In the ''ComicBook/BatmanAndCaptainAmerica'' crossover, Bruce and Steve fight in their civilian identities, which shows is just them feeling each other out. Steve notes for a RichIdiotWithNoDayJob, Bruce is surprisingly agile and his body is hard and muscular, while Bruce notes that Steve is using arcane martial arts techniques that the Army would never teach. Bruce immediately stops the fight, chuckling that he knows Steve must be Captain America. Steve gives himself a DopeSlap and laughs that he should have known Batman would pick a secret identity like Bruce's.

* In the first issue of Tom King's run, [[NotHyperbole Batman saves a falling plane]]. You read that right. Batman does {{Superman}}'s [[SignatureScene signature introductory shtick]], and succeeds not through flying powers, super strength, or super speed, but through ingenuity, tenacity, teamwork, willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice, and because he is ''freakin' Batman''.

** Steph's flashback to when Cass left, showing the two fighting some mooks by themselves and [[CasualDangerDialog chatting]], Steph in her Spoiler identity, Cass as Batgirl. They both, while kicking in heads, tell the other that someone is behind them. Two panels, almost mirrors of each other, as the two deliver a OffhandBackhand each to a thug.

-->'''Two-Face''' (interrupting questioning): What time do you have?
-->'''Batman''' (thinking): ''Something's wrong. Two-Face is wearing a watch.''
-->'''Porter, The New District Attorney''': Two o'clock.
-->''Courtroom explodes as Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, and Solomon Grundy come bursting through the floor.''
-->'''Two-Face''': I move for a recess.

* One favorite Batman moment comes from the reintroduction storyline of Supergirl in ''ComicBook/SupermanBatman''. Darkseid and his toadies just beat the crap out of the heroes and are about to kill them. Enter Batman, informing Darkseid that he just raided his weapons cache and scattered his own bombs all over HIS planet. Furious, Darkseid gives the deactivation code for the armed weapons, but to his shock, it doesn't work. Batman calmly informs him that he changed the codes for all of them and he will trade it to Darkseid for a safe return to Earth for all the heroes. Darkseid threatens to kill him, and after taking a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown and while dangling on Darkseid's fist by his neck, Batman tells him: "But that won't stop the bombs." As they were going home, Darkseid tells him, "If it was the Kryptonian or the Amazon, I would not have believed they would be capable of destroying a whole world."

-->'''Riddler''': New Genesis tech. Advanced New Genesis tech. I don't think any mind on their planet could hack this. And they're what, hundreds of years ahead of us on this type of defense technology?
-->'''Bane''': You have twenty seconds.
-->'''Riddler''': I only need eleven.

* The DC Animated Universe
** '' Awesome/JusticeLeagueWar''
** '' Awesome/SonOfBatman''
** '' Awesome/JusticeLeagueThroneOfAtlantis''
** '' Awesome/BatmanBadBlood''
** '' Awesome/JusticeLeagueVsTeenTitans''
** '' Awesome/TheDeathOfSuperman''
** '' Awesome/ReignOfTheSupermen''

** '' Awesome/BatmanUnlimitedMonsterMayhem''
** '' Awesome/BatmanUnlimitedMechsVsMutants''

* ''Awesome/Robin1993''

-->'''Batman''': Incidentally, I spoke to [[spoiler:Commissioner Gordon]] before I came in here. He's fine. Despite all your sick, vicious little games, he's as sane as he ever was. So maybe people don't always crack. Maybe there isn't any need to crawl under a rock with all the other slimy little things when trouble hits. Maybe it was just ''you'', all the time.

** That whole story doubles as a SugarWiki/{{Heartwarming Moment|s}} too. [[spoiler:He was willing to risk his secret identity, so that the baby could grow up to have a normal life with his parents.]]
* One favorite Batman moment comes from the reintroduction storyline of Supergirl in ''ComicBook/SupermanBatman''. [[spoiler:Darkseid and his toadies just beat the crap out of the heroes and are about to kill them. Enter Batman, informing Darkseid that he just raided his weapons cache and scattered his own bombs all over HIS planet. Furious, Darkseid gives the deactivation code for the armed weapons, but to his shock, it doesn't work. Batman calmly informs him that he changed the codes for all of them and he will trade it to Darkseid for a safe return to Earth for all the heroes. Darkseid threatens to kill him, and after taking a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown and while dangling on Darkseid's fist by his neck, Batman tells him: "But that won't stop the bombs."]] As they were going home, Darkseid tells him, "If it was the Kryptonian or the Amazon, I would not have believed they would be capable of destroying a whole world."

* During Grant Morrison's run on ''[[Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica JLA]]'', Batman is portrayed as the CrazyPrepared BadassNormal. In this capacity, he understandably supplies at least one Moment of Awesome per story arc. The most memorable of these is during the "Tower of Babel" arc where it is revealed that [[spoiler:for years, Batman has kept secret files on incredibly inventive and effective ways to incapacitate and/or kill every member of the JLA.]]

*** Ra's Al Ghul gets TWO crowning moments in that storyline, first by distracting Batman through a method so obvious, he's surprised he didn't think of it sooner ([[spoiler: stealing the bodies of the Waynes]]), and later by [[spoiler: stealing Batman's aforementioned plans.]]
** The "Rock of Ages" story, which shared many plot elements with Morrison's ''Final Crisis''. In an alternate future where Darkseid has enslaved Earth and killed most of the JLA, an aging Batman confronts Darkseid [[spoiler: after outsmarting and impersonating his]] TortureTechnician, [[MeaningfulName Desaad]]. Before his death, Bats successfully [[BreakThemByTalking breaks the god of evil by talking]]: "You always say you're surrounded by these 'worthless maggots'. Well, that's because you won, and did exactly what you said you'd do. You've recreated the whole world in your image; and what we see in it is your own ugly face."

*** Batman turning the tide in the Hyperclan battle by figuring out [[spoiler: that the Hyperclan are all White Martians. After explaining this to a group of them who have surrounded him, he lights a ring of kerosene on fire and cracks his knuckles.]]
*** Of particular note is when Protex, the leader, is screaming his head off about how Batman is just a mere human. Superman who [[spoiler: has been mentally tricked into believing he's being poisoned by kryptonite]] simply smirks the whole time, eventually bragging that Batman "is the most dangerous man on the planet."

** Bruce [[spoiler: faking suicide well enough to fool Superman, however temporarily - even stopping his own heart -]] probably counts. It was perfectly set up to make you really believe he's gone off the deep end, but Bats at 60 is as rational and calculating as ever.
** [[spoiler: Gotham's going mad due to an EMP. Planes falling from the sky, chaos in the streets, cars exploding... and the Sons of Batman are about to go on a shooting spree to calm things down. Batman himself calmly rides in on a freakin' horse, grabs the rifle from the leader, and snaps it in half, and lectures the group on why they're not gonna be using guns.]]

** And the subsequent ''Batman RIP: The Lost Chapter'' and the final issue of ''Return of Bruce Wayne'' have made it clear that this was a mythic confrontation for the fate of everything. It was Batman, an ordinary human having been tortured and abused for weeks or possibly months by Darkseid's minions [[spoiler: and the Omega Adaptor in the form of Dr. Hurt]], confronting the god of evil when all the super people have failed and creating "a New Myth.. a myth where Ultimate Evil turns its gaze on humanity and humanity gazes right back and says... Gotcha." It was ''not'' Batman just shooting some guy.

* The 1999 ''World's Finest'' mini-series by Karl Kesel has a pretty good awesome in it. Short backstory: At the beginning of the series, Batman and Superman fail to save the life of an innocent because they were both too damn arrogant to work together properly, so they resolve to have a yearly team-up on the anniversary of the incident. One meeting occurs during the ''Return of Superman'' arc (before the real Superman had actually come back) and Batman has to work with the four other Supermen (Steel, Superboy, the Eradicator, and the Cyborg) to foil a robbery. Afterwards, Steel thanks Batman for the assistance, but asks him why he came to Metropolis in the first place [[spoiler:and ''from that question alone'', Batman instantly deduces that not one of the four are the real Superman]].

* In the ''ComicBook/SecretSix'' installment of the above "event," [[spoiler: Bane, Ragdoll, and Catman]] are hired by terrorists to kidnap children, but wind up saving the children and putting down the terrorists instead, in honor of the late Batman. Yes, Nightwing runs them off, but still. MOA because, yes, awesome killing-of-terrorists (including one targeted by Bane pleading "Oh please, oh please don't snap my back!") and because it's a heartfelt memorial for a WorthyOpponent.
** The fact that Nightwing ran them off without throwing a punch could also be considered a Moment of Awesome, seeing as the one who led the group out was [[spoiler:Bane.]]

** The best one might be in ''Batman'' #645, after digging up and examining [[spoiler:Jason's coffin]] for the sixth time, Batman has this exchange with Alfred:

-->'''Alfred''': Do you know then? How or when [[spoiler:Jason's body was was taken from the coffin?]]
-->'''Batman''': No. That's my point... There's never ''been'' a [[spoiler:body in this coffin]].
** That's right, Jason was able to distract [[Franchise/{{Batman}} The World's Greatest Detective]] with an empty [[spoiler:coffin.]]

* The Ventriloquist in ''Arkham Asylum: Living Hell''. Yes, ''that'' Ventriloquist. The bald, bespectacled Arnold Wesker that even the Riddler could take in a fistfight. To explain in detail: [[spoiler:demons buried beneath Arkham have revived themselves and possessed one of the inmates, before grabbing all of the other inmates and guards and trapping them in the cellar, where they are to be sacrificed. During the sacrificial ceremony, Wesker uses his skills as a ventriloquist to make it appear as if Lunkhead (another inmate who had earlier broken Scarface) had volunteered to be sacrificed. It works, and the guy is dragged straight into the fires of Hell by the demons, while Arnold and Scarface taunt him.]]

* The often-overlooked five-part story arc "Terror", one of the greatest Scarecrow stories ever written) has a whole string of these for all parties involved: Batman, Hugo Strange, Scarecrow, and Catwoman. But the biggest one has to be when [[spoiler:Strange turns out to NOT have been killed when he was ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice on Scarecrow's trap in the basement. When Scarecrow and Batman wind up locked in a DeathTrap-rigged basement, he reveals this fact - that he had survived whilst impaled by tempting over the rats in the basement and EATING THEM. He then STRANGLES Scarecrow with one hand AFTER having lost God-knows-how-much blood, stopping him from killing Batman. And the [[SlasherSmile pants-wetting]] [[ScaryShinyGlasses expression]] he has on his face when he first surfaces from the water is a Moment of Awesome all on its own.]]

** However, it is later revealed that [[spoiler: the whole attack had been a test for Tim. The only reason Tim got access to the Leagues computer system was because Ra`s allowed it . A mistake Ra`s apparently made on purpose, since two of his lieutenants point out how foolish this decision was and they only allowed Tim to proceed because they didn't dare to disobey their master.]]
* Damian almost gets a crowning moment of awesome by giving a tied up Joker a beating with a crowbar, similar to how Joker killed Jason Todd, but Joker steals it. [[spoiler:The blood Damian spilled by beating him was poisoned with Joker toxin, which knocks Damian out, allowing Joker to escape with him as his prisoner.]]
** Damian then is then allowed to go so he can save Dick from Dr. Hurt, is captured again after fighting against an overwhelming force of Dr. Hurt's elite mooks, only to escape with Dick again, who has been shot in the head by the Doctor. They are joined by [[spoiler:Bruce who has just recently cheated death itself and beat up the rest of Hurts guard together, before Bruce can save Alfred.]]
*** [[spoiler: Joker then buries Hurt alive, after making him slip on a banana peel, but is captured by Dick directly afterwards. However, Joker still has bombs planted on an underground train... which Damian quickly defuses on his own.]] Altogether, one long crowning moment of awesome for the new dynamic duo, the old one and their greatest enemy, too.

* After the ending of ''ComicBook/FinalCrisis'', Bruce fought his way back into the DCU proper in "The Return of Bruce Wayne". In the final issue of the six-issue series, he [[spoiler:not only outsmarts Darkseid, the sentient curse chasing him through time, Rip Hunter, the combined forces of the JLA ''and'' Red Robin all at the same time, he manages to escape from the end of the time itself, while simultaneously saving the Universe ''and'' saving the lives of the time-traveling heroes sent to rescue him]]. The only end result of reading this comic is a very loud, "''Fuck'' this guy is awesome."

* In ''Comicbook/{{Flashpoint}}'', Franchise/TheFlash villain Professor Zoom boasts to Barry Allen that, as a living TemporalParadox, Barry could never do anything to him again lest he cause another TimeCrash. Batman responds by ''impaling him with a sword''. Now, let's get one thing clear - in this timeline, Bruce isn't Batman as [[spoiler:he was killed in this timeline]]. The man behind the mask? [[spoiler:''Thomas Wayne'', Bruce's ''father''.]] The BondOneLiner he gives seals the deal:
-->'''Batman/[[spoiler:Thomas Wayne]]:''' Doctor's advice: When you're in the middle of a war, don't stand still.

** After fighting through his forces, Batgirl confronts the man responsible, [[spoiler: Scarecrow]]. He drugs her, beats her, all the while she imagines her former identity Spoiler and ex-boyfriend Tim Drake insulting her. Then, at Barbara's encouragement, she wades through the drug's effects, and kicks them in the face to knock them out while answering his question on who she is. ''"I'm '''Batgirl.'''"''

** Steph confronts the mysterious backer of the Reapers, discovering it's [[spoiler: her dad, Cluemaster]]. He explains what he was doing, then uses a Black Mercy on her to stop her catching him. He taunts her to come find him as she tosses a batarang at him, which misses and ends up in the wall next to him.

* The Riddler gets one in the first issue of ''Batman '66.'' As everyone knows, the Riddler is compelled to leave clues in the form of riddles. So, what does he do? [[spoiler:He leaves a riddle with ''two'' possible answers, one (simple) solution leading to the crime, and one complicated solution leading to a dead end- literally! Naturally, Batman and Robin try too hard to find a hidden meaning, and walk right into a death trap. Thus, the Riddler finally outsmarts the Batman!- at least for a little while.]]

-->'''[[spoiler: Erin [=McKillen=]]] :''' "Gordon's [[UnderestimatingBadassery old marine skills]] [[http://i.imgur.com/NQ0oEYq.jpg were not as rusty as assumed...]]"

'''Batman:''' ''(DramaticUnmask)'' I know, because I am the son of the man you murdered! '''I AM BRUCE WAYNE!!''' I became '''BATMAN''' because of what you did and I swore I'd arrest for it some day! I can't prove your guilt, but I'll never stop hounding you... Whatever you do, I'll be watching... Wherever you go, I'll be watching... I'll '''always''' be watching...and someday you'll make a mistake...and I'll be there...waiting! Remember that- and '''this!''' ''(Kicks Chill)''