In their respective universes, both Batman and Captain America are arguably the best combat fighters on Earth. The Dark Knight’s mastery of multiple fighting disciplines and physique makes him an immensely skilled fighter who is easily on par with any other martial artist in the DC Universe. Meanwhile, Captain America has lifetimes of combat experience and is a master tactician whose already impressive abilities are augmented by the Super-Soldier serum coursing through his veins.
On a few of the rare occasions where the worlds of Marvel and DC have collided, Batman and Captain America found themselves in some highly anticipated battles. While none of them ended with a true victor, they all stand as some of the most memorable battles in the history of Marvel and DC crossovers. Now, we’re taking a closer look at how these fights played out and who won.
In 1996, the Marvel and DC Universe collided in the aptly titled Marvel vs. DC, by Ron Marz, Peter David, Dan Jurgens and Claudio Castellini. At the urging of two feuding cosmic brothers who represented each universe, the heroes of Marvel and DC were transported to each other’s worlds before being forced to fight.
In Marvel vs. DC #3, Batman and Captain America faced off in close-quarters combat in a Manhattan sewer. After hours of unseen fighting, Batman said that they were so evenly matched that they would fight until one falls over from exhaustion. But shortly after that, some rushing water knocked Captain America off-balance, which allowed one of Batman’s Batarangs to knock him out and give the Dark Knight victory.
Later in 1996, Batman and Captain America met again in Batman & Captain America, by John Byrne. In this Elseworlds tale, the Sentinel of Liberty and the Caped Crusader were both active crime-fighters during World War II with a history of working together.
While the pair never fought in costume, they fought in their civilian alter egos as Bruce Wayne and Steve Rogers. After being tasked with surveilling Wayne for the U.S. government, Rogers misheard a discussion about his relationship with the Joker. When Rogers attacked Wayne, both heroes were surprised by the other’s skill. After a quick fight to a standstill, the pair realized each other’s identities and continued working together to stop the Joker and the Red Skull.
In 2004, Batman and Captain America faced off for the final time in Kurt Busiek and George Perez’s seminal JLA/Avengers. In this miniseries, Marvel’s Grandmaster and DC’s Korona faced each other in a contest for the right to destroy the Marvel Universe. Before their inevitable team-up, the nearly full rosters of the Justice League and Avengers faced each other in a number of competitions, including one early all-out brawl.
Early in JLA/Avengers #2, Batman and Captain America faced off, trading a few cursory blows as they sized each other up. After each tactical mastermind sized up the other’s skills, Batman concedes that Captain America could conceivably beat him after a very long battle, ostensibly giving Captain America the win. Although they let their teammates continue fighting, both heroes agree to work together to get to the bottom of what was really going on.
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