By: Thomas Horvath

Batman and Spider-Man are the two most iconic superheroes of all time, even surpassing Superman. One thing that they both have in common is a major group of diverse and intriguing villains. While Batman’s villains tend to be more psychological, Spider-Man’s are much bigger physical threats. We all know they can beat their own villains, they do it in every comic. But the question to be asked is, can they beat each other’s villains?

To start with Spider-Man, you would think he would easily destroy Batman’s villains. Villains like Joker, Twoface, and The Riddler are just normal villains with no powers. But don’t be quick to assume. Their true power is their intellect. They specialize in strategy, manipulation, and psychological warfare. While Peter Parker is brilliant, he’s also a teenager. You can’t expect a teenager to handle someone they loved being hurt as well as an older, more experienced hero can. For example, in The Amazing Spider-Man comic series, his Aunt May is hurt by Kingpin, which enrages Peter to levels only seen when his uncle died. He hunts down Kingpin and nearly kills him. This shows Peter is still emotional, which is to be expected. This is exactly how Batman villains would get him to break. 

While Batman may have no powers, his other traits more than make up for it. Batman beats his villains by outsmarting them and using his technology. People like Kraven the Hunter and The Rhino may be incredibly strong, but Batman would easily best them. He has even bested super-powered villains in his comics. 

While Spider-Man is incredibly skilled, he would not be able to handle the top of Batman’s villains. Batman could very easily handle Spider-Man’s villains, but that may be because of his experience and money. This article was not made to discredit Spider-Man. He is still a skilled hero, but maybe with more years under his belt, he may be equal to Batman.