Bruce Wayne awakens with a start, a pulsing pain in his head as he wakes up in his rundown apartment. The aching pain in the back of his neck told him all he needed to know, already compartmentalizing the psychological stress of being executed again to the back of his mind. Ignoring the mental and physical trauma of the evening before, Wayne exits his bedroom and enters his kitchen.
Putting a pot of water on the stove to boil, the combination of an abrupt rapping on his door and the ringing of his cellphone broke his relative peace. "I miss Alfred..." he mumbles to himself, pressing ignore on Diana's call as he peeks through the peephole of his door. Spotting a trio of figures, Batman reluctantly opens the door to greet his co-workers.
"Luke, I don't have time for this. I've got to get to the Iceberg and settle this business with-" he starts, only for the green-clad archer to block the doorframe.
"We're talking now, Bruce," Cage responds, crossing his arms. "When Heroes for Hire was brought into your little "Batman Inc.", you promised we'd be doing it right."
"Your vagrant and vaporous activities have had all our vigilante licenses revoked," the masked compatriot said. "Do not deny it, your very vacant-minded vacation of vengeance has been verified."
Bruce grunts and turns back into his kitchen, letting the trio into his apartment as he continues preparing his breakfast. "The system is broken. I didn't stop you from sacrificing your ideas, but don't get in my way when I refuse to bend like you did."
Cage grabs Batman's shoulder, spinning him around. "Don't have to tell us twice. We're tossing our partnership out the window, and cutting you out of what we got going. Wax and Jack wanted us to tell you they're out of Batman Inc. too."
Batman nods, popping a bagel into the toaster and continuing to make his tea. "I don't need you. I'm Batman."
Sighing in frustration, the others leave Batman alone. Wayne frowns, checking his voicemail and grimacing at his actual problem - a missed call from Diana, one of twenty.
Spider-Man[]
| “ | I just dropped by to congratulate you on a perfect record! So far you've been 100% wrong about me! I've got to hand it to you. I'll bet it's not easy to make a fool out of yourself all the time!
— Spider-Man
|
” |
The son of the late CIA agents Richard and Mary Parker, Peter Parker was adopted by his aunt and uncle May and Ben Parker at a young age. He grew to love science and learning, spending his early years tormented by bullies like Flash Thompson. When he turned 15, Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider, and found himself with new superhuman abilities. Initially attempting a career as a wrestler, the death of Uncle Ben triggered a change of heart in the young Parker. Determined to utilize his new powers for good, Peter Parker became Spider-Man.
As Spider-Man grew older, he encountered multiple different supervillains, as well as serving on a variety of superhero teams. Once he graduated college, Spider-Man attempted to join the Avengers, failing to due to his loner nature and lack of experience. He married his longtime girlfriend Mary Jane and went public with his identity, but he asked Mephisto to rewrite reality to undo this because of the harm it put his loved ones in. In the aftermath of the Skrull Invasion and Dark Reign, Spider-Man found himself one of the most influential heroes of his time, becoming a reserve member of the Avengers and a close ally of the X-Men and Fantastic Four.
Equipment:
- Web-Shooters: A pair of devices on his wrists that allow Spider-Man to shoot strands of a web-like liquid. The webs solidify upon contact with air, resulting a flexible and strong webline that he can use however he sees fit. Spider-Man is highly skilled in the web-shooters usage, from the traditional web-swinging and webballs for projectiles to more complex creations like parachutes and weapons. The webs are strong enough to fully support the weight of himself and another person, with the webs naturally getting stronger as Spider-Man reinforces them with more webs. The web-shooters require cartridges of fluid in order to make the web, which he carries in his utility belt. The web-shooters have a couple voice commands, including web barrage for multiple web bullets in rapid succession; wide net, which shoots a net of webbing; and recoil strand, which causes a connected line of webbing to pull back into Spider-Man's direction.
- Spider-Tracers: Spider-Man uses small electronic "Spider-Tracers", which he can attach to objects or people to track them. The tracers are tuned to his Spider-Sense, allowing him to track anyone within a 100-yard radius. He can attach them physically, or he can use a launching device on his web shooters to attach them that way.
- Spider-Suit: Spider-Man wears a full body skintight cloth suit, built and modified by his own hand. In addition to concealing his identity, the suit possesses a number of technological features. The mask contains special lenses that protect his eyes from dust and other such powders, as well as makes him invulnerable to eye-based hypnotism. The suit also comes with an ear-piece designed to limit the effects of sonic attacks. The suit also contains a utility belt, where he keeps his spare web cartridges and his Spider-Signal, a powerful light that can be used to stun people or as a UV light for forensics.
Powers & Abilities:
- Superhuman Physical Condition: After being bit by a radioactive spider, Spider-Man developed several superhuman physical abilities. His superhuman strength allows him to lift several tons, and contend blow for blow with superhumans like Luke Cage or Iron Man. He has shown the ability to lift semi-trucks, jets, and wrecking balls with ease, and can leap several feet into the air standing still. His speed allows him to outrun a car, while his agility and reflexes allow him to easily dodge automatic gunfire and heat-seeking technology, or block blows from speedsters like Quicksilver. He also possesses superhuman durability and stamina, allowing him to fight longer and take blows from beings like the Hulk and a Phoenix Force-possessed Colossus, as well as a healing factor that allows him to heal from wounds like third-degree burns or broken arms in the span of a night.
- Wall-Crawling: One of Spider-Man's most famous abilities is his wall-crawling, which allows him to stick to virtually any surface with any part of his body. His wall-crawling is strong enough to support the weight of several tons in a finger before losing his grip.
- Spider-Sense: Spider-Man possesses the precognitive danger sense he calls "spider-sense", the spider-sense gives him a tingling sensation that notifies him of incoming danger. When combined with his reflexes, Spider-Man has used the spider-sense to dodge all types of damage, from falling safes to punches to more complex things like A.I. targeting. His spider-sense ranges in intensity, with the greater the threat the more painful it is. The Spider-Sense is powerful enough to trigger even when he's asleep or stunned, jolting him awake.
- Genius-level Intellect: Spider-Man is a gifted inventor and scientists, developing all of his gear on his own with limited resources. He's shown to be able to stand toe-to-toe with some of the greatest minds of the universe such as Reed Richards and Tony Stark, and invents constantly to improve his own abilities as a superhero.
- Expert Martial Artist: Using a combination of his reflexes, strength, and years of honed skill, Spider-Man has become a highly skilled hand-to-hand fighter. After training with Captain America and Shang-Chi, Spider-Man has developed his own highly unpredictable form of martial arts that puts him in the highest tiers of fighters. He's bested other master martial artists like Wolverine, Black Panther, and Hawkeye, while holding his own against his own mentors.
- Expert Tactician: Given the vast resources of his opponents and his lacking of them, Spider-Man has become a skilled improviser and tactician. He's able to come up with effective and versatile plans on the spot and has, despite his reluctance to take leadership roles, shown himself to be an adept leader such as his time with the Fantastic Four or during the Spider-Verse affair.
Batman[]
| “ | Tell everyone. All the punks, junkies, gunsels, enforcers... all the wise guys, leg-breakers, muscle boys... tell them they're finished. Tell them the streets belong to the Batman.
— Batman
|
” |
The son of Gotham City billionaire philanthropists Thomas and Martha Wayne, Bruce Wayne 's life changed when his parents were killed in front of him by a mugger while leaving the theater. Traumatized by the experience, Wayne devoted his wealth and time to honing his body into the perfect weapon to fight crime. Traveling the globe for a decade and studying under a variety of teachers, Wayne returned to Gotham City in his early twenties to protect the innocent and fight crime. Inspired by his childhood fear of bats, Bruce Wayne became the vigilante known as Batman.
In his early years, Batman encountered a wide variety of criminal masterminds such as Black Mask and the Penguin, in addition to more eccentric villains like Bane and Mister Freeze. As he built a long list of enemies, Batman found himself recruiting multiple apprentices to aid in his fight against crime, as well as joining the Justice League for greater threats. When Batman approached the decade anniversary of his crimefighting career, he found himself in a final endgame with his arch nemesis the Joker, resulting in both men undergoing amnesia. Batman recovered in time to thwart several multiversal conflicts, from the war between the Anti-Monitor and Darkseid to the Watchmen affair, all while protecting Gotham City's streets.
Equipment:
- Batsuit: The costume Batman wears is composed of Kevlar and a small percentage of titanium; it's bullet-proof and resistant to various types of attack (explosions, impacts, falls, among others). It is also flame-retardant and insulated. The gloves and the boots are reinforced to rebound the impact of punches and kicks. The gloves have metallic blades on their sides. The cape is super-light and it can be used to glide. The mask has a small percentage of lead, which shields Batman's face from X-ray powers or X-ray technology, and incorporates an infrared and night vision viewer, auditory sensors and a sonar. The mask is accessorized with some security systems (aggravating gas, electric blasts, etc.) like the utility belt, and also integrates an audio and video transmitter receiver device.
- Batarangs: Razor sharp metal shuriken, the Batarangs are the iconic and primary weapon of Batman. The traditional batarang consists of a sharp inner edge, capable of piercing metal, and a blunt outer edge, with Batman's aim allowing him to precisely land a hit with either side depending on his needs. In addition to his traditional batarangs, he carries modified ones such as tracking batarangs, smoke batarangs, camera batarangs, and explosive batarangs, as well as batarangs that emit an electrical or sonic pulse on impact.
- Grappling Hook: Batman makes usage of a grappel gun, a small handgun-like device that fires a grappling hook from a line. Batman's lines are exceptionally strong, capable of supporting himself and at least one other fully grown adult man, and normal blades have broken trying to cut it.
- Explosives: Batman carries multiple types of explosives on him, including smoke pellets, plastic explosives, flashbang grenades, and tear gas pellets.
- Utility Belt: Batman's tool belt contains all of his previously mentioned weapons, in addition to more miscellaneous tools like a first aid kit, sedatives, and crimefighting tools.
Abilities:
- Peak Human Physical Condition: Batman has honed his body to its physical peak, to the point that some have considered him to be a potential metahuman. His strength allows him to break through thin brick walls, snap motorcycles in half with a well-placed kick, and fight fluidly on planets with stronger gravities than Earth. His reflexes, speed, and agility, when combined with his natural skill, allows him to hit unprepared speedsters like the Reverse-Flash or avoid gunfire, while his durability and willpower have allowed him to suffer for multiple days without showing signs of exhaustion.
- Master Martial Artist: Batman is one of, if not the single greatest hand-to-hand fighter in his universe, knowing at least fourteen types of martial arts. He has effortlessly defeated multiple master and superhuman combatants, including past mentors like Ra's al Ghul and Bronze Tiger. Batman's skill lets him take on large groups of trained men on his own without struggle, and a horde of Talons (undead assassins) could only slow him down briefly while he was wounded.
- Master Strategist:
Batman can beat anyone with 15 minutes of prep time.Although humorous hyperbole, Batman's strategic and tactical abilities are nearly unrivaled within his universe. He has come up with multi-layered plans for engaging with long-term planners like Lex Luthor and the Joker, while his in the moment tactical abilities allow him to conceive effortless strategies on the fly. - Genius-level Intellect: Batman is a gifted intellect, second only to the likes of Lex Luthor in terms of sheer amount of knowledge. He's a skilled inventor, conceiving all of his equipment himself, while he's learned in multiple subjects from history to more eccentric schools like occultism and human anatomy. His intelligence also makes him a skilled detective, capable of solving complicated cases with incredibly limited hints available.
- Master Assassin: Although he abstains from killing, Batman is nonetheless a highly skilled assassin. In addition to his previously mentioned fighting ability, Batman is a master of stealth and infiltration, often utilizing it mid-combat to throw his enemies off-guard. He is a skilled interrogator, mixing intimidation with his investigative abilities, and has mastered multiple types of weaponry such as archery and swordsmanship.
X-Factors[]
Physicality - 120 / 95
Spider-Man's physicality allows him to compete with some of the most powerful fighters in the universe, even if he doesn't match them pound for pound. While his strength and speed are great enough to send beings like Iron Man and Luke Cage staggering, his deadliest physical feats by far lie in his agility - he's borderline untouchable, with his reflexes letting him fight beings as powerful as the Hulk, Venom, and Thor just by avoiding them. Batman's pushed himself to the peak of human ability, where he regularly outmuscles superhuman foes like Killer Croc or Deathstroke through sheer willpower and physical ability, but he's ultimately just human. He's only able to take and dish out as much as any human at their peak can do, and has to rely on his other abilities and equipment against much stronger foes.
Intelligence - 90 / 100
Spider-Man may not have the superhuman intelligence of figures like Tony Stark or Reed Richards, but he's been their student and gets pretty close. He invents all of his own equipment, while his knowledge of chemical engineering and physics regularly allows him to keep up with the universe's greatest minds even if he can't surpass them. Batman's intelligence is by far his greatest weapon - his photographic memory and years of study make sure that he's mentally equipped for almost anything. Long-term planning is his strong suit, to the point that he's generally accepted as the second smartest man in the entire world.
Creativity - 85 / 80
Spider-Man's more basic powers require an incredible sense of creativity and adaptability, while his decades of experience and lack of early mentors means that he's had to develop his own techniques as a superhero since the beginning. Spider-Man's snark and wit are often a cover for a deceptively creative mind, easily capable snatching victory from the jaws of defeat flying by the seat of his spandex. Batman's a master strategist and thinker, but he admits his own weakness is his narrow-mindedness. He's incredibly flexible in the field and can easily readjust his plans, but he's surprisingly predictable to anyone who gets to know the way he thinks. The reality is that, since very few can keep up with his strategic mind or catch him by surprise, he doesn't usually need to worry about improvising beyond adjusting to the general chaos of a battlefield.
Experience - 100 / 99
Spider-Man's a solo hero, and he's been one since his teenage years. The reality is that Spider-Man's lack of resources and allies means that he's had to fight everything by himself, and fight to keep it. His personal, professional, and superhero life is in constant upheaval, making every moment for him a conflict on some level. In terms of actual feats, Spider-Man's been a part of every single major conflict in the universe, including both Civil Wars, Battleworld, the Incursion, and the Avengers vs. X-Men conflict, plus all his own adventures like Spider-Verse and the Clone Saga. Batman's been operating for nearly a decade by this point, and has faced his fair share of conflicts well, including multiple dimensional invasions and criminal empires from Bane or the Joker. Batman's got the advantage of wealth and resources on his side, and despite his reputation as a loner he's built himself an army of allies, wards, and even the occasional enemy turned ally, giving him more support than he lets on.
Training - 50 / 100
Spider-Man's lack of training and support emerges as a flaw here - while he's had a couple lessons with fighters like Captain America and Shang-Chi, he's ultimately got very little in the way of professional training. Most of his mentors have offered only supplemental advice, coming long after he had adopted his own style of crimefighting and fighting in general. Batman's been trained by the best in every field, from the most expensive education money could buy to learning from master fighters like Ra's al Ghul and Wildcat. He devoted his early adulthood to learning how to perfect himself as a fighter, and it shows in just how much raw knowledge he's accumulated and his flawless implementation of it.
Notes[]
- Full votes require well-written edges OR a detailed explanation of at least ten sentences.
- Half-votes are the previously mentioned requirements sans the "well-written".
- Votes with little to no reason, bias, or irrelevant information will not count at all.
- All votes must contain proper grammar and spelling.
- All votes must clearly express a winner/tie to ensure proper tallying of votes.
- These requirements are abstract; I reserve the right to count or discount votes depending on their individual merit.
- My rebuttal policy is as follows; the initial rebuttal will reduce a vote to half, and a particularly outstanding rebuttal will reduce it to nothing. The first counter-argument, if adequate, will raise the vote back to full value. Going forward from there, all rebuttals and counter-arguments will only affect a vote if I believe it does so adequately.
- Voting ends 03/19/2022.
Battle[]
Despite the rain and the fog that made it nearly impossible to see with the naked eye, Batman's goal could never be clearer. The only sound that could be heard over the constant pitter-patter of the storm was the Batmobile's engine, but even that went silent as its hatch opened and driver left. His suit keeping all but his exposed mouth and chin protected from the evening chill, Batman aimed his grapple hook upwards and shot into the sky, silently taking to the roofs as the journey for the night's first case began.
Perching himself on a roof's corner in the slums, Batman watched in silence as the scene unfolded - half a dozen police cars in the parking lot of a seemingly abandoned dock warehouse, the flashes of red and blue breaking through the night's darkness. He removed a pair of binoculars, looking through them as he spotted the men he was looking for in the crowd - Commissioner Jim Gordon, distinctive moustache and glasses setting him apart from the beat cops, and his old partner Harvey Bullock, fedora sagging under the weight of the rain.
Taking several steps back, Batman leaps over the gap between roofs, landing in well-practiced silence to get closer. From the shorter distance, and with the aid of hacked GCPD radios, Batman could hear the tail end of the argument between the two veteran officers.
"...he would've been here by now," Bullock was muttering angrily, hands tightly gripping a thermos of coffee to keep himself warm. "We'll leave enough for your pal, but let's let our boys get in there to figure this out."
"No one moves until he gets the first look." Gordon said firmly, glancing at the buildings. Although he didn't know it, Gordon's eyes passed briefly over the shadowed vigilante, who smiled faintly at his old friend's trust. Before Batman could validate that faith, the bright high beams of a new car entered his peripheral. He turned with curiosity - too nice for the gangbangers who had been going in and out of this location, but not another squad car or slick convertible for any city hall residents looking for a photo op.
He returns the binoculars to his eyes, barely able to make out a license plate. "Oracle, I need an ID on that plate." Batman says into his cowl, not bothering to ask for confirmation on her end before aiming his grapple gun to a higher vantage point. As he ascended, he watched as the driver exited - a young, Asian woman, wearing faded black denim jeans and a matching leather jacket. Not a GCPD officer by the looks of it, but she carried herself with the same confidence that the few good cops tend to have.
"Oracle, I need-"
"Yeah, yeah, facial recognition. Let's see...Oh boy, dad's got it tough on this one. That's..."
"Captain Yuri Watanbe, NYPD." the woman says, flashing a badge at the two uniform officers in her way. She shoves past them without protest, approaching the commissioner, who looks at her with no indication of his attitude.
"Yeah, whatever toots," the older, fatter man said to her, turning to face her with a sneer. "GCPD's got jurisdiction on the docks, at least until your fatso mayor sorts out otherwise with Reál."
"This may still be Gotham territory, detective Bullock," Yuri says, emphasizing the rank as she glanced at the shield on his trenchcoat, "But this is an NYPD case. Tombstone's one of ours, and we've got permission from your mayor to oversee your investigation."
A cough from Gordon silenced the bickering pair, expression breaking into a friendly smile as he puts a hand on Bullock's shoulder. "Glad to see you've been taking the sensitivity training to heart, Bullock." He turns to their guest, shrugging. "Apologies for my friend. He's a bit rough around the edges, but he means well."
Yuri nods, softening, before nodding at the warehouse. "Have you sent anyone in yet?" Gordon shakes his head, nodding at the uniform officers setting up crime tape or interrogating witnesses. The older police commissioner glances past Yuri just briefly, and she spots more squad cars arriving behind her. "We just arrived, and we're still waiting for forensics. Would you like us to?"
The younger woman shakes her head, apparently satisfied by his answer. "Not yet, I've still got people I'm waiting for too. Go ahead and finish setting up, I've got to call one of them anyway." She says, smiling politely at the pair. She turns and walks back towards her car, ignoring the brief shadow passing over her as she wiped raindrops from her phone screen.
Landing as quietly as he could after falling a dozen feet out of the air mid web-swing, Spider-Man smiled beneath his mask as he got the call he'd been waiting for. "Why, if it isn't my favorite former top cop. What can Spider-Cop help you with today?"
"I'm going to regret helping you. I got you time to get in there, but you've got to be fast."
"I knew it, you do care. You can't see it beneath the cloth mask, but I'm blushing. Speaking of cloth, probably wasn't the best idea to wear this suit in this weather." Spider-Man chuckled as Yuri groaned on the other end of the line, carefully opening a rooftop shutter to the warehouse.
"I can tell that these GCPD folks aren't like the cops we know. One of them was chomping at the bit to get in there."
"Seriously Yuri, thank you. I know how tough an ask this was." He answers, crawling along the roof and looking around the catwalks. "Gotta go, but I'll make sure Tombstone gets a nice, five-knuckle hello from you." Satisfied that catwalks were unoccupied, Spider-Man lowered himself from the roof, sliding down a webline as the call disconnected.
Spider-Man spins around and lands on the railing, before placing himself beneath the catwalk. "Now if I were a b-tier criminal in need of a tan, where would I hide my secret home away from home..." He wonders to himself, looking below into the maze of shipping containers and crates of cargo that made up the interior. A brief bit of movement caught his eye. Spider-Man spotted a cowled figure emerge from the shadows, looking at the ground, seemingly unaware of him.
As he followed a single pair of faint footprints that didn't lead to an exit, a creak of straining metal caught Batman's attention. A glance above revealed the source of the noise, Spider-Man's red and blue costume just shades of green in the cowl's night vision. Judging by their relaxed posture, they hadn't realized they'd been caught, so Batman kept up the charade as he continued following the trail.
He stops at one shipping container, with noticeably less dust and smaller than the others. If he wanted the surprise, now was the time. He deactivated the night vision of his cowl, before throwing open his cape and revealing a batarang in his hand. Spider-Man reacted first, a web ball slamming Batman's hand into the shipping container's door, trapping his hand against the steel.
"Nice to meet you, mister dark, brooding, and handsome," Spider-Man says, descending on another webline. Batman tugged against the web, only grunting in response. "I wouldn't bother, if I were you. It's like sand, trying to get rid of it only makes the mess worse. Trust me, I've had to clean web out of these spandex more times than I can count."
The figure opened his other hand, revealing several small round objects that fell to the floor. The Spider-Sense flaring in his head, Spider-Man averts his eyes just as the flashbang pellets went off. Blinking rapidly and looking down again, Spider-Man only saw Batman vanish into a smoke cloud that had gathered where he once stood. He slid down the webline, eyes still protected but still waving his hands in an attempt to disperse the smoke.
"Oh great, ninjas. I didn't know that Tombstone had started outsourcing," Spider-Man said, the tingle in his head warning him to flip, narrowly avoiding a trio of batarangs flying towards him. Batman grimaced as his opponent's talking continued, crouching into the shadows to observe.
"You don't seem like the Hand, though. Too Tim Burton-y for them." Batman darted in before the last of the smoke dispersed, swinging his fist to connect with Spider-Man's turned head, only for the wall-crawler to duck beneath his blow, folding into a hand stand, and kicking upwards.
The Dark Knight stumbled backwards, Spider-Man's heel still grazing his chin with enough force to draw blood. He steps back and takes a boxing pose as Spider-Man backflips towards him, blocking another kick but sliding backwards from his sheer strength. Immediately aware he was outmatched physically, Batman swung his cape at Spider-Man, who shifted backwards. "What are these things, anyway? Not knives, not boomerangs..." The webhead taunted, catching the batarang.
The ache in his head warned him just as the explosive batarang's timer went off, and Spider-Man tossed the shuriken aside just before it could blow up his face. The flash and heat still sent him reeling, slamming back into a shipping container. Batman leaped forward, slamming three quick jabs into his opponent's stomach, grunting in exertion as he felt how little these punches were doing. He retrieves another smoke grenade from his utility belt, pulling the pin as he planted his boot into Spider-Man's chest and kicked himself backwards.
Spider-Man shot a web into the smoke, just missing the escaping Batman as the webline flew harmlessly over his shoulder. He loosed another web upward, swinging into the more open terrain of the warehouse's loading deck and out of the smoke. "You know, it's not too late to talk this out. It looks like you've got a thing for bats, I got a thing for spiders. We could still work it out," he says into the darkness, his natural night vision only offering unhelpful shades of grey against the crates.
Batman observed from above in the catwalks, gauging his opponent. He drew another pair of batarangs, tossing each in separate directions. Each swerved in the air, before spinning around - one back towards him, the other behind Spider-Man's head. He watched as Spider-Man briefly glanced in the general direction of the former, before suddenly reacting and dodging the latter. Affirming his suspicion, Batman tossed several batarangs, hoping to overwhelm whatever danger precognition he was using to dodge everything.
Spider-Man's senses kicked in, ducking to avoid several batarangs, but another tingle hit just as Batman swung in from above, grappel hook giving him momentum as he kicked into Spider-Man. Not relenting, Batman tossed his grapple gun aside and unholstered another, shooting the line at Spider-Man. The webhead dodged, shooting a pair of weblines ahead, preparing to catapult himself forward. His Spider-Sense kicked in, and he turned to catch the chair that Batman had dragged towards them with his grapple gun. Another pang shot through Spider-Man's head just as the Caped Crusader's fist collided with his jaw.
Taking a breath, Spider-Man struggled as Batman's assault of quick kicks, batarangs, and jabs overwhelmed him. The constant input forced Spider-Man on the defensive, and every time he attempted to raise his arms to web-sling away Batman knocked them aside. "You know," Spider-Man started, Batman's knee temporarily interrupting him, "Despite how it would look from the outside, you're not actually," he continues, a batarang cutting him from behind and tearing part of his mask, exposing a patch of brown hair. "Doing that much. I can give you some tips on your left hook if you want."
"Shut up and fall dammit!" Batman relents, taking just a single second to catch his breath. Spider-Man uses the lull to reach for his own utility belt. The Spider-Signal flared in Batman's face, forcing him to stop again as he covered his eyes. "Only right before I beat up strangers in costumes worse than mine." Spider-Man taunts, bending down and delivering a swift uppercut.
Lifting Batman a solid three feet off the ground, Spider-Man followed up by jumping into the air, spinning and delivering another kick directly into Batman's back. As the Dark Knight collapses onto the ground, vision rapidly fading, he attempts to escape, drawing a smoke pellet in one hand and his grappel gun in the other. "Oh no, not this time!" A web forces the grappel away from Batman's hand and onto the ground, shattering it just as the smoke bomb releases.
He could feel another web wrapping around his ankle, and he watches helplessly as he's dragged upside down, dangling from the catwalk. Blinking rapidly, Batman reaches for his utility belt just as Spider-Man snatches it away with a web, letting it fall harmlessly to the ground sixty feet below. Blood rushing to his head and now exhausted and beaten, Batman looks at the also upside-down Spider-Man, who gives a friendly neighborhood wave.
"Now, let's talk before the blood pooling gets too dangerous for you. First, introductions. My name is Spider-Man, I'm a Virgo, and I enjoy long walks on the Coney Island boardwalk. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Epilogue[]
As the sun set on another day in DFederal, Bruce Wayne sulked as he approached his apartment, Dick Grayson hot on his heels. "Bruce, you really ought to let Jason and his buddies stop getting in your head. Just take a visit to the Iceberg once and awhile; when he's not an ass, he's honestly a good listener and makes a mean margarita."
"I don't think he would let me in, even if that's what I wanted." Bruce said, glancing at his door and drowning out the sound of construction. Painfully aware that his improvised Batcave was being demolished, and his unit being impossibly transported to the top floor, he nevertheless noticed his door was already unlocked. "Nightwing, we're not-"
"You can use my real name, Bruce. Secret identities are practically useless here as long as someone's got a cell phone. Besides, I know we're not alone. I...I invited them." Dick says, opening the door.
Inside, Bruce saw in confusion various members of the Justice League cramped together in his apartment. Two, Clark and Diana, quickly separated their hands, awkwardly looking away as one of the Flashes stepped forward. "Hey, Bruce. We all decided that we needed to talk."
Before he could protest, he heard the distinct shimmer of Hal Jordan's ring forming a hard-light door construct blocking the exit. He glared at the others, defiantly looking into each of their eyes. "I'm not-"
"Yeah yeah, your whole crusade and mission shtick," Ollie says, crossing his arms in annoyance. "We've heard it all before, and we're getting sick of it."
"What Ollie is trying to say is that you need help, Bruce," Clark says, folding his hands and frowning. "We all had to adjust when we got here. But we've all found our own ways to help people, without provoking the users."
Bruce looks at Diana, who sighs sadly and looks him in the eye. "This is an intervention, Bruce. J'onn's niece M'gann...or this city's version of her, anyway, is a trained therapist. We all trust and know her. But the mission is over, and it's time you accept that. It took a lot for me to do so, but I did. I know you have the strength to do so too." Taking a moment to process, with a reassuring hand from Dick on his shoulder, the Batman finally lets out a shaky breath.
"Fine. I'll go. But-" His acceptance is cut off as Dick grabs him in a hug, followed by Barry and Diana. "It's okay, Bruce. That's all we need you to do."
Expert's Opinion[]
A fairly simple win for the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, whose strength, web-slinging, and Spider-Sense all limited Batman's best assets. The Dark Knight's greater strategic mind and martial arts skill meant he could've beat the wall-crawler if he was careful and precise, but he would have had to operated with perfection at every single moment to prevent Spidey from getting the chance to go on the offensive. The moment he got breathing room, the Amazing Spider-Man proved why he was the superior comic book icon.
To see the original battle, weapons, and votes, click here.