People love the Dark Knight so much they could even accept Ben Affleck playing him, but Black Panther? He gets no respect from the general public. Thing is: Everything Batman is, Black Panther is better.
For the uninitiated, Batman may be one of the world’s first recognized superheroes, but T’Challa the Black Panther deserves his props too: he was the first major mainstream black superhero. True, there had been some embarrassing attempts in the past, and others that were noteworthy but never caught on among the reading public, but Black Panther premiered in the World’s Greatest Comics Magazine: the Fantastic Four. Meanwhile DC was afraid to have a black hero join the Legion of Superheroes.
Like Batman, Black Panther is an intelligent, rich man who is one of the best fighters in the world, and hangs out with the world’s most powerful superteam. In all respects however, Black Panther is the better man.
1. Resources: City’s Richest Man vs. World’s Richest Man
Forbes.com estimates Bruce Wayne is worth an impressive $9.2 billion. Inheriting his fortune from his father and (barely) managing his dad’s company, Bruce has nearly unlimited access to any tools of the trade he might need to fight street-level crime (not that he uses them correctly). Not bad for Gotham City’s wealthiest playboy.
T’Challa, on the other hand, is worth $90.7 trillion according to Time.com’s estimates. Like Wayne, T’Challa inherited his fortune from his father, but while Thomas Wayne granted his son an economic empire, T’Chaka granted his son the keys to the kingdom of Wakanda and the Great Mound – the Earth’s only source of True Vibranium.
The fictional metal is the source of the most fantastic of Marvel technology, even serving as a key component in Captain America’s shield. Because of the metal’s vital importance, and the fact that T’Challa’s people have zealously guarded it for centuries, the Wakandan people can set any price on it and completely control the global trade. (There does exist, by the way, Antarctic Vibranium, but it destroys all other metals and is not quite as useful.)
2. Smarts: World’s Greatest Detective vs. One of the Universe’s Smartest Men
Batman deserves a lot of respect for his sleuthing skills, as he has can find anything (even a trigger), and it is his brains, not his muscle that have allowed him to beat every opponent he’s ever faced. He also invented a lot of his own equipment, though some versions of the story have the Bat computer invented by his dad or the Batmobile invented by random engineers working for Lucius Fox.
Likewise T’Challa also inherited much of his technology, as the small nation of Wakanda has been the most advanced human civilization on his world for countless generations – but even given that, T’Challa is the smartest man to ever come out of Wakanda. He is listed among the Eight Smartest Men in the Marvel Universe, a list that includes Reed “Mr. Fantastic” Richards, Hank “the original Ant-Man” Pym, and Henry “the Beast” McCoy. As one of the smartest men, T’Challa joined their boys club the Illuminati (a team of secretive superheroes, not Beyoncé’s back-up singers) and staved off the end of multiple universes several times over.
3. Origin: Childhood Trauma vs. International Incident
Batman’s parents were shot by a random thug when he was a kid. He was so traumatized, he dedicated his life to becoming an object of fear to criminals all over the world and decided to dress like a bat because one accidentally flew through his window once.
Black Panther’s father, the king, was murdered by a supervillain (Ulysses Klaw) in an act that would once again shut off Wakanda from the world for decades, until T’Challa reopened it under his supervision. Oh, and T’Challa immediately got revenge for his father’s death by destroying Klaw’s hand and driving the outsiders from Wakanda. T’Challa dresses like a panther because it is the ceremonial garb of his nation’s greatest champion. It was not merely granted to him because he was king – he had to earn the title of Black Panther by besting all challengers.
4. Skills: Trained by World’s Greatest Fighters vs. Descended From History’s Greatest Fighters
Whether taught to fight by venerated ninjas or trained in sleight of hand by a great magician, the best in the world helped young Bruce Wayne become the master of all combat. Hand-to-hand, there is no greater fighter in the DC Universe. Even those who are more skilled in specific forms of combat or have other special advantages in battle fall before his fists.
T’Challa, on the other hand, was the latest in a long line of warrior kings, each learning from the successes and failures of the last. Trained to be the best warrior in his nation of warriors, T’Challa has an added advantage that his predecessors did not. Aside from being King of Wakanda, T’Challa was recently christened by his patron the Panther God as King of the Dead, as such, he not only calls on the skills passed down from his forefathers, he can actually call them up for advice and counsel at any time.
5. Power Boost: Temporary High of the Lazarus Pit vs. Permanent High of the Heart-Shaped Herb
Batman has died a few times, and often he’s relied on the Lazarus Pits of Ra’s al Ghul to bring him back. Returning from the pit invigorates Batman as nothing else can, making him – temporarily – a god-like man. The experience also has a tendency to unbalance the mind and can drive someone insane if they aren’t careful. Then there’s Venom, the drug of choice for Bane. When high on the drug, Batman was nigh-unbeatable, but the drug almost beat him.
Black Panther only took his traditional medical supplement once. After earning the right to be Black Panther, T’Challa imbibed the heat-shaped herb and was granted subtle – but significant – powers from the Panther God. With heightened senses, reflexes, and strength, T’Challa gained the perfect human physique.
6. Toys: Bat Ex Machina vs. Vibranium Ex Machina
Much has been made of Batman’s gadgets. He has an item for any occasion (though rarely ever an actual gun). Hell, he even had shark-bat-repellent handy just in case any shark-bats attacked! More traditionally, he has a Batmobile (some of which can fly), various bat-themed planes (presumably, some of which can be driven), Batarangs, glove-knife thingies, and a plethora of other all-purpose weapons. This can get a bit silly as times, but then, Batman is always prepared. Even for silly.
Black Panther is just as prepared, though most of his gadgets are Vibranium-based (but not panther-themed, because that’d be stupid). He designed them himself to do whatever needs done, from non-lethally incapacitating opponents to running up sheer vertical walls without making a sound (Vibranium tends to cancel most sounds). He devised technology for temporarily holding the nigh-unbeatable Silver Surfer and designed the Quinjets used by the Avengers and SHIELD. In fact, much of the technology in the Marvel Universe – even that designed by Reed Richards or Tony Stark – is based on Wakandan designs, and most of the designs Wakanda has released into the world were designed by T’Challa himself.
7. Bragging Rights: Able to Defeat Any Hero or Villain vs. Able to Defeat Any God or Devil
Totally my bad you guys. For realsies.
In the rightly lauded JLA “Tower of Babel” story arc, DC’s greatest legends learned Batman had a plan for defeating each and every one of them. It’s not that he wanted to defeat them, he just knew he might have to someday. If ever any of them went evil – which is a thing that happened – or simply had to be taken down, he would be ready.
Similarly, it was eventually revealed that the only reason Black Panther ever joined the Avengers was to spy on Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Even as he acted as friend and confidant, he was studying them to gauge threat levels and learn weaknesses. Upon learning this, Captain America immediately kicked Black Panther off the team (but later invited him back). Black Panther’s preparedness does not stop there, however, as he has standing plans ready for himself or his army to use should any threat menace Wakanda. He created Galactus contingency plans intended to defeat the undefeatable force of nature (and later put them into effect alongside the Fantastic Four). He also prepared to defeat the devil, should he ever need to – and he did when the devil walked in his door. By the end of the confrontation, Mephisto (Marvel’s most successful Satan-riff) was begging to leave.
8. Sidekick(s): Boy Wonder vs. Queen Divine Justice
Batman has various Robins and Black Panther has the Dora Milaje.
The Dora Milaje are the Vestal virgins of Wakanda: Warrior women of numerous tribes who have pledged themselves to be the brides of the Black Panther and no one else, but whom he does not partake to maintain the delicate tribal balance of the country.
The greatest of all Dora Milaje was Queen Divine Justice, a Chicago raised teen who had more attitude and a better BS-detector than any Robin ever had. Plus, she took the Hulk out clubbing once and they remained friends for life.
9. Archenemy: Mass Murdering Clown vs. Unkillable Living Sound
Okay, granted the Joker is a lot cooler than Klaw, but the supervillain that killed T’Challa’s dad (and was played by Andy Serkis in Avengers: Age of Ultron) has one up on the Clown Prince of Crime in that while the Joker has had to fake his death (or barely survive) several times, Klaw exists as a being of living sound and has “died” numerous times, only to echo back to life. He’s currently dead, but that won’t last.
And while Black Panther’s rogues’ gallery isn’t a 10th of what Batman’s is, Black Panther has still had some bad ass opponents. The White Wolf is Black Panther’s helpful hindrance, as T’Challa’s adopted brother sees himself as Black Panther’s aid in protecting Wakanda while doing everything T’Challa commands against. Then there’s Erik Killmonger, who fancies himself T’Challa’s opposite and is certainly a threat both physically and mentally (and has a name even cooler than Jessica Jones’ enemy Kilgrave). And the rather odd – but still serious – threat of the Man-Ape, who despite all appearances is a foe T’Challa takes most seriously due to the Man-Ape’s political clout in Africa. Black Panther’s most feared enemy, however, has no apparent powers and wears no garish supervillain garb – he is simply Achebe, the smartest madman in the world.
10. Archfrienemy: Last Son of Krytpon vs. Avenging Son of Atlantis
Then there’s the big one: what superhero does the hero fight most fervently? We all know who wins in a fight between Batman and Superman (the studio is hoping they win), but what about Black Panther? He has had a long, antagonistic relationship with Namor, ruler of Atlantis. The two kings have butted heads more than once over international politics and superheroics, but it all came to a head when Namor destroyed whole swathes of Wakanda (he was under the influence of the cosmic deity Pheonix at the time, but T’Challa still blames him). In retaliation, Wakanda snuck attack New Atlantis, killing thousands in the dark waters of night. Responding to this immediately, Namor tricked the forces of Thanos (yes, that Thanos) into invading the already weakened Wakanda. Reacting to that, T’Challa crushed Namor between colliding Earths in a dying universe. Namor survived, and the two have since buried the hatchet – for now.
No one could argue Superman isn’t more popular or (usually) more powerful than the Sub-Mariner, but considering that Subbie is certainly up there with the heavyweights in strength, plus has an army of deadly warriors he’s not afraid to use at a moment’s notice, Namor of Atlantis is the greater threat. Plus, Superman cries when he has to kill a mass murderer. The Sub-Mariner killed 7,000,000,000 people to save two infinitely populated universes.
Bonus:
Legal Aid: Police Commissioner vs. Government Stooge
Batman’s friend Jim Gordon squeaks out the edge in badassery in this case, but with his special federal commission, Everett K. Ross can pull rank on a police commissioner like James Gordon (depending on the situation). Plus, Ross once sold his soul to the devil for a pair of pants and unknowingly dated T’Challa’s ex-girlfriend (good luck living up to the world’s most perfect man). What’s not to love about that loser?
So there you have it: Black Panther is objectively and definitively better than Batman.
Disagree? Tell me why in the comments.
Monomythic.com 
Alright, you’ve convinced me!
One down… now the world!
To me it looks like BP is a combination of Phantom (by Lee Falk) and Batman.
It’s interesting. I’ve seen tons of arguments against Batman, but really they just don’t hold up. (and it’s funny to see people pit someone like Wolverine against Batman and win, because we know Batman just wouldn’t walk into that fight. He would be prepared. I digress…)
In the first place, if they HAD to fight, Batman would be prepared. So might Black Panther. But there is a difference. Black Panther is unquestionably a human, as is almost everyone in the Marvel Universe. Batman is a god. More akin to Ulysses or Hercules. (Unlike Marvel’s Hercules, who is more like a really strong man go figure.) Marvel creates humans. Fallible humans. Ones that make mistakes.
DC created, quite by accident, a pantheon of Gods. Archetypes, Mythos. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, yes even Flash and Aquaman. If you actually look at Flash’s physiology, you realize he’s immortal (his body constantly regenerates to an optimum state). Superman is the same, his physiology most closely resembles a plant. Not sure how long Kryptonians lived, but guessing hundreds of years. Wonder Woman too. Her mother is 2000. What does that make Diana?
AND BATMAN is the equalizer. The King of the Gods or DC’s mythos. He would never leave the planet with them still in it. Which means, if the story is ever written, we will find Bruce Wayne centuries from now, sitting in whatever format he’s managed to provide, watching over his city and those he’s protecting.
T’Challa will get old and die and there will be a new Black Panther. But there will only EVER be one Batman, one Odin, one Zeus to watch over the other gods and keep them in line.
I should point out, this causes a lot of problems for DC, but Marvel and DC have very different takes on their characters. Marvel emphasizes the human aspect, the part that fails, while DC emphasizes the god-like nature. Oracle, Martian Manhunter. The most human of the bunch was Green Lantern and he BECAME part of God for a bit. Different universes, different takes. No matter how strong MOST Marvel characters are, in DCs universe, the Marvel characters don’t stand a chance. In Marvel’s universe, DC’s characters just don’t fit in. (exceptions for god-like in Marvel: Capt America, Hulk, sometimes Thor, the Original Human Torch, the Eternals, Black Bolt of the Inhumans. There are others, but very few.)
Batman is my favourite no question..but it has been shown in both the comics and the movies that Batman is a symbol..and many other people have worn the cowl when Gotham needed them. So I dunno…Will there be only 1 batman.? Clearly not as there have been several. Cool post though. I liked
Just to say that this publication of your shows too much that you are a black phanters fan. And Batman already defeat the justice league ALONE. and to finish Batman does not have powers. Black phanters has.
Whoever wrote this piece of shit should get ran over by the batmobile.That being said,Marvel only WISHES they had a batman so they decided to ripoff DC and do a bunch of carbon copies like daredevil,moon knight and Black panther.In case of panther,as the above article suggest,had every quality that made batman special had and given to black panther exaggerated.And even with all that,Black panther remains a trend for pretentious geeks and batman is still a cultural icon.So no,Black panther is nowhere near the level batman is in,If anything t’challa wishes he was.
People tend to base Batman vs everyone on popularity and a misunderstanding of what Batman actually does. He is smart but he is not the omni-genius people tend to say he is. He’s strong but only as strong as a well trained athlete (Brock Lesnar maybe). He is in no way infallible and he is definitely not a God. The Black Panther is superior in every way to Batman. He is a better fighter. Stronger. Smarter. Wealthier and doesn’t have any psychological baggage to deal with. He will never be as popular as Batman who is allowed to beat Superman on a semi-regular basis for no really good reason, and that lack of popularity will always make casual comic fans chose Batman over BP. Batman is McDonolds. BP is Wendy’s; better in every way but still not McDonalds.
Aptly put!
So you are saying that, Brock Lesnar could bench press 1,000 lbs, be able to keep up with Usain Bolt, preform acrobatics near perfectly, and exercise at high intensity approximately 6 hours each day, everyday, 5,000 calories a day, and still maintain a 6-2, 210 lbs.? I call bull
U just dont get it about batman, do u? Batman doesnt really signify any strength, intelligence, smartness or wealth…rather he is a symbol..of truth, hope, faith in the modern mankind… he is someone who is incorruptible at any cost… he can accept people’s hate..he can endure it…he can make any choice that no one else can make for the betterment of the people..the right choice.. he is whatever people need him to be…coz he is not simply a hero..he is something more..I suggest u watch the batman trilogy once more!!
Actually, I completely agree with you (and even had a separate post as a “Open Letter” to DC to that effect)! While I stand by my claims that Black Panther is very much Batman dialed to 11, Batman is unquestionably the greater symbol.
What I love about Marvel is the humanness of the characters. What I love about DC is that their characters are icons. Regardless of who is richer, smarter, or stronger, Batman is a god among men, stalking the night as an untouchable symbol of justice (even as he is, in a literal sense, “just human”).
Black Panther is that to his people, sure, but deep down, he is more man than king.
Kevin garcia. Como sé que eres hispano parlante por tu nombre, te lo diré en nuestro idioma en común.
Batman ya existía hace 30 años antes que Black Psnther, ergo, a Jack Kirby y al fan (y plagiador) #1 de DC, en especial de Superman, Stan Lee, decidió hacer el “Batman” de Marvel, por tercer intento, obteniendo a Black Panther, un personaje secundario enfocado para el público minoritario de los EEUU en la época, los afroamericanos, pues sabiendo esto te diré por que has escrito TAAAANTOS HECHOS comparativos entre ellos.
Desde el primero al último se caracterizan (en esencia es lo mismo) en que, al llegar al punto de BP,este se convierte en un superhombre, ya que MARVEL chuta, dopa, etc de “esteroides by MARVEL” en la que cojen los factores de un personaje de DC o de otra editorial y los inflan segun los esquemas preestablecidos….pero por que con BP fue y es así? Sinceramente no lo sé. Seguramente será para volverlo más atractivo y llamativo al pub al que está dirigido.
Sabiendo esto…¿Por que comparar a Batman y a BP es un error GARRAFAL? Sin duda alguna por las mentes de sus creadores, los de MARVEL tienen el mismo problema, no son capaces de dar vida a algo propio y se han apoyado en trabajos agenos…pero siempre con sus dotes de imaginativas (puntuales y poco más) y sus marcadas preferencias comerciales. Mientras que unos sólo querían devolver algo de misterio e historias que encuelven a ciertos personajes que transcienden en sus mundos…
En resumen, si batman pasara de un cómic de DC a otro de MARVEL sufriría uno cambios en poder y en perspectiva muy leves, pero, puntuales, pero si ocurriese al contrario, si BP pasase de MARVEL a DC sí que sufriría unos cambios BRUTALES, dejaría de ser un superhumano con la vision hesteroidada típica de MARVEL y acabaría siendo algo similar a CatMan…(el cual, tengo entendido de que es su parodia en DC).
BP puede ser x+100 de batman, pero ese x+100 se basa en un trabajo no original por parte de sus creadores.
Un saludo.
I was starting to get mad that everything I read said batman would win… when black panther is superior. Especially armour wise. I do like batman don’t get me wrong but people just think batman is the best super hero ever and unbeatable. When this is not the case. I am more of a marvel fan though so I could just see batman getting destroyed by the hulk or thor but I am glad to see i’m not the only who thinks black panther would win.
im not a batman fan either i hate him but i doubt he’ll lose, from what i read online and shit he took down the whole justice league if he could do that then he could take on that bitch black panther well both are bitches lmfao i’m more of a flash fan and a iron man fan
Batman defeated deathstroke. Deathstroke would destroy black panther in seconds. Also, come to think of it, how many martial arts does black panther knows? 5, 10, 20? Batman knows them all. Am a martial artist, i would choose martial arts over better gadgets anytime.
He knows every Type of martial arts Plus an Unkown Wakandan One and knows future moves And Gets used to patterns very Quick Plus he Has daggers that can cut Through Any metal. btw you Are Talking to an expert in muay thai, Mcmap, krav maga and wing chun Spent 15 years of fucking toil and sweat
BP has supernatural power her can draw from being&& Martial art skills can defeat someone with God like powers.
I just want to put an end to all this right now… The Black Panther has many strengths over batman, but he can still die. Batman can’t die… He has been alive far more longer than T’Challa. And lets think of this, Batman has a plan for killing all justice league members. So why wouldn’t he have a plan for killing Black Panther? So even though Black Panther has a vibranium suit and god like powers, Batman would still have a way of killing him. Batman vs Black Panther Solved.
Both Batman and Black Panther have a plan for everything, including how to defeat the heroes of their respective worlds, so how about this:
(Spoilers for Justice League #42 and Ultimates2 #100)
When Batman stole the power of a god, he used it to ask what the Joker’s true name was.
When Black Panther stole the power of a god, he used it to punch an entire universe while meditating.
Still a point for team Panther.
Are you stupid or what?
Black Panther knows all about martial arts.
Sounds like someone is a BP fan. I bet the person writin
g this is black too.
lol its all about the writers/creators dc vs marvel they wanted someone better then batman in everyway so they copy everything about him and gave it alittle more just so they can say BP is better then Batman but all these comparing is worthless cause its all make believe and anyone can create something better whenever they want like lets make what a super Asian guy with 3times more money then BP and batman combine and smarter then both of them combine and knows every fighting style there has ever been and on top of that created an armor far better then anything ever existed and that armor can copy your fifghting style and find weaknesses lol
Black panther is just a copypaste of batman with modifications , that’s why I still prefer batman over black panther.
I feel like this comes from someone who has only read the extremely mainstream Batman comics. My grandma knows killing Joke. She doesn’t know JLA Classified where it’s revealed that Batman invented his own shrink and space time portal generator and robot JLA that has all their powers (the robots were effortlessly destroyed by an omnipotent mind controlled being). Hows that for smart? His Bat computer can predict future events and simulate what would happen if things had gone differently.
His updated hellbat armor from Superman’s Rebirth series is enough to fight Eradicator once Eradicator’s power has been multiplied because he had all of Krypton’s population powering him. Even someone untrained like Lois Lane was able to do well against Eradicator and it no longer drains metabolism.
Very true! I’m working on an update for this to appear soonish. I need to read up on Hellbat and the time he took Metron’s power. Similarly, Black Panther has also received some upgrades, having taken the powers of a cosmic god from Marvel’s pantheon.
This battle would be much more closer than you are making it seem. I am a true 100% Batman fan myself, but I have learn to accept the fact that Bruce Wayne has limitations, and can’t beat EVERYONE. Intellectually, Black Panther is much more smarter, but I would predict Batman might have a slight advantage in tactical and strategy ability. It was estimated that Bruce Wayne’s IQ was about 190, so I would guess Black Panther is at minimum 240, realistically 270. (To be on par with Richard Reeds, you have to be a super genius). Physically, Black Panther may be faster and stronger, but I still think Batman has the slight advantage for martial arts ability. Also, Batman basically has superhuman reflexes and willpower. I would agree that Black Panther would win, mainly because of his Vibranium, quickness, and intellect.
This is obviously biased bullshit. Over 50% of characters from DC, Marvel copied.
Black Panther is a Batman rip off.
Black Panther is a trend.
Batman is an icon.
Batman has surpassed and defeated much greater foes than Black Panther.
Batman would definitely win based on this, solely.
Batman can go dig into the future, and Batman is always a step ahead.
Batman is God like and is looked upon that way.
Black Panther is a rip off from Africa that will die.
Batman will live Forever.
It’s obvious you only know Batman mainstream and you have no clue of his different versions and roles.
Batman came first. 30 years first.
All these DC ripoffs suck. Very much trendy now.
But the DC Characters, Villains are far more iconic than Marvels.
Also the DC universe is much more complicated, complex, grand than Marvels. It doesn’t even compare.
But recently DC has not been able to bring that in theaters. But DC is still the ruler of animation films.
Batman the God icon. Black Panther the rip off trend.
It’s all conjecture. Comparing two similar FICTITIOUS characters from different universes is like arguing who’s better between Jordan and Lebron. They played in different eras that can’t be compared. apples to oranges. Batman has a much longer history and a much deeper following than really ANY character in ANY universe so pitting anyone against Batman wouldn’t be fair unless they were iconic themselves. Black Panther is not an icon. Batman is NOT a god, he is a man. Batman CAN die, and has several times. I am a huge Batman fan, he is my favorite character, period. But to say that he is unbeatable, that he is a god, that he can beat anyone at any time is just not realistic. I love that he regularly can “beat” Superman but if we are being realistic, if Superman REALLY wanted to, he could kill Batman with the flick of his wrist. Are there some obvious parallels between Batman and Black Panther with Batman being the original and BP being the upgrade, yes. whether you’re an ignorant, blind fan of Batman or an avid, realistic fan, the argument put forth is a good argument. Hell, Batman might even agree on several of the points! All in all, this is fantasy and everyone will have their opinions. Personally, I think it would be a hell of a fight and would probably end in a draw. Or, somehow they would come to discover that they are both good guys and probably have no need to fight.