# Where does the whole "Batman, if he's prepared" come from? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 28, 2003, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-whole-batman-if-hes-prepared-come-from/184962 "2003-06-28T12:07:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-whole-batman-if-hes-prepared-come-from/184962/21 "2003-06-29T03:02:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fenris \* > \*\*The actual phrase, IIRC, comes from an interview Grant Morrison did in WIZARD prior to his JLA run. WIZARD asked Morrison who’d win if the JLA fought, and Morrison said Batman, if he had time to prepare. > > Which I don’t buy, by the way, but that wasn’t the question asked. 🙂 > > Fenris \*\* I read the same article. I think Morrison’s on crack. Though I believe that the idea about Batman kicking anyone’s ass with time to prepare comes from The Dark Knight Returns, where Batman beats the hell out of Superman. ---
**Author:** ![Fairy\_Princess\_Kitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df705f/32.png) [@Fairy\_Princess\_Kitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fairy_Princess_Kitty)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-whole-batman-if-hes-prepared-come-from/184962/22 "2003-06-29T04:25:59Z")
I’m not sure where I heard it so I might be wrong… but I heard that most of the Batman/Superman conflicts have been done out of continuum in the marvel world and were just little side stories until quite recently. In the Batman Hush series which I understand is _in_ continuum, Batman goes to metropolis for something or other and ends up beating up SDuperman again… or somethuing to that effect because Superman was drugged by Poison Ivy. Any definitive answers all you comic buffs? Kitty ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-whole-batman-if-hes-prepared-come-from/184962/23 "2003-06-29T04:53:39Z")
> [@](#): > > Batman goes to metropolis for something or other and ends up beating up SDuperman again… or somethuing to that effect because Superman was drugged by Poison Ivy. However, during this fight, he admits that he’s only able to hurt Superman because Superman is resisting the mind control and holding back. He comments that if he wanted to, Superman could squish him into the ground in a second even while he had the kryptonite ring. I remember reading that Morrison interview, too. I still have the old Wizard JLA Special that came out when the latest series started, and it gives detailed analysis on how Batman would take out each of the JLA members. Half of them make absolutely no sense, but there you have it. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-whole-batman-if-hes-prepared-come-from/184962/24 "2003-06-29T05:13:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fairy Princess Kitty \* > I’m not sure where I heard it so I might be wrong… > but I heard that most of the Batman/Superman conflicts have been done out of continuum in the marvel world Oh, they were waaaaay out of the Marvel world. ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-whole-batman-if-hes-prepared-come-from/184962/25 "2003-06-29T06:10:04Z")
The recent “Tower of Babel” JLA trade is exactly this story: Batman’s protocols are stolen by Ras-Al-Ghul and Talia, and used against the entire JLA, save Batman. Batman’s method for taking out Superman was particularly nasty: altered kryptonite that causes excrutiating pain. His strategy for taking out Wonder Woman was exceedingly lame though. ---
**Author:** ![sotally\_tober](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/46a35a/32.png) [@sotally\_tober](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sotally_tober)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-whole-batman-if-hes-prepared-come-from/184962/26 "2003-06-29T12:50:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Apos \* > \*\*His strategy for taking out Wonder Woman was exceedingly lame though. \*\* Ok, i’ll bite. 😃 And that strategy would be…? ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-whole-batman-if-hes-prepared-come-from/184962/27 "2003-06-29T14:42:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mockingbird \* > \*\*Though I believe that the idea about Batman kicking anyone’s ass with time to prepare comes from The Dark Knight Returns, where Batman beats the hell out of Superman. \*\* …which I didn’t buy either. Batman only won in DKR because of Deus ex Author: to wit, Frank Miller, who’s apparenly on record as hating Superman.\* The Kryptonite gauntlets only work if the author writes Superman as retarded and unable/unwilling to use about half his powers. (Given that, it was _still_ a great story.) Fenris \*The rumor I’ve heard as to why the second Dark Knight series sucked so badly and the last issue was so late was that Miller had allegely done something dreadful (made him a child molester or something) to Superman and when DC got the pages, they went ballistic and made him redo them. ---
**Author:** ![New\_Improved\_Scott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f17d59/32.png) [@New\_Improved\_Scott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/New_Improved_Scott)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-whole-batman-if-hes-prepared-come-from/184962/28 "2003-06-29T18:37:23Z")
Well, the idea of “Prep Time” is definately older than Morrisson’s interview. As an alumni of the now defunct [wizardworld.com](http://wizardworld.com) message boards, I can say that prep time was oft debated online there before the JLA book was released. And for the record, Bats is just that good. ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-whole-batman-if-hes-prepared-come-from/184962/29 "2003-06-29T18:41:10Z")
> [@](#): > > Batman only won in DKR because of Deus ex Author To be fair, Superman had just recovered from practically being reduced to a skeleton. That’s what makes the fight believable for me, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-whole-batman-if-hes-prepared-come-from/184962/30 "2003-06-29T20:09:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Apos \* > \*\*The recent “Tower of Babel” JLA trade is exactly this story: Batman’s protocols are stolen by Ras-Al-Ghul and Talia, and used against the entire JLA, save Batman. Batman’s method for taking out Superman was particularly nasty: altered kryptonite that causes excrutiating pain. > > His strategy for taking out Wonder Woman was exceedingly lame though. \*\* I’m curious about the Wonder Woman plan too and why did Batman have these plans in the first place? In case Superman went insane? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-whole-batman-if-hes-prepared-come-from/184962/31 "2003-06-29T20:52:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sotally tober \* > \*\*Ok, i’ll bite. 😃 > > And that strategy would be…? \*\* He takes Wonder Woman out to dinner and claims he has trouble committing to a relationship. She spends the next five years (and the best part of her youth) trying to “change” him. Sad. Just sad. ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-whole-batman-if-hes-prepared-come-from/184962/32 "2003-06-30T03:32:20Z")
Well, you shoudl read the book (and I shouldn’t have spoilered the supes strat) but… He shoots a nanobot into her ear which puts her in a virtual reality dreamworld in which she must fight non-stop, and her waking body experiences the assertion. As the nearby blind GL realizes, WW will now fight until her heart litterally beats itself to death. I said it was lame. Anyway, Batman isn’t the one to actually execute the plan, so it doesn’t work anyway. > [@](#): > > why did Batman have these plans in the first place? In case Superman went insane? Basically for any situation in which members of the JLA became controlled, brainwashed, insane, whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-whole-batman-if-hes-prepared-come-from/184962/33 "2003-06-30T07:12:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wang-Ka \* > \*\*…this pretty much reinforces the idea that Batman, if he has knowledge of his opponent, and a little time to get ready in the Batcave, could theoretically defeat GOD if he had to… \*\* (Emphasis mine) I wish, I just WISH that I had the courage to post _that_ matchup as a “versus” thread. Ranchoth (I think Gaiman might have done it already, tho’…) ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-whole-batman-if-hes-prepared-come-from/184962/34 "2003-06-30T13:25:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fairy Princess Kitty \* > **I’m not sure where I heard it so I might be wrong… > but I heard that most of the Batman/Superman conflicts have been done out of continuum in the marvel world and were just little side stories until quite recently.** Actually, I’m pretty sure that _all_ of the Batman/Superman conflicts are out of the continuum of the Marvel world. In fact, I suspect most of anything Bats or Supes does is out of that continuum. Now the DC continuum on the other hand… 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-whole-batman-if-hes-prepared-come-from/184962.md?page=1)