The Devastator form of Batman combines the brains of Bruce Wayne with the body of Doomsday. Doomsday is one of Superman’s most infamous foes and is best known for killing the Man Of Steel in comic arc The Death of Superman. While Superman obviously didn’t stay dead, this storyline proved shocking to fans back in 1992. Doomsday himself would reappear in later storylines.
The Death Of Superman storyline became so well-known that a number of attempts were made to adapt it into a live-action project. One iteration was dubbed Superman V: Reborn, with Christopher Reeve set to reprise the role. Two drafts were developed for this version, one where Superman dies and his son inherits the mantle, and another where he dies but is later reborn without his powers. The project would later morph into Tim Burton’s Superman Lives, where Nic Cage (Mandy) was hired to play the title character, who is killed midway by Doomsday but later resurrected. Ultimately, Doomsday made his big-screen debut with 2016’s Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice, which Lex Luthor created from the body of General Zod (Michael Shannon).
Despite this, Batman V Superman director Zack Snyder later suggested the movie’s take on the villain wasn’t quite the real deal, and the real Doomsday is still out in the DC movie universe somewhere. Doomsday’s defeat of Superman is still an iconic moment that writers can’t help revisiting, which is where the Devastator form of Batman comes from.
This version of Batman was introduced in the Dark Nights: Metal comic series and is one of several alternate Batmen assembled by a demon called Barbatos to do his bidding. The Devastator comes from Earth -1, where Superman went rogue and began killing innocents, including Lois Lane. The two former allies battle but Superman easily overpowers the Caped Crusader, who injects himself with a Doomsday Virus. This instantly transforms him into a hulking, unstoppable version of Doomsday, who proceeds to effortlessly slaughter the Man Of Steel. The virus would later spread and infect the whole world, with The Devastator powerless to stop it.
This is why he laters accepts The Batman Who Laughs offer to join the Dark Knights and come to Prime Earth. The Devastator unleashes the Doomsday Virus upon Metropolis, which he feels will make them strong so they’ll never have to fear an attack from Superman again. Naturally, this results in a lot of death, and this world’s Superman eventually returns and slays The Devastator in combat.
The Devastator version of Batman was a really unique take on Doomsday since he had all of the villain’s raw power and menace, but he also retained Batman’s knowledge and intellect. His tragic origin also elicits a little bit of sympathy, since he became The Devastator out of sheer desperation and heartache over Superman’s descent into evil.
Next: That Time Batman Fought A Joker Xenomorph
