Batman vs. Predator: Yautja And Dark Knight Encounters
Batman has encountered Predators more than any other superhero, either by battling them alone in Gotham City or elsewhere together with Superman or the Justice League. Batman was a sought-after trophy for the Predators and the adversaries were quite evenly matched. Here is a list of the Dark Knight's notable encounters with different types of Yautja.
Batman vs. Meta-Predator
The Meta-Predators were a group of Yautja who were transformed by rogue Dominion genetics into super-powered versions of themselves in the JLA vs. Predator comic series. The super-powers were extracted from the heroes of the Justice League. This meant there was a Predator version Of Flash with super speed and a Yautja Plastic Man who could stretch himself. However, one of the Predators received the powers of Batman, who really didn't have any superpowers. Maybe he received his detective skills and sharp intellect. What the Batman Meta-Predator did receive, was a costume with the bat symbol. He fought Batman and failed miserably.
Batman vs. Andes Mountains Predators
14 000 years ago, during the ice age, a Predator colony ship crash-landed on Earth near the Andes Mountains. The Predators established a secluded habitat under the mountain and lived in tribal ways hunting Xenomorphs. During modern times, the volcano inside the mountain started to erupt, and the Predators sent search parties around the world. One of these parties ventured to Gotham City and met with Batman in the Kaiser Steel Mill. They had a quick nonlethal fight and the Predators escaped. This happened at the beginning of the Superman and Batman versus Aliens and Predator comic, one of the last stories where Batman met Predators.
Batman vs. Gladiator Predator
When Batman followed the Predator scouting party to the Andes mountains, he discovered the secret Yautja tribe hidden there. After fighting Xenomorphs together, the tribe took Batman into the cave system and briefly introduced their ways of living. However, Batman had to fight their champion to prove his worthiness as a warrior. The Gladiator Predator was a huge behemoth, one of the biggest Predators seen in the Yautja lore. Batman was able to dispatch him quickly using a modified defibrillator. Later on, Batman joined forces with some of the Predators against more Xenomorphs and Superman helped them leave Earth.
Batman vs. Young Blood Predator
In the third Batman vs. Predator comic titled Blood Ties, a father and son duo of Predators arrived in Gotham City for a hunt. While the father planned to concentrate on Batman, the son was supposed to take on Robin. Before he could do that, the young blood Predator had a short aerial fight with the Dark Knight, who was flying a GCPD copter. The Yautja managed to disable the rear rotor of the chopper and it crashed into a building, while Batman barely catapulted out. The older Yautja was proud of his son's effort.
Batman vs. Young Blood Predator's Father
As mentioned previously, a proud Yautja father came to hunt the Dark Knight together with his son in the Batman vs. Predator III: Blood Ties comic series. While Batman chose to not use his mech-suit in the Batman vs. Predator II comic, he wore a body-heat-masking armored suit in this one. Batman used Wayne tower as a trap to lure the older Yautja, trying to use different gadgets to incapacitate the Predator. What worked was a sub-zero cannon taken Mr. Freeze - Batman was able to capture and tie the hunter up. He then used the captured Predator to cut a deal with the younger Predator to let Robin live and leave Gotham City once and for all.
Batman and Enforcer Predators
In Batman vs. Predator II: Bloodmatch, Batman fought a young bad blood Predator who ventured to Earth to hunt the greatest detective. Two Enforcer Predators were sent after him, as he had broken the rules of the hunt. At first, Batman thought he was in big trouble - instead of one Yautja adversary, he would meet three. However, the bad blood quickly dispatched one of the Enforcers and took his head as a trophy. Batman met with the other Enforcer, and instead of fighting, they agreed to keep out of each other's way and possibly even join forces against the bad blood. After respectfully removing the body of his brother, the surviving Enforcer left and later blew up the ship of the bad blood Predator.
Batman vs. Bad Blood Predator
Months after his first run-in with a Predator, Batman found himself with a bounty on his head and several assassins trying to kill him. One of them was coincidentally a Predator, who had heard of the mighty Gotham City warrior who had taken down one of his brothers. This was a young bad blood Predator, in a sense that he did not follow the rules of the hunt as was hunted down by other Yautja. Batman fought the bad blood several times without using his mech-suit, and managed to defeat him together with the Huntress. The Predator's ship was blown up by an Enforcer Predator when it tried to escape Earth, conveniently keeping Batman from killing anyone again. These events transpired in Batman vs. Predator II: Bloodmatch.
Batman and Elder Predator
An Elder Predator came to Gotham City to end the fight between Batman and a Predator that had been raging for several weeks. Batman was the clear winner but he was famous for his "no killing" policy. The elder gave the defeated Predator a ceremonial sword for a self-execution. After the suicide, the elder pulled the sword out and gave it to Batman as a token for his victory. The Predators left on their spaceship and Batman ruminated that they would not return to the city again, however, he was obviously wrong.
Batman vs. Dead End Predator
Batman: Dead End is a short and atmospheric fan film that features Batman, Aliens and Predators facing off in a gritty Gotham. The film was made a few years before Batman: Begins, and its realistic portrayal of Batman was lauded by critics. It is also one of the few and best Alien vs. Predator fan films. After chasing down an escaped Joker to the Gotham City docks, the clown was dragged away by a Xenomorph. Batman then engaged the Xenomorph but it was blown away by a Yautja. The Dark Knight and Predator then have an elongated fight, before more Yautja appear. The film wasn't official, but it gained recognition by NECA who made a figure out of the Red Predator who appeared at the end of the film.
Batman vs. First Gotham City Predator
The first Batman vs. Predator graphic novel is not just the best encounter of the titular characters, it is both a great Predator and Batman comic altogether. Created by Dave Gibbons of Watchmen fame, it followed a lone Predator in Gotham City who hunted and killed the henchmen of crime bosses. After Batman started investigating the case, they soon had a duel in a scrapyard, where Batman lost and narrowly escaped with his life. Later on, Batman employs the usage of a mech-suit and goes for a second round which takes them through the Gotham City Police Department, Batcave, and finally the outskirts of Wayne Manor. The Predator loses the fight and chooses to end his own life with a ceremonial sword provided by an elder Predator.
Big Mama Predator vs. Batman
As you can see, Batman has always been successful in dealing with Predators, even though he has sometimes taken a bad beating at first. However, there is one interesting easter egg that hints at his ultimate failure in dealing with the Yautja. In the Aliens vs. Predator: Deadliest of the Species comic series, we were able to glance at a big trophy case of the Big Mama Predator, a vicious and legendary female Yautja. In addition to including several X-Men trophies (the series author Chis Claremont was also writing the X-men series), there is a head of Batman, with his mask still attached. The series takes place years after the three first Alien movies, but as Predators are known to be centuries old, it could indicate Batman's last encounter with a skilled Predator that ultimately ended in his death.
Want to know more about the Yautja lore? Check out the list of the human Predators and look over the information about the Predator king.
