While Batman is one of the toughest DC heroes to beat in a fight, even he admits that he’d lose in a one-on-one battle with Cassandra Cain. In a conversation discussing the potential of the current Batgirl, The Dark Knight was once asked what would happen if he had to fight for real with the quiet but deadly hero. Batman responded, “I’d lose,” recognizing the incredible fighting skills Cain has learned during her difficult upbringing in the DC Universe.
In Detective Comics #951 by James Tynion IV, Christos Gage, Alex Sinclair, and Sal Cipriano from DC Comics, the Bat-Family train in Gotham City as Lady Shiva plans her next attack. Batman watches as her daughter, Cassandra Cain, trains in the mud room, which simulates battles against villains – as the young hero takes on several versions of the Penguin alongside Azrael and Batwing. The former Batgirl (going by Orphan at the time) impresses Batwoman, who asks Batman if he ever thinks what would happen if he had to fight her “for real.” The Dark Knight shares that “of course” he’s considered the situation while admitting “I’d lose” to Cain.
While Batman admitting that any powerless hero could beat him in a one-on-one fight might seem ridiculous, Cassandra Cain makes for quite a formidable foe. Cain is the daughter of assassins Lady Shiva and David Cain and wasn’t raised like a child; instead, she was made to be the perfect killer, not being allowed to speak in favor of perfecting her violent nature. Cain is a master of martial arts whose sole purpose for a good chunk of her life was to be a deadly weapon. Batman knows this and doesn’t underestimate her fighting abilities.
Batman Knows He’d Lose to Cassandra Cain
Batwoman makes an excellent point to Batman while watching Cassandra Cain train in the mud room. She tells him that Cain “doesn’t appear to have an upper limit” to her fighting skills, which is both impressive and a problem if she ever turns against them. Thankfully, Cain’s dark history means she wants to fight alongside the heroes and not become the weapon her parents wanted her to be.
Batman has trained the likes of Nightwing, Robin, and more sidekicks and allies to be well-prepared to deal with powerful threats and dangerous situations. However, when it comes to Cain, Batman knows she is a better fighter and more dangerous than any of the other members of the Bat-Family. Yes, Batman has taken down Cain in a fight before when necessary, but one-on-one in a battle to the death, Cassandra is coming out on top. As a result, Batman isn’t afraid to admit that he’d lose a one-on-one fight with Cassandra Cain‘s Batgirl.
