Superman V Batman
May. 8th, 2015 12:31 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wingedbeastSuperman operates in the light and Batman in the dark. Superman's primary motivation is hope for humanity. Batman's primary motivation is anger. Superman is who he is because of the good parents he was given. Batman is who he is because of the good parents that he was denied.
Superman has his persona and legitimacy because he lives in a world in which the system works, for the most part, and is good. Batman has his persona and legitimacy because he lives in a world in which the system fails, for the most part, and only barely manages to be better than nothing at all.
Of course, so is Lex Luthor. While in prison, using means that cannot be controlled of him, he has his own interests in mind.
Being so different, of course they will clash.
The setting, as indicated by the respective sequels, will be in Gotham.
The Joker, having mirrored Batman's strategy for opposite goals, will follow through on an indicated line. With nothing more than a well placed Joker sigil and a well timed Joker-laugh, ontop of already heightened tensions, the Joker can invoke a police shooting of an unarmed person.
The natural consequence of the various kinds of powers (be they police, wealth, organized crime, even religious) fearing the powerless around them (Batman's acolytes and the Joker's both) each group will close ranks. That means the DA will, quickly, call the shooting a "by the book" and state that there will be no charges dropped.
During this ramp-up, Clark Kent will be doing his job as a news reporter and investigator. Being that he lives in a different city, his initial methods of investigation will be to call the Gotham police and the Gotham DA and even the Gotham Mayor for their comments. Each of these will take a similar stance, that both The Bat sigil and The Joker sigil are nothing more than gang signs and respective of equal threats.
As matters are going, quickly, through their channels, the populace, tired of fearing the police as much as the organized crime, will protest more and more. Some businesses will even visibly support the protest, providing water and restroom services for protesters.
The police will respond by increasing their military presence, even going so far as to aim guns directly at peaceful protesters. After the announcement, it'll only take a well timed loud banging sound to turn a tense standoff into a battle between the civilians and the police. After that fight starts, it'll only be a matter of some opportunistic Joker acolytes to turn a two-sided fight in one protest into a multi-sided battle spanning the whole of Gotham.
Of course, Superman has to come to the aid. Clark Kent/Superman need not be naive. But, the general experience of the system working and of corruption being the exception rather than the norm will put him on the side of the police, including, because he has little else to go on, their view of Batman as the same as the Joker.
Batman, because he goes up against the police corruption and police have a culture that trusts each other, knows that he will find himself going up against other good guys. That's a function of how he has to operate. That means, he's done some preparation for dealing with other good guys.
At first, both Superman and Batman will act to save lives, each in a different way.
Superman will stop acts of violence from the ground level or civilian gunfire. The result will be less of a need for police gunfire where he is active. But, some will still happen. Superman will do what he can and assume good faith on the part of police.
Batman, more aware of the kind of corruption that rarely reads as corruption, will act to disarm some of the police, denying them lethal measures. As well, he taps some of his acolytes, giving them small tasks to help them get people to safety.
The two different methods will let Superman see Batman as a bad guy. Batman doesn't have the time to let Superman take him into custody. There's still an entire city in the middle of chaos out there.
The clash will rage for a good twenty minutes, with pauses to catch breath and even moments to talk back and forth. Batman only has an opportunity because he uses kryptonite. Because, how else is he going to have a chance?
The battle ends when a moment comes. Each one has the opportunity to simply let the other die. Neither lets that happen.
That causes them to reevaluate each other. Mainly, Superman learns that Batman isn't... what the police say he is.
Their last moment on screen is a short conversation. Each one asks the other the important question, the one that comic book readers, cartoon watchers, and moviegoers have been asking for years, now. Since it's certain that not-killing Lex Luthor/The Joker will result in them killing someone else, why don't you do the job?
The reasons are the same... but from different angles.
Batman can kill, but he doesn't know if he can stop. For the anger of his own loss. For the anger of losses he's seen others suffer. For the anger of the cruelties he's seen done for little other reason than that someone can get away with it. Batman has to rule himself, tightly, lest he become a monster worse than The Joker.
Superman could kill, but the act would be to take ownership of justice away from the justice system and away from humanity. Even had he the vision and the intellect to imagine a perfect world, he is fallible and will fail to go too far. He would be worse than Lex Luthor.
The two have a lot in common, and a lot in common with their own respective villains.
Speaking of those two respective villains, there's some corroboration going on. This is a setback, their goals not achieved. Neither Batman nor Superman has either killed or died. But, at least these two best pen-pals have found each other. Different philosophies make for the funnest conversations... and interesting plans.
The final movie would be a basic team-up. Superman and Batman in a partnership against the buddy-partnership of Lex Luthor and The Joker.
Superman has his persona and legitimacy because he lives in a world in which the system works, for the most part, and is good. Batman has his persona and legitimacy because he lives in a world in which the system fails, for the most part, and only barely manages to be better than nothing at all.
Of course, so is Lex Luthor. While in prison, using means that cannot be controlled of him, he has his own interests in mind.
Being so different, of course they will clash.
The setting, as indicated by the respective sequels, will be in Gotham.
The Joker, having mirrored Batman's strategy for opposite goals, will follow through on an indicated line. With nothing more than a well placed Joker sigil and a well timed Joker-laugh, ontop of already heightened tensions, the Joker can invoke a police shooting of an unarmed person.
The natural consequence of the various kinds of powers (be they police, wealth, organized crime, even religious) fearing the powerless around them (Batman's acolytes and the Joker's both) each group will close ranks. That means the DA will, quickly, call the shooting a "by the book" and state that there will be no charges dropped.
During this ramp-up, Clark Kent will be doing his job as a news reporter and investigator. Being that he lives in a different city, his initial methods of investigation will be to call the Gotham police and the Gotham DA and even the Gotham Mayor for their comments. Each of these will take a similar stance, that both The Bat sigil and The Joker sigil are nothing more than gang signs and respective of equal threats.
As matters are going, quickly, through their channels, the populace, tired of fearing the police as much as the organized crime, will protest more and more. Some businesses will even visibly support the protest, providing water and restroom services for protesters.
The police will respond by increasing their military presence, even going so far as to aim guns directly at peaceful protesters. After the announcement, it'll only take a well timed loud banging sound to turn a tense standoff into a battle between the civilians and the police. After that fight starts, it'll only be a matter of some opportunistic Joker acolytes to turn a two-sided fight in one protest into a multi-sided battle spanning the whole of Gotham.
Of course, Superman has to come to the aid. Clark Kent/Superman need not be naive. But, the general experience of the system working and of corruption being the exception rather than the norm will put him on the side of the police, including, because he has little else to go on, their view of Batman as the same as the Joker.
Batman, because he goes up against the police corruption and police have a culture that trusts each other, knows that he will find himself going up against other good guys. That's a function of how he has to operate. That means, he's done some preparation for dealing with other good guys.
At first, both Superman and Batman will act to save lives, each in a different way.
Superman will stop acts of violence from the ground level or civilian gunfire. The result will be less of a need for police gunfire where he is active. But, some will still happen. Superman will do what he can and assume good faith on the part of police.
Batman, more aware of the kind of corruption that rarely reads as corruption, will act to disarm some of the police, denying them lethal measures. As well, he taps some of his acolytes, giving them small tasks to help them get people to safety.
The two different methods will let Superman see Batman as a bad guy. Batman doesn't have the time to let Superman take him into custody. There's still an entire city in the middle of chaos out there.
The clash will rage for a good twenty minutes, with pauses to catch breath and even moments to talk back and forth. Batman only has an opportunity because he uses kryptonite. Because, how else is he going to have a chance?
The battle ends when a moment comes. Each one has the opportunity to simply let the other die. Neither lets that happen.
That causes them to reevaluate each other. Mainly, Superman learns that Batman isn't... what the police say he is.
Their last moment on screen is a short conversation. Each one asks the other the important question, the one that comic book readers, cartoon watchers, and moviegoers have been asking for years, now. Since it's certain that not-killing Lex Luthor/The Joker will result in them killing someone else, why don't you do the job?
The reasons are the same... but from different angles.
Batman can kill, but he doesn't know if he can stop. For the anger of his own loss. For the anger of losses he's seen others suffer. For the anger of the cruelties he's seen done for little other reason than that someone can get away with it. Batman has to rule himself, tightly, lest he become a monster worse than The Joker.
Superman could kill, but the act would be to take ownership of justice away from the justice system and away from humanity. Even had he the vision and the intellect to imagine a perfect world, he is fallible and will fail to go too far. He would be worse than Lex Luthor.
The two have a lot in common, and a lot in common with their own respective villains.
Speaking of those two respective villains, there's some corroboration going on. This is a setback, their goals not achieved. Neither Batman nor Superman has either killed or died. But, at least these two best pen-pals have found each other. Different philosophies make for the funnest conversations... and interesting plans.
The final movie would be a basic team-up. Superman and Batman in a partnership against the buddy-partnership of Lex Luthor and The Joker.
