Batman in '89 & '92: 10 Brutal Murders You Can’t Forget

If you inquire about Batman’s fundamental principle from a comic enthusiast, they’d quickly respond: non-lethal force is key for him. The strength of Batman’s dedication to saving lives is evident when he performed CPR on the Joker even after Nightwing had brutally killed him. However, the Batman portrayed in movies tends to be more flexible regarding taking lives. Among various movie versions, Michael Keaton’s Batman stands out as the one who has ended the most lives without apparent regret. While other live-action Batmans have broken the no-killing rule on occasion, only Keaton’s version has intentionally killed his adversaries with no signs of remorse whatsoever.

Throughout Tim Burton’s movies, Batman and Batman Returns, I found myself questioning if it was actually Bruce Wayne beneath that cowl, given the relentless taking of lives by The Dark Knight, portrayed so compellingly by Michael Keaton. To shed light on this aspect of his character, here’s a collection of the top 10 instances where Batman, played by Keaton, appeared to be a merciless killer.

Bombing Axis Chemicals — Batman

In the 1989 film Batman, The Dark Knight manages to avoid fatal actions for about two-thirds of the movie. However, when he eventually resorts to lethal force, it’s quite a dramatic scene! To prevent the Joker’s gang from manufacturing the deadly Smilex gas, Batman uses his Batmobile armed with heavy machine guns to storm Axis Chemicals. Interestingly, the machine guns aren’t even the deadliest weapon at Batman’s disposal; moments later, the Batmobile detonates a bomb powerful enough to obliterate the entire factory and all the Joker’s henchmen within.

One striking aspect of Batman’s attack on the chemical plant is that he wasn’t physically present; rather, he controlled the Batmobile from afar, much like military drones would be operated years later.

Missile Strike on Parade Floats — Batman

In the third part of the movie Batman, the Joker disguises a city parade as a celebration for Gotham’s 200th anniversary, but it’s actually a front for his evil scheme to scatter his harmful Smilex gas through large balloons, affecting many people. To stop this lethal plot, Batman soars into the skies in his heavily-armed aircraft called the Batwing, which is more weaponized than the Batmobile.

Following the deflation of the balloons, Batman chooses to eliminate Joker’s minions for good. Immediately, he fires missiles at multiple parade floats, causing them – along with the crooks on board – to disintegrate entirely.

Attempted Murder of the Joker — Batman

Having dealt with the majority of the Joker’s henchmen, I zero in on the man himself. With an advanced targeting system marking him like a bullseye, I unleash everything at my disposal against the villain – missiles and countless bullets from two massive Gatling guns mounted on either side of the Batwing. If you’ve watched the movie, you know that I didn’t manage to hit the Joker, but trust me, I gave it my all.

Considering the deadly nature of the weapons deployed and the overwhelming number of shots aimed at the Joker, we might still consider it a successful attempt, despite no immediate fatalities. After all, Batman was clearly intent on killing the Joker with ruthless determination, an intention that would have undoubtedly been fulfilled had it not been for director Tim Burton’s desire to keep the Joker alive for another 20 minutes or so.

Throwing Goon Down Bell Tower — Batman

In Tim Burton’s initial Batman film, the climactic scene unfolds within an abandoned, decrepit cathedral. Accompanied by Vicki Vale, the Joker ascends to the bell tower’s peak, with Batman hot on his heels. Upon arrival at the summit, the Joker sends three of his minions to deal with their adversary. Batman swiftly defeats the first two henchmen and manages to climb up to the bell tower, but the third poses a formidable challenge.

Following a series of rough encounters, Batman concludes he’s reached his limit and locks his legs firmly around the thug’s neck. The Caped Crusader emits a fierce roar, demonstrating his commitment to leg workouts, and hurls his attacker into the cathedral’s massive bell and down its tower. Given that the novelization indicates the bell tower stands at 800 feet, it seems certain the villain did not survive the plunge.

Making the Joker Fall 60 Stories — Batman

In the final scenes of “Batman”, Batman gets another opportunity to defeat the Joker after earlier attempts to transform him into Swiss cheese had failed. After an intense battle on the cathedral’s roof, Batman finds himself dangling precariously from a ledge high above the ground, as the Joker’s henchmen arrive with a helicopter to save their boss. The Joker climbs onto a ladder attached to the helicopter and says goodbye to Batman, seemingly ensuring his escape.

In a flash, Batman launches a rope with anchors at either end – one entwining the Joker’s leg, while the other latches onto a stone gargoyle on the cathedral. The helicopter manages to hoist them up, but the extra burden of the gargoyle makes the Joker slip off the ladder, plummeting downwards. His fall is so forceful that it leaves an impression in the ground like a crater.

Sending Two Clowns Flying Into an Inferno — Batman Returns

In Tim Burton’s second “Batman” film, the antagonists change from the Joker and his gang to the Penguin and his troupe of malevolent circus performers known as the Red Triangle Gang. The film’s initial action-packed scene depicts the Red Triangle Gang disrupting Gotham’s annual tree-lighting ceremony, prompting Batman to respond forcefully. Remarkably, the first instance of Batman taking a life in this sequel is actually a double kill. As a pair of clowns from the Red Triangle leap onto the hood of the Batmobile, Batman navigates towards a burning department store and applies the brakes, propelling them into the flames.

Turning the Tables on the Firebreather — Batman Returns

Not long after igniting the clowns, Batman encounters the Red Triangle Gang’s pyrotechnic specialist. This individual hurls a ball of fire at the indestructible Batmobile, causing no harm. Instead of retreating, Batman interprets this feeble assault as a personal slight and maneuvers the Batmobile to face the assailant. Once in position, he activates a mechanism that releases a massive fireball from the back of the vehicle, enveloping the circus artist in flames. Displaying indifference, Batman then departs, allowing the individual to perish in the inferno.

Blowing Up The Strongman — Batman Returns

The final Red Triangle member that Batman dispatches turns out to be the most gruesome. When the gang attempts another attack on Gotham, Batman finds himself in a tense situation involving a suicide bomber dressed as a clown. He quickly removes an explosive device from the clown’s vest. In quick succession, Batman encounters a circus strongman who challenges him to a fight. Batman accepts the challenge and delivers a powerful punch to the strongman’s face. The strongman seems unfazed by the blow, but soon realizes that while Batman was hitting him, he was attaching the bomb to the strongman’s abdomen and arm. With the bomb now armed, Batman smirks before shoving the strongman into an open sewer grate. The bomb detonates moments later, eliminating the strongman.

Backhanding Catwoman Off of a Ledge — Batman Returns

In “Batman Returns,” it’s possible that the initial encounter between Batman and Catwoman could be the most violent in any DC tale. Typically, these costumed heroes exchange blows and kicks, but the use of stabbing and acid-throwing is quite excessive, even for adversaries who might later become romantic interests. In a surprising twist, after causing Catwoman to tumble off the roof of a towering building with the lethal acid, Batman manages to rescue her by pulling her onto a ledge on the side of the building, thus preventing her from meeting an untimely end.

In a twist of events, Catwoman retaliates against Batman by clawing him with needles she’d crafted from sewing threads, to which he reacts harshly by pushing her off the ledge they had recently shared. Coincidentally, Catwoman lands safely in a passing cat litter truck, although Batman was unaware of its presence. Given his initial intention, this incident could be considered an attempt at murder. Moreover, considering Tim Burton’s portrayal of Catwoman as having nine lives, one might argue that Batman potentially took away one of her lives.

Using Bats to Push the Penguin Through a Window — Batman Returns

One thing notable about Michael Keaton’s portrayal of Batman is his fondness for eliminating enemies with falls from significant altitudes. Having already caused the Joker and Catwoman to plummet from buildings, Batman concludes his violent career (excluding The Flash) by manipulating bats to knock out the Penguin, who subsequently fell through a window. Although it was a swarm of bats that physically propelled him, it was Batman who initiated the action, and an instrument of death remains a deadly tool, whether it’s animated or not.

As a cinephile, it’s crucial to mention that the Penguin makes an appearance for a chilling finale. However, his demise is undeniable after the fall, as indicated by his speaking only a few more lines before succumbing to death.

Stream Batman and Batman Returns on MAX.

2025-03-30 15:40

Batman in ’89 & ’92: 10 Brutal Murders You Can’t Forget