4) The Incredible Hulk
The fact that Batman has crossed over with the Hulk isn’t that strange in itself. By now, we’ve firmly established that the Dark Knight has met with many a Marvel hero over the years. In this particular example, from 1981 special, the Knight and the Giant cross paths due to some complicated things with the Joker and the Shaper of Worlds.
What’s unlikely about this crossover, then, is the outcome of the brawling battle that happens when these two heroic heavyweights meet. In 1981’s Batman vs The Incredible Hulk, Batman somehow wins. When Hulk storms the WayneTech building, Batman chucks a knock-out grenade at his head and kicks him in the solar plexus. Job done.
Look, obviously Batman is one tough fella – we know he can hold his own against Superman, of course – but for him to take down the Hulk single-handed seems pretty far-fetched. It’s something not even the combined Avengers could do in the movies, for example. Still, it isn’t Batman’s sheer force that ensures his victory, more his canny use of the Hulk’s weak spots and pressure points. If we were the Hulk, though, we’d demand a rematch.