Could You Become Batman?

Is it possible for a man to become a superhero? Let me first clarify my definition of the term. By "superhero" I do not mean someone who simply puts on a cape and a costume and goes out stalking the streets attempting to play out some kind of fantasy. I mean a real-life version of Batman. Could there possibly be somewhere in the world today a gifted man out there that just might have what it takes to legitimately claim the title of real-life Dark Knight?

Let me define some parameters regarding what it would take to be some kind of real-life equivalent of Batman. Note that these parameters are based on my own observations and conclusions about what the Dark Knight is capable of, based on my viewpoints reading into the character. So opinions may differ as to the exact specifics of what it takes, but nonetheless I am sure that most readers would agree that it would take quite an extraordinary set of traits and abilities to assume that nonpareil title. Firstly, we must recognize that Batman is a stalwart defender of innocent civilians from predatory criminals. He is first and foremost, beyond all of his martial arts prowess, his athletic supremacy, his intellectual brilliance, a personage of great moral character. I think this fact tends to be lost among the general public understanding of this character, and this is similar to the situation for Superman. Beyond all of his superpowers, his super strength, super speed, laser beams, frost breath, and flight abilities, Superman's greatest and most formidable quality is his awesome moral character. He always does the right thing, he is always wise, always just, and always faces any situation he finds himself in with a heart toward doing the most good. He is the epitome of the noble gentleman, the chivalrous knight, the boy scout grown to manhood. Batman is fundamentally similar in this regard as well, in that the most powerful aspect of his personality is that his moral principles are what forms the core of the character, not his powers or abilities.

Let us not forget the importance of abilities for a Batman, however. After all, we are talking about the possibility for a man to become a superhero, not just about how good and righteous a man can be. If a man is fundamentally benevolent and just, then no doubt is he a great contribution to humanity and society and would be a great guy to know in your life if you ever had the pleasure of knowing him, but this is not exactly what we are discussing in this instance. We are talking about a comic-book type of translation here. Of course in real life those who are on the side of good, all those kind-hearted souls and fundamentally good natured people, are truly superheroes by any definition. But in order for someone to be classified as a real-life superhero in the comic book sense then he or she must have extraordinary talents and abilities as well.

I shall break down Batman's general schedule and activities list for you based on what he must be capable of doing by nature of his profession, as well as depictions of what he does on a nightly basis on the mean streets of Gotham:

• During the day, he must play the role of Bruce Wayne, charming but foppish millionaire playboy, fooling everyone he encounters while at the same time gathering crucial information. He must also run Wayne enterprises, a huge corporate conglomerate, profitably and efficiently.
• After business hours are done, his "day" has just begun, he prepares his crime-fighting itinerary for the night and adjusts his gadgets and he leaves the batcave in his batmobile just after dusk.
• Throughout the night, he engages in strenuous acrobatics, jumping, leaping, and freerunning across buildings and along alleyways. He must run down criminals of varying fitness levels.
• In some cases he must fight multiple assailants at the same time, emerging victorious in every case. Also, he will encounter super-powered villains and his fighting skills must be such that he can defeat those with greater strength, speed, and stamina when necessary.
•  Batman will run into various obstacles and numerous situations that call on extremely quick reaction time and must respond with great competence and a calm, collected manner always.

So, what can we conclude from these points? Here is a man who can do it all. He can pretend to be someone else like a talented actor, has a highly developed scientific and engineering background, can drive expertly, knows his way around the city like an experienced taxi cab driver, has Olympic level gymnastics abilities, is a champion level mixed martial arts fighter, and is a supreme strategist and brilliant tactician. Oh, and he also is one of the world's greatest investigative detectives. He is basically five immensely talented men rolled into one. How's that for a resume? 

So, is Batman possible? The short answer is no. It is like asking if it is possible for someone to exist with the level of talent, skills and accomplishments, all combined, of Isaac Newton, Jim Thorpe, Bruce Lee, and Mohandas Gandhi all rolled into one. It's just not very likely. Based on all of the characteristics that is portrayed in the comics you would have to have a man who can bench press approximately 600lbs., run a mile in under 4:30, be able to hold his breath for 6 minutes, do multiple cartwheels and backflips quickly in a row, have an IQ of 150 or thereabouts, be a PhD level in science as well as in psychology, have an astronomical work ethic, and have been trained as a Navy Seal. Is it possible for one man to do a couple of these things? Sure. But all of them? Hmm. The odds are not at all high. You are not likely to encounter this person in your lifetime, nor in the lifetime of your grandkids' grandkids.

But who knows? These are ultimately my own speculations. I mean I would definitely agree that there are men who could, if they had the iron will power and exceptional self discipline, as well as the physical gifts and mental gifts, train themselves to become almost-Batmans. But as I have clarified, we are directly talking about Batman as he is depicted, not almost-Batmans or other examples reminiscent of superheroes. In order for there to be born a true Batman, I would speculate that that individual would have to be about a 1 in a 100 billion type of person. Just the mental capacity alone would disqualify about 99,999 people randomly selected. And then you would have to multiply that figure by the likelihood of someone possessing the awesome moral fibers, and the stupendous athletic potential, and yeah. Big numbers. But in a universe that spans eons, on a planet that already has 7 billion inhabitants, in a world that is becoming increasingly competitive, where greatness is being demanded to rise, in which societies are desperate for solutions to ever-increasing social problems and pressures, where the status quo is constantly being challenged, what are the chances of such an incredible man appearing, considering the long term future? That is a fascinating question, and in that case, it may actually only be a matter of time...