Batman may be a cool, confident hero, but even the Caped Crusader is susceptible to losing from time to time. His most famous stories may include him stopping the bad guy and saving the day, but sometimes this Justice League member is defeated. On rare occasions, sometimes a defeat is so bad for Batman that it's downright embarrassing. Each of his failures have taught him lessons that he can carry forward with him, but it's still hard to believe the hero doesn't feel some kind of shame whenever he thinks back on these moments.

Even though Bruce Wayne has trained his body and mind to near perfect levels, it's possible for him to be caught off guard or feel exhausted due to being over worked. If a villain is able to orchestrate a scheme that wipes the hero out, sometimes there's nothing Batman can don't gain the upper hand and he'll find himself embarrassingly defeated. Sometimes it's a villain who considers themselves one of the hero's fiercest rivals who takes him down, but there are also a few instances of other members of the superhero community taking Batman down. Enter the bat cave and read about Batman's 20 Most Embarrassing Defeats!

20 MUTANT LEADER

Batman's a confident fighter, but he's not usually cocky on the battlefield. After spending years in retirement, Bruce Wayne returnned to the streets as Batman in Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns. During one of his first, big, public outings, Batman decided to take on the mutant gang that has been terrorizing Gotham City in his absence. To take down the gang quickly, Batman assaults them with a hail of rubber bullets and uses the Batmobile as a weapon.

Unfortunately, the leader of the mutant gang is bigger and stronger and easily deflects his heaviest blows.

Batman is left bloody and beaten to within an inch of his life on the streets and only survives due to the interference of Carrie Kelly. Carrie, a young girl whom Batman inspired earlier in the series, created her own Robin costume and took to the streets to help Batman on his new fight to save the city.

19 COURT'S WATCHING

As a young boy, Bruce Wayne blamed the death of his parents on the mysterious Court of Owls. Bruce searched for clues throughout his childhood about the organization made famous in folk tales and continually found nothing. After giving up his fascination with the cult, Bruce comfortably grew up to consider himself Gotham's top dog. Unfortunately for him, it turns out the Court of the Owls did exist and had been hiding itself from Batman's eyes his entire life.

Right when the Court starts to view Batman as a threat, they strike to take him out. To wipe him down, they throw multiple physical threats at him and even trap him in a massive mirror underneath the city that pushes him to his wit's ends. Being physically beaten is enough to leave Batman embarrassed, but it's his loss in self-confidence about his own status as the top dog in Gotham that really tore him down.

18 MINDWIPED BY THE JUSTICE LEAGUE

Identity Crisis is a dark, personal series that permanently impacted many of the DC Universe's most popular heroes. After a group of heroes walked in on Doctor Light assaulting Sue Dibny, the Elongated Man's wife, the heroes voted and decided to wipe the villains mind. It was a debate that tore the team apart, and right as the are doing the deed, Batman teleports into the Watchtower Satellite where all of this action is taking place.

To protect themselves and hide their action from the rest of the superhero community, the heroes also decide to wipe confront and wipe Batman's mind.

Ultimately, Batman discovers the truth and turns his back on many of his old friends over their action. It is a deep betrayal that leaves Batman scarred and less likely to trust his allies moving forward as he develops the Brother Eye security system.

17 CASSANDRA CAINE'S NOT JOKING AROUND

Batman may be the leader of the Bat-family, but that doesn't necessarily make him the most dominant member of it. While he trained characters like Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon before they formally joined his fight on crime, Cassandra Cain came to him fully trained. The daughter of Lady Shiva, one of the DC Universes's finest killers and a former mentor of Batman's, and David Cain, another skilled assassin, Cassandra was trained since birth how to be a killing machine.

A voluntary mute, Cassandra is one of the best fighters in the world and can even predict people's next moves based off their actions. The two have both won a few sparring matches, but in Batgirl #50, things exploded between the two. Batman relied on every trick in his utility belt to best his opponent, but he still found himself outclassed and on his back.

16 THE LOSS OF JASON TODD

Batman may pride himself on being the ultimate warrior and defender of the innocent, but he isn't without his failings. In the Death In The Family miniseries, Joker finally gets the upper hand over his rival and beats Robin to death with a crowbar. Losing your partner is bad, but the fact that it was the Joker, Batman's fiercest foe, who struck such a personal blow is something that Batman was never able to let go of for the rest of his life.

To make things even worse, this loss all could have been avoided had the fans voted differently.

DC included a phone number for people to call in and vote whether to kill or save the costumed sidekick. By a margin of less than 100 votes, the audience voted to kill off the second Robin, an action that scared Batman moving forward.

15 HUSH STEALS HIS IDENTITY

Batman and Hush have a long history together. When the villain debuted in Gotham, he orchestrated a string of attacks that wounded and distracted the Caped Crusader. At the end of "Hush", when it is revealed that the new villain is Batman's childhood best friend, things become personally painful for the hero.

Tommy Elliot, a renowned and skilled surgeon, returned numerous times to try and knock his former best friend down a peg. Seeing at his right to kill Batman, he has even taken on other members of Batman's rogue gallery to clear a path for himself. Hush's most desperate ploy came when he surgically altered his face in order to appear like Bruce Wayne. While Tommy wanted to take advantage of Bruce Wayne's supposed death in "Final Crisis" to take over Wayne Industries, Dick Grayson was able to control the foe and simply have him pose as the billionaire for publicity appearances.

14 SENT BACK IN TIME

Batman is hit by Omega Beams in Final Crisis

Grant Morrison's Final Crisis saw Darkseid's forces converge on Earth for a battle that pushed DC's finest superheroes to their limits. After solving the crime of who killed Orion, Darkseid's son and a former member of the Justice League, Batman crafts a bullet capable of wounding a god. The Caped Crusader brazenly approaches the alien tyrant and breaks his one time to shoot him with a poisoning bullet. Unfortunately, he is also hit by a laser blast that leaves a pile of bones in his place.

While all of his allies believed Batman had been killed, Darkseid's Omega Blast actually sent the hero on a trip spiralling through time.

Every time Bruce Wayne woke up, he found himself in another distinct moment in Gotham's history as he slowly fought his way back to the present. In his absence, Dick Grayson took over the Batman mantle and defended Gotham as a new kind of hero.

13 PLANS USED AGAINST HIM

Batman's tactical mind is one reason he is such an important Justice League member. Superman may punch asteroids out of the sky, but Batman helps the team avoid sticky situations and develop plots to take down some of the DC Universe's worst villains.

Unfortunately, the hero also has plans in case his teammates turn to or are manipulated into evil. Ras al Ghul, the leader of the global assassination network the League of Assassins, set up a plan that used the Caped Crusader's mind against him. Distracted by strikes at his parents' graves, Batman was unavailable when the League stole his plans and initiated a coordinated string of specialized attacks on the Justice League. As if it's not bad enough watching one's allies in pain, Batman had to deal with the embarrassment of knowing that it was his fault his teammates had to struggle and explain to them why he had made those plans.

12 ONE PUNCH HAL

During the Justice League International series, Batman infamously knocks out Green Lantern Guy Gardner with one punch. The Caped Crusader isn't usually one to punch his teammates, but Guy was running his mouth and annoying both Batman and everyone else in the room.

Years later, Geoff Johns referenced that iconic moment when he brought Hal Jordan back into the DC Universe in Green Lantern: Rebirth.

Hal Jordan and Batman never truly got along, so when Hal mysteriously reappears after being dead for years, Batman is understandably confused and cynical about his return. As the final battle between the Green Lanterns and Parallax heats up, Batman tries to step in and shut Hal's idea down. Instead of letting Batman finish his message, Hal knocks the Caped Crusader down with one punch, an action that makes Guy Gardner smile in the background.

11 TIM DRAKE'S DISCOVERY

Batman may think he keeps his identity a secret, but he's not as protected as he likes to think. After the death of Jason Todd, normal Gotham City teenager Tim Drake came to the conclusion that Batman works best with a Robin. Tim was at the circus the night Dick Grayson's parents were murdered, and his memories of a young boy with Bruce Wayne stuck out to him over the years. He was able to figure out that Bruce was Batman and that Dick served as the first Robin.

Taking his information straight to the target, Tim confronted Batman and Nightwing, telling them he knew their identities and that Dick should become Robin again. While it took him a while to come around to the idea, Bruce eventually decided to take Tim on as a new partner.

10 TECHNOLOGY STOLEN FROM HIM

After losing his trust in the superhero community due to the events in Identity Crisis, Batman develops a satellite system with artificial intelligence to monitor crime and track supervillains. This powerful technology becomes a big target but Batman is confident that his security systems and firewalls are enough to keep things safely in his hands.

During the lead up to Infinite Crisis, four mini-series depicted separate, crisis-level problems that all coalesced together for the main event.

The OMAC Project depicts what happens when Batman realizes he no longer has control over the system and the Brother Eye AI software has infected hundreds of people around the world with an OMAC virus that turns them into mindless, hero hunting, machines. It is eventually revealed that Alexander Luthor, a stranded survivor from "Crisis on Infinite Earths" who is the primary antagonist in the sequel series, is behind co-opting the satellite and turning Batman's technology against the world.

9 JOKER TAKES THE BAT-FAMILY

Out of all of Batman's biggest foes, the Joker has scarred the hero the deepest and most frequently. Years after the death of Jason Todd, Joker once again targeted the larger Bat-family to send a message to Batman.

During the "Death of the Family" storyline, the Joker strikes at the Caped Crusader's allies with the thought that taking them out will help Batman become a better, more focused hero. Ultimately, Batman took down the clown, but that doesn't mean his rival wasn't able to embarrass Gotham's protector. After he focused his attacks on the certain members of the Bat-family, he successfully kidnaps, sedates and restrains each of them. As if that's not bad enough, he even breaks into the Batcave and puts all of them at a dinner table as a ploy in his plot against Batman.

8 NIGHTWING BEAT DOWN

Bruce Wayne may have taken Dick Grayson in after the hardest day of the young boy's life, but that doesn't mean there isn't any animosity between the two of them. After years serving at Batman's side as Robin, Dick steps away from his former mentor and develops his own identity as Nightwing.

The two have a bumpy relationship, but ultimately they remain very close and look at each other like father and son.

In Nightwing #30, things changed as years worth of tension bubbled to the surface. Stripped of their costumes, the two of them trade insults and punches as Batman tries to talk his old ward down. Ultimately, Nightwing finds himself on top and utters the words "I win" to his fallen mentor as he lies on the ground.

7 HUNTED BY THE PREDATOR

The franchise's popularity may have waned a bit in recent years, but the Predator films were a big deal in the '80s. In an attempt to take advantage of that popularity, DC Comics decided to do a crossover between the alien hunter and their own creature of the night, Batman. Ultimately, there were three sequel series that spun out of this story, but that doesn't mean Batman stood a chance fighting the Predator.

While Batman may be able to take down heroes like Superman due to their moral codes, the Predator has no system that makes him hold back during a fight. Batman is beaten to within an inch of his life, even getting stabbed multiple times and shot with a laser beam, and is forced to recover in bed for weeks before going back out to defend Gotham City.

6 RIDDLER TAKES OVER

Savage Gotham City With Overgrown Plants

Batman may fancy himself one of the top dogs in Gotham City, but the city is ripe for anyone smart enough to come and take it. During Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's epic "Year Zero" storyline, an arc that saw them retweak Batman's origin for the more condensed New 52 and DC Rebirth timelines, a rookie Batman faces off with an extremely powerful Riddler.

Using his brain power to a capacity never seen before, the Riddler effectively takes over Gotham City.

His technology takes over city processes and he even leads it through a green movement that sees vines and trees overtake the city. While Batman is able to eventually take him down with the assistance of a young Thomas Duke, it's an embarrassing episode that keeps the experienced hero humble whenever he thinks about his early days.

5 SILENCED BY AQUAMAN

Batman may fancy himself the leader of the Justice League, but he is nowhere near the most powerful or most important member of the team. During the "Throne of Atlantis" storyline, Aquaman takes center stage and, due to his extensive knowledge about the underwater civilization, puts himself in charge of orchestrating how the team deals with the threat.

Batman is unhappy with how things are going and starts getting aggressive with his team member. Instead of debating, Aquaman quickly grabs Batman by the throat and scoops him up into the air. At one point, it seems Aquaman may even strike the Caped Crusader with his trident, but luckily Wonder Woman is there to diffuse the situation. Batman may think of himself as one of the team's most essential members, but Aquaman is literally King of the Sea, and has no problem putting the billionaire playboy in his place.

4 ARKHAM BREAKOUTS

Batman is supposed to be the protector of Gotham City. Anytime there is a supervillain on the loose, it's Batman who is expected to swoop in and save the day. So whenever something bad happens in his city, Batman is often given a fair share of the blame for not being able to foresee an attack or act soon enough.

One of the biggest, most embarrassing things Batman has to deal with repetitively are the constant breakouts at Arkham Asylum.

When both Bane and Hush made their debut in Gotham City, the orchestrated breakouts at the Asylum that forced Batman to scramble in order to restore order in his city. Even though it's never necessarily his fault, Batman is very hard on himself and feels ashamed every time one of these breakouts take place and the residents of Gotham are put in harm's way.

3 SAVED BY THE JOKER

After being pushed to the limit as a result of the "War of Jokes and Riddles" between the Riddler and the Joker, Batman tries something new to diffuse the situation. Instead of fighting, he taps into the hosting skills his mother imparted on him and invites them into Wayne Manor to talk things out. With Alfred's help, Bruce insists Batman turned to him to help with the situation as he leads them through a multi-course meal designed to bring everyone together.

Unfortunately, things intensify and Bruce snaps. Instead of keeping cool, he picks up a knife and tries killing the Riddler. The only reason he fails is because the Joker throws his hand in front of the blade. While it's debatable whether or not the Joker truly knew whether or not Bruce Wayne was Batman in that moment, it's still embarrassing for Bruce to be saved from making a huge mistake by his fiercest rival.

2 BROKEN BY BANE

The Caped Crusader may be a master tactician and skilled detective, but it's his physical skills that allow him to smack down criminals. After spending years honing his body to perfection, Batman is a master in multiple forms of martial arts and skills like repelling and climbing. Typically, a villain may be able to hit him a bit, but Batman is speedy and strong enough to leave most fights unscathed.

When Bane made his debut in Gotham though, Batman was physically outclassed.

Not only does the new villain tower over Batman, he orchestrates a string of attacks across Gotham that leave the hero tired and wounded by the time they finally meet face-to-face. Confident as ever, Batman quickly springs into action but realizes there is no way to stop the hulkish villain. Like a kid playing with a rag doll, Bane picks up Batman and shattering the proud hero's spine on his knee.

1 MET HIS MATCH

Batman usually saves his mental and physical prowess for fighting crime, but sometimes he's stuck in a situation beyond his control. During the DC Vs. Marvel miniseries that saw heroes and villains from both universes clash, Batman and Captain America spent three nights locked in vicious combat in the sewers. While a lot of the fights ended with a clear winner, this one ended when Batman admitted that the two fighters were evenly matched and shouldn't work as pawns in someone else's plan.

While Batman didn't necessarily lose the fight, it's never easy for someone who considers himself one of the best fighters in the world to give up. This fight taught Batman that he still has more to learn and he needs to push himself just in case he's ever thrown into another fight where he isn't allowed any amount of prep time.