A Very Important Question

[melannen]

Some of us were recently discussing Jean Valjean, and it occurred to me to ask possibly the most important question that has ever been asked in fandom:

Who would win in a fight: Batman or Jean Valjean?

(Assume an equivalent tech level - either Batman is limited to his versions of 1830s tech or Valjean has access to modern stuff.)



...to start I think Valjean wins on the metrics of both tragic backstory and identity issues.

Comments

[tenlittlebullets]

Question: is Jean Valjean allowed to use his adamantium claws or not?

[melannen]

I was thinking to base Valjean's powers only on things that are actually attested in Brick or musical canon (of course if we bring in Arm Joe we have robot duplicates to work with, hmmm...) but IDK, does the 'stabs himself with a red-hot poker just to show off' establish a healing factor...?

[skygiants]

What about if we're rating them on parenting skills??

[carmarthen]

Valjean, for sure!

[melannen]

I...hmm. If we're going by 'ability to raise well-adjusted orphans' Valjean wins hands-down.

If we're setting up a junior league of Cosette vs. All The Robins... it'd be close. :P

[bobbiewickham]

Valjean remains badass even when he's old, which I think has to count for something. Staying power and all that.

[melannen]

Well, so does Batman, in most versions, though! I think that one may be a tie, although 'Batman Strikes Again' may count in the negative column, being as it's one of the worst comics ever published.

[miss_morland]

I think Jean Valjean is better at getting his opponent to lower his guard by coming across as a peaceful, harmless elderly gent -- this has to be a huge advantage, right?

[melannen]

It would be *extremely* interesting to see M. Fabre, the weak, crippled old man vs. Brucie Wayne the shallow, incompetent playboy in a harmless-off....