Batman (The Merciless)

## Background

**The Merciless** is an alternative version of **Batman** from -Earth 12 from the Dark Multiverse and one of Barbatos' Dark Knights.

In his world, when Ares created a helmet that amplified his powers a hundredfold, war broke out in the effort to stop him. For two years, Bruce and Diana fought side-by-side just to get close enough to attempt to stop Ares. The two were able to get the helmet off the war god, but at the cost of Diana's life. Bruce, driven by grief, put the helmet on in order to take down Ares. Despite his belief that he could keep himself under control, Bruce was corrupted by the power and killed Ares. Afterwards, he learned that Diana had only been stunned by Ares. Afraid of what Ares power would do to Bruce, she tried to remove the helmet. However, Bruce was so addicted to the power that he chose to kill the woman he loved rather than risk losing the helmet. With virtually unlimited power and no sense of morality, Bruce went on to wage war on the entire world. Starting with killing only villains, he quickly escalated to killing his fellow heroes when they tried to pull him out of the darkness. Soon no one was left to stop his rampage.

## Powers & Abilities

* **Divine Empowerment:** The Merciless has all of the powers of Ares amplified a hundredfold due to his helmet. After having slaughtered the Olympians of his world, he likely took all the domains they held sway over as his own as well.
	+ **Energy Absorption:** The Merciless was capable of absorbing all of the power of the Valhalla warhead, capable of killing any being in the solar system.
	+ **Magma Control:** When the Merciless first attacked Langley, lava began rising up out of the ground from wherever he stepped.
	+ **Summoning:** Through his power as the god of war as well as being the heart and soul of his world's Mount Olympus, The Merciless has power over a great many of its items of interest as well as many of its facilities.
		- **Weapon Conjuration:** Bruce can summon any and all forms of munitions within the divine armory to his beck and call at will. Such as when he summoned his God Killer sword when attacking a war room summit.
	+ **Pathokinesis:** The Merciless can infect others with anger and a desire to fight, as well as with a need to worship him. He can even peer into the hearts of men, with the helmet on.
		- **Mind Control**
	+ **Superhuman Strength**
	+ **Invulnerability**
* **Gadgetry**
* **Hand-to-Hand Combat (Advanced):** He bested Wonder Woman in combat.
* **Occultism**
* **Weaponry**
	+ **Swordsmanship**

## Equipment

* **Ares' Helmet:** An helmet that Ares created to increase his power a hundredfold. Bruce put on the helmet after Diana took it off from Ares in battle.
* **Golden Drachma:** An artifact created from all the smelted gold coins of the deceased Amazons of Themyscira. By ringing the giant object of currency, The Merciless could summon an army of restless warrior spirits to do his bidding.
* **The God Killer:** An incredibly powerful mystical sword used to kill Gods. It is able to adjust it's weight and height, redirect blasts back to the source with twice the power, be recalled back to its user and more.

## Weaknesses

* **Missing Eye**
* **Power Addiction:** The Merciless has been corrupted by his helmet, which drove him to his murderous state, and seems to have little control over it, being driven to obsession over maintaining his divine power.