Batman Introduces DC's Darkest Superpower Of All Time

Published Aug 27, 2026, 2:29 PM EDT

Many of Batman's most dangerous villains have pushed the Dark Knight and Gotham City to the brink. The Joker infamously killed Jason Todd and paralyzed Barbara Gordon, Bane famously broke the Bat's back and led Azrael to replace him years before murdering Alfred Pennyworth, and Ra's al Ghul pitted Batman against the whole Justice League. Recently, Hush sparked a war among the Bat-Family, and Poison Ivy joined forces with the Parliament of Trees to take over Gotham. Batman has always found himself outmatched in conflicts like these, yet he never lets his enemies have the last laugh.

However, it's undeniable that Batman is also a lucky hero, as many of his enemies could have delivered the fatal blow at some point and simply didn't follow through.

Batman Discovers The Prions, Who Are Able To Assassinate Anyone With A Single Touch

Detective Comics #1112; Written By Tom Taylor; Art By Mikel Janín

Detective Comics' Prion arc concludes with Batman's revelation that the young girl Arabella and her grandmother have a unique genetic trait that grants them a "death touch," the ability to murder anyone with nothing but a touch of their finger. On top of such an overpowered ability, the deaths caused by this death touch are completely undetectable, and the effect kicks in hours after the initial contact without any symptoms. Not even Batman himself would be safe if he were to be targeted by individuals possessing this ability, as he wouldn't feel any sign of impending death.

Since Arabella and her grandma would never be interested in weaponizing this power willingly, they were brainwashed and trained to be deadly assassins. Arabella is even capable of overpowering Green Arrow, Black Canary and Batman in hand-to-hand combat and outrunning them. When they aren't on an active mission, they lose all memories connected to it, and they become disconnected from the skills and training they gained from their brainwashing. Fortunately, once Batman discovers the whole conspiracy, it doesn't take long for him, Green Arrow, Black Canary, and the Prion victims to dismantle it, solving half a century's worth of unsolved murders.

The Prion Death Touch Is Overpowered, But Not Unstoppable

The Death Touch Dies Within Three Generations

If the Prion death touch were to fall into the hands of most Batman foes, it could easily wipe out entire cities, or at least the whole Bat-Family. Genius-level villains like Scarecrow and the Riddler could easily replace their traditional weapons with a mass-produced version of the Prion death touch. Luckily, though, the original Prion hero before his death, his mother, and his daughter have no intentions of using their abilities for nefarious purposes. Within a matter of years, Arabella may be the only person in the world with this ability, and she will likely be either a superhero or a regular civilian protected by Batman.

With only one individual possessing the death touch, it's much more difficult for villains or corporations to copy and mass-produce her ability. And under Batman's tutelage, a grown Arabella is unlikely to ever use it altogether in her superhero career. After all, the hero taking her under his wing is none other than the face of the no-kill rule in the DC Universe, who will make sure she understands the value of protecting life at all costs.

Would you like to see the Prion death touch return?

Detective Comics #1112 is now available from DC Comics