Batman vs Owlman (Justice League Crisis on Two Earths)

[@JM-kk4wd]

His final “It doesn’t matter” line gets me every time

[@justnarnia]

Facts

[@SatireNewsNetwork]

Same :( I wish I could write villains that good for my YT channel lol

[@derekclay9314]

Because in one alternate reality he made the choice to stop the bomb and survived

[@SatireNewsNetwork]

@Larry Putra I guess lol.

[@SatireNewsNetwork]

@Larry Putra We haven’t filmed most of Season 2 yet. It is almost done writing and we are filming most of episode one tomorrow.

[@largeproblem]

I love that you can see how far Owlman has internalized his own misanthropy in the line "Not good. Never good. After all, I'm only human." And in the end I think that makes Batman's final line that much more poignant. Owlman has tricked himself into believing that humanity is objectively defined by its capacity for inflicting pain and destruction upon each other and the world around them. Batman knows that the pain & destruction is just one of infinite possibilities, even though he's seen things go from bad to worse so often that he's quite literally made a career out of it. Owlman's nihilistic view fails because he still believes in one objective truth, that being that humans are ultimately bad and that any good they do is a fluke. Batman's final line is his main argument against this - he's seen the most terrible things imaginable, and even he knows that humans are ultimately as fluid and capable of change as the world(s) they inhabit. Owlman got freaked out by the worst possible outcomes, and decided to call it quits on existence. Batman faces them, unflinching, only certain that he and the rest of humankind will keep going even if these worst possible outcomes come to pass. In other words, Owlman witnessed atrocities, suffered, and grew bitter. Batman witnessed atrocities, suffered, then pointed that pain back at humankind and challenged it to be better. Owlman looked into the void, saw no light, and let the total darkness crawl inside and make him bitter. Batman looked into the void, saw no light, and kept looking.

[@justrandomthings319]

Very well put.

[@largeproblem]

@@justrandomthings319 Thanks! And thanks for posting this clip, it’s one of my favorite DC animated scenes!

[@andyguous]

Amazing take man, exactly what I was thinking, optimistic nihilism is key.

[@largeproblem]

@@andyguous thanks, and i agree! it’s awesome to me whenever it’s tackled in any media, especially because i think attaching it to stories just kinda emphasizes how widely the concept can be applied - and how important it is to bridge it to your individual experience rather than treat nihilism (and by extension, existence) like some objective, amorphous mass to be feared or conquered, as Owlman seems to do

[@andyguous]

@@largeproblem fr! I wish I had access to this kinda media when I was going through tough times with passive nihilism, really was immature and almost did something Id regret. But man, kurzgesagt, everything everywhere all at once, no longer human, and now this really did help.

[@joseheredia7101]

“We both looked into abyss , but when it looked back at us you blinked” 🔥🔥always my favorite line

[@p.k.5332]

what that line means? please can you explain?

[@ceu160193]

@@p.k.5332 Reference to Nietzsche quote: "Whoever fights with monsters should see to it that he does not become a monster in the process. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Both Batman and Owlman did it, but Owlman became monster as result.

[@shawnmelchortrondillo7837]

@@ceu160193 I love batman's way of saying it here in the movie.. i like to think to myself that I have my alternate evil version and i would say this as well

[@2Good2BeTrue45]

@P. K. Batman didn't allow the evil of the world to destroy him or break him down. Rather, his courage and spirit and resolve became stronger than ever, despite the odds being stacked against him, he overcomes and triumphs over the abyss/the evil and will still fight the good fight no matter what aka He didn't blink. Owlman saw the evil and became weak, jaded and desperate. Instead of having the courage to stand up to do what's right and fight, he decided to lay down, give up and also take the whole world with him. He blinked.

[@thadofalltrades]

@@p.k.5332 Freewill necessitates allowing the possibility of evil things happening. Darkness. Owlman chose to annihilate freewill and the only way to do that is annihilate humanity. The abyss is the possibility that the choices we make could at some point result in suffering. Us becoming a monster. I'm sure Batman has thought about killing the Joker many times, but has chosen not to.

[@PR1ME98]

I love how owlman doesn’t yell or scream. He constantly talks in a calm tone

[@NEWDOR1A]

He can't be bothered to get mad. Things just don't matter enough... or at all.

[@NoelJohnCarlo]

Which I found him pretty quite scary.

[@VTuber_Clipp3r]

thats not something to admire, thats the voice of a serial killer/school shooter

[@mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm3153]

It' doesnt matter.

[@NevanSlone]

James Woods has one of the best calm villain voices. Just his voice tone makes it seem like he’s in total control.

[@mrblack9968]

"No. Not good. Never good. After all, I'm only human" Love that line.

[@mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm3153]

It doesnt matter

[@TheBoyFromAngelsEgg]

That line is the reason why I came here.

[@bojan8978]

I'm only human, after all. Don't put the blame on me.

[@PeterAnthonyIHay]

You know what's the coldest part about the ending is that considering his agility and speed he could've easily hit that abort button in time.....He just didnt care.

[@huntercool2232]

Well he knew that at that point he would’ve just died anyways even if he did stop the bomb because he was now stuck on uninhabited world where he would’ve just frozen to death. Edit: Wait! I just realized the quantum trigger teleported with him so he could’ve technically escaped but chose not to. So yeah you were right he just didn’t care lmao

[@cr4yv3n]

@@huntercool2232 escaping would violate his belief system completely. He stuck to his guns. Batman let him have the teleporter to prove him wrong.

[@tesfayebelay8439]

@@cr4yv3n explain

[@cr4yv3n]

@@tesfayebelay8439 he believes any choice is meaningless. He is the ultimate nihilist. Him using the teleporter gun to escape would break his logic because it would mean he *does* care about his life. He sticks to his guns confident his death here will change nothing - an exact copy of him could be very likeable or change his mind. Not him though.

[@ceu160193]

@@tesfayebelay8439 If he escapes, it means, that him not dying DOES matter.

[@mattmalco10]

James Woods doesn't get enough props for this role that deadpan delivery of "it doesn't really matter, nothing matters" is genuinely chilling

[@justrandomthings319]

Agreed.

[@akumu9301]

Where did he say it?

[@mattmalco10]

02:13

[@Kelveron]

It's a shame we don't see James Woods in films any more because he doesn't go along with Hollywood's politics. He is a brilliant actor.

[@jadeojeda7409]

Holy christ! That was James woods!? :O

[@safaabdus8364]

I actually like batmans tactics here, he didnt need to change the dimension coordinates on the bomb, he was just throwing owl man off. He actually just wanted him to get close enough to the bomb and steal the mini transponder from owlmans belt. The coordinates were last changed when superwoman was flicking through which world she'd send batman. So in turn superwomans arrogance and cocky nature helped batman win this fight

[@justrandomthings319]

Interesting insight.

[@juliandavidhoffer2022]

More likely it was two plans. Either he sends the bomb from the bomb or he steals the transponder. Owl Man can only counter one plan not two.

[@zachryder3150]

Well explained

[@untalented5157]

It doesnt matter... Nothing matter...

[@MrAnaheimification]

Yeah but didn’t Owlman take it out of Batman’s hand and toss it back behind him?

[@UltimaKeyMaster]

2:05-This detail. This right here. The fact that it's still actively counting down instead of being a static background object, with the sound and like 8 PIXELS on that thing moving to denote the timer. Someone knew to pay attention to it and I absolutely love such a tiny detail like that.

[@auntiesemite9295]

Owlman is israel.

[@goodtiming5558]

Although Batman uses the line "There is a difference between you and I. We both looked into the Abyss, but when it looked back at us. You blinked." many times in his comic books, it couldn't be more fitting in this movie and scene. Multiple times, owlman points out their similarities. Batman doesn't reply to any of them. When owlman brings up that everything about him screams of outrage, referencing a trauma in Batman's past that lead him into become who he is, batman confronts him when he wins. Owlman when discovering the infinite multiverse and insignificance of his own existence, he is utterly destroyed in his will and is so disturbed at the fact that he decides to attempt to end it all. Batman deals with his trauma by becoming better while Owlman can't and is so utterly destroyed and consumed by it. He blinked.

[@JadedKid47]

Funnily enough, their suits are designed the opposite way! Batman has a cowl and so the white that represents his eyes narrow when he closes them. They even fully disappear after he gets punched through the rock at 3:01 The effect makes him more expressive and relatable. In contrast, Owlman has a powersuit with lenses over his eyes. So he’s the one who has a steady, unblinking gaze throughout the scene. The eyes don’t even move when Batman plants an explosive on his FACE at 3:34 The effect makes him unsettling and terrifying.

[@kalvin187douglas]

Well said

[@SolProxy]

​@@JadedKid47 That's also because he's an owl, whose eyes are almost constantly open.

[@auntiesemite9295]

Owlman is israel.

[@huntercool2232]

I love how Batman threw the portal gun to Owlman as it was teleporting meaning he gave him the option to escape, but Owlman just chose not to because he didn’t care

[@mitromney]

Yes. Batman doesn't kill. Owlman had a way out but didn't care enough to use it. Batman knew he'd be like this, so he took care of the problem without even resorting to any lethal violence. That's a real hero for you. Not like those Marvel so called heroes who kill swarms of thugs in every movie without court or trial, and even though they are easily powerful enough to simply incapacitate them.

[@matheusdiefenthaeler5342]

@@mitromney oh great, here we fucking go...

[@roroc.2944]

@@mitromney Ok fanboy, keep reading your daddy Batman and let others have their fun too

[@anton.chigrinetc.96]

I won't kill you, but I don't have to save you.

[@myacole1272]

@@roroc.2944what did he say ?

[@justsomeguywithabeardx]

The actual problem Owlman didn't foresee is that his very presence negated what he was going to do with the bomb. What makes Prime "Prime" is the absence of conscious will to create branches. The second he teleported onto what used to be Prime, that was offset. It branched into a billion Earths that could've taken place had he done things differently. Batman's presence pretty much sealed the deal.

[@tkhero7045]

even when he tried to make the one choice that mattered he did just the opposite without knowing it

[@Brainflayer]

Personally, I don't think he did find "Earth Prime." Because if the universe branches when an event occurs and every resulting branch is each possible outcome, then there really is no beginning or end to the number of Infinite Earths or Parallel Universes, only the bases of specific branches which inevitably lead even further down.

[@stonemims159]

I actually do think this was earth prime. This earth once had consciousness on it and it was still earth prime then. I believe that there is now an “Earth Prime B” out there where Owl Man succeeded, but that is still not “Prime Earth” so it’s destruction doesn’t matter. This was the only fight that mattered-it’s derivatives didn’t matter.

[@huntercool2232]

Dang bro I didn’t think of that

[@RequiemPoete]

​@@stonemims159 Also consider, if he did find Earth Prime, shouldn't there be EVERY instance of Owlman on Earth Prime withnhim?

[@AvatarRiku]

Earth prime is unreachable. The moment owl man decided to look for it a duplicate was spawned, birthed by his decision to search for it. It never would have worked.

[@radude4763]

Built in universal protection

[@Resters52_official]

wouldn't that just have made another earth where he didn't look for it instead of a copy of earth prime?

[@loweni7460]

@@radude4763 Universal plot armour

[@o_o-037]

No necessarily. Reaching Earth prime would be possible, because in Owlman's universe, every decision made in that universe created an alternate version of his specific universe. But it's the decisions he & Batman make on Earth Prime that makes the Prime universe diverge. Every atom of an action, when he looks towards & Away from batman, how batman chooses to act when fighting him, Which random uninhabited Earth Batman sets the nuke to be relocated to, each microscopic twitch would create an alternate version of the Prime universe right next to the original. So you're only half right. The decisions made would indeed create an alternate Earth Prime, but only if those decisions are made in the Prime universe.

[@thewatcherinthecloud]

As much as we try, we can never go back to the beginning. The best we can do is work towards an end.

[@felinusfeline5559]

The calmness in Owlmans voice and speech and the way it never falters feels like textbook psychopath. In that way he's the perfect "evil" version of Batman. Both are mentally scarred by trauma. But Batman uses it to fuel his drive to do and be better. He is so close to being like the Joker or all the others but he fights not to be, Owlman didn't.

[@kekyoin1261]

Owlman almost certainly would kill his Joker, if he hasn't already. It's fun to think about Batman's pacifism as the thing keeping him sane, since Owlman clearly lacks that anti-killing oath and is so radically different.

[@LozerLudo]

@@kekyoin1261 im pretty sure the joker in this movie dies trying to save luthor from some dudes who work for the evil justice league. Joker is such a non-issue for owlman in his universe that he doesn't even have to personally deal with him.

[@marcusmeins1839]

man is a cancer

[@twinzzlers]

​@@LozerLudoThis world's Joker was a hero so

[@jacobjantke6886]

@@twinzzlers the Jester

[@SeenAGreatLight]

2:38 That is the smile of a man thinking, "I KNEW this little mouth-guard would pay off one day!"

[@SimoneBiolchini-ko6xv]

"Money well spent"

[@TheDUDERulez1]

​@@SimoneBiolchini-ko6xv Or, technology well stolen.😆

[@Viper5104]

The fact that Owlman has one while Bats is still Base model is hilarious to me lol

[@mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm3153]

It doesn't matter

[@ju5t1ce33]

"With every choice we make, we literally create another world. History branches in two. Creating one earth where we made the choice and a second, where we didn’t. That’s the secret of the universe, you know? Billions of people. Making billions of choices. Creating infinite earths. Some so similar to each other, you can spend a lifetime searching for any distinction. Others so radically different they defy comprehension." I love this line! He explained multi-verse theory down to the letter.

[@someguy4405]

It doesn’t actually work like that. The many worlds interpretation is based on changes at the level of elementary particles, not human choices.

[@ju5t1ce33]

Look man, I’m going off of DBZA multiverse theory. That’s the interpretation of the theory Owlman is referring to. He says "For every choice WE make…" we meaning humans, idk what this "elementary particles" stuff means. You may be reading to much into this…

[@someguy4405]

@@ju5t1ce33 I mean the actual concept of alternate universes present in physics, which all these media are inspired by. REAL multiverse theory, which is an interpretation of quantum physics. Also, DBZ’s is based on time travel.

[@ju5t1ce33]

You're slightly wrong on DBZ. When Trunks went back in time he wasn’t really going backwards in time, he went to a different universe. His future didn’t change. Now onto you being technical. While that all sounds interesting, I really don’t care. You might as well be speaking a different language. Regardless, this & DBZA is where I got my understanding of multiverse theory.

[@someguy4405]

@@ju5t1ce33 Trunks *created* a different universe by travelling back in time, similar to how the time travel works in Avengers Endgame. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense even then and Plague of Gripes has done a good video on the time travel in DBZ and all its faults. I just said quantum physics, which is the branch of science the interpretation is from. Quantum physics itself is like another language, but just bringing it up is not. It’s important to keep in mind that DBZ and DC’s Crisis on Two Earths are separate works of fiction.

[@lordfury18]

i dunno why but i've always loved how Owlman says: "their are alternate versions of me, you'd find quite charming"

[@forickgrimaldus8301]

"Lets see Bruce Wayne's Card" "oh my God, the slight off coloring, the tasteful thickness of it, it even has a watermark" - Owlman, Thomas Wayne Jr.

[@beard_belichick4216]

@@forickgrimaldus8301 American Psycho reference and it was done with such ease and it made sense…. Bravo…. You win the internet lol

[@fyhdhgg]

there*

[@someguy4405]

Amazing pfp

[@RheemQ]

He's probably right. Who knows what the alternate versions of ourselves are like in another universe.

[@Shadowkiller-dq2ju]

Did we forget that Batman is doing this with a broken rib

[@ThomasL1d]

And Owlman has a exosuit

[@Mannyhdz0052]

Not really, considering batman has the biggest plot armor out of all of them.

[@kataveonevans6224]

​@@Mannyhdz0052plus with prep time-

[@jayyy1677]

@@Mannyhdz0052that plot armor thing starting to get annoying now

[@maxuimpurps8280]

@@jayyy1677word too its like they keep forgetting hes not a normal human, no human could survive batmans workout training

[@gallaros9]

The last couple seconds are just so good. Batman dropping the "you blinked" line, showing that Batman did not let the Abyss twists his ideology. Him leaving Owlman an out with aborting the explosions because even universe wrecking scum deserve a chance to live, while Owlman gives out the "It doesn't matter" line, knowing that there is infinite universes, probably a bunch of them where he succeeds to stop the bomb, he sticks by his guns and chooses not to act, go out his own way

[@sirwoodofeast9497]

"What terrible wrong was done to set you on this path?" Such a delivery. It sounds sincere.

[@tomnorton4277]

He sounds sincerely curious. It's the perfect balance because you can tell Owlman isn't asking out of any form of empathy. He's asking simply because he suspects that the story is interesting.

[@jetuber]

Owlman was such a fascinating character, perfectly written and voiced. The entire movie was excellent, but his character was the finest element. I wish we'd been able to see more of this world and of the Owlman entity.

[@OmarHernandez-os9pt]

I agree with you on this. However I feel like the movie kinda humiliated Batman. I wish the fight scenes with them were better.

[@kcthetitan]

Bro he had the chance to abort the bomb and this idiot said it doesn't matter

[@Archedgar]

@@OmarHernandez-os9pt I do agree that the film treated Batman poorly overall but he got the only decent fight scene and also saved the day at the very end so it wasn't that bad.

[@anchordick3671]

​@@Archedgarto be fair, Justice League is more dangerous than the criminals they fought, Crime Syndicate is Justice League but chose the wrong path

[@itzjetlife3639]

dude i love owl man

[@tman19xx]

I love that owl man says “if u sent ur flying man u might have had a chance” like he can take on superman

[@justrandomthings319]

He just made Batman look like a chump. I'm sure he had plans upon plans to take care of Superman.

[@BtownSpidey]

@Wilt&Blush *batman can beat a superman who holds back immensely

[@Shintigercurl]

considering that owlman was able to straight up overpower wonder woman when they fought, it's very likely he could've held superman off long enough to get the bomb to go off and kill everyone.

[@nalliug23]

@Урош Раца npd's action dont match their words, owl man is no narcissist he can back up his words

[@kingpotato7183]

@@justrandomthings319 superman would easily laser his ass and be out within seconds

[@Allsmiles98311]

(I want to point out something. The dimensional portal gun? It's right there. Batman tossed it with him and knew that he'd be able to use it. The Abort sequence was very clearly flashing, and he had time to push the button. He could have stopped the bomb, grabbed the portal gun, and left, or maybe even had the time to grab the portal gun and leave. He could have done this, and arguably, Batman could have known that he'd have the option simply by the Abort choice and the gun teleporting with him. But Owlman doesn't do this. He declares his death irrelevant by saying 'it doesn't matter' at the end, sticking to his philosophy to the end, and calmly lets himself die. What was going through his mind then? That in the actions performed, somewhere, there was an Owlman who didn't accept his death and escaped, and he was just the one who did accept his death? That even as he failed, another Owlman succeeded, but that success didn't destroy reality, so truly it was all ultimately pointless? I'm honestly not sure. Say what you want about his motivations though... he died by them as much as he lived by them, and faced his end with a smile.)

[@Erythromycin-16]

Now this is some underrated shit

[@loomingdeath1758]

This help makes it understandable for that you get a like

[@AlfredSolidus]

This comment is EVERYTHING!!!

[@Zzzquil_Lord_v2]

Earth prime was the end all be all of Owlman’s plan. It was destroy earth prime or bust. It’s not possible for an alternate Owlman to destroy Earth prime as there’s only one earth prime. Maybe an alternate earth prime in another reality, timeline or universe completely separate from ours but in this context Earth prime was one of a kind unique therefore an alternate Owlman would have nothing to destroy.

[@enricorodrigues-castragran7810]

@@Zzzquil_Lord_v2 long story short, the main poster is just overthinking it too much and what it is is right in our face

[@jubjub567]

3:59 "There is a difference between you and me. You are an owl. I am a bat."

[@pigglesgoomshby7249]

I love how they decided to make Owlman more of a nihilist than a full-on evil mastermind, his nihilism is his biggest motivator the same way Bruce is driven by his optimism. Under all the brooding, Bruce is driven by a belief that he CAN save Gotham, he CAN rehabilitate his villains, he CAN change the world, it’s a part of why he never kills in the first place, he believes so strongly that things can change for the better that he refuses to make that ultimate call. Bruce tends to be more of a realist compared to other heroes, sure, but at the end of the day he’s one of the biggest believers in humanity and sees all the good it has.

[@UltimaKeyMaster]

I like to think his Under the Red Hood mindset is the true reason for his no-kill rule. It's not out of any form of morality, simply that if he did kill, he would eventually become a far worse monster than the Joker ever could. Besides, Batman's efforts wouldn't go to waste so much if Gotham didn't give Arkham Asylum a revolving door every time someone gets thrown in there. And therein lies the issue with his code. His struggle will never end as long as people demand Batman stories on a meta level. He can only win and truly prevent his villains from killing and torturing people when the story is over. Jason wouldn't need to make the demand to just kill the Joker already if Gotham actually kept him locked up. That's why this story's moral is so important, that no matter how bad it gets, even if he can never fully win, Batman will never ever give up.

[@hafirenggayuda]

Yea, despite his sour and grumpy attitude, Batman's idealistic outlook actually very high. Like Superman, Batman have very high appreciation to life. Unlike Superman, Batman works in the darkness of the night

[@RicardoSantos-oz3uj]

Isn't destroying all universes evil enough?

[@kyleco9149]

Batman's mission is a never ending battle after all, he'll never stop fighting

[@Mortimer_RS]

Yeah, Batman's ideology makes sense, despite what people think. What doesn't make sense is the narrative in which that ideology exists, Earth 1 is condemned to repeat the same issue over and over again for meta universal reasons, DC has to create a secret society or an ancient curse to justify still using the same villains and Gotham not being a safe utopia like Metropolis, Central City and Star City at this point, just so they can keep the characters the same for almost 100 years. DC wants to eat their cake and have it, they want the no-kill rule to keep all their villains alive but they also want their villains to not grow out of villainy to keep them as menaces, which makes both to not work. In standalone series, like Batman the Animated Series, we can see his ideology working, because those stories can afford to fully redeem villains and stop being menaces because it will eventually end, and the ultimate end could even be killing the Joker as he is truly unredeemable, so Bruce retires and has to find a successor that won't cross that line.

[@cockball4030]

This owlman is alive, when he was sent to the ice earth, by batman, a choice was made. Owl man had the chance to abort the bomb, 4:44, but he chose to die. This means there is a duplicate of the owl man that chose to abort the bomb. Theoretically.

[@wholesomevibes7]

But he's gonna die there either way so it doesn't matter

[@ChaosMieter]

It doesn't matter.

[@kaelkirkby9191]

It is also possible that every version of Owlman believes in his ideology of nihilism so strongly that they all thought another version made the choice to live so they all die because it didn't matter because another would live.

[@Shadow_Rogue]

@@kaelkirkby9191 But "I'm just a human after all"

[@kaelkirkby9191]

@@Shadow_Rogue And humans are stubborn bastards.

[@huntercool2232]

Fan Fact: Owlman was actually Bruce’s brother in his universe. His name is Thomas Wayne Jr. and he and Alfred both murdered his parents and Bruce

[@agentzurg3592]

Thomas Jr murdered Bruce by accident as truly did care his brother, and decided to kill everyone else just help him feel better.

[@nunya2587]

That's the New 52 backstory. His original backstory is that Bruce and their mom were murdered instead of just their parents and he became a criminal to punish their father who was the police chief.

[@missmeme3946]

There is a comic that talks about Owl Man and his different versions, but it doesn't mention the one in the cartoon which meant that this owl man doesn't have anything to do with the owlmen in the comics The one in the cartoon is ambiguous. We don't know his name or background.

[@christophersanchez7731]

In the comics yes, but movie version is likely Bruce as his origin he seemed resentful toward mankind. Him losing his parents, whether as Thomas or Bruce, seemed to push him into becoming a nihilist and see humankind as an evil in existence that must be eradicated

[@georgec9384]

From what I saw in a video this ver is prob similar to the other comic ver if the villain league or wtv. With him trying to punish the murderer of his family and finding out that maybe it was a waste of time since the Wayne’s might’ve been corrupt all along with him killing the dude by letting him fall screaming “it doesn’t matter” seeming to match this ver. If owl man. The other versions suck ass. Their backstory is beyond edgy and stupid. Doesn’t hit as hard as this one.

[@ihavenoclevername8300]

I legit forgot James wood played owl man so rewatching this and hearing Owlmans voice was like getting clocked across the jaw with a haymaker

[@opiumpilled]

Long live the new flesh...

[@WeFreestyleForever]

This just ruined it for me.

[@TonyTylerDraws]

In the comics, at least, Owlman’s nihilism is so great that he doesn’t care if he dies, because the existence of Batman means that there *has* to be an “evil” version. He’s inevitable.

[@smartii3s]

1:56 I absolutely adore this monologue He monologues plenty during this film and James Woods voices him amazingly but this one in specific is probably one my favourites. It’s the only time he acknowledges the similarities between him and Bruce, I imagine the thought of who Batman was had been consistently running through his mind and this was the one time it came out verbally. But no matter what, in the end he doesn’t leave room for response because he truly believe it wouldn’t matter in the end whether he was given the closure or not if he was fighting his own brother

[@salessou517]

There's a difference between you and me = We were once good men We both looked into the abyss = Life beat us down to a dark place But when it looked back at us = After all the hardship You blinked = you've changed your nature, I don't. = you want to destroy life. I embrace life. That's what I learned from what batman is saying

[@DonPatrono]

Always thought it was more like: We both looked into the abyss = both discovered the existence of the multiverse But when it looked back at us = But when confronted by the realization You blinked = instead of fighting back and finding a new drive like Batman, Owlman just let that dark feeling of powerlessness and insignificance take hold on him and put him on that psychotic path

[@superspiderbat2833]

UnderRated Comment

[@finlandguy427]

The way you interperated Batman's saying, sounds quite cool and intelligent, ngl 👍

[@superbrownbrown]

*"I'm Batman."* *"It doesn't matter."* *"Yes... because I'm Batman."*

[@BobPantsSpongeSquare97]

The writing here is so good I looked up who wrote it. It was Dwayne McDuffie, the creator of Milestone Comics and the character Static. He wrote this right before he died in 2011. RIP the legend

[@julianhermanubis6800]

Maybe it's so good because he was already facing his own mortality.

[@MJX225]

He also made all of Ben 10

[@epicfights7898]

@@MJX225and Justice League and Justice League Unlimited.

[@JohnAlbertRigali]

This war of ideologies - Owlman’s nihilistic regard of humans as inherently evil creatures vs. Batman’s darkly optimistic regard of humans as inherently good but flawed creatures - is a metaphor for the war between evil and good playing out in our world nowadays. I wonder whether the writers intended that, and if not, at least noticed it.

[@The_Isaiahnator]

"Actually... *punches Batman around* ...I thought I'd beat you to death." Haha, so cold. 😂

[@trybezuni4923]

Something about Owlman's eyes are creepy like a real owl. Omen of death. Never blinked until batman outsmarted him with his own bomb.

[@mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm3153]

It really doesn't matter.

[@LoksTheGamer]

Batman: "There is a difference between you and me. We both looked into the abyss, but when it looked back at us, you blinked." Nuff said, Batman.

[@astronomy4569]

What does that exactly mean

[@badman477]

Both Batman and Owlman saw the meaninglessness of life in the universe (the abyss), however it changed Owlman’s resolve and made him nihilistic (he blinked)

[@solvemproblerstudios5889]

I think, in essence, both saw meaninglessness, but Owlman took “it doesn’t matter” to heart, whereas it really didn’t matter to Batman and he remained unwavered.

[@RheemQ]

@@solvemproblerstudios5889 Still a stupid saying. In essence, he's just saying he chooses to keep going for no reason that makes logical sense. You can say try to flavor it up all you want but you're still an idiot trying to convince themselves life means something otherwise you wouldn't keep going.

[@Albino_Basilisk]

I wonder where’s the version that winked at the abyss 💕

[@EwingAmaterasu]

High respect for Owlman, he saw human existence as worthless, and at the end, he understood that his strive to end all worlds was pointless as well. Lived and died following his values.

[@orbitalbutt6757]

I mean, in a cosmic sense it kind of is. The trick to it is to accept that, know it's completely true, understand it thoroughly, even agree...but not give a fuck. Ride a motorcycle. Do copious amounts of strange, fun chemicals. Have sex or crank one out. Camus, who everyone wrongly attributes this philosophy, said that when faced with the inarguable truth of meaningless the only thing that matters is _rebellion._ Even though you know it's pointless, rebel anyway. Make your whole life a gigantic "fuck you" to the universe. "When faced with the oppressive truths of human existence, the only answer is to become so totally free that you make the whole of your life a rebellion." Time to have a wank and then go jump in the ocean. Party on, Wayne

[@NoelJohnCarlo]

He's Pure Evil

[@boy_with_sleeveless_jacket]

​@@NoelJohnCarlo I don't think he really was evil, just nihilistic

[@kingaqua908]

​​@boy_with_sleeveless_jacket7951H is lack of care, understanding and empathy for anything or anyone is what makes him evil

[@aetherland1883]

@@NoelJohnCarlo Not evil, once you grow the hell up you will understand it.

[@carlossique9604]

“There is a difference between you and me. We both looked into the abyss. But when it looked back at us. You blinked.” That is the coldest line most sickest line Batman can say to a version of himself

[@muhammedcamara7670]

It’s my favorite part of the film. The music that plays is icing on the cake.

[@Crovenn]

"We both looked into the abyss, but when it looked back at us, you blinked " are the coldest lines 🥶

[@UltimaKeyMaster]

And then he sent him to a cold Earth, to boot.

[@sinn4084]

Honestly Owlman is such a great charac this whole time. He's calm and doesn't struggle, or atleast doesn't show it. All cuz of his one singular point: that the choices won't matter.

[@rushguardto6552]

If you read the comics about him it's so dark tho. I hate his character that he's so good at being a villain.

[@sinn4084]

@@rushguardto6552 i love and hate characters that are so good at being villains yet arent so hateable and vile. thats why i love Owlman in this movie. his character is that fucking good.

[@aetherland1883]

@@sinn4084 If you are not a brainless normie you will justify nihilistic "villains" (who aren't villains in a wider outlook, but in our tiny comprehension of things and for the easiness of judgement, we do so) Humanity is a mistake and you'd have been living under a rock if you can't see it.

[@Red-gg7yx]

@@aetherland1883 The Philosophy of a 12-year-old who thinks he has seen it all. Cringe man, last time I talked similar crap was in elementary school

[@aetherland1883]

@@Red-gg7yx I have lived long enough and fared so much to take that conclusion, and no, stop assuming things, I have a family and kids and I know how shitty this world is and there's no sugarcoating it

[@doreanlindsey4736]

It doesn't matter wise words from a really great villain homie doesn't care if he's going to die all he says is "it doesn't matter" shows to go that owlman will forever be my favorite villain

[@blair5475]

I respect him for that.

[@RheemQ]

@@blair5475 Right. Because most would stop it or cry but he just took it like a man committed to his beliefs. That's what I respect.

[@orkoskang7967]

Cus he sounded like Hades.

[@thomastomi8402]

Nigga is dead owl man was a maniac who just wana kill even the innocent and then what after he talk shit just to die with his own bomb 😂😂😂 " it matter now "

[@kartikadewi3270]

​@@orkoskang7967He IS HADES

[@frostboy1987]

Love this dialogue…this exchange is so calm and yet hits hard 1:57

[@spade2187]

Facts

[@reneastorgaterre1954]

1:28 says the man dressed as a bat to the man dressed as an owl.

[@Huskylogic2]

Idk man that looks pretty sane to me

[@hitokiri4488]

Owlman's read of Batman give me goosebumps everytime. The line of "They all scream of outrage, despair, vengeance." Has to be my favorite line from this movie.

[@brentgarcia8334]

The Fact that Owlman is Batman’s Older Brother.

[@jadenmartinez6044]

Fitting that an evil alternate batman would be the main and most dangerous villain of this movie and that he proves he has a philosophy just as strong as batman

[@malcolmradosevic]

Batman’s final lines to Owlman pretty much mean this: “We both saw the worst of humanity. You just couldn’t handle it.”

[@JasonEvans-j4c]

That "You blinked" line goes so hard.

[@someonecooltech]

You either live as Batman or live long enough to realize you're Owlman

[@Rtd398]

When you forgot to do your homework yesterday but then you remember your having a substitute teacher 4:46

[@NEWDOR1A]

"It doesn't matter" 😏

[@Spingleberry]

Did you blow up?

[@gianmarcofebres5744]

I remember watching this movie as a kid and that last “it doesn’t matter” always stuck with me. I had never seen a villain so cold and nihilistic before, one that didn’t care to win and stuck to his beliefs to the very end. Owlman is genuinely such a great villain and James Woods played him perfectly.

[@DMAN99]

Gotta say, I think James Woods hit it outta the park as owlman, he’s perfect, really showcases why he’s a great voice actor.

[@calebmurphy9406]

Everybody who doesn't understand the whole multiverse idea needs to watch this scene. It's crazy how superhero movies seem to have just leaned straight into all these multiversal shenanigans without bothering to explain it to casual audience members. I think a scene like this would be extremely useful for people who aren't accustomed to these kinds of stories.

[@justrandomthings319]

Absolutely.

[@ThePthakuria]

Marvel also use the concept of time travel like how a 9 year old would understand it. Idk if you watched it but the animation Ben 10 gave a very nice episode regarding time travel and it's consequences.

[@roetheboat1]

There's a massive flaw in Owlman's logic for his reason to blow up Earth Prime, but that might actually be consistent with his philosophy in the movie. Owlman says that each time someone makes a choice there is another universe that is created where the opposite choice was made. So obviously the existence of sapient being capable of thinking is necessary to create a branching universe. He even says to Batman that "Before thoughts existed there was this place". Now, the massive flaw here is that Owlman was looking for an Earth Prime in a sea of infinite universes where he KNOWS for certain that intelligent alien life existed long before humanity did. The fact that there is an evil Green Lantern means that the Guardians of Oa (or whatever evil equivalent is in that universe) also existed. Perhaps the Earth Prime Owlman was searching for was OUR Earth, the one that exists in real life.

[@UltimaKeyMaster]

@@roetheboat1 I always get the feeling that his final "it doesn't matter" has a dual meaning. First that whether or not he bothers to abort the bomb doesn't matter, and second that he realized this mistake. The only potential way it *could* have worked is if he just...kicked the bomb into the past and didn't follow it. His own thoughts and actions created several universes in itself. But if you send a pre-programmed machine to the past by itself and cut it off, could there even be a universe where it suddenly doesn't work without living beings around to tamper with it? And who knows if "OUR Earth" is really how that would work. If his understanding of the multiverse holds true for us, then it wouldn't work with us either by his own logic. Sure if he sent it to the one that exists because of the existence and timing of our comments, then maybe, but that would only be our current living perspective. We can never tell if there's billions of copies of our very soul making alternate decisions, we just get the one life in this one dimension. ..I'm gonna *choose* to stop now before I give myself a headache.

[@johnreed3405]

"We both looked into the abyss. But when it looked back at you, you blinked." I loved that line

[@42Mrgreenman]

But do you understand it???...DUN DUN DUUUUNN...lol... I posted this in response to someone saying that Owlman was right, but I'm to lazy to retype it, so I'll just copy/paste... It's not that Owlman was right or wrong, but that he failed. His last line illustrates this when he gives up saying that nothing matters when he fought so hard just moments before...Owlman is the embodiment of meaninglessness...the conflict here is about Nihilism, the difference Batman was talking about is that he has the will to not blink when he stares into the abyss, or as Nietzsche called it, "Der wille zur macht" (The will to make or create). The point of Nihilism, or the theory that nothing has meaning, is not only to realize that fact, but to strive to rise above it and create meaning out of nothingness, becoming the uber-mensch (Over-man or ascended-man) and transcend the seeming meaninglessness of the universe itself...and when you link it to the idea of multi-verse theory and we realize that we may in fact be creating whole universes unintentionally, it makes you think that much harder about each little decision you make...there is no right and wrong here, just a battle of philosophies...

[@johnreed3405]

@@42Mrgreenman It's something I actually considered but from a more infantile level - you're evil because you blinked! However, yours is a much better and more accurate response.

[@raulbetancourt5795]

"No, not good, never good" Since they're opposites, this prove that Batman will always be a good man, despise his problems.

[@ryan1000011]

At his core super-man is "good" man At his core batman isn't

[@ceu160193]

@@ryan1000011 Batman knows of darkness he carries within, and tries to keep it contained, as if he does let it free, it can't be stopped.

[@jayyy1677]

@@ryan1000011he’s a just a self loathing dirt bag,dudes a cutie patootie in actuality

[@raulbetancourt5795]

​@@ryan1000011 Both are good, That Batman doesn't consider himself "good" another thing.

[@Spingleberry]

Batman is not a good man. He said so himself. He’s just well trained mentally.

[@gaiusmiller180]

Owlman=Thomas Wayne Jr Batman=Bruce Wayne

[@stephenmagee1372]

"Not good.....never good" oh yeah he evil evil

[@Randomguy-b5r]

Nice little detail, at around 3:18, when owlman has taken batman's controller for the machine and thrown it, batman's shoulder shifts then looks like he reaches down, it's when he takes owlman's device, at exactly 3:30 after a punch, his cape moves back and you see something grey on his utility belt.

[@BlackMachismoHellRell]

With Owls being a natural predator to bats, I love that Owl Man is superior to Batman in almost every way. They low-key leaned into this fact very well.

[@SladeWilsonOG]

I’m late but James woods playing owl man is legendary

[@asdtgh8895]

"Does it really matter? There are alternate versions of me that you can find quite charming." And the smirk seals the deal. Best DC animated villain I've ever encountered.

[@TheSFMWonderer]

This really shows how different Batman and Owlman are. Batman, despite what you may believe, is deep down an optimist who wants what is best for everyone, including his enemies. While Owlman is a man so broken by life, that he sees every choice now as meaningless, he is beyond reasoning, and James Wood does a fantastic job as him.

[@TheRealRehman]

Owlman "the batman who laughs is just the flavour of the month...I AM THE WHOLE FREAKING MEAL!"

[@Night-Mayor]

James Wood is highly underrated actor. His voicework in this is exceptional.

[@lostree1981]

He is not underrated at all. He is acknowledged worldwide as a fine actor. I think half you people just see comments that say this and then parrot it looking for likes.

[@cjrogers961]

I think people forget that Batman saved all universes so casually and humbly.

[@RafeeqHuda-qf3cu]

Owl Man is so underrated, a more nihilistic, more cold hearted Batman.

[@really1583]

I just watched this movie and realized Batman is fighting with a broken rib from superwomen

[@justrandomthings319]

Yup. Crazy.

[@dragonjames7911]

This was the best DC animated movie I have ever seen. It is way too underrated. It is not talked about enough and the voice actors that put the heart and soul into these performances, including the great James Woods, Don’t get enough recognition for it.

[@gino14]

"Does it really matter? There are alrernate versions of me you'd find quite charming," Owlman said, to an alternate version of him that is widely considered to be quite charming.

[@shadowgoethe]

Here me out here about the genius writing in this sequence. In this sequence, Batman exits the portal. Owlman greets Batman and elaborates Earth Prime's history to the multiverse. Batman enters Negotiator mode and allows Owlman to continue while he marches closer scanning for anything critical he could use. Owlman gives a grim remark on humanity-Batman breaks Negotiator mode (you can't say negatives) "You can't be sure of that" that wasn't Batman talking... it was Bruce. Owlman remains intact yet throughout the fight Bruce is the true person he's fighting and worst he sees through all of him almost instantly and mockingly calls his own story/identity meaningless! Bruce continued to appeal to Owlman's humanity to stop but fails.

[@boxatron8010]

So what no one's going to talk about that abyss line from batman

[@grimmashley8422]

Not only is it an amazing tagline, but it actually perfectly sums up the difference between them and what drove Owlman to do this

[@curtisleblanc5897]

seemed kinda cheesy/edgy to me

[@giorgisabashvili2664]

batman is nietzchean ubermench, he doesn't care about anything other than what he thinks should be right. it's a callback to nietzches quote "if you look into abyss, abyss also looks into you", meaning that if you fight the meaninglessness you become meaningless person and you should avoid that, or something like it. batman knows the world is meaningless but stays as a batman to uphold himself, while owlman sees the meaninglessness and becomes the abyss itself because he doesn't fear it, in search of morality, desperate to find control and god in illogical and scattered world of abyss, he becomes self hating misanthrope, unlike batman who is unapologetically selfish and arbitrary "personhood" fundamentalist in nature, meaning he is categorical and relentless in his quest to uphold himself and his ideals in a world of chaos and possibilities. hope i make sense. also in a way this difference makes owlman, in a twisted way, more heroic and selfless than batman, who only uses abyss for his own goals, while superwoman is a reversed superman who is selfish idealist rather than selfless idealist it should be said that it is very common for existentialist thinkers to fall in that line of thinking, because one slip and you become an absurdist/cynic/self defeating nihilist ect.

[@хеджхог]

@@giorgisabashvili2664 good, now get the job

[@2Good2BeTrue45]

@@giorgisabashvili2664 yeaaaah....you completely have that wrong

[@dariusbobar810]

This movie hints a lot at nietchze and his nihilism, only that owlman interprents him wrong and batman get's it right.

[@abyss5467]

Nietzsche is optimistic garbage. Owlman is a legitimate pessimist and misanthropic.

[@dc7981]

@@abyss5467 ok rick and morty fan.....

[@trueblue6201]

How is that?

[@sir__knk3365]

It doesn’t really matter nothing really matters

[@ADAJ342]

Nietchze wasn’t even a nihilist to begin with.

[@ultraguy14]

I love how at the end he realizes that there will be a reality where he succeeded and one where he failed, so his crusade against the multiverse never mattered from the start.

[@CBiggs-vz9be]

I saw it as a reality where he chose to save himself and the one where he didn’t, but yeah, same conclusion.

[@thereptileroomeh8646]

"there is a difference between you and me. Im not wearing hockey pants"

[@Acesahn]

Vengeance vs Nihilism? Interesting... you wouldn't think nihilism would be so freaking strong with its tendencies to self destruct lol

[@zoharborage6609]

Thats why its so strong it doesn't gaf. Open season on everything including itself.

[@vik24oct1991]

nihilism isn't strong but it only truly triggers when things go south, for example owlman isn't truly nihilistic before the last scene where he doesn't care if bomb explodes, before that he did care to destroy earth prime so he had a purpose, that is not nihilism.

[@Griffinex]

The scariest thing is this is a version that Batman could always become if he wanted; he could destroy all living things

[@dzaesonp8599]

Only true Evil counterpart of Batman

[@theholy1191]

This fight has even more weight when you realize that Owlman is fighting against the little brother he had killed in his own Earth, and just how poetic it truly is.

[@MuhammadSolehbinHamdan]

1:04 He said the thing

[@nickmiller9910]

?

[@the-mercilessx9119]

Man​@@nickmiller9910

[@FingerSpazm]

​@@nickmiller9910man

[@colingrant3545]

Why does man want to kill everyone, is he stupid ?

[@Vivany26]

I am man

[@mattcraig520]

"With every decision we make, we literally create a world. History branches in two. One were we made the choice, and another were we didn't. That's the secret of the universe." Kinda puts a different spin on why he didnt stop the bomb and said it doesnt really matter. Because as soon as he made that choice, he created an alternate reality where he did stop it. Kinda makes you wonder though... if history branches with each decision, then as soon as owlman arrived on earth prime and, idk, chose to arm the bomb, did he create an alternate reality? And if he did, was he still on earth prime or one of it's close cousins?? Following that thread a little further, did batman already save the multiverse by just showing up? Every punch, kick, and batarang essential created a new earth, pushing that current reality further and further away from earth prime. Maybe this is why there was only one batman, one owlman and only one bomb present on "earth prime" instead of countless versions of them. As soon as they got there, it was no longer "earth prime." Because surely other realities were going thru a similar situation (infinite universes and all that). Be kinda pandemonium of suddenly 100 owlman, batman and bombs showed up all around the same time. Maybe this owlman realized all this at the end, that he really couldn't destroy earth prime no matter what, that his only really choice, wasn't real, that it didnt really matter.... Nothing really matters.

[@justrandomthings319]

I think the only place where decisions aren't duplicated is on Earth Prime. That's why he went there.

[@dr.pamobaremogaka5561]

stop hurting my brain

[@tenjenk]

​@@justrandomthings319 Its more that Earth Prime is the source from where duplicate decisions first split off from, the origin. The creators explained that the moment you make a decision on earth prime, it means you've already split off into multiple different dimension where you made different choices anyhow, so Owlman would have failed either way because the bomb went off on a duplicate earth where he managed to blow up the bomb vs all the ones where he didnt.

[@justrandomthings319]

@@tenjenk What I mean is the Earth Prime itself can't be duplicated so if he destroys it, there won't be a duplicate decision creating another Earth Prime because Earth Prime is gone.

[@tenjenk]

@@justrandomthings319 Thats the thing though, due to its nature it cant be destroyed because the "decision" to destroy it creates one earth where it wasnt destroyed and another where it did blow up, but neither are Earth Prime.

[@shiroamakusa8075]

"OK, Owlman, consider this, there must have been an infinite amount of people who came to the same conclusion as you and an infinite amount of them tried your ploy and an infnite number of them must have succeeded and yet...here we are" "Infinity's a bitch!"

[@Celesticghost]

Always loved this scene

[@TheShadowdetective12]

I can't stop watching this for some reason

[@aznpikachu215]

I feel that everytime I watch this, it just makes me think about the philosophies from both sides, and it's making me think of the reality of our world as well.

[@marcusmeins1839]

Man is a cancer

[@LOREWITHBLAZER]

Anyone found it funny Owl man is voice by James Wood

[@TheSeabornGaming]

This is one of my favorite DCAU movies. They do Owlman so much justice and he works so well as a foil for Batman. The delivery of all his lines are so deadpan and without remorse that you see how cold of a character he actually is. His final “It doesn’t matter” still gives me chills

[@UltimaKeyMaster]

In a way, he perfectly mirrors Batman here. Batman is hopeful to the end no matter how bad things get. Owlman doesn't give up his virtues even while staring at his own inconsequential death in the face. And we all know that one Joker quote about people's last moments, which is why Owlman's are so powerful.

[@Thechosen0010]

“There is a difference between you and me. We both looked into the abyss, but when it looked back at us… You blinked” 🔥

[@Arkhamfrost]

To think hades is fricking owlman. Wild

[@Ast.Rickley]

Owlman go Batman: "Don't, jerk me around fella."

[@Kalah_]

I totally get Owlman's world view. With all the multiverse stuff happening now, any event that occurs has no meaning, because there's always an alternate reality where it didn't happen. Destroying everything isn't exactly the best way to solve that, but I do hope they drop the multiverse stories eventually.

[@mangacomicvisionarygenius9612]

Owlman isn't another Version of Batman within a alternate world. Owlman is just a Villain similar to Batman within the same world. Similar to L and Kira

[@kaelkirkby9191]

The Manbat and batman are also a good example. While there are similarities they are ultimately not the same.

[@huntercool2232]

Fan Fact: Owlman was actually Bruce’s brother in his universe. His name is Thomas Wayne Jr. and he and Alfred both murdered his parents and Bruce

[@ulquiorracifer5493]

They're literally from alternate universes, tf are you on?

[@rickm3482]

That “You blinked.” line is so fucking cold. I don’t know who wrote that, but they definitely been through some shit.

[@jscal2231]

“It doesn’t matter.” “Oooh, piece of candy.” *BOOM*

[@RicPendragon]

I watch this clip every so often, massive fan of how well Owlman is portrayed, but this time something clicked... Surely his plan would lead to the Grandfather Paradox. If he succeeded, all life, past, present, and future, would cease to be, including the past where he came up with this plan, and followed through. Meaning he would never have existed, and thus couldn't perform this plan, because he never existed, but if he never existed, the plan would have happened, and he would exist, and try to make this plan happen... Meaning, he never stood a chance of succeeding, he was doomed to failure by cause and effect...Nothing matters.

[@forickgrimaldus8301]

"Try getting Reservations to Dorsia now Bruce!!" - Owlman

[@farmboyfanGaming]

I understood that reference

[@nabeelnaqvi1415]

Lets see Paul Allen's Earth

[@SwagDoritos]

​@@nabeelnaqvi1415 Man, that Earth even has a watermark.

[@forickgrimaldus8301]

​@@SwagDoritosamazing how Christian Bale can play both Batman and Owlman if given the chance

[@desbahlopez]

What a mad lad

[@shayansadri-pucci5876]

It still feels so weird yet so dope that James Woods voices Owlman

[@Cynidecia]

I love the trope of villainous counterparts when its done right like this. it is such a fun idea.

[@djhutchison]

The Owlman/Batman conflict is probably the best bit of the movie, while they are intellectual, and physical equals, they are clearly not "the same guy, but one is evil" that seems to plague mutliverse stories. I wish more creators would take note.