Trust me when I say thatDC Comicsis wrong about who its best fighter is. I’m just a teacher, but I feel like the idea that Lady Shiva is DC’s best fighter is disputable. That idea forms the basis ofBlack Canary: Best of the Bestby Tom King and Ryan Sook, a new series that I already love, but I still think that there’s a sharper contender for the “best fighter” title out there in the DC Universe.
My pick for DC’s best fighter is actually Lady Shiva’s daughter, Cassandra Cain, andBatgirl#26 by Scott Peterson and Vince Giarrano proves my case. It takes place one issue after Cass defeated Shiva in hand-to-hand combat. Anyone who knows anything about Shiva knows that that defeatis a rarity in itself, but Oracle amplifies just how rare it is.
In Barbara Gordon’s account, Cass is officially“the first person in history to beat Shiva single-handedly.”I think that make Cass the greatest fighter in the DC Universe, but does that claim still hold up today?
How Did Batgirl Cassandra Cain Hold Up in Her Fight Against Lady Shiva?
Batgirl#25 by Kelley Puckett, Damion Scott, Robert Campanella, Jason Wright, Digital Chameleon, and John Costanza
Prior toBatgirl#25, Cassandra Cain is confronted byher assassin mother, Lady Shiva, in the final pages ofBatgirl#7. This confrontation leads directly intoBatgirl#8, whereShiva challenges her daughter to a duel to the death.Cass doesn’t accept, but in the next issue, her desire to become a better fighter gets the better of her. She contacts Shiva, wanting to learn how to see moves before they happen. Shiva agrees to help her on the condition that she accepts her death duel challenge, agreeing to fight in one year’s time.
In the issues leading to the big dance,Batman himself says that"Shiva is the best,“speculating that Cass has a literal death wish out of guilt, seeing as her father - David Cain - coerced her into committing murder as a child. Batman’s theory is proven right when Cass enters her fight with Shiva, hoping to die inBatgirl#25 in order to repent for what she views as her greatest sin. Knowing this, Shiva revives her, and now that Cass seems to feel “different,” as if she feels like she’s repented, the real fight can proceed as planned.
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This time, Batgirl defeats Lady Shiva with a knockout shot after a lengthy fight. In the next issue,Batgirl#26, Cassandra spent three days straight sleeping for 20 hours. Barb gives her grace not only because she has just returned from the dead, but because she’s the first to ever beat Shiva in a fight. It’s also worth mentioning that Cass and Shiva - inBatgirl#73, the final issue of the series - have a rematch to the death thatCass wins again, this time killing her. However, returning the favor, Cass revives Shiva using the Lazarus Pit, ensuring that her mother doesn’t truly die.
Is Anyone Else Worthy of DC’s “Best Fighter” Title Over Batgirl?
Maybe One Other Hero…
It cannot be disputed thatCassandra Cain has defeated Lady Shiva, supposedly DC’s best fighter, on two different occasions,and she does so decisively. What I think gives Cass an edge over her peers as DC’s best fighter is that Cass has beaten the woman who holds the title twice in hand-to-hand combatdecisively, something that few - if any - have done before or since. Her fight with Batgirl isn’t the last time that Lady Shiva has been defeated by a superhero,as Batman’s sidekicks have done soin the past, but every other hero’s win has come with an asterisk.
The closest that Shiva comes to being defeated fairly in a fight by someone other than her daughter is when she fights Green Arrow’s son, Connor Hawke.
Usually, a win against Shiva comes as a result of a cheap shot at the last second. Other times, it’s a mental battle won by someone who has found a way to outsmart Shiva. Outsmarting someone, while impressive, isn’t the same as showcasing that they can decisively dominate them in a fight. It doesn’t mean that they have a better grasp of martial skill. If anything, it means they got lucky. The closest that Shiva comes to being defeated fairly in a fight by someone other than her daughter is when she fightsGreen Arrow’s son, Connor Hawke, inGreen Arrow#135 by Chuck Dixon, Dougie Braithwaite and Robin Riggs.
Why Cassandra Cain Deserves the Title as DC’s Best Fighter
She Did Something No Opponent of Shiva’s Has - Before or Since
When Connor Hawke and Lady Shiva fought - years before Batgirl defeated her - it was the closest that anyone came to being evenly matched to Lady Shiva and the closest that anyone had ever come to beating her. Connor drew blood and broke bones, and to her recollection,Shiva can’t remember the last time someone did that to her. The face-off was anyone’s fight - until Shiva delivered the Leopard Blow, the deciding factor. Connor didn’t get the win, but he earned Shiva’s respect. He also earns Batman’s respect, who calls him the number two fighter to Shiva’s number one.
So why do I not think that Connor should be tied with Cass for the mantle of best fighter? Or even put Connor ahead of her? BecauseCass comes the closest to matching Shiva when it comes to combat skill level. I say that because, in their fight inBatgirl’sfinal issue, how does Cassandra Cain beat Shiva? By doing what Connor couldn’t: dodge the Leopard Blow. No one else can or has done that, proving that Cass has surpassed her mother’s skill level. Based on DC’s entire hero roster, Cassandra Cain has the strongest case for beingDC Comics’best fighter.
The entire 2000Batgirlseries is available now on DC Universe Infinite and in collected editions from DC Comics.
