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Has Batman ever developed a Super Soldier Serum (similar to the one that was successfully used on Steve Rogers/Captain America) and administered it on himself?

In the DC Universe (main DC continuity) Bruce Wayne/Batman is depicted as an individual with peerless intellect. In the movie Batman Begins, Batman is able to develop an antidote to the fear-inducing hallucinogen developed by Crane and consequently administers it on Rachel and saves her.

However in Batman Beyond, Bruce Wayne decides that given his old age his time as Batman is over and subsequently he retires. Thereafter, he trains Terry McGinnis to become the next Batman.

So, did Batman ever develop and test on himself a Super Soldier Serum that would have increased his stamina, speed and strength and also slowed down the aging process, allowing him to keep on fighting crime even in his old age?

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This is quite literally the plotline for the Batman: Venom story-arc in Legends of the Dark Knight volumes #16-20.

Batman realises that he's not strong enough to help people so starts taking an experimental steroid known as Venom. Suffice to say it starts out reasonably well, but goes bad after a very short amount of time. The (highly addictive) drug vastly increases his strength, but at the cost of making him mentally unstable and open to blackmail.

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  • Did Batman develop Venom?
    – Xantec
    Mar 25, 2016 at 22:06
  • @Xantec - Nope. They were given to him by the shady-looking scientist type in the picture above. Wayne was aware of the research though. Theoretically, I guess he could have done it if he'd wanted to (unlike Captain America who's incapable of even pronouncing the stuff they gave him)
    – Valorum
    Mar 25, 2016 at 22:19
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    venom doesn't really seem like the same thing as the super solider serum though.
    – David says Reinstate Monica
    Mar 25, 2016 at 23:51
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    @DavidGrinberg - No, but that's largely because the Super Soldier Serum is a Marvel creation and Batman lives in the DC universe. You could just as well ask why Batman's armour plating isn't made of vibranium.
    – Valorum
    Mar 26, 2016 at 0:25
  • It seems a potentially important point that Bane uses Venom to enhance his strength, at least in his early appearances
    – RDFozz
    Oct 23, 2018 at 16:58

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