Batman, anticipating that the trip to New Mexico would likely pit him against formidable opponents, had redesigned his bat-claws, relocating them from the outer forearm to the inner side.
Unlike Spider-Man's web-shooters, which were positioned on the wrists, Batman's bat-claws were now concealed within the armor plating along the inside of his forearms.
The newly freed outer sides of both arms had been reinforced with defensive arm-guards. At this moment, Batman raised both arms high, then drove them downward alongside his knees in a brutal strike straight into Red Hulk.
BAM!
Peter Parker's body had long since been trained by Batman to exert over fifty tons of raw strength. Even without Venom's possession, the sheer force of that crushing impact was still enough to stagger the Red Hulk backward several steps.
The instant the collision landed, Batman's body flowed like water. One hand flashed across his utility belt as if performing a magic trick and came away with a bat-mine already palmed.
This time, instead of using webbing to reposition himself the way he had against Abomination, Batman stayed in close and drove a vicious hook straight into Red Hulk's eye socket. In the same fluid motion, he shoved the bat-mine right into Red Hulk's gaping mouth.
BOOM!
The mine detonated the moment Red Hulk's jaws clamped down on it. The massive shockwave snapped the gamma beast's head backward uncontrollably.
By the time Red Hulk shook his head and regained his bearings, Batman had already vanished from in front of him, only for another bat-mine to be slapped against the back of his skull.
Batman remained constantly wary of the Gamma Demon's sudden appearance. He never once fired a web line; instead, he relied entirely on Peter Parker's natural adhesion to crawl and dart across Red Hulk's massive frame.
Everywhere Batman passed, he left presents behind—one mine here, three to five there. Continuous explosions thundered across Red Hulk's body like a relentless artillery barrage.
And it wasn't just the bat-mines. Back on the ground after being idle for a while, the composite wave-spectrum device finally roared back to life.
Wave after wave of frequencies Batman had personally programmed drilled relentlessly into the gamma base's surface—and straight into Red Hulk's brain.
Between the nonstop mine bombardment and the spectrum assault, Batman inched Red Hulk closer to the waiting containment cell, one calculated explosion at a time.
Given enough time, Batman could absolutely keep Red Hulk suppressed indefinitely until he was safely locked inside.
But Red Hulk wasn't his only opponent. Up in the air, the Leader—having apparently exhausted his missile payload—now hovered at low altitude, repeatedly locking onto Batman with energy weaponry and opening fire.
At the same moment, Spider-Sense screamed its warning. Batman instantly dropped from Red Hulk's body, ducking and rolling away.
The instant he cleared the spot, the Gamma Demon materialized exactly where Batman had been. One massive claw raked deep into Red Hulk's flesh, sending torrents of fiery crimson blood spraying outward.
Batman had barely regained his footing when another beam from the Leader lanced toward him.
"Without Barbara, this suit lacks remote-control functionality. I can't activate the EMP charges."
Batman rapidly assessed the battlefield. He knew taking down three gamma monsters without cost was unrealistic. Some price had to be paid.
The decision crystallized in an instant.
"Robin!" Batman shouted.
Venom surged, black symbiote matter writhing as it instantly enveloped Batman from head to toe.
Just as Venom started to form that familiar cruciform greatsword out of habit, Batman stopped it.
"No. Focus on avoiding Red Hulk."
The words were barely out when Batman felt the familiar rush—the explosive increase in speed and power that came with Venom's possession. He stomped the ground and launched forward.
BOOM!
Back in the underground plaza, Batman had relied mostly on Venom-enhanced speed combined with Spider-Sense to counter the Gamma Demon's countless strikes.
Only now did he finally unleash the full strength Venom granted him—strength that now exceeded eighty tons and might even approach ninety.
One explosive step and Batman shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, rocketing toward the Gamma Demon the instant its claws left Red Hulk's body.
He hadn't put every ounce of power into that single step; if he had, the relatively soft concrete would have crumbled like tofu beneath his boot, swallowing his leg instead of launching him. But the ground's give didn't hinder what came next—his fists.
Ninety tons of force behind each arm turned Batman's punches into something beyond speed—into inevitability.
The air in front of his knuckles compressed violently, leaving a visible shockwave trail. One moment he was coiled far away; the next, both fists were already in the Gamma Demon's face.
The Gamma Demon might dodge with its blinding speed. Venom might recoil from Red Hulk's searing heat. His own arms might shatter the moment Venom pulled away.
In a fraction of a second, Batman calculated every worst-case scenario—and still threw the punches without hesitation.
"Aagh!"
Just as predicted, the Gamma Demon vanished the instant the fists were about to connect.
But Batman's momentum never slowed. He poured the full force of both arms into Red Hulk's midsection instead.
"AHHHH!"
Venom screamed as the scorching heat radiating from Red Hulk's body triggered its deepest instinctual terror. For a split second, the symbiote shrank back.
But only a split second.
In that frozen heartbeat, Venom understood. Batman's strike trajectory had never been aimed solely at the Gamma Demon—it had always included Red Hulk.
If Venom retreated now, Batman's arms would be pulverized on impact.
Mentally, Venom couldn't bear to see Batman suffer that kind of injury.
Yet after everything they'd been through together, the symbiote instantly grasped what its host truly needed:
"Dad isn't gambling that I'll tank Red Hulk with my body—no, he needs me to pull back, sacrificing his arms to drive Red Hulk closer to the cage!"
"That's why he told me to stay clear of Red Hulk!"
BANG!
Batman's fists slammed home against Red Hulk's waist. The impact sounded like a thunderclap echoing through the entire gamma base.
Ripples spread across Red Hulk's iron-hard skin like waves on water. The behemoth staggered forward several uncontrollable steps—each one bringing him nearer to the open jaws of the containment cell.
At the same moment, a sickening series of cracks merged into one continuous crunch. Nearly every bone in both of Batman's arms shattered into powder.
It wasn't just the bones—muscle tissue exploded outward as well, flesh and skin torn away in bloody ribbons.
But just as Batman's arms were about to be rendered useless for the rest of the fight, Venom moved.
Black symbiote matter writhed frantically, surging to envelop Batman's body—pouring extra layers over the ruined limbs.
One of Venom's core abilities: no matter how catastrophic the damage to its host, as long as the limbs weren't completely severed, the symbiote could restore them to perfect condition the moment it fully manifested.
The Anti-Venom strain had once rebuilt Eddie Brock's chest after a Hydra sniper round from Crossbones blew a hole straight through it. Regular Venom could do the same.
In less than the blink of an eye, black tendrils raced across the mangled stumps and broken bone. Batman clenched his fists once more—whole, stronger than ever.