- For other uses of Batman, see Batman (Disambiguation).
| “ | It's like a wise man once said: Battle not with monsters, lest ye become a monster. | ” |
Bruce Wayne was the vigilante known as Batman. He protected Gotham City for many years before beginning a reign of terror in which he killed many people, including his universe's Superman.
Biography[edit source]
Early Life[edit source]
Bruce Wayne was born in Gotham City to Thomas and Martha Wayne and was raised in Wayne Manor. Before their murder, his parents taught him that "life only makes sense if you force it to."[1]
Hero of Gotham[edit source]
As an adult, Wayne decided to avenge his parents' murder's by becoming the masked vigilante known as Batman, quickly developing a strict non-lethal code. He used a cave below his mansion as a base of operations and developed numerous bat-themed pieces of equipment, such as a protective suit and car, to aid him in his crusade against crime.
During his career, Batman faced many enemies, including the Joker, Riddler, Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, Two-Face, Clayface, and Jane Doe. He also befriended Clark Kent, learning of his identity as Superman and his vulnerability to green kryptonite.[1]
Reign of Terror[edit source]
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Despite his superhero code, Batman eventually ended up killing one of his enemies, resulting in him becoming mentally unstable and murdering several more, to the point where he lost track of just how many people he had killed. Among his victims were the Joker, Riddler, Mr. Freeze, Two-Face, and Poison Ivy, all of whom he took trophies from.
Upon coming to the conclusion that Superman was a threat to humanity due to his superpowers and deference to authority, Batman fought and killed him too, almost killing himself in the process and forcing him to wear an exoskeleton for the rest of his life. What had been dubbed as "Batman's Reign of Terror" by the Gotham City Gazette then ended with Bruce barely able to walk and believing that there is no hope for the planet.
Afterwards, his cousin Kate Kane decided to become a superhero to succeed where Bruce had failed, but this only resulted in her being killed and Bruce's mental state further deteriorating.[1]
Crisis on Infinite Earths[edit source]
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Five years later, Wayne was visited at his manor by the Kate Kane of Earth-1 and the Kara Danvers of Earth-38. After Danvers broke down the door, Luke Fox was preparing to shoot the pair before Wayne came down and welcomed them in. He took Kane to his study and asked who she was, believing that she was a supervillain impersonating his late cousin. Kane then told him that there was a Crisis threatening to destroy the multiverse and how he was supposedly the Paragon of Courage, but Wayne laughed and stated that he was no hero, telling her of the people he had killed.
He then took Kane down to the Batcave to show her the Batsuit covered in cobwebs, explaining that it would not fit him any more and that even if it did, he could barely walk. Kane then once again appealed for his help by explaining that the multiverse would be destroyed without it, but Wayne simply stated that he did not care and that his world deserved to die. Danvers then entered the Batcave and warned Kane not to trust him, as he had killed his universe's Superman. Wayne responded by attempting to explain himself, before punching Danvers across the room with a shard of green kryptonite inside his exoskeleton. As Kane was trying to stop him from killing Danvers, she accidentally pushed him onto an electric remote, which electrocuted him. Kane tried to save him, but was prevented from doing so by Danvers, as it would have killed her as well. With his final breath, Wayne then told Kane that there is no hope.[1]
Powers and Abilities[edit source]
Powers/Exoskeleton Capabilities[edit source]
- Abilities via his Exoskeleton: Following his fight with Superman, Wayne was forced to wear a metallic exoskeleton.[1]
Abilities[edit source]
- Genius-level Intellect: Wayne was an extremely intelligent individual, being both a master detective and a master tactician.
- Peak Physical Condition: Prior to his battle with Superman, Wayne was at the peak of human physical condition due to his experience as a vigilante.[1]
- Intimidation: Wayne was a highly intimidating individual, orchestrating what was dubbed as "Batman's Reign of Terror" by the Gotham City Gazette.[1]
Weaknesses[edit source]
- Disability: Wayne was severely injured during his battle with Superman, which left him unable to walk without his exoskeleton.[1]
- Mental Instability: Bruce was extremely mentally unstable, resulting in him eventually giving into his homicidal tendencies and murdering a number of his enemies.[1]
Equipment[edit source]
Former Equipment[edit source]
- Batmobile: Wayne used a specialized car whilst operating as Batman.[1]
- Batsuit: Wayne wore a protective bat-themed black suit whilst operating as Batman.[1]
- Bat-Trophies: Wayne kept a number of trophies previously belonging to his victims. These included Clark Kent's glasses, the Joker's playing card, the Riddler's cane, Two-Face's coin, Mr. Freeze's snow globe, and Poison Ivy's vines.[1]
- Exoskeleton: Wayne was forced to wear an exoskeleton after being severely injured during his battle with Superman.[1]
- Green Kryptonite: Wayne kept a shard of green kryptonite in his exoskeleton, which he used on both Superman and Supergirl.[1]
Appearances[edit source]
| Appearances | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Two | Appears |
 |
Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Three | Mentioned |
 |
Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Five | Mentioned |
|
An Un-Birthday Present | Mentioned |
|
Through the Looking-Glass | Indirectly Mentioned |
Gallery[edit source]
Bruce Wayne
Concept Artwork
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References[edit source]
| Other versions of Bruce Wayne | |||||||||||||||||||
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| New Multiverse | |||||||||||||||||||