Bruce Wayne (New Earth)
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History
- "Sgt. Essen informed me that Wayne's parents were murdered by a mugger when he was eight years old. That's enough motive, I suppose, to make a man dress like Dracula and assault criminals..."
Early Life
Batman is the alter-ego of Bruce Wayne, a billionaire industrialist and philanthropist who was driven to fight crime after his parents, the physician Dr. Thomas Wayne and his wife Martha Wayne, were murdered before his eyes at the age of eight by Joe Chill. The killer was later arrested after fleeing the scene [1]. Fortunately, medical doctor and social worker Leslie Thompkins was there to give loving comfort to the traumatized Bruce. He was then raised on the Wayne Manor estate by uncle Philip Wayne and wise and loyal butler Alfred Pennyworth. Bruce only had a few friends during his childhood.
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Training
Bruce Wayne swore an oath to rid the city of the evil that had taken his parents' lives. He spent his youth traveling the world, training himself to intellectual and physical perfection and learning a variety of crime-fighting skills, including chemistry, criminology, forensics, martial arts, gymnastics, and disguise.
At age 16, Bruce Wayne began his global sojourn, attending courses at Cambridge, the Sorbonne, and other European universities. However, he never stayed long and would often drop out after one semester. Beyond academia, Wayne acquired more "practical" skills.
While abroad, Wayne learned 127 major styles of combat, from Aikido to Yaw-Yan to Ninjitsu. Frenchman Henri Ducard made him an apprentice in manhunting. The ninja Kirigi, and other ninja shadow masters, schooled Wayne in stealth and the ways of the shadow warrior. African Bushman (the Ghost Tribes of the Ten-eyed Brotherhood, among others) taught hunting techniques, while Nepalese monks revealed healing arts[2]. He even learned ventriloquism from practioners of the art. His knowledge of so many varied disciplines has made Wayne an unconventional and unpredictable opponent. When he was 20, he attempted to join the FBI, but he learned it would be impossible to fight crime and evil within the legal system.
Enter -- The Bat!
After returning to Gotham City in his early twenties, Wayne made several harrowing and near-fatal forays into the world of crime-fighting before donning his now familiar costume. In part, the costume was inspired by another tragic accident of his life that would have a profound impact on who he would become — at the age of eight, he fell down a cavern, located beneath Wayne Manor (later to become the Batcave), that was swarming with bats. He was thereafter haunted by the event, despite the timely arrival of his father. After a particularly near-fatal brush with the criminals of Gotham (his last encounter before donning the cape and cowl), he sat in his father's study questioning his mission and seeking direction. A bat crashed through the window, and he took it as a sign that he should take on the appearance of a bat to strike fear into the criminal element, whom he thought to be "a superstitious, cowardly lot."
In keeping with the "dark" nature of bats, Batman usually operates primarily at night. Batman was considered an urban legend and not believed by the citizens of Gotham City to actually exist; however, Batman was "outed" in the War Games incident, when his live image was broadcast over the news as he made a brief daytime appearance in front of a violence-overtaken high school in Gotham.
Whenever he is needed, the Gotham City police activate a "Bat-Signal" (a searchlight with a bat-shaped insignia over the lens) that shines into the night sky.
Personality
Who is "The Real Man"?
The Bruce Wayne/playboy aspect of his character is a facade, while the masked and particularly dark, grim vigilante is marked as the "true" man. Usually, Batman is further separated from Bruce Wayne by the raspy and stony bass voice he usually assumes while costumed.
Another identity Batman has used in the past is Matches Malone. Matches Malone was a small time thug who acted as Batman's snitch. When Matches was killed, Batman assumed his identity. As the Matches Malone identity, he was able to access areas of the criminal arena neither Bruce Wayne nor Batman could enter.
Secret Identity
Wayne guards his secret identity well, but several individuals know of his superhero alter-ego, including Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash (Wally West), Green Lanterns John Stewart, Kyle Rayner, and Alan Scott, Plastic Man (Patrick "Eel" O'Brien), Red Arrow, Vixen, Black Lightning Aquaman (Orin/Arthur Curry), Green Arrow (Oliver "Ollie" Queen), Nightwing (Dick Grayson), Jason Todd, (aka Robin II, aka The Red Hood), Robin (Tim Drake), Oracle (Barbara Gordon), Martian Manhunter (J'onn J'onzz), and his butler Alfred. The kindly Doctor Leslie Thompkins also is aware of Bruce's secret identity.
Several villains have discovered his true identity over the years, most notably eco-terrorist Ra's al Ghul, Hugo Strange, the Riddler, Catwoman (Selina Kyle), Scarecrow, and Bane.
The villain Hush has attempted to take revenge on both sides of the Batman/Bruce Wayne persona, and he is noted throughout his run as a villain who has personal ties to Bruce Wayne and/or Batman; Hush is later revealed to be Thomas Elliot, a childhood friend of Bruce Wayne. Fortunately, most of Batman's enemies have dismissed the notion of Bruce Wayne as Batman because of Wayne's apparent dim-wittedness and self-absorption while the ones who do know prefer to keep the information to themselves for their own reasons. The Joker has had opportunities to learn himself, but he has always refused them, since it would personally rob the mystique of his enemy.
Personality & Relationships
Batman is a normal human being who does not possess any superhuman abilities, but has character flaws that can be exploited by enemies.
As a young child, Bruce tended to be solitary and withdrawn, a condition only exacerbated by the murder of his parents. This lead to his current state as a loner who would prefer to be on his own rather than rely on others. His difficulty in trusting others is a constant issue for him to overcome, and perhaps his only weakness.
His longest and closest relationship is with Alfred, who represents a father figure, confessor and advisor. Alfred and he have clashed in the past, but share a deep and unbreakable bond. To the world at large, Bruce Wayne looks like a rich,Good Looking, dim-witted playboy. But there are times when Bruce has found love -- the beautiful Catwoman, Wonder Woman, Talia Head, Andrea Beaumont, Vicki Vale, and Sasha Bordeaux and some others. They have all reached Bruce's heart and have fallen in love with him. Bruce can love, it's just more difficult for him to after his parents.
Next to Alfred, his closest relationships are with his partners, the Robins and the Batgirls. Although they have not always been harmonious, due to his nature as an often harsh, strict and emotionally withdrawn mentor, it is clear that he views the Robins as his sons, although he views Jason Todd as the son he failed.
James Gordon remains a close friend and staunch ally, although their relationship has also been challenged by Batman's secretive nature. Still, Gordon remains arguably Batman's best friend.
His relationship with other metahumans has been complex. While he does work with them, he also does no fully trust them. This (warranted or not) has led to his keeping files on how to defeat allies and friends in case they ever cross the line. This stems from events revealed in the Identity Crisis incident where his memory was erased by other members of the Justice League to cover up their roles in the punishment of Doctor Light (Arthur Light), who had raped Ralph Dibny's (Elongated Man's) wife. In the past, this information has been used against him and his allies, first by Ra's Al Ghul, and then later by the OMAC project.
Batman has occasionally been arrogant, treating many of his allies with various degrees of disrespect. He often imposes his exacting standards on others as he does himself. He also sometimes overestimates his own abilities, allowing foes to take advantage of that.
Recent Events
During Infinite Crisis, Batman nearly broke his most sacred law. When it appeared that Alexander Luthor may have killed longtime ally Dick Grayson, Batman knocked down Luthor and threatened to kill him with a gun. Fortunately, Dick was still alive, and Batman avoided making what would have been the worst decision of his life. [3] Regardless, the incident shook Batman's reserve, and he realized that he had crossed the line. It was time to re-evaluate his identity and retrace the steps that forged him into the man he is today.
To this end, he departed Gotham City on a quest to "kill the bat". Along with Robin and Nightwing, he traveled to the Middle East where he re-honed his martial prowess under the tutelage of a desert cult known as the Cult of the Ten-Eyed Men. [4]
Batman returned to Gotham City with a stronger sense of self, and a clear optimistic view of the future. This optimism was challenged however when he found himself united with Ibn al Xu'ffasch (anglicized as Damian Wayne) - his alleged son with villainess Talia al Ghul. Batman attempted to become a father figure to Damian, but quickly realized that the young boy's mind was already diseased by a violent upbringing. Their time together was short, and Damian eventually returned to his mother.
Allies
- Nightwing (Dick Grayson)
- Robin (Tim Drake)
- Oracle (Barbara Gordon)
- Batgirl (Cassandra Cain)
- James Gordon
- Justice League of America
- Justice Society of America
- Batman Family
Powers and Abilities
Powers
None known.
Abilities
Indomitable Will: He has no known superhuman powers, but he does have an extreme, almost superhuman "Force of Will".
Intimidation: It is widely known that Batman has the ability to instill fear in others, even the people that know him best are intimidated by him. Even those who aren't afraid of the likes of Superman fear Batman.
Master Acrobat: Proficient in gymnastics and acrobatics.
Peak Human Conditioning: Through intense training, specialized diet, and biopathic feedback treatments, The Batman represents the pinnacle of human physical prowess. His physical attributes exceed that of any Olympic level athlete that has ever competed. His strength, speed, stamina, agility, reflexes and coordination are at peak human perfection. Batman began his physical and mental conditioning when he was 11 and then intense physical training and weight lifting at age 12. He has mastered full body control by the time he was 18. Wayne abstains entirely from drinking alcohol, though he presents Bruce Wayne, his alter ego, as a borderline alcoholic (he creates this illusion by drinking ginger ale and pretending it is champagne). Batman's refusal to drink is directly linked to keeping his body in its absolute best. Bruce Wayne, since the age of 15, has created a strict diet to enable his body to develop and operate at its most proficient, along with biopathic treatments (using portable/non portable machines to stimulate muscles to contraction) Batman has performed amazing physical feats due to his superior physique. He engages in a intensive regular regimen of rigorous exercise (including aerobics, weight lifting, gymnastics, and simulated combat) to keep himself in peak condition, and has often defeated opponents whose size, strength, or other powers greatly exceeded his own. He has spent his entire life in pursuit of physical perfection and has attained it through constant intensive training and determination.
- Peak Human Strength: although he is not physically the "strongest" Non-Meta on Earth he is definitely close to that level. He has been seen to be breaking steel chains and cuffs[5], supporting 1000lbs ceiling[6], bending steel metal bars with his hands[7], even punched a SWAT officer through a brick wall[8], benched pressed 846lbs and held it for 6 secs, military pressed(standing overhead lift) a weight of 605lbs, he has punched through ice blocks, kicked down small trees with a single kick, held Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) (who weighs 185lbs) with one arm without breaking a sweat, lifted three adult men on his body without tiring, and can leap phenomenal distances. Also his leg press is also over 1000 lbs as evident his ability to leap considerable heights and distances.
- Peak Human Reflexes: Bruce's reflexes have been honed to such a degree that he has caught one of Green Arrow's arrows in mid flight when he tried to shoot him.
- Peak Human Speed: He has run at speeds greater than the finest competing athletes , nd can run faster than 25 miles per hour.
- Peak Human Endurance: His endurance is greater than an Olympic Decathlon. His lung capacity is so great that he has held his breath underwater for 2 mins. He can exert himself at peak capacity for half an hour without rest before showing any signs of fatigue.
- Peak Human Agility: His agility is comparable to that of a Chinese acrobat and an Olympic gold medalist gymnast. His main phase of movement is Parkour which he learned in France and uses this to scale the cities rooftops in an acrobatic manner.
- Peak Human Durability: He has been shot numerous times and has shown no great deal of pain, been attacked by Superman and Wonder Woman and survived. Darkseid has punched and thrown him into walls.
Martial Arts Master: Batman is one of the finest human combatants Earth has ever known,which has turned him into a living Weapon which he uses to punish criminals. He has learned 127 major styles of combat outside the United States. He trained in the US for various martial arts for 3 years. He became 2st and 3nd degree black belt in Karate, Judo, Jujitsu, Aikido by the time he was 18. At age 18, he left US to further study martial arts under specialized masters. Proficient black belt of various master degrees in Savate (French Kickboxing) and Kung Fu. He studied commando style operations with small mercenary units. He has mastered combat training and blind fighting. Batman has been highly trained, and become proficient in, all of the world's most lethal martial arts. While abroad he also mastered Ninjitsu, Muay Thai, Kobudo, Yaw-Yan, Dragon Style Kung Fu, & Tae Kwon Do. He has also been trained by Wildcat, who is formerly the Heavyweight Champion of the World, in the art of Boxing. Superman has him listed as a Class 12 fighter, whereas Karate Kid is listed as a Class 15 fighter. Batman thinks he's much better than Karate Kid and has even fought him to a stand still. Batman has learned many fighting styles, but his primary form of combat is an idiosyncratic admixture of Tae Kwon Do, Judo, Muay Thai, Karate, Boxing, Jujitsu, and Ninjitsu. He also has extensive knowledge on pressure points as evident is hush volume one. All of these martial arts mastered make Batman in the top 5 premier Martial artists of the DC Universe and only a handful of Non-Metas are capable of stopping him.
- Weapons Master: Through his martial arts training, he has become an expert on many types of weaponry. He is an exceptional swordsman as evident in his fight with Ra's al Ghul, his proficiency in jui jitsu can proclaim his swordsmanship skill. Proficient at knife throwing, Escrima, & melee weapons mastery, having mastered Kobudo. Was trained and became proficient with all small arms. He soon learned expanded melee weapon techniques and he has learned expanded weapon/device sciences. He still practices during his combat sessions to keep his skills intact, though he prefers unarmed combat.
- Master of Stealth: His Ninjitsu training has made him a master at stealth capable of breaching high security facilities with ease and without being detected, even by Superman and an army of White Martians.
- Expert Marksman: due to his training in Ninjitsu, Batman almost never misses his targets 7/10 times he's succesful. He has been practicing accuracy since the early days of his training and is almost on par with the Green Arrow in terms of accuracy.
Genius-Level Intellect: Batman is a brilliant, virtually peerless, detective, strategist, scientist, tactician, and commander; he is widely regarded as one of the keenest analytical minds [9] on the planet. Given his lack of superpowers, he often uses cunning and planning to outwit his foes, rather than simply "out-fighting" them.
- Polymath: He has studied Biology, Technology, Mathematics, Physics, Mythology, Geography, & History. Gained degrees in Criminal Science, Forensics, Computer Science, Chemistry and Engineering by the time he was 21. He has mastered Diverse Environmental Training, Security Systems, and illusion/sleight of hand by the time he was 23. He gained even more degrees in Biology, Physics, Advanced Chemistry, and Technology by the time he was 25. He has learned Forensic, Medical Sciences, Expanded Computer and Engineering Sciences, and Expanded Device Pool, use of personal powered armor and system, database creation on underworld crime bosses, rogue's gallery foes and other supers; improved material sciences for body armor and micro-machinery by the time he was 26. Has also learned Advanced New Development in Forensic and Medical Sciences.
- Master Detective: He is widely considered as the World's Greatest Detective, capable of observation, forensic investigation, and inductive and deductive reasoning of the highest caliber. Human intuition is an unlearnable trait and one of Batman's most effective tools. Given any mystery, he can arrive at any conclusions with a fraction of the data.
- Multi-lingual: He is able to speak Spanish, French, Latin, German, Japanese, English, Russian, Cantonese, Mandarin, and possibly more.
- Master Tactician and Strategist: He commonly utilizes cunning tactics to outwit his foes. He is a very good leader and at times commands the Justice League and the Outsiders. Having learned the "Art Of War" by Sun Tzu, Batman can formulate amazing strategies.
- Escapologist: He has been described as second only to Mister Miracle as an escape artist. He has been seen escaping from a posey straitjacket in less than 52 seconds and remarked afterwards thats way too slow for him. He is able to use a ballpoint pen to escape from a straitjacket with chains wrapped around him. Has even boasted that he could use a ballpoint pen to pick the locks at Fort Knox.
- Aviation: Has been seen flying the various versions of the Batplanes with ease and flying a helicopter. Thanks to Maritan Manhunter, Batman has full knowledge of how to pilot a Martian Carrier Spaceship.
- Photographic Memory: Batman has total recall and can remember things in great detail.
- Tracking: Trained in hunting techniques by African Bushmen(the Ghost Tribes of the Ten-eyed Brotherhood, among others).
- Master of Disguise: Has mastered the art of disguise by the time he was 23. Has further learned Expanded Disguise techniques by the time he was 26. Batman has many aliases he uses to infiltrate the underworld or just to go undercover in public situations. His current aliases are: Matches Malone, Thomas Quigley, Ragman, Detective Hawke, Sir Hemingford Grey, Frank Dixon, Gordon Selkirk, and Mr. Fledermaus.
- Expert Mechanic and Vehicular Driver: Proficient at combat driving. Has learned improved vehicle designs. Was trained and proficient in basic vehicles operations.
Strength level
Batman engages in an intensive exercise regimen.
Miscellaneous
Wayne designs the costumes, equipment, and vehicles he uses as Batman, which are produced by a secret military division of Wayne Industries. Over the years, he has accumulated a large arsenal of specialized gadgets in his war on crime. The designs of most of Batman's equipment share a common theme of dark coloration with a bat motif. A prime example is Batman's car, the Batmobile, often depicted as an imposing black car with large tail fins that suggest a bat's wings; another is his chief throwing weapon, the batarang, a bat-shaped boomerang.
Weaknesses
None known.
Paraphernalia
Equipment:
Batman keeps most of his personal field equipment in a signature piece of apparel, a yellow utility belt. Over the years it has contained items such as plastic explosives, nerve toxins, batarangs, smoke bombs, a fingerprint kit, a cutting tool, a grappling hook gun, and a "re-breather" breathing device. Recently, Superman had entrusted Batman with a ring made of kryptonite, to be used should the Man of Steel ever need to be reined in (due to being mind-controlled by a villain, etc.).
Transportation: Batmobile, Batwing, Batboat, Batcycle.
Weapons: Batarangs (several different types), small explosives, smoke and tear gas pellets.
Notes
In a graphic novel entitled Batman: Son of the Demon (1987), Batman sires an illegitimate child with Talia al Ghul named Ibn al Xu'ffasch who goes up to become a crime fighter in his own right as an adult. According to editor Denny O'Neil, these "Son of the Demon" graphic novels, as well as Kingdom Come stories that the adult Ibn appears in, are considered non-canon, and does not fit into the continuity of the mainstream DC Universe. And is supported as in all of his appearances, Ibn al Xu'ffasch is an adult and Wayne is shown as an old man whereas in canon stories Wayne is not as aged as those incarnations.
Recently however, writer Grant Morrison began scripting a storyline bringing the character of Ibn al Xu'ffasch (specifically called Damian in the current mainstream storyline) into the primary continuity. The canonical Ibn/Damian's relationship to Bruce Wayne, if any, has yet to be clarified. [10]
Trivia
Recommended Readings
- Batman: Year One
- Batman: No Man's Land
- Batman: The Killing Joke
- Batman: Hush, Volume 1
- Batman: Hush, Volume 2
- Batman: Arkham Asylum
- Batman: Dark Knight Returns, The
- Batman: The Long Halloween
- Batman: Dark Victory
- Batman: Bruce Wayne: Fugitive Series.
- Batman Begins: The Movie and other Tales of the Dark Knight.
- Batman: Under the Hood
- The OMAC Project
- Infinite Crisis
Related Articles
- List of Batman Titles
- Batman cover art gallery
- Batman Storylines
- Nightwing (Dick Grayson)
- Joker
- Robin
- Justice League of America
- Knightfall
See Also
- Discuss Bruce Wayne (New Earth) on the forums
- Appearances of Bruce Wayne (New Earth) (Chronological)
- Appearances of Bruce Wayne (New Earth) (Alphabetical)
- Character Gallery: Bruce Wayne (New Earth)
- Fan-Art Gallery: Bruce Wayne (New Earth)
- Quotations by Bruce Wayne (New Earth)
Links and References
- Bruce Wayne (New Earth) at Wikipedia.org
- The Origin of Batman at DC Comic's Heroes and Villains Page
- Batman at the DC Animated Universe Wikia
- Batman article at Toonopedia
- Batman article at Supermanica
- Batman article at the Unofficial Guide to the DC Universe
- Batman page at DC Comics
- Batman: Yesterday, Today and Beyond
- Batman: The Dark Knight
- The Batman at the Guide to the Mythological Universe
Footnotes
- ↑ Infinite Crisis #6
- ↑ Batman: The Ultimate Guide to the Dark Knight, 2nd edition, 2005, DK Publishing, ISBN 0-756-61121-0
- ↑ Infinite Crisis #7
- ↑ 52 - Week Thirty
- ↑ http://img109.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc127&image=827_batcuff.jpg & http://img44.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc239&image=73f_batchain1.jpg
- ↑ http://img21.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc244&image=77c_bat1000.jpg
- ↑ http://img103.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=85185_batgirlpunch3_122_968lo.jpg
- ↑
- ↑ Batman: The Ultimate Guide to the Dark Knight, 2nd edition, 2005, DK Publishing, ISBN 0-756-61121-0
- ↑ Batman #655
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