Kirk Langstrom (DC)

*This article is for the DC character for the OC see Kirk Langstrom*

ℹ️️**Notice**This is a crossover character, Not canon

**Dr. Kirk Langstrom** is the inventor of the infamous Man-Bat Serum, a special formula that has the ability to turn the user into a hideous bat monster, the **Man-Bat**. Though he originally created it to help the deaf and blind, because of its temporary side effects, multiple people have taken advantage of it, including Langstrom himself, often in the name of vigilantism. However, because the user becomes almost feral with its use, Langstrom has acted as both an ally and enemy to Batman.

## Kirk Langstrom (DC)

### Relatives

Francine Langstrom (wife)Billy Langstrom (son)Alan March (father in law)

## History

### Early Life

Langstrom's serum was first stolen by the League of Assassins but then was handed over to Ignatius Ogilvy by League defector Anya Volkova which he uses as an airborne virus to spread throughout Gotham City's "900 Block".

Kirk and his wife Francine were escorted by Batwoman to Batman's location where he revealed that he was the creator of the serum, intending to help deaf people. He then used a sample of the serum Batman had obtained to inject himself. This created an anti-virus which also spread through the air. Langstrom was turned into a Man-Bat (the last remaining Man-Bat) as his anti-virus cured the remaining citizens of Gotham.

### Early Crimes

During Batman's second year as a vigilante, Man-Bat joined the "War of Jokes and Riddles" between the Joker and the Riddler for the right to kill Batman. While the two villains invited all the criminals they could into their war, Man-Bat found himself siding with the Joker. For weeks the battle raged on between the two sides before Batman was forced to focus his efforts on one army in particular, choosing to go after the Joker's militia first. Man-Bat was apprehended by the Bat and taken to Arkham.

## Powers and Abilities

### Powers

* **Transformation**: By injection of the Man-Bat Serum, Langstrom can transform himself into a half-human/half-bat creature. Once the serum effect wears off, the Man-Bat returns back to human form.
	+ **Superhuman Strength**: Kirk as Manbat, can lift a police cruiser and throw it at another, destroying both vehicles. Manbat can even lift a heavy armored police van with no issue.
	+ **Superhuman Durability**: Not even MK 16 firearms can pierce Manbat’s wings. He can also take powerful blows from stronger opponents without any real injury.
	+ **Wings**
		- **Flight**
	+ **Claws**: Man-Bat's claws are sharp enough to cut Plastic Man's skin.
	+ **Echolocation**
	+ **Sound Manipulation**
	+ **Animal Empathy**: Man-Bat was able to empathically reach out to local bats and ask them for their help, after which they organized and swarmed his targets.
	+ **Enhanced Hearing**: Man-Bat's ears are ten times more sensible to sounds than human ears.
* **Magic**: Kirk possess some ability in performing magic, having learned overtime to open up his magical sensitivity and successfully casted a spell to free Khalid Nassour from being sealed off by Nabu in a vase.

### Abilities

* **Genius Level Intellect**: Kirk Langstrom possess a genius-level intellect with interest in various sciences. He was formerly a respected scientist until his Man-Bat serum creation damaged and stained his reputation among the scientific community.
	+ **Occultism**: Langstrom gained knowledge of the magical arts; his approach in it's study is similar to his approaches in science and learned how to perform some spell-craft from Traci 13's explanation of magic.
	+ **Pedagogy**: Professor Langstrom is a certified biology teacher at Gotham Academy.
	+ **Science**
	+ **Chemistry**

### Other Characteristics

* **Drug Addiction**: Langstrom, after sacrificing himself to save the 900, became addicted to his Man-Bat serum, waiting until his wife was asleep each night to take the formula. Langstrom fought his addiction and regretted anything he did in his Man-Bat state but that wouldn't stop him from using the serum when needed.

## Featured Versions

### Batman: The Animated Series

Scientist **Kirk Langstrom** worked as a Zoologist at the Gotham City Zoo, experimenting with bat mutagen to create a serum to replicate the creatures' long life. After testing the serum on himself, Langstrom became the vicious **Man-Bat**.

## History

Langstrom worked at the Gotham Zoo where he met colleague Francine March whom he would later marry. While working at the zoo, Langstrom ascribed to his father-in-law Dr. March's theories of bat evolution. Believing bats to possess the capability to make the next evolutionary step (a capability humans lacked), Langstrom set to work creating a formula that would allow humans to make this jump as well.

### A Real Bat

Langstrom developed a serum strong enough to change humans into animal-like creatures and after a while he managed to create a formula to becoma a Man-Bat. However, he needed many components to create the formula and Langstrom began stealing the chemicals. In a city as crime-laden as Gotham, Man-Bat was able to steal with relative ease. It wasn't until he assaulted a guard during a robbery that he attracted the attention of the Gotham Police Force. However, Luck was on Langstrom's side; District Attorney Harvey Dent and Detective Harvey Bullock mistook the crime spree for the actions of Batman.

After a series of incidents related to a mysterious bat creature, Batman arrived at his office in the zoo and questions him about his connection. Langstrom, who has already taken the formula, reveals himself as the thief of the serum from the chemical labs. Langstrom transforms into Man-Bat and turns on Batman.

Francine arrives at the lab and discovers that the creature is her husband. After a brief encounter with Batman, Man-Bat is subdued and taken to the Batcave, where Batman finds a cure and reverts the transformation permanently.

When Selina Kyle is kidnapped by Emile Dorian, Batman visits Langstrom to learn more about Dorian's experiments and to find a way to revert the mutations he created.

Later, Langstrom fears that he might be transforming into Man-Bat once again. Trying to find a cure for his problem, Kirk isolates himself in his laboratory, forcing Francine to leave him. However, when Batman runs some tests of Langstrom's blood, he learns that Kirk is not transforming into the Man-Bat, but instead, it is Francine, who was accidentally infected. Kirk manages to find Francine before she leaves Gotham and tries to convince her to stay, but she transforms into "She-Bat" and drags Kirk to the top of a bridge, where Batman provides an antidote for her transformation and reverts the process. After this, Francine and Kirk are finally free from the Man-Bat curse.

### The Batman

Dr. **Kirk Langstrom** was an employee and scientist at Wayne Enterprises who created a serum that turned him into **Man-Bat**.

## History

In an effort to become the ultimate "Bat" in Gotham City, Dr. Langstrom worked on a mutative serum that would transform him into the extremely powerful and evil Man-Bat. One day, Bruce Wayne, CEO of Wayne Enterprises, inquired about the subject and purpose of his experiments, and Langstrom told Bruce that he was trying to cure his nephew's deafness. Bruce soon discovered that Langstrom had lied after a visit to his niece. Bruce went back to Wayne Enterprises, and, after he looked through Langstrom's journal, discovered that he wanted to be like the Batman. Langstrom, not knowing that Bruce Wayne was Batman, took a dose of his new serum, which caused him to transform into Man-Bat. Langstrom terrorized the city during his newfound need for blood. Man-Bat wreaked havoc throughout Gotham, but was eventually apprehended when the serum wore off.

After Langstrom served time at Arkham, he turned to an honest life as a scientist, and promised never to use the formula again.