Batman Unlimited

Batman Unlimited is the first comic in "DC Unlimited".

## Storylines

### The End

Bruce Wayne's parents where shot when he was only eleven, with the killer getting away. Bruce was adopted by Alfred Pennyworth, the Wayne's trusted Butler, who raised him as his own child. Bruce swore he would avenge his parent's deaths and years later tried to become a police officer, only to be rejected by Commissioner James Gordon. After this, Bruce decided to leave Gotham to train, and come back to take the law in to his own hands. Bruce was found by an old man who decided to train Bruce himself. The man took Bruce to "the League of Assassins" and began his training. Bruce proved himself a fast learner, even finding out how to fight while blind. He quickly became a member of the League and was renamed "Al Wata-Wat". The leader of the League, Ra's al Ghul, welcomed Bruce and even made Bruce his second in command. Bruce also met Ra's' daughter, Talia, whom he fell in love with. He then snuck in to her room, and admited his feelings, which she admits to sharing. They kept their relationship secret for a year, but Ubu, a member of the League who also loves Talia, tells Ra's about Bruce and Talia. Ra's then has Bruce taken to him and demands that Bruce leave his daughter, but Bruce refuses and challenges Ra's to a fight, if Ra's wins, Bruce leaves the League, if Bruce wins, he marries Talia. Ra's accepts, thinking there is no way Bruce could win. However, Bruce does come out on top. Ra's then kills the man who trained Bruce before trying to kill Bruce himself. Bruce manages to escape and says goodbye to Talia before traveling back to Gotham City.

### I, Vigilante

Bruce returns home and reunites with Alfred. He tells Alfred of his training with the League of Assassins, and Alfred reveals that while Bruce was training, Gotham's crime went out of control. Bruce then reveals his plan to take the law in to his own hands, with Alfred calling him crazy. After an argument, Alfred agrees to help Bruce, though he still would prefer if Bruce didn't do this. Later, a few criminals are trying to get out of Gotham, but Bruce appears in the first Batsuit and stops them. Over the course of a month, Bruce does everything the police couldn't, including tracking down the killer of his parents, a man named Joe Chill. Bruce breaks Chill's back before leaving him for the police. However, while Bruce has been taking down criminals, another man has been watching him, Edward Nygma. Nygma has been spending his time trying to find out who the vigilante is. He ends up seting a trap for the vigilante, which Bruce falls in to. Nygma reveals he is going to drop Bruce in to acid if he doesn't answer a riddle. Bruce answers correctly and Nygma lets him go before trying to escape. Bruce tries to capture Nygma, but Nygma manages to get away. Later, Bruce and Alfred talk about Nygma and realize he was a man who worked for Wayne Enterprises before he was fired by Bruce, just before he took off. This gives Bruce and idea and he throws a party in his name. As expected, Nygma shows up at the party for his revenge. He captures Bruce and takes him away. Bruce manages to break free and defeat a few of Nygma's men before getting in to his new batsuit and going after Nygma. He manages to find Nygma in his room, where he finds Nygma's investigation. Bruce and Nygma get in to a fight, which ends in Nygma burning his own room to the ground in desperation. Later, Alfred and Bruce speak about weather Nygma died in the fire or not, and Bruce reveals a body was never found. Meanwhile, a man in a suit is seen throwing darts in to a picture of the vigilante.

### The Man Who Laughs

A group of crime bosses in Gotham City gather together and realize non of them called the meeting. After an argument, a well dressed man shows up and slits one man's throat before revealing he called the meeting. When asked his name, the man throws a playing card in to another man's head. The playing card is the Joker, which the man reveals to be his name. He also proclaims that every crime boss in the room works for him now. One crime boss sends one of his men after Joker, but Joker crushes the bodyguard's skull. After this, they agree to work for him and the Joker drops a gas bomb before disappearing. Meanwhile, Bruce is still going around, saving lives, defeating criminals, and much more. However, Police Commissioner Gordon isn't happy about this, as he believes the vigilante makes the GCPD look like fools. Because of this, Gordon puts out a warrant for the vigilante's arrest. Later, a group of criminals try to transport weapons to someone who bought them, but are stopped by the vigilante, who demands to know who they work for. Before they can tell him, they are both shot by another man. Bruce follows the shooter without him noticing and is led to a warehouse. In the warehouse, the shooter is talking to the Joker, when Bruce suddenly bursts in, landing on the shooter. Bruce has his first face to face meeting with the Joker, which ends in Joker gassing Bruce and running off. Later, Bruce begins researching the Joker, however, there are criminals called "Joker" but none of them are this Joker. Bruce doesn't give up though, he keeps trying to find out about the Joker. Meanwhile, James Gordon and his daughter, Barbara, talk about the vigilante, with James revealing why he doesn't like him. James reveals a "Cape", as he calls them, killed Barbara's mother. Barbara tries to argue that this Cape might be different, but James stops listening when the doorbell rings. He opens the door, and the Joker is standing there with a gun.

### Birth of Batman

Bruce can not find any information on the Joker, but decides to put his research off after he finds out the Joker has kidnapped James Gordon, and is hanging Barbara Gordon by her leg off a bridge. Bruce suits up and drives over there. When he gets there, the police try to keep him out and arrest him, but he manages to escape and climbs to the Joker and Barbara, with the Joker getting Barbara up and pointing a knife to her throat. Joker then demands Bruce to unmask, with him pretending that he is going to, only to pull out a weapon named the "Targeter" and throwing it at Joker, who throws Barbarab off the bridge, only for Bruce to catch her. However, when he gets back up, the Joker and James are gone. Bruce gives Barbara to the police before driving off. He looks through every news program he can until he finds one that is reporting on the Joker, who just ran in to ACE Chemicals with James Gordon. Bruce drives to ACE and bursts in, where he finds a beaten and brused James Gordon, who yells that the Joker said he was going to blow ACE up. Bruce then runs all around ACE, looking for Joker. All the while, Joker is speaking to Bruce, explaining his story. Joker reveals he was a failing comedian, and that he ended up working for the mob, who turned him in to "Red Hood". However, his first gig didn't go well, as most of the mob where shot and killed, while he was cornered by police officers, and ended up falling in to a chemical pit. Afterwards, he became the Joker. However, in the present, Joker reveals he doesn't even know if that's what really happened to him or not. As he puts it, if he's going to have a past, he'd like it to be open ended. At that moment, Bruce bursts in and they fight. After a very long, very gruling fight, the Joker tries to throw a match in to the chemicals bellow, but Bruce catches it and throws one last punch, knocking Joker out. Bruce takes the Joker outside, where he arrested. The police try to arrest Bruce as well, but Gordon tells them not to. Gordon then shakes Bruce's hand, shocking the police officers. The news named the vigilante "Batman". Afterwards, Gordon reveals to Barbara he still isn't sure if a vigilante is good for Gotham, but he is happy that there's someone making Gotham safe again. Meanwhile, the Joker is sent to Arkham Asylum, where he meets Dr. Harleen Quinzel.

### Total Anarchy

People all around Gotham have been putting on costumes and trying to become the next Batman, getting themselves hurt and much worse. There are some people who can actually fight and have a moral code that are becoming vigilantes, such as Dick Grayson, who has become a vigilante the press named "Nightwing". However, on the opposite end, there is Lonnie Machin, AKA Anarky, who is a vigilante that is gunning criminals down in the name of the Batman. On the bright side, Dick Grayson is going after Anarky next, but his first fight doesn't go well, as Anarky gets the upper hand and puts a gun to Dick's head. However, Batman himself then appears and knocks the gun out of Anarky's hand. Bruce tries to talk Anarky down, but Anarky pulls out another gun and shoots Batman in the gut before running away. Dick then drags Bruce away, managing to bandage him up. Dick then helps Bruce up, with Bruce calling the Crusher, or as Dick calls it, the Batmobile. Bruce gets in to the car and claims he can take it from here, but soon realizes he can't, so he is forced to ask Dick for help. However, Dick reveals he is only seventeen and that he can't drive a car, so Bruce teaches Dick how to drive he Crusher. They make it to Bruce's hideout, with Dick calling it the Batcave, with Bruce pointing out how much Dick says "bat". Bruce then lies on a table and actually manages to teach Dick how to remove a bullet. While working, Dick explains his story, revealing that he was a child acrobat whose parents where killed in front of his eyes, reminding Bruce of his own story. After the bullet is successfully removed, Bruce gets up and reveals his identity to Dick. Dick is shocked by this, and is even more shocked when he realizes this means he has earned the trust of Batman. Dick and Bruce then team up to take on and defeat Anarky. Meanwhile, Anarky himself has just broken in to a meeting between a group of criminals, wanting to kill them all. However, Bruce and Dick then burst in and fight Anarky, managing to defeat him. They then begin fighting all the criminals who Anarky was ready to kill, managing to defeat each and every one. Afterwards, Anarky is arrested, with him monologuing about how Batman has a new side-kick, and that he has renounced his love of Batman, saying that the next time he sees Batman, they will meet as enemies. Meanwhile, as it turns out, Gotham's about to get a new hero, as Barbara Gordon has just put on a costume of her own.

### Zero to Batgirl

Barbara and James Gordon go to a party hosted by billionaire Bruce Wayne. At first, Barbara is very bored, but then she notices that Bruce's voice sounds familiar. She then notices he has a look in his eyes she known, and a face shape she also recognizes. After the party, Bruce gets in to his limo, only to look to his side and see Barbara in a suit. Barbara then confronts Bruce on being Batman, which Bruce denies. However, Barbara prevents her evidence, with Bruce trying to dismiss it. However, it becomes clear that Barbara won't be convinced, so Bruce looks at Barbara with a scowl and asks her what she wants, with Barbara demanding to become Bruce's partner. Bruce then realizes is he rejects Barbara she may tell James, who he still doesn't trust due to the fact James chased him for so long. Bruce agrees to take Barbara to his hide out, but knocks her out with chloroform before asking Alfred to drive to the Batcave. When Barbara wakes up, the first question she asks is who Nightwing is. Just then, Dick Grayson walks in to the Batcave out of his suit, making Barbara freeze and stare at him, due to how, as she puts it in thought, drop dead gorgeous he is. However, her staring just makes Dick uncomfortable, so he just asks Bruce who Barbara is. When Bruce explains everything, Barbara snaps out of it and puts her mask back on, announcing her superhero name as Batgirl. Bruce then says he's found the perfect mission for Barbara, which is to go after a low level theif who got away with an old woman's purs, much to Barbara's disappointment. Bruce then drives Barbara to the man's house, with her bursting in with a bored look on her face. However, things get interesting when it turns out the man stole the woman's purs to join a larger group of criminals, and that five other men are in the house. All of them attack Barbara, with her doing everything in her power to defeat them. By the end of the fight, Barbara has come out of it with only a few scratches, so the man she was actually after tries to run away, only for Barbara to tackle him. Afterwards, it is revealing Bruce had been watching the whole time, and is clapping at how well Barbara handled herself, much to Barbara's glee. What makes her even happier is the fact Bruce refers to her as Batgirl, as before defeating the men, he only called her "Barbara".

### Break You

A man speaks with a doctor about why he does what he does. He explains that he was forced to live out his father's prison sentence when he was only twelve, and that prison forced him to become a criminal. As soon as he was let go, he was already back in, because he would commit crimes and wreak havoc on his home town, even starting one of his town's most feared gangs when he was nineteen. However, one night he was woken up, and taken away by police officers. He was strapped on to a table, where they injected him with a strange drug, which drove him over the edge, as he broke free and killed everyone in the room. This boy, now an adult, is named Bane, and he is speaking to a dead body. Bane then looks down at his old teddy bear, revealing its mouth has been torn open to resemble Batman's symbol. Meanwhile in Gotham, Bruce, Dick, and Barbara are having a day off, as crime has nosedived in Gotham ever since all three of them started working together. There are some criminals, but non of them are on Riddler or Joker level. However, what neither of them know is that Bane is on a plane to Gotham. When the plane lands, Bane gets off and reveals more of his story in narration, revealing he had nightmares of a demonic bat, and that he believes they were a sign that he had to kill Batman. Later, the criminals who have gone in to hiding have a meeting, where they speak about how they could kill the Batman, when Bane suddenly walks in and tells them he has a plan and that he needs their men for it. Since Bane is a very large and intimidating man, they agree to give him their men. Bane thanks then before walking out with all of their men. Later that night, Bruce is out as Batman taking down a few criminals, when he turns to see a large amount of criminals who are working for Bane, though they do not say this as they attack Batman. By the end of the battle, Batman is tired and very wounded, which is the perfect opportunity for Bane to walk up and punch Batman in to the ground. Bruce gets up and tries to fight Bane, but Bane just keeps grabbing him and throwing him anywhere he pleases. By the end of this battle, Bruce is exhausted, but Bane had just broken a sweat. Bruce tries to get back up, but Bane grabs him, lifts him over his head, and breaks Bruce's back on his knee. Bane then kicks Bruce in to the side of a building and leaves. As Bruce passes out, he sees a blurry figure walk up to him. Later, it is revealed Bruce has gone in to a coma due to his fight with Bane, leaving Barbara with a single question, who could be the new Batman? only for Alfred to reveal he doesn't know. However, Bruce's finger then begins to tap in morse code, which Alfred translates as "Jean Valley", making Alfred look shocked. Alfred then reveals who "Jean Valley" is. His name is Jean-Paul Valley, he is one of Bruce's childhood friends, and Bruce's tapping most likely means he wants Valley to take over as Batman.

## Crossover Stories

### All-Star Team Up

A strange man breaks in to Wayne Enterprises and steals tech from it. He is caught in the act, but escapes by jumping in to his reflection on a window and disappearing. The next day, Barry Allen is running through the city, still saving people from random criminals, when he runs in to one of his new heroes, Batman. Barry is shocked and excited by Batman being in Central City. However, Barry does question Batman on why he's in the city, with him revealing he is tracking the Wayne Enterprises theif, who has been spotted in Central City more than anywhere else. Barry then offers Batman a team up, but realizes his mistake when all Batman does is stair at him with an annoyed look. Barry is about to leave, when Batman shockingly says he accepts Barry's help. Barry then takes Batman to his home, where Joe gets angry at Barry for revealing his identity. However, Joe stops talking when Batman takes his own mask off, explaining that he feels like he can trust Barry, much to Barry's joy. Barry, Bruce, and Joe then work together to find out who the theif is, with Bruce finding out in three minutes, even though Joe was sure it could take days. The thief's name is Evan McCulloch, he's a scientist who worked for S.T.A.R. Labs, the sam company that Captain Cold stole his and Heat Wave's guns from. S.T.A.R. Labs fired McCulloch after he told them of a weapon he created that could trap someone in a reflection, but they would be able to get out if they had the invention in hand. Both Bruce and Joe realize what McCulloch's plan is, with Barry pretending he does. Bruce then turns and reveals that McCulloch is going to trap everyone in S.T.A.R. Labs in reflections. Meanwhile, Eddie proposes to Iris, only for her to reject him and admit her feelings for Barry, after this Eddie snaps, breaks the ring and leaves. The next day, Bruce and Joe wake Barry up and reveal they have found McCulloch. Barry and Bruce suit up and make their way to McCulloch's hideout, where they come face to face with McCulloch himself, who has a large machine he is planning on using on S.T.A.R. Labs, but first he decides to trap Bruce and Barry. He fires and thinks he has won, but Barry saves both himself and Bruce before McCulloch's weapon could hit them. Bruce then begins distracting McCulloch, who doesn't realize Barry is reworking McCulloch's machine. Bruce kicks McCulloch on to the ground, with McCulloch activating his machine, only for it to blow up in his face. Afterwards, McCulloch is arrested and Bruce leaves for Gotham, but tells Barry he hopes to see him again. Meanwhile, Eddie breaks in to Barry's research lab and steals some chemicals from it. Eddie tries to drive away, but his car is struck by lightning and the chemicals blow up, spilling on Eddie, who crashes.

## Concept Art

BatsuitsLeague Bruce suitsAlfredCommission GordonNightwingBarbara Gordon/BatgirlTaliaRa'sRiddlerJokerHarleen Quinzel/Harley QuinnAnarkyBane