Batman (Bruce Wayne)

**Bruce Wayne**, also known as the **Batman** and the **Dark Knight**, is one of the major characters from the *DC* Comics.

Bruce, who witnessed the murder of his billionaire parents as a child, swore to avenge their deaths. He trained extensively to achieve mental and physical perfection, mastering martial arts, detective skills, and criminal psychology. Costumed as a bat to prey on the fears of criminals, and utilizing a high-tech arsenal, he became the legendary Batman.

In the AWA fics, Bruce is set to appear in a future AWA storyline.

## **Appearance**

Bruce is a tall, muscular man with a short black hair and has blue eyes.

As Batman, Bruce wears a black head mask with two horns on top. He wears a black tight bodysuit with a dark underwear worn outside. A black bat-symbol is presented on his chest and a yellow utility belt wrapped around his waist. He wears a black arm gloves, black boots and a cape.

## **Personality**

Witnessing the death of his parents traumatized Batman and shook him so greatly that he swore he would devote every breath for the rest of his life to eliminating crime and criminals from Gotham City. This has, in turn, transformed Batman into a dark, suspicious and brooding figure with a personal grudge against injustice. His traumatized childhood has made it difficult for him to trust people other than Alfred Pennyworth and his various proteges the Robins. Despite his cold demeanour, Batman genuinely cares for Alfred, who he sees as a father figure, and the Robins, who he loves as his own children, though these relationships have been strained at some points.

His dedication to fighting crime has gradually turned into a sort of obsession, something with which Batman himself has come to terms. He has vowed to end the evil that took away his parents permanently and is willing to do everything he can to accomplish this goal. This obsession is balanced with his strong ideals of justice and moral values, which were instilled in him by his humanitarian parents. His dedication is backed up by his indomitable will and his strong resolve.

Despite his lack of powers, Batman's immense will, combined with his inventive mind and resourcefulness has allowed him to hold his own against more powerful foes. However, the biggest aspect of Batman's personality is his moral code. Despite his inventiveness, he refrains from killing as he believes that will make him no better than the criminals he puts behind bars. Batman knows that he walks a very thin line between sanity and insanity, and he believes that the only thing that keeps him from crossing that line is that he will not kill. He has vowed to never take a life under any circumstances because he fears what he would become in case he ever did kill. When confronted by Jason Todd on why he never killed the Joker after all the atrocities that he has committed, Batman responded that, despite his desires to do so, he will never do it because that would cause him to go to a dark place and become what he has always fought against, and he would never be able to come back.

Batman also has a deep love for humanity, which also backs his no-killing rule, and he truly believes that deep down, people can be good. This is shown when he was willing to give the Joker a second chance and offered to help him cure his madness. (This failed because the Joker had already "re-insane-ized" himself in advance, specifically to stay evil.) He also has an extreme distaste for firearms, and always tries to refrain from using them, because he considers the gun to be the weapon of cowards, the same weapon that killed his parents.

Batman has also forged an alternative personality to conceal the secrecy of his dual identity, that being the persona of "Bruce Wayne," an irresponsible, clumsy, arrogant, womanizing, billionaire philanthropist. This personality contrasts with Batman's more serious demeanour in order to sway the public from ever deducing his secret identity. In order to complete his facade, Batman modifies many of his physical traits, including his voice tone, his body language, and, of course, his behaviour. However, even as Bruce Wayne, he has attempted to do good, through charitable campaigns, renovation projects and also the funding of Batman Incorporated.

## **Abilities**

Though he does not possess any innate superhuman abilities, Batman is considered by many (even Superman) to be among the most dangerous men in the world. Throughout the many years that he has been around, Batman has become one of the most powerful human beings in the DC Universe, despite having no superhuman powers at any time in his life. Starting at the age of 14, Bruce began to train with brilliant minds on the planet to learn about biology, criminology, anatomy and other areas that would help him become the World's Greatest Detective.

**Master of Stealth arts**

Batman is also a master of stealth, disguise, infiltration and escapology, using his Ninjutsu (which it's main focus for stealth is Shinobi-Iri and Intonjutsu) training. He has infiltrated high-security strongholds and systems including Lexcorp. He has vanished in plain sight from regular humans and metahumans, such as Azrael. His stealth and escaping skills are so great that that even groups of superheroes such as the Legion of Super Heroes have been unable to locate him. He is considered to be the second greatest escape artist, behind Mr. Miracle. Batman has escaped a straitjacket in 52 seconds, then stated that it was too slow for him. He always carries several lockpicks with him. He commonly uses multiple disguises to gain information for his detective works or as a part of his missions, his most notable one being the criminal for hire Matches Malone.

**Near-Unlimited Wealth**

To acquire all of these skills, Bruce needed money. When his parents died, Bruce inherited billions of dollars from the Wayne Fortune which he later turned into multi-billions through investing. Bruce owns and runs Wayne International, as well as Batman Incorporated.

**High and Gifted Intelligence**

Batman is considered to be the "World's Greatest Detective," solving the biggest secrets with small or large amounts of data and details. He is also fluent in many different languages such as English, Spanish, French, Russian, German, Japanese, Chinese, and many more. Bruce has a vast and great knowledge of criminology, psychology, medicine, science, geography, history, chemistry, physics and anatomy. Batman is an excellent and seasoned strategist and tactician, always keeping himself steps ahead of his opponents and making contingency plans for any possible situation.This incredible ability is due to the fact he enjoys to study his opponents, not only physically but also mentally. He has led the Justice League, the Bat-family, the Outsiders, and served as a mentor for the Justice League International. He is a highly knowledgeable in business, great in finances and marketing. He has earned degrees in multiple subjects before the age of 25. He has hacked into an alien and future technology.

**Master Martial Artist and Combatant**

Batman has been said to be trained and being proficient in nearly every martial art and hand to hand combat technique known to man, and out of every single one of those forms of fighting, he knows a large number of them that are deadly and his overall knowledge of martial arts styles considered to be 127 forms. These 127 aren't the main forms of fighting that make up his normal fighting style but that doesn't mean he cannot use them when he is facing an opponent who can rival his skills. He is known to change his styles in order to become unpredictable to his opponents. His primary style of combat is a mixture of Judo, Ninjutsu, Muay Thai, Tae Kwon Do, Jujitsu, Boxing, Karate and Dragon Style Kung Fu, martial arts which he mastered.

Because of his training, Batman is also highly proficient in nearly all weapons known to man from bladed ones like swords to non-lethal like Bo staffs. He is also trained in the use of many types of firearms though he despises them, considering them cowards' weapons and repeatedly avoids using them himself.

Batman's combat skill surpasses most metahumans and normal men, and he even knows almost every pressure point and nerve cluster in the human body, as well as Dim Mak ("death touch") techniques. These can cause dangerous pain to his enemies which can lead to dizziness, numbness, unconsciousness, temporary paralysis, disorientation, and even death.

Batman may not be a master in all of the fighting styles in the world but he is still a master in a great number of them and is considered to be among the greatest and the best martial artists and combatants in the world.

**Peak Human Conditioning**

Due to his intense training and diet, Batman has accomplished feats that normal human beings might call superhuman. Batman is in peak physical and mental condition. Batman has displayed surprising strength, and is able to bench press weight of at least 1000 pounds, and has personally stated that his maximum leg press weight is 2500 lbs (over 1.133 Kg). However, as shown in Batman Odyssey #2, Batman was able to overcome his personal record leg press, moving, with the strength of the legs, a stuck railroad car. In Batman: Gotham After Midnight #2, Batman was able to hold up two golden sarcophagi with the approximate weight of at least 1 ton, for at least one minute. In addition, Batman is an accomplished gymnast and acrobat, though not quite at the level of Nightwing. Batman's training and peak condition mean he's very fast, both in combat and on his feet. This speed combined with his strength makes him phenomenally powerful; even the superhumanly enhanced assassin Deathstroke has commented upon the physical capabilities of the Batman. He once grabbed Green Arrow's arrow shot at him in mid-air and dodged point-blank fire at times. He can hold his breath for 3 minutes and 15 seconds. He once survived in an airless vacuum of space for exactly 27 seconds.

### **Weapons and Equipment**

#### **Gadgets**

Batman is most notable for his use of gadgetry. Due to his wealth, money is no obstacle to the development of various gadgets and paraphernalia he uses in fighting crime. The most recognizable of these is the Batarang, a razor throwing weapon that has a returning ability similar to a boomerang. This was slowly replaced by his grappling hook as a favoured gadget over time. Other items include smoke or flash grenades, caltrops, a re-breather, and various types of anti-venom. The heels of his boots have a sonic device which can summon a swarm of bats to his location. This allows for dramatic escapes or diversions to keep his enemies busy. Superman entrusted Batman with a green kryptonite-jewelled ring in order to stop him should he ever go rogue.

#### **Bat-Suit**

The Bat-Suit is an experimental military body armour that is too expensive for the military to produce. Various bat-suit designs have appeared over the years, but all maintain the fact that Bruce's suit is tear resistant, bulletproof, and immune to temperature extremes(it will not melt if in contact with fire, etc.). The suit is shock absorbent and acid resistant. It is made to rebound punches and kicks. When he is unable to defend himself, his mask emits knock out gas and electrical shocks to attackers who are attempting to remove any part of his gear.

The Bat-Suit has shown that it has an outer layer that can be shed when trapped, and it also masks any DNA on his suit. However, despite all this protection, the suit has shown vulnerabilities to sharp objects, like knives, and Batman has sometimes decreased the amount of armour in the suit to increase mobility. In the past, Batman wore a bright yellow chest plate with a bat-symbol on it, to distract enemies from targeting his face and instead focusing on the plate which is reinforced with kevlar, giving Batman extra protection.

#### **Cowl**

The cowl has a computer link directly to the Bat-computer. The mask has a hollow bat-ear assembly containing a directional microphone, telescoping high gain antenna and a fibre optic coaxial cable. It also contains an audio processor that can transmit and receive audio which can be augmented for better hearing, or even completely shut down when dealing with an opponent that uses sonic weaponry. The cowl contains a built-in recorder that is constantly recording, and the information is stored in the cowl archives for later reference. The lens can also magnify his vision and serves also as a lie detector. They also come with x-ray, thermal, sonar, and night vision. It has face recognition and can give information about the people around him. It also protects him against throat trauma, and its internal comm-link enables voice command over various equipment including grapple hooks, face recognition software and vehicles.

#### **Gloves/Gauntlets**

Batman's gloves, or gauntlets, are very handy as in addition to covering his hands so that he will not leave fingerprints behind, they come with a high-velocity Bat-rope and a wrist laser. They can also emit a high voltage surge of electricity to stun enemies and shoot, out their forearms, spikes, smoke pellets and anaesthetic gas. Each gauntlet has three spiked fringes emerging from it, and they can be fired at an opponent or used to defend against or even break the blades of, swords.

#### **Cape**

Throughout many revisions, all the versions of Batman's cape still retain the scalloped wing design at the bottom of the cape, which is instrumental in intimidating criminals. The cape is made from a "memory fiber," which is based on a nylon derivative, allowing it to flow like any fabric, but through an electrical surge applied by Batman's gloves, it becomes stiff and takes on a distinctive shape, thus functioning in a way similar to a parachute, used to slow Batman's fall and allow him short-range "gliding" flight. It is flame-resistant (to temperatures which have not been conclusively gauged) and can be used to help conceal Batman in the shadows, to protect him from debris as a result from explosions, and even, sometimes, as a weapon in combat.

#### **Utility Belt**

Batman’s Utility Belt is one of his most iconic pieces of equipment. Batman had designed the pockets to be locked, and only he knows how to open them. His belt has a security device on it where it can electrically shock someone or detonate an explosive device to prevent anyone from tampering with it. It is made of a leather strap with a solid steel buckle. There are also compartments that hold collapsible "Batarangs." Other equipment Batman carries include various kinds of venom to stun his opponents in his utility belt and boots, as seen in Batman: Year One.

It is a crime-fighting kit that Batman has outfitted to contain only the most advanced of technologies. Its contents include Batarangs, a grappling hook, forensics kit (used on crime scenes), and electronic communicators.

Some gadgets include:

* ***EMP emitter***
* ***Energy deflector***
* ***Demagnetizer***
* ***Magnets***
* ***Batarangs (cryogenic, explosive, electric, boomerang, and so on)***
* ***Sonic grenades***
* ***Sonic Gun***
* ***Sonic Emitter***
* ***Hard light gun***
* ***Grapple Gun***
* ***Plastique explosive***
* ***Smoke Pellets***
* ***Rocket Patch***
* ***Tranquilizer darts***
* ***Miniature explosives***
* ***Incendiaries***
* ***Anti-Fire foam gun***
* ***Gas mask***
* ***Lock Picking Tool***
* ***Antidotes for poisons and Scarecrow's fear toxin***
* ***Kryptonite ring***
* ***Batmobile controller***
* ***Electrical sticks***

#### **Insider Suit**

When returning from his supposed death, Bruce created the Insider Suit, which had the abilities of the Justice League members. It needs constant recharging but can be recharged by absorbing energy attacks.

It has the following abilities:

* **Spectral Mode**: night vision, sound/light dampening
* **Speed Force Mode (The Flash)**: limited access to Speed Force, super speed.
* **Heat Vision Mode (Superman)**: beams of heat.
* **Will Power Mode (Green Lantern)**: concentrated blasts of green energy.
* **Camouflage Mode (Martian Manhunter)**: invisibility.
* **Veritas Mode (Wonder Woman)**: cord with lie detectors and can send electrical shocks
* **Flight Mode**
* **Teleportation:** 3 meter radius, can carry other individuals.

#### **Special Bat Suit in "Night of the Owls"**

When the Court of Owls invades Bruce's house, he wore a power suit. He states that it's made of meta-aramid fibres, stronger than Kevlar. It can endure burning heat and temperatures cold in the Arctic winter. It has enough oxygen to last weeks, powered by semi-solid flow micro battery. It can shoot electrical shocks and fire multiple cryogenic batarangs at once.

#### **Vehicle**

While he is at physical peak and has many gadgets, Batman has had numerous vehicles to help him get the jump on villains. Bat-cars(Batmobiles), Bat-Planes, Bat-Boats and other vehicles have been used by Batman to get to locations in record time. The most famous vehicle is the Bat-car or Batmobile. The Batmobile can drive up to Mach 1. These vehicles can be controlled by Alfred from the Batcave, or by voice-command from Batman himself. For more information on Batman's vehicles, view their individual pages.

## **Trivia**

* Originally named the "Bat-Man," the character is also referred to by such epithets as the Caped Crusader, the Dark Knight, and the World's Greatest Detective.
* In early 1939, the success of Superman in *Action Comics* prompted editors at National Comics Publications (the future DC Comics) to request more superheroes for its titles. In response, Bob Kane created "the Bat-Man". Collaborator Bill Finger recalled that "Kane had an idea for a character called 'Batman,' and he'd like me to see the drawings. I went over to Kane's, and he had drawn a character who looked very much like Superman with kind of ... reddish tights, I believe, with boots ... no gloves, no gauntlets ... with a small domino mask, swinging on a rope. He had two stiff wings that were sticking out, looking like bat wings. And under it was a big sign ... BATMAN". The bat-wing-like cape was suggested by Bob Kane, inspired as a child by Leonardo Da Vinci's sketch of an ornithopter flying device.
* Batman has become a pop culture icon, recognized around the world. The character's presence has extended beyond his comic book origins; events such as the release of the 1989 Batman film and its accompanying merchandising "brought the Batman to the forefront of public consciousness". In an article commemorating the sixtieth anniversary of the character, The Guardian wrote, "Batman is a figure blurred by the endless reinvention that is modern mass culture. He is at once an icon and a commodity: the perfect cultural artefact for the 21st century.