- I'm not an elf! I come from another dimension, where all men are my size! -- I made myself a costume-- and I'm calling myself Bat-Mite!
- — Bat-Mite src
Bat-Mite was an imp similar to Mr. Mxyzptlk. He was Batman's biggest fan.
History
Earth-One
Bat-Mite was an imp whose appearance resembled that of a small childlike man in an ill-fitting Batman costume, with a black lightning bolt instead of the Bat-insignia. Bat-Mite possessed near-infinite magical powers and came from another dimension. In Bat-Mite's dimension, the resident imps idolize the heroes of the Batman's dimension and impersonated them, re-enacting their heroic feats and adventures. Bat-Mite's favorite hero was Batman, and thus the imp visited Batman on various occasions, often setting up strange events so that he could see his hero in action. Despite this, Bat-Mite was more of a nuisance than a supervillain, and often left his hero alone when he realized he had angered his idol again.
Bat-Mite came to Earth for the first time to watch his idol Batman in action and used his magical powers to try and help make Batman and Robin's crime fighting more spectacular. This proved to be more of a hindrance than an aid and Batman demanded that Bat-Mite capture the crooks. After the imp did so, Batman told him to go away, and Bat-Mite complied but promised to return again some day.[1] Bat-Mite would return sometime later and cause trouble not only for Batman and Robin, but for the newly established Batwoman. Feeling bad for causing so much trouble, Bat-Mite helped Batman, Batwoman, and Robin capture the Hobby Robber and his gang, even saving the three heroes and earning their appreciation for a short time.[2] When Bat-Mite next returned to the Earth dimension he sought to become Batwoman's sidekick. She agreed provided he would promise to behave. Bat-Mite proved to be a competent side kick until a kiss from Batwoman made the imp fall in love with her. Seeking to make Batwoman a better super-hero than Batman, Bat-Mite began attempting to make Batman look bad. However after Ace the Bat-Hound helped capture crooks that Bat-Mite would escape he earned the ire of Batman, Robin, and Batwoman and fled back to his home dimension to avoid trouble.[3]
When Bat-Mite next appeared on Earth, it was during a time when Batman and Robin were working with Superman to stop a group of crooks using a robot suit to commit their crimes. Not wishing Superman to upstage his hero, Bat-Mite got in their way until the Dynamic Duo captured the crooks. When Mr. Mxyzptlk arrived to cause Superman grief, Bat-Mite would match his powers against the imp from the 5th Dimension until the frustrated Mxyzptlk returned home. Despite this, Batman, Robin, and Superman were upset at Bat-Mite for the reckless use of his powers and he fled back to his home dimension.[4] Seeking to challenge Batman with a new villain, Bat-Mite used his powers to create the evil Mr. X, not revealing the truth behind the foe or his involvement until Batman successfully defeated the foe.[5] After coming at odds with Batman and Robin again, Bat-Mite was tricked by criminal Willy Wild into joining his gang, until Batman and Robin made him realize how they were exploiting his abilities and he helped the Dynamic Duo capture them.[6] Later when Bat-Girl's advances were rejected by Robin during a period when the two junior crime fighters were left alone to defend Gotham City, Bat-Mite offered his aid to help her win Robin over. Their plan backfired when Bat-Girl was captured, forcing Bat-Mite to admit his involvement and help free Bat-Girl before returning to his home dimension once more.[7]
Interfering once more with a case being handled by Batman, Robin, and Superman led to another clash between Bat-Mite and Mr. Mxyzptlk, their battle causing their magics to combine to create menaces that neither imp can stop until the three heroes defeat them. Bat-Mite and Mxyzptlk fled the scene before they could be scolded by the heroes.[8] In another attempt to make Batman's adventures more exciting, Bat-Mite conspired to endow Batman and Robin, as well as some crook who captured a magician, with magical powers until Batman learned the truth and made the imp restore them to normal.[9] Another similar episode began when Bat-Mite endowed crooks fleeing Batman with circus abilities before being knocked out and losing his abilities temporarily. Ultimately, Bat-Mite regained his powers and reverseed the abilities he gave to the crooks.[10] In another misguided attempt to help Batman and Robin out, Bat-Mite endowed Ace, the Bat-Hound with super-powers, but a twist of fate made the Bat-Hound obedient to criminals until Bat-Mite reversed his spells effect.[11]
When Bat-Mite caused Batman grief trying to capture crooks at a baseball game, Batman told him to find another hero to pester. Taking Batman's words to heart, Bat-Mite attempted three different times to create his own heroes. The first two were bunglers, the third was a criminal that exploited his powers for criminal purposes until Bat-Mite helped Batman defeat him.[12] Bat-Mite later made a bet with Mr. Mxyzptlk that Batman and Superman couldn't deduce their involvement if they were to disguise themselves. Bat-Mite became "Speed Kid" and Mxyzptlk became "Force Boy", until Batman, Robin, and Superman figured out their deception.[13] In a seemingly uncharacteristic move, Bat-Mite aided Mr. Mxyzptlk in capturing Batgirl and Supergirl and posing as them to completely defeat Superman and Batman. However the two heroes eventually exposed the two imps thanks in part to the return of their female counterparts.[14]
Finally, Bat-Mite traveled to New York City on Earth-Prime to ask DC Comics to give him his own story in a comic book, after years of being left forgotten.[15]
New Earth
Bat-Mite was mentioned in the ramblings of Bob Overdog, a drug addled murderer who was imprisoned in Arkham Asylum. Overdog claimed that all the people he himself had murdered were in reality killed by Bat-Mite who had come from a dimension where his people worshiped the super-heroes of Earth. Batman dismissed Overdog's ramblings as hallucinations brought on by his drug abuse.[16] This theory gained more credibility when Overdog hallucinated an alternate version of the Knightfall event with Bat-Mite taking the role of Batman and Overdog himself playing the part of Jean-Paul Valley.[17] Inspired by Overdog's rantings, Mr. Mxyzpltk used his powers to bring Bob's hallucination to life. The two wagered to see who was better Superman or Batman. When both heroes got out of a fun-house trap at the same time a frustrated Mxyzptlk called off the bet and returned home.[18]
Bat-Mite was later absorbed by the Joker who used his powers against Superman, Batman, and Mr. Mxyzptlk. However a blast from the Phantom Zone projector freed him.[19]
Zur-En-Arrh
When Batman, through the manipulations of Simon Hurt and Professor Milo began operating as the Batman of "Zur-En-Arrh", he began seeing hallucinations of Bat-Mite in his mind.[20] This Bat-Mite was supposedly Batman's rational mind, which attempted to prevent Zur-En-Arrh from going too far. Things are further confused by the fact that Bat-Mite has also claimed to be from the 5th Dimension, as the 5th Dimension is a realm of imagination.[21]
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Magic
- Reality Alteration: Bat-Mite has shown the ability to animate inanimate objects, shrink or enlarge both people and objects, levitate same, endow either people or animals with super-powers and grant superpowers at will, making reality his for the bending.
- Invisibility
- Energy Projection: Bat-Mite is able to shoot lightning bolts with his hands
- Immortality
Notes
- Although this character was originally introduced during DC's Earth-One era of publication, their existence following the events of the 1985–86 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths remains intact. However, some elements of the character's Pre-Crisis history may have been altered or removed for Post-Crisis New Earth continuity, and should be considered apocryphal.
Related
- 47 Appearances of Bat-Mite (New Earth)
- 14 Images featuring Bat-Mite (New Earth)
- 4 Quotations by or about Bat-Mite (New Earth)
- Character Gallery: Bat-Mite (New Earth)
Footnotes
- ↑ Detective Comics #267
- ↑ Detective Comics #276
- ↑ Batman #133
- ↑ World's Finest #113
- ↑ Batman #136.
- ↑ Detective Comics #289
- ↑ Batman #144
- ↑ World's Finest #123
- ↑ Batman #146
- ↑ Detective Comics #310
- ↑ Batman #158
- ↑ Batman #161
- ↑ World's Finest #152
- ↑ World's Finest #169
- ↑ Detective Comics #482
- ↑ Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #38
- ↑ Batman: Mitefall
- ↑ World's Finest (Volume 3) #6
- ↑ Superman/Batman #25
- ↑ Batman #678
- ↑ Batman #680
Batman Family member This character is or was an incarnation of or an ally of Batman, and a member of the Batman Family. This template will automatically categorize articles that include it into the "Batman Family members" category. |