Bruce Wayne (Earth-One)

Bruce Wayne
Mainstream Universe‎, 1950s-1986
Gallery
Real Name	Bruce Wayne
Other Aliases	Bat-Baby · Robin · Flying Fox · Executioner · Nightman Matches Malone · Starman · Barney Warren · Bill Randall · Jobo Larch · Trevor Cornelius
Relatives	Silas Wayne (great-uncle) · Elwood Wayne (great-uncle) · Thomas Wayne, Sr. (father) · Martha Wayne (mother) · Philip Wayne (uncle) · Bruce N. Wayne (first cousin once removed) · Wilhemina Wayne (first cousin once removed) · Vanderveer Wayne (cousin) · Lance Bruner (adopted son) · See Wayne Family for more
Affiliation	Justice League of America · Outsiders
Base Of Operations	Gotham City · Justice League Satellite
Status
Alignment	Good
Identity	Secret Identity
Citizenship	American
Marital Status	Single
Occupation	Businessman
Characteristics
Gender	Male
Height	6' 2"
Weight	210 lbs (95 kg)
Eyes	Blue
Hair	Black
Origin
Universe	Earth-One
Creators	Bill Finger · Bob Kane
First Appearance	Superman #76 (May, 1952)

The Batman seldom enjoys himself! I'm certain he envies those who can lead peaceful lives! He's driven... he's burdened with a compulsion to battle crime! It isn't pretty-- it's simply what he does... what he needs to do! Don't pity him-- but don't condemn him either!

— Bruce Wayne

History

Origin

Bruce Wayne was the only son of physician Dr. Thomas Wayne and Martha As a small kid, Bruce was exposed to one of his father's costumes, which resembled a bat and was used by Dr. Wayne for a masquerade party. He was also exposed to the mysterious avenger called The Shadow, who saved his and his father's life during a robbery. Bruce was instantly inspired by The Shadow and both events influenced in Bruce's adult life.

A few weeks later, Dr. Wayne, Martha and young Bruce were walking home from a night out at the movies. A mugger named Joe Chill leapt from the shadows of Park Row and assaulted them, demanding the pearl necklace Martha was wearing. Dr. Wayne tried to fight back, but Chill shot him directly in the chest, killing him. He then turned his gun on Martha and viciously ended her life as well. Bruce stared on in horror, as his parents lied murdered beside him. Chill turned on his heel and ran from the alleyway. Right after his parents were murdered, Bruce was comforted by Leslie Thompkins, a lady who witnessed the tragedy and decided to look after the young orphan. Afterwards, Bruce made a graveside promise that he would bring the lowly killer to justice and avenge their deaths and years would pass before Bruce would learn the truth behind Joe Chill's actions.

Shortly after the funeral, Social Services handed Bruce over to the care of his uncle — Philip Wayne. He stayed at Philip's estate and, because his uncle had to travel due to his work and was rarely at home, became close friends with the housekeeper, Mrs. Chilton. Although he never knew it, Mrs. Chilton was also the mother of Joe Chill — the man who murdered his parents.

Teenage Years

Bruce, the first Robin

As Bruce became a teenager, he dedicated himself towards learning everything he could about police procedure. He decided to track down the city's most famous private detective, Harvey Harris. Donning a bright red, yellow and green costume to conceal his identity, Bruce tracked Harris down, only to find a criminal waiting to ambush him. Bruce used a large advertising display piece to waylay the thug, saving Harris's life. Harris was so impressed with the teen's verve that he agreed to take him under his wing. Thinking the masked teenage boy looked as colorful as a robin redbreast in his costume, Harris decided to call him Robin.

As Robin, Bruce spent several weeks training under Harvey Harris's tutelage. Harris instructed him on the finer points of criminal detection, trained him in gymnastics, and hand-to-hand combat. Working together, the two became inseparable and in the span of just a few years, they managed to deal a marked blow against the criminal underworld.

Training and Education

When it was time for Bruce to enter college, he parted company with Harvey Harris and threw himself into his studies. He specialized not only in criminology, but in the sciences as well. After four intense years, he was nearly ready to fulfill his lifelong dream of becoming a law-enforcement agent.

Upon graduation, however, Bruce began to re-evaluate his future. He recognized the fact that law enforcement agencies were often the victims of an endless bureaucracy that hampered them from meting out true justice. He could not in good conscious follow such an ineffective path. Bruce travelled around the world in preparation for his ultimate crusade and during this journey; he visited many places for different purposes. He trained in Mexico with a Witch Doctor to hone his wisdom and learn to trust his instincts.

Bruce returned to his family's original estate, Wayne Manor, now old enough to assume control of his father's business interests at Wayne Enterprises, but there was still the unsettled matter of his graveside vow.

Batman

One evening, Bruce sat in his study pondering his dilemma when a bat flew into the room from an open window. Immediately, his mind harkened back to the image of his father, Thomas, dressed up as a bat-man at the costume party. It was an omen. He decided that he would become a living symbol to strike terror into the hearts of all criminals. He became the Batman.

It would be as Batman that Wayne began his personal crusade against the underworld forces that operated within Gotham city almost unchecked. His first exploits as the Caped Crusader are not entirely recorded, but soon after he started operating in the city, he proved to be an effective crime fighter through sophisticated analytical and detective processes than the tried and true battering ram techniques of contemporary police, Batman began to gather the support of Gotham City Police Commissioner James Gordon.

Robin, Alfred and the Justice League

Batman was drawn to the traveling Haly's Circus during an investigation about a local mob boss. That night, the trapeze artists known as the Flying Graysons were victims of the mob boss and the kid, Richard Grayson was left and orphan. Wayne would take in "Dick" Grayson and focus the kid's anger into training and enhancing his skills, which would ultimately result in Grayson becoming Batman's junior partner, Robin.

Sometime after Bruce Wayne took in Dick Grayson as his ward, Alfred Pennyworth showed up unannounced at Wayne Manor to become the butler, having made a promise to do so by his dying father Jarvis Pennyworth, Thomas Wayne's old butler. Although at first Wayne and Grayson kept their identities a secret from him, Alfred soon learned their secret during an emergency and began assisting the Batman and Robin team, adding maintenance of the Batcave to his many duties at Wayne Manor.

Together, Wayne and Grayson would protect Gotham City from many costumed villains as well as many powerful crime lords and mob bosses. Batman and Robin also started working in many far-reaching cases outside of Gotham City, which would involve other heroes, most notably Superman.

Batman later joined Superman and other notable heroes in their attempt to repulse the invading Space alien Starro who planned on enslaving the entire planet Earth and its populace. It would be during this adventure that Wayne along with the other heroes would form the Justice League of America.

The Dynamic Duo

Batman and Robin continued working together, even when Dick Grayson started attending high school.

Alfred's apparent death

Bruce Wayne was concerned over the future of the Gotham Village, as there were people who tried to rebuild the historical place and other who sought to protect it. Investigating as Batman, he managed to locate a large criminal gang operating underneath the village and together with Robin, they captured the criminals, including their leader, Roland Meacham. Shortly after this, Batman and Robin set out to capture the Tri-State Gang, but in the process, Alfred was killed. After the criminals responsible were captured, Bruce decided to honor Alfred's sacrifice and he started the Alfred Foundation. Unfortunately, upon Alfred's demise, Dick Grayson's Aunt Harriet decides to move to Wayne Manor and help Bruce and Dick with the daily chores. In Alfred's absence, Bruce built an elevator that connected Wayne Manor to the Batcave, which was concealed behind a secret panel and he also upgraded the Batmobile into a convertible sport car. Soon, Batman and Robin captured a wanted criminal, after being ambushed in an ancient English castle and captured some foreign spies who incited violence among people.

Batman then met Patricia Powell, a police officer recently graduated from the academy who had a crush on Bruce Wayne. Patricia and Batman solved a crime together and afterwards, Bruce decided to invite her to a party at his place the next night. Unfortunately, the party was disrupted by some criminals and they had to work together to bring the crooks to justice. After this encounter, Bruce never attempted to work or meet with Patricia ever again. Shortly after this, Bruce Wayne's identity was stolen by some criminals, leading Batman and Robin into an investigation in which they met Ralph Dibny, the Elongated Man, and this would be the first of many collaborations with him.

After this, Batman was attacked by the Grasshopper Gang, who stole several objects from him under the instructions of the mysterious criminal known as The Outsider. Before they could investigate that case further, Batman and Robin had to capture the criminal known as the Make-Up Man and stop the criminal activities of the Penguin. It wasn't until Batman and Robin confronted and captured a mysterious witch, that the Outsider threatened them once again. Shortly after this, Batman and Robin capture the elusive Getaway Genius after a series of unsuccessful attempts to nab the criminal. Batman then acquired superhuman strength in his fists, but the power was only temporary.

Rise of the Rogues Gallery

Batman and Robin then confronted a series of lesser known costumed criminals such as Mr. Incognito, the Bouncer, the Monarch of Menace, Death Man among many others. However, the Dynamic Duo also confronted high profile enemies such as the Riddler, who returned to Gotham, years after Batman and Robin captured him for the first time. He tried to trick the heroes into believing that he had reformed, but Batman deduced his real plans and captured him. After this, Batman and Robin were once again attacked by the Outsider, who used their own weapons against them. Before they could investigate further, the Joker started a new crime spree based on iconic film comedians, until he was stopped by Batman. Next, they stopped the monstrous criminal called Blockbuster. Once again, Batman teamed-up with the Elongated Man, only this time, they were also joined by The Atom and the trio captured some wanted criminals.

The Dynamic Duo

Shortly after, the Outsider struck again, this time by the means of the Blockbuster, who he had manipulated since the beginning in order to eliminate Batman. The Dynamic Duo managed to defeat Blockbuster, but the Outsider escaped. Later, Batman and Robin had to fight against the Cluemaster, a costumed criminal who tried to discover Batman's identity, but was ultimately captured by the heroes. After this, Batman was utterly charmed by the new criminal in town, Poison Ivy, that he almost allowed her to escape. However, he pulled himself together and captured the gorgeous and cunning criminal. After this, Batman and Robin stopped the notorious enemy of The Flash, The Weather Wizard from his crime rampage in Gotham City and Batman later stopped the Hooded Hangman. Finally after months of indirect encounters, Batman and Robin confronted and defeated the Outsider, just to realize that it was their butler Alfred, all along. Alfred had been revived using experimental machines, which turned him into the Outsider, but after he was defeated, he returned to normal and resumed his activities as Bruce Wayne's butler.

The increase in the number of costumed criminals didn't stop and soon Batman was confronted by goons like The Eraser, Spellbinder and they even confronted Scarecrow, who returned after years of inactivity. Another criminal who made a comeback was Mister Zero, who started calling himself Mister Freeze.

Soon after this, Batman was marked as Bruce Wayne into a mysterious murder chain and he left encoded clues for Robin to find. As Batman went into some sort of trance, he was rescued by Robin, who figured out the clues and once free, Batman captured the criminal responsible for the attack.

Batman and Robin constantly faced their usual enemies on several more occasions. The most recurrent villains that they confronted were Poison Ivy, Joker, Penguin, Riddler, Scarecrow and Catwoman.

After the wave of costumed criminals waned, the Dynamic Duo had to stop regular mobsters and criminal masterminds such as Salvo, Chino and the Schemer. Batman also captured the treasurer of the Wayne Foundation, who was planning to murder Bruce Wayne in order to seize the company's assets.

Batgirl

Enter Batgirl

Eventually, Batman met Batgirl, a new crime-fighter who adopted the mantle of the bat. At first, he refused her collaboration on crimes, but when she proved vital in capturing Killer Moth, Batman allowed her to keep working as his close ally. After her second case, Batman managed to convince Batgirl that he could not be Bruce Wayne under the mask.

When Batman was affected by a rare swamp fever, Batgirl teamed-up with Robin in order to prevent the Caped Crusader from accelerating the process of the illness by overworking himself. When the fever reached the most critical stage, Batman received attention as Bruce Wayne and during his absence, the Batgirl-Robin team prowled the streets of Gotham. Jealous of Batgirl's success, Catwoman tried to impress the Dark Knight by making Batgirl look bad. Her plan backfired as Batgirl found a way to outsmart Catwoman and Batman was able to arrest the feline criminal.

A short time after this, Dick Grayson finally graduated from high school and moved out of Wayne Manor to attend Hudson University. In order to deal with the loss of his partner, Bruce decided to leave Wayne Manor altogether with the Batcave and moved to the penthouse of the Wayne Foundation building. Bruce and Alfred decided to start working there as their main base of operations both for work at daylight as well as nighttime. As Bruce Wayne, he created a special Wayne Foundation program for victims of crimes and as Batman, he decided to return to the basic principle upon which the whole concept was based. In order to instill terror into the new breed of criminals, Batman became a terrible creature of the night once again; a decision that created a whole new perspective in Batman's career.

The Dark Years

Batman, the Grim Avenger

Working alone once again, Batman's tactics and methods became much more serious and so did his enemies. Bruce Wayne was invited to a party in a Mexican graveyard, where he learned of a conspiracy to spread madness and as Batman, he stopped an immortal couple from succeeding. Upon returning to America, Bruce saved a Senator from a complot against him and managed to help an anti-crime bill to support the new Wayne Foundation programs. After this, Batman prevented a madman from killing himself over a ghostly delusion of a past love and retrieved valuable art pieces that the man had stolen. Later, Bruce travelled to Germany, where he learned that someone had been turning mild animals into wild beasts. During the investigation, Batman managed to overcome a deadly trap with wild bats and finally captured the responsible criminals.

Shortly after, Batman rescued Commissioner Gordon from a vengeful martial artist who sought revenge against him. Then, Batman was challenged by the Stalker, a big-time hunter to a deadly hunt, which he eventually lost. When Batman was framed for the murder of a talk show host, the GCPD chased down Batman and hunted him as a criminal. For a short moment, Batman worked outside of the law, until he cleared his own name and Commissioner Gordon resumed their partnership with Batman. Afterwards, Batman was partially responsible for the tragic accident that transformed Philip Reardon into the Ten-Eyed Man, a blind villain capable of seeing though his fingertips. Not long after this, Batman confronted a costumed killer known as The Reaper while looking for Nazi criminals. Unfortunately, Reaper met his ultimate demise as Batman tried to save him from himself.

Eventually, Batman also met the “toughest cop in Gotham”, Shotgun Smith and they worked together to stop a drug dealing ring. After this, Batman stopped a criminal from releasing nerve gas in Gotham City during New Year's Eve. Batman continued to face strange enemies like Colonel Sulphur, and Ravek the Butcher who tried to murder Robin, and then stopped the criminal scheme of the Sheikh. Batman's efforts of stopping evil schemes and capture regular criminals remained a constant throughout his entire career.

Man-Bat

Batman first came across Man-Bat while trying to capture the Blackout Gang. Teaming up with Man-Bat, Batman first mistook his appearance for a disguise and thought he had made a powerful ally. Unfortunately, Batman soon learned the tragic origin of Man-Bat as a scientist who experimented on himself, causing the strange mutation.

Bat vs Man

Batman then tried to help Man-Bat by creating an antidote, but his efforts were futile and he was forced to fight Man-Bat inside the Batcave. Batman managed to get the upper hand and while Man-Bat was unconscious, he started working on the antidote. Seeing that Man-Bat refused to be cured, Batman tried to get help from Langstrom's fiancée, Francine, but his attempt backfired when Man-Bat convinced her to use the Man-Bat Serum on herself, transforming her into a She-Bat. When the monsters tried to get married, Batman interrupted the ceremony and forced them to take the antidote, reverting their mutations.

Shortly after, Kirk and Francine got married and Batman acted as their best man. Unfortunately, Kirk had a relapse and transformed into Man-Bat once again. After a lengthy chase, Batman managed to revert the transformation with a stronger antidote and prevented Langstrom from becoming Man-Bat permanently.

A few months later, Batman learned about a bat creature in the desert of Las Vegas, Nevada. He investigated and learned that Francine Langstrom had turned into She-Bat again. Batman worked with Kirk Langstrom to stop She-Bat and help her by giving her a blood transfusion to stop her transformation.

League of Assassins, Talia and Ra's al Ghul

Batman first became aware of a mysterious group of killers called the League of Assassins, when he saved a shipping magnate from being killed by one of the members of this group. Afterwards, Bruce learned of a second attack on another wealthy industrialist and after investigating as Batman, he confronted the so-called President of the League of Assassins, Dr. Darrk. Batman was captured by Darrk, but when he managed to escape the deadly trap, Darrk had no choice but to retreat without claiming the life of his victim. After thwarting the League on these two occasions, Batman was lured into a trap by his old enemy, Dr. Tzin-Tzin, who had been hired by the League to eliminate Batman. Tzin kidnapped Robin and almost defeated Batman, but the Dark Knight managed to rescue his partner, thwarting Tzin and the League's plans once again.

Enter the Demon

Following the trail of Dr. Darrk, Batman tracked him to Asia, where he was captured by members of the League and locked away with a woman called Talia. Batman and Talia worked together to bring down Darrk, who was killed by Talia during the final confrontation. Not long after this, Batman was informed that Robin had been kidnapped and he rushed to the Batcave to investigate the clues. Inside his sanctuary, Batman met the man who would become his most formidable adversary, Ra's al Ghul. He was the father of Talia and he sought Batman's help to find her, as she had also been kidnapped in the same way as Robin. Batman agreed to help Ra's and they travelled together to Calcutta and later the Himalayas, following the trail of the Brotherhood of the Demon, the faction responsible for the kidnappings. After overcoming several obstacles, Batman and Ra's got separated, but by the time Batman located Robin on the lair of the brotherhood, he had rightfully deduced that Ra's and his men were behind everything. After Batman and Robin knocked down their opponents, Batman demanded answers from Ra's and his fake quest, to which Ra's replied that it was all part of a test to verify Batman's worthiness to become his successor since his daughter Talia, was in love with him. Batman had passed Ra's test and he was offered Talia's hand in marriage along with Ra's al Ghul's empire.

Batman continued his crusade against crime, ignoring Ra's intentions, but he was soon prompted to save Talia from killing one of Ra's former scientists, who had developed a formula which could be turned into a deadly plague. After this, Batman started investigating the murder of another scientist and the theft of his brain. He was joined by Talia, but he learned that she had interrupted his investigation on purpose to cover Ra's criminal activities. When Batman learned that Ra's was behind the gruesome crime, he realized Ra's evil nature and their longtime rivalry started. Although, Ra's became his enemy, Batman still had romantic feelings for Talia.

After learning of Ra's wickedness, Batman faked Bruce Wayne's death in order to gather a small group of people to fight Ra's. He recruited Dr. Harris Blaine, one of Ra's own assassins and he tried to recruit the gangster Matches Malone, but he was forced to pose as him since Malone killed himself by accident. With Blaine and Lo Ling, Batman traveled to Switzerland, where they struggled to locate Ra's secret lair and after locating it, they learned that Ra's was dead. After confirming the events, Batman retreated along with Talia, leaving Ra's corpse behind.

Batman vs Ra's al Ghul

However, before they could reach safety, Batman and the others were attacked by a crazed Ra's al Ghul, who had been brought back to life with help from a Lazarus Pit. Batman was easily defeated and Ra's escaped along with Talia, forcing the Dark Knight to track them down again to stop Ra's once and for all. Batman tracked Ra's to his secret base in the desert, where he was forced to fight Ra's on a duel to the death and he almost lost the fight. Talia was responsible for saving Batman in the last minute and mustering all his strength, Batman finally captured Ra's al Ghul and gave Talia a well-deserved kiss, after which he took Ra's to the authorities.

After having finished his business with Ra's, Batman returned to Gotham, where he learned that someone was claiming that Bruce Wayne had been murdered. Batman had to step in to solve the mystery before he could fake Wayne's sudden reappearance. Shortly after this, Batman was faced by a crazed Ubu, who was exposed to the Lazarus Pit during a big explosion as a result of his last encounter with Batman. Seeking revenge, Ubu travelled to Wayne Manor, where he destroyed a great part of the place and seriously injured Alfred, until Batman confronted him. In the struggle, Batman kicked Ubu with such strength, that caused him to fall into a splintered wood, ending his life.

The Spook

Batman vs The Spook

Batman eventually confronted a criminal and escape artist known as The Spook, who used scare tactics and gimmicks to help the criminals of Gotham. At first, Batman was unable to capture the crook, but when he posed as a criminal in need of help, he was able to infiltrate his gang. When he finally captured the criminal, Batman learned that Val Kaliban (the Spook's real name) was a convicted criminal who was supposed to be dead years ago. The Spook escaped and Batman captured him for good after learning how he managed to fool everyone into thinking he was dead. Batman made sure that The Spook couldn't escape a second time. Or so it seemed.

A while later, Batman was once again attacked by the Spook, who managed to drug Batman, making him believe that he was dead, in order to kill him. Batman managed to overcome the odds and defeated the Spook once again.

The Return of the Rogues Gallery

After years of inactivity, some of Batman's greatest enemies started appearing, one at a time, and all of them with a new mindset in order to challenge the new and more ruthless methods of The Dark Knight.

Joker

The Joker's Return

The return of Batman's greatest foes was heralded by the return of The Joker, who started a killing spree in Gotham and Batman was forced to save the Joker's former henchmen from the madman's murderous plans. Although he failed to save most of them and he almost fell victim to Joker's trap, in the end Batman managed to capture the criminal. Unfortunately, the Joker escaped and Batman was compelled to help the madman clear his name, as another criminal framed him for murder. Eventually, Batman learned it was all part of Joker's scheme and he re-captured the crook.

Soon after this, Batman was told by Two-Face about Joker's escape attempt from Arkham Asylum and he tried to stop the madman, but he failed and was dosed with a special variation of Joker Venom. The drug would've killed Batman in 72 hours, but Batman managed to locate the one scientist who could create a cure and afterwards, he captured the Joker. The next time Joker escaped, he poisoned an entire prison and forced Batman to fight Wildcat in order to provide the antidote. Batman tricked the Joker into surrendering the antidote and afterwards captured him. Eventually, Joker escaped from Arkham again and the final confrontation between him and Batman took place inside the amusement park's house of mirrors, where Joker was recaptured.

Joker Strikes Again

When a man dressed as Batman was brutally murdered, Batman organized a crime trial disguised as Two-Face in order to find the killer. When news about the vigilante's death became known, Batman summoned criminals to the trial disguised as Two-Face and acted as prosecutor as Catwoman, Riddler, and Lex Luthor took turns to give their testimony of how they “killed Batman”. All of them with fake stories. In the end, Batman learned that the real killer was the Joker, who believed he had killed the real hero. After learning the truth from Joker himself, Batman ditched his Two-Face disguise and captured the Joker.

When Batman noticed a series of murders and a loan shark behind it all, the deduced the Joker was back in action. Teaming-up with Black Canary and with a bit of Alfred's help, Batman was able to capture the madman and stop his crime spree. When the Joker next kidnapped several of Batman's allies in an attempt to lure Batman into a trap, the Dark Knight managed to rescue his friends and confronted the Joker in a battle that ended with Joker's apparent death. As usual, Joker survived and he was locked in Arkham, from where he escaped and returned to Gotham with a new scheme to murder Batman using deadly toys. Batman tracked down the Joker to his hideout, where he had to fight several custom-made toys, prepared to murder Batman. After dealing with the deadly toys, Batman captured Joker and returned him to Arkham. The Joker eventually escaped and tried to murder Batman at the same time as he carved a giant bust with his face. His plan was once again thwarted by Batman.

Two-Face

Double Crimes

After years of being locked in prison, Two-Face escaped and started a second crime spree, with the ultimate goal to seize an ancient treasure from a notorious ship. Batman investigated the case and managed to stop Two-Face, before the madman could steal the treasure.

Eventually, Two-Face escaped and started a new series of crimes until Batman and Green Arrow stopped him. However, they were unable to bring him to the authorities. Afterwards, Two-Face escaped from Arkham Asylum and used an atomic bomb to blackmail the US Government. Batman confronted Two-Face and stopped his mad scheme.

Two-Face eventually returned to Gotham and stole a binary code for a nuclear weapon. Batman worked together with the federal agent King Faraday, but Two-Face managed to slip away with the code. Batman and Faraday tracked down Two-Face to New Orleans, where they recovered the stolen code, but Two-Face escaped into an apparent death.

Two-Face returned after having his face reconstructed and adopted a secret identity, although he challenged Batman to capture him, which eventually caused his downfall. With help from Dent's former wife, Gilda and Alfred, Batman prepared a trap to force Two-Face into surrendering and the madman allowed himself to be taken back to Arkham. Nonetheless, Two-Face escaped shortly after and Batman was forced to go through a series of traps until he finally collapsed to the final trap. Batman was held prisoner of Two-Face for a week, time in which Batman came up with an ingenious plan to escape and capture the madman.

Catwoman

Batman confronted Selina Kyle when he and Robin were investigating a murder case on a circus and they learned by chance about Catwoman's plan to steal some of the wild tigers held captive by the circus. He plan was thwarted by Batman and Robin, who also captured the murderer. Batman followed Catwoman's transport to prison closely, but he was unable to prevent her escape. Knowing that Catwoman had resumed her old habits as well as her old costume, Batman used a valuable gem a bait to find Catwoman and captured her after her cat pet led him to her hideout.

The End of Catwoman

Afterwards, Selina Kyle tried to go straight and forget her criminal career as Catwoman. She approached Bruce and they started a serious relationship. However, when Selina learned about Bruce's background check on her, she distanced herself from him until things were cleared. Bruce apologized to Selina and they resumed their relationship.

However, everything fell apart when the Catwoman was apparently responsible for a crime. Batman was forced to track her down, unaware that she had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and that she was innocent. The clash between Batman and Catwoman ended with the real criminal appeared: Catman. Batman and Catwoman worked together to capture Catman and retrieve a cure for Selina, but the villain once again was apparently killed and Selina was cured thanks to Catman's mystical suit. After her recovery, Selina left Gotham and Bruce, after she had lost her trust in him during the Cat-Man's crimes.

Penguin

Batman became aware of the Penguin's return to crime when he kidnapped the King from a foreign country and locked him in his castle hideout. Joined by Robin and assisted by Talia Batman managed to defeat Penguin. Batman was then challenged by the Penguin, who used mechanical models of extinct birds to commit crimes. When Batman learned Penguin's methods, the cunning criminal changed his tactics to avoid capture. Batman tried to bring the man to justice and the overconfidence after his first victory allowed Batman to finally capture the Penguin and sent him to prison.

Penguin broke out of jail and Batman followed him to Star City, where he captured the crook with help from Black Canary. Afterwards, Penguin faked his own death and framed the Joker to distract everyone from his master crime to kidnap a Cardinal and demand high ransom. This caused Batman to work together with the Joker in order to clear the clown's name and capture Penguin.

Scarecrow

Batman learned of the Scarecrow's return after he was affected by a fear-inducing remote device, which was used for criminal purposes. Batman destroyed the device and stopped Scarecrow's evil scheme. Scarecrow returned with a new scheme to get other criminals' loot by exposing them to a more powerful version of his fear toxin. When Batman tried to stop him, he was also affected by the drug, but he managed to overcome its effects and captured Scarecrow and his thugs.

Batman next faced Scarecrow when the criminal drugged him with a fear pheromone that caused everyone in sight to become frightened of the Batman. With help from Batgirl and Robin, Batman was able to locate the Scarecrow, put an end to his mad plan and retrieve and antidote for himself.

Riddler

Riddler's Capers

While trying to round-up a criminal organization that provided criminal services, Batman was eventually challenged by the Riddler and his puzzles, which he managed to solve every time until he deduced that Riddler was using the Gotham Zoo as his hideout. Batman confronted the Riddler and captured him for good. The Riddler eventually escaped from prison and Batman was challenged by his many riddle-clues. Fortunately, Batman got help from Robin and together, they stopped Riddler and his associates.

Batman and Robin became aware of Riddler's next scheme when he sent them a book filled with riddles. Like this, they worked together to stop the Riddler's gun smuggling scheme. However, the Riddler soon escaped and moved to Houston, Texas to start a new wave of crimes. Batman teamed up with the local hero Swashbuckler to capture the Riddler. A short while later, Batman was forced to work with Riddler in order to find a kidnapped man, who turned out to be the culprit in the end.

Poison Ivy

When Ivy returned to Gotham, Bruce Wayne was affected by her toxins and he was forced to sign legal documents that would give Ivy total control of Wayne Enterprises. Thanks to hypnotic suggestion, Bruce was unable to inform anyone about Ivy's scheme and he was forced to play along. At the last minute, Batman confronted Ivy and after defeating her with help from Robin, Batman got a confession from her henchman, which allowed the authorities to revert the wrongs caused by Ivy and Bruce recovered Wayne Enterprises.

Man-Bat

Batman was eventually informed about a “ghost” in Wayne Manor and when he went to investigate, he found that Man-Bat had invaded the Batcave and had been reaching to Wayne Manor, scaring people who stumbled upon the place. Batman tried to revert Man-Bat's transformation, but his antidote failed and Man-Bat escaped. A few weeks later, Batman tried again and this time, he made Man-Bat return to his senses thanks to his own daughter, Rebecca. When Man-Bat was distracted, Batman used a stronger antidote to revert his transformation.

Unusual Challengers

Batman vs Black Spider

Besides the most notorious criminals before mentioned, Batman confronted several other enemies starting with the Judge, a crooked man who wanted revenge against Batman. With that same purpose, the Spook returned and used subliminal messages on Batman to frame him for his murder, but Batman turned the plot against the Spook and returned the criminal to prison. Afterwards, Batman stopped the wacky criminal called Captain Stingaree with help from The Flash.

Eventually, Batman encountered the ruthless vigilante called Black Spider, who murdered criminals in the name of justice. After learning the man's background, Batman managed to put a stop to his vigilantism. Afterwards, Batman was trapped inside the Bat-Signal by the Signalman, who returned after years of absence. Batman managed to break free from the deadly trap and put an end to Signalman's crime spree. Tzin-Tzin eventually returned with the purpose of getting revenge on Batman, but his plans where once again thwarted by the Dark Knight. When the Calculator tried to take on Batman, the Dark Knight outsmarted the villain, even after Calculator had defeated most members of the Justice League.

Batman later confronted the nefarious enemy known as Skull Dugger, who crippled Batman, altering his nervous perceptions. Batman managed to overcome this inconvenient and confronted Skull Dugger, who met his demise in the struggle. Later on, Batman stopped the Mad Hatter, whose attempts to go straight turned into crimes and then he confronted and stopped Thanatos and Amos Fortune.

Batman fights Firebug

Batman also defeated a humanoid created by Doctor Moon and was later challenged by Xavier Simon, who used technology to transfer his mind into the body of a gorilla and attacked Batman in revenge against Thomas Wayne. Unfortunately for Simon, his vendetta cost him his own life.

Afterwards, Batman had to stop the Gentleman Ghost as he had hypnotized Alfred and he has settled in the abandoned Wayne Manor. Despite his efforts, Batman was not able to capture the mysterious ghost. On his usual visit to Crime Alley, Batman became aware of a new criminal called Maxie Zeus in Gotham and he started working to bring him down. Zeus proved to be a worthy opponent, creating several troubles for Batman, but the Dark Knight managed to overcome them and captured finally captured Zeus. Later, Batman stopped Crazy Quilt with Robin's help. The next criminal that appeared in Gotham was the arsonist called Firebug who apparently died during his confrontation with Batman.

Batman fights Manikin

When Captain Boomerang appeared in Gotham, Batman stopped his crime plot. Batman then confronted General Scarr and captured him with Batgirl's help. Later, Batman travelled to California in order to capture the elusive Squid, wanted for stealing confidential information. After this, Batman stopped the merciless executioner only known as the Electrocutioner, who killed criminals that were released from prison. Batman then located the killer of Mlle. Marie and learned about Julia Remarque, the daughter of Alfred Pennyworth with Marie. Afterwards, Batman stopped the Monarch of Menace from a large scale crime ring he was operating during his absence. Batman then confronted the human hybrid called Snowman, and also Sportsman, both of whom were renowned athletes. Batman also confronted a woman with a personal vendetta, who was only known as Manikin and later he saved Selina Kyle from The Pharaoh, who believed Selina was the reincarnation of a dead queen. Batman later stopped the crook known as Dagger and soon the old enemy from the past, the original Mad Hatter returned to haunt Batman. Later, Batman stopped the evil Dr. Death, he put an end to the Academy of Crime, and stopped Colonel Blimp.

Some of the most recurrent enemies that showed up every now and again were Black Spider, Mister Freeze, Blockbuster, Dr. Phosphorous, Calendar Man, Kite-Man , the Gentleman Ghost, the Spook, Maxie Zeus, Professor Milo, the Crime Doctor, Sterling Silversmith, Anthony Lupus, the Mole, and Catman.

Bat-Murderer

Batman murders Talia

While working on a case to capture a notorious criminal, Batman encountered his troublesome lover, Talia, who had become the leader of a criminal gang. In the encounter, Talia tossed her firearm to Batman, and the weapon automatically fired, killing her. Batman was charged with murder on the first degree and he became wanted by the law. Batman went to prison in order to interrogate Ra's al Ghul about this frame-up and after the villain confessed it was all part of his plan, he shot himself, making it look as if Batman had also killed him.

Batman continued his investigation to clear his name and after stopping the notorious silver smuggler Sterling Silversmith, he teamed-up with the Creeper in order to solve the case. The two heroes discovered the secret hideout of the League of Assassins, who were behind the whole plot and when they confront them, Batman finally learned the truth. Talia and Ra's were both alive and well, and they planned his frame-up in order to force him into joining them. In the final confrontation, Batman saved Talia from a burning circus tent, but Ra's was apparently killed in the fire. With Talia in his custody, Batman was able to clear his name.

After this, Batman worked with Commissioner Gordon to stop the Underworld Olympics that took place in Gotham.

Strange Apparitions

 Main article: Batman: Strange Apparitions

Batman came in conflict with a villain called Dr. Phosphorus, who poisoned Gotham's water supply as part of his vendetta against the city. During Batman's second confrontation with Phosphorus, the villain was apparently killed and Batman focused his attention of the next threat: Rupert Thorne, a man directly tied to Dr. Phosphorus. However, at this time, Bruce also met the lovely Silver St. Cloud and they soon realized they were interested in each other.

Batman defeats Strange

Due to his encounter with Dr. Phosphorus, Bruce sought treatment for his radiation injuries and he found the Graytowers Medical Center. However, as soon as he entered the building, Bruce was locked in a room and drugged. When he finally realized the treachery of the place, he switched into Batman and escaped the room in order to confront the man in charge of the place, who was none other than Hugo Strange, one of Batman's longtime enemies. Batman easily defeated Strange, but due to convenient circumstances, Batman was drugged and remained unconscious, giving Strange the chance to learn his secret identity. Bruce was then locked away along with Alfred, while Hugo Strange took control of the Wayne Foundation. Fortunately, Robin rescued Alfred and Bruce before they could be transformed into Strange's Monster Men.

Once free from Strange's prison, Batman and Robin started looking for the criminal, unaware that he had been killed by Rupert Thorne. On their quest, they came across the Penguin, whose plan was ultimately thwarted by the Dynamic Duo.

Once Robin was gone, Bruce went on a date with Silver, in which it became obvious that she suspected the truth about Batman. At night, Batman was challenged by an old enemy: Deadshot, who escaped from prison just as Penguin was brought in. Using new weaponry, Deadshot led Batman towards an exhibition, which was being organized by Silver. Batman and Deadshot fought until Batman came up victorious and retreated from the scene as soon as the police arrived. However, the short struggle was enough for Silver to deduce Batman is really Bruce Wayne.

The Laughing Fish

Immediately after this, Joker started his next scheme as he poured chemicals on the shores of Gotham, turning the fish of the sea into grotesque creatures that resembled his own face. Joker tried to claim copyright for the “Joker-Fish”, but when he was denied the chance because of the law, he started a killing spree of public servants. Batman wasn't able to save the first two victims, but he was able to stop the Joker before the madman could claim a third one. The final battle between them was witnessed by Silver, who watched as Joker plunged to his apparent demise in the waters of the Gotham River. After this confrontation, Silver talked to Batman, revealing to him that she knew the truth and breaking their relationship, much to her and Batman's own sorrow.

After his breakup with Silver, Batman came into conflict with a new enemy, who called himself Clayface III. The man was responsible for several murders across Gotham and he was trying to steal valuable equipment from S.T.A.R. Labs until Batman stopped him.

The Return of Ra's al Ghul

Eventually, Batman was confronted by Ra's, who drugged and kidnapped him in order to force him to marry his daughter Talia. By the time Batman was locked in a private room with Talia to consummate the marriage, Batman escaped and learned of Ra's nefarious plan of stealing diamonds from Gotham while taking down most of the city. Batman managed to thwart Ra's plans, but the criminal managed to escape and Batman was saved once again by Talia.

Later, Batman came in conflict with the League of Assassins after they killed Kathy Kane. He confronted their leader, the Sensei, but he was forced to fight the Bronze Tiger instead. Although Batman managed to capture Kathy's killers, Sensei and Tiger escaped. After stopping another murder by the Sensei, Batman worked together with Ra's to stop the League from retrieving a powerful formula that would help them become invincible. Batman then interrogated Bronze Tiger about the murder of Kathy Kane, but couldn't get a solid answer. Like this, Batman went looking for the Sensei in order to stop the source of the problem. After learning of the Sensei's plans, Batman saved many victims of the League, but when he had cornered Sensei, Ra's al Ghul stopped him from capturing the Sensei. Ghul poisoned Batman in order to incapacitate him and challenge the Sensei without assistance. Batman was taken away by Talia and when he recovered, he learned that Ra's and the Sensei had apparently perished in their confrontation.

Rematch from Hell

After the last encounter with Ra's, Talia approached Bruce and asked to be allowed to stay with him since she had nowhere else to go. Bruce, who was sorely in need of affection after his breakup with Selina, allowed Talia to stay, which in turn caused Robin to leave. Batman and Talia soon started a relationship and they also worked together to find a mysterious enemy who wanted to ruin Bruce Wayne. They travelled around the world and Talia often assisted Batman on his quests. During their investigation in Hong Kong, Bruce fell for a trap and he was taken to Infinity Island, a utopic place ruled by Ra's al Ghul, who had survived his encounter with Sensei. Batman was once again offered to join Ra's, but when he refused, a new confrontation started near a Lazarus Pit. In order to save himself, Batman tossed Ra's into the pit, allowing the demon to arise crazed and stronger than before. The battle ended when Ra's fell into the pit a second time, activating the volcanoes of Infinity Island and destroying the entire place. Batman saved himself thanks to Talia's efforts and they departed from the former island assuming Ra's death.

A New Beginning

Back to Basics

After Vicki Vale returned to Bruce Wayne's life, Batman stopped a villain called Mirage, but the ordeal made him realize the harsh truth that he could no longer keep both lives as Bruce Wayne and Batman. For this reason, Bruce resigned to his position as CEO of Wayne Enterprises and gave that role to his personal assistant and financial advisor, Lucius Fox. Soon after this decision was made, Bruce saw no more reason to remain living at the Wayne Foundation Penthouse and he moved back to Wayne Manor, which also meant the return to the original Batcave.

With more time for his Batman activities, Batman's first adversary was a powerful vampire only known as The Monk. It was during this confrontation that Batman was turned into a vampire. Seeking to free himself from the curse, Batman confronted the Monk and with help from a priest, he freed himself and Robin from the curse of the vampire.

The Deadshot Affair

Afterwards, Batman was immediately called into action to stop Deadshot, who wanted to kill Bruce Wayne and almost succeeded. In the midst of all the previous events, Batman stopped a resurrected Ra's al Ghul, who planned to kill a large part of Gotham with a chemical concealed in the drinking water. Afterwards, Batman focused his attention on the Deadshot affair and learned that Rupert Thorne was behind Bruce Wayne's murder attempt as well as James Gordon's forced resignation. Batman released Deadshot from prison and used him to learn the truth about Thorne and the corruption at City Hall.

Once Thorne was arrested for his crimes, Bruce had to deal with Catwoman, who had returned to Gotham and became jealous of his relationship with Vicki Vale. Batman was forced to confront Catwoman and made her understand that their relationship was over. In the midst of this love triangle, Bruce was attacked by Hugo Strange, who had faked his death and returned to claim the mantle of Batman and kill Bruce Wayne to adopt his identity as well. With Robin's help, Batman defeated Strange for good.

Jason Todd

After dealing with various criminals including Solomon Grundy and the Squid Bruce was introduced to the Todd Family. Right after this, Batman came in conflict with a new criminal in town called Killer Croc, who wanted to become the new crimelord of Gotham. Croc created a path of destruction and murdered Joe and Trina Todd, leaving their only son, Jason, an orphan. After Batman took Croc down, he decided to look after the kid, much like he did with Dick Grayson.

A month later, Jason started training to become Bruce's partner, an idea not shared by Bruce. When Man-Bat returned to challenge Batman, Jason was kidnapped by the monster and combining their forces, Batman and Jason defeated the monster, turning him back to normal.

Batman and the New Robin

Despite his obvious enthusiasm to become Batman's partner, Jason was denied the chance and he ran away from Wayne Manor, Batman followed him to the circus, where he captured a criminal called Chimera with help from Jason, which made Batman reconsider the decision of giving Jason a chance to become his partner. Upon their return to Gotham, Batman had to save Vicki Vale from the Joker and he travelled to Guatemala, where he stopped Joker's plans of taking over the country. However, Batman was only able to defeat Joker with help from Jason Todd, who had taken Dick Grayson's outfit and dyed his hair black to become the next Robin. At first, Batman opposed the idea, but when Jason helped him take down Poison Ivy, Batman agreed to let Jason become his new partner. After this, Dick Grayson appeared in the Batcave and informed Batman and Jason about his decision of leaving the identity of Robin in the past. However, since he was aware of Jason's new partnership with Batman, he allowed the young one to become the new Robin and continue his legacy.

With Jason as his new partner, Batman and Robin stopped various criminals including Crazy Quilt, Doctor Fang, Catman, Scarecrow, Mister Freeze and many others. Unfortunately, the legal paperwork to acquire Jason's guardianship was overlooked and Bruce lost the kid to the child welfare bureau.

Nocturna

After dealing with the Riddler once more, Batman confronted the Thief of Night, but couldn't stop him in their first encounters. Eventually, Batman learned that the Thief of Night was working with an employee of Wayne Enterprises called Natalia Knight. She had suffered and accident while working on the Gotham Observatory for Wayne Enterprises, which caused her skin to become white. When Bruce met her in person, he was immediately fascinated by her and used her connection to finally capture the Thief of Night. Shortly after the Thief's trial, Batman captured Nocturna while she tried to release her adoptive brother.

Night Love

A short while, Batman confronted a group of thieves called Nightmares, Inc., led by one Nightshade, unaware that they were all led by Nocturna. Having stopped Nightshade, Batman learned that Nocturna had filed the adoption papers of Jason Todd in an attempt to force Bruce Wayne to marry her and enjoy a life of luxury with his fortune. As soon as this happened, Nocturna's associate, the Thief of Night escaped from prison and became the Night-Slayer. While chasing down the criminal, Batman came across Nocturna, who turned against the Night-Slayer and helped Batman, before realizing they were both attracted to each other.

Batman tried to keep his mind away from Nocturna, after she revealed that she was aware of his secret identity during their romantic encounter. After capturing a would-be killer, Batman learned about Mayor Hill's conspiracy against Gordon, the murder attempt of Harvey Bullock and his manipulation of the adoption process of Jason Todd. All this combined with the threat of the Night-Slayer caused Batman to lose balance in his life. However, Nocturna soon became an ally to Batman and Robin and she helped them capture the Mad Hatter in order to prove her good faith.

Knowing that Jason was in good hands, Batman focused on uncovering Hill's conspiracy, which caused the Mayor to suspend Gordon from the GCPD, command the police to arrest Batman by any means necessary and shoot Bullock in cold blood. Avoiding police capture, Batman started looking for the Night-Slayer and he finally confronted the killer in Nocturna's apartment, where the struggle ended with the death of Doctor Fang and Batman assuming he is responsible for the death when in fact, it was the Night-Slayer who murdered the crook and made Batman believe otherwise. For four days, Bruce meditated to recover his memory and sense of identity and when he was ready, he learned that the Night-Slayer had used the Batman identity to commit crimes. Using all his resources, Batman unmasked the criminal to the public eye, clearing his own name and at the same moment, exposing Mayor Hill's corrupt management. The Night-Slayer escaped, but Hill was captured and thanks to the Batman. In the aftermath, Bruce finally got the official adoption of Jason.

World's Finest

Batman and Superman switch identities

Early on in their careers, Batman and Superman met each other during a case when they would attempt to protect each other from the danger posed by a gang of Kryptonite smugglers. This would end with the Dynamic Duo and Superman working together for the first time to stop the gang. Soon, Batman and Superman learned each other's secret identities, but promised to keep them a secret and they subsequently started working on several cases together. When Superman rescued Batman and Robin from a mob attack, he would accidentally reveal his secret identity to Lois Lane, prompting Batman and Robin help stage an elaborate hoax in order to once more protect Superman's identity. When Clark Kent and Lois Lane were captured by criminals who used heavy artillery in their crimes, Batman and Robin were led to their hideout thanks to Superman's secret aid and they captured the thugs. Sometime later, Batman and Superman came up with an elaborate hoax wherein Batman poses as a swami and needs Superman's assistance in order to capture a group of crooks. When Batman was exposed to a lethal gas by the Purple Mask Mob that would've killed the Dark Knight should he be physically active, Superman and Robin made Batman believe that he had a broken leg to keep him out of action until the poison wore off.

Batman and Superman started a competition to define in which of their cities a science convention should be held, but the heroes were equal and the science convention took place on both cities. Batman and Superman worked together to stop the evil Professor Pender, who used a machine to swap powers between them. Using their respective abilities, Super-Batman and Normal Superman managed to defeat Pender and return to their normal forms. Next, Superman summons Batman and Robin to Metropolis to try and figure out who is trying to reveal Superman's secret identity. This all turns out to be a ruse to keep the Dynamic Duo preoccupied while Superman travels out to Gotham City to capture the Varrel Mob. Superman and Batman stopped the Mole Gang, while also working on their civilian identities as temporary reporters in order to report the epic gang battle and save the Gotham Gazette from bankruptcy.

When Superman went missing, Batman and Robin were asked to track down the Man of Steel and help him expose yet another empty threat from a criminal attempting to expose Superman's secret identity. This case would bring the earliest meeting between Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent. Sometime later, Batman and Superman investigated the mysterious case of the deaths of Robin and Jimmy Olsen, learned about a purposeful deception and captured an important gang in the process. After this, they confronted the menace of the Composite Superman, who vanished away after creating serious havoc. Next, the Batman and Superman team almost disappeared as a grudge grew between the heroes, but after working together to save Kandor, they moved past their disagreements. Following this, the heroes stopped the double threat of Braniac and Clayface with help from their sidekicks Robin and Jimmy. Batman and Superman later pulled a hoax on Doctor Zodiac, a notorious con-artist and captured him along with several other gangsters. Eventually, the Composite Superman made a comeback, and he almost defeated the heroes. However, he sacrificed himself to prevent another alien from killing them and afterwards, Batman and Superman created a memorial in honor of Joseph Meach. Some time later, Batman and Superman worked together to stop Dr. Light from killing Superman with a magical staff he created.

Batman and Superman then worked with Metamorpho after he gained their powers and together they captured an international criminal. When a Kryptonian with a werewolf-like affliction was released in Gotham, Batman and Superman teamed-up to capture Lar-On and place him in the Phantom Zone, for his and others' safety. Superman went to Gotham to rescue Jimmy Olsen and helped Batman stop the terrorist group called Battalion of Doom.

Last Adventures

Batman and Superman then stopped the threat of the Pi-Meson Man. When Clayface returned and kidnapped Lois Lane, Superman and Batman used the oldest of their tricks and switched identities to confuse the criminal and stop his mad plan. Batman and Superman then stopped Metallo, who had escaped from Superman Island and started a crime wave using a black hole. When several weapons were stolen from the Fortress of Solitude, Batman and Superman investigated and came in conflict with the intergalactic villain called Weapon Master. When Superman was captured by the Weapon Master, Batman used one of Superman's machines to save his friend, but in the end the Weapon Master escaped. After this, the heroes worked together to stop Mister Freeze from altering the weather in both their cities. Batman and Superman then stop the threat of a lethal plague. The heroes then assisted Hawkman to restore peace in Thanagar. Afterwards, Batman and Superman confronted and stopped General Scarr's Army of Crime.

Batman and Superman were then threatened by a mystical being and Batman was possessed by a dark entity and taken away to Madame Zodiac's lair. Superman searched all over the world and eventually found Batman. The Man of Steel helped Batman overcome the possession and with unexpected help from Dr. Zodiac, the heroes managed to defeat Madame Zodiac and the Dark Entity. Later, they stopped the powerful duo called Null and Void and finally, they stopped the threat of Chronos before they decided to go their separate ways.

Super-Hero Team-Ups

Batman and Deadman Team-Up

Batman started collaborating with different heroes; most of them part of the Justice League of America, a team in which Batman was a member. The first team-up happened when the criminal known as The Time Commander impersonated Batman and attacked Gotham City. Batman asked Green Lantern's help and together they stopped the Time Commander twice. Shortly after, Batman was reunited with Marcia Monroe, a former lover who vanished years ago without an explanation. Batman helped Marcia capture the super-villain Eclipso, but afterwards, Marcia left again without a trace. Later, Batman teamed-up with The Flash and together they captured the Speed Boys gang that worked in Gotham City. When the Joker, the Penguin and the Riddler worked together against Batman, he sought the help of Metamorpho and together they captured the evil trio. When Batman's identity was almost revealed by The Collector, he asked Hawkman's assistance to stop the criminal.

Batman was later joined by Green Arrow on a mission to help a Native American, who was victim of a complot against him. Shortly after this, a robot convention was held at Gotham City, but it was all part of a plot by an evil scientist to use robots to perform crimes. Batman teamed up with the Metal Men in order to stop the hordes of crazed robots and capture the criminal responsible. When the supernatural villain called Shahn-Zi attacked Gotham's Chinatown, Batman teamed-up with the Spectre in order to stop the foe from achieving his ultimate goal. Next, Batman teamed up with Plastic Man in order to stop the Molder from destroying Gotham. Following this, Batman worked together with the Atom to capture a crook known as the Cannoneer.

File:Brave and the Bold Vol 1 85.jpg

Batman and Green Arrow

Shortly after this, Batman prepared a trap for the "sneaky" villain known as Copperhead. Batman asked Batgirl and Wonder Woman to pretend to be in love with him in order to lure Copperhead into a trap. The plan backfired, but soon the trio worked together to capture Copperhead and recover the stolen loot. After this, Batman learned of the existence of Deadman and decided to help the ghostly avenger to find his killer, but in the process, Batman confronted Max Chill, the brother of his parents' assassin. Batman then teamed-up with The Creeper, then a wanted criminal, in order to stop Hellgrammite. Next, Batman saved Aquaman from a hypnosis trance and they worked together to stop Ocean Master, who was responsible for Aquaman's trace and a criminal ring in Gotham City.

Batman was then assisted by the Teen Titans on a mission to capture a criminal organization that hijacked oil operations in Gotham. Bruce Wayne later helped Ted Grant, a former boxing champion, getting back into business and becoming the masked hero Wildcat once again. Afterwards, Batman was assisted by the Phantom Stranger on a mission to get rid of evil spectres haunting Gotham. Then, Batman worked together with Black Canary and stopped the Collector.

Eventually, Batman started to team up with unlikely heroes. The first one was The Demon Etrigan and his host, Jason Blood and they stopped a man turned into a monster thanks to an ancient curse. Then, Batman captured a gang of counterfeiters with help from his personal hero and inspiration, The Shadow. The next time, Batman teamed up with Man-Bat, as Langstrom learned how to control his transformation and used it to help Batman capture the Getaway Genius. Shortly after this, Batman worked together with Mister Miracle to uncover a mystery on the ancient Egypt.

File:Brave and the Bold v.1 147.jpg

Batman and Supergirl

Batman also teamed-up with Swamp Thing and together they saved Gotham from a failed government experiment. Batman would once again team-up with Green Arrow and the Atom to stop the combined efforts of Joker and Two-Face. Afterwards, Batman worked alongside Richard Dragon to bring a fugitive to justice.

Eventually, Batman also worked together with Ragman in order to stop a group of dishonest realtors and not long afterwards, he joined forces with Supergirl to defeat the nefarious Dr. Light. When a scientist created killer robots, Batman teamed up with Red Tornado to put an end to the mad crimes. Later, Batman and Doctor Fate worked together to clear a deceased police officer's name and end a series of supernatural events.

Batman then met Black Lightning and they worked together to stop a crazed general from stealing oil. Batman also worked with Zatanna to stop a faith-healing ring and he then saved Firestorm from being manipulated by a strange force. When Batman came across Metallo, he was assisted by Lois Lane on the mission to capture the criminal. Eventually, Batman also teamed-up with the Legion of Super-Heroes, Hawk and Dove, Thorn, and Karate Kid.

Throughout his career, Batman teamed with most of his super-hero peers more than once. Some of them were Flash, Green Arrow, Deadman, Wonder Woman, the Teen Titans, Wildcat, the Phantom Stranger, Metamorpho, the Metal Men, Black Canary, Aquaman, the Atom, Manhunter, the Spectre, Man-Bat, Mister Miracle, Green Lantern, Etrigan, Hawkman, Creeper Plastic Man, Supergirl, Swamp Thing, Elongated Man, and Ragman.

The Outsiders

Batman and the Outsiders

Main Article: Batman and the Outsiders

When Lucius Fox was kidnapped in the nation of Markovia, Batman sought the assistance from the Justice League, but they refused to help, fearing an international conflict. Batman decided to resign as a member of the League and he went to Markovia on his own. He enlisted the aid of Black Lightning, but their plan went awry and they were captured by Baron Bedlam. With help from Metamorpho, Batman and Black Lightning escaped from prison and after rescuing Fox, they joined the Markovian war along with the Asian fighter called Katana and a powerful woman called Halo. They were eventually joined by Markovia's heir, Brion Markov, who gained super-powers and adopted the name of Geo-Force. With their combined forces, the team managed to defeat Baron Bedlam. Batman realized the potential of such a team and he decided to make it official, joining them all under his leadership, they became the Outsiders.

Batman led the Outsiders to Gotham, where he provided them with their own headquarters in what used to be the Batcave II underneath the Wayne Foundation building. In the same way, he allowed Katana and Halo to live in the Penthouse of the building and later, as Bruce Wayne, he helped Halo find a legal name. After the team had settled, their numerous missions started, all under Batman's instructions. Having completed a number of missions, the Outsiders eventually learned that Batman was withholding information from them in order to keep them tied to Gotham City. When they showed their dissatisfaction with Batman's leadership, Batman dissolved the Outsiders, but they refused to be separated and instead, Batman left the team permanently.

Distant "Relatives"

File:Brave and the Bold v.1 182.jpg

Interlude on Earth-Two

Batman first came in contact with members of the Earth-Two Batman Family when Helena Wayne, the daughter of his Earth-Two counterpart came into Earth-One, seeking his advice after she started her crime-fighting career as Huntress. Batman was graceful enough to introduce Helena to Kathy Kane and Barbara Gordon, allowing the heroines to give Huntress a word of advice. For his help, Helena started calling Batman “Uncle Bruce” to show affection. However, Batman was not so well received by the adult version of his junior partner who felt that the Earth-One Wayne was another pretender to the role that the Earth-Two Wayne had originated. The Earth-Two Grayson's feeling was in part from his own feelings of failing as Batman II and that no one could really measure up to the Earth-Two Batman, especially not a Batman who was even younger than him. The Earth-Two Grayson and Earth-One Wayne would resolve their differences later on and team up on many occasions, though Grayson would never again adopt the role of Batman II.

Thanks to the Phantom Stranger, Batman also met his young counterpart from Earth-Five. Batman was sent there to prevent the murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne and he succeeded, inspiring the young Bruce and becoming a role model for the rest of his life. [FIX B&B 182] After his work with the Earth-Two Robin, Batman was joined for the Christmas Holidays by Helena and together, they cleared the name of Thomas Wayne, who was being framed as having helped criminals.

The End of the Dark Knight

On his last adventures, Batman prevented the murder of Commissioner Gordon, confronted Poison Ivy, Deadshot, Wrath, Penguin, Mad Hatter, and the terrorist known as Darkwolf with help from Catwoman. He also stopped other criminals like Calendar Man, the False Face Society and their leader, Black Mask, Mirror Master and Captain Boomerang, and Hugo Strage for the last time.

The Last Kiss in the Night

In a last attempt to get his romantic life in order, Bruce Wayne ended his relationship with Vicki Vale and Batman told Catwoman that there was no future for them. While tracking down the Night-Slayer, who returned to Gotham and started killing members of the False Face Society, Batman encountered Nocturna and they surrendered to their mutual love. However, Batman turned away from Nocturna due to her own dark and dangerous nature, even thought it was precisely that what she loved in her. Conflicted, Batman sought answers until he came to the conclusion that he truly loved Nocturna. Going back to convince her to reform, Batman was forced to fight Catwoman, who wanted to capture Nocturna to clean her name. In the struggle, Catwoman was struck by lightning and almost died. It was then that Batman realized that he also loved Catwoman, until she reformed and he didn't love her anymore. This realization brought a painful epiphany to Batman, who finally understood that he was attracted to dark and dangerous women, because he knew he could never love them.

In order to prove himself wrong, Batman took Catwoman to the hospital, where she recovered faster than expected and Batman tried to convince her and himself that he was truly in love with her. Choosing Catwoman over Nocturna, Batman doomed the latter to death, caused by the vicious attack of the Night-Slayer, which he was too late to stop. Even though Batman mourned the loss of Nocturna, he realized it was an unnatural obsession and he resumed his relationship with Catwoman, bringing her and Robin closer together.

Once things got back to normal, Batman started working with Catwoman and convinced Commissioner Gordon to allow her to continue her vigilante activities. As a result of their new partnership, Batman and Catwoman teamed-up with Green Arrow and Black Canary to stop some corrupt businessmen from abusing their employees in Star City. Later, Batman became involved in an international affair in order to capture the terrorist known as The Dark Rider. Soon, Batman and Catwoman worked together to stop the threat of a new villain called Film Freak.

Beware... Forever

Afterwards, Batman learned that Two-Face had escaped from Arkham and tried to capture him, failing on his first and second attempts. On the third attempt, Batman managed to stop Two-Face thanks to Catwoman, Robin and Black Mask's former associate, Circe. As Batman and Catwoman grew apart, they finally ended their relationship for good. On Batman's last mission, he was challenged by almost all of the prominent enemies he made over the years, who were organized by Ra's al Ghul to eliminate Batman. With help from his ever trusting allies, Batman thwarted their plans and conquered over evil, as he always did.

After the events of the Crisis on Infinite Earths, Batman's existence and history was completely altered, and although some elements from his history remained unchanged, he was ultimately transformed into a different person, existing on a different reality.

Convergence

Convergence
This section of the history takes place during Convergence, a massive crossover event revisiting characters from past eras and realities. The villains Brainiac and Telos plucked them from their own timeline and stored them together, causing them to cross over into each others' reality. Its precise chronological placement and canonicity may be unclear.

Bruce and Pre-Crisis Gotham are taken to Convergence by Brainiac and Telos and are trapped for a year. After the dome goes down, he and The Outsiders fight OMAC and his army. He and the Outsiders manage to defeat OMAC and he has a talk with Metamorpho afterwards.

What happened to him after the first Crisis was prevented is unknown.

Powers and Abilities

Abilities

• Acting
• Artistry
• Aviation: Bruce Wayne was trained by a stunt-pilot, who instructed him on how to fly planes.
• Business Management
• Criminology: Bruce Wayne obtained a college major in criminology.
  • Forensic Pathology
  • Investigation
  • Law
• Eidetic Memory
• Gadgetry Batman can make powerful Psionic tech that can be used to telepathically be commanded by others or with some modifications command others. He can also make fully sentient robots capable of withstanding the force of a missile.He is also capable of making a hand held machine that has a changable frequency. This machine can emit a pitch capable of shattering objects.
• Equestrianism
• Escapology
• Martial Arts
  • Master Of All Fighting Arts
  • Boxing
  • Aikido
  • Judo
  • Jujutsu
  • Karate
  • Kung Fu
  • Tae Kwon Do: Bruce studied taekwondo in Korea.
• Indomitable Will: Possessed great mental strength. In one instance, Batman is captured and subjected to torture, part of a process called The Demolishment, including spending days in a sensory deprivation tank that had test subject go mad within two days. He survives by repeating the name "Joe Chill" over and over as a mantra to maintain his sanity.
• Psychology: Bruce Wayne's college minor was in psychology.
• Stealth: His Ninjutsu training has made him a master at stealth and capable of breaching high security facilities without being detected.
• Disguise: Had mastered the art of disguise
  

Paraphernalia

Equipment

• Utility Belt: The Batcave is equipped with a state-of-the-art computer network system, as well as the most advanced criminal analysis detection equipment available. When he is out fighting crime, Batman's greatest asset is his utility belt, which houses a wide variety of useful tools and gadgets.

Transportation

• Batmobile: Batman utilizes a custom-made urban assault vehicle commonly referred to as the Batmobile. Over the years, he has used many different Batmobiles, all of which are equipped with different modifications to suit his present needs.
• Batplane
• Bat-Copter
• Batboat
• Whirly-Bat

Weapons

• Batarang: Batman believes that the mind is a combatant's single greatest weapon, but he also bolsters his offensive capabilities with a supply of razor-edged, collapsible Batarangs.

Notes

• This version of Batman, including all history and corresponding appearances, was erased from existence following the collapse of the original Multiverse in the 1985–86 Crisis on Infinite Earths event and later restored following the rebirth of the infinite Multiverse during the Dark Crisis of 2022-2023. Even though other versions of the character may have appeared, this information does not apply to those versions.
• The Earth-One Batman's first appearance is a matter of some ambiguity. For the purposes of this DC Database, that appearance is considered to have been in Superman #76. Alternative first appearances have been proposed and considered and defended, as discussed below.
• Superman #76, 1952
  • For practical reasons the DC database is going with Mike's Amazing World of DC position that Superman #76 is the first appearance of the Earth-One Batman.
  • This was the first Superman/Batman team-up.
• Detective Comics #327, 1964
  • Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #2 identifies Detective Comics #327 (1964) as the first appearance of the Earth-One Batman and Convergence #0 cites Detective Comics #327 as the first appearance of "Pre-Crisis Earth-One Gotham City". This partly agrees with Bob Rozakis' statement that the first appearances of the Earth-one Batman were "generally assumed Batman #126 and Detective Comics #327, the issues when Julius Schwartz took over"
  • This selection hinges on the well-publicized debut of the "New Look" Batman with the yellow oval on his chest.
  • However, this is four years after the debut of the Justice League, which necessarily features the Earth-One Batman.
• Brave and the Bold #28, 1960
  • Batman appeared in the Justice League, with no yellow oval.
  • Prior to Detective #327, Batman had already met with Batwoman, Bat-Mite, the Justice League, and numerous villains. A lot of these stories are referenced in the Earth-One continuity, post Detective #327.
• Batman #81, 1954
  • The Essential Wonder Woman Encyclopedia lists Batman #81 (1954) for Earth-1 Batman.
  • But Convergence #0 comes after Essential Wonder Woman Encyclopedia, thus should be more authoritative.
  • Batman #81 (1954) is nearly two years after Superman #76 (1952).
• Hypertime
  • Hypertime potentially explains away all Earth-One characters and items that show up in Batman stories prior to Detective 327. Or afterward, for that matter.
• Other
  • The Crisis on Infinite Earths: The Compendium retroactively placed Thomas Wayne, Jr. (Boomerang Killer, brother) in the continuity of Earth-Thirty-Two, eliminating that version from the history of the Earth-One Bruce Wayne. It is unknown if he also existed on Earth-One or what his history was if he did.
    

Trivia

• After perfecting his body with intensive training, Batman was capable of lifting up to 700 pounds.
• Superman claims that he has only once ever seen Batman truly express fear... and that was during the Crisis on Infinite Earths.
• In a story published in 1957, Bruce Wayne briefly takes on the mantle of Starman in order to thwart Professor Milo, who had hypnotized him into a terrible phobia of bats. This 'Starman of 1951' was later retconned (post Crisis on Infinite Earths) to have been Charles McNider rather than Bruce.
• Bruce Wayne was named after his father's cousin, Bruce N. Wayne.
• Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #2 only lists four of Earth-One Batman's relatives: Thomas Wayne, Sr. (father), Martha Wayne (mother), Philip Wayne (uncle) and Elwood Wayne ("uncle")
• Bruce Wayne collects ancient coins.
• On the 1976 DC Comics Calendar, his birthday was listed as February 19th.
• One series of Batman appearances, before #327, is explicitly identified as having happened on another world: Earth-Forty, which technically first involved Batman in newspaper strips from 1943 to 1946.
  

Recommended Reading

• Batman
• Batman Family (Volume 1)
• Detective Comics
• Untold Legend of the Batman
• World's Finest (Volume 1)
• Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe II (Batman biography page)

Related

• 1,748 Appearances of Bruce Wayne (Earth-One)
• 410 Images featuring Bruce Wayne (Earth-One)
• 248 Quotations by or about Bruce Wayne (Earth-One)
• Character Gallery: Bruce Wayne (Earth-One)

External Links

Template:Batman Links

Footnotes

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.

Outsiders member This character is or was a member of one or more of the teams known as the Outsiders. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Outsiders members" category.

Justice League member This character has been a member of the Justice League of America, or the Justice League in any of its various incarnations, sworn by a duty to act as guardians of America and the world by using their skills and/or superpowers to protect Earth from the clutches of both interstellar and domestic threats. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Justice League of America members" category.