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Quote1 I should have seen it from the beginning, Clark. I should have seen through the bright colors, those friendly eyes, and that Boy Scout grin. I should have known what you were doing to me. What you were doing to all of us. You told us to love each other. To tear down the walls that kept us from trusting each other. We wanted to believe you. We wanted to believe that the strongest man in the world was there to save us. That we could let go of our fears and hope again. But we were wrong. Quote2
Batman: The Devastator src

Bruce Wayne, also known as the Batman of Earth -1, is The Devastator, one of Barbatos' Dark Knights.

Life in the Dark Multiverse

On his home world of Earth -1, Bruce Wayne suffered a great loss and became the vigilante Batman. He went on adventures with Superman and the Justice League. He sincerely believed in Superman and his ideals of hope, something he would later resent, though he kept the Doomsday Virus as a backup just in case he needed to deal with him for some reason, hoping he would never have to use it.[1]

When Superman went on a killing spree, the League tried to stop him. Despite making efforts for many weeks, they failed and Superman murdered his own wife, which resulted in Batman disregarding any attempt to bring Clark back to his senses. When Bruce faced him with a Kryptonite spear, he lost his right arm in the process. Superman went into a lengthy diatribe about how the League used to claim that Batman would defeat him in a fight and gloated how everyone else was weaker than him. As Superman blasted the spear away from him, Bruce ingested a modified version of the Doomsday Virus. The virus not only regenerated his arm, but gave him the power and the sociopathic detachment to kill his best friend. The mutated Bruce proceeded to first weaken Clark with Kryptonite breath, before he was killed by the spikes generated in the ground by the virus.[1]

After his victory, the Doomsday virus quickly began to spread and infect everything around him, only for the rechristened Devastator to realize it was too late to save his world, watching helplessly as it slowly degenerated and died all around him. Minutes before the imminent destruction of his Earth, he was recruited by the The Batman Who Laughs, who told him of another world, a world where Superman had not yet killed, and where his friends could still be saved and taught how evil Superman was.[1]

Dark Nights

After arriving in Prime Earth,[2] the Devastator helped the Murder Machine in subduing Cyborg and taking over the Justice League's Watchtower.[3] A portal was later opened up for them by the Batman Who Laughs using his dark metal cards, to help him take down Green Arrow, Damian Wayne, Nightwing and Mister Terrific, but they were prevented in doing so by Dr. Fate who helped them escape.[4] He later came to Metropolis, where he used that world's Lois Lane as a carrier, infected the entire city with his Doomsday Virus, including the members of the Superman Family who came to stop him.[1]

The Devastator then went to the Fortress of Solitude along with the Murder Machine, in order to retrieve the Multiversal Tuning Fork. There, the two Dark Nights attacked the Flash and Steel. The Devastator destroyed the Tuning Fork, as the Doomsday virus had started diminishing his intellect, though he did intend to rebuild it. Though Steel was subdued, the Flash again escaped using the same portal they came through.[5] The League members including Flash, Simon Baz, Jessica Cruz and Lobo tried to stop him, but were effortlessly beaten. Lobo was tossed into the sun by the Devastator using his own chain. After physically destroying the Fortress of Solitude, he flew away with the Tuning Fork to Gotham.[1]

After the Superman of Prime Earth woke up from his hallucinations, seven days after the appearance of the Challengers Mountain in Gotham City, he went back there in order to fight Barbatos after all of Metropolis was infected by the Doomsday virus except Jon. Before he could attack the Bat-God, he was tricked by the Devastator into thinking he is the Bruce Wayne of Prime Earth. The Devastator proceeded to beat up Superman, while the latter was unable to inflict any harm on him as the Dark Knights hailed from the Dark Multiverse. The Flash however rescued Clark with the help of Dr. Fate before the Devastator could kill him. The Dark Knights discovered that the remaining heroes were hiding in the Oblivion Bar. The heroes had escaped by the time they reached there but they killed the Nightmaster, who stayed behind to let them escape.[6]

They would later battle the League members who had escaped their captivity thanks to Cyborg, who had partially given in to the Mother Box inside him. The League members however were able to escape through Hypertime due to Cyborg.[7] After Hal Jordan, Mr. Terrific and the Martian Manhunter reach the Phoenix Cannon on Thanagar, designed to brighten the Nth metal in Earth's core in case it starts sinking into the Dark Multiverse, Michael Holt realizes that someone had reversed its polarity. The Dawnbreaker, the Merciless and the the Devastator then immediately teleport to their location and inform them that they were behind it.[8] Hal and Mr. Terrific were knocked out and taken back to Gotham.[9]

When the Dark Knights use the Carrier to attack the Ultima Thule that is heading to the House of Heroes in The Bleed, the Flash releases its gravitational suppressor gates, keeping the baby universe powering the ship from expanding, before the Merciless who guards it can do anything. The expansiom results in the Red Death being hit by the pure positive energy, reversing his polarity. This results in the Bruce Wayne persona disappearing and Barry Allen of Earth -52 taking control of the body. The two ally and knock the Merciless unconscious. The Devastator then tries to stop them but the Barry of Earth -52 tells his Prime Earth counterpart to flee. He and the other Dark Knights later watch the traitor being disintegrated on House of Heroes.[10]

Back in Gotham, the captured League Members were however awakened by Wonder Woman through the clanging of Carter Hall's Nth Metal mace clashing with her Bracelets of Submission, made of Eighth Metal. The Dark Knights tried to subdue them, but this was interrupted by Prime Earth's Batman who threw Batarangs fashioned from Element X at Aquaman and Hal, allowing them to turn the tide against their foes. The Devastator was defeated by Superman dressed in armor fashioned from Element X.[9]


Abilities

Other Characteristics

  • Diminished Intellect: The longer he had the Doomsday Virus, the more the Devastator descended into unthinking destruction above all else.[5]

Equipment

  • Doomsday Virus
    • Transformation: Can transform to and from the Doomsday physiology at will.[1]
      • Regeneration: Batman regrew a new arm to replace his severed one when he became the Devastator.[1]
      • Adaptation Manipulation: Like all Doomsdays, The Devastator is able to spontaneously adjust his physiology in order to maximize it's own advantage. Unlike typical Doomsday's however; Bruce can actively capitalize on the metamorphic faculties of his transformations, having tailored his powers to the weaknesses of his Earth's Superman by generating kryptonite radiation from his breath alongside Doomsday Virus spores, making the killing blow much more effective.[1]
      • Toxikinesis: Like The Prime Earth Doomsday, The Devastator can freely manipulate his own toxic spoor's as a tool for tactile use. Like a weapon or a conversion agent.[1]
        • Infection: The Devastator can convert others around him into doomsday clones loyal to him and Barbartos.[1][6]
      • Summoning: Devastator can summon spikes of his being from the ground at any time.[1]
      • Superhuman Durability
      • Superhuman Speed: Devastator is as fast as Superman.[5]
      • Superhuman Strength: Bruce in his Devastator form is powerful enough to trade blows with, injure and draw blood from a Kryptonian and a Czarnian with ease.[6] He was able to throw a 250 lbs. man 150,000,000 kilometers into the sun.[1]
    • Flight: The Devastator can fly under his own power with or without the doomsday transformation.[6]

Weapons


  • While in his human form Bruce had black hair and blue eyes, however while in his Doomsday form he has red eyes and is bald.[1]
  • Devastator represents Batman's fear of losing hope, how important his friendship with Superman is, and both the fear and regret that he cannot fully trust the Man of Steel.

Related

Footnotes


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