The Batman (TV Series) Episode: Traction

"Traction"

September, 2004

Producers

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There is much more to me than meets the eye.

—Bane

Traction is an episode of season 1 of The Batman. It premiered in September, 2004.

Synopsis for "Traction"

Two thugs converse with one another in an alley concerning their mutual Batman woes. A third man approaches them and says that he knows a mercenary who will make all of their problems disappear. He introduces them to Bane.

Back in the Batcave, Bruce Wayne experiments with some equipment left over from Wayne Industries. He operates giant servo motors that connect to a large Bat-Bot armor device.

Later, Bane attacks an armored car. He tosses the security guards about and ties them up. He is hoping that the attack will bait Batman into coming after him. Bruce picks up the news report of Bane's attack on the Batwave, and quickly changes into his costume. He is not the only one to respond to the emergency however. Detectives Ethan Bennett and Ellen Yin likewise receive a call and race down to the crime scene to intercept Bane.

Batman fights with Bane, and holds his own until Bane injects himself with a super-drug called Venom. His body mass triples in size and he transforms into a humungous red-skinned brute. Bane thoroughly thrashes Batman and leaves him for dead in an alley.

Batman in Batmobile — Batman in the Batmobile

When Bennett and Yin arrive, Bane is long gone. Batman regains consciousness long enough to get to cover without being seen. After the detectives leave, Alfred drives by to pick up Batman's battered body.

For the next three weeks, Bruce recuperates at home, while Bane continues his crime spree. Rumors begin to circulate that the Batman is dead. Once he is sufficiently healed however, Bruce completes construction on the Bat-Bot. Now he is ready for a rematch with Bane.

Batman encounters his foe at the Gotham City bank. The two engage in a brutal battle that carries over into the street. Despite the added protection of the Bat-Bot armor, Bane manages to nearly destroy Batman. Batman grabs an exposed live wire and inserts it into Bane's Venom injection port. The sudden electrical surge interacts with the Venom drug and forces Bane to revert back into his normal physical shape. Bruised and weary, Batman radios Alfred to come and pick him up.

Appearing in "Traction"

Featured Characters:

Batman (Flashback and main story)

Supporting Characters:

Alfred Pennyworth (Flashback and main story)
Ethan Bennett
Ellen Yin

Villains:

Bane (First appearance)

Other Characters:

Gotham City Police Department

Locations:

Gotham City

Items:

Vehicles:

Batmobile

Notes

This episode originally aired in the United States on September 25th, 2004.

This episode was re-aired on Cartoon Network on April 9th, 2005.

This is the first appearance of Bane in the series. Bane made his first comic book appearance in the 1993 one-shot special, Batman: The Vengeance of Bane.

First appearance of the Bat-Bot. The Bat-Bot is exclusive to the continuity of the 2004 animated series. It appears next in the third season episode entitled, "Brawn".

This episode contains a flashback of the night that Bruce's parents, Thomas and Martha Wayne were killed.

Trivia

Batman and Bane's first fight takes place on Rogers and Englehart. This street address is an homage to Marshall Rogers and Steve Englehart, two creators who have worked on Batman in the past.

The Gotham City Bank is located at 437 Adams Street. This is likely a reference to Neal Adams, a regular artist for Batman during the 1970s.

At one point, Ellen Yin says, "So, the Batman returns". This may or may not be a tongue-in-cheek reference to the 1992 movie, Batman Returns.

In the Elseworlds limited series Kingdom Come, Batman makes use of a suit of armor called the Bat Sentry. The Bat Sentry armor bears a strong resemblance to the Bat-Bot armor seen in this episode.

Recommended Media

None.

Links and References

Footnotes