Bio: Two terrible moments forever changed the life of Bruce
Wayne. The first came at age six, when he roamed the far grounds of
Gotham Citys Wayne Manor and fell into a deep cavern swarming with bats.
Though his father soon rescued him, Bruce never again felt completely
secure in his world.
The second came two years later, in the alleyway behind a movie theater
in which the Waynes had just seen "The Mark of Zorro." There, before
Bruce's very eyes, a mugger shot Thomas and Martha Wayne in cold blood
before fleeing into the night.
Though the police eventually arrived, they were far too late to help the
Waynes; but physician and social worker Leslie Thompkins arrived in time
to bring loving comfort to Bruce before his young heart was forever
hardened by his trauma. Together with Philip Wayne, Bruce's uncle and
legal guardian, and Alfred Pennyworth, the Wayne family butler,
Thompkins gave guidance to Bruce as he passed through his teens. But
none of them could erase from Bruce the burning passion to punish all
criminals, an oath he avowed at his parents' grave site. To that end,
Bruce grew up training himself to the peak of physical and intellectual
perfection and, at age eighteen, began using his vast fortune to travel
the world in search of those who could teach him to fight crime
effectively.
Years later, Bruce returned to Gotham City and began his war on crime.
Before long, he came to realize that his skills were not enough, that he
would need an edge over his opponents -- a guise that would strike
terror into their hearts. Inspired by the bats that had so horrified him
as a boy, Bruce donned a blue-and-gray costume complete with cape and
cowl and renewed his mission. The results were immediate: soon, the
criminals of Gotham began speaking in fearful whispers about the
creature known only as the Batman.
Though Batman's fight against corruption was a lonely one, he soon found
others who shared his passion for justice, chief among them police
lieutenant James Gordon, one of Gotham's few honest cops. Their
friendship deepened over the years, and today, in his role as Police
Commissioner, Gordon frequently uses the Bat-Signal to summon the Dark
Knight whenever his policemen are confronted with threats too great for
them to overcome.
Batman's final case as a solo agent brought him face to face with
Gotham's former protector, the bloodthirsty vigilante called the Reaper.
Soon after, the Batman's life was changed once more, when he adopted
Dick Grayson, a young acrobat whose parents, like Bruce's, had been
killed by criminals. Under Bruce's tutelage, Dick adopted the guise of
Robin and became Batman's partner, staying with his mentor until
reaching adulthood. Eventually, the Robin mantle was passed along to Tim
Drake, the current Robin.
Batman is unique among those crimefighters who hide their true identity
behind a mask and costume in that his Batman guise is the "real" one;
his daytime role of bored socialite and philanthropist is actually the
disguise. This persona is carefully crafted to divert any suspicion that
Bruce Wayne, principal stockholder in Wayne Enterprises, an extensive
world-wide empire of successful businesses, is, by night, Batman.
Batman is an incomparable athlete skilled in virtually all forms of
physical combat. Moreover, he is an amazing detective, a brilliant
escape artist, and a master of disguise and deception who plots his war
on crime within the Batcave, the cavern headquarters that lies beneath
Wayne Manor.
Batman never goes into action without his utility belt, which contains a
wide array of devices such as lasers, gas pellets, silken ropes, and
Batarangs.
While he has such vehicles like the Batwing, the Batboat, or even his
trusty Grappling Hook, his primary mode of transportation is the sleek
and silent Batmobile.
For more, refer to the Justice League
bio.
For more, refer to the Justice League
Unlimited bio.
For more, refer to the Batman
Beyond bio. |