Batman

[Doctor Cyber]

Basic Information:

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Real name: Bruce Wayne
Current Alias: Batman, The Dark Knight, The Caped Crusader, Gotham's Prince
Gender: Male
Age: 43
Occupation: Adventurer, Crime Fighter, Entrepreneur, Industrialist, Interim U.S Senator, Philanthropist, President of Wayne Enterprises
Marital Status: Single
Alignment: Lawful Good
Affiliation(s): Justice League of America, Gotham Knight, The Bat Family, formerly the Outsiders



Characteristics

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Height: 6'3”
Weight: 225 ibs
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Black
Character Type: Human
Description: Bruce Wayne is a handsome man with well-defined, angular features and possessed of a body that is in ridiculously good shape. As such, he constantly has women fawning over him and is often portrayed on the covers of celebrity magazines, not to mention slandered within celebrity rumor pages. Being filthy rich doesn't hurt either.

Personality

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Bruce Wayne

To the world at large, Bruce Wayne is seen as an irresponsible, superficial playboy who lives off his family's personal fortune (amassed when Bruce's family invested in Gotham real estate before the city was a bustling metropolis) and the profits of Wayne Enterprises, a major private technology firm that he inherits. Forbes Magazine once estimated Bruce Wayne to be the 7th-richest fictional character with his $6.3 billion fortune. However, Wayne is also known for his contributions to charity, notably through the Wayne Foundation, a charity devoted to helping the victims of crime and preventing people from becoming criminals. Bruce creates the playboy public persona to aid in throwing off suspicion of his secret identity, often acting dim-witted and self-absorbed to further the act. Batman makes it clear that he considers keeping his secret identity a top priority; on various occasions, he often risks death rather than exposing his skills in public as Bruce Wayne.

The Batman

Bruce Wayne creates Batman to strike fear into the hearts of Gotham's underworld. The costume — and the way he acts while wearing it — are meant to be as imposing and intimidating as possible. While Bruce Wayne is lighthearted and irresponsible, Batman is stoic and driven. In addition to the change in costume and personality, Bruce Wayne also changes his voice significantly to become Batman. The Dark Knight's voice is low and raspy, for both disguise and intimidation.

In keeping with the "dark" theme of the comics and the nature of bats, Batman is usually presented as operating primarily at night. After Zero Hour, DC Comics introduced the idea of Batman as an urban legend; however, Batman is "outed" in the "War Games" crossover, when his live image is broadcast over the news during a brief daytime appearance in front of a high school under siege in Gotham. In The Long Halloween, Batman himself regards "his appearance to be more effective during the night".

• Calculating: Life is a game of chess, and Batman is a grand master. Like a skilled chess player, he thinks ahead, picturing how the 'game' will resolve if he moves one way, envisioning all possible scenarios and picking the action which is most likely to result in the scenario he most wants to see. It's a necessity in his life - his enemies are powerful, sometimes far more powerful than he is himself, and without super powers to rely on like his allies in the Justice League, Batman must think far ahead to keep from giving his enemies an advantage. Of course, he has discovered that such planning has its down side: if he has planned for every contingency, anybody who can find a way to access his plans can use them in ways they're not intended.
  
  
• Cunning: Most super heroes are very straightforward people. They act in a simple and direct fashion: somebody does something bad, they stop that somebody by whatever means are necessary that conform to their personal moral code. Batman isn't like that. Batman is a hidden threat, a creature of fear. His attack begins before he even sees the enemy - they're in Gotham, and they know the stories of the Batman that lurks in the city, preying on criminals. His attacks are well planned, and he is capable of adjusting them on the fly to make them still more effective. It's hard to plan against such a varying and shifting arsenal. However, it has its down side as well - people don't trust him in part because of his devious nature.
  
  
• Discerning: Batman is an utter master of deduction, one of the greatest detectives that the world has ever known. He understands human nature and can pick up on subtle shifts in a person's mood and attitude very quickly if his attention is focused on them. His tendency is to cut through the chaff of a conversation and guide it to its logical conclusion, finding the questions that will get him the information he needs in the least amount of time. His tendency to push off small talk and get right down to the meat of the issue can be off-putting, particularly for those who don't know him well and don't expect his more direct approach.
  
  
• Enigmatic: One of Batman's greatest assets is his ability to hide what he is thinking and feeling. He is a puzzle to those around him, never quite letting them get a read on him. He has deliberately cloaked himself in mystery to the point that for much of his career, despite his supposed involvement with the Justice League and his activities in Gotham, many people in his own city believed him to be no more than a legend to strike fear into the hearts of criminals. Even if one comes to know Batman, even if they know his secret identity, the layers of mystery that separate him from others are almost impenetrable. Keeping his friends at arm's length can keep them from getting hurt, he figures - and sometimes even he isn't even sure about what's really beneath all of those layers of enigma.
  
  
• Heroic: No matter what horrors Bruce Wayne has witnessed in his life, at heart he is a hero. He is a champion of those who cannot defend themselves against the darkness of Gotham City and the greater dangers of the world at large. He protects all of those he can as Batman, and if he had never put on his costume his heroic nature would have come through in other ways - he tends toward philanthropy even now, giving away millions of dollars as Bruce Wayne annually via the Wayne Foundation and other such associations. No matter what the trouble, a children's program burdened with debt or an alien invasion threatening to overwhelm the world, Bruce Wayne will be there, in or out of costume, to protect those who need his protection.
  
  
• Obsessive: Batman is driven by some inner fire, forced to confront the horrors that haunt Gotham City and the ghosts of his own past. He is obsessed with the vow he made in childhood to prevent tragedies like his own. He may narrow his focus when a given enemy has presented him with a particular challenge, and will often go without sleep or food for much longer than he ought to without somebody to remind him to rest or eat. He has ruined more than one relationship when he showed up for a date two days late after finally tracking down an enemy. Without having a friend on hand to make him slow down, his obsessions will push him to his limits and over.
  
  
• Playboy: The counterpoint to almost everything about Batman that makes him Batman, when Bruce Wayne is out and about as Bruce Wayne he plays the role of playboy with aplomb. He plays the buffoon, the womanizer, the high society snob. He is a complete hedonist, uncaring for the troubles of the world, only for his own enjoyment. He has been accused, on occasion, of not being half the man his father was when he puts on this act. It may be something more than a diversionary tactic, of course. It could be assumed that the role of playboy is intended as a form of release as well, considering how rigid he is in the rest of his life.
  
  
• Pragmatic: Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst. Batman is always prepared. Guided by practical experience, Batman is almost always a few steps ahead of his enemies simply by virtue of the fact that he has planned and prepared for every foreseeable problem. He has little patience with people who let life come at them without taking the time to consider their future needs. A little planning would protect them from so much heartache and heartbreak down the line.
  
  
• Protective: Bruce Wayne has more money than he could ever spend and more gadgets and gizmos than he can even identify. He is among the most skilled human beings in existence, a true renaissance man who has mastered as many or more fields of study as Leonardo da Vinci. He would give it all up in an instant if he could just have his parents back. Bruce Wayne's defining moment was the moment in which his parents died. It has shaped everything that has happened to him since. As a result, he is incredibly protective. This is not a specific protectiveness; he is not protective just of his loved ones or of a select group of individuals. Batman is a defender of everybody, wants harm to come to none. He even feels protective toward the villains he battles - he will not let them come to permanent or lethal harm if there is any way to prevent it.
  
  
• Stern: All of that self-discipline comes a rather large streak of strictness. He has very exacting standards for nearly everything, expecting himself to adhere to all of them. Fortunately, for Bruce, it's rather easy; for everyone else, however, it's a much different story. Unlike Superman's warm, understanding, and ultimately likeable method, he is a strong, commanding presence, demanding respect and receiving it somehow through that merit alone. He is somewhat surly in nature if anything at all, which only adds to his effect. Bruce has no time or inclination for niceties or anything said for the sake of politeness, rarely having anything nice to say to anybody at all. On the rare occasions that he does give out praise, it's often very heavy-handed, like an embrace given a little too roughly and a little too short.
  
  
• Compassionate: Bruce may be a grim, uncompromising figure, but underneath the immediate display of all that is a truly compassionate man. Rather than turn the Batman into a mere tool of aggressive revenge, he has crafted the Bat into a tool for the service of others, making sure they are kept safe in the night. Upon his return to Gotham City after his initial excursion to properly equip himself for his war so long ago, Bruce set up the Wayne Foundation, his own charity organization, spending much of Wayne Enterprises' wealth and annual income on aiding those less fortunate than he. He believes that all life is sacred, even those that would devote theirs towards preying upon their fellow man, and from this stems his belief that one should never take a life for any reason.
  
  
• Realistic: Some might say he's being pessimistic, but Bruce would merely counter that he's being realistic. Batman always seems to assume the worst and that's because he is, hoping to plan for the worst eventuality he can think of so that he's never caught with his pants down, so to speak. It's been claimed by an anonymous person that being a realist (pessimist) just means you'll either be right all the time or just pleasantly surprised and it seems to be a philosophy that Bruce has taken quite seriously. It's not appropriate to describe him as unidealistic, as Batman has devoted himself entirely to an ideal, but he does make it his business to know all the limitations. Rallying forth the troops with dazzling speeches oozing with bright, shiny hope is the work of Superman and Wonder Woman, so let the bastion of "Don't get your hopes up and make sure you cover your ass." be the Batman, ready to ground everybody once they've been lifted to the skies.
  
  You can't run when you're floating and not everybody can fly.
  
  
• Stoic: Batman is eternally composed, rarely betraying his thoughts or feelings. To call him a stoic person may be underestimating just how good his statue impression is, as most of the time, the only expression that sits on his face is a scowl so severe it may as well have been carved in. Even most people that don't normally telegraph their thoughts have some manner of a 'tell'; simply put, Batman doesn't have one. Emotional response holds no candle to rationally thought out action calmly executed. He is also laconic by nature, not one to engage in lengthy, wordy dialogue, preferring to get his point across immediately and clearly rather than beating around any proverbial bushes.
  
  
• Loner: Batman began as a solo effort (or so Bruce would have anyone believe) with nobody else to rely upon but himself; this is the method that Bruce is most comfortable with. Even now, though Bruce would not trade his "family" away and sincerely recognizes their utility - that Batman would not be as effective without them - he would prefer to be working alone. This greatly stems from his inability to trust and rely upon others. Working as part of a duo, and nowadays as an entire team, has helped to alleviate this somewhat as Bruce has found a solid handful of people that he can trust almost explicitly. In the end, however, Batman is still essentially a loner, keeping his own counsel, a solitary shadow in the darkness over Gotham City.

History

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Bruce Wayne was the only son of Thomas Wayne, a renowned physician and heir to Gotham City's Waynes, who had lived in the city for centuries, and Martha Wayne, a socialite and philanthropist. The Waynes were important figures in Gotham, both of them going out of their way to make the city a better place not just for themselves and their friends, but for the city's inhabitants as a whole. Thomas's medical work was often done for free if his patients could not afford his fees, and Martha organized many charity functions that were huge boons to the less fortunate in both Gotham and the world.

One night, when Bruce was eight years old, he accompanied his parents to the theater to see the classic 1940s film, "The Mask of Zorro". With their son in tow, Thomas and Martha decided to leave the theater by a side exit, stepping into an alley. In that alley something happened that would change the course of Bruce's life and Gotham's future. The Waynes were assaulted by a man who demanded their money and jewelry. Ever the hero, Thomas tried to grapple with the man and was shot. Martha screamed and was shot as well, even as the mugger grabbed for the string of pearls around her neck. The string broke and pearls clattered to the pavement. The mugger ran. Bruce was left with his parents' dying bodies. He was found there, kneeling by their corpses, staring into the darkness.

It was not long after their funeral that Bruce Wayne made a vow that would grow into an obsession, making him the dark hero of Gotham City in later years. He swore that he would never allow such a tragedy to happen, never let another family be shattered the way his own had been. He vowed upon his parents graves that he would stop crime and evil wherever they reared their ugly heads. Someday.

Alfred Pennyworth, the Waynes' butler, and Dr. Leslie Thompkins, a friend of the family and professional associate of the late Thomas Wayne, took the raising of Bruce upon themselves, becoming a surrogate father and mother to the boy. Still very young he nevertheless put aside his toys and games and devoted himself to the promise he had made. The Waynes had a comprehensive library and access to tutors in many fields, and it was in these directions that Bruce first turned his attention. He trained himself in speed reading and forced himself to develop a photographic memory. He began a physical regimen that exercised his body to perfection. And only Alfred knew the whole of it, or the driving vow behind it.

Alfred and Dr. Thompkins were concerned for Bruce and his obsessive routines. Bruce, though, arranged through a lawyer to become an emancipated minor. Though Alfred still worked for him, Bruce was no longer subject to any sort of rules laid down by anybody but the law, and he was able to direct his own education as he saw fit. At the age of fourteen he planned out a trip around the world to meet with educators and experts in all manner of fields, all with the intention of fulfilling his promise to his parents.

He studied with Henri Ducard, a skilled private investigator, in Paris. From this man he learned investigation and marksmanship, though he quickly decided that he did not wish to use firearms in his quest for justice. Guns destroyed lives. He took classes at top universities in such diverse fields as chemistry, criminology, history and psychology. He worked with a cat burglar to learn about criminals, making a temporary place for himself in the underworld.

At twenty Bruce entered the FBI, but it did not take him long at all to realize that the rules by which law enforcement agents were bound were too restrictive for the vow he had made. He left on another trip, this time to Asia, traveling to masters of the martial arts in Korea, Japan, China, Thailand, learning karate, ninjitsu, kung fu and savate, among other arts and skills. He traveled through Africa on his way back to the United States and learned from master hunters and trackers who could track their prey across the savannah or desert. In America he met with Ted Grant, a boxing champion (and the Justice Society's Wildcat), John Zatara, a stage magician and escape artist, Oliver Queen, an expert archer (also known as the Green Arrow), David Cain, the world's foremost assassin, and the Sensei, who was, at the time, considered one of the world's greatest martial artists. From each of these men he learned the skills that would turn him into the champion he wished to be.

During his travels Gotham City had become more and more corrupted. Bruce returned to find the city in the clutches of organized crime bosses like Carmine Falcone and the Maroni family. The police were corrupt, and average citizens lived in fear of their supposed protectors as well as the obvious villains. Bruce was determined to prove himself. He went to a slum neighborhood, where he was almost killed by a pimp and prostitutes, then taken by police officers who shot him and considered dumping his body in a remote location. He broke free of his cuffs and his attempts to free himself from the car made the driver crash. He rescued the police from the burning vehicle, then left them there and retreated to Wayne Manor.

Faint from blood loss and exhaustion, Bruce made his way to his father's study. It was there that he sat down, on the verge of giving up his vow then and there. In despair he begged his father for a sign, any sign, to show him how to fight the darkness that gripped Gotham and how to make his enemies fear him. And he received a sign as requested.

A bat flapped through an open window and came to land upon a bust of his father.

In his youth, Bruce had been playing on the grounds of the Wayne estate when he fell through a rotten well cover and into the cavern system that would become the Batcave many years later. This came back to him now. The bat reminded him of the horror he felt when he found himself in that darkness, staring up into the glowing eyes of hundreds of bats, listening to their screeches of rage. He could become the bat, become the darkness, and take back the city in that guise.

He jumped up, ringing for Alfred, who was quick to attend him. Here he explained his plan to Alfred, how he would become a hero for the city, using the mantle of the bat to strike fear into his opponents' hearts. With Alfred's help Bruce was able to find the perfect headquarters in the caves beneath Wayne Manor, to craft a new identity and build the weapons he would need in his fight. The caves already had an entrance into the mansion - one of Bruce's ancestors in the years prior to the Civil War had opened his home to the underground railroad. With equipment borrowed from the subsidiaries of Wayne Enterprises, a cape and a cowl with pointed ears, Bruce began to stalk the streets of Gotham City. He first confronted petty criminals, people low on the food chain of crime, and his legend began with them as they rushed back to their superiors, reporting on the strange "bat man" who had attacked them.

The crime families that controlled Gotham and the corrupt police who worked for them were concerned with Batman's appearance in the city. They put together a task force dedicated to finding Batman and taking him down. The leader of this group was Lieutenant James Gordon, a new cop from Chicago who was already seen as honest and trustworthy - and not at all corruptible, which was a problem in Gotham City. Gordon pursued Batman until the latter was trapped in a building with a SWAT team full of thugs and a bomb, neither of which tactic had Gordon called for. Batman escaped the building in a flock of bats.

Gordon had already noticed the corruption in the city. When his wife and infant son were threatened by gangsters, Batman intervened and stopped the criminals, earning him Gordon's trust and admiration - which had already been blooming. The Lieutenant realized that though they were technically on opposite sides of the law, Batman represented a force for good and Gordon wanted to be a part of that. He told Batman that he would not try to arrest him anymore, and together they, along with a young district attorney named Harvey Dent, began to clean Gotham City of its corruption.

Batman's association with Gordon and Dent led to promotions for Gordon, first to captain, and then to commissioner. Batman found other allies as well, such as the enigmatic Catwoman. A burglar by trade, she had a personal vendetta against the Falcone crime family and frequently aided Batman on cases involving organized crime - whether he wanted her help or not.

Superman, the defender of Metropolis to the south, heard of Gotham's dark protector and came to seek him out. They had differing methods and their opinions of each other weren't the highest at first, but they came to respect and like each other all the same, and their activities inspired a generation of heroes, the likes of which had not been seen since the Justice Society of America disbanded after being confronted by Joe McCarthy in the 1950s. They later teamed up with Wonder Woman, and became part of the Justice League, a team of some of the greatest heroes the world had to offer.

As Batman, Gordon and Dent began to dismantle Gotham's crime families, new villains began to appear as if by magic. These new enemies were seriously deranged and dangerous, ranging from the deadly self-pronounced Clown Prince of Crime, the Joker, who first appeared as the masked Red Hood, to the plant worshipping Poison Ivy, the fear-obsessed Scarecrow, and the frigid Mr. Freeze. New crime families began to rise as well, led by the likes of the Penguin, a twisted human being who carried a variety of guns built into umbrellas as combined weapon and shield.

A new killer began to strike at the crime families directly. He attacked on holidays - Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years Day - earning the name Holiday, and it took a very long time for Batman to track him down. Another date-related villain, the Calendar Man, was asked for assistance by Batman, but gave very confusing answers to Batman's questions, referring to Holiday as both a man and a woman. In the end it was determined that Holiday was Alberto Falcone, son of mob bose Carmine Falcone, but before Holiday was found out, Harvey Dent was attacked at the trial of one of Falcone's underlings, Sal "The Boss" Maroni. Maroni threw a vial of caustic acid into Dent's face, permanently scarring him. After Holiday was behind bars, a gang of villains attacked Carmine Falcone's home under the leadership of a new villain calling himself Two Face. Two Face turned out to be none other than Harvey Dent, and was jailed when Batman caught him, but not before he managed to kill Falcone with two bullets to the head.

In the year following what the organized criminals of Gotham called the Long Halloween, another killer began stalking the Gotham City police, killing them on the same holidays as Holiday had killed his victims. These murders were done by hanging, rather than by gun like Holiday, and lost games of Hangman were attached to the victims as well. As a result, this killer was given the name Hangman in the press. Batman turned to the Riddler, another of his enemies, to help explain the puzzles - something that temporarily made the Riddler feel like Batman wasn't so bad, as his own goal was to feel superior to Batman mentally.

With Hangman still at large, one of Gotham's remaining underworld leaders, Anthony "Fats" Zucco, came up with a plan to use circus trucks to transport contraband. He approached the owner of Haly's Circus who wanted nothing to do with the deal. Zucco arranged an accident for the stars of the circus, the Flying Graysons, who fell to their deaths after acid ate away at the trapeze that held them in the sky, leaving their son, Dick, an orphan. Batman took the boy into his home, and soon Dick began aiding him as the brightly colored Robin.

Batman finally managed to track down Hangman, discovering that it was Carmine Falcone's daughter, Sofia. Before he could arrest her, Two Face showed up and killed the woman. Batman had been hoping to redeem Dent, but at this point began to realize that the man who had been his friend was gone forever.

Shortly after the Hangman's death, Batman's gained another ally. This was Barbara Gordon, James Gordon's adopted daughter, who took the name of Batgirl. Dick was in love with her from practically the moment they met, and the two married much later (about two years ago at this point).

Through a mysterious woman named Talia, Batman met Ra's al Ghul, the Demon's Head, an ecoterrorist and leader of the League of Assassins who saw in Batman the opportunity to have a grandchild who could follow in his footsteps. Ra's kidnapped Dick Grayson and lured Batman to a confrontation, revealing that he wanted Batman to wed Talia, his daughter. Though Batman and Talia have had a relationship over the years, Bruce refused (though he felt genuine love for the terrorist's daughter). Ra's al Ghul has returned time and again to cause trouble for Batman, each time with deadlier force than the last.

As a teenager, Dick joined a small group of young sidekicks called the Teen Titans. When a confrontation with Two Face almost cost Dick his life, Batman decided that he could no longer risk the life of his ward and broke off their partnership. Somewhat aimless and angered, Dick cast off the mantle of Robin and became Nightwing. Batman discovered that he needed a partner shortly thereafter, but while Dick would always be his ally, he refused to become the latter half of 'Batman and' again. Batman found his new partner in the form of a young street kid named Jason Todd, who would become the second Robin.

He impressed Batman when the Caped Crusader discovered him trying to steal the Batmobile, then by helping him to stop a robbery planned by the head of the school that Bruce Wayne was paying for him to attend. Bruce offered Jason the opportunity to be Robin against his own better judgment, but recognizing that Jason would continue to get involved in such things anyway. He adopted Jason, as he had adopted Dick before, and they worked well together for awhile.

But then the Joker escaped from Arkham. With the intent of proving that circumstances could destroy any man's sanity, the Joker set out to destroy James Gordon. He shot Barbara Gordon in the stomach when she answered the door at Gordon's house. Her career as Batgirl was over - the bullet shattered her spine, and she would never walk again. He then kidnapped Gordon, showing him pictures of his daughter in such a state, soaked with blood, broken, perhaps dead. Batman tracked down the Joker and saved Gordon, returning the Joker to the asylum. Barbara would later become Oracle, a hacker and information gatherer who aided Batman and many other heroes.

After Batgirl's injury, Jason's reckless behavior was too much for Batman. He made Jason stop being Robin for a time, which caused much anger and tension between them, and then went off to try to stop the Joker, who had escaped from Arkham again. Jason decided to take this opportunity to search for his mother. He helped Batman to stop the Joker from selling a nuclear warhead to terrorists in Beirut, then discovered that his mother, Dr. Sheila Heywood, was living there. Batman gave Jason permission to find her, but learned that she was working with the Joker and revoked his permission. Jason ignored Batman and went to rescue his mother from the killer as Robin. The Joker attacked him with a crowbar, then killed both mother and son with a time bomb.

For some reason, the Joker was picked as Iran's ambassador from the United Nations, and Superman had to tell Batman that this post granted him immunity from prosecution. The Joker foolishly (insanely, even), lost his immunity when he released a deadly gas within the United Nations building. He was stopped by Superman and Batman, and apparently died in the attempt. Batman returned to Gotham, and with no sidekicks his darker side began to take over.

When Lucius Fox, CEO of Wayne Enterprises, was kidnapped by Baron Bedlam, Batman first went to the JLA for help in saving his old friend. He was rebuffed. Needing help, he recruited his own team of heroes and named them the Outsiders. Katana, Halo, Geo-Force, Metamorpho and Black Lightning were pretty much unknown (and aren't much better known now), were supported by Bruce Wayne's wealth, but the relationship between Batman and the other five fell apart after Bedlam took over Markovia, Geo-Force's home country and in which country he was heir to the throne. Batman left the Outsiders, promising himself he would not get involved in such a team again.

Not like that lasted long. The Martian Manhunter requested his help in forming a new Justice League, and Batman agreed. He was the team's field leader for a time, but while the group was effective, they were not serious enough for Batman's taste, containing such clownish heroes as Guy Gardner, Blue Beetle and Booster Gold, Fire and Ice, and even, from time to time, the canine Green Lantern G'nort. He left the team not long after its inception, deciding to focus his attention on Gotham where it was most needed.

With no allies in Gotham, Batman found himself losing his balance. A young man named Timothy Drake worked out his identity, and Nightwing's by extension, and set out on a campaign to bring them back together. He aided them in a fight against Two Face, and once more launched into his spiel that Dick should take back the Robin costume and become Batman's partner again. Batman and Nightwing asked Tim to be the new Robin instead.

This was not with some reluctance on Batman's part. He was not sure about having another partner after the death of Jason Todd. However, Batman agreed to Tim becoming his partner on the condition that Tim would agree to a training period. Tim was clearly intelligent, but did not have the physical abilities that either Dick or Jason had had when they joined Batman's fight. During the training period, Tim's parents, Jack and Janet Drake were kidnapped by a villain calling himself Lord Obeah. Batman tried to rescue them, but though he managed to save Jack, Janet died of poisoning after ingesting poisoned water. Jack drank the same water and survived, but was paralyzed.

Tim was resilient. He grieved the loss of his mother and his father's mobility, but bounced back in time to save Batman from a plot by the Scarecrow. He was sent by Batman on a trip to meet with several of Batman's teachers, and when he returned to Gotham, Batman accepted Tim Drake as his new partner.

A new ally appeared in the form of Jean Paul Valley, Azrael. At first Batman and Azrael were on opposite sides. Azrael had been trained as an enforcer and assassin by the Holy Order of St. Dumas. With Batman's support, though, Valley turned his back on the Order and became a janitor at Wayne Enterprises, still aiding Batman in the guise of Azrael.

The arrival of Bane in Gotham brought little attention, which was exactly what Bane wanted. He took his time studying Batman's ways, wanting nothing more than to break the hero. Finally he blew open the gates of Arkham Asylum. Over the course of days, Batman and his allies had no sleep, no time to rest for more than a few minutes, as Arkham's lunatic murderous inmates were scattered and up to no good. Batman took down Maxie Zeus, the Ventriloquist, Mr. Zsasz, was put on trial by Two Face, fought the Joker. He was exhausted to the point of breaking anyway when Bane finally confronted him. Bane attacked him in the Batcave and broke his back.

Confined to a wheelchair, Bruce asked Jean Paul Valley to take over as Batman while he recuperated. His recuperation didn't last long, as Jack Drake was kidnapped once more, this time by a man named Benedict Asp, brother to Shondra Kinsolving who was acting as doctor to both Bruce and Drake. On Robin's behalf, Batman traveled to England to find Drake and Kinsolving.

But he lost Alfred. The butler had had enough of Bruce doing what he wanted with no concern for his safety. Bruce returned home without Alfred to find that Jean Paul Valley had gone insane in Batman's guise and had almost killed a man. He didn't rescue the serial killer Abattoir and the villain fell to his death in a pit of molten steel. He was no longer accepting help from Robin. Bruce was not yet able to take back the name, though, still injured. He left the country and turned to Lady Shiva, one of the world's greatest fighters (if not the greatest) to help him regain his ability and desire to fight. She tried to make him kill an opponent, and he used a technique that simulated the man's death, fooling her, then returned home to confront Azrael.

With the help of Nightwing, Robin and Catwoman, Batman was able to defeat Jean Paul Valley. He showed the man where he had gone wrong. Jean Paul left Gotham to search for a life and purpose for himself, and Bruce asked Dick to be Batman for a time, promising to return soon, but feeling he needed to change some things before he became Batman again.

When he finally returned to Gotham, he and his allies quickly found themselves forced to deal with a different kind of horror. A virus was spreading quickly through the population. Known as the Clench, the virus was a variant of the uncurable Ebola. It killed thousands of Gothamites, infecting even Robin. Batman discovered that the plague was the work of Ra's al Ghul, and with the aid of Nightwing, Oracle, Catwoman, Robin, Huntress and Azrael, Batman managed to put an end to the plot, finding a cure and taking away Ra's ability to make more.

Yet another Justice League formed shortly thereafter, brought together by the reality shaping powers of the villainous Doctor Destiny and a strange enemy named Know Man. Batman admitted, once they managed to overcome the plot, that the team was a necessity with the world-threatening enemies they all faced regularly, and that he had a part to play in the team. The JLA fought such threats as an invasion of White Martians and the villainy of the Injustice Gang of the World, a team comprised of some of the worst enemies of each of the Leaguers - Lex Luthor, the Joker, Ocean Master, Circe and more. He may have been the weakest member of the team, but he was unparalleled as a tactician.

Disaster on a grander scale struck Gotham in the form of a massive earthquake, measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale. The quake devastated the city and the government was quick to write it off as a No Man's Land, leaving the trapped citizens to their own devices and even going so far as to mine the waters around the city to prevent escape. Batman and his allies worked long and hard to combat the gang war that began when various villains, pouring from a newly decimated Arkham, decided to claim the city as their own. And as Bruce Wayne he fought to have the borders opened up again and for Gotham to be accepted back into the United States. He proved that the city was not a lost cause. The border was reopened, but Jim Gordon's wife, Sarah, was murdered by the Joker as one of the last criminal acts in No Man's Land.

A new ally was found in No Man's Land. The adopted daughter of the notorious assassin David Cain had made the city her home. Though she had no verbal skills, Cassandra Cain was an incredible martial artist. She came to the attention of Batman through Oracle, and working alongside him in the devastated city she proved herself. After Batman made Huntress remove the Batgirl costume she had taken to wearing, he offered it to Cassandra, making her the new Batgirl.

When Ra's al Ghul's daughter, Talia, stole Batman's plans to fight the Justice League should the need ever arise, the result was the complete defeat of the Justice League by Ra's. Batman fought Ra's and his terrorist associates, though the Demon's Head had stolen his parents' bodies and offered to regenerate them in his Lazarus Pit. He saved the day, but the League voted him out in anger at his perceived betrayal. He returned briefly at Superman's request, then left the team again.

Batman developed a romantic relationship with Bruce Wayne's bodyguard, Sasha Bordeaux, who became a vigilante at his side, first as Cover, then as Sparrow. Dick married his long-time sweetheart Barbara Gordon, with Babs moving her base of operations to Bludhaven. Batman aided Superman in fighting Lex Luthor's schemes as president. He helped to combat the Imperiex invasion and fought zombies powered by the Egyptian gods when the gods went to war with humanity. When the very forces of nature rose against the Earth, Batman was there to help stop them, preventing Lex Luthor from setting off an explosion that might well have torn the world in two. In the aftermath of this last event, Batman and Sparrow were captured by Luthor, who apparently murdered Sparrow, the greatest love of Batman's life. He had withdrawn from all of his friends, within and outside Gotham during this period, and Sparrow's loss brought that home to him. For the last year he has been trying to reestablish and strengthen his associations with friends around the world. He went with Superboy, Supergirl and Wonder Woman to rescue Superman from Maxima on the planet Almerac, and has found that some of his allies, such as Spoiler, have developed in ways he never foresaw.

Batman still fights for Gotham every night. He is unlikely to live a long and happy life, and he is fully aware of this fact. But the most important thing, to him, is that he is keeping his promise. And somewhere, he is sure, his parents are smiling at him.

[Doctor Cyber]

Powers and Abilities

---

Known Powers: Batman possesses no “Superpowers” however he does exhibit an extremely powerful and almost superhuman ”Force of Will”.
Known Abilities:

• Athlete: Though he is in his early forties, Batman has maintained his body over the years. He is in excellent shape, not just for a man of his age but for any man. He maintains a strict regimen of exercise, is careful about what he eats, and as a result he could likely compete in many Olympic events, whether or not he could actually win them. He is an expert acrobat and gymnast, though not quite as capable in these fields as his protege, Nightwing, with the incredible balance necessary to do extremely difficult aerial maneuvers. He is an able weight lifter, capable of lifting more than most men his size and weight, not to mention hitting far harder. Marathons are no challenge for him, and he can swim long distances. His lung capacity, too, allows him to dive deep and hold his breath for extended periods, if necessary.
  
  
• Detective: Batman is known as the Dark Knight Detective for a reason. There are few people so skilled at solving crimes as he is. He is a police detective and crime scene investigator rolled into one. He knows what questions to ask and who to ask, is able to spy details that even experienced investigators might miss, has a deep understanding of how a crime lab works and can perform any test that might be needed in his personal crime lab, from ballistics to DNA. His intuition and perception are both tremendous assets in this regard, and coupled with the skills he has practiced for decades, Batman's solve rate is high above most public and private detectives and approaching the likes of the legendary Sherlock Holmes.
  
  
• Engineer: Though Batman contracts out the building and manufacture of many of the gadgets that comprise his garage and arsenal, he is the one who designed them first, from the simple elegance of the batarang to the mechanical complexity of the Batmobile and Batplane. He builds weapons and electronic devices to aid him in his battle against crime and evil, and can repair anything in his Batcave with little difficulty. He's no super inventor - he would be at a loss to duplicate the work of T. O. Morrow or Will Magnus - but he can reverse engineer any normal technology or the gadgets used by his enemies in Gotham and rebuild it, even improve upon it.
  
  
• Escape artist: Batman trained with John Zatara, the famous stage magician, to learn the ability to escape from any trap. This ability has come in very handy over the years when he has occasionally been temporarily bested by an enemy. There is no trap that can hold him in the end, whether he uses the various lock picks concealed on his person to open the bonds, or dislocates his joints to more easily slide free of his chains. He is among the foremost escape artists in the world, perhaps overshadowed only by Scott "Mr. Miracle" Free.
  
  
• Infiltration: If Batman were a thief, he would be rivaled only by the likes of his occasional ally, Catwoman. Batman is adept at breaking into even heavily guarded facilities with security systems rivaling any on Earth, capable of picking locks, bypassing cameras, and sneaking past or defeating security guards with little trouble. Even if he comes upon a system he cannot immediately bypass, he knows enough tricks to improvise. The times that Batman is caught where he doesn't want to be caught are few and far between, and there is virtually no place on earth where he cannot go if he has a mind to do so.
  
  
• Intimidation: Batman is a normal human among heroes that range from the strongest to the fastest to the smartest, and he is capable of scaring the hell out of any and all of them. He is a creature of the night, a shadowy figure of darkness that appears when he calculates the time is best. He is a powerful fighter, entirely capable of demonstrating his physical prowess over just about anybody. The combination of his stealth, strength and reputation make him feared by most criminals, and more than a few heroes. He is seen as a nightmare come to life - and he knows how to use that fact to his advantage.
  
  
• Linguist: Because his adventures take him around the world and he cannot always rely on interpreters, Batman has learned to speak many languages. He is fluent in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Russian and Spanish, familiar with most dialects of these languages, and able to recognize colloquialisms that would distinguish speakers from various regions. His accent is flawless, and even if he cannot duplicate a speaker from a specific region, he is usually assumed to be a native speaker (if judged by voice alone, at least).
  
  
• Martial artist: When he fought Batman, Prometheus revealed that he had the moves of the world's top martial artists stored on a hard drive that could load them directly into his brain - and that Batman himself was among them. Batman is one of the most skilled hand to hand fighters in the world, and has studied a vast array of martial arts. He is best at eight of them, ranked high in each: Aikido, American Boxing, Jeet Kune Do, Jiujitsu, Judo, Ninjitsu, Savate (Thai kickboxing), and Tae Kwan Do, and he is skilled in the moves and motions of other styles from Drunken Monkey Kung Fu to Capoeira to Sumo (though, admittedly, he does not have the body for Sumo). Rather than using any single style, which could be interpreted and easily overcome by a skilled opponent, he mixes and matches his moves to the situation. Combined with his ability to think ahead of his opponents, it is easy to see why Prometheus chose to emulate his fighting style. There are people better than Batman (Lady Shiva and Batgirl among them), but not many.
  
  
• Master of disguise: One of Batman's greatest talents is his ability to blend in with his surroundings. He may do this by hiding in darkness, of course, but it's not uncommon for him to hide in plain sight. He has established a number of identities, such as the upper class Brit, Bertie Wooster, and the thug, Matches Malone, and even uses his Bruce Wayne identity in this way from time to time. Whatever group Batman needs to infiltrate, he is perfectly capable of crafting a disguise that will help him to get close enough to learn their plans, even if he doesn't quite fit in. His skills of mimicry, make-up and psychology allow him to duplicate the actions of any man of close to his size.
  
  
• Melee combat: Batman's preferred style of fighting is unarmed, but from time to time he simply has no choice but to accept a weapon. If for no other reason than to learn how to counter people fighting with such weapons, Batman has studied many weapons and the general fighting styles associated with them. He is capable of fencing, fighting with a knife, and the weapons associated with any number of martial arts. Frequently he may use batarangs in the place of these weapons, knowing that particular weapon intimately. Additionally, he is very skilled at improvising weapons from his surroundings, using his environment to help take down his enemies. He is not as skilled as such opponents as Lady Shiva and Ra's al Ghul, of course, but has always managed to hold his own in duels against them long enough that he is not dead.
  
  
• Outdoorsman: Typically a city dweller, Batman has nonetheless spent much time in the wild, both as a matter of survival and in training to survive. His primary focus in this arena is in tracking, and he is able to follow an opponent over long distances with nothing more than their tracks to guide him. He can navigate based on the positions of sun, moon and stars. He can climb mountains and high rocks with or without climbing equipment. He can run briskly cross country far more than the twenty-six miles required of marathon runners. He is capable of survival in hostile environments, from arctic waste to deep virgin jungle to deserts, without much specialized equipment but what he carries on his person. He can identify edible plants and purify water if he needs it, and can hunt with his batarangs (though this falls into a grey area - he is loathe to kill). He is capable of handling most animals, wild or domestic, though, of course, he is most familiar with bats.
  
  
• Ranged combat: Batman has worked with such masters of ranged weapons as David Cain (the world's most notorious assassin), Oliver Queen (the Green Arrow), and Henri Ducard (a skilled French detective). He hates firearms, but is skilled in their use nonetheless. He is not likely to use a bow and arrow, either, as the traditional arrow is as deadly a weapon as a standard bullet, and Queen's trick arrows are far too silly for the dour detective. His preferred weapons are thrown. The batarang, his own design, was adapted from Japanese shuriken and aboriginal Australian boomerangs. His skill with the batarang is unparalleled, and he can perform difficult tricks with them, controlling his throw so accurately that he can knock fast-moving projectiles out of the sky, and so nimbly that he can bank and ricochet the batarang to hit multiple targets. He is not so skilled with other ranged weapons, of course, but is still proficient with just about anything from a bow to a rifle.
  
  
• Scholar: Though much of his focus has been on training the skills that allow him to fight crime effectively, Bruce Wayne has studied a great many fields that have less to do with law enforcement and more to do with general interest in the world. He is an expert in such fields as archaeology, anthropology, history, literature and philosophy, and while these may not have direct applications to his work as Batman, they have frequently come in handy - particularly when dealing with villains like the Riddler, who draws his clues from every possible source, and the Mad Hatter, who's Lewis Carroll-based crimes often require a working knowledge of 'Alice in Wonderland'. He is not so skilled in these fields as somebody who has devoted their whole life to them, but collectively, he has more facts than most experts in any one particular subject. His wealth of knowledge is incredible.
  
  
• Scientist: Bruce Wayne has a solid general knowledge of just about every field of scientific study, from astronomy to zoology. He is, of course, most particularly familiar with those sciences that have direct application to crime fighting - forensics, ballistics, biology, chemistry and physics, among others - but he has studied many others as well, partially because he is interested in accumulating as much knowledge as he can, but partially because his enemies come up with so many ways of enacting their insane and evil agendas. Whether he's concocting an antidote to Scarecrow's fear toxin, studying ways to incapacitate Harley Quinn's hyenas, or reverse engineering one of Mr. Freeze's refrigeration weapons, Batman's scientific background, along with well as his library of scientific tomes and modern scientific journals, serves him well.
  
  
• Stealth: Batman has spent years learning to be both silent and invisible to those who are looking for him, and is one of the most stealthy heroes (and certainly among the most stealthy people in general) in the world. He is familiar with the techniques of stage magicians, using distraction to hide their true activities, and with the tenets of Japanese ninjitsu, moving silently and invisibly through even crowded areas. He has learned to effectively disappear from plain sight, to walk across noisy surfaces without making a sound, and to cross snowy or muddy areas without leaving tracks. Even Superman, whose eyesight and hearing are virtually unparalleled on Earth, has trouble finding Batman when the other hero does not wish to be found.
  
  
• Streetwise: Batman's time in Gotham City has taught him not only about the city itself, its layout and who controls which territory, but about cities in general and how to find his way around and whatever he needs within them. Given time he can figure out the criminal hierarchy of any city, but Gotham is his home and he knows it best of all. He is intimately familiar with Gotham's power structure (he is, of course, right at the top), and his mind holds a "who's who" of the Gotham underworld - the major players, their psychological diagnoses, their methods and modi operandi. There is nobody who knows more about Gotham City than Batman, and it is most likely that there never will be.
  
  
• Tactician: Batman is like a master chess player - he can see ten steps ahead of his opponent, figure out what they will do, and select the course which best assures him of victory. These skills are just as important to a crime fighter, particularly one of Batman's caliber, as they are to a chess player. Every conflict can be won; he simply needs to outthink his opponent, whoever they are. His few losses have occurred when he was not given the time to think, or when he was harried to the point that he could no longer see all of the pieces in play, so to speak - when he found out about the Joker's involvement in Jason Todd's mother being in the Middle East, for example, or when Bane arranged for Arkham Asylum to be destroyed and its prisoners released to wreak havoc. Given time to plan, Batman can win any fight, be it against a two-bit thug or a speedster on the order of the Flash.
  
  
• Vehicle expert: The Batmobile is one of the most high precision cars on any road, and the same can be said of the Batplane in the sky, or the Batboat on the open water. Batman utilizes a wide variety of vehicles in his war on crime, and he is a master of every one of them. On the street he is one of the best drivers there ever has been, easily a match for any Indianapolis 500 driver, whether behind the wheel of the Batmobile or any of the motorcycles, trucks or ambulances he maintains in his cave. He can pilot any air vehicle short of the space shuttle with relative ease, and is practiced with watercraft of all varieties, both on the water and beneath it.
  
  
• Acting: Bruce Wayne is capable of playing any role he needs to play. He has successfully convinced people that he is a tough Gotham thug, an elderly, senile upper class Brit, and many other roles, including the jocular, somewhat stupid Bruce Wayne. He may be Bruce Wayne in name, but the personality he exhibits when out in public without the mask is far from the reality of his psyche. Bruce Wayne could be a fantastic stage or film actor if he wanted to do that. As it is, he puts this skill to good use in his war against crime.
  
  
• Logic: Batman has a highly ordered mind and is able to work out answers to difficult problems and puzzles through dedicated effort. This becomes necessary in his work when he is dealing with the likes of the Riddler, Cluemaster and the Baffler (okay -- maybe it isn't that necessary against the Baffler). If a problem has a logical solution, Batman can find it without a great deal of trouble.

Strength Level: Batman engages in an intense exercise regimen daily, giving him peak level (if not above) human strength.
Weaknesses:

• Bruce wayne: In a way, Bruce Wayne has not really existed since the night his parents were murdered. In a way, Bruce Wayne died with the rest of his family that night, leaving only Batman - a vengeance driven creature that, over the years, tempered itself into a force for justice. There are things that can awaken aspects of Bruce - his love for his adopted family, for example - but by and large, Bruce Wayne is nothing more than a front. A useful tool, like so many other, that allows Batman to operate so successfully. He provides funds and contacts, as well as an invaluable cover story, all of which promote Batman's agenda. Bruce Wayne is a mask, and Batman can put on or take off that mask whenever he wishes. This detachment, this ability to separate himself from the human world so thoroughly, has left many of his friends and family worried for Batman - it is a quality frequently noticed in many of Batman's most violent and sickening enemies.
  
  
• Cynic: Call him a cynic. It's accurate. Bruce Wayne is an idealist, certainly, but his desire to see the best happen does not prevent him from acknowledging how unlikely it is. Batman is cynical to a fault, never believing that the best is the reality. He doubts, he suspects, he pokes until he finds the faults in the surface. He cannot accept things at face value, and this costs him when face value is what is truly there. People do not like to have their motives questioned, and when those motives are genuinely altruistic, that questioning may alter the motives.
  
  
• Dour: While Bruce Wayne plays the jovial libertine, it is entirely a mask. Batman is a dark figure of gloom. He is intense and brooding, constantly thoughtful, calculating even the most minor of actions to greatest effect. He comes across as cold, even to those closest to him, and to those who do not know him, his chilly demeanor is an insurmountable wall that most won't even bother to try to breech. It is this coldness that has become the greatest rift between himself and some of his associates, such as Nightwing, to whom Batman has been his only parental figure since Dick Grayson's parents died in an accident arranged by Anthony Zucco almost twenty years ago. His darkness is calculated - he is deliberately cool and flat in affect to cause discomfort in his enemies, and he does have a sense of humor, but it is extremely hard to tickle Batman's funny bone. By and large, what you see is what you get.
  
  
• Enemies: Batman has made no shortage of enemies in his quest to save Gotham from the criminal elements that once threatened to overrun it. Even today, and even with allies ranging from the Gotham City Police Department to fellow heroes like Batgirl and Robin, those enemies frequently rear their ugly heads and sometimes the challenges they present are almost too much for Batman to handle. He has always persevered, to date, but it only takes one lucky shot, in the end, to bring him down permanently.
  
  The first enemies that Batman faced in Gotham were primarily the minions and leaders of organized crime - the Falcone, Viti, and Maroni families caused quite a few problems for him in the early days of his career. These enemies, though, were self-interested and sane. They used standard weapons - a variety of firearms and hand-held weapons that are the mainstay of thugs around the world. In short, these people made sense. While there are still a few of these organized crime leaders around Gotham, they have mostly taken to using less traditional weapons and adopting more unusual tactics in the face of the new enemies who threaten their former empire. Batman and his allies, at least, won't kill them. Arkham's inmates will. Primary among this new breed of organized enemy are the Penguin, the Odessa Mob, and the Antonioni family.
  
  While organized crime represented the bulk of Batman's early enemies, he has quickly discovered that these men, while selfish and willing to take whatever they could get their hands on, were nowhere near so dangerous as the maniacs that seemed to spring up from nowhere. The Joker, the Riddler, Two Face, Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze. These villains and more represent the bulk of Batman's enemies. Each of them is genuinely insane and most have a personal grudge against the Bat. While their various psychoses and neuroses offer a key to help take them down, in the end that makes them no less dangerous. The Joker is a psychotic killer who probably doesn't even know why he does the things he does. Poison Ivy believes that plants should inherit the earth, and intends to see every human being dead in her quest to see that Gotham and the world are given over to florocracy. The Riddler is determined to have Batman someday admit that he is not as smart as Riddler, and uses devilish and deadly riddle-based traps to prove it. These villains are collectively known as Arkhamites, spending much of their time in Arkham Asylum - and Batman is typically the one who puts them there.
  
  Some Arkhamites, it should be noted, blur the line between their maniac ways and the original organized criminals of Gotham. Almost all of them retain some sort of villainous aide (the Riddler's Echo and Query, Two Face's Sugar and Spice), but Two Face, Mr. Freeze and the Ventriloquist, among others, have been known to establish entire gangs in those times in which they are free from Arkham Asylum.
  
  Gotham attracts its share of major threats as well, beyond the maniacs of Arkham Asylum. Ra's al Ghul came to the city for many reasons, and has been one of Batman's greatest enemies for a long time.
  
  Batman's activities are not confined to Gotham, and neither are his enemies. Among his most dangerous enemies of recent years is Prometheus, who established himself as a one-man anti-Justice League, and almost succeeded in taking down the entire team (and possibly could have killed Superman, if it were not for the timely intervention of Catwoman). The White Martians, the Key, Dr. Destiny, Dr. T. O. Morrow, Dr. Ivo, and any number of other villains have faced Batman as part of the Justice League. They all went down in the end, and except for those, like the White Martians, who have been brainwashed into believing they are productive members of society, they'd all like to get Batman alone in a room for a few minutes without his toys.
  
  Finally, there are those who simply don't like the way Batman handles things. These enemies are not likely to attack him directly, of course, but they have other power to cause problems for him. He has his detractors in the police department who dislike the nature of vigilantes in general (and more specifically dislike vigilantes who have taken down any number of corrupt brother cops), and his secrecy is always alarming to the free press. Any of these people could cause trouble for Batman in small ways, and small ways can add up to much larger ones.
  
  
• Firearms: Though Batman has trained long and hard with firearms and really is a very good shot, it is a rare thing for him to pick up a gun and an even rarer thing for him to use one. It was one gun that destroyed his life when he was a child, and his hatred of the weapon grew from that night. Batman will use a gun only if it is the only way to save a life, and even then only if he can shoot to disarm. He has only ever let things get to the point where a gun was his only option once, and he will go far out of his way to prevent it from ever happening again.
  
  
• Joker: Batman has more than his share of enemies, and many of them are maniacs and many are killers, but none of them, not even such enemies as Darkseid and General Eiling, come close to the monster that is the Joker. The Joker is less a man than a force of chaos, a psychotic, twisted, sadistic force that wreaks havoc and leaves death wherever it goes. What's more, while the Joker is completely insane, frequently incapable of maintaining a line of thought from minute to minute, when he is coherent for any length of time the plans he puts together are deadly on a massive scale. He is responsible for the creation of Smile-X gas, an almost universally deadly poison that leaves its victims with hideous grins. He enacted a plan to destroy James Gordon's sanity, culminating in shooting Barbara Gordon through the spine and leaving her paraplegic. He killed both Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne's adopted son and the second Robin, and Sarah Essen Gordon, James Gordon's second wife and Gotham Police detective. He managed to drive one of his doctors, Harleen Quinzel, insane, to the point where she not only helped to spring him from Arkham Asylum, but put on a costume and tried to be his partner and love interest for some time, taking the name Harley Quinn. There is no act too sick for the Joker, and often it may seem that he deliberately selects his crimes and targets to disturb his enemies and the population at large.
  
  It should be noted, the Joker is not without some small degree of humanity. When Hal Jordan became the Spectre and tried to convince his former allies in the Justice League to trust him, he took them deep into the mind of the Joker, past layers upon layers of horrors, to find that at the core of his psyche, deep down and buried so far that evidence of it is virtually never seen, there is a very normal man struggling against the insanity. It is a losing battle.
  
  
• Moral code: While there are few acts that Batman cannot justify in the name of saving lives, there is one thing he will never be able to justify and he will never do. Batman does not kill. He will not cross that line under any circumstances. What's more, he will not accept that killing is ever justified by anybody else, either. He knows that there are heroes who have killed. He doesn't trust them. If he ever found out that Superman had killed, his respect for the Man of Steel would plummet and never recover. Those who celebrate a death are suspect in themselves. Batman is very forgiving of the lengths to which people will go to protect others and to bring justice to evildoers, but by his own moral code, murder is an unacceptable option and an unforgivable crime.
  
  
• Mortal: When it comes down to the nitty gritty, Batman is human. Under all that armor and behind his weapons, and despite the fear that he inspires and the cold alienness he represents, Batman is entirely human. His body is just as susceptible to injury or disease as that of anybody else. He pushes himself to his limits every day, and as a result he pushes back those limits further and further, but there is only so far that a person can bend before they break. He has broken before, when Bane pushed him to the point where he was exhausted and weak from injury, and he broke Batman's back for all of Gotham to see. Batman came back and has beaten Bane down time and again since. However, this is a man who rushes into battle every day against enemies who scare hardened superhumans. It is very unlikely that Bruce Wayne will die at home in bed, surrounded by loved ones.
  
  
• Nightmares: On a daily basis, in the few hours of sleep that Bruce Wayne allows himself, he finds himself returned to that fateful night more than thirty years ago when a young boy in a dark alley saw his parents murdered before his eyes. The details are always the same - a man walking out of the shadows with his gun, grabbing for his mother's jewelry, and first his father, then his mother shot. Their bodies fall to the pavement. His mother's string of pearls has broken and the pearls hit the ground with a series of taps and bounces. And then Bruce, ten years old and terrified and grieving, is left alone with his parents' bodies as the killer retreats into the night. The constant presence of these nightmares, which do not let up under any circumstances, keeps him driven to succeed at his goal of ridding Gotham City of Crime, however unlikely that may seem in the end.
  
  
• Remorse: Bruce Wayne's life has been punctuated by tragedy. The death of his parents when he was only ten years old was the first great one, the one that turned him into the man he is today. Since then he has seen one of his best friends, Harvey Dent, turned to a horrifying criminal by a senseless act of revenge. He has seen his adopted son, Jason Todd, killed by a murderous madman. He feels great regret and responsibility for Barbara Gordon's paraplegia, knowing that he should have been able to stop the Joker before he could shoot her. Bruce blames himself for so many lives lost that he feels he should have been able to save. He bears a tremendous amount of guilt and remorse, the loss of so many people he held dear, and this, too, keeps him going, makes Batman the dark creature of the night that he is.
  
  
• Ra's al ghul: Hundreds of years old, Ra's al Ghul (literally translated this means 'The Demon's Head' in his native tongue), has kept himself alive and fit with the body of a man in his thirties or forties through repeated baths in the Lazarus Pit, a mystical pool which has the power to youthen the old and return the dead to life, though all are rendered temporarily insane as a result of its use. He has adopted an agenda that many can sympathize with: he is an environmentalist who seeks global balance to protect the planet and its resources. It is his methods that come into question. He usually tries to establish this environmental balance through mass genocide, killing off most of the human population of the world. He has attacked with genetically engineered viruses and by sending out subliminal signals that rob people of the ability to communicate via written word, among other methods. He is a tremendously skilled fighter, having had literally centuries to master weapons and hand to hand combat. He is a genius at science and crime, and in particular he has mastered the field of alchemy. He founded the League of Assassins, and remains at the head of the deadly organization which sponsors such incredible threats as David Cain and Lady Shiva.
  
  Ra's has directly caused trouble for Batman in ways other than his genocidal attacks. For a long time he felt that his daughter, Talia Head, had found a perfect match in Batman and promoted their relationship in hopes that they would one day produce an heir to his empire. Additionally, he arranged for Talia to steal plans that Batman had created to defeat the Justice League in the event that any of them were to turn rogue. These plans were enacted by Ra's' followers, the League defeated, and it was only Batman's intervention and the die hard, never give up attitude of some of the other Leaguers that ultimately saved them. As a direct result of this attack, the League voted to remove Batman from their membership, and there remains much distrust among them, though he has since been invited to return.
  
  
• Secret identity: A secret identity is considered a necessity for many heroes. Sure, the world may know that Garfield Logan is the Changeling and that Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran is Starfire, but those people don't have families to speak of, or their family members are powerful enough in their own right to protect themselves from those who might strike against them to get at their better-known relatives (it is comical to think of somebody trying to get at Starfire through her brother Ryand'r - the distance one would have to travel to find him is, in itself, a nearly insurmountable obstacle). Batman does not have this luxury. Though there are few who are very close to him, there are enough - Dick Grayson, Alfred Pennyworth, Tim Drake, Barbara Gordon-Grayson and others - and what's more, there are so very many employees of Wayne Industries, WayneTech, the Wayne Foundation, and Bruce Wayne holds himself responsible for their welfare. If it were to get out that Batman is Bruce Wayne, and the Joker's next killing spree involved an assault on one of his properties, it would be still more devastating for him. It has weighed on him heavily through the years that when Harvey Dent became Two Face, Batman had been on the verge of revealing his secret identity to the man. It weighs on him even more heavily that the likes of Ra's al Ghul already knows who he is.
  
  
• Star-crossed: Bruce Wayne has been involved with any number of women through the years. With some he even managed long relationships lasting months or years. In the end, though, his responsibilities, the commitment he made when he first put on his cowl, will always get in the way. Selina Kyle and Talia Head were both long and meaningful relationships, and if he had shared his identity with Selina, at least, he might have found more than a lover - he could have found a lasting partnership (and, in fact, his Earth 2 counterpart -did- find such a relationship with the Selina Kyle of his world - they married and had a daughter, Helena Wayne, who went on to become that world's Huntress, though Bruce knows none of this). There is always something that gets in the way of his relationships, whether it his own actions or somebody else's, and while, in the end, this does mean that Batman is free to perform his necessary duties without interference, it can get very lonely for the man.
  
  
• Suspicious: Considering the life that Batman has lived, there is little wonder why the man is so very paranoid. He suspects everybody around him of plotting something horrible, and really, by and large his suspicions have proved founded. It is extremely difficult to earn Batman's trust, and he can count on his fingers the number of people he trusts implicitly (Alfred Pennyworth, Leslie Thompkins, Dick Grayson, Barbara Gordon-Grayson, Tim Drake, Cassandra Cain, Clark Kent, Princess Diana of Themyscira, J'onn J'onnz - and those last three have their moments when he doesn't quite trust them either). His trust is an incredibly brittle thing, easy to lose once earned - it just takes once mistake. In general he finds that people are untrustworthy, little more than apes and only kept in line by fear of punishment.
  
  
• Territorial: Batman has long considered Gotham City his own stomping grounds. The Wayne family has been actively involved in Gotham's social, business and political arenas practically since the city was founded. Gotham City is home to both Batman and Bruce Wayne, and he is protective of the city on a level unmatched by any other hero in the world. Other heroes have their home cities that they protect - Superman in Metropolis, the Flash in Central City and Keystone City, Green Arrow in Star City. None of them are quite so defensive about who comes into their city and begins fighting crime as Batman. Batman keeps an iron grip on the vigilantes in his city, and they operate with his permission, or not at all, ideally. He cannot prevent other heroes from coming to Gotham to fight crime, but he can try. A new hero putting on their cape and fighting their first thug in Gotham is likely to find Batman looming over them as they place cuffs on the unconscious criminal's wrists, and hear the words "Get out of my city" spoken in a voice of barely restrained rage. Rigid control of his city is how Batman maintains what safety there is in Gotham; letting outsiders wander through is a good way to let people get hurt - most particularly those self same outsiders.
  
  
• Two face: Two Face is not the threat that some of Batman's regular enemies are. He is not so sensationally sadistic and sickening as the Joker (nobody is), nor so globally powerful and driven as Ra's al Ghul. He is not as seductive and distracting as Poison Ivy, not so organized as the Penguin, does not have the scientific and medical knowledge of either the Scarecrow nor Mr. Freeze.
  
  Two Face, though, represents a great failure on the part of Batman. Harvey Dent was one of Batman's closest allies until a criminal witness splashed acid into the man's handsome face and destroyed his tenuous sanity in the process. Harvey Dent is still inside Two Face - evidence of that has been seen on many occasions, and Batman keeps reaching out to him, hoping that he will be able to bring Harvey to the surface and keep him there. No matter what happens, though, there is always something that pushes Harvey back into the pit again, and brings Two Face to the surface.
  
  Two Face, ultimately, is little more than a thug. He styles himself as a gangster in the vein of Al Capone or John Dillinger. He is split in half from head to toe, the neat, pristine, unspoiled Harvey Dent on the right contrasting with the twisted form of Two Face on the left, wearing half of a dapper 1920s pinstripe suit and half a costume a hobo might pull out of the garbage. He is obsessed with his own dichotomy, and carries with him a coin with one side marred. When faced with a decision, Two Face will flip this coin. If it lands with the undamaged side up, Harvey will make the decision in favor of good; if the scratched side lands up, Two Face will do some evil.
  
  There is evidence that Harvey Dent was not entirely sane even before Sal "The Boss" Maroni tossed acid into his face. During the year before that incident, a series of murders of mob figures took place on holidays, the unknown killer nicknamed Holiday by the press as a result. Alberto Falcone, the son of mob boss Carmine Falcone, was ultimately convicted of these crimes, but both Gilda Dent, Harvey's wife, and Harvey himself have also been tied to some of these crimes, though their involvement has never been proven.
  
  
• Uncompromising: There is no room in Batman's world for compromise. He has a very strict code of ethics, allowing him to go just so far and no further, but also not allowing him to bend the rules. He gets through adversity through sheer force of will, and while he has worked with many partners and allies, he keeps his own counsel, by and large. When he is confronted with a challenge to his own point of view, it is almost invariably the person with the opposing viewpoint that backs down in the end, unless Batman is presented with incontrovertible evidence in such a way that he can change his mind without appearing to do so. He is self-reliant in the extreme, stubborn under the best of circumstances, but can be seen as egotistical or arrogant as a result.
  
  
• Vow: After his parents' funeral, Bruce Wayne made a promise that he would never allow such a tragedy to occur again if he could prevent it. That vow has become a driving urge in his adult life. It is impossible for him to deny. He has sculpted himself into a being that can try to fulfill this promise, studying and training, constantly preparing his body and mind for the trouble he may face. It has become almost a religious commitment for him, a fanatical fervor on the order of those who give their lives in the name of their deity. He has not always succeeded in preventing such tragedies - with the sheer number of monstrous persons he faces on a day to day basis, it would be impossible to do so. He strives to keep his promise anyway, and each failure takes its toll, making him harder, forcing him to push his limits. The vow directs his every action and drives him constantly. The vow will someday be the death of him.

Accessories

---

Equipment:

• Aerosol sprays: Some technology, Batman has found, operates best in a gaseous form. He has a number of frequently used sprays that come in small cylindrical containers, three of which can fit in one of his belt pouches. These aerosols include the canned equivalent of a smoke bomb, paint, foaming explosives, freezing spray and knockout gas, as well as the commonly used canned air and WD-40. Given time to collect the necessary materials, Batman can easily prepare other sprays as he finds that he needs them.
  
  
• Batarangs: Batman's most frequently used and widely recognized weapon, the batarang is a fairly simple thrown weapon based on Japanese throwing stars (shuriken) and Australian aboriginal boomerangs. They come in two basic varieties - heavy blunt batarangs and slim, razor sharp ones. Batarangs can be folded up and placed four to a pouch in his utility belt, or slung on a bandolier around his chest. Blunt batarangs are used for concussive damage against an opponent, either as a held weapon or thrown, and Batman's skill at throwing allows them to be banked off walls and opponents to take down multiple enemies with a single throw. The razor sharp batarangs are infrequently used against living targets, and strictly used against either non-lethal parts of the body or against villains who can handle more punishment. These are sharp enough to embed in walls when thrown, and Batman sometimes uses them to help him scale vertical surfaces. Occasionally he will use radio-controlled batarangs that can be guided to a specific target, sometimes packed with explosives. These are controlled by a device in his utility belt.
  
  
• Batcomputer: One would be hard pressed to locate a more advanced man-made computer than the Batcomputer. Located on the main floor of the Batcave and drawing processing capability and data from several mainframes below, the Batcomputer is a vital tool for Batman. It has a large, high definition plasma screen and a three dimensional holographic projector, a limited artificial intelligence (with Alfred's personality), and a high speed internet connection that connects him through back doors to the Gotham Police department's network and the FBI's Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (ViCAP), which not only holds a comprehensive database on violent crimes and criminals, but a highly accurate behavioral analysis program, based on years of data collected by the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit. The Batcomputer also has its own databases on many subjects, including criminals (Batman's own enemies and those fought by heroes around the world), active superheroes, and just about anything relevant to Gotham City.
  
  
• Batcuffs: Batcuffs were once heavy metal gadgets, occasionally even stylized to look like bats, but in recent years Batman has taken his cue from the police and now his batcuffs are based on standard police Ty-Cuffs (in black, of course). They are made of nylon with a metal cable at the center, and can be removed only with superhuman strength or a tool able to cut diamonds.
  
  
• Batpostits: Every now and then it is handy to be able to let a person know that one was there, if for no other reason than it scares them and keeps them in line. Batman is a creature of secrecy, but without letting people know he's around they think they're actually getting away with something. To this end he has developed Batpostits. Like all Postit Notes, these are small slips of paper with a thin layer of glue on the back that allows them to cling to most surfaces. Batman's are oval shaped, yellow with a grey bat emblem embossed upon them. Just seeing one of these stuck to the bathroom mirror in the morning is enough to send some criminals running to the police to confess.
  
  
• Batsuit: The Batsuit, Batman's costume, serves a duel basic purpose. It is first intended to mask his identity, and tends to do so successfully. The only parts of Bruce Wayne that are visible when he is dressed as Batman are his mouth and chin, and while they are typically considered a handsome mouth and chin, they are typically insufficient to identify the billionaire. It is also highly distinctive, giving him the appearance of a man and bat in one, and thus a crucial tool in striking fear into the hearts of his enemies. Second, the costume is intended to protect its wearer, and while Batman has suffered some grievous injuries, the suit does this job pretty well as well, considering how many deadly situations and murderous enemies he has encountered over the years.
  
  The costume and cape are made from a weave of Nomex and Kevlar, making it mostly bulletproof. The cowl is made of stiffer material, a moldable but firm rubber with a Kevlar lining which allows him to move freely and protects his head from concussive injury. The eye slits of his cowl have night vision lenses, allowing him to see as easily in darkness as in full daylight. There is a radio transceiver built into the cowl with an earpiece and a throat microphone, allowing him to speak very softly and still be heard by those he intends to listen in. The whole suit can be cooled or heated electrically, and it is equipped with a taser that can deliver a low amperage shock to anybody attempting to grapple with him.
  
  Among the most questioned aspects of the costume is his chest emblem. Over the years he has debated frequently whether to leave the emblem simply a black bat on a field of black or grey, or to surround the bat with a yellow ellipse. The yellow ellipse, he feels, is a handy target, drawing attacks away from his face, which is not so well defended as his torso. Additionally, the costume's chestplate is made of a durable ceramic material capable of withstanding rifle fire.
  
  Batman keeps several variants of the Batsuit on hand for a variety of situations. He has a white arctic exploration uniform, uniforms to be used in the depths of space, under the sea, or in toxic environments, and a more heavily armored uniform with servomotors to support his joints and enhance his strength, used against more powerful enemies. These are infrequently used and far more expensive to repair or replace if they are damaged.
  
  
• Bat shark repellent: Though practically useless, and probably not even effective in such instances where Batman is exposed to sharks, Batman nonetheless has a number of canisters of Bat Shark Repellant. These are fire extinguisher-sized solid metal aerosol cans, most likely left over from the late eighties when his career was just beginning. The main problem with the shark repellant is its aerosol form, which dilutes and disperses far too quickly in water, but which smells nothing like blood. As sharks are attracted to the scent of blood, the theory behind Bat Shark Repellant seems to be that by producing a smell which is nothing like blood, the sharks will go away. In practice, this only works if there is no actual blood and nothing else at hand to interest them, such as thrashing limbs or water being churned up by expulsion of an aerosol spray. In the end, the only actually effective way to use a canister of Bat Shark Repellent against a shark is to swing the blunt end at the shark's sensitive nose.
  
  
• Binoculars: Batman frequently uses a pair of specialized binoculars in his work. They have clips that can hook them to the front of his mask, and can be folded and tucked away into a pouch on his utility belt. They have lenses for infrared, night vision and ultraviolet imaging. They can magnify what he sees up to sixty times, and have a recording capacity and computer link that allows them to transmit individual images or video to the Batcomputer for later study.
  
  
• Capsules: Like his aerosols, Batman's capsules are designed for effect. These are brittle egg-shaped containers, easy to smash, which contain a variety of gasses. Commonly used ones are knockout gas, tear gas, smoke, and a chemical which induces vomiting in those who inhale it. Each one contains enough chemicals to fill a cubic room ten feet on a side, and they can be fitted six to a pouch on his utility belt.
  
  
• Crime scene kit: As a detective, Batman must be prepared for any eventuality when he is inspecting a crime scene. The crime scene kit includes all manner of gadgets and important tools, including sample bags with pens for writing on the labels, fingerprinting equipment, a portable gas chromatograph, and a video camera. With this kit, Batman is prepared for just about anything he might encounter at a crime scene, though more detailed analysis must often wait until he can get to his full forensics lab at the Batcave.
  
  
• Explosives: Batman does not kill, so he never uses explosives for lethal purposes. However, he recognizes a handy tool when he finds it, and as a result he has adopted several different kinds of explosives for his own use. Three of these are frequently used. The first is a "pellet" grenade. This device explodes about five seconds after charged. It releases a burst of quick-setting concrete that can encase an enemy and leave them immobilized. He also uses a concussion grenade that releases a strong burst of kinetic energy on explosion, but does little physical damage, and a "flashbang" grenade, which explodes with bright light and loud sound, leaving an enemy disoriented, unable to see or hear. These can be armed and detonated by remote control, or by use of a cord that will set off several of the explosives together.
  
  
• Gas masks: Batman uses a large gas mask that covers his entire face when he expects to be dealing with a hazardous environment. This mask can protect him from various poisons, including nerve gasses and nuclear, biological and chemical toxins, both man-made and natural (and including both the Scarecrow's fear toxins and the Joker's Smile-X gas). He also has a smaller version of the mask that can fit into a belt pouch, and is often kept on hand even when he isn't expecting a gaseous attack. It can protect his lungs from airborne toxins, but those that act on skin contact could still poison him.
  
  
• Grapnel launcher: Batman's grapnel launcher is one of two devices he uses to fire lines for climbing. This one focuses on launching spikes that can dig into tough surfaces, such as building walls or cliff sides, without breaking. It contains four darts with diamond drill heads, each attached to two hundred feet of extremely durable yarn spun from "liquid crystal polymers." The launcher itself holds onto the line until manually released, and can reel it back, brake, or clip the line as needed.
  
  
• Launching grappling hook: The grappling hook is another device used to fire lines for climbing. It can fire two hundred feet of monofilament de-cel jumpline attached to a hook capable of bearing a weight of about four hundred pounds indefinitely without bending, and up to eight hundred pounds for short periods of time. The carbon dioxide canister that fires the grapnel holds enough pressurized gas for up to ten launches, and can replaced through the handle of the launcher.
  
  
• Mini computer: Batman's mini computer is no simple palmtop. It has all the capacity of a standard laptop built into its tiny form (just slightly larger than a compact disk) and can handle several electronic storage media (CDs, DVDs, 3.5 inch floppies, with USB ports to hook up to other types of media). It has a permanent satellite link to the Batcomputer, and can be used as a remote control for Batman's various vehicles and batarangs. Its software is focused on forensics and crime solving, though somebody installed Tetris on the machine. He suspects it was Alfred.
  
  
• Rebreather: Batman's rebreather is handy for when he has to work in an airless environment, or where the air is contaminated. It is miniaturized, able to be broken down and stored in a single utility belt pouch. Two two-inch canisters connect to the mask, providing up to two hours of breathable air.
  
  
• Subsonic bat call: Within the heel of one of his boots, Batman has a device that emits a subsonic signal that matches up with the sonar frequency of living bats. Activating this device will attract bats within a ten mile radius to his vicinity, and while he cannot control their actions once there, he is familiar with bats, does not fear them, and the sight of a man covered from head to toe with bats is lightly to dishearten the people who he is battling. The bats will start to disperse after the sound is turned off.
  
  The dry cleaning bill for his cape after being covered in guano is hell, though.
  
  
• Tracer devices: Batman has long since realized how useful it is to be able to track the movements of his enemies. To this end he uses tracers. These tiny devices have a three month battery and come in two varieties. The first is a 'burr' tracer, which looks just like the object for which it is named - a natural piece of plant matter that catches on clothes or hair and is carried around. Batman leaves these where somebody will brush against it and it is carried off in this manner. As a result, it is difficult for an enemy to realize that they are being traced, and they are likely as not to pick it off and let it remain in their hide-out for a length of time. This tracer only has a range of about fifteen hundred yards. The more powerful tracer is slightly smaller, but clearly manmade in origin, so it is easier to identify. This tracer is thrown at an enemy and has a range of about three miles.
  
  
• Universal tool: The universal tool is a handy gadget for a myriad of electronics engineering and repair jobs. It has an internal power source, but can connect to any standard electric outlet to spare its charge. Contained within a removable base are several tool tips that can be attached to perform a variety of tasks.
  
  
• Utility belt: Batman uses many tools in his adventures, and most of these tools are contained in his utility belt, a wide belt that encircles his waist with several pouches. Some of these pouches are filled with standard tools that he uses regularly: keys and lock picks, cash, a basic first aid kit, signal flares, communicator and cell phone, flashlight, listening devices. Others are chosen daily, based on what he expects the day's activities to include. The various bat-vehicles and remote controlled batarangs are controlled by a remote hidden in the buckle of the utility belt. In years gone by he carried a remarkable number of mostly useless gadgets with bat prefixes (such as the Bat Shark Repellant), but most of these were abandoned around the time of Jason Todd's death. Batman's utility belt has a small explosive charge, not enough to seriously injure somebody, but enough to destroy the belt and its contents in case of theft or tampering.
  
  Because Batman's arsenal is usually kept in the utility belt, it was once theorized by his enemies that the belt was the source of his power. While it is true that the belt contains many useful gadgets, even without it Batman is a powerful, resourceful and highly skilled combatant. Villains can be very stupid.
  
  • Bat-bolas: It is an explosive ball that when thrown at an opponent’s feet, explode and ties them up in a nylon cord. Batman can also give an electric shock with a button on his gauntlets.
    
  • Communication device: Ear-bug to communicate with allies.
    
  • First aid kit: To heal injuries.
    
  • Goo gun: A gun that fires adhesive substance to incapacitate an opponent.
    
  • Night vision goggles: Lenses that allow Batman to see in the dark. They are currently built into his hood.
    
  • Kryptonite ring: Inside a lead-lined box is a ring, with a green kryptonite jewel, to weaken Superman if he ever goes rogue.
    
  • Laser torch: A laser that cuts through almost any material.
    
  • Oxy-acetylene torch: A newer version of the laser torch.
    
  • Line gun: Stronger version of the grappling gun in which the top clamps onto a big surface.
    
  • Lock picks: To pick locks, sometimes stored in Batman's gauntlets.
    
  • Micro camera: Mounted on his utility-belt buckle, it allows him to shoot photographs.
    
  • Miniature mines: Small explosives that detonate on touch.
    
  • Money: Whatever currency is needed.
    
  • Radar: Kept on his buckle, it emits a radar wave.
    
  • Taser: This can incapacitate an opponent by means of non-lethal electrocution.
    
  • Thermite grenades: Burn through most materials.
  
  

Transportation:

• Batboat: The Batboat is almost uniquely Batman's design. It is an aquatic vehicle capable of both surface and submarine operation, and has an infrequently used hovercraft mode. It is extremely fast, cutting sleekly through the water, and features the same on board communications and navigation system as the Batmobile. It is bulletproof and can withstand tremendous external pressure, able to reach depths comparative to the lower reaches of military submarines. If necessary, Batman may also mount any of a variety of weapons on the vehicle's front end.
  
  
• Batmobile: There are few more advanced land vehicles than the Batmobile. Its frame is a high precision sports car, but Batman has expanded upon that base. It is capable of speeds in excess of three hundred miles an hour, with handling and crash prevention systems that allow it to race from one end of Gotham City to the other in minutes, even in moderately heavy traffic, so that Batman can prevent crimes rapidly. It is bulletproof, has self-sealing tires, and its sleek polymer body is both light and sturdy, resistant to damage and easy to repair. The security system is probably the best in the world: the car locks down completely at a voice command from Batman and cannot be started by any means. It can also be started with a voice command and he can control it remotely, using his own eyes and the car's advanced autopilot system to guide it to any location he desires. Its on board computer includes an advanced and detailed global positioning system, two-way radio and video, cellular telephone, and a satellite connection to the Batcomputer.
  
  
• Batplane: The Batplane, also known as the Batwing, is a personal aircraft capable of supersonic flight. It is small, capable of holding only a couple of people comfortably and with no real space for passengers or cargo. Its jet engines are mounted on the wings and can be pivoted mechanically for vertical lift-off. It is light and maneuverable, allowing Batman to evade aerial attacks with relative ease, and has the same communications and navigation system as Batman's other vehicles, including the advanced autopilot and remote control functions. It is stealth capable, able to avoid radar. Though typically used without armaments, various weapons may be added if Batman feels they are necessary.
  
  
• Other vehicles: Though the Batmobile, Batboat and Batplane are the most commonly used vehicles in Batman's garage, he maintains a number of other vehicles for special situations. These include a number of older Batmobile models, motorcycles, helicopter, jet ski, and several civilian-appearing vehicles for times when the Bat-vehicles are too conspicuous. This includes an ambulance, for times when Batman or one of his allies are injured and must be whisked away before real paramedics arrive and possibly unmask them. Of course, he also owns a full garage as Bruce Wayne, including a limousine, several classic cars (he is frequently driven around by Alfred in an early Bentley), sports cars (useful for those times when Bruce Wayne needs to explain away injuries), SUVs and the like.

[Doctor Cyber]

Sample Role Play Post

---

Gotham City Docks, the cold winter air cut through the dark night. The smell of the sea harbor drifting around the area as a slight mist fogged the Dock grounds. It seemed as if no one inhabited the place, but the Dark Knight knew better. Out on his usual prowl, the man of the night gazed down at the hazy scene beneath him, perched atop a tall metal crane. Thanks to the mist, he wasn't very visible, however, if one should look too hard, they would become suspicious of the over sized black figure that was positioned atop the large metal object. Fortunately however, the criminals of Gotham weren't very engorged in their surroundings, so Batman had no worries. For now.

Gordon said there was some exchange going on at the Docks tonight. Strange thing is, I've been out here for the last 30 minutes, and the crooks seem to be late. Either Gordon has the wrong day, or I've got the wrong time.

His eyes darted around looking for any signs of movement. Thunder rolled in the distance, and he looked up at the sky to see a bright streak cut across it's surface, illuminating it for a moment, and then returning it to utter darkness.

His gaze also returned to the area below him, the thought of missing something in that short span of mind itched at the back of his mind. He however ignored it, and continued to stare into the darkness.

Unless of course it was a false tip off, then somewhere else in Gotham, something is happening. I've been in these situations before, no doubt I would recognize a false call when I see one. Tardiness, absolutely no members of the call at the arrival spot. This is a set up.

Batman stood up almost instantly, his body and mind both aching to leave and at the same time hesitating to make any movement. Something in his gut told him to stay, but his mind was screaming to him to get a move on. For all he knew, someone was in danger. Then again, what did he know.

I'll start looking.

Reeling down the crane, the Dark Knight, swiftly made his way down the dock grounds, making sure to stay in the darkness and use every object to his advantage as he played hide and seek with an unknown individual. The sea air wafted into his nose, and he listened as a boat blew it's horn, combine with the sound of the waves ramming themselves into the docks.

Any other sounds were either too low for the Dark Knight to hear, or were just nonexistent. Running quickly across the concrete pavement, the Dark Knight ran with great ease, not shorting out on his breathe, or feeling in anyway, fatigued. Rushing quickly, the Dark Knight heard a sound emit from a dock warehouse. Turning his head in that direction, he jumped into he air, landing atop a metal crate and running across it's metallic surface.

Tip Tip Tip Tip

The slight sound emitted from his boots as he ran across the top, making way for the dock warehouse. Listening closely, he neared it at an uncanny speed. Slowing down, the Dark Knight reached the edge of the long metal crate, pushed off the tip, and with great acrobatic ability leaped off the edge and towards the ceiling of the dock warehouse.

As he neared, a distinct sound caught his attention, and for a moment, the world froze around him. The only thing that was evident was the sound, and his moving body.

Beep - - - Beep --- Beep -- - - - - - Beeeeep

Shit

The Dark Knight thought to himself, his eyes opening wide as he heard the final long beep. Not able to stop himself from his current forward motion, the Dark Knight plunged towards the dock before him, right into a fiery explosion. Taking his cape, he wrapped it around his body as to protect himself from the explosion. Feeling the flames lick at him, along with a few pieces of debris, the dark Knight felt the tremendous aftershock of the explosion, and was thrown back into the air. Feeling himself fly throughout the empty space, he curled his body slightly, and finally felt himself slam onto the ground.

Grunting, Batman rolled across the sharp surface, until finally he stopped. Flipping the dark cape off him, he rose from the ground, his back rounded as he glared into the distance. The enflamed warehouse before him seemed to be broken up into, god knows how many pieces, feeling blood roll down under his cowl, he grimaced, keeping his position as he studied the area.

Did someone intend to just... kill me?

He asked himself as he staggered slightly, still shaken from the fall. Looking around darkly, his gaze seemed to cover almost every nook and cranny of the dock. Breathing in and out heavily, he blocked out the sound of the crackling flames, and the warehouse as it broke down. Clenching his fists, he listened as static erupted in his ear. Placing his finger on the ear of his cowl, he looked around cautiously as he tried to get a clear signal.

I should have a clear service out here. And there's no way that the explosion could have damaged it... Who is trying to contact me?

The Dark Knight waited for the static to subside and a voice to replace it. He was hoping that it would then link to the perpertrators of the crime. Glancing around, Batman waited in dry anticipation as the flames before him caused his shadow to curl along the docks. The menacing figure of a bat streaked the surface as he waited, towered over the ground, for a sign to call out to him.

Codeword: Anti – Life Equation

[superman]

Approved... but does Batman say "Shit"?

[Doctor Cyber]

He does now.