- For other uses of "Batman", see Batman (disambiguation).
- "Bruce gave me a great piece of advice once. 'Grow into the person you needed as a kid.'"
- —Kate Kane to Luke Fox[src]
Bruce Wayne (born February 19)[1] is a well-known billionaire playboy, philanthropist, and the former owner of Wayne Enterprises. He is the son of the late Thomas and Martha Wayne, the nephew of Jacob Kane, and the maternal cousin of Kate Kane and Beth Kane. As Bruce, he presents himself as an irresponsible playboy and womanizer, but that persona is nothing more than a façade[2] that he created in order to cover his double life; sometime after his parents' murder, Bruce swore vengeance against criminals, an oath tempered by a sense of justice[3] for which he trained himself physically and intellectually to become Gotham City's protector, the vigilante known as Batman, or simply the Bat, stylized as the "Dark Knight"[1] or the "Caped Crusader".[4]
In 2015, Bruce left Gotham after supposedly killing the Joker,[5] leading the local crime rate to rise higher than ever and the Bat-Signal to be finally switched off in 2018 to signify his permanent absence. After discovering his secret identity, Kate took on her cousin's mantle and became Batwoman. In 2020, Bruce's former best friend, Tommy Elliot, took on his likeness with help from Alice but was soon discovered and sent back to Arkham.
Biography
Original multiverse
Early life
- "Nothing could be average with Bruce. Even had to have more dead parents than me."
- —Tommy Elliot to Kate Kane[src]
Wayne Family portrait.
Bruce Wayne was born on February 19 in Gotham City into the esteemed Wayne family to his parents, billionaires Thomas and Martha Wayne. One fateful night, his parents were assaulted by a mugger who stole the pearl necklace Martha was wearing before murdering both of them, leaving Bruce traumatized as the sole survivor.[1][2] After this tragedy, he was raised on the Wayne Manor estate,[6] with help from the wise and loyal Alfred Pennyworth, the only person he really trusted and was close to growing up.[7]
Bruce had very few friends during his childhood, one of them being his best friend, Tommy Elliot.[8]
Becoming Batman
- "Batman brought out all the crazies in Gotham. If it weren't for him, there wouldn't have been a Joker!"
- —Jacob Kane to Kate Kane[src]
Bruce swore an oath to rid the city of the evil that had taken his parents' lives[3] and, years later, dedicated himself to protecting Gotham City and became a vigilante, crafting himself a bat-inspired persona to fight crime and strike terror into the hearts of his enemies.[1] He eventually became known as Batman, though many considered his existence as a sort of urban legend.[9]
The Bat-Signal, the iconic distress signal that Gotham City used to turn on whenever in need of Batman's help.
At first, Batman had a tense relationship with the city's police authorities, and Commissioner Loeb even sent in a force of most of the Gotham City Police Department to capture him.[10] Over time though, Gotham and the GCPD[11] began relying on the vigilante to the point that the Bat-Signal, a projection lamp that cast the silhouetted shape of a bat across the sky when turned on, was created as a means of contacting Batman whenever he was needed.[1]
Batman's presence in Gotham City generated a new breed of criminals, no longer the simple thugs and gangsters involved in organized crime, but more dynamic personalities such as the Joker,[11] Killer Croc,[2] the Riddler,[12] or the Scarecrow.[4]
During his career, Bruce was associated with a number of individuals, notably Lucius Fox, who designed much of his weaponry,[8] a young individual known to the public as "Robin",[13] and Alfred's daughter, the spy Julia Pennyworth.[7]
Owner of Wayne Enterprises
The Wayne Enterprises building.
At the same time, Bruce acted as the CEO of his family company, Wayne Enterprises, making it one of the most prominent multi-billion dollar corporations on the planet and becoming one of the world's richest men.[8]
Young Beth and Kate in Bruce's office.
For years, Bruce searched for his mother's stolen pearl necklace on the streets and spent $1,000,000 to repurchase it at auction.[2] He placed the jewelry in a square pyramid-shaped glass container in his office. The case also functioned as the entrance to an elevator leading to the Batcave, where Bruce kept his Batman suit and gadgets. Bruce's younger maternal cousins, Beth and Kate Kane, whom he was very close to, often visited him at Wayne Enterprises and would try to sneak into his office.[1]
Facing Ra's al Ghul and Suit of Sorrows
Batman has history with Talia al Ghul and her father.
At some point in his life, Bruce also faced Ra's al Ghul, the leader of the League of Assassins, and his daughter Talia,[14] who seemingly became a recurring enemy of his.[15] However, Talia also provided Bruce with an ancient suit of armor known as the Suit of Sorrows that once belonged to the Order of The Pure, a splinter faction of the Order of St. Dumas, implying the two have a complicated relationship. According to the armor's legends, it can impart strength and speed of its wearer but also completely corrupt anyone whose heart and soul is not pure.
Lucius Fox's journal passage about Batman's encounters with the Suit of Sorrows and Azrael.
At first, the Dark Knight was skeptical of the legend, but eventually exhibited aggressive behavior while wearing the Suit of Sorrows during patrols. Bruce later learned from a member of the Order of The Pure that the armor once belonged to a knight named Sir Geoffrey de Cantonna, who massacred hundreds of people in an alpine valley in 1190. Thus, the armor became one of the trophies displayed within the Batcave to remind Bruce that he must be ever vigilant not only in his crusade against crime, but also himself.
Eventually, Bruce passed on the armor to a new vigilante, Azrael, who was seemingly able to wear it without any side-effects.[14]
Kane family car crash
- "He thought he saved your mom and sister, too. I mean, his only living family, and he got it wrong. Haunted the hell out of him."
- —Luke Fox to Kate Kane[src]
After having been Batman long enough for the public to be aware of him, Bruce was in pursuit of a school bus that was hijacked by the Joker on January 26, 2003.[16] Through happenstance, the bus impacted a car that contained Kate, Beth, and their mother, Gabi, causing it to crash on a bridge. Bruce tactically shot two hooks with his grapple gun at his family's car as it was about to fall off, securing it to the bridge and allowing Kate to escape, before quickly leaving to save the 34 children on the bus. Bruce managed to capture Joker, leaving him to be tried the following month. However, the trunk of Gabi's car separated the vehicle from the grapple, causing her and Beth to fall into the river below.
Batman's investigation on the Kanes' car crash.
Guilt-ridden over his failure to save his aunt and cousin, Bruce was left haunted for years and spent hours pouring over his mistake, as well as searching for Gabi and Beth's bodies, but he was only able to find his aunt's. With Kate thinking that Batman didn't care about the rest of her family, most likely deepening his guilt, Bruce took it upon himself to comfort his cousin, which she greatly appreciated. However, Bruce never told Kate his secret identity.[1]
Saving Tommy Elliot's mother
- "Thanks to him, instead of collecting my inheritance, I was left wiping the spittle of a jabbering madwoman's lips for 13 years."
- —Tommy Elliot to Kate Kane[src]
Two years later in 2005, Bruce would save Tommy's mother from a fiery car crash that claimed the life of his father. However, Tommy came to resent Batman for saving his mother as he was unable to receive his inheritance and instead spent the next 13 years being a nursemaid to her.[8]
Hiring Luke Fox
- "Not about to get my ass fired twice by Batman, so find your own way."
- —Luke Fox to Kate Kane[src]
Eventually, Bruce employed Luke Fox, Lucius' son, as the head of Wayne Security and shared his secret identity with him. Presumably due to a violation of his trust however, Bruce once fired Luke, despite eventually reinstating him.[1]
Later years in Gotham
- "Honestly? In his last few months, I think Batman was easier for him than being Bruce."
- —Luke Fox to Kate Kane[src]
In 2012, Business Intuition did a cover story featuring Bruce and named him "Playboy of the Year".[10]
In 2013, right after his cousin Kate was expelled from Point Rock Academy and sent to travel around the world by Jacob Kane, Bruce asked Julia to watch over Kate when she was in London.[7]
According to Luke, in his final months as Batman, Bruce found it easier to be his alter-ego rather than himself.[2] At some point in 2015, his longtime ally Lucius was murdered[11] by Miguel Robles.[5] Also, after years of brutal encounters, Bruce killed the Joker.[5]
Disappearance
- "Photos can be doctored. They could have put Bruce Wayne's head on that body. Has Bruce Wayne left Gotham to hang out in Star City recently? No."
- —Oliver Queen[src]
Shortly after this, Bruce left Gotham City,[9] presumably due to having broke his code of not killing,[5] also leaving behind his identity as Batman.[1] Batman hid the Batmobile so well that Luke did not know its location.[6]
Wayne Tower vandalized after the company burnout.
At some point after his departure, Bruce's board of directors accepted get-rich-quick deals, but were scammed, causing Wayne Enterprises to go bankrupt. Wayne Tower was subsequently abandoned, though the company's subsidiaries still seemed to be running.[9] His cousin Kate was left in charge of Bruce's properties in Gotham, while Luke remained responsible for watching over Wayne Tower.[1]
In 2017, Oliver Queen mentioned Bruce at a press conference about Green Arrow's identity, citing that a forger could put anybody's head on Green Arrow's body, even Bruce's. He then jokingly asked whether Bruce left Gotham to hang out in Star City recently, but then said that it hadn't happened, indirectly hinting at his absence from the city.[17]
A mannequin dressed as Batman is left in front of the Gotham City Gazette as an intimidating message.
Batman's disappearance led to the local crime rate rising higher than ever before. His iconic symbol, the Bat-Signal, was finally switched off in 2018 by the Gothamites to symbolize the permanence of his absence.[1] After Kate began operating as a vigilante, many believed that Batman had finally returned to Gotham, prompting his former enemies to send intimidating messages to challenge him, until Kate decided to change the costume and act publicly as "Batwoman".[8]
Anti-Monitor Crisis
During the Anti-Monitor Crisis, Bruce, as well as everyone in the multiverse except for the seven Paragons, was killed in an antimatter wave by the Anti-Monitor on December 10, 2019,[18] only to be restored a month later after the Paragons and the Spectre created a new universe.[19]
New multiverse
As a result from the merging of their universe with Earth-38 and Earth-TUD5, the timeline was slightly changed, resulting in Bruce sharing some traits with his Earth-38 doppelgänger;[20] sometime in the past, Bruce met Clark Kent, gaining his trust to the point that the latter gave him a piece of Kryptonite.
Tommy Elliot's face was disguised by Alice to look like Bruce's so that he could procure the Kryptonite;[10] he was able to fool others that Bruce Wayne had returned to Gotham, even staying in Wayne Manor where a portrait hung of the Wayne family, until he had a conversation with Julia Pennyworth about Alfred which revealed to her that he was an imposter.[6]
Personality
Bruce in his civilian persona.
- "You know, apart from my father and Lucius of course, Bruce Wayne never trusted a soul. Now I'm not judging his choices. I wasn't in his shoes, but... when you don't trust anyone, it means that you can disappear for four years without a single person on the planet having any idea where you are. Now, call me sentimental, but I don't think that's a good thing."
- —Julia Pennyworth to Kate Kane[src]
According to Luke Fox, Bruce is a very caring and selfless individual, as he not only cares about protecting the citizens of Gotham City from criminals, but also his remaining living family members as well, possibly due to the death of his own parents, Thomas and Martha Wayne. Bruce also has a very close relationship with his cousin, Kate Kane, as he provided her with emotional support following the death of her mother, Gabi Kane, and the apparent death of her sister Beth Kane, something which Kate appreciated despite Bruce's stoic personality.[1] He is a very charismatic individual, quite popular to the press[17] due to his very active social life (having "slept with half Gotham", according to Kate)[2] and well-liked by his fellow Gothamites, as well as the majority of public opinion.[8]
Although Kate described Bruce as being her "fun and irresponsible" big brother-figure, she has taken in great considerations and often remembering with nostalgia the many advices he usually gave her during the years she grew up, which prove that Bruce is also extremely deep and wise; Kate herself has the greatest respect for him.[1]
According to Luke and Jacob Kane, Bruce achieved a lot with his life and shares many traits with Kate,[1] while Tommy Elliot noted that "nothing could be average with Bruce".[8] Bruce also seems to have a great passion for theater and theatricality, as suggested by the bust of Shakespeare in his office[9] and his alter-ego's methods, and whole figure. In order to cover his double life, Bruce puts up a fake façade of him being an arrogant playboy and womanizer in order to keep others from suspecting that he is Batman.
According to Luke, "[having] different women meant that Bruce could use the same lies easily" but he too despised that attitude and deep down, felt "miserable".[2] Julia Pennyworth has also described him as distrustful.[7] Despite Bruce's above-described façade, his admiration with the majority of Gotham led many individuals to prefer him instead of the extremely arrogant and snobby Tommy Elliot.[8]
When Kara Danvers, Oliver Queen and Barry Allen were bailed from detainment by the Gotham City Police Department and questioned on whether Bruce was the one who posted their bail, Kara stated that getting individuals out of jail like that doesn't sound like Bruce. Comparing Bruce to his Earth-38 counterpart, Kara mused whether trying to keep his private life from the public eye just got to be too much for Bruce and he broke, in both universes.[9]
Despite Bruce's stoic personality, he is slightly sentimental since as noted by Julia, he would be happy to know that Kate kept Dino (his toy dinosaur) in the Batcave.[7] Bruce also kept a collection of liquor (referred to by Luke as his "good stuff") and took great pains to find his late mother's stolen pearl necklace.
Bruce is very well-read, as indicated by the full bookshelves in his office.[1] He is also a strict teetotaler.[6]
Bruce as Batman.
- "Did it ever get to you, Bruce, the loneliness? Did you ever let yourself trust anyone? How'd that work out for you?"
- —Kate Kane[src]
As Batman, Bruce is described by Kara and Kate as a heroic,[9] yet no-nonsense and blunt individual; he is very ruthless and committed to helping Gotham City, to the point of seemingly being cold and detached enough to have a reputation of prioritizing capturing powerful criminals over saving civilians if need be. This even extended to his own family members, as Bruce unwittingly risked his aunt and cousins' lives by only attaching their damaged car to the bridge rather than actively helping them in order to capture the Joker, who had taken 34 schoolchildren hostage. This indirectly led to Gabi dying, Beth being kidnapped, and Kate bitterly believing for the next 15 years that Batman didn't care of what happened to her mother and sister.[1]
Indeed, Bruce has even earned a reputation for being fully capable of borderline brutality and violence, willing to torture enemies to the point of breaking them to get information, striking terror into the hearts of criminals, and "[playing] by his own rules".[1][2] Some Gothamites such as Jacob even went as far as to consider Bruce a "nutcase", stating that it was his presence that "brought out all the crazies in Gotham" and that if it weren't for him, there wouldn't have been so many deranged criminals in the city.[11]
Despite such infamy however, Bruce's great heroism and efficiency as Batman, which according to Luke far exceeded that of Kate, ultimately triumphs, as he is well-liked by several vigilantes, such as the Flash, who stated that he would never compare himself to a "total badass" like Batman,[9]. The majority of Gotham City has also remained loyal and faithful that he would eventually return.[1] Also during the kidnapping of Steven Forbes and Bryan Akins, Kate told Luke that she believed Bruce would rescue the hostages regardless of whether or not the Bat-Signal was on, as he didn't care of quibbles or political reasons.[16]
Despite Bruce's brutality and reputation, he has a strong moral compass, as he is against the use of lethal methods. He even refuses to take his enemies' lives regardless of the circumstance, holding himself to this oath with every fiber of his being in order to be better than the criminals he fights against.[3] However, Bruce eventually "broke" said code when killed his greatest enemy, the Joker, which lead to him leaving the city and his vigilante identity behind out of sorrow and self-deprecation.[5]Abilities
- "I don't know how you did it, Bruce. You spent night after night in these same shadows, prowling, hunting, hiding, and you did it in secret all alone."
- —Kate Kane[src]
- Peak of human physical condition: As Batman, Bruce is in extraordinary physical condition, having an incredibly powerful physique from years of intense, strenuous training as well as fighting crime in Gotham City for over a decade.[1] His physical prowess has garnered such a reputation for being "a total badass" that has left even Oliver Queen jealous of him, with Barry Allen noting that not even with Oliver's abilities he would compare himself to Batman, implying that Bruce's physical condition surpasses that of Oliver's.[9] Luke Fox has also noted that Kate Kane is an inferior vigilante compared to Batman and Tommy Elliot noted that "nothing could be average with Bruce".[8] Bruce's infamous physical strength is such at an inhuman level that, after seeing Kate lift and throw around full-grown men with ease, Kara Danvers stated that she's really like him.[9] Bruce is fast enough to enter and exit a room unnoticed. His reflexes and agility allow him to throw or catch a batarang with tremendous accuracy and even strike before armed foes can fire at him in point-blank range.[2] Bruce's durability and resilience are also remarkable as the Batsuit he wears doesn't completely absorb the pain of close-range bullet shots.[8] His conditioning allows him to resist the corruptive effects of the Suit of Sorrows while temporarily donning it.[14]
- Honed senses: Bruce has sharp hearing and sight, as well as keen skills of perception. He is able to pick up an incoming danger and react extremely quickly. Luke stated that Bruce's senses are so heightened that he doesn't require night-vision goggles to see in the dark.[21]
- Swimming/Free-diving: Bruce is an impressive swimmer, capable of long periods of free-diving without proper equipment or stopping for air. He also designed the Rebreather to further increase his diving performance.[13]
- "If anyone can help us, it's you."
- —Mary Hamilton to "Bruce Wayne"[src]
- Genius-level intellect/Great business acumen/Master tactician/Leader: Bruce is an extraordinarily intelligent individual and almost flawless tactician, as he was able to fight against crime in Gotham City for several years with tremendous efficiency - that according to Luke far exceeded Kate's when she took up his mantle - all without exposing his real activities to the public or his remaining living family members, to the point that when she found the Batcave, Kate was deeply shocked by her cousin's secret identity. During his missions, Bruce can think fast and seamlessly calculate the variables of every situation in his head to predict the results of his actions and quickly react as he sees fit with tremendous efficiency. When he tried to prevent the Kane family car crash caused by the Joker, Luke noted that almost all of Bruce's calculations, including the angle and weight of the grappling hooks he fired to secure the car were perfect. The only factor not accounted for was a slight miscalculation of the faulty engineering of Gabi Kane's car, which tragically failed to prevent her and nearly Beth Kane from being killed.[1] Bruce's tactical abilities are so thorough that he planned contingencies for his contingencies should his plans go awry, as he not only designed a rail gun to penetrate his suit in case it ever fell in the wrong hands, but he also designed a disruptor to neutralize the rail gun and incorporated it into the suit's gauntlet.[8] Bruce is also an exceptional businessman and leader, as he was able to successfully run and oversee Wayne Enterprises' daily activities for years, effectively acting as the company's CEO and maintaining its status as a multi-billion dollar corporation despite his heroism, without any perceivable difficulty.[1] Bruce accumulated such a significant amount of wealth that even after his disappearance, he still held a reputation for being the wealthiest man in the planet, which took Tommy, with his own company Elliot Estates, years ("half his life") to finally surpass, although it was only because Bruce had not been present in Gotham for over three years.[8]
- Master of deception/Manipulator: Bruce is an extraordinarily skilled master of the arts of deception and manipulation, as he managed to successfully keep his identity as Batman a secret for many years, not only from the public, but also from his remaining family. He also puts up a fake façade of him being an arrogant playboy and womanizer in order to avoid other individuals from suspecting that he is Batman. The only individuals aware of his secret identity are Alfred Pennyworth, Julia Pennyworth, Lucius Fox, Luke, Kate, a "riddler", Tommy, Mar Novu, Kara Danvers, Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Barry Allen, Ray Palmer, Beth Kane, Jonathan Cartwright and Mary Hamilton; Kate only discovered Bruce's secret due to finding his cave by accident, Tommy only found out from the unnamed riddler, Clark, Lois, Barry, and Ray learned from Mar Novu, Beth and Jonathan learned from Tommy, and Luke accidentally revealed it to Mary. Furthermore, even the highly intelligent Oliver Queen doubts the existence of Bruce's alter-ego, Batman, dismissing him as an "urban legend concocted by the Gotham City Police Department to scare criminals", which persisted even after seeing the Bat-Signal and a confirmation of his existence by Kate[9] (however, Oliver's case may be out of jealousy due over not being the first/original vigilante).[7]
- Master engineer/Gadgeteer: Bruce is an extremely talented engineer, having been able to develop devices that would be deemed by both Luke and Kate as the best on the entire planet. He is also exceptionally skilled in the use of gadgets, effectively carrying and using tons of them to fight crime. Bruce fired two grappling hooks to secure Gabi's car, because he knew it would go over the bridge.[1] Even the highly intelligent Luke, as well as the intuitive Kate, don't know how to operate most of Bruce's gadgets.[13] Indeed, his engineering skills are proven to be even greater than that of Lucius', as Bruce was able to built a rail gun capable of penetrating military-grade kevlar woven with enriched carbon nanotubes of the latter's design, which is considered to be the most lethal weapon he ever designed. Bruce also built a disruptor designed to stop the rail gun.[8] It should also be noted that it took Hamilton Dynamics years to develop a device with similar capabilities.[11]
- Master interrogator/Torturer: As Batman, Bruce has had a history of torturing his enemies in order to get information out of them. He also used to bring prisoners to the Batcave and torture them for several days.[2]
- Expert driver/Pilot: Bruce is capable of driving multiple vehicles, such as cars; as Batman, he utilizes the "Batmobile" when out on patrol.[9]
- Multilingualism: According to Tommy, Bruce is fluent in more than 40 languages, making him one of the most polyglottic individuals in the world. However, it's unknown how many of them he can both read and speak.[5]
- "I would never compare myself to a total badass like Batman."
- —Barry Allen to Kate Kane[src]
- Master hand-to-hand combatant/Martial artist: Due to over a decade of fighting crime in Gotham City, Bruce is an exceptional hand-to-hand combatant and martial artist, which led him to having a reputation of, as described by Barry Allen, a "total badass" as Batman. The Dark Knight's combat skills are widely known and feared throughout criminal underworld[13] and Gotham greatly relied on him for protection during the years.[8][11] Bruce's fighting skills are so advanced that he managed to face and defeat more than once master combatants like Ra's and Talia al Ghul, both of whom were extensively trained in the League of Assassins.[14]
- Master stick-fighter: Bruce is a greatly accomplished stick-fighter, having an expandable baton among the weaponry he carries as Batman.[21]
- Master knife wielder/Knife thrower: Batman has great accuracy in throwing batarangs, his signature non-lethal weapon, at his enemies.
- Expert marksman: As Batman, Bruce possesses an almost infallible aim, as proven when he uses his grapple gun, both for transportation in order to ascent rooftops, as well as to pull individuals or objects. He also had a sticky bomb launcher at the ready in the Batcave.
- "That's why Bruce became Batman, to play by his own rules. It made him terrifying to his enemies."
- "Yeah, and his friends and his co-workers."
- —Kate Kane and Luke Fox[src]
- Intimidation: As Batman, Bruce commands an intimidating presence, to the point where many criminals fear him. Even Beth, a now dangerous psychopath, is visibly terrified of the idea of crossing paths with him, as demonstrated when she initially mistook Batwoman for the Dark Knight.[1] According to Kate and Luke, what made Bruce so terrifying is him playing by his own rules, which scared criminals and citizens alike. Batman's mere shadow puts the fear of God into most individuals, because they know who follows soon after. Batman is considered to be even much more frightening than Green Arrow and Batwoman.
- Stealth/Infiltration/Escape artist: Bruce is extremely secretive, being able to approach other individuals without being sensed. He can quickly vanish from sight after performing his heroic deeds[1] and managed to act as a vigilante for over a decade with very few individuals having actually seen him.[9] Bruce is also a master escape artist, able to free himself from various confinements, such as handcuffs; after witnessing Kate performing such a deed, Luke stated that he could now see the resemblance between the two cousins.[1]
- Network: According to Luke and Kate, Bruce had access to the best technology on the entire planet. Due to heading Wayne Enterprises, it is conceivable he possessed technology very few individuals in the world had access to, which is backed up by his own equipment, that also aided Kate in her crusade as Batwoman.[1] Bruce also knew someone with access to a cryogenic tank.[22]
- "The Bruce I knew had a code."
- —Kate Kane to Bruce Wayne (Earth-99)[src]
- Indomitable will/High tolerance for pain: A driven and determined individual, Bruce is nearly fearless and almost never gives up under most situations. He remained in Gotham City after the death of his parents, fighting crime even as he witnessed the putrefaction of the city he grew up in, all while following a strict non-lethal code.[3] Thus, he likely "didn't leave Gotham without a fight".[9] Bruce never stopped looking for Beth after he failed to save her and Gabi,[13] and tirelessly searched for his mother's pearl necklace until he located and purchased it back it at an auction.[2]
Equipment
Former equipment
Bruce's Batman suit in the Batcave
- Batman suit: Whilst fighting crime in Gotham, Bruce wore a protective black suit stylized like a bat designed to both terrify his enemies and hide his identity from them. After his disappearance, he abandoned the suit and it was later redesigned by Luke Fox and utilized by Kate Kane as Batwoman.[1][8] The suit cost $10.8 million to create, is comprised of military-grade kevlar braided in enriched carbon nanotubes,[8] making it completely bullet-proof; also it can blend into the darkness, is equipped with a remotely activated defibrillator, can adapt the wearer's body temperature to the surrounding,[2] has a cape that allows glider-like capabilities,[1] and a cowl with infra-red visors that fit perfectly on its eye-slits,[21] as well as a direct comm link to the Batcave.[13]
- Batmobile: Bruce uses a vehicle dubbed as the "Batmobile", when he is out on patrol as Batman.[9]
- Bat-Belt: As Batman, Bruce carries with him a utility belt[2] consisting primarily of a strap and buckle, that houses many pouches or cylindrical cartridges attached to its outside each containing one of his various gadgets.
- Batarangs: Batman uses a roughly bat-shaped throwing non-lethal weapon.[1] The batarangs serve as instruments of disarming, distraction, confusion or simply to warn his would-be adversaries that Batman is present.[13]
- Recording device: Bruce has a special Batarang with an audio-recording device built inside in order to listen in on his suspects during investigations.[23]
- Grappling gun: As Batman, Bruce uses a length of monofilament wire attached to a spool. It could be used to make a quick ascent to a rooftop or offensively to pull people or objects.[1]
- Subdermal transmitter: Batman uses a subdermal tracking device the size of a microchip in order to locate and pursue some criminals.[2]
- Voice filter: Bruce uses a voice filter to disguise his voice; whenever he is talking to individuals who do not know his true identity.[13]
- Expandable baton: Bruce has an hi-tech baton; that can be extended to the size of a bo-staff.[21]
- Batarangs: Batman uses a roughly bat-shaped throwing non-lethal weapon.[1] The batarangs serve as instruments of disarming, distraction, confusion or simply to warn his would-be adversaries that Batman is present.[13]
- Laser saw: The device can cut through anything. Bruce had previously used it as Batman.[13]
- Rebreather: As Batman, Bruce would use this device to breath underwater without needing an oxygen tank.[13]
- Suit of Sorrows: Bruce once used this suit of armor when operating as Batman. The suit can impart strength and speed of it's wearer but also would completely corrupt anyone whose heart and soul is not pure. After getting more aggresive, Bruce stopped wearing the armor.[14]
- Green Kryptonite: Bruce had some Green Kryptonite stored in the Batcave.[10] According to Lucius Fox's journal; the substance is one the few things capable of penetrating the Batsuit. For Batwoman's safety, Luke subsequently destroyed the sample of Green Kryptonite Bruce had kept.[14]
- Sticky bomb launcher: Bruce had a device that launched adhesive explosives.
Appearances
Arrow
Season 6
- "Tribute" (mentioned)
Season 7
- "Elseworlds, Part 2" (mentioned)
Batwoman
Season 1
Season 2
|
DC's Legends of Tomorrow
Season 5
- "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Five" (indirectly mentioned)
The Flash
Season 6
- "Marathon" (name on map)
Novels
- The Flash: Green Arrow's Perfect Shot (mentioned)
Gallery
Concept artwork
Trivia
- Given that Bruce began his career as Batman before 2003 and continued for 12 more years, he is the first known vigilante on Earth-1 and is one of the most experienced superheroes in the known multiverse (aside from J'onn J'onzz).
- Other challengers for this title are his doppelgängers from Earth-99,[3] and Earth-203.[24] Clark Kent of Earth-38, who had been Superman for at least 12 years by 2015,[25] and Oliver Queen of Earth-1 for 7 years by 2019.[26]
- Bruce doesn't have a middle name.[1]
- Bruce owns a plethora of books: The Joys of Wine, Degas, The Golden Bible, and many more. He keeps them in a bookshelf in his office at Wayne Enterprises.[1]
- Similar to Clark of Earth-38, Bruce is the earliest known vigilante of Earth-1 and his cousin, Kate Kane acts as a vigilante, inspired by his heroic acts.
- Given that Kate and Beth Kane were born in 1990,[16] it stands reason to believe that Bruce is at least a good decade older than the twins as he was already Batman in 2003 when they were 13. Therefore, it can be deduced that Bruce was born sometime around late 1970s to early 1980s. This deduction carries more weight since Warren Christie, who portrays Bruce, was born in the mid-1970s.
- If said estimation is correct, Bruce would be a contemporary of Clark Kent.
- Bruce's decision to leave Gotham bears similarity to his Earth-203 counterpart, with both deciding to leave the city after a run-in with the Joker.
Behind the scenes
- In the main DC Comics continuity, Bruce Wayne is a vigilante superhero known as Batman, the protector of Gotham City, a man dressed like a bat who fights against evil and strikes terror into the hearts of criminals everywhere. He is also a former mentor of Dick Grayson/Nightwing, who is the protector of Blüdhaven. He is also an occasional ally of Oliver Queen/Green Arrow, Barry Allen/Flash, and Clark Kent/Superman, the latter of whom is his most frequent ally.
- Unlike his version in the Arrowverse, the main version of Bruce Wayne has a middle name, Thomas, making him Thomas Jr. in relation to his father. In certain continuities Thomas Wayne Jr. is a separate character: a brother of Bruce on Earth-3, who became the Owlman; or a spiritual essence of the Batman in Batman: Creature of the Night. Another Owlman, Lincoln March, also claimed to be Thomas Jr., although the nature of his claim is ambiguous.
- In the original script for "Tribute", it was not Bruce Wayne but some other unrelated person's name on it. Stephen Amell himself suggested Bruce Wayne's name on the script after receiving approval from Warner Bros. Entertainment CEO Kevin Tsujihara, Greg Berlanti and DC Entertainment executive Geoff Johns.[27]
- The bust of William Shakespeare seen in Bruce's office in "Elseworlds, Part 2" is a reference to the 1960s Batman TV series where it has a button to the entrance of the Batcave.
- It is possible that Batman has met Rip Hunter; in the episode "Blood Ties", Rip remarked that he had seen "Dark Knights fall", which is a reference to the classic Batman: Knightfall story.
- Oliver does not believe in Batman, thinking he is a myth created by the GCPD to scare criminals. Ironically, the Arrowverse version of Oliver takes many traits after Batman, albeit initially in a more violent and murderous way, prior to the former's many promises of refraining from taking lives.[9]
References
| Other versions of Bruce Wayne | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| To see other versions of this character, click the Earth name below for that Earth's counterpart of Bruce Wayne. | ||||
| New multiverse | ||||
| Earth: Prime | ||||
| Original multiverse | ||||
| Earth: 1 • 2 • 38 • 99 • 203 • TUD14 | ||||
| Transmultiversal multiverse | ||||
| Earth: 1A • 27A | ||||