Bruce Wayne

After super-wealthy eight year old Bruce Wayne's parents were killed by a random mugger, he travels the world learning skills to become a hero to save the city of Gotham.

Taking down criminals by night and combating the forces that form them by day, Batman uses an arsenal of custom gadgetry (none of which lethal, in accordance with his refusal to kill) genius intellect, and martial arts training to fight threats ranging from common crooks and mobsters to super-powered maniacs, and even alien dictator gods when working with the Justice League.

Along the way, Batman has surrounded himself with a family of crimefighters, often not only serving as a surrogate family, but in most cases, being adopted as his children. Several different youth have taken on the role of Robin, who serves the purpose of keeping Batman cautious and from slipping into darker territory, as well as, for Batman, an opportunity to prevent the loss he experienced. Perhaps the most notable Robin is Tim Drake.

In his crime fighting, Batman has accrued a true Rogues Gallery of recurring evildoers, the most notable of these being The Joker, a homicidal maniac of a similar intellect, who is disfigured to look like, and brands himself after, the visage of a clown. The Joker serves as an ideological anti-thesis to Batman, and sees the two of them as standing above the rest of humanity and acts with the ultimate goal of convincing Batman to abandon his philosophy, that there is inherent good in man that must be fostered over the inherent bad, and accept his, that if man has the inherent capability to be evil and commit evil he is already evil.

Although Joker, and other villains, have taken much from Batman and Gotham, Batman continues to fight to protect and avenge the innocent, no matter how bleak the outcome may be.

''I am Vengeance. I am the Night. I Am Batman!''

''You know how many times I've heard that? "Rest in peace, Batman!" "There's no escape, Batman!" "Time to die,Batman!" Every night. Over, and over, and over. For so many years. "This is the end, Batman!" Every. Damn. Night. And yet...I'm still here''

''You don't know who I am? I'm the goddamn Batman.''

Early Life
Bruce Wayne's life started, and probably will end, in scandal. The son of Thomas Wayne, of the historically liberal, Kennedy-minded mega-rich first-family of Gotham, and Martha Kane, youngest of the historically conservative, Ford-minded, mega-rich, second-family of Gotham. Both were rebellious in their own right; Thomas, instead of building upon the family's already astronomical capitol, entrusted the running of the company to Lucius Fox, who developed the company into super-tech, while he became a surgeon. Martha also rebelled against her family by helping people; rather than join the military in some capacity as was the tradition, she worked with international relief and anti-war efforts.

They desperately wanted to have children, and went to great efforts to conceive. Eventually, they had Bruce, but before and after suffered several miscarriages.

Bruce was born, delivered by his own father and his colleague, Roger Elliot. Quickly capturing the interest of Gotham paparazzi, the Waynes and their trusted butler, Alfred Pennyworth, took serious care to teach Bruce the value of human life, altruism, and kindness, and not to be spoiled by his fortune. Additionally, Thomas, and to a lesser extent Martha, were faithful to the teachings of Christ and instilled the word of God in Bruce. Coupled with his natural goodness, Bruce took a fast liking to classic cloaked do-gooders, such as The Shadow, The Spirit, The Phantom, The Lone Ranger, The Green Hornet, Dick Tracy, and above all else The Gray Ghost and Zorro.

When Bruce was six, he was playing on the Wayne estate. As he ran across the green, without much thought, he stumbled, tripped and fell into a cavern and tumbled down into a The Batcave. Fortunately, he was relatively unharmed, but before landing in the large cave system, he found himself surrounded by bats and panicked. He screamed, but it echoed off the walls in the cave and he was not heard.

Thomas, Martha, and Alfred were quick to look for Bruce, and it didn't take them long to find Bruce, but the trauma of the experience had already set in by the time Thomas and Alfred climbed down. Bruce would repress this memory for several years, but from the depths of his subconscious it would have a guiding hand in many of his actions.

When Bruce was seven, he and Tommy Elliot, Roger's son and Bruce's best friend, accompanied their fathers into the city, where they were hosting a medical conference. The boys were ordered to stay in the hotel, but disobeyed that command when they saw The Green Lantern fighting Icicle. Part inspired by the heroics but more enthralled by the action, the boys cheered for the hero, who, after winning the fight, gave them each a commemorative ring.

Origin
One night when Bruce was eight, Thomas and Martha took him to what Bruce, in his precocity, understood to be a revival house in the East End to see The Mask of Zorro. In reality, Thomas had made a sizable donation to the theatre, one of the last in the area with a film projector, with the request that they play said movie. Thomas and Martha wanted to show Bruce that majority of people aren't as fortunate as he is.

After the show ended, the family left the theatre and talked about why they brought Bruce. As they walked down the alley adjacent to the theatre, they grew careless. Careless to the fact that a man stood in the shadows. The man approached them, and, assuming he was asking for charity, Thomas readily reached for his wallet and handed the man a hundred dollar bill. The man took it and kept his hand out. Thomas gave him another. Martha pushed Bruce behind her as she realized what was happening. Thomas handed him his wallet and watch as the man reached for his gun.

"The pearls." Martha begged; they were an heirloom, the only gift her now-deceased and relatively distant mother had given her after her marriage. The mugger reached his hand to her neck to grab them as Bruce quivered. Thomas reached over to intervene.

The mugger shot Thomas in his heart before turning the gun to shoot Martha in hers, as the pearls exploded and Bruce screamed. The mugger ran away, leaving Bruce in the street, saying brief goodbyes to his parents, who passed with the simple, "We love you."

When the police arrived, the first officer on the scene was one beat cop Jim Gordon. Gordon consoled the boy and promised him they would catch the man responsible. But in that moment Bruce Wayne had changed. In a sense, he died in that alley with his parents. Something else was born.

With his vast access to material and immaterial resources, the super genius planned a future that would lead him to become a world class crime-fighter. From home, he diligently studied sciences, history, art, literature and mathematics to a collegiate level, taking advantage of Gotham's best private tutors as well as Alfred's extensive knowledge. From the gym, he learned the basics of combat.

Seeking instruction in combat, the youth tracked down Ted Grant, formerly the super hero Wildcat, who had been last publicly active in the 1980s. Given the heroes activity in the 1940s, Alfred was skeptical that he would be able or willing to train Bruce, much less alive, but the youth's hunch was correct, though they were both surprised to learn that he was somehow still a relatively young man. Grant was initially reluctant, not only not wanting to mingle with the wealthy but also not wanting to take on a youth. The imperious Bruce swiftly convinced him of his plight. Over the course of five years, as Bruce learned from books he learned from bruises. Grant taught him a variety of martial arts, such as Taekwondo, Jiu-Jitsu, Karate, Aikido, Judo, and traditional boxing.

The training was hard on the young boy but he was determined not only to push himself but to push the elder boxer to push him. By the time he was thirteen, he was a black belt or the equivalent in at least eight martial arts, and had serious formal understanding of physics, chemistry, and biology.

Ready to travel the world and continue his knowledge, Bruce's next step was to pursue forensics. Leaving America for Europe at thirteen, Bruce spent some time at Cambridge and the Sorbonne, seeking out the help of old legends. While in England, he spent some time in Scotland Yard, and in France, sought out legendary detective-manhunter Henri Ducard. Under Ducard, Bruce learned the secrets of tracking and detecting over the course of a year, before leaving Ducard, ultimately disagreeing with his assassinous ways.

During his time in Europe, Bruce came to one of the serious impasses in life: the choice between vengeance and love. In France, he became re-accquainted with one Andrea Beaumont. Both were in same circles growing up, as her parents were also among the Gotham elite. Meeting again in Europe, the two who only once casually flirted now fell madly in love. The love and security Bruce felt from Andrea caused... a change in him. He was no longer sure if he wanted to pursue the path of vengeance. Andrea made him feel happy, and he proposed to her at the ripe young age of eighteen, ready to give it all up and return to the life he could have. And she was happy too. Or so it seemed. Then one day she disappeared, leaving behind only a note and a stone. This becomes Batman's "threshold." There's no turning back from here; it solidifies the value in the vow.

In her note, Andie had stated that she was too young and she and her father were leaving for buisness in Japan. In reality, the mob had tracked down and killed her father and she had become consumed by vengeance. Now on her own path, she began training with martial arts, and she and Bruce would unknowingly cross paths once again under Sensei Kirgi, before she would go on to join the Order of Saint Dumas. What's important about this story, outside of serving as Bruce's monomythic threshold and solidifying the Batman, is that it will teach Bruce the difference between personal vengeance and Justice, the former of which consumes a person and takes away their ability to love. He and Andrea fall out of love because nothing matters to her but vengeance, but he will be able to love Catwoman if he can prevent himself from becoming consumed, and she is not consumed, but they share pain.

Another important aspect of this story is (1/6/19) that it sets up  the precedent for Batman to fight for justice and  not vengeance. This is a major shift the character, setting up a torch that Robin will hold, and this must be emphasized. When Jason dies, he nearly loses this.

Andrea born November 12th

Jian-- training with Henry Ducard (such as reading lips), Kirgi, Kyodai Ken, sparring with Shiva who's trying to get into the League-- whispers of which but Bruce never encounters it.

Bruce trained in Ninjitsu under Yoru with Kyodai Ken, who would continue studying the way of the Ninja. Bruce then studied under the Jian Kirigi. Kirigi has connections to the League of Assassins, and a fellow student with Bruce, Shiva, is studying to join the League.

At one point, Bruce intentionally spent time in a prison in Jakarta learning how to survive in hell. "It would be the perfect test. Surrounded by the same vile men I would fight every night in Gotham, but with no armor or gear, no support; no escape or safety. And to top it off my skin made me a singular entity. If I could survive this, I could save Gotham. That experience taught me more about escapism, survival, combat, and thinking on my feet than anything else I had to do." From this he learned how to make makeshift weapons and gadgets, how to fight hordes of men, and how to hide.

Matt Wagner's Trinity leads into Babel. Rather than just destroying all of the satellites and oil reserves for the sake of being "an evil madman," Ra's is doing so to give the League of Shadows, who do not rely on digital communications the way the rest of the world does, an crippling advantage of their enemy factions. Here, he is, "back again," after his first encounter with Batman and Robin; rather than the original idea that this is the initial assembly of the Trinity, here they and the other four have agreed to become the Justice League, but they are still not the close friends they will grow into, and this story helps to make them come to terms with their philosophical differences not just for the fate of the world, but for themselves.This can maybe even be a debut for Artemis to the world of man, trying to Diana's job better than her or something like that. Further, Ra's can act as another manipulative father figure to Bizarro, like Lex, before Superman accepts him as his own way down the line, after Bizarro and Artemis join Jason Todd's outlaws, of course.

Bruce initially sees Dick as this little brother he's adopting, but Dick always sees him as his father, and Bruce grows to realize him as his son and adopts him-- they're too blinded by their love for each other to ever admit it.

Old Batman's isolation of Gotham in ("It's my city") the future that once led to its safety has now caused it to be behind the rest of the world from On Earth as it is in Heaven leading into Beyond

The Bounty
Wayne begins his war on crime as the Batman. He begins by launching a guerilla assault on the seven crime families of Gotham by taking out their income sources. Along the way, he teams up with re-christened ex-prostitute Catwoman and cop James Gordon, one of the few honest men in the city. To oppose him, the Penguin proposes the mobsters put an open bounty on the Batman's head. After thwarting the like of Deathstroke and Deadshot, Batman and Penguin both come out on top. (January to May)

In a last bid to prevent their apprehension, the Lords shut down power in Gotham

Dark Moon Rising
After establishing his presence in Gotham, Batman uncovers a series of bizarre crimes and experiments perpetrated by Gotham University professor Hugo Strange, the very school where his tentative girlfriend Julie Madison is gaining a post graduate degree. This is one of a string of bizarre, pseudo-supernatural crimes, including an alliance between The Mad Monk, a supposed vampire and Doctor Emile Dorian. With the Monk's manservant Gustav DeCobra, they engineer a new, science based Wolfman, Tygrus. The Monk casts an eye on Julie, and seeks to use her as his Wolfwoman queen.

The First Laugh
He then faces his worst enemy, The Joker, in a child terror plot, set forth to prove his anti-human philosophy that man is inheritly wicked.

Strange Days
Strange Days Hugo Strange and thwarts his attempt to ruin his name, at the same time besting the Riddler. (June)

Harvest of Fear
In the wake of the many super criminal activities in Gotham, particularly the Joker's terroristic debut, a solution is proposed to deal with the super villains humanely. A cadre of scientists, led by businessman Quincy Sharp, unveil a plan to reopen Arkham Asylum as a modernized facility. Among the scientists are Hugo Strange, with whom Batman has already crossed paths, Jermaiah Arkham, grand nephew of Amadeus, Achillies Milo, Emile Dorian, and Jonathan Crane. Knowing Strange's character, Batman investigates the activities of the Asylum to find that most of the doctors are unjustly experimenting on patients, with Doctor Crane using the identity of the Scarecrow to terrorize them. Batman battles with Crane, but ultimately, he succumbs to Crane's experimental fear gas, which he develops to the fullest from experimenting on those who cause the most fear. Batman is locked away and terrorized by Crane, and must summon the most of his will to defeat the villain. (The real world of this: "This is Gotham's solution? and they're all corrupt? Batman: Shows his struggle and humanity to heal his villains, and ultimately his will power. Will and humility.) (Harvest of Fear)

Featured Stories
The Bounty (full story)

Batman's First Bullet (short story)

Dark Moon Rising (single story)

The First Laugh (full)

Strange Days (single)

The Man Who Laughs (single)

Harvest of Fear (full)

The Long Halloween (full)

Right Down The Line (full)

Super Friends Part I (full)

Super Friends Part II (full)

Super Friends Part III (full)

Batman Meets Scooby-Doo (single)

Ra's

Trinity (full)

Batman vs Leatherface (single)

Batman/Scooby-Doo: The Haddonfield Haunter (single)

Batman/Scooby-Doo: The Camp Blood Creep (single)

Batman vs Jason: Jason Takes Gotham (single)

Batman/Scooby-Doo vs Jason: Family Ties (single)

Batman/Scooby-Doo: The Dream Demon (single)

Batman/Scooby-Doo and Tommy Jarvis Too: Jason/Freddy/Michael) Leatherface (single)

Breaking Point (single)

The Cult (full)

One Bad Day (full)

Ten Nights of the Beast (full)

A Lonely Place of Dying (full)

Knightfall (full)

Batman vs Predator (single)

Batman and Superman vs Alien and Predator (single)

Cataclysm (single)

No Man's Land (full)

Hush (full)

Joker's Asylum (full)

Tower of Babel (full)

Identity Crisis (full)

Under the Red Hood (full)

Battle of the Bats (full)

Return of the Caped Crusader (single)

Attack of Earth-3 (full)

The Dark Knight Returns (full)

The Dark Knight Strikes Again (full)

The Dark Knight Triumphant (full)

Kingdom Come (full)

Thy Will Be Done (full)

On Earth as in Heaven (full)

Batman Beyond (full)

Return of the Joker (full)

The Last Will and Testament of Bruce Wayne (short)

Justice Forever (full) (android)

Justice League vs Jason X (single) (android)

Pull-list villains: The Brand, Metalhead, K-9, Hangman, Baron Blimp

Egypt villains: King Tut, Phantom Pharoah, Malis, Kiron, The Mummy

Aqua villains: King Krakken, The Octopus, Cap'n Fear, Tiger Shark, Mr. Hydro, Sea Fox

False Facer villains: Black Mask, Shark, Vulture, Fox, Iron-Hat Ferris, Mr. X, Kingpin, Condor, NOT Shiner

Scooby-Doo villains: Mister X, Doctor No-Face, Glass Man