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| Alternate versions of Batman | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Detective Comics#27 (March1939) |
| Created by | Bob Kane Bill Finger |
The character ofBatman was created byBob Kane andBill Finger, and has been continually published in a variety ofDC Comics book titles since its premiere in 1939. There have been several versions of Batman over the years, both as the main hero in the stories as well as several alternative versions.
Batman/Bruce Wayne is featured in theSmallville Season 11 digital comic based on theTV series. As a young boy, Bruce Wayne saw his parents gunned down byJoe Chill. This incident changed Bruce's life forever. In 2001, Bruce donned the persona of "Batman", to fight the criminals ofGotham City. Bruce fought criminals on his own for the better part of the next ten years. However, by 2011, Bruce had begun working with the youngBarbara Gordon who became known asNightwing. This same year, Bruce learned that Chill was inMetropolis and went to confront him. His quest for Chill briefly led to Bruce getting into conflict withSuperman. However, the two soon joined forces. When they found Chill, Bruce came close to killing him, butPrankster andMr. Freeze beat him to it, on behalf ofIntergang. Prankster also gunned down Superman withkryptonite bullets. Bruce managed to save his life, after which they apprehended Prankster and Freeze.[1]
Bruce was reluctant to join theWatchtower Network but kept finding himself working alongside its agents. Eventually, Bruce gave in and joined, to help them with the Crisis. After the battle against theMonitors, Bruce became a founding member of the Justice League. Furthermore, as Barbara was leaving Earth, Bruce got a new partner inDick Grayson.[2][3]
The Batman fromFrank Miller'sBatman: The Dark Knight Returns and its spin-offs,Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again andAll Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder is a tired vigilante in a much darker, edgier setting home to Miller's own new interpretations of various DC characters.
InInjustice: Gods Among Us, Batman was originally close friends with Superman (with Superman even asking him to be godfather to his child withLois Lane) but when Superman was tricked by the Joker into killing Lois and destroying Metropolis, their relationship slowly went from estranged to antagonistic to enemies. Superman begins a new world order where he and the Justice League use brute force and fear to coerce people into following the law, but Batman sees the tyranny in this and opposes Superman's Regime with his Insurgency.
In the reality ofBatman: White Knight, Bruce has grown up believing he is a descendant of Edmond Wayne, the founder of Gotham City and Wayne Enterprises. In reality, though, he is actually a descendant of Bakkar, a disgraced former member of theOrder of St. Dumas, who murdered Edmond Wayne and assumed his identity.Jean-Paul Valley, a.k.a. Azrael, is actually the real Wayne descendant, which Bruce only learns from Jack Napier right before Jack forcesHarley Quinn to kill him as theJoker will not let him kill himself.[5] After helping save the city from the plotting of Neo-Joker to destroy Gotham, Batman hands over the keys to his variousBatmobiles to the GCPD Gotham Terrorism Oppression unit and unmasks himself in front of Gordon to earn back his trust after the ordeal.[6]
Batman later turns himself in after incapacitating Azrael in combat for his many unintentional crimes while Batman.[7]
During his trial, Bruce and Harleen Quinzel married on her suggestion to keep her from testifying against him, resulting in him becoming stepfather to hers and Jack's children. After 12 years in prison, Bruce helps stop a riot. Upon hearing thatsomeone has stolen a prototype Batsuit and is going around as Batman, he escapes with Jason Todd's help and heads into the city, aided by a sentient AI program of Jack (from a chip placed in his head before). Aided by commissioner Barbara Gordon andDuke Thomas, Bruce encounters the new Batman and finds out more about the plans ofDerek Powers who he reveals was responsible for building his Batman gear before taking overWayne Enterprises. In the end, Bruce teams up with Terry, the GCPD, and the GTO unit led by Dick Grayson into attacking the company headquarters to stop Powers' plan to illegally sell Bat-mechas across the planet. After that succeeds, Bruce is approached by FBI agents Diana Prince and John Stewart, who offer to change his sentence to time served in exchange for his help in investigating reports of aflying teenager in Kansas.[8]
In the three-part "Batman and Dracula" series, after investigating a series of homeless people in Gotham whose throats have been slit, Bruce concludes that the work is the work of a family of vampires led byDracula himself, who apparently died centuries ago. He was, he is still healthy and fresh and he is back. Batman teams up with Tanya, a former member of Dracula's gang who has now rebelled against him, to find their location. This is where Bruce Wayne is attacked by a vampire and converted into one. In the second part of this comic, Batman finds himself unable to control his vampiric instincts. Having mobilized the rest of the vampires, the Joker takes control of most of the city. In the final battle, Batman cannot stop his thirst and drinks all the Joker's blood. Shocked by what he did, Batman plunges a sharp piece of wood into Joker's heart to secure it so that he does not return as a vampire, and then convinces Commissioner Gordon andAlfred Pennyworth to plunge a piece of wood into his heart as well. Alfred removes the stick from Batman's chest and revives him, but Batman brutally murdersKiller Croc andTwo-Face. Having rid Gotham City of both vampires and criminals, Batman kills himself by walking into the sunlight and disintegrates into dust.
InBatman: Citizen Wayne, the role of Batman is taken on byHarvey Dent after his whole face has been destroyed by an enemy. Bruce Wayne is a newspaper publisher who is highly critical of Batman and his brutal methods and goes after him when he actually kills the enemy in question, both men dying in the final battle.
In the 2017 "Dark Nights: Metal" event, it is revealed that a Dark Multiverse exists alongside the main DC Multiverse. Each reality in the Dark Multiverse is negative and transient reflection of its existing counterpart, which were intended to be acquired byWorld Forger who would feed these timelines to his "dragon" Barbatos. However, this balance came to an end when Barbatos escaped his bonds and allowed the rejected timelines to remain in some form of existence. Eventually, Barbatos is released onto the DC universe when Batman is treated with five unique metals, turning him into a portal to the Dark Multiverse, with this portal also allowing Barbatos to summon an army of evil alternate Batmen known as the Dark Knights, led by a God-like Batman, who describe themselves as having been created based on Batman's dark imaginations of what he could do if he possessed the powers of his colleagues.
During the "Dark Nights: Death Metal" storyline, more Dark Multiverse versions of Batman appear.[9][10][11]
The Batman Who Laughs is a version of Batman from Earth -22, a dark reflection of the Earth-22. In that reality, the Earth -22 Joker learned of Batman's identity as Bruce Wayne and killed most of Batman's other rogues along with Commissioner Gordon. He then subjected a sizeable population of Gotham's populace to the chemicals that transformed him, subsequently killing several parents in front of their children with the goal of turning them into essentially a combination of himself and Batman. When Batman grappled with the Joker, it resulted in the latter's death as Batman is exposed to a purified form of the chemicals that gradually turned him into a new Joker, the process proving irreversible by the time Batman discovered what was happening to him. The Batman who Laughs proceeded to take over Earth-22, killing off most of his allies and turning Damian into a mini-Joker. The Batman Who Laughs seems to be the de facto leader or second-in-command of Barbatos' Dark Knights and recruited the other members. After arriving on Prime-Earth, the Batman Who Laughs takes control of Gotham and oversees events at the Challenger's mountain. He distributes joker cards to the Batman's Rogues, giving them the ability to alter reality and take over sections of the city. Accompanying him are Damian and three other youths whom he also calls his sons, all four being twisted versions of Robin, having intended to destroy all of reality by linking the Over-Monitor toAnti-Monitor's astral brain. But The Batman Who Laughs is defeated when the Prime Universe Batman is aided by the Joker, who notes the alternate Batman's failure to perceive this scenario due to still being a version of Batman. While assumed dead, the Batman who Laughs is revealed to be in the custody ofLex Luthor who offers him a place in theLegion of Doom.
TheRed Death is a version of Batman from Earth-52, originally an aged man who broke after the deaths of Dick Grayson,Jason Todd,Tim Drake, and Damian Wayne. Believing he has a chance to prevent the loss of more loved ones, Bruce decides he needsthe Flash'sSpeed Force to achieve this and equips himself with theRogues' equipment to capture the Flash. He knocks Barry out and ties him to the Batmobile, which has a machine created from reverse-engineering theCosmic Treadmill attached to it. Using this machine against Barry's wishes, Bruce drove straight into the Speed Force while absorbing Barry in the process. Scarred by the ordeal, he developed a split personality created from residual traces of Barry's mind. The newly born Red Death tests his new powers but realizes he cannot stop his Earth from its destruction until he is recruited by The Batman Who Laughs, who promises him a new Earth to live upon. After entering Prime-Earth, the Red Death arrives in Central City and is confronted byIris West andWally West, during which he uses his powers to slow Wally and age them both. The Flash confronts the Red Death, andDoctor Fate saves Barry before the latter can attack. The Red Death proclaims that he will save Central City and make it his new home.[12] After Barry is transported to a cave beneathCentral City, the Red Death arrives and reveals several Flashmobiles and chases after Barry.[13]
InDark Knights Rising: The Wild Hunt, the Red Death ceases to exist after being exposed by an energy wave from the release of a newly-born universe. Barry Allen is separated from Bruce Wayne, but consumed by the energy shortly afterward.[14]
During theDark Nights: Death Metal storyline, the Batman Who Laughs resurrects the Red Death after becoming the Darkest Knight.[15]
TheMurder Machine is a version of Batman from Earth -44, a dark reflection of the Earth-44. Distraught from having lost Alfred, Batman requestedCyborg to help him finish the Alfred Protocol, an A.I. version of Alfred. But the Alfred Protocol malfunctioned upon activation and began to multiply and kill all of Batman's enemies. Bruce pleaded with Cyborg to help find a way to fix it, but the latter refused. The Alfred Protocol fused with Bruce, becoming the Murder Machine, and killed Cyborg. After being recruited by the Batman Who Laughs, the Murder Machine arrives on Prime-Earth with the other Dark Knights. He proceeds to theJustice League Watchtower and confronts Cyborg. After Cyborg is incapacitated by the other Dark Knights, the Murder Machine infects and converts the Watchtower as the Dark Knights' new base of operations.[17]
TheDawnbreaker is a version of Batman from Earth -32, a dark reflection of the Earth-32 whereBatman became a Green Lantern. When Earth -32 Bruce lost his parents to Joe Chill, he is chosen by a Green Lanternpower ring to become a Green Lantern. Bruce's will overrides the ring's ban on lethal force and corrupts it, enabling him to use it to kill Chill and various criminals. After Bruce killed Gordon when eventually confronted, he wipes out theGreen Lantern Corps and theGuardians of the Universe when they confront him. Bruce then entered his giant Green Lantern Power Battery and exits with a new outfit and moniker, the Dawnbreaker. However, he finds that his Earth has begun to collapse and he is met by the Batman Who Laughs who, after recruiting the Red Death and the Murder Machine, recruits the Dawnbreaker, promising him a new world to shroud in darkness. After arriving on Earth-0, Dawnbreaker heads toCoast City where he is confronted by Hal Jordan. Dawnbreaker tries to consume Hal Jordan in a 'blackout' but the latter is rescued by Doctor Fate. With Green Lantern gone, Dawnbreaker takes control of Coast City.[18] Dawnbreaker confronts Hal Jordan in a blacked out cave underneath Coast City, claiming that the Green Lantern oath is worthless in his cave.[13]
TheDrowned is a version of Batman from Earth -11, a dark reflection of the reversed-gender Earth-11. Originally known as Batwoman, Bryce Wayne was in a relationship with Sylvester Kyle (Earth-11's male version ofSelina Kyle) until he was killed by ametahuman. A revenge-driven Bryce spent 18 months hunting down every rogue metahuman before Aquawoman and theAtlanteans emerged from their self-imposed exile. While Aquawoman claimed her people came in peace, a skeptical Bryce declared war on Atlantis with the Atlanteans flooding Gotham in retaliation when their queen was killed. Bryce survived the disaster by performing auto-surgery on herself by introducing mutated hybrid DNA from the mutated sea life into her body, giving Bryce the ability to breathe underwater, accelerated healing, and water manipulation. She also created an army ofsea monsters called Dead Waters to fight for her. Donning a new attire, Bryce called herself The Drowned and successfully conquered Atlantis at the cost of flooding every city. After seeing her signal being lit, the Drowned met the Batman Who Laughs, who recruits her as a Dark Knight. After arriving on Earth-0, the Drowned headed toAmnesty Bay, where she was confronted by Aquaman andMera. The two were unable to combat the Drowned and her army of Dead Waters, with Mera becoming infected and controlled by the Drowned while Aquaman was saved by Doctor Fate. The Drowned proceeded to take control of Amnesty Bay.[19] When Aquaman is transported fathoms below Amnesty Bay, the Drowned attacks him, revealing that the Dead Water-infected Mera has mutated into a gargantuan sea monster with elements of ahammerhead shark, acrab, and anoctopus.[13]
TheMerciless is a version of Batman from Earth -12. Here Batman is in a relationship withWonder Woman. Having killedAres in a fit of rage when Ares presumably kills Wonder Woman, the Earth -12 Batman acquired Ares's helmet and assumed that he can channel its power to war with justice and mercy rather than ruthless brutality. But it corrupted him and the 'Merciless' Batman ended up killing Wonder Woman (who had actually just been knocked out) while eliminating all his enemies. The Merciless is later depicted as destroying the Valhalla Mountain whenSam Lane,Amanda Waller,Steve Trevor andMister Bones attempt a counter-attack against the Dark Batmen after the regular heroes have apparently failed.[20] The Merciless confronts Wonder Woman after she is transported under the foundation ofA.R.G.U.S. Headquarters in Washington D.C., revealing his armory filled with the divine arsenal of the Gods he killed on his Earth. He reveals to her that his Diana taught him to fight and after he destroyed the Gods, the Merciless foundThemyscira and fought them for three days. The Merciless also reveals that he ordered the Ferryman at theRiver Styx to gather every coin from every dead Amazon seeking passage into the afterlife which he melted into a giant goldendrachma, which he strikes with a hammer, summoning the undead Amazons.[13]
TheDevastator is a version of Batman from Earth -1, a dark reflection of Earth-1. When Superman turned evil and kills friend and foe alike along with Lois, the Earth-1 Batman injected himself with an engineered version of theDoomsday virus to stop the Kryptonian at the cost of his humanity as he transformed into a Doomsday-like monster. Despite his victory, the Devastator still feels remorse for not being able to protect Metropolis from Superman's wrath. The Batman Who Laughs offers The Devastator a second chance at saving those whom he feels are blindly inspired by Superman. Bruce infects the Earth-0 Lois Lane, Supergirl, and all of Metropolis with the Doomsday virus as he views it as the only way to protect them from Superman's strength and false prophecies.[21] Along with the Murder Machine, the Devastator was sent to retrieve the Cosmic Tuning Tower, ripping it out of its foundation and throwing it outside the Fortress of Solitude.[22] He is then confronted by the two Green Lanterns of Earth (Simon Baz andJessica Cruz), the Flash/Wally West,Firestorm, andLobo and he proceeds to incapacitate all except Lobo who he throws into the sun. Grabbing the Cosmic Tuning Tower, the Devastator leaps into space and lands on the Challenger's Mountain, planting the tower on top of it.[21]
Barbatos is a hooded, god-like being in the Dark Multiverse. Barbatos had previously visited Prime-Earth in the DC Multiverse and founded the Tribe of Judas, which would later become theCourt of Owls. Sometime before returning (either willingly or not) to the Dark Multiverse, Barbatos encountered Hawkman/Carter Hall, and was hit by his mace. Barbatos tried to return to the Multiverse but the events ofFinal Crisis prevented him from doing so. However, after witnessing Bruce Wayne/Batman being sent back in time byDarkseid's Omega Beams, Barbatos realised the similarities between his and Bruce's Bat emblems and believed he could use him as a doorway. Barbatos' followers manipulated events in order for Bruce to be injected with four out of the five metals needed to create the doorway, and after the fifth was injected in the present day, Barbatos was able to transport himself and the Dark Knights to Prime-Earth to conquer it.[23]
In the opening of theDC Bombshells continuity set during World War II, Bruce's parents are saved from Joe Chill's attack thanks to the baseball superheroine known as Batwoman. While Batman does not exist in this continuity,Kate Kane does borrow a number of elements from the main version, such as inspiring younger heroines to follow in her steps as Batgirls and losing a child named Jason. In the book's conclusion that takes place 15 years into the future, a grown up Bruce Wayne becomes Batman (not out of tragedy but out of inspiration by the Bombshells) and is trained by the older Catwoman to herald in the new age of superheroes.[25]
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The Batman of Earth-Two is an alternate version of the superheroBatman. The character was introduced after DC Comics createdEarth-Two, aparallel world that wasretroactively established as the home of characters whose adventures had been published in theGolden Age of comic books. This provided justification within the fictional world of Batman stories for DC Comics publishing Batman comic books that disregarded the character's Golden Age stories, as Batman had been presented as a single ongoing incarnation of the character since his earliest stories were published.
An alternate depiction of the Earth-Two Batman appears inThe New 52 where he resides on Earth 2. He is killed in battle withApokoliptian forces.[26]Thomas Wayne becomes the second Batman while making use of Miraclo pills.[27] Thomas is later killed battling villains from aparallel world.[28]Dick Grayson later became the new Batman.[29]
The earliest reference to a Batman on Earth-Two was inDetective Comics #347 (January 1966) "The Strange Death of Batman" which contained a "What if" story where the Batman of Earth-One was killed, but the Batman of Earth-Two came to Earth-One to beRobin's partner while the adult Robin of Earth-Two took his place on that Earth. This Batman also stated that on parallel Earths many events are repeated.
Batman of Earth-Two first appeared inJustice League of America #82 (August 1970) and was created byDennis O'Neil andDick Dillin.
The character history of theEarth-Two Batman accordingly adopts all of the earliest stories featuring the character from the 1930s and 1940s, while the adventures of the then-mainstreamSilver Age Batman (who lived on "Earth-One") begin later in time and with certain elements of his origin retold. Each was depicted as separate, though parallel, individuals living in their respectiveuniverses, with the "older" Earth-Two character eventually reaching his retirement and death.
Earth-Two Batman was canonically introduced inJustice Society of America (vol. 2) Annual #1 (2008) entitled "Earth-2" where the post-Crisis Earth-2 is fully introduced. The most notable difference between pre-Crisis Earth-Two Wayne and his newer post-Crisis Earth-2 incarnation is that the post-Crisis Earth-2 Joker learned the real identities of Robin and the Huntress after turning Gotham DA Harvey Simms into the new Two-Face (Harvey knowing Helena's identity already).
A new parallel to this character was introduced in the 2012Earth-2 series who died in the first issue, protecting that world fromDarkseid's forces, alongside that world's Superman and Wonder Woman. His father, Thomas Wayne, later took up the mantle to atone for earlier sins, including deceiving his son about his own death. Dick Grayson would also take up the mantle duringEarth 2: World's End and Earth 2: Society. Helena would later don the mantle after Dick retired at the end of theSociety series.
Batman's origin and history is similar to the Earth-One version of the character, but does not exist in afloating timeline. For example, the Batman makes his debut in 1939, meetsRobin,Joker,Catwoman, andClayface at various points in 1940,Penguin in 1941,Two-Face in 1942, etc. These dates reflect the publishing dates of the original stories, rather than taking the Earth-One and Modern Age approach of keeping the characters eternally youthful.
The powers and abilities of the Earth-Two Batman are similar to his Earth-One counterpart. Like his Robin, Batman had his aging rate reduced after the JSA's fight with Ian Karkull. Unlike his Earth-One counterpart, the Earth-Two Batman was shown to carry a gun after meeting Robin. He used a gun during his early adventures.
At the dawn of theSilver Age of comics, DC Comics decided to reintroduce several of their Golden Age superheroes, all of whom had ceased publication several years earlier. Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman, having been continuously published since their Golden Age introductions, were not given any reimaginings (although much about the mythos of each had evolved slowly over the years). It was later revealed that the current heroes live on a parallel world to theGolden Age heroes: The newer Silver Age heroes are on "Earth-One", while the older Golden Age characters reside on "Earth-Two" (the numbering does not indicate any hierarchy of parallel Earths, only the number by which they were discovered). When Barry Allen metJay Garrick,[42] it meant there were two Flashes, twoGreen Lanterns, two Supermen, and two Batmen. Unlike the Silver Age versions of the Flash and Green Lantern, who had entirely different secret identities from their Golden Age counterparts Jay Garrick andAlan Scott, the Batman and Superman of each world were both Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent, respectively. There is no clear demarcation between when the stories of one Batman ends and the other begins. Indeed, many stories from the 1940s and the 1950s were treated as canon to both incarnations of Batman after the concept of Earth-One and Earth-Two was established;[43][44][45][46] Some stories from the mid-1950s could have only occurred on Earth-One,[47][48] while some stories as late as the early 1960s seem as though they could have also occurred on Earth-Two.[49][50] DC has mandated that only the Earth-One Batman wore a yellow oval around the bat symbol on his chest, making 1964 the fixed year in which all Batman stories were set on Earth-One,[51][52][53] although there are several instances where this is contradicted in-story.[54]
The Earth-Two Wayne made several different character evolutions from the mainstream Batman, as the Earth-Two Bruce accepts his one-time adversary Catwoman as his true love and shares his secret identity with her after her memory is restored of her real life. The Earth-Two Wayne and Catwoman later marry, after she had voluntarily served prison time for her crimes.[55] They have a daughter,Helena Wayne (also known as the Huntress),[56] and the family resides at Wayne Manor where Bruce devotes himself and his fortune to philanthropy. By the early 1960s, Wayne has retired as Batman with Robin taking over crimefighting in Gotham City. He even accepted Wayne's position in the reformed Justice Society.[57]
Wayne is later called out of retirement by the ancient god Mercury to help defeatKing Kull along with other superheroes of pre-Crisis Earth-Two, Earth-One and Earth-S. He and Robin not only fought Joker on Earth-S, but also foughtWeeper II of Earth-S,Doctor Light of Earth-One, andShade of Earth-One.[58] Several years after, he dons his costume to answer the Batsignal when Robin is away from Gotham City, but this adventure ends in tragedy as Batman's kick causes the criminal Cernak to fire his gun wildly, striking and killing Selina Wayne. Bruce burns his cape and cowl that night, swearing to never wear it again. Helena Wayne becomes Huntress and brings Cernak to justice.[59] Bruce's years of civic volunteerism results in him being named to replace the retiringJames Gordon as Police Commissioner. He is temporarily mind-controlled by thePsycho-Pirate and declares the Justice Society's members outlaws.[60]
The elder Earth-Two Wayne is eventually coaxed out of retirement for one last mission as Batman when a thief named Bill Jensen is magically empowered by a sorcerer named Frederick Vaux (possibly the Earth-Two analogue toFelix Faust) and attacks Gotham City. As when he was eight, Earth-Two Wayne faces an overpowering criminal with a weapon that is greater than himself, though this time it is magical bolts rather than bullets. Already dying of cancer from his years of pipe smoking (as stated inThe Brave and the Bold #197), Wayne decides to fight to the death against Jensen, who bears a furious grudge against Wayne, stopping his threat at the cost of his own life. In the aftermath of the battle, the public learns that Wayne was Batman's secret identity. The Earth-TwoDoctor Fate later removes the memory of the battle from the consciousness of the general public, so as to protect the secret identities of Robin and the Huntress, which were also thus exposed, and causing everyone to believe instead that Wayne died of cancer at home on the same day that Batman died.[41]
Several years after Bruce Wayne's death, Batman's diary was discovered and made public (as described in the limited seriesAmerica vs. the Justice Society). In it, he charged the JSA with treason, being spies for Hitler, resulting in the team being put on trial. It is ultimately revealed that this was a hoax on Batman's part, designed to set a trap for a longtime Justice Society foe,Per Degaton. Knowing he was dying and would not be alive to combat Degaton's as yet unrevealed scheme, Wayne fabricated the treason charges so as to bring about a reexamination of the JSA's history, giving them clues as how to defeat the time traveling villain. It would prove to be the Earth Two Batman's final case, solved from the grave. Professor Zee, the scientist who had invented the Time Machine (and someone Per Degaton shot), appeared from it, which he had used to transport himself 40 years into the future, and accused Per Degaton of murder. Per Degaton then shot himself in the head.[61]
InCrisis on Infinite Earths, the multiverse is destroyed, erasing Earth-Two from existence.[62][63][64]
InJLA/Avengers, Batman appears along with his teammates in theJustice League, when they are made to fight theAvengers in theGrandmaster's cosmic game. While touring theMarvel Universe for the first time, Batman witnesses thePunisher killing a gang of drug dealers, and attacks him (the fight takes place off-panel). He later forms an alliance withCaptain America after engaging in a brief fistfight to test his opponent's skills. Due to this alliance, he realizes the stakes of the game and loses it for the JLA. When the two universes are merged byKrona, the heroes are left confused as to what actually occurred in their reality; the Grandmaster clarifies by showing them the various tragedies that befell the heroes in their lifetimes. Batman, for his part, witnesses Jason Todd's death and his injury at the hands ofBane. In the final battle, Krona defeats the JLA with minor difficulty, but is defeated when theFlash andHawkeye disrupt his control of his power source.
Just Imagine... is a series of comics created byStan Lee (the co-creator of severalMarvel Comics characters), with reimaginings of various DC characters.In this continuity,Wayne Williams is framed for a crime he did not commit, works his way into getting out of prison, and becomes a mysterious wrestler known as Batman to fund a career as a vigilante using complex equipment to avenge himself against the criminals who originally framed him.
TheKingdom Come limited series depicts a Batman who, ravaged by years of fighting crime, uses anexoskeleton to keep himself together and keeps the peace on the streets of Gotham using remote-controlled robots. He is late middle-aged and his secret identity has become public knowledge.
InSuperman: American Alien, a 2016 comic that shows an alternate retelling of Superman's origin, Bruce Wayne is training underRa's al Ghul when he is told about someone posing as him at a birthday party thrown for him, causing Bruce to become interested in this person. Years later, having been Batman for a while, he finds out that the same person, revealed to beClark Kent, is a reporter who spoke to Bruce's new wardDick Grayson. Donning his costume, Bruce confronts Clark but is quickly overpowered, and is shocked when none of his equipment harms Clark. Clark finds out Bruce's identity by taking his mask and cape, and Bruce escapes. He seemingly leaves behind Clark's recording of his conversation with Dick, and Clark does not reveal Bruce's double life to the public. Bruce's cape later becomes part of Clark's prototype costume as he first begins his crime fighting career.
It is the 1950s in the pages of "Superman: Red Son". America and the Soviet Union are in the middle of the Cold War and are busy fighting each other. One day, the Soviet Union unleashes its newest weapon that shocks the Americans: Superman. In the comic "Superman: Red Son", the Man of Steel is a full-fledged Soviet killing machine. Suddenly the shape of the battle changes. If until now the number of atomic bombs was a sign of superiority, now it is fashionable to have superhumans in your arsenal. The American government, which is afraid of being under Soviet control, consults Lex Luthor. He puts the solution in front of them. One of them is the creation of a monstrous clone of Superman, or Bizarro, who in a battle with the original Superman throws himself in front of the atomic bomb that was fired at Britain and is destroyed. Another of Luthor's plans is related to Batman.
Batman was born under the cruel and repressive regime ofJoseph Stalin, as an adult he decided to overthrow the Russian government and avenge the death of his parents. Although Batman conducts many secret attacks against the government, he accepts Luthor's offer and decides to focus on destroying Superman. Knowing Kal-El's greatest weakness, he takes his mistress, Wonder Woman, hostage. Batman then uses artificial solar radiation to weaken Superman. The map works to some extent.
But Wonder Woman escapes from the trap and saves Superman's life by changing the direction of the lamps that emit solar radiation. Batman, who knows that he will be brainwashed if Superman touches him, and Superman lobotomy him to one of his robots.transforms, activates the small bomb he hid in his belt and commits suicide.
In the intercompany crossoverDC X Sonic the Hedgehog, Batman is among the Justice League members who team up withSonic and his friends to stop Darkseid and his forces from obtaining theChaos Emeralds. He pairs up withShadow, whom Batman sympathizes with over personal losses.[65]
Set on the alternate reality ofAlpha World, DC'sAbsolute Universe imprint is a separate continuity where superheroes are perceived as underdogs by the general public. This is due to the world being influenced byDarkseid's energy.
In this timeline,Bruce Wayne was raised on Crime Alley in Gotham City in relative poverty following the death of his father,Thomas Wayne. This version grows up to be a blue collar worker, who befriends many notable villains (such asHarvey Dent andSelina Kyle).