Batman is a comic book superhero created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and first appeared in Detective Comics #27 (May 1939). Originally referred to as "the Bat-Man" and still referred to at times as "the Batman," the character is additionally known as "the Caped Crusader,"[5] "the Dark Knight," and "the World's Greatest Detective," among other titles.
Batman's secret identity is Bruce Wayne, an American billionaire playboy, industrialist, and philanthropist. Having witnessed the murder of his parents as a child, he swore revenge on criminals, an oath tempered with the greater ideal of justice. Wayne trains himself both physically and intellectually and dons a bat-themed costume in order to fight crime. Batman operates in the fictional Gotham City, assisted by various supporting characters including his crime-fighting partner, Robin, his butler Alfred Pennyworth, the police commissioner Jim Gordon, and occasionally the heroine Batgirl. He fights an assortment of villains, often referred to as the "rogues gallery," which includes the Joker, the Penguin, the Riddler, Two-Face, Bane, Ra's al Ghul, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy, and Catwoman, among others.
Batman became a very popular character soon after his introduction and gained his own comic book title, Batman, in 1940. A cultural icon, Batman has been licensed and adapted into a variety of media, from radio to television and film, and appears on a variety of merchandise sold all over the world such as toys and video games. The character has also intrigued psychiatrists with many trying to understand the character's psyche and his true ego in society. In May 2011, Batman placed second on IGN's Top 100 Comic Book Heroes of All Time, after Superman. Empire magazine also listed him second in their 50 Greatest Comic Book Characters of All Time. He was portrayed by various actors between the 1950s to 2012: Robert Lowery in a 15-part serial back in 1949, Adam West in the 1966 Batman TV series and subsequent movie, Michael Keaton in Tim Burton's "Batman" (1989) and its sequel "Batman Returns" (1992), Val Kilmer in "Batman Forever" (1995), George Clooney in "Batman and robin" (1997), and Christian Bale in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy (2005, 2008, 2012).
Game Description
“After witnessing his parents gunned down before his eyes, young Bruce Wayne swore to exact vengeance on the criminal element, disguised as a fearsome creature of the night – the Caped Crusader, Batman.”
Powers and Abilities
Unlike most superheroes, Batman has no inherent superhuman powers. To compensate for this, he relies on "his own scientific knowledge, detective skills, and athletic prowess." In the stories, Batman is regarded as one of the world's greatest detectives, if not the world's greatest crime solver. In Grant Morrison's first storyline in JLA, Superman describes Batman as "the most dangerous man on Earth," able to defeat a team of superpowered aliens by himself in order to rescue his imprisoned teammates. He has spent a significant portion of his life traveling the world and acquiring the skills needed to aid in his crusade against crime. His knowledge and expertise in almost every discipline known to man is nearly unparalleled by any other character in the DC Universe.
Batman is an expert in interrogation techniques and would often use law enforcement methods as well as torture. Several of his methods include hanging a person over the edge of a building by the leg or chaining a person upside down and beat them. He usually just uses his frightening appearance to get answers. Batman has been repeatedly described as one of the greatest martial artists in the DC Universe; his skills in hand-to-hand combat are said to rival such notable martial artists as Lady Shiva, Bronze Tiger, and Richard Dragon.
Batman has the ability to function while tolerating massive amounts of physical pain, withstand telepathy and mind control. He is a master of disguise, often gathering information under the identity of Matches Malone, a notorious gangster. He is also skilled in spying, thus allowing him to hide in unexpected places. His ninjutsu training has made him a master at stealth where he can can appear and disappear in rather impossible situations. He is efficient with observation skills and forensic investigation.
Costume
Batman's costume incorporates the imagery of a bat in order to frighten criminals, while also concealing his true identity. The details of the Batman costume change repeatedly through various stories and media, but the most distinctive elements remain consistent: a scallop-hem cape, a cowl covering most of the face featuring a pair of bat-like ears, a stylized bat emblem on the chest, and the ever-present utility belt. Most versions of the Batsuit incorporate some form of body armor, and often night-vision, gas filters, and other aids to combat effectiveness or protection. All versions of the outfit incorporate a utility belt containing a variety of crimefighting equipment.
Utility Belt
Batman's utility belt is his most characteristic prop, much like Wonder Woman's Lasso of Truth, or Green Lantern's Power Ring. The exact contents of this belt are not known because Batman usually changes it to suit his needs. His uncanny ability to carry unusually appropriate tools is legendary. Batman's enemies are especially interested in the utility belt as they believe it will give them an advantage over him, but the belt's compartments are locked and only Batman knows how to open them. There have been a few instances where the security is been bypassed: In the Justice League episode "Injustice for All", Lex Luthor managed to open the belt and in an episode of The Batman "The Cat and the Bat" Catwoman stole Batman's utility belt and managed to open the capsules. The utility belt is depicted as having defense mechanisms such as electric shock, locks, marker paint, or stun gas in order to prevent tampering, but for some reason, it doesn't prevent the belt from being removed.
Equipment
Batman uses a large arsenal of specialized gadgets in his war against crime, the designs of which usually share a bat motif. Perhaps the most famous equipment used by Batman. These take the place of firearms, which Batman does not use, as firearms killed his parents. Batarangs are customizable throwing weapons, similar to shurikens, and are collapsible so that a large number of them can fit inside of Batman's utility belt. There are several special varieties of the batarang, aside from the regular type. Explosive batarangs explode once they hit their target. Electric batarangs deliver powerful electric shocks to whatever they come in contact with. These batarangs can electrocute enemies or overload electronic devices. Remote-controlled batarangs let Batman fully steer the batarang via a remote control. These are used when a straight line of sight isn't possible. These batarangs have cameras in them so that Batman can see where they are going.
Grapple gun: This gun shoots out a claw shaped projectile on a retractable high-tensile cord, which grabs onto a surface. Then, this cord pulls Batman to his target. He recently received a boost upgrade, launching him high into the air above the target point if he desires (so Batman can glide from there). The grapple gun can also pull down walls, grab enemies and pull them closer, or pull guns straight out of their hands. It is not kept in the belt itself. Rather, it magnetically attaches to it.
Smoke Pellets: Large amounts of smoke can be deployed by throwing or breaking open these small hardened-gelatin spheroid capsules. Often used to quickly provide cover for Batman's stealthly exits and entries. Due to Batman's high-tech cowl lenses, he can see perfectly through the smoke.
Bolas: Thrown around the feet of Batman's enemies to tie them with a composite-nylon cord. Often causes an escaping opponent to trip. With the push of a button in Batman's glove it can deliver an electric shock.
Transportation
Batman's primary vehicle is the Batmobile, which is usually depicted as an imposing black, sleek shaped convertible with large tailfins that resemble a bat's wings (although in Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, the Tumbler is a cross between a Lamborghini and an army tank). Batman's other vehicles include the Batplane (aka the Batwing, or simply The Bat), Batboat, Bat-Sub, and Batcycle (also known as the Batpod).
