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History: He was born into one of the wealthiest families in the world, but Bruce Wayne's life
- at least the idyllic part of it - came to an abrupt end in Crime Alley with a mugger's bullets.
After witnessing his parent's death and swearing to avenge them, Bruce was left in the care of the
Waynes' butler, Alfred Pennyworth.
Both Alfred and family friend Dr. Leslie Thompkins tried to dissuade Bruce from his vow, but failed.
The young man immersed himself in the study of criminology and martial arts and, as a teenager, began
studying with the greatest thinkers and warriors throughout the world, forging himself into the perfect
crime fighting machine.
Bruce eventually returned to Gotham and nearly lost his life in the first outing as a vigilante. As
he sat in his study, beaten and bloody, pondering how best to strike fear into the hearts of criminals,
a bat crashed through his window. Amid the flapping wing and shattering glass, Bruce found his answer.
The Batman would succeed where Bruce had failed and prove unrelenting in his pursuit of the
preservation of life. Watching over Gotham's street from its gargoyles and parapets, the Dark Knight is
the city's best hope against evil. And it is this obsession that drives the batman, for Wayne has vowed
that no innocent should ever suffer the pain he has endured.
When the Venom-fueled Bane destroyed Arkham Asylum and unleashed its inhabitants on an unwary Gotham,
Bruce Wayne learned that his obsession might be more than he can endure. Driving himself past the point
of exhaustion to capture Arkham's most dangerous inmates, Batman led himself right into the clutches of
Bane, who had deduced his identity and invaded the sanctity of Wayne Manor and the Batcave. There,
surrounded by all the trophies and weapons of his crusade, Bruce Wayne was defeated; his back broken
and spirit destroyed. Crippled and wheelchair-bound, the humbled Wayne left Jean Paul Valley his
costume and began an arduous quest to regain his strength and the will to fight, including calling upon
the beautiful but deadly Lady Shiva to retrain him in the fighting skills he had spent years mastering.
Upon learning that Valley had become a darker, more violent version of Batman, Wayne returned to Gotham
to forcibly reclaim the mantle of the Dark Knight. Shortly thereafter, Bruce Wayne departed Gotham once
again, leaving the city's custodianship in the hands of his former partner Dick Grayson for a brief time.
When Wayne finally did return, it was for good, adopting a darker look and stronger arsenal to reflect
the changes in body and mind Bane's attack had wrought upon him. Since that time, he has returned to the
Gotham night and attempted to rebuild his life as both Bruce Wayne and Batman.
After a grueling year spent behind the lines of "No Man's Land", the Dark Knight had to adapt to the
changing times. As his earthquake-ravaged city traded its gothic parapets and gargoyles for gleaming glass
towers and a renewed lease on life, Bruce Wayne was forced to reexamine his methods, as well as the
relationships with his allies in the war on crime. No less dedicated to his personal crusade the Batman
recognized that his cause need not be so solitary. No Man's Land taught the Dark Knight to depend more
readily on his "extended family" of vigilantes-frequent partners Nightwing, Robin, Oracle and Azrael - when
overwhelming odds showed him the value of allowing a new Batgirl to enter the fold, despite deeply felt
reservations. But perhaps most strengthened in the wake of No Man's Land is Batman's bond with G.C.P.D.
Commissioner James Gordon, strained to the point of dissolution during Gotham's darkest hours. Rather than
lose Gordon's trust utterly, the Dark Knight was willing to reveal his own identity, a gesture that Gordon
declined out of respect... and friendship. With the murder of Gordon's spouse, Lieutenant Sarah Essen
Gordon, Batman and Gordon where further linked by their mutual sense of loss and a dedication to justice
shared since their very first meeting.
With Gotham's recent gang wars ending his status as an unconfirmed "urban legend" and marking him as public
enemy number one, the Dark Knight now protects the streets of Gotham City Completely on his own, as
longtime allies Robin, Batgirl and Oracle have all left for other territories.
Last Update: July 15, 2007
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