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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.
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.
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: October 12, 2013
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