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Aware that a direct assault on Batman would be foolish, Bane destroys the walls of [[Arkham Asylum]], allowing its deranged inmates (including the [[Joker (comics)|Joker]], the [[Scarecrow (comics)|Scarecrow]], the [[Mad Hatter (comics)|Mad Hatter]], the [[Ventriloquist (comics)|Ventriloquist]], [[Firefly (DC Comics)|Firefly]], [[Cavalier (comics)|Cavalier]], and [[Victor Zsasz]]) to escape into Gotham City, where Batman spends three months rounding them up. Running himself to exhaustion, Batman returns to [[Wayne Manor]], where Bane awaits him, having determined Batman's [[secret identity]]. Bane fights Batman in the [[Batcave]], defeats him and delivers the final blow: Bane breaks Batman's back, leaving him [[paraplegic]]; Bane thus becomes the only man to have "Broken the Bat".<ref name="UGO - Bane"/><ref name="Broken"/>
Aware that a direct assault on Batman would be foolish, Bane destroys the walls of [[Arkham Asylum]], allowing its deranged inmates (including the [[Joker (comics)|Joker]], the [[Scarecrow (comics)|Scarecrow]], the [[Mad Hatter (comics)|Mad Hatter]], the [[Ventriloquist (comics)|Ventriloquist]], [[Firefly (DC Comics)|Firefly]], [[Cavalier (comics)|Cavalier]], and [[Victor Zsasz]]) to escape into Gotham City, where Batman spends three months rounding them up. Running himself to exhaustion, Batman returns to [[Wayne Manor]], where Bane awaits him, having determined Batman's [[secret identity]]. Bane fights Batman in the [[Batcave]], defeats him and delivers the final blow: Bane breaks Batman's back, leaving him [[paraplegic]]; Bane thus becomes the only man to have "Broken the Bat".<ref name="UGO - Bane"/><ref name="Broken"/>


While Bane establishes himself as ruler of Gotham's criminal underworld, Bruce Wayne passes the mantle of Batman to Jean-Paul Valley, also known as [[Azrael (comics)|Azrael]]. As Batman, Jean-Paul grows increasingly violent, allowing the villain [[Abattoir (comics)|Abattoir]] to fall to his death. Jean-Paul also refuses to recognize [[Tim Drake|Robin]] as his partner. Using a sophisticated combat suit in place of the traditional Batman uniform, he fights and defeats Bane at the end of the '''Knightfall''' arc, severing the tubes that pump the Venom into Bane's bloodstream, causing severe [[withdrawal]]. Valley then gives the weakened Bane a vicious beating, leaving him alive but broken.<ref name="UGO - Bane"/><ref name="Broken"/>
While Bane establishes himself as ruler of Gotham's criminal underworld, [[Bruce Wayne[[ passes the mantle of Batman to Jean-Paul Valley, also known as [[Azrael (comics)|Azrael]]. As Batman, Jean-Paul grows increasingly violent, allowing the villain [[Abattoir (comics)|Abattoir]] to fall to his death. Jean-Paul also refuses to recognize [[Tim Drake|Robin]] as his partner. Using a sophisticated combat suit in place of the traditional Batman uniform, he fights and defeats Bane at the end of the '''Knightfall''' arc, severing the tubes that pump the Venom into Bane's bloodstream, causing severe [[withdrawal]]. Valley then gives the weakened Bane a vicious beating, leaving him alive but broken.<ref name="UGO - Bane"/><ref name="Broken"/>


===Legacy===
===Legacy===

Revision as of 02:45, 15 April 2011

Bane
File:Bane DC Comics Character.png
Bane by Brian Bolland.
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceBatman: Vengeance of Bane #1 (January 1993)
Created byChuck Dixon
Doug Moench
Graham Nolan
In-story information
Team affiliationsSuicide Squad
Secret Society of Super Villains
Secret Six
Abilities

Bane is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1 (January 1993), and was created by Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench, and Graham Nolan. Bane has been one of Batman's more physically and intellectually powerful foes. A virtually unstoppable juggernaut, he is best known for breaking Batman's back in the "Knightfall" story arc.

IGN's list of the Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time ranked Bane as #34.[1]

Publication history

According to his creators, Bane was originally intended as a "dark mirror" of the highly disciplined and multi-skilled pulp hero Doc Savage.[2]

Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench, and Graham Nolan created the character for the Knightfall storyline, although it's unclear what elements were introduced by each of the two writers (Dixon and Moench). Dixon wrote the character's first appearance (Vengeance of Bane),[3] with art by Graham Nolan. It is also unclear how much input was provided by Denny O'Neil (veteran writer of the Batman books, then Group Editor for the Batman family of books, and author of the novel adaptation of Knightfall). O'Neil had previously created Bane's hellish birthplace of Santa Prisca in The Question and the drug Venom in the storyline of the same name (published in the pages of Legends of the Dark Knight #16-20, and later reprinted as a trade paperback).[2][3] In the pages of Azrael, O'Neil introduced Bane's perception of Venom as both an addiction and the weakness responsible for his earlier defeats. The link between Bane and King Snake was introduced by writer Scott Beatty.[4]

Fictional character biography

Bane was born in the fictional Caribbean Republic of Santa Prisca, in a prison called Peña Dura ("Hard Rock"). His father Edmund Dorrance had been a revolutionary and had escaped Santa Prisca's court system. The corrupt government however decreed that his young son would serve out the man's life sentence, and thus Bane's childhood and early adult life are spent in the amoral penitentiary environment.[3][4] Though imprisoned, his natural abilities allow him to develop extraordinary skills within the prison's walls. He reads as many books as he can get his hands on, builds up his body in the prison's gym, and learns to fight in the merciless school of prison life. Despite his circumstances, he finds teachers of various sorts during his incarceration, ranging from hardened convicts to an elderly Jesuit priest, under whose tutelage he apparently receives a classical education. Bane murders this priest upon his return to Santa Prisca years later. However, he commits his first murder at the age of eight, stabbing a criminal who wanted to use him to gain information about the prison.[4] During his years in prison, Bane carries a teddy bear he calls Osito (Spanish for "little bear"), whom he considers his only friend.[5] It is revealed that Osito has a hole in his back to hold a knife that Bane uses against anyone who bullies him.[3][4]

Bane ultimately establishes himself as the "king" of Peña Dura prison. The prison's controllers take note and eventually force him to become a test subject for a mysterious drug known as Venom,[4] which had killed all other subjects; the drug is administered by a doctor who bears a passing resemblance to another Batman foe, Dr. Hugo Strange. Later, in Vengeance of Bane II the very same doctor encounters Bane again in Gotham and it can be confirmed that it is not Hugo Strange, who at that point in Batman continuity was a crazed psychologist and not a surgeon.[4] The Peña Dura prison Venom experiment nearly kills Bane at first, but he survives and finds the drug vastly increases his physical strength, although he needs to take it every 12 hours (via a system of tubes pumped directly into his brain) or he would suffer debilitating side-effects.[3][4]

"The Man who Broke the Bat"

Bane breaks Batman's back in a splash page from Batman #497 (July 1993). Art by Jim Aparo.

Soon after the initial experiments, Bane escapes Peña Dura, along with several accomplices based on the Fabulous Five (his friends Trogg, Zombie, and Bird, all of whom are named after 1960s rock bands: The Troggs, The Zombies, and The Byrds, and were designed to mimic three of Doc Savage's assistants Monk, Ham, and Renny).[3][4] His ambition turns to destroying Batman, whom he had heard tales of while serving his sentence. He is fascinated with Gotham City because, like the prison, it is a place where fear rules: in this case, fear of Batman. Bane is convinced that the demonic bat that haunted his dreams since childhood is a representation of the Batman.[3][4]

Aware that a direct assault on Batman would be foolish, Bane destroys the walls of Arkham Asylum, allowing its deranged inmates (including the Joker, the Scarecrow, the Mad Hatter, the Ventriloquist, Firefly, Cavalier, and Victor Zsasz) to escape into Gotham City, where Batman spends three months rounding them up. Running himself to exhaustion, Batman returns to Wayne Manor, where Bane awaits him, having determined Batman's secret identity. Bane fights Batman in the Batcave, defeats him and delivers the final blow: Bane breaks Batman's back, leaving him paraplegic; Bane thus becomes the only man to have "Broken the Bat".[3][4]

While Bane establishes himself as ruler of Gotham's criminal underworld, [[Bruce Wayne[[ passes the mantle of Batman to Jean-Paul Valley, also known as Azrael. As Batman, Jean-Paul grows increasingly violent, allowing the villain Abattoir to fall to his death. Jean-Paul also refuses to recognize Robin as his partner. Using a sophisticated combat suit in place of the traditional Batman uniform, he fights and defeats Bane at the end of the Knightfall arc, severing the tubes that pump the Venom into Bane's bloodstream, causing severe withdrawal. Valley then gives the weakened Bane a vicious beating, leaving him alive but broken.[3][4]

Legacy

Further following the events of Knightfall, Bane recovers from his Venom addiction while serving time in Blackgate Prison, as seen in Vengeance of Bane II: The Redemption (1995). He eventually escapes from prison and returns to Gotham, where he fights alongside Batman to take out a criminal ring that is distributing a Venom derivative to street-level thugs. Following a victory over the criminals (and the revelation that behind it is the same doctor that performed the same surgery on Bane years earlier in Santa Prisca), Bane proclaims that he is "innocent" of his past crimes and urges Batman to stop hunting him. He then leaves Gotham (without fighting Batman) to begin a search for his father.[6]

Bane's search brings him back to Santa Prisca.[7] In search of leads, Bane questions the Jesuit priest who had taught him while he was in Peña Dura. The priest explains that there were four men who could possibly have been his father: a Santa Priscan revolutionary, an American doctor, an English mercenary, and a Swiss banker. While searching for the Swiss man in Rome, Bane encounters the League of Assassins and eventually Bane impresses Ra's al Ghul so much that he chooses Bane as his heir (an "honor" he had previously imparted on Batman).[7]

Ra's al Ghul and Bane then launch a plague attack on Gotham in the "Legacy" storyline. Bruce Wayne, again costumed as Batman, gets his rematch with Bane in Detective Comics #701 and finally defeats him in single combat.[8]

Following the "Legacy" storyline, Bane appears in a one-shot publication called Batman: Bane (1997)[9] and fights Azrael in the "Angel and the Bane" storyline.[10] He then surfaces in the story arc "No Man's Land", serving as an enforcer for Lex Luthor during Luthor's attempts to take control of Gotham under the cover of helping it to rebuild, but Batman convinces Bane to leave after a brief confrontation between Bane and the Joker. Following a fallout with Ra's al Ghul, Bane later embarks on a campaign to destroy Lazarus Pits around the world, and in the process, encounters Black Canary.[11]

"Veritas Liberat"

According to the Jesuit priest that Bane speaks with, there is a possibility that Bane's biological father is an American doctor.[7] In researching this issue, Bane comes to the conclusion that he and Batman share Dr. Thomas Wayne as their biological father, with Dr. Wayne having apparently become close to Bane's mother during his time in Santa Prisca. Bane alerts Batman to this possibility and during the time that the DNA tests are being performed, stays at Wayne Manor and fights alongside Batman on the streets of Gotham in the "Tabula Rasa" storyline. Ultimately, it is revealed that Dr. Wayne is not Bane's father, and Bane leaves Gotham peacefully (and with Batman's blessing and financial backing) to pursue leads in the snowy mountains of Kangchenjunga.[12][13][14][15]

Bane eventually finds his father, who turns out to not be El Jefe Del Pais of Santa Prisca[16] at all but rather the unscrupulous King Snake, in the "Veritas Liberat" storyline. Bane, with Batman looking on, helps foil King Snake's plans to unleash a powerful weapon upon the world. Bane saves Batman from being shot by King Snake, but is mortally wounded in the process. Batman then saves Bane by bathing him in a Lazarus Pit, and leaves him with a clean slate and a new opportunity at life.[17][18][19]

Infinite Crisis & One Year Later

In Infinite Crisis #7, Bane is shown fighting alongside the villains during the Battle of Metropolis. During the battle, he breaks the back of the hero Judomaster, killing him. No reason was given for his actions in #7, though in Infinite Crisis' collected edition, one of the many changes made to the original series was Bane saying "I finally know who I am. I am 'Bane'. I 'break' people." while breaking Judomaster's back.[20]

Bane resurfaces in the One Year Later continuity of JSA Classified #17-18 searching for the Hourmen (Rex and Rick Tyler), asking them for help. To win their trust, he tells them how, prior to the Battle of Metropolis, he returned to his homeland to put an end to the drug lords' government, in the process discovering that a new, more addictive strain of Venom had been created. In his furious carelessness to wipe out the drug trade, he was captured, and reimplanted with the cranial tubes, hooked to the new Venom, but now unable to shake off his addiction without dying from the withdrawal. Bane was forced to work as an enforcer for the drug cartel, unable to escape. Believing that Bane sought Rex Tyler's expertise in chemistry, Rick lets him approach his father, only to discover that the story is a ruse. Bane, who had never truly been addicted to Venom, had in fact wiped out the drug lords, and destroyed every research note on Venom. He discovered in the process both strains of Venom derived from Rex Tyler's early research on Miraclo. He discovers from the Tylers that no written notes exist of Rex's work, captures Rex, and steals Rick's equipment, planning to kill Rex and force Rick to take the last of the new Venom, living forever as an addict. Rick manipulates Bane into using Miraclo and demolishing the building as he and his father escape, burying the mercenary in the rubble of the very same Santa Priscan penitentiary where his story began.[21]

Eventually, Bane resurfaces in Santa Prisca, leading the country to democratic elections. Upon discovering that the elections were rigged by Computron, he uses his influence to enforce martial law, plunging the country into a civil war. Computron offers information to Checkmate on who ordered him to rig the elections in exchange for their help in escaping the country. Fire and Judomaster's son, Thomas Jagger, are sent on the mission, with Jagger debating whether or not to seek revenge for his father's murder. He fights Bane in order to allow Fire to escape, defeating him easily, but chooses not to kill him.[22]

At the end of the miniseries Suicide Squad: Raise the Flag, Amanda Waller recruits Bane into the Squad. In Outsiders #50, he appears once more to be wearing the tubing system to apply Venom.[23]

In Salvation Run #2, Bane was tricked by his fellow squad members, and sent to the prison planet.[24] In Salvation Run #3, Bane remains with Lex Luthor's faction after Joker's faction rebels against Luthor's leadership. He recently attacked Thunder and Lightning when they were attempting to feed Martian Manhunter.[25]

Superman/Batman #53-#56 reveals Bane is trading his Venom supplies with drug lords across the globe. One of his shipments includes a trip to Gotham. Batman, who was temporarily endowed with Superman's powers, responded by attacking Bane at his home. Not only was the Dark Knight able to easily defeat the villain, the hero nearly killed him with his far superior strength. Bane survived his injuries due to the enhanced stamina from his Venom supplies. Whether these events are in continuity with the mainstream DC Universe is debatable, like much of the Superman/Batman book after Jeph Loeb left writing duties. Seeing Bane using Venom again after previously stating that he would sooner die than use it, as well selling it instead of actively seeking to rid the world of the drug entirely, lends credence to the idea that this story is not canon.

Secret Six

Since September 2008, Bane has appeared as a regular character in the ongoing Secret Six series. In the first issue, Bane is depicted as a stoic devil's advocate for the group, offering alternative points of view for both Deadshot and Catman on the subject of love.[26] He is later shown to have an almost father-like concern for Scandal Savage's well-being.[27] Although this is largely played for laughs in the early issues, the first arc's final issue displays the depth of Bane's affection. When the Six are attacked by an army of supervillains, a wounded (and seemingly dying) Bane's concern for Scandal results in temporarily breaking his vow to never take Venom again in order to save her.[28] Bane is later shown to have recovered from his ordeal, appearing in Gotham City with Catman and Ragdoll in an attempt to stem some of the chaos caused by the apparent death of Batman. During the team's several escapades, Bane reveals both a deep respect for his onetime adversary and a painful yearning to assume the mantle of Batman, telling a trio of rescued citizens to tell people that it was the Batman who saved them. Bane ultimately gives his blessing to Dick Grayson, praying that "God help him."[29] Following a near-disastrous mission, Bane assumes leadership over the Six. His first act as leader is to remove Scandal from active duty, not wishing for her to be endangered.[30] In the latest issue of Secret Six, Bane's Secret Six and Scandal Savage's Secret Six finally square off against each other. Bane and Scandal engage in a one on one fight where he refuses to fight back until he grabs her Lamentation Blades and uses them (against Scandal's will) to slash his own throat.[31]

Powers and abilities

Bane is highly intelligent; in Bane of the Demon, Ra's al Ghul says that Bane "has a mind equal to the greatest he has known."[7] In prison, he taught himself various scientific disciplines equal to the level of understanding of leading experts in those fields.[4] He knows six active languages and at least two additional arcane and dead ones. Among these are Spanish, English, Urdu, Persian, and Latin.[7] The Bane of the Demon storyline reveals that he has a photographic memory. Within one year, he is able to deduce Batman's secret identity.[7]

Although extremely dangerous at all times, Bane is perfectly sane and in control of his mind and actions—a trait that separates him from many of Batman's enemies. While he generally acts as a villain, Bane has worked alongside Batman at times and developed a great respect for the Dark Knight. He is also one of the few villains of Batman to have learned his true identity. He is also resistant to telepathy as he can think of something so quickly and so intensely that even the Martian Manhunter can not read what is in his mind.[citation needed]

He is also highly devious and a superb strategist and tactician.[4] In prison, Bane also invented his own form of calisthenics, meditation, and a unique fighting style.[7] Usage of Venom enhances his physical abilities, including his strength, and healing process to superhuman levels.[5][32][33] Although Bane had sworn off using Venom in Vengeance of Bane II in 1995, and his character is actually written as having kept that promise to himself, it is still not uncommon for artists to draw Bane as still wearing the tube leading from his old wrist device to the back of his head. This is likely due to the illustrators only being familiar with that early version of Bane's visual appearance. Writer Gail Simone explained these lapses in the continuity of Bane's appearance in an issue of Secret Six, in which Deadshot remarked that Bane merely kept his old Venom equipment with him out of habit, even though he states that he would sooner die before using any of it again.[volume & issue needed]

In other media

Television

File:Banex2.jpg
Bane attempts to break Batman's back in his (self-titled) debut episode, "Bane", in Batman: The Animated Series.
  • Bane made his animated debut in Batman: The Animated Series episode "Bane", even though producers were reluctant to use him as they felt his comic incarnation was too gimmicky.[34] Voiced with a strong South-American accent by Henry Silva for the episode and his subsequent appearances, this Bane is an articulate professional assassin hired by criminal Rupert Thorne to assassinate Batman. Bane accepts the job as he believes defeating Batman will cement his reputation within the underworld, and aid in his own aspiration to take over Gotham afterward. Whereas Bane's mask in the comics completely conceals his face, this version sports openings for the nose and mouth in the style of a traditional wrestling mask. This luchador-like incarnation is distinctly less formidable than the comic iteration, even when using Venom. During the climactic battle, Bane tries to replicate the feat of breaking Batman's back like in the comics, but Batman manages to escape by causing Bane's pump module to malfunction with one of his batarangs. The subsequent overdose of Venom increases Bane's muscle size and heart rate almost to the point of a heart attack, but Batman removes the tube from Bane's head, leaving him severely weakened and broken but saving his life.
File:Bane-comics-DCAU-TNBA.jpg
Bane's redesigned appearance in The New Batman Adventures episode, "Over The Edge".
  • Henry Silva reprises his role as Bane for The New Batman Adventures episode "Over the Edge", this time with less of a noticeable accent. After Barbara Gordon is killed in action as Batgirl, Batman's secret identity is exposed and he becomes a fugitive from the law, hunted down by her father, Commissioner Gordon. Unable to bring Batman to justice through traditional means, Gordon grants Bane an early release from prison in exchange for assistance in apprehending the Dark Knight. Bane and Batman have an especially brutal brawl on the rooftops of Gotham. When Bane notes Batman's desperate status, he asks if he's willing to fight to the death, to which Batman replies, "It makes no difference now". The fight ends on the top of the GCPD headquarters, with Bane preparing to kill Batman. Gordon tries to stop him since killing was not part of their agreement, but Bane quickly turns on him. Before Bane can kill Gordon, Batman cuts Bane's Venom tube and attaches it to the previously broken Bat-Signal, which delivers a severe electrical shock. Batman reaches over the edge of the roof to save Gordon, who is barely hanging on, but Bane temporarily regains consciousnesses and uses the last of his strength to knock them over the side with the Bat-signal before collapsing. As Batman and Gordon fall to their deaths, it is revealed that the entire episode was merely a Scarecrow-induced nightmare suffered by Barbara.
  • Bane also appears in the Superman: The Animated Series episode "Knight Time". Henry Silva reprises his role. When Batman mysteriously disappears, Superman travels to Gotham to find the Dark Knight. The Man of Steel ends up donning the Batsuit to keep everyone from realizing that Bruce Wayne and Batman are the same person as their disappearances are reported around the same time. Superman investigates the city with Tim Drake, the newest Robin. Their investigation brings them into an encounter with the Riddler, the Mad Hatter, and Bane, who were earlier conspiring to kill Batman. Bane gets into a fistfight with Superman, still dressed as Batman. With the Riddler's help, Bane drops a massive statue on Superman, appearing to have finally killed Batman. As Bane gloats about how disappointed he is with their anti-climatic showdown, Superman suddenly lifts the statue off of himself and throws it at Bane. Superman then pummels Bane with his bare hands into submission.
  • Bane makes an appearance in the Batman Beyond episode "The Winning Edge". When an influx of Venom hits the streets of future Gotham, Terry McGinnis, Wayne's successor to the Batman mantle, and the now-retired Wayne suspect that Bane is the supplier and track him down, only to learn that a lifetime of Venom usage has taken its toll on the once formidable villain; he's now a frail old man, confined to a wheelchair and reliant on an oxygen tank to breathe. Terry surmises that the new Venom supply did not originate from him. However, it was eventually revealed that Bane's addiction to Venom had become so extreme that he needed it just to survive; being too weak to make new batches himself, Bane was forced to give the Venom recipe to his nurse/caretaker, Jackson Chappell (voiced by Larry Drake), who subsequently began selling the Venom for himself. The Venom-induced Chappell was beaten by Batman, and left a brain dead vegetable, thanks to his overdose. Bane has no dialogue in this episode nor makes any further appearances.[35]
File:Bane TB Traction.jpg
Bane and Batman from The Batman episode "Traction" (original air date Sept 18, 2004).
  • A different version of Bane is depicted in The Batman (2004–08), voiced by Joaquim de Almeida in the first appearance, Ron Perlman in "Team Penguin," and Clancy Brown in "The Batman/Superman Story" Pt. 1.[36][37] This version of Bane is seen possessing an athletic body before pumping himself with Venom. To access this, he turns a control on his right hand which pumps the serum into his body. After doing so, he transforms into a huge hulking brute with red skin. This is also the largest and presumably the strongest of all of the prior animated versions of Bane, being over twice as tall and wide as the normal sized people, but he has very tiny legs. In "Traction," Bane was hired by three crime bosses to eliminate Batman. Though he managed to injure Batman, Bane was later defeated by Batman using the Bat-Bot. In the season 3 episode "Brawn", the Joker uses Bane's Venom. In "Team Penguin," Bane received an invitation from Penguin to join up with him only to be taken down by Batman, Robin, and Batgirl before he can reply. Bane is later seen as one of the many supervillains captured by the vigilante Rumor in the episode "Rumors" and again in "The Batman/Superman Story" as one of several villains hired by Lex Luthor to capture Superman. Bane ends up getting beaten by Superman in a manner reminiscent of his appearance in "Superman: The Animated Series."
  • Bane appears in the cold opening to the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "Menace of the Conqueror Caveman" voiced by Michael Dorn. This version of Bane is physically frail before pumping himself with Venom, much like his Batman & Robin version. When Batman and Wildcat find an un-Venomed Bane at a train station, Wildcat quickly mocks the supposed menace for his scrawny physique and asks why Batman needed his help for such a weakling. Bane then activates his Venom pump and soon towers over the crime fighters before knocking Batman out. Wildcat manages to defeat Bane by grabbing a Batarang and cutting Bane's Venom tubes, which fall onto train tracks and gives him an electric shock.
File:Bane YJ.jpg
Bane's appearance in the Young Justice episode "Drop Zone".
  • Bane appears in the Young Justice episode "Drop Zone" voiced by Danny Trejo. Bane is in a small war against the cult Kobra over the production of his drug Venom. Here after losing control over the Santa Prisca prison to the cult of Kobra he agreed to fight their champion Mammoth (who had been infused with a Venom/Blockbuster formula) to get it back. Later the Young Justice team infiltrated the island to discern the reason why all Venom shipments have been cut off yet Venom is still being produced at full level. Bane quickly meets up with the team and proposes a alliance, and with Miss Martian unable to read his mind because he is reciting Spanish football scores in his head to protect himself, they agree. Later Bane revealed that he only needed help to get his factory back, and with the team apparently unable to do that, he had decided to kill them and frame Kobra for their deaths, with the knowledge that the Justice League of America would come to Santa Prisca and finish off the Cult in retribution. He is then soundly trounced by the combined powers of Miss Martian's telekinesis and Superboy's super strength, and is last shown tied up as he watches his factory being burned to the ground during the team's fight with the Cult. It is worth noting that while Bane is mostly voiced by Latino voice actors, Young Justice is the first series to show Bane actively speaking Spanish.

Film

File:RobertSwenson-Bane.JPG
Robert Swenson as Bane in Batman & Robin (1997).
  • Bane appears in the live-action film Batman & Robin (1997) where he is the tertiary antagonist. Unlike his comics counterpart, this incarnation has a real name, Antonio Diego (portrayed by Michael Reid MacKay), a serial killer serving life in prison. Somehow, Dr. Jason Woodrue acquired him for his illegal experiments in producing super-soldiers using Venom. He was the sole-surviving test subject and turned into the muscular Bane (portrayed by Robert Swenson). Rather than being the devious, intelligent villain of the comics, this version is an inarticulate thug who serves as the bodyguard of Poison Ivy as well as an assistant to Mr. Freeze. Bane is barely even capable of speech and uses growls and roars for most of his communication. Despite this however, he is still muscular, wears a slight variation of his classic mask, and is still superhumanly strong; easily overpowering various thugs, cops, and holding his own against both Batman and Robin in hand-to-hand combat. Bane was defeated when, after falling off of the telescope platform and being pinned against a wall, almost getting choked to death by him, Robin and Batgirl kicked the venom-tube in the back of his head and disconnected it from the rest of his body, causing him massive withdrawal which changed him back into his regular self. This depiction of the character was one of many aspects of the film which received harsh criticism from fans and critics alike.[38]
  • Bane appears in Batman: The Animated Series spin-off direct-to-video animated movie, Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (2003), voiced by Héctor Elizondo[34][39][40] and this time sporting a Spanish accent. In this film, he is once again hired by Rupert Thorne along with the Penguin and Carlton Duquesne. This time, he is hired to kill Batwoman. Towards the end of the film, Bane falls into a pit of fire after having his Venom supply cut off during a fight with Batman. He is presumed killed, but his appearance in Batman Beyond makes it clear that he survived.
  • Bane appears in the animated movie Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, but has no dialogue and merely grunts. Bane, along with several supervillains, tried to collect the billion-dollar bounty on Superman. He briefly fights Batman but despite being one of his major dangerous enemies he was defeated in seconds when Batman used his batarang to cut his venom-tube and knock him out with a single kick.

Video games

Bane appears as a villain in several Batman based video games:

  • Bane also appears in Lego Batman: The Videogame (vocal effects by Fred Tatasciore) as an enemy of Batman and a follower of the Penguin.[46] Ben of Game Informer writes that "this game is filled with cool playable characters... Nightwing, Joker, Killer Croc, Bane, Catwoman, and Man-Bat only scratch the surface of the game's catalog of great characters."[47] He is a playable character and has the super strong ability, toxic immunity, and a special "back breaker" move. The player can gain an achievement (360)/trophy (PS3) if the player, as Bane, uses the back breaker move on Batman, the player's human- or computer-controlled partner (a reference to the Knightfall storyarc).
  • Bane is featured in the 2009 Batman: Arkham Asylum video game voiced again by Fred Tatasciore. In the game, Bane is the first boss battle. He is being used as a human test subject in the Medical Facility, and the Venom has been drained from his system, along with his muscles. After Batman rescues Commissioner Gordon, the pair of them discover Bane strung up to several test tubes as he begs to be cut down. As Bane reveals that Dr. Penelope Young was behind this experiment, the Joker appears on a security monitor and pumps the Venom into Bane's body with a remote switch stating that Dr. Young will be eliminated by someone else. Enraged, Bane attacks Batman, who manages to defeat him by tearing the pumps from Bane's body, who then is seemingly crushed by the collapsing roof. He later charges out from the wall in a frenzy, but is hit by the Batmobile and sent into the river. Bane's character biography is unlocked by examining his teddy bear located in a room before the player enters the chamber to rescue Gordon from Harley Quinn. His presence is explained with the discovery that Dr. Young was using Venom to develop the Titan formula (an enhanced version of Venom that triggers a Bane-like transformation without the need for the tank that Bane requires for the same purpose) when she worked for "Jack White" (one of Joker's aliases). Bane could be one of the possibilities that grabs the case of Titan floating in the water at the ending.
  • Bane is also featured in DC Universe Online as a boss, voiced by E. Jason Liebrecht. He has been supplying a new type of Venom throughout Gotham City with his hideout being the Cape Carmine Lighthouse. If the player takes the hero campaign, he/she will be assisted by Nightwing. If the player takes the villain campaign, he/she will be assisted by Killer Croc. Bane's henchmen are referred to as Hoppers, Juicers, Lieutenants, Muscles, Razors, Retaliators, Splints, Street Soldiers, Strongmen, Venomized Dogs, Envenomed Hoppers, Envenomed Guard Dogs, Envenomed Juicers, Envenomed Lieutenants, Envenomed Retaliators, Envenomed Street Soldiers, Envenomed Strongmen, and Venom Supplier Diego.

Radio

Peter Marinker plays Bane in the radio adaption of Batman: Knightfall.

Toys

Kenner released different versions of Bane for each of its Batman: The Animated Series, Batman & Robin, and Legends of the Dark Knight action figure lines.[48][49] D.C. Direct has released two Bane figures, one as the character appeared in the Batman "Knightfall" comic series as well as in the "Secret Files & Origins" series. Each came packaged with a figure stand specific to that particular series, with no other accessories.[50] Mattel has included two versions of Bane in their D.C. Superheroes line of action figures. Both versions share the same mold and only vary in paint applications. The first version is set apart by black pants while the second (2007) version has pants decorated with a camouflage pattern. Both versions of this figure came with a small "Osoito" accessory, although many of the first version seem to have been shipped to stores without.[50] In 2007, LEGO released a Bane mini-figure in a Bat-Tank building set, alongside a Riddler mini-figure.[51] In February 2009, Mattel released an action figure from The New Batman Adventures incarnation of Bane in the Justice League Unlimited toyline in a Matty Collector exclusive four pack along with Clock King, Harley Quinn, and Scarecrow. The figure comes with no accessories.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Bane is Number 34". Comics.ign.com. Retrieved 2010-12-29.
  2. ^ a b Tobin, Suzanne (2003-05-16). "Comics: Meet the Artist". Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-05-10. Actually, Chuck Dixon came up the idea for an evil 'Doc Savage' and I designed the character
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i "UGO's World of Batman - Rogues Gallery - Bane". UGO. Retrieved 2005-05-10.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m O'Neill, Dennis, Kane, Bob (w), Various others (a). "Broken Bat" Batman: Knightfall (1993). DC Comics, 1563891425.
  5. ^ a b Wallace, Dan (2008). "Bane". In Dougall, Alastair (ed.). The DC Comics Encyclopedia. London: Dorling Kindersley. p. 36. ISBN 0-7566-4119-5.
  6. ^ Dixon, Chuck (w), Nolan, Graham (p), Barreto, Eduardo (i). Batman: Vengeance of Bane II (1995). DC Comics.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Dixon, Chuck (w), Nolan, Graham (p), Sienkiewicz, Bill, Palmer, Tom (i). Batman: Bane of the Demon, no. 1 (March 1998). DC Comics.
  8. ^ Dixon, Chuck (w), Nolan, Graham (p), Hanna, Scott (i). "Legacy, Part Six: Gotham's Scourge" Detective Comics, no. 701, p. 32 (September 1996). DC Comics.
  9. ^ Dixon, Chuck (w), Burchett, Rick (p), Burchett, Rick (i). Batman: Bane, vol. 1 (May 1997). DC Comics.
  10. ^ Azrael #36-40 (December 1997 - April 1998)
  11. ^ Dixon, Chuck (w), Guice, Butch (p), Guice, Butch (i). "The Suiter" Birds of Prey, no. 26 (February 2001). DC Comics.
  12. ^ Beatty, Scott (w), Collins, Mike (p), Sienkiewicz, Bill (i). "Tabula Rasa, Prologue: The Debvil You Know..." Gotham Knights, no. 33, p. 22 (November 2002). DC Comics.
  13. ^ Beatty, Scott (w), Robinson, Roger (p), Floyd, John (i). "Tabula Rasa, Part One: Skin Trade" Gotham Knights, no. 34, p. 22 (December 2002). DC Comics.
  14. ^ Beatty, Scott (w), Robinson, Roger (p), Floyd, John (i). "Tabula Rasa, Part Two: Pain and Ink" Gotham Knights, no. 35, p. 22 (January 2003). DC Comics.
  15. ^ Beatty, Scott (w), Robinson, Roger (p), Floyd, John (i). "Tabula Rasa, Part Three: Pix" Gotham Knights, no. 36, p. 22 (February 2003). DC Comics.
  16. ^ Catwoman #4, November 1993
  17. ^ Beatty, Scott (w), Robinson, Roger (p), Floyd, John (i). "Veritas Liberat Chapter One: King of the Mountain" Gotham Knights, no. 47, p. 22 (January 2004). DC Comics.
  18. ^ Beatty, Scott (w), Robinson, Roger (p), Floyd, John (i). "Veritas Liberat Chapter Two: Family Reunion" Gotham Knights, no. 48, p. 22 (February 2004). DC Comics.
  19. ^ Beatty, Scott (w), Robinson, Roger (p), Floyd, John (i). "Veritas Liberat Chapter Three: The Redeemer" Gotham Knights, no. 49, p. 22 (March 2004). DC Comics.
  20. ^ Tate, Ray (2006-05-05). "Infinite Crisis #7 Review - Line of Fire Reviews". Comics Bulletin. Retrieved 2008-05-22.
  21. ^ Bedard, Tony (w), McDaniel, Scott (p), Owens, Andy (i). "The Venom Connection Part 1" JSA: Classified, no. 17 (November 2006). DC Comics.
  22. ^ Bedard, Tony (w), McDaniel, Scott (p), Owens, Andy (i). "The Venom Connection, Part 2 of 2" JSA: Classified, no. 18, p. 22 (December 2006). DC Comics.
  23. ^ Bedard, Tony (w), Clark, Matthew, Randall, Ron (p), Thibert, Art (i). "You Killed the Outsiders" Outsiders, no. 50, p. 32 (November 2007). DC Comics.
  24. ^ Willingham, Bill (w), Chen, Sean (p), Wong, Walden (i). "Take This World and Shove It!" Salvation Run, no. 2, p. 32 (February 2008). DC Comics.
  25. ^ Sturges, Matthew (w), Chen, Sean (p), Wong, Walden (i). "All You Need Is Hate" Salvation Run, no. 3, p. 32 (March 2008). DC Comics.
  26. ^ Secret Six #1
  27. ^ Secret Six #3
  28. ^ Secret Six #7
  29. ^ Secret Six #9
  30. ^ Secret Six #14
  31. ^ Secret Six #26
  32. ^ "Bane (comic book character)". Comicvine.com. Retrieved 2010-12-29.
  33. ^ "Bane". Comic Book DB. Retrieved 2010-12-29.
  34. ^ a b Batman: The Animated Series (DVD). Warner Bros. Home Video. 2004.
  35. ^ "DCAUResource.com: DCAU Resource - Villains - Bane". DCAU Resource. Retrieved 2010-12-29.
  36. ^ Beechen, Adam (2004-09-25). "The Batman: Traction Recap". TV.com. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
  37. ^ Kuhr, Joseph (2006-09-30). "The Batman: Team Penguin Recap". TV.com. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
  38. ^ McNeill, Dustin. "Batman & Robin (US - DVD R1) in Reviews". DVD Active. Retrieved 2008-05-23. The only one I can recommend watching is the biography on Bane. Paul Dini of Batman: The Animated Series and Denny O'Neil of DC Comics tell us just how badly Bane was written for the movie making the only thing missing here an apology from screenwriter Akiva Goldsman.
  39. ^ Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (DVD). Warner Bros. Home Video. 2003.
  40. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0346578/
  41. ^ "Anne Hathaway to Play Selina Kyle in The Dark Knight Rises!". Superhero Hype. 2011-01-19. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
  42. ^ "'Dark Knight Rises': Anne Hathaway will be Catwoman, Tom Hardy is Bane [Updated] | Hero Complex – Los Angeles Times". Herocomplex.latimes.com. 2011-01-19. Retrieved 2011-03-16. {{cite web}}: Text "author" ignored (help)
  43. ^ Fielder, Joe (1998-08-06). "Batman & Robin for PlayStation Review". Game Spot. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
  44. ^ "IGN: Batman: Chaos in Gotham Screenshots, Wallpapers and Pics". Au.media.gameboy.ign.com. Retrieved 2010-12-29.
  45. ^ "Gamespy review for Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu". Game Spy. Retrieved 2008-05-22.
  46. ^ Game Informer features a two-page gallery of the many heroes and villains who appear in the game with a picture for each character and a descriptive paragraph. See "LEGO Batman: Character Gallery", Game Informer 186 (October 2008): 93.
  47. ^ Ben, "LEGO Batman: Time to build something new", Game Informer 187 (November 2008): 116.
  48. ^ "Image of Bane action figure". Legions of Gotham. Retrieved 2008-05-23.
  49. ^ "Image of Bane action figure". Legions of Gotham. Retrieved 2008-05-23.
  50. ^ a b "Warner Bros. Consumer Products Soars into Gotham City with Batman for 2005 American International Toy Fair". Time Warner. 2005-02-17. Retrieved 2008-05-23.
  51. ^ "7787-1: The Bat-Tank: The Riddler and Bane's Hideout". Lego. Retrieved 2010-05-30.