Batman is the alter-ego of Bruce Wayne, a billionaire industrialist and philanthropist who was driven to fight crime after his parents, Dr. Thomas Wayne and his wife Martha Wayne, were murdered before his eyes at the age of eight by Joe Chill. The killer was later arrested after fleeing the scene. Fortunately, medical doctor and social worker Leslie Thompkins was there to give loving comfort to the traumatized Bruce. He was then raised at Wayne Manor by Alfred Pennyworth. Bruce Wayne swore an oath to rid the city of the evil that had taken his parents' lives. He spent his youth traveling the world, training himself to intellectual and physical perfection and learning a variety of crime-fighting skills, including chemistry, criminology, forensics, martial arts, gymnastics, and disguise. At age 14, Bruce Wayne began his global sojourn, attending courses at Cambridge, the Sorbonne, and other European universities. However, he never stayed long and would often drop out after one semester. Beyond academia, Wayne acquired more "practical" skills. While abroad, Wayne learned 127 major styles of combat, from Aikido to Yaw-Yan. Frenchman Henri Ducard made him an apprentice in manhunting. The ninja Kirigi, and other ninja shadow masters, schooled Wayne in stealth and the ways of the shadow warrior. African Bushman (the Ghost Tribes of the Ten-Eyed Brotherhood, among others) taught hunting techniques, while Nepalese monks revealed healing arts. He even learned ventriloquism from practioners of the art. His knowledge of so many varied disciplines has made Wayne an unconventional and unpredictable opponent. When he was 20, he attempted to join the FBI, but he learned it would be impossible to fight crime and evil within the legal system. After returning to Gotham City in his early twenties, Wayne made several harrowing and near-fatal forays into the world of crime-fighting before donning his now familiar costume. In part, the costume was inspired by another tragic accident of his life that would have a profound impact on who he would become — at the age of eight, he fell down a cavern, located beneath Wayne Manor (later to become the Batcave), that was swarming with bats. He was thereafter haunted by the event, despite the timely arrival of his father. After a particularly near-fatal brush with the criminals of Gotham (his last encounter before donning the cape and cowl), he sat in his father's study questioning his mission and seeking direction. A bat crashed through the window, and he took it as a sign that he should take on the appearance of a bat to strike fear into the criminal element, whom he thought to be "a superstitious, cowardly lot." In keeping with the "dark" nature of bats, Batman usually operates primarily at night. Batman was considered an urban legend and not believed by the citizens of Gotham City to actually exist.

Thomas upon hearing of his parents deaths at home was instantaneously crushed and sank into a complete emotional and mental collapse that would last for years forcing his Uncle Phillip who took in the angry Bruce to commit Thomas, Jr. to a mental institution.

Bruce would largely forget about his brother due to the trauma and his Uncle Phillip lying that the catatonic Thomas Jr. was dead. Bruce would not meet his brother again until far later in their adult lives

Shortly after the funeral, Social Services handed Bruce over to the care of his uncle – Philip Wayne. He stayed at Philip's estate and became close friends with the housekeeper, Mrs. Chilton. Although he never knew it, Mrs. Chilton was also the mother of Joe Chill – the man who murdered his parents.

As Bruce became a teenager, he dedicated himself towards learning everything he could about police procedure. He decided to track down the city’s most famous private detective, Harvey Harris. Donning a bright red and green costume to conceal his identity, Bruce tracked Harris down, only to find a criminal waiting to ambush him. Bruce used a large advertising display piece to waylay the thug, saving Harvey's life. Harvey was so impressed with the teen's verve that he agreed to take him under his wing. He even provided Bruce with a codename – Robin.

As Robin, Bruce spent several weeks training under Harvey's tutelage. Harris instructed him on the finer points of criminal detection, and trained him in gymnastics, and hand-to-hand combat. Working together, the two became inseparable and in the span of just a few years, they managed to deal a marked blow against the criminal underworld.

When it was time for Bruce to enter college, he parted company with Harvey and threw himself into his studies. He specialized not only in criminology, but in the sciences as well. After four intense years, he was nearly ready to fulfill his lifelong dream of becoming a law-enforcement agent.

Upon graduation however, Bruce began to re-evaluate his future. He recognized the fact that law enforcement agencies were often the victims of an endless bureaucracy that hampered them from meting out true justice. He could not in good conscious follow such an ineffective path.

Bruce returned to his family's original estate, Wayne Manor, where he reunited with his father's old butler, Alfred Pennyworth. He was now old enough to assume control of his father's business interests at Wayne Enterprises, but there was still the unsettled matter of his graveside vow.

One evening, Bruce sat in his study pondering his dilemma when a bat flew into the room from an open window. Immediately, his mind harkened back to the image of his father, Thomas, dressed up as a bat-man at the costume party. It was an omen. He decided that he would become a living symbol to strike terror into the hearts of all criminals. He became... the Batman.

It would be as Batman that Bruce began his personal crusade against the underworld forces that operated within Gotham city almost unchecked. Batman would prefer to intimidate and threaten rather than actually permanently hurt his opponents usually using nerve pressure attacks to defeat far stronger and larger opponents and outwit more numerous group adversaries.

Proving to be an effective crime fighter through sophisticated analytical and detective processes than the tried and true battering ram techniques of comtemporary police, Batman began to gather the support of largely ineffective Gotham City Police Commissioner James Gordon. The New Robin

It would be on one of the Batman's investigations that Batman was drawn to the traveling Haly Circus that was being exploited by a local mob boss. Bruce would take in the then-orphaned Richard "Dick" Grayson and focus Dick's anger into training and enhancing Grayson's skills, which would ultimately result in Dick becoming Batman's junior partner, Robin. Together Bruce and Dick would protect Gotham City from many costumed villians as well as many powerful crime lords and mob bosses including the notable and far reaching crime master Ra's al Ghul. Batman and Robin would also begin engaging in many far reaching cases outside of Gotham City, which would involve other heroes, most notably Superman.

Bruce as Batman would later join Superman and the other primary heroes in their attempt to repulse the invading Space alien Starro who planned on enslaving the entire planet Earth and its populace. It would be during this adventure that Wayne along with the other heroes would form the Justice League of America.

Robin was never asked to become part of the Justice League. In response to that exclusion, the Earth-One Robin forms the Teen Titans along with the other teenage "sidekicks" of the elder superheroes including Speedy (partner of Green Arrow), Wonder Girl (younger sister of Wonder Woman), Aqualad (partner to Aquaman) and Kid Flash (sidekick of The Flash).

Batman would continue to engage in many cases protecting Earth-One citizens from many different and exotic threats, but mostly remained a private detective fighting human level criminals. But his most intense personal case would be against the already dead noted anti-hero Deadman. It was during this case that Bruce found out his once catatonic brother, Thomas Wayne Jr., had seemingly recovered and was engaging in a somewhat reclusive live as an arcobat at a traveling circus. Actually Thomas had been manipulated by an undisclosed crime organization into becoming an active assassin and was using the circus as his cover. Batman learned of his existence and exposed the actual mastermind behind Thomas Jr.'s murder assignments and manipulation. Deciding that Thomas had effectively given up his right to life as a willing participant in various murders, Deadman took possession of Thomas's body to resume his career as an acrobat. Determined to give his brother at least a partial chance at recovery and redemption, Batman tracked down Deadman and demanded that the ghost relinquish his hold on Thomas' body and fragmented persona. Deadman fought against Batman and Superman for control of the body but when he lost control over it back to Thomas, Thomas, in a selfless act to protect the unaware Batman, dove in front of shooting gunmen of the same criminal group that Thomas had been part of. Thomas saved his brother's life at the cost of his own.

Bruce would have many of the extreme cases that would directly effect him such as dealing with the Earth-Two Robin and Huntress. While Bruce was almost immediately accepted by the Earth-Two Wayne's daughter who affectionately referred to the Earth-One Wayne as her "Uncle Bruce", Bruce was not so well received by the adult version of his junior partner who felt that the Earth-One Wayne was another pretender to the role that the Earth-Two Bruce had originated. The Earth-Two Dick's feeling was in part from his own feelings of failing as Batman and that no one could really measure up to the Earth-Two Batman, especially not a Batman who was even younger than him. The Earth-Two Dick and Earth-One Bruce would resolve their differences later on and team up on many occasions, though Dick would never again adopt the role of Batman.

The Earth-One Brubce would never actually meet his Earth-Two counterpart who was dying of cancer and was actually killed in battle. But the Earth-One Batman would occasionally venture to Earth-Two and meet with his extended family native to that reality. Wayne would continue on as Batman after his Robin left for college in many solo cases. He would continue on protecting and defending the Earth-One reality when the Crisis on Infinite Earths came to Earth-One. Like all the heroes and other powered beings who fought at the "Dawn of Time", Batman was saved from the erasure that compressed all five of the surviving realities into one universe. It would be in the last Crisis battles on the newly formed Primary Earth that the Earth-One Batman would find the incinerated remains of the Earth-Two Robin and Huntress who were killed by the Thunderers of the Anti-Monitor.

Real Name: Bruce Wayne
Occupation: Hero
Marital Status: Single
Base of Operations:Gotham City
Height: 6ft. 2in
Weight: 210 Lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Black
First Appearance: Detective Comics #27 (May, 1939)
Created By: Bob Kane, Bill Finger;


KNOWN RELATIVES
Thomas Wayne (father, deceased)
Martha Wayne (mother, deceased)
Philip Wayne (uncle) Harriet Wayne (aunt)
Patrick Wayne (grandfather, deceased)
Charles Wayne (great-grandfather, deceased)
Alan Wayne (great great-grandfather, deceased)
Joshua Wayne (ancestor, deceased)
Solomon Wayne (ancestor, deceased)
Darius Wayne (ancestor, deceased)
Dick Grayson (adoptive son)
Jason Todd (adoptive son)
Tim Drake-Wayne (adoptive son)
Damian Wayne (alleged son)
Cassandra Cain (adoptive daughter)
Alfred Pennyworth (former legal guardian)

POWERS
None

ABILITIES