Draft:Bruce Wayne (Batman: Arkham character)
| Bruce Wayne | |
|---|---|
| Batman: Arkham character | |
| First appearance | Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009) |
| Last appearance | Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (2024) |
| Based on | |
| Adapted by | Paul Dini |
| Voiced by |
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| In-universe information | |
| Alias |
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| Title | CEO of Wayne Enterprises |
| Occupation |
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| Affiliation |
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| Family |
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| Significant other | |
| Nationality | American |
| Abilities |
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Bruce Wayne, also known by his superhero vigilante persona Batman, is a fictional character who is the main protagonist in the Batman: Arkham video game series, based on the DC Comics character of the same name, created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane.
Fictional character biography
[edit]Early life
[edit]Training to become Batman
[edit]Early career as Batman
[edit]Christmas Eve
[edit]On Christmas Eve, Batman intervenes in a jailbreak at Blackgate Penitentiary led by Black Mask, who executes Police Commissioner Loeb and escapes. Left to battle the hired assassin Killer Croc, Batman prevails but learns that Croc is the first of eight of the world's deadliest assassins drawn to Gotham City to claim a $50 million bounty placed on Batman by Black Mask. Hoping to learn Black Mask's location, Batman tracks Oswald Cobblepot to his ship. There, he defeats the assassins Deathstroke and Electrocutioner and learns from the Cobblepot that Roman Sionis / Black Mask was purportedly murdered at an apartment complex. Batman investigates the murder scene, learning that the victim was not Sionis and that the murder involved a criminal known as "Joker". Needing more information, Batman breaks into the GCPD to access its national criminal database. While escaping, he encounters Captain Jim Gordon, who is distrusting of Batman, and the corrupt SWAT team who hope to collect the bounty money for themselves. Following advice from Gordon's daughter Barbara, Batman enters the sewers beneath the GCPD to install permanent access to the database and finds Black Mask's crew planting explosives. Using the database, Batman deduces that Black Mask was kidnapped by Joker, presumably to access the Gotham Merchants Bank. At the bank, Black Mask removes his disguise for Batman and reveals himself as Joker. Having assumed Sionis' identity several days prior, Joker seized his criminal empire and imposed the bounty on Batman. Batman chases Joker to the Sionis Steel Mill where he frees Sionis and defeats the poisonous assassin Copperhead.
Tracking the Joker to the Gotham Royal Hotel, Batman discovers that the villain and his men have filled the hotel with explosives, murdered the staff, and taken the guests hostage. Joker berates the assassins for their failure to kill Batman, throwing Electrocutioner out a window to his death: Batman recovers his electric gloves. The assassins leave to search for Batman, except for Bane who anticipates that Batman will come to the Joker. After traversing the building, Batman finds the Joker on the roof and is forced to battle Bane. Thinking Batman is outmatched, Alfred alerts the police so they will intervene. As Bane escapes by helicopter, he fires a rocket at the Joker who is sent plummeting from the hotel by the concussive force. Batman rescues the Joker, confounding Joker as to why Batman would save someone like him. Joker is arrested and imprisoned in Blackgate. In the Batcave, Alfred begs Batman to abandon his crusade out of concern he will be killed, but Batman refuses. Batman also learns that Bane has deduced his true identity as Bruce Wayne. Firefly attacks the Pioneers Bridge, forcing Batman and Gordon to work together to incapacitate the assassin and his bombs. Meanwhile, Bane breaks into the Batcave and attacks Alfred. Batman finds the cave in ruins and Alfred dying, but is able to revive him with Electrocutioner's gloves. Alfred admits that Gotham needs Batman to stop men like Bane. Elsewhere, Joker has taken over Blackgate after inciting a riot.
Realizing he needs allies, Batman works with Gordon and the police to retake the prison. Sitting at the electric chair, Joker offers Batman a choice: kill Bane or allow Bane's heartbeat to charge a device that will activate the chair and kill the Joker. Batman uses the electric gloves to stop Bane's heart. Satisfied, the Joker leaves, intending to detonate bombs placed around the city. Batman revives Bane who injects himself with TN-1, a steroid that transforms him into a hulking beast. He loses the ensuing battle to Batman and suffers amnesia as a side effect of the steroid, thus preserving Batman's secret identity. With Gordon's help, Batman locates Joker in the prison chapel. Dismayed that Bane is still alive, Joker tries to goad Batman into killing him but he is instead subdued. Gordon chooses not to pursue Batman, believing he can help the city.
New Years Eve
[edit]On New Year's Eve at Wayne Manor, Ferris Boyle, owner of Gothcorp, accepts an award presented by the Wayne Foundation for his humanitarian work. During the ceremony, the manor is attacked by criminals working for Cobblepot who are led by a man in a mechanized suit and carry weapons that can freeze people. The man kidnaps Boyle while Wayne goes to the Batcave and dons his Batsuit. After saving the guests from the criminals, he learns that the man is named "Mr. Freeze" and is meeting some weapons dealers in South Gotham. Batman goes there and learns that the Penguin's men were receiving weapons made by Gothcorp. At Gothcorp, Batman finds Mr. Freeze and Cobblepot in a standoff, with the latter holding Boyle hostage. Freeze encases Cobblepot in ice and escapes with Boyle, while Batman is unable to give chase due to the ice wall blocking his path. Batman questions Cobblepot, who reveals that Boyle has the access codes to a superweapon he wanted. He also reveals that the only way to get past the ice wall is using a Cryodrill, which Cobblepot's men have stolen.
Batman dons his XE suit, which allows him to survive harsh temperatures, and retrieves the Cryodrill before returning to Gothcorp. There, he finds the scene of a crime that happened days ago and learns that Freeze is a former Gothcorp employee named Victor Fries, who was attempting to cure his wife Nora of a disease and had her encased in ice. Boyle funded the research in exchange for Victor building weapons for Gothcorp, but eventually reneged on their deal, causing Victor to search for a cure himself. When Boyle found out, he stole Nora's frozen body and caused a lab accident that lowered Victor's body temperature to sub-zero levels, requiring him to wear his mechanized suit at all times. With this newfound knowledge, Batman confronts and subdues Freeze before being frozen by Boyle, who attempts to cover up his crimes by killing Freeze and Nora. Batman breaks free in time to subdue Boyle and reactivate Nora's cryogenic chamber, saving her life.
Blackgate and the Rat King
[edit]Three months later, while patrolling Gotham, Batman spots Catwoman stealing from a governmental building and gives chase. Several Department of Extranormal Operations agents mistake him for Catwoman's accomplice and try to capture both, but Batman avoids them and eventually defeats Catwoman, leaving her to be arrested. Two weeks later, Captain Gordon contacts Batman for help on a prison riot at Blackgate, which was made possible by a mysterious explosion; the inmates have taken numerous hostages, and the prison has been divided into three main territories, each one held by the Joker, Cobblepot, and Sionis. Upon entering the prison, Batman encounters Catwoman, who informs him of hostages held inside the maximum security area of the prison, known as the Arkham Wing. At this point, Batman may choose to go after any of the three crime bosses; before leaving, Catwoman also informs him that Joker has cut the air supply to the wing, leaving the hostages with minimal air.
On his way to the Joker, Batman encounters Warden Martin Joseph, whose office has been rigged with bombs. While attempting to free Joseph, Batman is attacked by Deadshot, who has been hired separately by all three crime bosses to kill him. After defeating Deadshot, Batman rescues Joseph, who reveals that the Joker is in his office. Batman defeats the Joker and acquires the codes needed to shut down the gas set to release on the hostages. Before leaving, however, he notices that the air supply was not cut as Catwoman had stated. On his way to Cobblepot, Batman again encounters Catwoman, who informs him of a fighting contest hosted by Cobblepot. Batman is forced to battle the Cobblepot's champion Bronze Tiger, who is also reluctant to fight. After defeating Bronze Tiger, Cobblepot orders his men to kill Batman, but Bronze Tiger fights them off, allowing Batman to pursue and defeat Cobblepot. On his way to Sionis, Batman learns that the latter is attempting to overload Blackgate's power generators and cause a chain reaction that will kill his rivals. After defeating Solomon Grundy in the prison's sewers, Batman subdues Sionis and thwarts his plan. Once the latter have all been dealt with, Batman is able to enter the Arkham Wing, only to find that there are no hostages, just a weakened Bane. Catwoman appears and reveals that she lied about the hostages so that Batman would help her reach Bane, whom she was hired to recover. Batman pursues Catwoman to the prison's docks and defeats her, but as he begins to interrogate her about her employer's identity, a SWAT team led by Rick Flag arrives to arrest Catwoman. As they leave with her, Batman flies off into the night, questioning the team's actions.
Four months later, on Independence Day, a movement led by the Rat King seeks to destroy Gotham. Batman saves several police officers from being held hostage by the Rats in the sewers, although one of the police officers dies. Batman also learns that the Rat King is planning an attack dubbed the "Day of Wrath". At the GCPD headquarters, Batman meets with now Commissioner Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent to discuss the Rat King. After Dent leaves, a sniper attempts to shoot Gordon and is pursued by Batman. Batman identifies the shooter as Shrike and learns that he is planning to display Rat King propaganda at the Monarch Theatre. Shrike attempts to kill Dent, but is defeated and commits suicide. With much of the public believing he murdered Shrike, Batman assumes the identity of Matches Malone to infiltrate Blackgate Penitentiary and discover the Rat King's identity. At Blackgate, Malone discovers the prison's security to be run by the TYGER private military firm led by Lyle Bolton, who has a disdain for criminals and often mistreats the prisoners. Over several days, Malone mingles with fellow inmates during the day while changing into Batman to investigate during the night. Malone meets Takeo Yamashiro, who questions Malone and takes him to meet imprisoned crime boss Carmine Falcone. Malone also attends therapy sessions with Jonathan Crane and Dr. Harleen Quinzel, during which Quinzel becomes suspicious of Crane. Malone deduces that Falcone might have information on the Rat King and unsuccessfully attempts to track him. The next day, Bolton beats Falcone in front of the prisoners and challenges one of them to stand up for Falcone. Malone defeats Bolton, but is placed in solitary confinement next to the Joker, who recognizes him as Batman. Upon being released by Falcone, Malone witnesses the quarrels between Quinzel and Crane and investigates the latter. Upon rescuing Quinzel from TYGER, Batman discovers that Crane has been experimenting on his patients using hallucinogens.
Upon returning to his cell as Malone, Malone is violently dragged to an interrogation room where Gordon and Dent are waiting. They reveal to Malone that Yamashiro is missing, and that his real name was Chris Nakano, an undercover police officer. Gordon and Dent state that Nakano's body is missing and believe Malone killed him as Malone protests his innocence. At the hearing the following day, Crane attempts to drug Malone with fear toxin, but he knocks it away, causing it to splash onto and disfigure Dent's face. Believing that Malone intentionally attacked him, Dent swears revenge as he is hospitalized. Taken back to Blackgate, Malone is placed in a gas chamber by Bolton, who has decided to kill him using the attack on Dent as a pretext. He escapes with the help of the Rats, who believe Malone to be the Rat King. Batman boards a ship with many inmates awaiting in cells, Nakano among them, and discovers that the Day of Wrath is an attack on the GCPD and that the Rat King is an alternate personality of Dent. After the ship crashes into the GCPD building, Batman finds Dent holding Joe Chill, one of the inmates he befriended as Malone, at gunpoint. Dent reveals Joe to be the killer of Bruce Wayne's parents and attempts to execute him, but Batman stops him by unmasking himself as Bruce. While Chill leaves after apologizing, Dent struggles to process the revelation of his friend's double life and attempts to jump off the building, but is saved by Bruce.
Later, Malone is presumed to be the Rat King and still at large, while Leslie Thompkins treats Dent for his dissociative identity disorder. Although Dent has seemingly no recollection of his actions as the Rat King, including the reveal of Batman's identity, the alternate personality tells Bruce that "this is the beginning of us". During the credits, Thompkins informs Bruce that she has found a former Rat he had been asking about, and suggests that Bruce visit him. Chill returns to Blackgate on his own accord. Bolton is questioned and he alongside all of TYGER are dismissed from their positions at Blackgate for their violent abuse of the prisoners along with assisting the Rats. Bruce arrives at Shrike's old apartment to help Dick Grayson, the former Rat that Thompkins spoke of, finish packing as he adopts him as his ward. As they leave, Dick mourns the loss of Shrike, but admits he could not be saved. However, Bruce assures him that everyone can be saved, something Dick heartfully agrees on.
The Bat-Family
[edit]Presumed Death of Jason Todd
[edit]A New Robin
[edit]Crippling of Barbara Gordon
[edit]Siege on Arkham Island
[edit]After the Joker assaults Gotham City Hall, he is caught by Batman and taken to Arkham Asylum, which temporarily houses many members of the Joker's gang, who were transferred after a fire at Blackgate. Believing the Joker allowed himself to be captured, Batman accompanies him into the asylum. Joker's plan is revealed as Harley Quinn takes over the security and the Joker escapes into the facility, aided by Frank Boles, a corrupt guard who kidnaps Gordon. Joker threatens to detonate bombs hidden around Gotham City if anyone tries to enter Arkham, forcing Batman to work alone. Tracking Quinn to the medical facility to rescue Gordon, Batman is exposed to the Scarecrow's fear toxin. After fighting off Scarecrow's hallucinations, Batman finds and subdues Quinn before rescuing Gordon. Joker then directs Batman to the captured Bane, who has been experimented on by asylum doctor Penelope Young. Joker frees Bane to fight Batman, who defeats him by ramming him into the ocean with the Batmobile, during which Quinn escapes. Afterward, he goes to a secret Batcave installation he had hidden on the island, where he restocks his gadgets.
There, Batman and Oracle learns that the Joker returned to the asylum to gain access to Young, who has been developing Titan—a more powerful version of the Venom drug that gives Bane his strength—intending to use it to help patients survive more strenuous therapies. Young learned that the Joker had been secretly funding her research to create an army of indestructible and savage superhuman monsters; her refusal to hand over the formula precipitated Joker's return to the asylum. While searching for Young, Batman destroys her Titan formula before rescuing her from Victor Zsasz. A bomb kills Young, and Joker steals the completed batches of Titan. At the penitentiary, Quinn releases Poison Ivy from her cell before being imprisoned by Batman. Quinn accidentally reveals that Joker has a Titan production facility in the Arkham Botanical Gardens. Batman travels there and learns that Titan is created by genetically modified plants. He learns from Ivy that the spores required to create an antidote are found exclusively in Killer Croc's lair in a sewer. Afterward, Joker injects Ivy with Titan, enhancing her powers, and she begins to ravage Arkham Island with giant mutant plants. En route to Croc, Batman reencounters Scarecrow and pursues him into the sewers. Scarecrow is attacked by Croc and dragged underwater. Batman recovers the necessary spores and subdues Croc before returning to the Batcave. However, he can only synthesize one dose of the antidote before Ivy's plants breach the cave and destroy his equipment.
Batman returns to the botanical gardens and defeats Ivy, halting the rampaging plants. The Joker announces that the preparations for his party are finally complete, and Batman travels to the asylum's visitor center to confront him. The Joker reveals he has recaptured Gordon and tries to shoot him with a Titan-filled dart; Batman leaps to Gordon's defense and is shot instead. Batman attempts to resist the change, and an upset Joker takes an overdose of Titan, mutating into a monster. In a makeshift arena on the building's roof, the Joker challenges Batman to a fight against Titan-induced monsters in front of news helicopters. Batman refuses to transform, uses the antidote on himself, and defeats the Titan-affected Joker and his henchmen. In the aftermath, those affected by Titan begin to revert to normal, including the Joker—who is taken into custody as police officers retake control of the asylum. Batman overhears a call about a crime led by Dent in progress and flies back to Gotham City in the Batwing.
Arkham City and Protocol 10
[edit]18 months later, Quincy Sharp, using this distinction to become mayor of Gotham City. Declared both the asylum and Blackgate no longer suitable to contain the city's detainees, Sharp's administration orders both facilities closed, and he purchases Gotham's most notorious slums and turns them into an immense prison enclosure known as Arkham City. This facility is subsequently placed in the care of psychiatrist Strange and monitored by a rogue private military firm, TYGER Security.
At a press conference held by Wayne to declare his opposition to Arkham City, TYGER mercenaries arrest and imprison him in the City itself. Hugo Strange discloses his knowledge of Wayne's dual identity as Batman before releasing him into the prison's criminal populace. While Strange prepares to commence "Protocol 10", Wayne obtains his equipment via airdrop from Alfred Pennyworth, allowing him to become Batman. He first saves Catwoman from being executed by Two-Face, who hopes to gain respect by murdering her. After the Joker attempts to assassinate Catwoman, Batman tracks him to his hideout in the Sionis Steelmill, believing Joker may know the truth behind Protocol 10. There, Batman learns that the unstable properties of the Titan formula are mutating in Joker's blood, gradually killing him. Joker captures Batman and performs a blood transfusion on him, infecting him with the same fatal disease. Joker also reveals that Gotham hospitals have been poisoned with his infected blood. Desperate to save himself and innocent citizens, Batman seeks out Freeze, who has been developing a cure but has since been kidnapped by Cobblepot. Tracking Cobblepot to his fortified museum, Batman defeats his forces, his imprisoned monster Solomon Grundy, and ultimately Cobblepot himself, before liberating Freeze.
Freeze tells Batman that he has created a cure, but it is rendered useless via instability. Batman deduces that the therapeutic properties of Ra's al Ghul's blood can complete the cure and tracks one of his assassins to his underground lair, leading Batman into a confrontation with Ra's and his daughter Talia, Batman's former lover. With Ra's blood, Freeze is able to develop an antidote, but Harley Quinn steals it before Batman can use it. When Batman returns to the Joker, he finds the latter's health has been restored. During a fight between the two, Strange activates Protocol 10, which is revealed to be a scheme to wipe out the entire population of Arkham City and destroy the criminal element of Gotham. TYGER troops begin executing inmates as Strange launches missile strikes on Arkham's denizens from his base in Wonder Tower. A missile hits the steel mill, burying Batman under rubble. Before Joker can take advantage of the situation, Talia arrives and offers him immortality in exchange for sparing Batman's life. After escaping with the help of Catwoman, Batman is convinced by Alfred and Oracle to end Protocol 10 before pursuing Talia and Joker. Batman infiltrates Wonder Tower and disables Protocol 10. Ra's is revealed to be the true mastermind behind Arkham City and mortally wounds Strange for failing to defeat Batman. With his dying breath, Strange activates "Protocol 11", the self-destruction of Wonder Tower. After Ra's commits suicide to avoid capture, Joker contacts Batman, threatening to kill Talia unless Batman meets him at the Monarch Theater. When Batman arrives, Joker demands the cure from Batman but is impaled and seemingly killed by Talia while distracted. Talia admits to stealing the antidote from Quinn, before a second Joker kills her, still stricken with the disease.
The healthy Joker that Talia impaled then reanimates into the shapeshifting Clayface, who is revealed to have been masquerading as a healthy Joker all along at the ailing villain's request. During Batman's battle with Clayface, Joker blows up the theater floor, revealing that it is above the Lazarus Pit. After defeating Clayface, Batman drinks a portion of the antidote and destroys Ra's' rejuvenating Lazarus Pit before Joker can use it. As Batman debates curing his foe, Joker attacks him, inadvertently causing the antidote vial to smash. Batman admits that he would have saved him despite everything Joker had done. Joker finally succumbs to his illness and dies. Batman carries and places Joker's body on the hood of Commissioner Gordon's car before leaving Arkham City in silence.
Infection and Harley Quinn's Revenge
[edit]The Arkham Knight
[edit]Knightfall protocol
[edit]Joining the Justice League
[edit]Brainiac invasion
[edit]In other media
[edit]Video game
[edit]Film
[edit]Reception
[edit]References
[edit]External links
[edit]Batman: Arkham franchise | |
|---|---|
| Main games | |
| Spin-offs | |
| Comics | |
| Films | |
- Alternative versions of Batman
- Batman: Arkham
- Batman in other media
- DC Comics male superheroes
- DC Comics superheroes
- Fictional aviators
- Fictional business executives
- Fictional characters incorrectly presumed dead
- Fictional hackers
- Fictional philanthropists
- Fictional socialites
- Fictional vigilantes
- Superheroes with alter egos