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Batman

, Cartoon Character
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  • Born: 1939
  • Birthplace: The Comics
  • Best Known As: Star of the Batman movies

The superhero Batman was the brainchild of cartoonist Bob Kane. The character first appeared in Detective Comics in 1939, and was such a hit that Batman comics remained in print in one form or another into the 21st century. Batman is the "caped crusader," the crimefighting alter-ego of millionaire Bruce Wayne. Wayne inherited a fortune as a boy after his parents were killed by robbers; when Wayne grew up he dedicated himself to fighting crime and chose the guise of a bat in order to strike fear into the hearts of criminals. (Unlike Superman and Spider-Man, Batman is a human with no supernatural powers.) Batman lives in Gotham City and operates out of his secret crime laboratory, the Bat Cave. He battles exotic supervillains including the Joker, Two-Face, Catwoman and the Penguin, and is often aided by a sidekick, Robin the Boy Wonder. Over the years Batman has appeared in many media and with various levels of seriousness. The 1960s live-action TV series was played for laughs, with a deadpan Adam West as Batman and nutty celebrity villains including Zsa Zsa Gabor as Minerva and Roddy McDowall as the Bookworm. (The series also featured Yvonne Craig as Batgirl.) Two decades later Batman was reinvigorated by the 1986 publication of Frank Miller's gloomy, acerbic graphic novel The Dark Knight Returns. Miller's work inspired a darkly popular Batman feature film, directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton as the caped crusader and Jack Nicholson as the Joker. (Val Kilmer and George Clooney played Batman in sequels.) Batman: The Animated Series began a long run on TV in 1992, with Kevin Conroy as Batman and well-known voices like Mark Hamill as the Joker and Adrienne Barbeau as Catwoman. The film series was revived in 2005 with Batman Begins, starring Christian Bale as Batman and Michael Caine as his faithful butler, Alfred. Another sequel, The Dark Knight, again starring Bale and with the late Heath Ledger as the Joker, was released in July 2008.

Batman's first home, Detective Comics, later became better known as D.C. Comics.

 
 
Spotlight: Batman

From our Archives: Today's Highlights, June 15, 2005

Batman returns to the big screens today with the release of Batman Begins, the fifth in the series of films about the Caped Crusader. Christian Bale stars in the title role. The film tells the story of Bruce Wayne's metamorphosis into Batman. Having witnessed the murder of his parents by a mugger when he was a child, young Bruce vowed to protect others from criminals.
 

A comic strip character that first appeared in 1939. With his faithful sidekick Robin (the Boy Wonder), Batman fights crime in Gotham City, foiling evil villains such as the Joker and the Riddler.

  • Batman's adventures have been widely adapted for television and a number of motion pictures.

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    Character Bio

    ORIGIN: Specifics regarding Batman's origin have varied over the years, but the basic story remains the same. When his millionaire parents were shot down before his eyes after a showing of The Mask of Zorro, six-year-old Bruce Wayne was left orphaned -- and enraged. Though he now had their growing fortune all to himself, he felt like the poorest soul on Earth. He vowed that he would do everything within his power to avenge his parents' death.

    After spending the rest of his young years training his body, mind and soul, Bruce was ready to take out his vengeance. But he needed an edge. Something that would give him an intimidating power over the thugs and supervillains he would soon face. As he sat in the living room of stately Wayne Manor pondering the situation, a bat broke through the window, strongly resembling one he encountered after falling into a cave beneath the mansion at the age of six. Just the omen he needed. From then on, he would hit the streets dressed up as a bat to fight crime, striking his opponents with fear. He would be Batman.

    EDUCATION: After his parents' death, Bruce took it upon himself to seek out the greatest teachers in the world who would school him in such diverse fields as martial arts, science, history, music, psychology and criminology -- just to name a few. He also learned a great deal from his guardian, Leslie Thompkins, and his faithful butler, Alfred Pennyworth.

    OCCUPATION: Billionaire socialite/principal stockholder of Wayne Enterprises and the Wayne Foundation by day. Gotham City's greatest crime fighter by night.

    FAMILY: Thomas and Martha Wayne, both deceased.

    PERSONAL

    FAVORITE FILMS: He's never really cared much for movies since his parents were gunned down after a trip to the theater. However, one peaceful Christmas (after the Joker was put away, that is), Robin forced him to watch It's a Wonderful Life, a movie he had never seen because he "could never get past the title."

    FAVORITE TRANSPORT: Batman's primary modes of transportation include the Batmobile on the ground and the Batwing (sometimes called the Batplane) in the air. As Bruce Wayne, however, he prefers his Studebaker.

    AMBITIONS: Freeing Gotham City of crime once and for all, all in the name of his murdered parents.

    HERO: The Gray Ghost, a fictitious superhero whose adventures Bruce watched on television as a child.

    QUOTE: "I am vengeance! I am the night! I am Batman!"

    GAME APPEARANCES:

    Batman: The Caped Crusader

    Batman

    Batman: Return of the Joker

    Batman: Revenge of the Joker

    Batman Returns

    Batman: The Animated Series

    The Adventures of Batman & Robin

    Justice League Task Force

    Batman Forever

    Batman Forever - The Arcade Game

    Batman - Partners in Peril

    Batman & Robin

    OTHER MEDIA: Besides starring in comic books, video games and movies, Batman can be seen attached to just about any other type of merchandising gimmick. Along with Robin, he starred in a 1940s serial, the campy 1960s Batman television series with accompanying movie (both IN COLOR!), and several different cartoon series from then on, including the critically acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series of the 1990s. There have also been well over 100 action figures of the Dark Knight created.

    RELATED CHARACTERS APPEARING IN VIDEO GAMES

    FRIENDS:

    Robin (Dick Grayson)

    Batgirl (Barbara Gordon/Barbara Wilson)

    Alfred Pennyworth

    Commissioner James Gordon

    Selina Kyle (when she's not Catwoman)

    Superman (Clark Kent)

    ENEMIES

    Joker

    Two-Face (Harvey Dent, a former friend)

    Riddler (Edward Nigma)

    Catwoman (when she's not Selina Kyle)

    Penguin (Oswald Cobblepot)

    Scarecrow (Jonathan Crane)

    Poison Ivy (Pamela Isley)

    Clayface (Matt Hagen)

    Rupert Thorne

    Mr. Freeze (Victor Fries)

    Harley Quinn (Harleen Quinzel)

    Mad Hatter (Jervis Tetch)

    Man-Bat (Kirk Langstrom) ~ Christopher Michael Baker, All Game Guide

    Appears In

    Batman Returns (Super NES), Batman: The Video Game (Nintendo Entertainment System), Batman Returns (Atari Lynx), Batman & Robin (game.com), Batman: The Caped Crusader (IBM PC Compatible), Batman: The Video Game (Game Boy), Batman: Return of the Joker (Nintendo Entertainment System), Batman Returns (Nintendo Entertainment System), The Adventures of Batman & Robin (Sega CD), Batman Returns (Sega CD), The Adventures of Batman & Robin (Sega Genesis), Batman: The Video Game (Sega Genesis), Batman Forever (Sega Genesis), Batman Returns (Sega Genesis), Batman: Revenge of the Joker (Sega Genesis), Batman Forever (Super NES), Batman Forever (IBM PC Compatible), Batman Forever: The Arcade Game (IBM PC Compatible), Batman: Partners in Peril (Hybrid Windows/Mac), Justice League Task Force (Super NES), Justice League Task Force (Sega Genesis), The Adventures of Batman & Robin (Sega Game Gear), Batman Forever: The Arcade Game (Sega Saturn), Batman Forever: The Arcade Game (PlayStation), Batman (Arcade), The Adventures of Batman & Robin (Super NES), Batman & Robin (PlayStation), Batman Forever (Game Boy), Batman: Return of the Joker (Game Boy), Batman (TurboGrafx-16), Batman: The Animated Series (Game Boy), The Adventures of Batman and Robin Activity Center (Hybrid Windows/Mac), Batman Returns (Sega Game Gear), Batman Forever (Sega Game Gear), Batman: The Caped Crusader (Commodore 64/128), Batman (Commodore 64/128), Batman Returns (Sega Master System), Batman: Chaos in Gotham (Game Boy Color), Batman of the Future (Game Boy Color), Batman of the Future (Nintendo 64), Batman of the Future (PlayStation), Batman Forever (Sega Genesis), Justice League Task Force (Sega Genesis), Batman Forever (Super NES), Justice League Task Force (Super NES), Batman (Amstrad CPC), Batman: The Caped Crusader (Amstrad CPC), Batman: The Movie (Amstrad CPC), Batman Gotham City Racer (PlayStation), Batman: Vengeance (PlayStation 2), Batman: Vengeance (Game Boy Advance), Batman: Vengeance (Xbox), Batman: Vengeance (Nintendo GameCube), Justice League: Injustice for All (Game Boy Advance), Batman: Vengeance (IBM PC Compatible), Batman: Dark Tomorrow (Nintendo GameCube), Batman: Dark Tomorrow (Xbox), Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu Action Figure Commemorative Edition [Robin] (PlayStation 2), Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu (Game Boy Advance), Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu (Xbox), Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu (PlayStation 2), Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu [Lithograph Commemorative Edition] (Nintendo GameCube), Justice League: Chronicles (Game Boy Advance), The Batman TV Games (Plug and Play), Justice League Heroes (Xbox), Justice League Heroes: The Flash (Game Boy Advance), Justice League Heroes (PlayStation 2), Justice League Heroes (Nintendo DS), Justice League Heroes (PlayStation Portable)

     
    Wikipedia: Batman