Bane (New Earth)

Bane is a super-intelligent world-class fighter and tactical genius who enhances his great physical strength with a steroid called venom, making him one of Batman's greatest and most dangerous enemies. In addition to being one of the only men ever to independently figure out Batman's secret identity, he has also been an anti-hero, a government agent, a mercenary and a dictator. He is currently a member of the Secret Six, and has also been a member of the Suicide Squad and the Secret Society of Super-Villains.

Origins

Born to serve the life sentence of his father, Bane's childhood and early adult life were spent behind the walls of Peña Duro, an infamous prison located in Santa Prisca. His mother was imprisoned with him, and remained so until her death when Bane was only six years old; at her 'funeral', Bane was forced to bear witness to her corpse being callously thrown by prison guards from the cliffs of Punto De Tiburon into the shark-infested waters. Though imprisoned, Bane's natural abilities allowed him to develop extraordinary skills within the prison's walls.

He read as many books as he could get his hands on, built up his body in the prison's gym, and learned to fight in the merciless school of prison life. Despite his circumstances, he appeared to have found teachers of various sorts during his incarceration, ranging from hardened convicts to an elderly Jesuit priest, under whose tutelage he apparently received a classical education. However, he committed his first murder at the age of eight, stabbing a criminal who wanted to use him to gain information about the prison.

During his years in prison, Bane carried a teddy bear he called Osito (Spanish for "little bear"), whom he considered his only friend. Unbeknownst to most, Osito had a hole in his back to hold a knife that Bane used against anyone who bullied him.

Bane ultimately established himself as the "king" of Peña Duro prison. The prison's controllers took note and eventually forced him to become a test subject for a mysterious drug known as Venom, which had killed all other subjects. It nearly killed him as well, but he survived and found its effects enhanced his physical strength, although he needed to take it every 12 hours (via a system of cables pumped directly into his brain) or he would suffer debilitating side-effects.^[1]

Knightfall

Main article: Knightfall

Years later, Bane escaped Peña Duro, along with several accomplices, his friends Trogg, Zombie, and Bird. His ambition turned to destroying Batman, about whom he had heard tales while serving his sentence. He was fascinated with Gotham City as, like the prison, it was a place where fear ruled: in this case, fear of Batman. Bane was convinced that the demonic bat that haunted his dreams since childhood was a representation of the Batman.

Aware that a direct assault on Batman would be foolish, Bane destroyed the walls of Arkham Asylum, allowing all of its deranged inmates (including the Joker, the Scarecrow, the Mad Hatter, the Ventriloquist, Firefly, Two-Face, and Zsasz) to escape into Gotham City, where Batman spent three months rounding them up. Running himself to exhaustion, Batman returned to Wayne Manor, where Bane awaited him. He fought Batman in the Batcave, defeated him and as the coup de grâce, broke Batman's back and left him paraplegic, thereby having been the only man to have "Broken the Bat".^[2]

Downfall

While Bane established himself as ruler of Gotham's criminal underworld, Bruce Wayne passed the mantle of Batman to Jean-Paul Valley, also known as Azrael. As Batman, Jean-Paul grew increasingly violent, allowing the villain Abattoir to fall to his death. Jean-Paul also refused to recognize Robin as his partner. Utilizing a sophisticated combat suit in place of the traditional Batman uniform, he fought Bane and defeated him by severing the tubes that pumped the Venom into his bloodstream, causing severe withdrawal. Valley then gave the weakened Bane a vicious beating, leaving him alive but broken.^[3]

Legacy

Following those events Bane recovered from his Venom addiction while serving time in prison. He eventually escaped and returned to Gotham, where he fought alongside Batman to take out a criminal ring that was distributing a Venom derivative to street-level thugs. Following a victory over the criminals, Bane proclaimed that he was "innocent" of his past crimes and urged Batman to stop hunting him. He then left Gotham (without fighting Batman) to begin a search for his father.

Bane's search brought him back to Santa Prisca. In search of leads, Bane questioned the Jesuit priest who had taught him while he was in Peña Duro. The priest explained 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 in Rome, Bane encountered Talia al Ghul, who introduced him to her father, the infamous terrorist Ra's al Ghul. Bane impressed the old man so much that he chose him as his heir (an "honor" he had previously imparted on Batman).

Ra's al Ghul and Bane then launched a plague attack on Gotham. Bruce Wayne, again costumed as Batman, got his rematch with Bane and finally defeated him in single combat. Since then, whenever Batman and Bane squared off in battle, it would usually end in a draw.

Veritas Liberat

According to the Jesuit priest, there was a possibility that Bane's biological father was an American doctor. In researching this issue, Bane came to the conclusion that he and Batman both shared Dr. Thomas Wayne as their biological father, as the late Dr. Wayne had apparently become close to Bane's mother during his time in Santa Prisca. Bane alerted Batman to this possibility, and stayed at Wayne Manor while the DNA tests were being performed, and even fought alongside his former nemesis on the streets of Gotham. Ultimately, it was revealed that Dr. Wayne was not Bane's father, and Bane left Gotham peacefully (and with Batman's blessing and financial backing) to pursue leads in the snowy mountains of Kangchenjunga.

Bane eventually found his father, the unscrupulous King Snake. With Batman looking on, Bane helped foil King Snake's plans to unleash a powerful weapon upon the world. Bane saved Batman from being shot by King Snake, but was himself mortally wounded in the process. Batman then saved Bane by bathing him in a Lazarus Pit, and left him with a clean slate and a new opportunity at life.

Infinite Crisis & One Year Later

Some years later, Bane returned to his homeland to put an end to the drug lords' government after discovering that a new, more addicting strain of Venom had been created. He destroyed every research note on Venom, but not before learning that both strains of Venom derived from chemist Rex Tyler's early research on Miraclo, and vowed to kill Tyler for his role in the creation of the drug that was destroying his homeland. To this end, he joined hundreds of other villains in the Battle of Metropolis, during which he broke the back of the hero Judomaster, killing the hero.^[4]

Bane resurfaced one year later, 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 had returned to Santa Prisca to eliminate the drug lords. He claimed that in his rush to wipe out the drug trade, he was captured and re-implanted with the cranial tubes, which pumped him full of the new Venom. Unable to shake off his addiction without dying from the withdrawal, Bane claimed that he was forced to work as an enforcer for the drug cartel. Believing that Bane sought Rex Tyler's expertise in chemistry, Rick let him approach his father, unaware that the story was a ruse through which Bane intended to carry out his revenge against Rex Tyler. Bane learned from the Tylers that no written notes exist of Rex's work, then captured Rex and stole Rick's equipment. He planned to kill Rex and force Rick to take the last of the new Venom, so that Rick would spend the rest of his life as an addict. However, father and son eventually subdued Bane, burying the mercenary in the rubble of the very same Santa Priscan penitentiary where his story began.

Shortly afterwards, Bane discovered that while his criminal pursuits in America had failed, he had become a hero to his countrymen. His campaign against the drug lords had destroyed the local cartels' stranglehold on the country's government, thus enabling the government to hold actual democratic elections. Bane joined in, throwing his support behind a national-isolationist party with anti-US interests. Bane's candidate was projected to win by 36% of the vote, but the results were manipulated by super-hacker Colonel Computron, under orders from Amanda Waller, then the White Queen of Checkmate. Upon discovering that the elections were rigged, an outraged Bane used his influence to enforce martial law, plunging the country into a civil war. Unaware that his client worked in the agency, Computron offered information to Checkmate on who ordered him to rig the elections in exchange for their help in escaping the country. Fire and Thomas Jagger, son of the late Judomaster, were sent to perform the extraction, with Jagger debating whether or not to seek revenge for his father's murder. The mission was sabotaged by Fire, who was being blackmailed by Waller, and as a result, Jagger was forced to fight Bane in order to allow Fire to escape. Though Jagger held back, Bane was brought to his knees.

Having lost his hero status after imposing martial law upon his countrymen, Bane became addicted to Venom once more and joined the Suicide Squad. He appears once more to be wearing the tubing system to apply Venom- whether he has returned to the drug is unknown. He was later tricked by his fellow squad members, and sent to the prison planet during Salvation Run,^[5] where he joined with Lex Luthor's faction after Joker's faction rebelled against Luthor's leadership. He later attacked Thunder and Lightning when they were attempting to feed Martian Manhunter.

More recently, Bane has joined the Secret Six, and has sought to rid himself of any temptation to use Venom again by employing tactical combat techniques instead of relying on crushing strength. He has also adopted a more peaceful demeanor.^[6]

Since joining the team, he became very attached to Scandal Savage, though not in a romantic way. He views her as his pseudo daughter and grew to love her, even becoming furious when someone hurts her or calls her derogatory words. In some lighter moments, he chastises her for using foul language, shows concern over what foods she should eat to have proper nutrition, and even tried to send her to her room when he was angry with her.

Though Scandal has bonded closely with him and proven she cares for him very much, (such as when she helped him through his withdrawals when he quit using Venom, or becoming angry/distressed when he is injured) he does not believe she loves him, saying "No woman will ever love me". However, this belief does not keep him from loving Scandal as a daughter, going so far as trying to conquer another world in an attempt to give her a safe place to call home where they could be family and free of enemies.

He has also assumed a role of leadership in the Secret Six by his own executive decision, believing the team was too disorganized and needed someone to keep them in line. While the team initially protested, saying they weren't blind followers, he has become leader none the less. Though admittedly, the team does not always listen to his orders, for example, they entered a cult base to save Black Alice (their newest teammate) when Bane had directly ordered them not to until they'd gotten more information. Despite this, he's still determined to shape them into an organized and disciplined team.

DCnU

The New 52
The DC Universe heavily changed its continuity into the DCnU following the events of Flashpoint in 2011. This was part of an effort to make storylines more accessible to newer readers, beginning with the New 52. This new timeline combines elements from the DCU, Vertigo Universe and Wildstorm Universe while drastically changing the origins and histories of characters.

Here, he has a massive storage tank (very similar to his Arkham Asylum appearance) on his back and is still fighting his addiction to the Venom compound. As Bruce is unable to keep up with the various legal conspiracies involving Batman Incorporated, he decides to investigate a breakout in Arkham. There he finds criminals being fed a modified fear toxin that is mixed in with Venom which makes the criminals extremely strong and immune to fear. He finds it being given to criminals by a new foe named the White Rabbit, when Batman approaches her she quickly defeats him and injects him with the fear toxin which she then gives to the Flash. Bruce then finds Bane to be behind the new fear toxin and combats him, Bruce manages to burn the fear toxin out of his and the Flash's bodies by getting pushed to the limit. Bruce manages to defeat Bane, but is left confused by the White Rabbit. Bane is later taken back to Arkham.

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Venom Usage: Bane's use of the Super-steroid Venom allowed him to temporarily enhance his physical functions to superhuman levels, particularly his strength, endurance, and speed. His body's senses and healing abilities are also augmented to a degree. Bane needs to periodically inject himself with Venom to retain these abilities, although overuse can result in temporary insanity.
- Superhuman Strength: The primary effect of Venom is that it enhances strength to low superhuman levels, depending on how much venom is injected. Bane has been shown to be stronger than Batman even without the Venom, and while injected is able to bend thick steel. When Bane injects the maximum amount of Venom that is considered healthy into himself, he becomes capable of lifting about 2 tons. He is ultimately capable of exceeding his limit to 3 tons, though not without temporarily losing control over himself.
- Enhanced Reflexes: Under the effects of Venom, Bane can react just as fast as the fittest human can. Able to react as fast if not a margin faster than Batman, Bane has fought many opponents while applying his tactics and supporting his massive frame.
- Enhanced Speed: Under the effects of Venom, Bane can run as fast as the fittest human can. Running on par with Olympic runners, Bane can support his weight while maintaining a high rate of speed.
- Superhuman Stamina: Under the effects of Venom, Bane can fight almost forever. As long as he can continue to pump Venom into his veins he can continue fighting indefinitely. While on a single dose of venom Bane has fought many battles for many hours and never seemingly stopped.
- Superhuman Durability: Under the effects of Venom, Bane can withstand powerful blows from metahumans, multiple bullets and explosions. With mere scratches and bruises Bane has withstood extreme torment at the hands of his enemies.
- Accelerated Healing: Bane can also use his Venom as a form of medicine to heal from injuries, poisons and diseases. Depending on how devastating the injury, Bane needs to inject a certain amount of Venom into himself. When faced with extreme wounds, such as many broken bones, excessive blood loss, or terminal poisons or diseases, Bane needs to inject an unhealthy amount of venom which will cause him to temporarily go berserk in order to heal properly.

Abilities

Genius Level Intellect: Bane is also highly intelligent; Ra's al Ghul says that Bane "has a mind equal to the greatest he has known". In prison, he teaches himself various scientific disciplines equal to the level of understanding of leading experts in those fields, making him a genius, as well as one of Batman's most intelligent foes.
Photographic Memory: Bane has a photographic memory, which borders on absolute total recall. This has allowed him to memorize the countless skills, disciplines, and facts that he taught himself over the years. Within one year, he is able to deduce Batman's secret identity.
Polymath: Although Bane has had no college, high school, or even primary education, he has completely memorized all the facts in countless encyclopedias and books during his time in Peña Duro. He is exceptionally knowledgeable in various subjects including Mathematics, various Sciences, History, Geography, Medicine, and most likely more, to a level that would have definitely given him degrees in these fields.
Multilingualism: Bane teaches himself ten active languages and at least four additional arcane and dead ones, those mentioned are Spanish, French, German, Russian, Mandarin, English, Farsi, Dhari, some Urdu, ^[7] and Latin.
Escapology: Bane is challenged only by Batman, Nightwing, and Mister Miracle in the arts of escaping and infiltration, and has managed to break out of Peña Duro (which is arguably the most heavily fortified prison in the world)as well as various maximum security centers, including Blackgate and Arkham Asylum.
Martial Arts: Bane is a highly formidable combatant who has not only mastered, but also created several forms of martial arts. Though less skilled than the likes of Batman or Lady Shiva, Bane's fighting ability combined with his peak strength and endurance make him a highly formidable opponent for any non-meta and many metahuman foes.
Tactical Analysis: He is also highly devious (he crafts the escape from Arkham Asylum of all of Batman's enemies), and a superb strategist and tactician, who has committed various famous war manuals (such as Sun Tzu's "The Art Of War" and Karl von Clausewitz's "On War") to memory.

Weaknesses

Drug Addiction: (Formerly) Dependence on Venom.
- Venom Overdose: If Bane happens to overdose on Venom, he will temporarily go into a feral state in which his physical abilities increase tremendously, but he himself becomes little more than a mindless monster.

Paraphernalia

Equipment

Venom: When Bane made use of Venom, he injected it into his brain through a special tube which was connected to wrist cuffs. Activating the control key, Bane could send large amounts of Venom directly into his brain for maximum effect.

Weapons

Osito

Trivia

During his time as a boy in Peña Duro, Bane was often referred to by other inmates as "Niño". However, this is not his first real name but merely the Spanish word for "boy".
Bane once beat the immortal Ra's al Ghul in a chess game. He is one of two people to have ever done this. The other being the Joker. ^[8]

External Links

Origin at DCComics.com

Footnotes

Batman Villain(s)
This character, team or organization, has been primarily an enemy of the Batman, or the Batman Family as a whole. This template will categorize articles that include it into the category "Batman Villains."

Suicide Squad member
This character is or was a member of the Suicide Squad, a team of imprisoned super-villains who perform high-risk missions for the U.S. Government in exchange for commuted sentences, in any of its various incarnations. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Suicide Squad members" category.

League of Assassins member
This character is or was a member of the League of Assassins, a international organization of the world's greatest killers, operating both for hire and their own agenda, in any of its various incarnations. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "League of Assassins members" category.

[1] Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1

[2] Batman #497

[3] Batman #500

[4] Infinite Crisis #7

[5] Salvation Run #2

[6] Secret Six (Volume 3) #1

[7] Batman: Bane of the Demon #

[8] Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #143

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