Bruce Wayne (New Earth)/Quotes
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Call it self-preservation, Superman. I don't much fancy the idea of a super-vampire flying around.
My suggestion is you find a way to bring Kent back to life. The world needs all the heroes it can get. And if you don't mind. I'd like to get back to work.
Annie McCloud. A baker, diagnosed as bipolar, along with a severe case of aichmomania.
You want vengeance. I don't.
You were always meant to be Batgirl, Barbara.
You and I... with what we do... what's at stake... we can't fail. Others don't understand, but even if it's... impossible, we still have to succeed.
Everything's impossible until somebody does it.
She grew up surrounded by violence and brutality. And all I've done is to surround her with violence again.
Strange? You're a pot calling me black, if what I've read about you is true.
Remember the prediction! Your precog said one day I'd show up to avert a disaster!
I don't do deals with the devil!
It's too big. How can I fight a disease? And if I can't, Gotham is doomed.
I once believed that the end of the Falcone Organization would come with a broken woman in a wheelchair. I was wrong. It ended with a broken man.
I warned you back in Arkham I'd be watching you, waiting for the day you'd pick up that gun again.
Twenty-five years... my parents murdered in front of my eyes... the wet rattle of my father's dying breath... the heavy emptiness invading my mother's dilating eyes... so long ago. Too long ago... Too long to feel the loss... or the rage... or the fear... all those things that made me... I can't remember my mother.
Today I saw an example of your "greater good." Her name was Mariska. She died alone, in agony, pieces of her scattered in a field.
I always take murder personally in Gotham.
It's because of people like you that I became this. And you'll never give me a reason to become someone else.
Everything that's happened I planned for. Every variable, every murder and double cross. I should've realized it earlier but I didn't. And now it's too late.
I read somewhere that the term "Gothic" might possibly be derived from the word "Goetic" -- goes in the Greek -- meaning "magical." I'm beginning to believe that. If architecture could be used to focus and direct spiritual power, then... then... could it also be used for evil?
He calls himself "Scarecrow." Psychologist turned psychopath. He preys on the innocent and instill them with fear. When I chose to wear my... costume, it was to prey upon the criminals, and instill them with fear. The irony is not lost on me...
Tell everyone. All the punks, junkies, gunsels, enforcers... all the wise guys, leg-breakers, muscle boys... tell them they're finished. Tell them the streets belong to the Batman.
There's war in Gotham City. Perhaps where crime is concerned, there always has been. But seldom this open, this rabid. A madness seeping into every stratum of criminal society. Escalating like a plague, threating to surpass even the horror that created me.
Oh I thought I was some fine detective. I was right. But I wasn't strong enough.
That's what we're for -- when the law doesn't work.
You play the hand you're dealt. What I am, I am of my own choice. I don't know if I'm happy... but I'm content.
You've got to be kidding -- for what it's worth, I'm not into bondage.
Open your eyes. Look into the darkness... as the darkness looks into you. That man you killed -- he had a family, people who cared for him. Do you, punk? Will anyone care? Will anyone... miss you?
This is a story about Mercy. It's also about revenge... justice... and fighting for yourself.
I am the Batman. This is my city. At night it belongs to me.
What's happening to me? Why can't I get her out of my mind?
I've tried to live a life of logic and emotion... but, slowly, from the knot in my stomach... I begin to feel I'm playing the fool.
I've got to go back downtown. I may finally put an end to the ritual murders tonight.
His kind of madness never really dies. It just keeps cycling back, again and again...to destroy all that's good...to corrupt all that's innocent
Last time we met, you almost took me. This time I'm dragging you up-into the light.
Clean? You can never be clean. Drugs. Prostitution. Protection. Corruption. Assassination. This city is sick. Its people are sick with fear. Now you know what that feels like. You and your kind have turned Gotham City into a Hell. Now rot in it.
If I ever see you in this city again, God help you.
No, O'Quarious, these kids are not the problem... it's us and our middle-class hang-ups! It is we who should learn from them! If there is any hope in this crazy, messed-up mudball of ours, it lies with the kids! They possess the wisdom of the truly ignorant! They are our future! Look at them and learn, O'Quarious!
Kathy...? I'm sorry. I don't want to frighten you. I did once when you saw me through the window at your home. I know I look scary and there have been too many scary things in your life. So I want you to see... I'm just a man, a man who's trying to help.
Whatever the case, I won't stop until I have rescued Gotham City.
The Batman can't die. He feeds on evil like yours.
Alan Scott said Grundy isn't really alive -- therefore he can't really die! I could let him go... but he walks like a man -- talks like a man -- and who am I to judge where life begins or ends?
I never waste time. You of all people should know that.
Did DeWettering really trust Bruce Wayne? Or did he have an inkling of my other dimension? Did he choose the Guardian of Gotham as the new Guardian of the Grail? I only hope he chose well.
I always claimed I became the Batman to fight crime. That was a lie. I did it to overcome the fear.
My present reality is not a pretty sight. It is a thing of agony and delirium.
Dawn Golden. I haven't thought about her in years. I'd put her out of mind after she broke my heart in college. Now she's become an obsession. I find myself searching my memory for her... all the way to the dimly remembered days before my life was shattered forever. Before I became what I am.
Where I come from, Lady--we make our own power.
It wasn't' over nothing. I won't - I can't believe it was over nothing.
This is useless. I can't fight them and protect them at the same time. Right now, the enemy is us.
Bruce Wayne means nothing to me. I'm Batman with or without him.
Is he right about Gotham? Is it the city that brings out the beast in people, or is it always there... waiting for the right origin story to set it free?
It's humiliating to admit Batman has his limits. That none of my abilities makes any difference if the mark doesn't believe.
Whatever there may be between us, I'm sworn to bring you to justice.
Life is like a detective story. It starts with a dame, and ends with a funeral...
'What is the first truth of Batman?' I had help. I wasn't alone.
This war was a mistake. It began as a game -- an exercise in planning and strategy that was never meant to happen. But now it has. The result? Thousands injured. Hundreds dead. Police... gangsters... civilians... friends. As things got worse, I kept playing the game. I knew the pieces. I knew the board. All I had to do was play the right moves... or so I thought. But war is not a game. It's an abomination. And this must be stopped... tonight! No more games. This is war.
Don't become a part of what destroyed our families.
Without warning it comes... crashing through the window of your study... and mine... I have seen it before... somewhere ...it frightened me... as a boy... frightened me... yes, Father. I shall become a bat.
Without warning it comes... crashing through the window of your study... and mine... I have seen it before... somewhere ...it frightened me... as a boy... frightened me... yes, Father. I shall become a bat.
We're going to Santa Prisca...and you're going to take me to the man I'm looking for.
Nothing wrong with dreaming, Nightingale... as long as you don't sleep through the truth.
You claim to act out of love, but I don't think you even understand the meaning of the emotion! Love requires empathy. Sympathy. Compassion. There's nothing inside you but ice and hate.
Welcome to Wayne Incorporated. The name change is just the beginning.
Unless you want to spend the rest of your night chatting with the few and the proud, I suggest you get out of there.
Robin is going to be a very good soldier. A very good soldier.
Your life could end here, now, and nobody would ever know. Would anyone even miss you? Tell me, what's your life worth, punk... ?
Crime has learned my name, and it has recoiled.
Starting today, we fight ideas with better ideas. The idea of crime with the idea of Batman. From today on, Batman will be everywhere it's dark, no place to hide.
You should have stayed in Pennsylvania, Joe. We don't have a Batman in Pennsylvania. Not yet. Welcome to Gotham.
She wanted you to join me as Robin. She intends for you to replace me, and that can't happen. Because... if you become Batman... everything falls apart.
I'm not your father, Talia!
Damian Wayne, my son, struck our lives like a bolt of lightning. A brief, unforgettable thunderstroke. Now my son is gone in the blink of an eye.
In the cave, in Nanda Parbat, I hunted down and killed and ate the last traces of fear and doubt in my mind. Tell your "dark master," whoever he is, to make his move soon, before I come looking for him. Tell him, he was wrong to wait until I was ready. Tell him... I look forward to facing him.
I decided early that I would never take a life. Right around the time I decided that I wanted to live. It wasn't an arbitrary decision and it was more than moral. It's about identity. As long as you can choose that, choose who you are in the world... you can choose to call yourself sane.
Slime like you made me. You earned me.
Without warning it comes... crashing through the window of your study... and mine... I have seen it before... somewhere... it frightened me... as a boy... frightened me... Yes, father. I shall become a bat.
Ladies. Gentlemen. You have eaten well. You've eaten Gotham's wealth. Its spirit. Your feast is nearly over. From this moment on -- none of you are safe.
You can never escape me. Bullets don't harm me. Nothing harms me. But I know pain. I know pain. Sometimes I share it. With someone like you.
I've known Commissioner Jim Gordon for more years than I'd care to admit. During that time a friendship has grown that I thought was as solid as a rock. I would have trusted my life to the man.
The best cure I know for the pain I'm feeling lies amidst Gotham's neon-bathed streets. I answer the city's call.
I survive, but the Beast escapes... leaving a startling realization in the wake of his departure. I've finally run into someone who's better at this game than I am.
The police, unfortunately, have been trained to give a suspect a chance to surrender before they open fire. That moment's hesitation is all the Russian Killing Machine needs.
With the exception of Bruce Wayne, who was a logical if erroneous choice to be on the list, each of these men had a part in the process that led to my becoming the Batman. These were the men who trained me.
We're seeking justice, Alfred. How can that ever be a mistake?
Gotham isn't your city, Slasher -- it belongs to its people, not to its vermin!
I'm going to try to break the link in the unreal world.
Maybe you are innocent. This time. But you're filth. I want you to know -- from now on, I'll be watching your every move. The first time you step out of line -- will be the last time.
Rest... I'll need more of it than she knows... Now that I have to face a man-- two men eventually-- fueled by the same venom that turned me into a monster... nearly destroyed me. And in my arsenal... sedatives.
No harmony or integration. No speed or grace. My body knows what to do, but it's forgotten how. My back is healed, but the muscles are soft and lazy. My physical memory is short. I've lost far more than I realized -- basic skills, automatic reflexes. Got to pull my mind away from the end of my goal... stop thinking and exist for the moment, in the here and now. Relax and take each step in its time -- let each move flow from the last and into the next. Stay within myself at all times... expanding the ambition of each move only when and as my skills return. Learn to absorb acceptable and necessary losses -- to achieve every available gain... and to prevail, even poorly... but at least to prevail.
You're a mistake, the biggest of my life, made in a moment of weakness--and I'm here to take it all back.
That I've defeated and captured him time and again is a piercing thorn in his side. That I frighten him must be sheer hell.
Fear serves no purpose beyond triggering the primitive instinct of flight for self-preservation... but in this case we have to face our beast, hunt it down, and slay it.
I'm dressed this way... to save the world.
My life has been a crusade to save this city. But as Batman. And now, in its greatest hour of crisis, Gotham turns to Bruce Wayne.
I'm not going to present you with a fairy-tale image of Gotham. It's a hard luck town. It always has been. It's a place of dark tragedies and bitter ironies. A city of deep shadows and sharp contrasts. A city that touches everyone who lives there. For good and bad. I see Gotham as an anvil. One is broken or tempered on it. So many trials. So much misfortune. So little hope. But some thrive there. Gothamites are a tough breed. They're proud of their town and their talent for living in it. My family has lived there for two centuries. It was there that they built the financial giant that is a leading player in a half dozen industries. And it was Gothamites who helped build it. By their sweat and their labor and sometimes their lives they made Gotham a world competitor. Against all the odds. Maybe Gotham is inspiring in its own way. Inspiration spurred by fear. Or something even darker. But despite their troubles and their setbacks, Gothamites keep going. And there's something noble about that. It's an admirable trait, I think. Every city has its own personality. I like to think that dogged determination is Gotham's. It's a town that's never had its hand out. That's never played the victim. It's a town that's used to standing alone. It bears being maligned and forgotten. It helps itself. Even when the burdens become too great. Even when it should be screaming for rescue. But the people of Gotham know that justice can be an illusion. And rescue has its price. I guess what I'm trying to say is that Gotham can only help itself from this latest catastrophe -- with your help -- the country's help. I know the people of my hometown will work hard to rebuild. I know they'll repay this nation for any sacrifice it has to make. There's simply more to be gained by helping us than abandoning us. And I'm betting my entire fortune on it. Without a single doubt or regret.
The rain falls on murderers and madmen, the same as it does on innocent children... and it can't stop a bullet.
I really screwed up tonight. I let myself get off-balance and it was used to my disadvantage... Let my anger run away with me.
You can't fight fate, and you can't survive alone... I can't help but notice that almost seems like a definition of who I am... A person who's trying to do both.
Bruce Wayne is a mask I wear, that I've been wearing since I was a child... but it's become a liability, so it's over. Bruce Wayne and his troubles aren't my concern anymore. The only thing that matters now is my mission. Nothing will stand in the way anymore.
I lost sight of what all of you mean to me... And lost sight of the fact that an innocent woman was brutally murdered for no reason other than to hurt me...
If Clark wanted to, he could use his superspeed and squish me into the cement. But I know how he thinks. Even more than the Kryptonite, he's got one big weakness. Deep down, Clark's essentially a good person... and deep down, I'm not.
I made a promise on the grave of my parents that I would rid this city of the evil that took their lives. Tonight... I nearly became a part of that evil...
The LexCorp Gulf Stream 5 has the same specifications as WayneTech's Air Glide 3. Lucius tells me that we'll be in court for years over patent infringement. Having knowledge of the inner workings of the aircraft gives me the edge. It's one of the few times I'm grateful for the way LexCorp does business.
Riddles are your compulsion. Your addiction. And a riddle that everyone knows the answer to is worthless.
That's the trouble about girls who love secrets: They can't keep them.
I'd feel lucky, though, if I were you. Angel's capable of anything. Hell, he even had his own sister murdered.
I wear a mask. And that mask, it's not to hide who I am, but to create what I am.
And as the sun, that had been too afraid to show its face in this city, started to turn the black into grey, I smiled. Not out of happiness. But because I knew... that one day, I wouldn't have to do this anymore. One day, I could stop fighting. Because one day... I would win. One day, there will be no pain, no loss, no crime. Because of me, because I fight. For you. One day, I will win.
Whatever you are up to - stop.
When will you learn? Bring all the advantages in the world and I'll still beat you.
Do it. Pull the trigger. Give me a reason.
This doesn't change anything. It doesn't change anything at all.
The beatings stop when you start talking.
I've gone through times doubting the need for a -- sidekick. Now I see. The brightness of him. I need to see that light more. I need hope. I fear for Tim. Harvey. Selina. Dick. Alfred. And my city -- filled to capacity with every conceivable variety of maniac.
We're a team. Wayne Manor should be your home. Dick was my ward. Legally, it gave him security. I think you should have that too. However... the laws have changed. can't adopt you as my ward. For you to have the security I feel you deserve... I'd have to adopt you as my son. I don't know how you feel about that, Tim. I do know that I could never replace your real father, but I'd try to --
You don't seek justice. You seek vengeance. They're not the same. You have no regard for life. So I'm stopping you.
You ask for pity? You demand mercy? I have only Justice.
I'm looking at you because you're the only creep still standing.
In my attempts to see clearly in the deepest dark, in my efforts to go to the still eye in the storm of madness, did I open up myself to some pure source of evil? Did I finally reach the limits of reason? And find the Devil waiting? And was that fear in his eyes?
The next time you wear it will be last.
I should have known when I chose to walk this path. It never ends.
Because Gotham isn't Batman. Gotham isn't the Owls. Gotham is... Gotham is all of us.
Look, all of you, until this time, he's only come after you tangentially, to get to me. But now, he's saying he's coming for each of you head-on. And when Joker comes for you, he goes for everything you love, everything you care about, to destroy it.
Your training isn't worth anything to me. There are people who've trained their entire lives and fallen in this war. Did you really think it was as easy as picking up a taser? What did you think? That I would see how much you've grown and take you back to my base? Tell you my real name? Give you a car and a cape and let you fight by my side? This isn't a game, Harper! If you pursue this, you will die, do you understand me?!
Seems Clayface has mutated. What little is of Basil Karlo's DNA is disappearing fast. Meaning, Clayface is no longer an actor. No longer a mimic. If he samples a person's DNA, brushes their skin, finds a single hair, he can absorb it and fully become them. Which means, he's truly a clay man now. Everyone and no one. The only question is...who will he become next?
Whoever it was that just tried to kill me, he was good. But he made one mistake. He tried to use Gotham's legends against me. But I'm the only legend this city needs.
I was traveling, Alfred. Training. For this. And I can't tell you what it means to have you by my side here. But I'm 'not bringing Bruce Wayne back to life.
I know plenty about bats, Alfred. Tell me what you know about owls.
You think you can fool me? You think so? You can't. Because I know all the tricks. Hell, I invented them. And sooner or later... I will find you. Wherever you are... you can't hide from me. Hide in the dark. Because I live here... in the dark... in Gotham. It's my city.
I know... that I am sick... to death... of OWLS!
If Damian's next surprise is anywhere near as personal as the first, I might want to be alone. Wouldn't want you to see the dark harbinger of justice burst into tears.
The most important weapon in your arsenal will be your ability to adapt.
I'm tired of marking the night I watched my father bleed out from his sucking chest wound and my mother from a hole in her throat. It's not how they died that should be remembered, it's how they lived. That's why, from here on out, I'll be honoring their wedding anniversary and not their final night on this planet.
As Robins you've all had your strengths and weaknesses just as I had my own steep learning curve before putting on the cowl.
Look at these streets, Damian... They've driven four million people behind locked doors using the one thing I only wanted criminals to fear.
We had an understanding you'd keep your time on the streets limited while that bounty's in effect -- a need-to-go basis only.
So, if you think I'm going to stand here and apologize for worrying about my son's well-being and the choices I see you making, you're wrong.
I need your help, Frankenstein. To resurrect my son.
Don't think I didn't notice the restraint you just showed, Robin. Refusing to pound these fellows with the excessive force you wanted to is commendable.
If you cared about me and what I've lost, you'd want to dredge this up! Don't you see-- there's a chance you can help me erase one of the worst days of my life, Jason! You can give me the greatest gift of all and help me figure out how to bring my son back!
If I'm going to be honest with you, Damian, I'll need to be honest with myself. It's not just the upbringing that your mother forced on you that made you who you are... I'm also to blame.
You try to murder my son -- and expect to live!?
Police scanner reports a warehouse full of bodies. Seemingly poisoned. All bearing some semblance of a rictus-like grin, even in death. Gordon's bound to be there.
Don't move. Or I'll hurt you more.
Batwoman assessment. Final conclusion. Regarding her civilian identity, my theory proved correct. Kate Kane is Batwoman. It is time she and I have a serious discussion about the future.
And one more thing: Keep Flamebird out of the Weeping Woman case until you know what you're dealing with. Murdered sidekicks tend to come back from the dead. As super-villains.
Clark has told me about Bizarro. How he speaks in opposites. Makes the Joker seem sane...
You come into my city? You attack Gotham police? You'd better have a very good explanation!
Let the world think you're crazy if that's what it takes to be the best you can be, Michael. You proved me wrong. You proved yourself wrong.
That's the most reckless card playing I've ever seen. I wish Barry had lived to see you with money.
There's hope for you yet, Miss Brown.
You can overcome this or you can wither and die. The choice is yours. I hope you make the right one.
It's too late for Gotham. The blood of survivors is not a source of a cure or a vaccine against Ebola Gulf A. We've failed. All of us.
Attention Gotham City police. This is the Batman, and I've just taken over your airwaves. Some of you have seen me, some of you have even worked with me before. All of you know I'm good to my word. Now I'm asking you to take me at that word, and follow my orders.
No more games. You're anything but stupid. It's beyond that. All the thefts! The fights! The idiotic risks! It's all leading to one unavoidable end! Is that what you want?! Do you want to DIE?!
I tell myself to stay out of sight and return later with back-up. It's the only sensible thing to do. It's the only sensible thing to do. But then my mind's eye flashes on those bodies, hanging from hooks like sides of beef.
Forager gave his life saving Earth. Saving the universe.
You should know, whatever created you, whatever Yatz shot you up with contained not only the Doctor’s nano-technology, the smart skin, but also elements of the Joker’s so-called “venom”. I’ve seen men driven insane from exposure to it… Sometimes they come back. Sometimes they don’t.
Don't be absurd, Robin. I know who the Reaper is -- don't you?
What I am... was born from death. So we fight, David. We fight what's outside... it helps what's within. You're a hero. And you honor us all with your strength.
There's law -- and there's justice. What have you gained by all this? Nothing. You've put yourself in your own prison. And I'll always be around to make sure you stay there. That's the promise I made -- and that's the promise I'll keep. For the rest of our lives.
I couldn't forget Hassan's words: ""Your country-- it does not murder? It does not bomb women and children? It does not prop up a dozen tyrants who brutalize and persecute their peoples?"
The aliens have brought the war to Gotham... it's only fair Gotham should take it right back!
There is a city that needs looking after. The Buccaneer of Birds may have crossed that Great Divide -- but crime won't take time off to mourn!
If I'm right, Kruden'll be in no position to threaten anyone for a long time... If I'm wrong, the creep can sue me!
Don't brood too much, son. For your parents' sake, be strong. Always remember -- life has to go on.
Become like me? The Night-Monster. The man who taints the lives of all around him. Is that what I want for him? Is that what he will want for himself?
I'm Batman. And we both know Batman's secret identity is.....Bruce Wayne!!
Someone went to a lot of trouble to warn you. More effort than they've made to kill you.
The doubt is still there. Even if it were an illusion, there is the uncertainty. Is it possible that I never brought their killer to justice? And in the end, does that matter? Does that make a difference in what I do? No. It does not.
Damn the physics -- we're not going to die. We're not. I... won't... LET US!
This is the new language of Gotham. If I don't speak it, the message won't be understood.
I swore an oath to fight for justice and I don't know how to keep that oath. Or even if I can. What good is an oath if it tears you apart?
He thinks he can scare me. He thinks he can stop me. There's nothing wrong with him a bullet in the head won't fix.
James Gordon is the heart of the GCPD. His heart aches, but it will never quit. And like mine, his will remember.
I'm not interested in playing games.
This is holy work for me. There's little room for mistakes, and less for forgiveness.
You've got thirty days to prove you can keep up and not get killed. Otherwise I will fire you.
Vesper Fairchild... Go home. Go. Home.
I have questions. You will answer them. Or else.
Debbie Farrow will never fall in love. She will never have children. She will never fulfill whatever dreams she had. She will never have anything again. Because of you. Doesn't that make you want to die?
She found me and she took care of me...taught me how to survive. There is nothing I wouldn't do for her.
Even with one arm, I could just snap his neck. And end this forever. But I can't... I won't ever... become like him. There is always... another way.
In an ideal world, no blood would have to be spilled. Unfortunately, this is the real world. And the chasm between the two is far and wide.
Some would say it isn't him attacking. It's his disease. It's his addiction. Too bad I can't kick his addiction.
You called, I came.
What? You'll come up with a better gas? Or you'll pick at the scabs of my psyche and find a deeper fear? Don't you understand I've faced terror a wretch like you could never imagine -- and I overcame. This boy has been through more than you've ever known. He's beyond your illusions too. You have no power. You're the joke you always feared you might be.
I hear the soft gurgle of pleasure in the mugger's throat. I'll turn it into a scream.
If I've learned anything living in Gotham -- it's that only the good stay dead.
This is war. It's ugly and brutal. Forget any fairy tales your mother told you about entitlement. We're fighting for our lives, understand?
I wasn't aware an option existed.
Hugh Marder, their president, a man I actually like, has been working feverishly to develop technology that'll aid in the development of cancer drugs. I trusted he was working on the technology he so enthusiastically put all his weight behind. But this...
The quest for traveling faster than the speed of light. I get it. But why is it here? Was Marder testing it on himself? Trying to propel himself through space?
Keep Batman busy so he doesn't interfere with the assassination of Bruce Wayne? Whoever's behind this, I guess the joke's on them.
I want to take down Cobblepot right, and that requires patience and forethought. So no trouble tonight... but a whole lot of fireworks.
You want to know where your wife' is, Clayface? I'm here to show you. But the truth is going to hurt. It's going to burn.
A few months ago, after my last' trouble with the Joker, all these lunatics were allowed to congregate in Old Grant Park. I thought it was a very bad idea. For them.
"Look into their smiles," Bullock insisted. And I do. And everything clicks into place.
You know what ultimately brought down Al Capone, right? Tax evasion. You belong in Blackgate, Cobblepot. It doesn't matter how you get there.
I know the asylum has several hidden points of escape, Doctor. Choose one and get there! Now!
No-- I trust Niles Caulder, their leader.
I made a very solemn vow about firearms. But for you, I'm making a once-in-a lifetime exception.
I'm not the one wearing hood ornaments on the side of my head.
I'm Batman. I don't enjoy anything.
Not why I came to Atlantis... But never again will I let another family be ruined.
Here on the East End, a midnight walk constitutes attempted suicide.
In her own perverse way, she loves him.
You know the sort of people I've gone up against, so you know I don't say this lightly... but the Joker? Riddler? Croc, Scarecrow and the others? He's in their league. Only without the crippling psychoses to cloud his judgment.
People think it's an obsession. A compulsion. As if there were an irresistible impulse to act. It's never been like that. I chose this life. I know what I'm doing. And on any given day, I could stop doing it. Today, however, isn't that day. And tomorrow won't be either.
Everyone looks up to you. They listen to you. If you tell them to fight, they'll fight. But they need to be inspired. And let's face it, "Superman"... the last time you really inspired anyone -- was when you were dead.
Why? Because some Greek psychic, high on inhalants told you we might all die? The JLA has taken on Darkseid. And won. But we were united. Doing this on your own just increases the chances that you'll fail.
No one tries too hard to make the world better. You can never shout too loudly in the name of freedom.
We'll be ready. Justice is always ready. That's why evil always fails. There's only one kind of good, and it's all evil ever gets to battle. Makes it weak and narrow-minded. There's an endless variety of evil. And good's got a lifetime of tricks up its sleeve. We learn from the best.
I'm opening the Sci-Fi closet, Alfred. Don't tell my friends in the GCPD about this.
You're prepared for a meta-human attack. Nothing in here will have any effect on me. Give up now while you still can.
First blood goes to them, but now it's our turn. My suggestion is this: we make plans, we move fast and we hit hard. This is war!
I wrote off the Key as a minor threat a long time ago. It may be time to reassess that evaluation.
I appreciate your confidence in me, Plastic Man. Of course I have a plan.
I don't carry guilt around like a cross. Life is hard. Terrible things happen. We do our best and we keep doing it -- and we don't cross the line.
I'm a detective. Don't insult me.
...I suppose we owe it to ourselves to get back to our lives.
You want me to do something illegal, don't you?
Will you be confessing while you still have the capacity to eat solid food or not?
The JLA are dead... but the JLA can never die. It's too important, both practically and symbolically.
We die every day. A thousand times an hour. Anyone who does this work sees it. Death. Their own... their partner's... their loved ones. We go to work anyway. Death is powerless against you if you leave a legacy of good behind. Death is powerless against you if you do your job. My father saved the lives of over four thousand people, one at a time... with his bare hands and his mind. Death was with him the entire time.
No matter what differences we had over the years, I've always known that Dick had a gift.
Jason had only... rage.
And when you're sitting here alone in the middle of the night, unsleeping in the dark, remember -- every breath you take you owe to me.
He calls himself "Scarecrow." Psychologist turned psychopath. He preys on the innocent and instill them with fear. When I chose to wear my... costume, it was to prey upon the criminals, and instill them with fear. The irony is not lost on me...
That is an OMAC invasion. And I would imagine-- they are coming for you.
You did your best Mrs. Waller -- but you came up against something that was too big for you... too big for any of us.
Ms. da Costa -- please remember that I'm wearing a disguise. Underneath this, I assure you, I'm ugly as sin.
Learn from this, Booster... Follow your gut and make the team yours. And then make sure this never happens again.
There's a lot we have to learn -- about each other and about ourselves -- before we can present ourselves to the public in any major fashion.
The world's afraid of us. It's necessary.
My name is Bruce Wayne. When I was ten, my parents were murdered in front of my eyes. I've spent my life training to fight the same kind of criminals that took their lives. But this is different. This isn't about me. This is bigger than I am. And it's bigger than you are.
There's no doubt now this is not a random series of events. It's an invasion. STARRO the CONQUEROR has declared WAR on EARTH.
The entire planet has been infested by microscopic starro spores. The social order is disintegrating in every town, city and country.
The Justice League is a strike force. The Justice Society is a family.
The most powerful being on the planet and they kept him hidden on a small Kansas farm.
Sometimes all the detective work in the world can't beat a super-dog with a keen sense of smell.
Man-Bats. Ninja Man-Bats. Alarming Twist.
Defending a planet and cleaning up a city are two very different things.
You're a junkie. A Chocos junkie!
First blood goes to them, but now it's our turn. My suggestion is this: we make plans, we move fast and we hit hard. This is war!
"He's born fully grown on the first battlefield of each war, and always dies from the last shot fired in the last battle."
This is a war, Dick. Robin is my second... my lieutenant. Anything less than total devotion to this cause is simply wasting my time. I'll say it again... you're fired, Dick. Get out of my cave.
It means Ted Kord is dead, Alfred... and none of us are safe - none of us.
I need a team people expect the worst from-- a team that bad guys see as kindred spirits. All those "screw-ups" you refer to-- the coup in Africa, the Nuke in Russia, the Prison Riot-- they got you branded as terrorists. As much as you hate it, that's exactly why the Outsiders will accomplish things no so-called heroes can. And if you refuse to be a part of that, well... then you're everything I always hoped you would be. Go back to the good fight, Dick. Leave the bad fight to us.
Plastic Man survived for 3000 years as little more than crumbs scattered around the Atlantic. If that doesn't give you an idea of the level of power he hides behind that doofy smile of his, then you're brain dead.
Philip Miles. The dentist, a maniac-depressive and sado-masochist fetishist.
You wouldn't know a decent impulse if it punched you square in the jaw! I think it's time we ended your little coup--! I didn't think there'd be anybody worse for this country than Harjavti -- but lady -- you're the bottom of the barrel!
No, Jason. He didn't make you. I never did either. You made you.
His parents--circus acrobats--had been murdered. And I... wanted to make a difference in his life...
Hit the showers. Take your time. Come up with other reasons you're a terrible person and I'll shoot those arguments down when you get back.
You remember the conditions of our agreement. You disobeyed a direct order in the field. No excuses. That was also part of our deal. You're fired. Take the rest of the afternoon to gather your things and retrieve your personal files out of the computer. Take everything now, because you won't be back. The codes will be changed as soon as you leave. I gave you a fair shot. You didn't measure up, but there's no shame in that. And Stephanie? Let this be the end to all of it. From now on, I don't expect to see Spoiler out there either.
If the best Cassandra could do to drive a wedge between us is criticize your costume color... that's just proof of how disturbed she is.
Did you get the bad guys? And you came home safe. You made it a perfect Father's Day, Tim.
The job's still yours if you want it.
He didn't become the world's greatest escape artist for the applause. He did it to survive.
Is there a race of half-men, half-bat that live deep in the caves of Gotham? Did I meet one of them tonight?
Troubles in Gotham await me, Gentlemen. I'd like this over as soon as possible.
There's hope for you yet, Miss Brown.
Why does the Honolulu SCU have this number?
Clark was right. Kara did handle herself well. I just can't help feeling like it was all a setup.
Supergirl, you're one of the most powerful creatures on the planet. If someone intelligent were to come after you, they wouldn't attack you directly. They'd try to trick you. Surprise you. Remember Supergirl... only your body's invulnerable.
Which one of us is the detective again?
"Her presence will bring death and destruction". When this day is done, Clark, how will you answer for that?
An island of beautiful women and a man spying on them from above and Clark doesn't see any problem with that.
No, Clark, you're missing the point of the question. Why do I keep that giant penny? Or old costumes, models of the Batmobile? Orphans are collectors, Clark. Losing so much... makes it that much harder to give things up.
Croc was crazed, insane, lashing out... I'm not sure he knew where he was. Or who he was fighting. He's all rage - desperate, desperate rage. Not that it was helping me any.
What would I say...?... That I wanted her? That I didn't care if she was married? That here we are trapped in Darkseid's hell in space--death and torture all around us--and yet I would be nowhere else. Because of her. Because of Bekka. My beautiful, beautiful Bekka. God help me.
There's no reward in being right all the time.
Let them all know. That when they need one...when they want one...they have a savior. And he is safe again.
I hate Metropolis. It's an art deco nightmare. All bright lights and rounded corners.
I hear it in Clark's voice. Something alien to him. Panic.
Go home, Kent. This is below your pay grade.
So the obvious path is, who else knew he was doing the story? Who else wanted to protect my identity? Who would want to stop this story enough to kill?
You're an architect, Clark,. You're building a future. I'm a fireman. I put out fires as best I can, and then move on to the next one. Go build your future, Kent. I've got work to do.
It is a remarkable dichotomy. In many ways, Clark is the most human of us all. Then... he shoots fire from the skies and it is difficult not to think of him as a god. And how fortunate we all are that it does not occur to him.
Sometimes the old ideas still work. And remember, I've got the shadows covered, Smallville... We need you out in the light.
Your bereavement needn't destroy you. In time it can even make you stronger. But all that starts with one thing: acceptance. He's gone.
Like the earth he sprang from, he deserved our respect. Perhaps even our love. But he's gone... and as ever, it's futile to speculate on what might have been.
There's a master cat burglar on the loose and you're chatting with your friends?
I won't lose another Robin. You agree to work with me -- to do what I say when I say it -- to trust me like I'll come to trust you... then we have a deal. Partner.
Death is powerless against you if you leave a legacy of good behind. Death is powerless against you if you do your job. My father saved the lives of over four thousand people, one at a time... with his bare hands and his mind. Death was with him the entire time.
I am a practical man. I do not believe in gods, or devils, or souls. But if perchance there is a Devil... tonight he had his fingers burned.
Clark, I'm sure anywhere you go in the universe, you'll find stupid people.
Horrible things happen to children everywhere.
Let you in on a little secret, Superman. I can't fly. Bullets don't bounce off my chest. I can't bend steel in my bare hands. But criminals fear me. I'm sorry normal citizens do too, but I'd rather have that than word on the street what a nice guy I am. That sort of talk could get me killed.
What's wrong, is you assumed I'd be your backup just because it's the anniversary of Harrison Grey's death! You act like we're partners, or friends!
I didn't pull the trigger on Robin and Batgirl, but I might as well have. I trained them. I let them wear the costumes that made them targets. It doesn't matter that the Joker shot Barbara Gordon, not Batgirl. It was only a matter of time.
If detective work were easy -- everyone would be doing it.
- --Batman
It's been quiet in Gotham of late...almost too quiet. So, having actually invoked that old cliche, something should be going awry somewhere in town right about--