Batman supporting characters
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Throughout the stories published in DC Comics comic books and that appear in adaptations in other media since 1939, the Batman character accumulates a number of recognizable supporting characters, among them, the "Batman family". The "Batman Family" is the informal name for a group of characters closely associated with Batman, generally costumed vigilantes who either have been trained by Batman or operate in Gotham City with his tacit approval.
Batman also forms strong bonds or close working relationships with other superheroes, including Justice League members Superman, Black Canary, and Green Arrow, as well as members of the Outsiders superhero team. Finally, characters in the Gotham City Police Department, particularly James Gordon, work closely with him. Others, such as Jason Bard, Harold, and Toyman work for him.
Batman Family
The Batman Family operates like a network of similarly-minded superheroes with Batman as its head. Although some members occasionally resent Batman’s intrusion into their lives, they consider themselves his friends and try to guide and help him as well. In a 2002 storyline in which Bruce Wayne, Batman’s secret identity, is accused of murder, Batman's friends gather to prove his innocence. A number of Batman writers have implied that this network keeps Batman from turning into a merciless vigilante.[[Citing sources citation needed]]Current members
Aside from Batman, current members include:- Alfred Pennyworth is Batman’s butler and confidant, and the man who raised him after his parents were killed.
- Nightwing, Dick Grayson, was an orphaned child acrobat who originally served as Batman’s sidekick Robin and became Bruce Wayne's ward. As an adult, he took up the identity of Nightwing, and served as Blüdhaven's protector, Gotham's ugly sister city to the south, until he left due to a crisis of conscience. He is now living in New York and is leader of the Outsiders.
- Oracle, Barbara Gordon, is the daughter of Gotham police commissioner James Gordon, and was the original Batgirl. After she was left paraplegic by the Joker, she became Oracle, an Information Broker, and founded a covert team of female operatives in the Birds of Prey comics. Barbara relocated to Metropolis after the events of "War Games."
- Robin, currently Tim Drake, is another teenaged crime fighter who took-up the mantle of Robin to assist Batman. He is a member of the Teen Titans.
- James Gordon is the police commissioner of Gotham City and long-time ally of Batman. He recently returned to action between the events in Infinite Crisis and the "One Year Later" event.
- Jason Bard was hired by the Dark Knight after the One Year Later jump. He is Batman's daytime liaison.
Deceased members
- Azrael, Jean-Paul Valley, was the genetically modified assassin Azrael, who once replaced Bruce Wayne as Batman when he was badly injured by Bane. Valley defeated Bane, but grew increasingly paranoid and violent. Bruce was forced to reclaim the mantle of the Bat. Valley returned to the Azrael identity and attempted to regain Batman's trust. After many years he did just that and served as an "Agent of the Bat" until his death. His body was never found.
- Stephanie Brown, was the daughter of the criminal Cluemaster and became a teenaged superhero, the Spoiler. She was Tim Drake’s love interest. Upon Tim's retirement as Robin, she replaced him as the fourth hero to use the name. Stephanie was fired, for failing to follow Batman's orders. She was reckless as a crimefighter – a trait that eventually lead to her death.
- Orpheus was formerly a member of the GCPD and took up the Orpheus identity after a scandal that cost his badge. He became one of Batman's agents and posed as a crime boss; he was later killed by Black Mask.
- Batwoman, Kathy Kane was a wealthy heiress who became a superhero, emulating her idol Batman, until she was assassinated by agents of the League of Assassins including the brainswashed Bronze Tiger. In current continuity, she is the aunt of the current Flamebird, Bette Kane. Her time as Batwoman was erased, but the event of her murder has remained.
- Harold, Harold was an aide of Batman's who helped design, make, and repair much of his gadgets. Harold was later killed by Hush.
Former members
- Jason Todd was apprehended by Batman while attempting to steal the tires off the Batmobile. Recognizing promising skills in the troubled youth, Batman took Jason in and trained him to become the second Robin. He later was killed by the Joker on a quest to find his mother. Years later, he was resurrected and adopted the identity of the second Red Hood, which the Joker held prior to the incident that transformed him from failing comedian into the Clown Prince of Crime. Currently, Todd is in New York City, using the persona of Nightwing.
- Selina Kyle (Catwoman) was one of Batman's early adversaries. She severed contact with Batman after Zatanna informed her that her mind was being manipulated along with the rest of the Secret Society. Apparently, this was why she had given up her life of crime to align herself with Batman and the Batman Family. One year after the events in Infinite Crisis, she retired and gave birth to a baby girl and is again friends with Batman. A new Catwoman has surfaced, Holly Robinson, whose allegiance is unknown.
- Huntress, Helena Bertinelli, is the daughter of a mafia boss who rejected crime and took to patrolling Gotham as a anti-heroine. While her relationship with Batman has been tenuous, she recently earned his respect in an issue of Birds of Prey.
- Batgirl, Cassandra Cain, is a martial arts prodigy and daughter of the assassin David Cain. Batman and Oracle trained her as the next Batgirl. As of the last issue of Batgirl, she has given up the Batgirl mantle.
- Sasha Bordeaux, who is Bruce Wayne's former bodyguard. She is now working with government organization called Checkmate.
- Onyx was Orpheus' bodyguard and protector. She took up his position as gang leader after Orpheus' death. A bond developed between Onyx and Cassandra Cain (then Batgirl). After the events in Infinite Crisis, she has not been seen in Gotham and her whereabouts are unknown.
- Harvey Dent was the former District Attorney, and previously known as the villain Two-Face. He was deemed cured after his facial reconstruction surgery by Dr. Thomas Elliot. Dent was requested by Batman to watch over Gotham City during his one year absence with Robin. Dent's style of justice has been more brutal that Batman's precision style vigilantism. Upon Batman's return to Gotham, there has been a series of grisly murders of several members of Batman's rogue gallery, and almost all evidence points to Dent. When confronted by Batman, Dent blew up his apartment.
Other Supporting Characters
Gotham City Police Department
Members of the Gotham City Police Department have played prominent roles in Batman's extended 'family.' The GCPD were featured in their own series: the limited series GCPD: Gotham City Police Department and the ongoing series Gotham Central, in which they investigate the unusual crimes that plague the city, in a personal effort to minimize Batman's involvement. Gotham Central series ended its 40 issue run in 2006.
- James ("Jim") Gordon: The police commissioner of Gotham City, with whom Batman has a strong (though secret and unofficial) working relationship. Gordon, like other characters, has changed considerably over the years. Of particular note, is that in the early days of the characters, Gordon was not allied with Batman, and was more antagonistic towards him. However, he was a friend of Bruce Wayne. In "", Gordon is portrayed as one of the few honest, non-corrupt Gotham cops. During "No Man's Land", Bruce offered him the knowledge of his secret identity, but Jim (still angry for Batman's early abandonment of Gotham in the days near the beginning of NML) refused to look and find out, hinting he may already know.
- Harvey Bullock: A detective, Harvey was introduced as a subordinate secretly assigned to spy on and discredit Gordon. However, Bullock soon changed his mind and became loyal to the commissioner while having a deep suspicion of Batman.
- Renee Montoya: Detective Montoya was added into the comics in the 1990sas a character adapted from the animated series. Renee has quite the GPD and is a major participant in DC's storyline 52.
Batman villains
Batman comics have introduced many classic villains. His rogues gallery is arguably one of the most identifiable in modern fiction. The Joker, Two-Face, and The Penguin are some of the most recognizable foes. Batman's rogues gallery is notable for characters such as Catwoman, Talia, and The Riddler, who function both as allies and as villains.
Recently, emphasis on the psychological motivations of Batman villains have painted them in a much more sympathetic light than in their earlier stories: most notibly Mr. Freeze, and the Ventriloquist in their incarnations.
Other heroes
Batman regularly interacts with other DC superheroes in titles such as The Justice League. A few, however, have a marked presence in the core Batman titles:
- Superman: As two of the earliest superheroes, Batman and Superman are frequent collaborators in each other's titles, and are frequently used to highlight differences between vigilante and lawful crime-fighting.
In the early crossovers, the Man of Steel and the Caped Crusader were usually depicted as good friends who cheerfully assisted one another against foes who were too big to be dealt with alone. In more recent times, their friendship has been depicted as more uneasy, but still with a deep amount of respect. In the current chronology, Batman and Superman first encounter one another early in their careers when Superman arrives in Gotham city to arrest the notorious "outlaw" known as Batman, just as Batman is investigating a murderous criminal named Magpie. Superman left this encounter with Batman believing he had the best of intentions though disagreeing with Batman's methods. As Superman flew back to Metropolis, Batman lamented to himself that Superman was a remarkable individual and that "perhaps, in another lifetime, he might call the Man of Steel his friend." They have collaborated many times in the years since then, learning each other's secret identities, recognizing that their goals are essentially the same, and despite their frequent tense relationship, close allies and friends. Superman has entrusted Lex Luthor's Kryptonite ring to Batman, as a weapon to be used against Superman in case the Man of Steel should ever be turned against the people of Earth. In keeping with that attitude, Batman and Superman are often depicted as being the opposite sides of the same coin, both products of their environments, as indicated in their vastly different styles of crime fighting. Superman became a hero because he prescribed to wholesome idealism, while Batman was motivated by personal tragedy and a troubled past.
- Green Arrow: Oliver Queen began as a character very much inspired by Batman. He had a youthful ward, Speedy, much like Robin, as well as an Arrowcave, an Arrowcar, and an Arrowplane, similar to Batman's equipment. Most of these gimmicks were stripped by the 1970s, when both Batman and Green Arrow were revamped into more serious characters. Batman and Green Arrow have often been frequent partners, especially during the 1970s, when Batman's team up title, The Brave and the Bold, was one of the few places outside of the pages of JLA where the Emerald Archer could be found. Like with Superman, early teamups between Batman and Green Arrow were very friendly, but their relations became strained in more recent incarnations. Batman and Green Arrow's interactions in the 1980s were often employed as counterpoints to differing techniques and political philisophies. Today, Green Arrow is frequently depicted as one of the few superheroes willing to stand up to Batman directly.
- Black Canary: Dinah Laurel Lance is a member of the Justice Society, the former lover of Green Arrow, and member of Oracle's covert team in Birds of Prey.
- The Question: Originally a Charlton Comics superhero, created by Steve Ditko, Vic Sage was revamped by Dennis O'Neil in 1987. Since the late 1990s, the Question has had a recurring supporting role in Batman titles.
- Richard Dragon: As one of the top martial artists in the DC Universe, Denny O'Neil's Richard Dragon appears occasionally in Batman-related titles. Dragon is involved in training the modern Huntress, and allusions are made to his involvement training Batman himself.
- Toyman III: Hiro Okamura, a 13 year old genius from Japan. He was recruited by Superboy and Robin (Tim) after he successfully created the composite Superman/Batman ship that saved Earth. He now works with Batman to create custom-equipment and weapons, replacing Harold.
Other supporting characters
Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne's butler, as seen in Justice League.
- Lucius Fox: Although far less privy to his personal life, Lucius Fox is a trusted close associate of Wayne as his business manager responsible for both Wayne Enterprises and Wayne Foundation. Lucius does not know of Batman's secret identity, but in some incarnations (such as Batman Begins), it is hinted he knows Bruce is doing something, but prefers not to know exactly for the purpose of deniability.
- Dr. Leslie Thompkins: A physician who runs a small clinic in Crime Alley for Gotham's poor, Leslie is both a friend and colleague of Bruce Wayne's father, and one of the few people Batman has entrusted with his identity. She is devoted to pacifism, and while she does not approve of Batman's methods, she frequently lends him aid and has treated his wounds on numerous occasions. She has occasionally been romantically linked with Alfred. Dr. Tompkins left Gotham after the "War Games" storyline, out of shame that she let Stephanie Brown die.
- Henri Ducard: Ducard is one of Wayne's few teachers who has had a continuing presence in the comics, having taught a young Bruce Wayne the art of the man-hunt. Ducard's moral ambiguity led to future conflicts with Batman.
- Lady Shiva: One of the most feared assassins in the world, Lady Shiva has often been a foe of Batman. However, after Batman broke his back fighting Bane, he went to Lady Shiva for training.
- Dr. Thomas Elliot: A surgeon introduced in the "Hush" storyline, Thomas Elliot is a childhood friend of the Wayne Family. Elliot and Wayne parted ways at a young age, after the death of Elliot's father.
- Ace the Bat-Hound: In 1955, a few months after the Superman mythos saw the introduction of Krypto, the Batman mythos saw the introduction and short duration of Ace, the Bat-hound, a German shepherd with a black mask covering most of his head. Ace later reappeared as Bruce's guard dog and companion in the television series Batman Beyond, and is currently seen as a character in the 2005 animated series Krypto the Superdog. The modern comic-book version of Ace depects him as a companion to Harold, rarely playing a role in the plotlines. Ace has not appeared since the "" storyline.
Love interests
Comic Titles
Catwoman kisses Batman inBatman has had many romantic relationships with various female characters throughout his years fighting crime. The following characters do not include the various female hangers-on that Bruce has employed to maintain his image as a playboy.
- Julie Madison: In the earliest Batman comics, Bruce Wayne dates the often-imperiled Julie Madison. The two eventually separate and Julie weds into European royalty, much in the manner of Grace Kelly. In the movie Batman and Robin, Elle MacPherson plays Julie, though the character seems to have little in common with her comic book self. The character adds little to the plot, though many of her scenes were edited out of the film's final cut.
- Vicki Vale: In several 1950s stories, reporter for the Gotham Gazette newspaper Vicki Vale, was shown as an occasional romantic interest of Batman. Vale appeared as a character in Tim Burton's first Batman feature film, portrayed by Kim Basinger, and also appeared in the recent animated feature The Batman vs. Dracula. Vicki Vale returned in the early 1980s, brought back by Doug Moench, and again in 2005 in All Star Batman and Robin.
- Selina Kyle: Batman's most well known romance is with Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman, who represents a gray area in Batman's otherwise black and white life, blurring the line between good and evil. Catwoman has fought Batman on various occasions, yet the two share a mutual attraction to each other.
leftFormerly a jewel thief, Catwoman is now an antihero who defends Gotham City's East End. In pre-Crisis continuity, the Earth-Two versions of Batman and Catwoman were shown to have married in the 1950s, and later Selina gave birth to a daughter, Helena Wayne (alias Huntress) in 1957. In the current timeline, Batman and Catwoman became romantically involved during the "" story arc. Batman ended the relationship because he was unsure if Catwoman had been a willing participant in Hush's plot. Even when the spark between them rekindled in the Justice League arc "Crisis of Conscience", the Dark Knight couldn't be sure of Selina's love for him, because of his suspicions that Selina's reformation could be a result of a personality-altering mindwipe by Zatanna. In most versions of the character, the attraction Batman feels towards her is based on the fact that she's sort of a female version of himself: another dark, beautiful creature that prowls in the night. In some of these versions, such as the Burton/Schumacher film continuity - specifically Batman Returns, Selina (played by Michelle Pfeiffer) seems to be the true love of Bruce's life, as not only their costumed identities but also their disturbed psyches are described as similar, their relationship becoming intensely dramatic towards the end of the movie.
- Silver St. Cloud: A storyline in the late 1970s featured Silver St. Cloud, who managed to deduce the secret of Bruce Wayne's alter ego, but she couldn't handle being involved with someone in such a dangerous line of work. The two parted ways; a 2005 miniseries features a return appearance of Silver St. Cloud, however the romance has not been rekindled.
- Talia al Ghul: The daughter of the supervillain, Ra's al Ghul, Talia's father has encouraged the relationship in hopes of recruiting Batman as his successor, and in the out-of-continuity graphic novel Batman: Son of the Demon, the romance progressed to the bed and Talia bore his son (later named Ibn al Xu'ffasch in another out-of-continuity four-part series Kingdom Come).
- Rachel Caspian: In a 1987 storyline "", Bruce Wayne falls in love with Rachel. Unfortunately Rachel's father moonlighted as a murderous vigilante who committed suicide once losing a battle against a gun-wielding Batman. Discovery of her father's evils drove Rachel to pay her father's penance on his behalf by enrolling in a nunnery and breaking off her engagement with Bruce Wayne, who had prepared himself to end his crime-fighting career to marry her.
- Julia Pennyworth: The daughter of Alfred and a French Resistance fighter named Mlle Marie, Julia was brought in by Doug Moench in the early 1980s.
- Natasha Knight: The most remarkable of his love interests at the time was Nocturna aka Natasha Knight, brought in by Doug Moench in the early 1980s. She was a jewel thief who briefly adopted Jason Todd and knew that Bruce Wayne was Batman. The thing that made her remarkable was that she suffered from a rare "light sensitivity" disease and her skin was blanched white. She disappeared during the last days of pre-crisis Batman after being stabbed by her brother Charles and floating into the crimson sky of the crisis in her balloon.
- Vesper Fairchild: Fairchild's relationship with Bruce Wayne was establish during Doug Moench's second run on Batman in the 90s. A radio show host who left Gotham after the "No Man's Land" crisis, Fairchild was later killed by David Cain on orders from Lex Luthor.
- Sasha Bordeaux: Assigned as Bruce Wayne's bodyguard, Sasha deduced that Bruce was Batman. She was framed for Fairchild's murder and later joined Maxwell Lord's Checkmate organization. During The OMAC Project, Bordeaux was turned into a cyborg OMAC but this has since been resolved. While Sasha and Batman kissed near the end of The OMAC Project, their relationship seems to have passed on.
- Poison Ivy: In the comic series , "The Human Nature" story arc, Bruce and Ivy are involved after he helps her return to normal. She has special abilities in this comic, through a chemical drug. This relationship has not been carried over to the mainstream Batman comics.
- Wonder Woman: Diana and Bruce briefly dated within the pages of the Justice League of America comics, but nothing came of the relationship and the two remain friends. This is echoed in the Justice League animated series.
Film
- Chase Meridian (Nicole Kidman): In Batman Forever, Bruce has a relationship with the psychiatrist, who is kidnapped by Two-Face and the Riddler, leading to the climactic showdown.
- Rachel Dawes (Katie Holmes): In Batman Begins, Bruce is romantically involved with his childhood friend who becomes an assistant district attorney. She ends the relationship with him when she finds out Bruce is Batman.
Animation
- Zatanna: In , while Bruce studied escape artistry under Zatara the Magician, he had a relationship with Zatara's daughter, Zatanna. While this relationship didn't last, the two have remained friends, with Bruce contacting her from time to time for help.
- Lois Lane: In ', Bruce Wayne dated Lois during the crossover "World's Finest" three part episode of '. She ended it after learning Bruce Wayne was Batman.
Andrea Beaumont left a locket in the Batcave as a keepsake for Bruce.- Barbara Gordon: In Batman Beyond continuity, Barbara and Bruce had a romantic relationship. However, when he became too obsessed with crime fighting, the relationship ended. This was also hinted at in the direct-to-video animated movie .
- Selina Kyle: In Batman Beyond, Bruce hints at a relationship with Selina in his past.
- Andrea Beaumont: In the animated film , the relationship between Bruce and Andrea is told via flashbacks, and hints at her being the love of Bruce's life. It also implied that had their engagement not been called off due to Andrea's father getting involved with the mob, Wayne would have abandoned crime fighting forever and married Andrea.
TV Series
In the original live action Batman series starring Adam West, Batman's relationships with women were somewhat more liberal. In many episodes, the Dark Knight would find himself in a night club, often with a far-fetched name such as the "What-a-Way-to-Go-Go", where he would dance his infamous (and often embarrassing) dance, the "Batusi". A similar dance (thought to be a parody, by some) was attempted by actor John Travolta in the film Pulp Fiction.Other Continuities
Several major characters featured outside of modern Batman canon are of note:- Bette Kane: In 1961, the original Bat-Girl was introduced as the sidekick and neice to Batwoman (Kathy Kane). The character currently appears as the character Flamebird.
- Helena Wayne: Pre-Crisis the Huntress was Helena Wayne, daughter to Earth-Two's Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle (Catwoman). The modern Huntress (Helena Bertinelli) has no biological relations to Catwoman or Batman.
- Carrie Kelly: Carrie Kelly became the first female Robin (chronologically though not canonically) in 1986's '. ', the follow up to DKR, Carrie is called Catgirl, as a call back to Catwoman.
Other uses
- All DC comic books, both unlimited series and limited series, related to Batman are occasionally called the Batman Family of series. Most of these series feature the characters described above, but some feature villains and general concepts from the Batman mythos.
- Two comic book series have used the title Batman Family. The first was an ongoing series that ran 20 issues from 1972 to 1975. This was an anthology title that featured members of the Batman Family, predominantly Batgirl and Robin. Batman himself rarely appeared. After this title ended, similar stories were included as backup stories in an expanded version of Detective Comics for a few years before the comic was reduced back to a regular size. In 2002 an eight-issue limited series titled Batman: Family was published featuring the Batman family.
See also
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