Bruce Wayne (Earth-2A)


 * You may be looking for Batmam (SuperFriends Member) / JLA Member.

Justice Society Team Member

Batman began his costumed career in 1939; married Selina Kyle (the Catwoman) in 1955; and had a daughter, Helena Wayne, who became the costumed Huntress shortly before Batman's untimely death in 1979.

Background Information
In the parallel universe of Earth-Two (Earth-2A in the SuperFriends Universe), Bruce Wayne was born in 1915 to Dr. Thomas Wayne and his wife Martha, two wealthy Gotham City socialites. Young Bruce was raised in an environment of wealth and privilege and enjoyed a happy childhood until the age of seven, when on that fateful evening, Bruce and his parents were struck with tragedy. As they walked home after a Rudolph Valentino movie, they crossed what would later be known as Crime Alley. A desperate mugger named Joe Chill demanded Mrs. Wayne's jewelry and any cash they may have on hand. When the elder Wayne resisted, Chill shot him. In the excitement, Martha Wayne suffered a heart attack and died shortly thereafter. Stunned by the deaths of his parents, Bruce Wayne stared intently at the criminal, memorizing every detail of his face. Unnerved, Chill beat a hasty retreat before the authorities arrived. This marked a turning point in Bruce’s life.

Young Wayne is raised by his father's brother, Dr. Philip Wayne, though he never recovers from his parents' murder and vows to one day wage a war against the criminal underworld in Gotham City. He later swore to pursue all criminals to avenge the deaths of his parents and devoted himself to attaining physical and intellectual excellence. He underwent rigorous physical training and educated himself in criminal science and police techniques. By the late 1930s, Bruce Wayne was an affluent Gotham City businessman and socialite. One night in his study, Wayne decided he needed to leave the traditional avenues of justice and become a symbol of something that would inspire fear and awe in the criminal populace. As if an omen, a bat flew into the window of the study and inspired Wayne. He decided that he would adopt the guise of a bat and developed the identity that made him the scourge of Gotham's underworld: The Batman!

Disguised as an elderly designer, Wayne hired Gotham's finest tailors to craft a costume in the form of a bat – a flowing dark cape and cowl, and a body suit with a black bat emblazoned on the chest. In his first case, Batman broke up the ‘Chemical Syndicate’ and won the admiration of Commissioner James W. Gordon. Ultimately, he would develop a tight relationship with the Gotham Police Force that would shield him from the turmoil that shook the established community of ‘mystery-men’ during the McCarthy years.

In the spring of 1940, Batman was investigating the activities of Boss Zucco and his corruption in a small neighboring town. While there, he attended a performance of the Haly Circus, one of the few hold-outs against Zucco and his minions. During the act, a group of family trapeze artists, the Flying Graysons, were gunned down before the eyes of the terrified crowd. Their son, Richard, survived, witnessing his parents' brutal murder. The boy's vengeful wrath inspired Wayne, reminding him of his own rage at the deaths of his parents. Batman, with the help of the boy, gathered enough evidence to send Zucco and his cohorts to prison. Wayne took the young Grayson on as his partner and shared his secret life with him. The boy also took on a costumed identity and created the guise of Robin, the Boy Wonder.

That summer, Batman encountered the man who would become the most dangerous criminal of his long career. The Joker had been a common criminal involved in an attempt to steal enough money to retire at an early age. He had adopted the identity of the Red Hood and, during his final case in that identity, robbed the Monarch Card Company. As he fled the scene, he was forced to swim through a vat of dyes and chemicals used in the manufacture of the cards. When he emerged, he found that the compounds had permanently altered his face and hair, dyeing them the colors of the joker in a deck of cards. The chemicals had possibly affected his mind as well, for the result of this experience left the Joker quite insane. His true identity is not revealed. Batman's first tangle with the Joker occurred when the Clown Prince of Crime committed a spree of murders by announcing the demise of the intended over the radio but not being present with the event occurred. A chemist in his former occupation, the Joker had invented a venom which killed quickly, had a time-delayed action, and caused a contraction of the facial muscles after death, resulting in a morbid grin. After a series of these murders, the Joker was ultimately captured by Batman and Robin. Criminally insane, the Joker eluded the death penalty but became Batman's most unrelenting adversary.

Another important adversary was Selina Kyle, a jewel thief. Originally a battered wife, Kyle turned to crime to avenge herself on her abusive husband. Eventually her criminal escapades, first as the ‘Cat’ and later as ‘Catwoman’ brought her into conflict with Batman. Batman and Catwoman clashed repeatedly over the years, all the while nurturing an unspoken attraction that would ultimately become much more.

Batman routinely encountered a veritable menagerie of criminals. The Penguin was a brazen felon who based his thefts on birds and umbrellas. The Scarecrow was secretly phobia psychologist Jonathan Crane, who used his specialty to commit crimes based on fear. Gotham City District Attorney Harvey Kent turned to crime as Two-Face after a gangster scarred half of Kent's face with acid. Ultimately Kent's face was restored with plastic surgery, however he foreswore a life of crime.

In the spring of 1943, Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson were introduced to Alfred Beagle, who arrived at Wayne Manor with the purpose of becoming their butler. At first, Bruce and Dick weren't going to let Alfred stay, but after the stout fellow proved to be useful, both by helping the dynamic duo capture some criminals and also by discovering Batman and Robin's secret identities, Alfred became Bruce Wayne's butler and Batman's assistant. Within a year of meeting Alfred, Bruce upgraded his secret base of operations and turned it into the Batcave, where he would keep his vehicles, the secret laboratory and the gym.

As a recognized effective crime-fighter, Batman was recruited in late 1940 by the United States federal government as part of a covert strike force against Nazi operations in Europe. During this case, he and fellow ‘mystery-men’ Flash and Green Lantern were captured. They were rescued by an even larger force of ‘mystery-men’. After defeating Hitler's attempted assassination of President Roosevelt, the president suggested that the assembled heroes form a team, with a name suggested by Superman: the Justice Society of America. Due to other commitments, Batman declined full membership status, and served only as an honorary member. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor he became active in a loosely-organized group of ‘mystery-men’ called the All-Star Squadron. Throughout World War II, Batman remained primarily on the home front, defending his beloved Gotham City, but since he had no magic-based powers, he was unaffected by the "Sphere of Influence" (which was erected by Axis forces to shield Axis-held territory from American ‘mystery-men’) allowing Batman to venture occasionally into war-torn Europe to assist in cases with American Forces there. During these occasions he had the opportunity to work with famous Allied agents like Sergeant Frank Rock, the Unknown Soldier and the Blackhawks.

Batman continued to remain active after World War II and the public disbanding of the Justice Society due to the unwillingness of costumed heroes to reveal their secret identities as demanded by the Federal Government investigative committee. In the late 1950s, he battled the Scarecrow once more. To capture him, he joined forces with the Catwoman in return for a promise of early parole for her. During the course of this case, the two finally acknowledged their feelings for one another When Selina Kyle was released from prison, Bruce Wayne was waiting. They wed and Selina gave birth to a daughter, Helena, in 1957. Deciding not to put his daughter in a similar situation as he underwent in his youth, Bruce became less active as a crime-fighter, making few public appearances. He still desired to remain active in some way, so when the role of Gotham City Police Commissioner became available after the late Jim Gordon, Bruce took the job.

Upon the death of his wife, Bruce Wayne hung up his cowl for good. He learned shortly thereafter that he was dying of cancer and had less than a year to live.

In 1978, Wayne came under the influence of the Psycho-Pirate. Wayne's mind was turned to hatred of the JSA, a condition aggravated by the Pirate's simultaneous manipulation of members of the JSA. Ultimately the Pirate was defeated and, after a battle among the JSA members themselves, Wayne was freed from the Psycho-Pirate's control.

Bruce Wayne's final act as Batman came when Gotham City was threatened by an ex-convict named Bill Jensen, who had been granted super-powers by the sorcerer Frederic Vaux. Wayne attempted to arrest Jensen, and when he failed, took a Batman costume from the Gotham Museum and confronted Jensen as Batman. During the ensuing battle, one of Jensen's energy blasts rips away part of Batman's cowl. Realizing that Batman is Bruce Wayne, Jensen unleashes all of his remaining power in one final burst, killing them both. With Batman’s secret identity publicly revealed, is buried next to his wife Selina and his parents on the grounds of Wayne Manor. His funeral is attended by Helena Wayne, Dick Grayson, Alfred Beagle, and the Justice Society. At the funeral, a grieving Helena Wayne persuades Dick Grayson not to take up Batman's mantle, preferring to let her father and his legacy rest in peace.

As a final act by Doctor Fate, to honor Batman’s legacy, he erases the memory of the battle and Batman’s secret identity from the general public, so as to protect the secret identities of Robin and the Huntress, which were also exposed. He then fills their memory with the belief that Wayne died of cancer at home on the same day that Batman died.

Powers

 * Acrobatics
 * Acting
 * Aviation
 * Disguise
 * Driving
 * Genius Level Intellect
 * Eidetic Memory
 * Investigation
 * Gadgetry
 * Escapology
 * Marksmanship
 * Indomitable Will
 * Martial Arts
 * Mimicry: Batman could impersonate Commissioner Gordon's voice to help himself on his investigations.
 * Swimming
 * Swordsmanship

Equipment

 * Utility Belt

Transportation

 * Batmobile
 * Batcycle
 * Batboat
 * Batplane

Weapons

 * Batarang
 * Handgun

Appearances
SuperFriends Comic Book:
 * Super Friends #7 and Super Friends #8 references the following cross-universe story:
 * All-Star Comics, #68 (October 1977) -- implied only
 *  Justice League of America, Vol. 1 #147 (October, 1977) -- directly referenced
 *  Justice League of America, Vol. 1 #148 (November, 1977) -- directly referenced
 * All-Star Comics, #69 (November 1977) -- implied only