Bruce Wayne

"Gotham needs a new light. Something to put hope in the hearts of its children-- and strike fear into the hearts of those who wish to harm."

- Bruce Wayne telling Alfred Pennyworth his intention

Bruce Thomas Wayne (born 1976) is the son of the late Thomas and Martha Wayne. After his parents' murder, Bruce swore vengeance against criminals, an oath tempered by a sense of justice for which he trained himself physically and intellectually to become Gotham City's protector.

In his secret identity, he is a well-known billionaire playboy, philanthropist, owner, and CEO of Wayne Enterprises. Although he has no superhuman powers, he is one of the world's smartest men and greatest fighters. His physical prowess and technical ingenuity make him an incredibly dangerous opponent.

He trained himself physically and intellectually to become Gotham City's protector, the vigilante known as Batman, or simply the Bat.

His name is often stylized as the "Dark Knight" or the "Caped Crusader".

Early life
Bruce Wayne was born in 1976 in Gotham City into the esteemed Wayne family to his parents; billionaires Thomas and Martha Wayne. Thomas was a renowned doctor while Martha was a socialite.

One fateful night, when Bruce was eight, his parents were assaulted by a mugger who stole the pearl necklace Martha was wearing before murdering both of them, leaving Bruce traumatized as the sole survivor. After this tragedy, he was then raised on the Wayne Manor estate, with help from the wise and loyal butler, Alfred Pennyworth. Bruce had very few friends during his childhood.

At age 14, Bruce Wayne began different education, attending courses at Cambridge, the Sorbonne, and other European universities. However, he never stayed long and would often drop out after one semester.

Training
Bruce Wayne swore an oath to rid the city of the evil that had taken his parents' lives. He spent his youth traveling the world, training himself to intellectual and physical perfection, and learning a variety of crime-fighting skills, including chemistry, criminology, forensics, martial arts, gymnastics, disguise, and escape artistry. All within six years, from 1993 to 1999.

Beyond academia, Wayne successfully acquired various "practical" skills.

Bruce studied at several prestigious colleges, including Cambridge University, the Sorbonne in Paris, and the Berlin School of Science, only taking subjects that suited him and his plan.

Becoming the Batman
"I left for a reason. I've honed my abilities and skillfulness in a multitude of fields. I can protect Gotham, Alfred. -- I know what I'm doing. I just need to know you're on board."

- Bruce Wayne to Alfred Pennyworth While abroad, he studied and received training in multiple martial arts under various instructors and in different countries, such as: At age 20, he attempted to join the FBI, but after learning about its regulations and conduct, Wayne deducted that he would never be able to completely oppose crime while working within the legal system.
 * In his youth, Alfred trained Bruce to be a master of disguise and deception
 * At the age of 17, Bruce was trained by detective Harvey Harris to improve his detective skills
 * At the age of 19, he learned how to race cars in life-or-death situations from Brazilian criminal, Don Miguel
 * He began training in Norway, and after 28 hours of fighting a new opponent each hour, Bruce's determination struck fear into all the Queen's men
 * Bruce spent time with a nomadic people in the Nigerian desert enduring grueling training.
 * It was during this time that Alfred attempted to contact him, but when Bruce received the phone call, he couldn't bring himself to answer
 * Man-hunting under Freshman Henri Ducard
 * Stealth and reconnaissance under the Japanese ninja Kingi and other certified shinobi
 * Hunting under the African Bushman (the Ghost Tribes of the Ten-Eyed Brotherhood, among others)
 * Hand-to-hand combat under the tutelage of a World Champion Boxer
 * David Cain, one of the world's premier assassins; traditional healing disciplines under Nepalese monks
 * Ventriloquism under skilled practitioners
 * At age 21, Bruce studied the ins and outs of technological gadgetry under the guidance of the brilliant inventor, Sergei Alexandrov
 * Piloting aircrafts and air vehicles
 * Martial arts with Chu Chin Li and Tsunemoto
 * Went to the Himalayas to train with Shihan Matsuda, who taught him to fight with the katana
 * Kung Fu by Richard Dragon
 * Archery by Oliver Queen, an associate around his age

One of the final mentors Bruce trained with was bounty hunter Willis Doggett, when Bruce and Willie were tracking a target, Willie was killed and Bruce managed to fight off the target by throwing him over a cliff, along with his parka. Luckily Bruce was rescued by a shaman and survived. Not too many days after, Bruce was directed to Oliver Queen by that same shaman, regarding the skills of archery.

Returning to Gotham
This lead Bruce to return to the United States of America, and visit Star City. He was then trained by Oliver Queen and shortly after this, Bruce returned to Gotham City after six years of training at the age of 23.

After years of studying and training abroad, Bruce returned to Gotham City in hopes of getting justice for his parents and saving his city. He became a vigilante, crafting himself a bat-inspired persona to fight crime and strike terror into the hearts of his enemies.

He eventually became known as Batman, though many considered his existence as a sort of urban legend.

Concept and goal
Bruce Wayne returned to Gotham City in 1999 after six years of studying and training with his body and mind developed to perfection. Moments after his return was revealed, an immediate news report was made by Gotham News 13.

Upon returning, Bruce returned home with Alfred and was welcomed by him. Afterward, Alfred informed Bruce that Wayne Enterprises has been awaiting his return, and they've been eager to welcome him home. Bruce told him he'll head there, though he needed a change of clothes. Eventually, Bruce arrived at Wayne Tower and had a brief meeting with the Board of Directors. They assured Bruce the shares were still on hold until he's ready to resume office. Bruce told them to prepare the paperwork because he'll be assuming office soon.

Though they told him it will take a couple of weeks to fully transfer everything, and he wouldn't be required to come into work until it's done. Although, he was assured he can come any time he likes, as it's his company. Bruce told them that'll be fine, knowing that would give him more time to develop and execute his crusade.

Bruce decided to tour Wayne Tower and familiarize himself again. During this tour, Bruce encountered Lucius Fox, a genius inventor for Wayne Enterprises. Lucius introduced himself to Bruce and informed him of his position within the company. This interested Bruce and he remarked to Lucius that he remembers him during the time his father still ran the company. This surprised Lucius, and he apologized for his parents but welcomed him back to Gotham and the company. Lucius also assured Bruce that he will remain developing the top technology for Wayne Enterprises. Bruce smirked and told him he'd be in contact. Although Fox was unsure of what that meant, they parted ways shortly after. Shortly after his return, Bruce talked to Alfred about the current state of the city. Bruce told him that this city needs to see the light and it's crime-ridden. He then told Alfred he's the only one capable of saving this city, though Alfred assured him that not even his wealth to repair the current state of the city. Bruce told him that he went on a global sojourn to master numerous fields, for this very reason. Rather than disagreeing, Alfred understands Bruce's stance and he tells him he will be backing him every step on the way. He tells Alfred that Gotham and its children need to see the light again, and he's willing to become that light.

Bruce says they will start in the East End, prompting Alfred to ask why specifically the East End. He tells him it's where he lost his parents, which Alfred understands. Bruce tells Alfred that he'll need a disguise before he does anything, and Alfred remarks that he hopes "it's not red and blue spandex", a reference to Metropolis' vigilante, Superman. Bruce then makes his way to his quarters and tells Alfred to lay on surveillance, to await his return.

Starting his vigilantism disguised in all black, Bruce ventures out in the East End to find a young woman being mugged by three thugs. He confronts the thugs, and they try to attack him. The thugs and Bruce now are fighting one another, and a GCPD officer arrives and attempts to restrain them. However, Bruce takes down the thugs, then flees the scene, and returns to his manor. Upon returning, Bruce tells Alfred how it went, and that it further solidifies his point. Alfred at this point understands and completely agrees with Bruce. Though Bruce tells him he thinks it's not enough. Alfred asks him what could he mean. Bruce tells him they'll need to create something stronger. Alfred asks him how do "they create the savior of Gotham", and Bruce says the myth will create itself. Alfred asks what he means by myth, however, Bruce says he'll be preoccupied and makes his way to the manor's exit. Alfred comments to himself on how Bruce has truly changed in the last six years.

When finding a concept, Bruce is outside his manor, exploring the surrounding land, and recalls his past on this property. However, as he's roaming, Bruce falls into an unmarked hole and finds himself in the middle of a dark cave. He quickly stood up to dust himself and looked at his surroundings. As he wandered deeper into the cave, his ears twitched to the sound of screeches and wings fluttering. Bruce was quickly swarmed by bats, unable to do anything but defend himself.

However, amid that fear, a new concept was found. Bruce embraced the fear of bats and realized this is what he needed. The perfect myth created to jog fear into the hearts of those who wish to do harm, yet hopeful enough to give light to those in Gotham. This was the creation of "The Batman".

Transportation
In need of transportation, Bruce enlisted in the aid of Lucius Fox, a colleague he met earlier. Bruce initially asked him if he had any cars in store. Lucius, unfortunately, said Wayne Tech is working on one, however, it is not ready even for the testing phase.

Lucius curiously asked him if he was able to share what for, although only Bruce said he's pursuing something. Lucius then offered Bruce to take a look at a prototype aircraft Wayne Tech has recently put into testing. Bruce eventually accepted the prototype and used it for transportation.

Uniform
As for his uniform, Bruce was the lead designer and drew the schematics out himself, including details such as material, color, and technology. Bruce's proportions were measured by Alfred, who is also a tailor. Together they both found the materials needed and began ordering them, bringing the suit to life.

Base of Operations
Sometime after discovering the cave and meeting with Lucius, Bruce began developing the caverns he discovered to work as a base of operations for his crime-fighting. It was fit with technology he set up himself or used items from Wayne Technologies.

Items such as police scanners, radios, and a dispatch setup for a computer. He tapped into the police database and Wayne Enterprises database and uses those to links his advantage.

Vigilantism and Debut
Two weeks after his debut, multiple sources and citizens believed Batman was real while others believed he was a myth. An example of this is when some comment on Batman being a myth concocted by the GCPD to scare criminals.

Batman eventually interrupts an ongoing meeting with members of Gotham's Crime Elite, including but not limited to Oswald Cobblepot and Carmine Falcone, discussing territories, including the then Commissioner Loeb of the GCPD.

With his arrival, everyone's either scared or confused. Then, Batman speaks, giving them a direct warning to either give it up now or suffer the fate of a collapsing empire. The mobsters were about to shoot him, but Batman then drops a smoke pellet and vanishes from the area. The mobsters weren't going to let the Batman away with that, so Loeb assured them the GCPD would handle it.

Loeb knew he couldn't just get the department to attack him, or he'd risk his position and the public's perspective. So he and Arnold Flass fabricated a story to get the department to be against Batman. This causes Loeb to put Batman under Gotham's Public Enemy category, and the GCPD begins focusing their efforts on catching him.

Bruce later locates a weapons cache ran by the Penguin and plans to foil it. Later, Batman had arrived on the property and began taking out the thugs guarding it, he planned to foil the shipping and deliver the goods to the GCPD. However, during his assault on the cache, one thug managed to flee from Batman and activate a fire alarm, this alerted the GCPD and they arrived with numerous squads and a SWAT team. As the thug made his escape to the front exit, the Batman followed, only to find the GCPD waiting for him outside.

The GCPD rushed to the door and apprehended the thug, then planning to go after the Batman. Batman dropped a smoke pellet and re-entered the building, planning to escape. The SWAT followed not long after. They eventually covered all exits and put barricades around the building perimeter.

Batman, however, drops a smoke pellet, and shot his grapple gun towards a ceiling vent, exiting to the rooftop. This was how Batman made his escape, with his prototype aircraft awaiting him. Entering it, he left the scene, heading back to his base of operations, the Batcave.

Wanted
The following day, Bruce had remained in his cave and was recovering from the raid. He was badly wounded and had bullet wounds littered around his body, Although not fully recovered, Bruce trained and practiced to be prepared for his next patrol. Witnessing this and the efforts Bruce has gone through, Alfred had been fully behind Bruce's crusade to save Gotham.

Later, a shootout began at Ace Chemicals, with police and another side, which Bruce heard over his police radio. This prompted Bruce to head out to the location. Batman arrived much earlier than the police reinforcements. By the time he arrived, the opposing side was already taken out by the police. However, an armed man identified as Arthur Fleck was inside the building, which Batman made his way to. When Batman entered the building, he found Arthur on a catwalk above highly volatile chemicals. Batman attempted to approach Arthur calmly, seeing the panic he had. However, as Batman approached, Arthur took more steps back each time he got closer. Arthur then shot towards him, but his uneasiness made him miss every shot despite being a few feet away from him. Batman lunged at Arthur and struck him. Because of how close Arthur was to the edge, the strike lead him off the edge. Batman quickly attempted to catch Arthur, only to be too late. In that instant, Arthur was lead off the catwalk and plummeting straight to his death. Batman was filled with regret and anguish. He made an escape through the roof and left the scene. Police who entered the building only saw Arthur's body falling into the chemicals. Arthur's death was radioed to GCPD HQ and Batman was now a wanted criminal and Public Enemy Number One.

Saving Gotham PD


""I might be in touch in the near future." "I'll keep an eye out. Any way I can get in contact with you?" "You'll know.""

- Batman and Jim Gordon during their first meet

A few days later, Batman remained operating on the sly in Gotham. After returning from his latest patrol, Bruce talked with Alfred and questioned this crusade of his after letting a man fall off like that. Alfred reassures and motivates Bruce that he saves as many as he can, and use those he couldn't as a force for good. Alfred then tells him this city still needs a vigilante. Newly motivated and solidified, Bruce then begins to focus on the people who were killed during the shootout and figuring out what their true affiliations were. Batman discovers that Falcone was behind the whole thing, so he ventures to confront the mobster. Batman shows up at Falcone's Residence and starts beating up the thugs within and interrogates Falcone to get some answers on why he decided to raid Ace Chemicals. Falcone doesn't initially confess but after further interrogation, he admits it and says it was to get rid of one of Cobblepot's rats.

Unbeknownst to Falcone, Batman had been recording the entire conversation and when Falcone finally confesses, he knocks the man out and stops the recording. Meanwhile, a GCPD press conference had been ongoing when Penguin's gang attacked it. One of Penguin's Sniper's had shot and murdered the Commissioner Loeb of the GCPD. Batman heard this all over the police radio, which he immediately departed to stop the chaos.

Batman arrives on the scene and starts by taking out the snipers on the buildings around the GCPD. Jim Gordon goes through the HQ, making sure nobody can get in, but he is then attacked by two thugs. One pulls a gun on him and tries to shoot him in the head and point-blank range, but Batman had managed to get inside the HQ in time to save Gordon. He kicks the gun out of the thug's hand and saves Gordon from death. More thugs flood the room and Batman must protect Gordon and himself. Once he’s done taking out the thugs, Gordon regains his composure. He is grateful yet confused by the Batman’s actions - he saved him but didn't kill the thugs, prompting Gordon to start trusting in Batman a little more. He offers Gordon help in retaking the GCPD, to which he willingly accepts and the duo begins to fight through the interior and the exterior of the GCPD, slowly but surely taking back the HQ and triumphing over the Penguin and Falcone alike.

After taking everyone down, Batman placed a copy of the audio file on a computer and told Gordon this is what they needed. Gordon accepts and asks if there's a way to contact him, with Batman telling him "you'll know". Batman then disappears from the scene before Gordon can thank him. Gordon was left with a newfound trust in this Bat vigilante and it leaves him wondering what else Gotham City has in store for him.

Ownership of Wayne Enterprises
By the end of the month, Bruce had officially assumed ownership and CEO of his family's company.

Knightmare
""Bruce, listen to me now! You can do it! Darkseid will arrive in 2019, and take over your world, and kill everyone, but that's in my time! You can get heroes and the league sooner so you have more experience and more numbers to face him! Form the league, you'll need to find Clark, and the others!""

- Barry Allen warning Bruce Wayne While working on a prototype ground vehicle, Barry Allen/The Flash from the future had found his way into the cave and warned Bruce of a being which threatened the fate of the entire universe. In that moment, Bruce tapped on his utility belt to record their conversation. Bruce was confused and repeatedly asked questions, with vague answers. The Flash told him to "form the League", "find Clark", "find us". These words left Bruce intrigued yet confused. Flash told him to prepare for "Darkseid".

Before he could say more, The Flash's limit was up. His timeline had already been erased and the speed force caught up to him, erasing him from history. Bruce watched as he disintegrated in front of him.

This terrifying thought of a possible potential future was something that replayed in Bruce's mind over and over. He replayed the audio files repeatedly to find the slightest clues. He eventually came to the conclusion he needed to assemble a group to go against this foe. He believed this person named "Clark" played a crucial role in stopping the enemy because he was the one name that Flash explicitly mentioned to him. Unsure of when the threat of this Darkseid could happen, Bruce took measures, beginning to document "superhero/vigilante" and "metahuman" appearances. He documented them based on strength, powers, and abilities.

Powers and abilities

 * Acrobatics
 * Archery
 * Disguise: Bruce is a master of disguise having been trained by Alfred.
 * Genius Level Intellect/Great Business Acumen/Master Tactician/Leader: Bruce is an extraordinarily intelligent individual and an almost flawless tactician. During his missions, he can think fast and seamlessly calculate the variables of every situation in his head to predict the results of his actions and quickly react as he sees fit with tremendous efficiency.
 * Bruce's intelligence is rivaled only by Lex Luthor.
 * Bruce is considered a polymath.
 * Expert driver/Pilot: Bruce is capable of driving multiple vehicles, such as cars; as Batman, he utilizes the "Batmobile" when out on patrol.
 * Master engineer/Gadgeteer: Bruce is an extremely skilled engineer
 * Multilingualism: Batman is fluent in English, Russian, French, German, Japanese, Cantonese, Turkish, Arabic, Swahili, Mandarin, Filipino, Korean, Polish, Latin, Greek, Italian, Portugeuse, Dhari, Icelandic, Hebrew, Thai, Vietnamese, and Swedish. He can also understand American sign language. Making him one of the most polyglottic individuals in the world.
 * Additionally, he's also adept at computer programming languages.
 * Forensic Pathology
 * Investigation: He is able to use even the smallest clues and slightest details to solve extremely difficult cases and accurately deduce the identity of unknown criminal masterminds. He is capable of observation, forensic investigation, and inductive and deductive reasoning of the highest caliber. Human intuition is an unlearnable trait and one of Batman's most effective tools. Given any mystery, he can arrive at the correct conclusions with a fraction of the data.
 * Tactical Analysis
 * Gadgetry
 * Computer Hacking
 * Tracking
 * Business Management: Bruce Wayne has extensive skills and experience in business management, has a thorough understanding of financial marketing and management, and is often seen as an example of a successful industrialist and businessman on a par with Lex Luthor.


 * Indomitable Will: Although he has no superhuman powers, Batman's unstoppable determination and strength will make him an extremely formidable opponent. This makes him able to function while tolerating massive amounts of physical pain.
 * Interrogation
 * Intimidation: As Batman, Bruce commands an intimidating presence, to the point where many criminals fear him; being visibly terrified of the idea of crossing paths with him. Part of the reason what made Bruce so terrifying is due to the fact that he played by his own rules, which scared criminals and citizens alike. His mere shadow puts the fear of God into most individuals because they know the Bat follows soon after.
 * Lock Picking: Bruce learned how to pick a lock when he was in grade school.
 * Hand-to-Hand Combat (Advanced)
 * Martial Arts: Batman is known as one of the finest martial artists in the world. He has been trained by the best fighters around the world and has a wide variety of combat skills that are used in his fight against crime.
 * Boxing: Bruce studied boxing during his time at Roxbury Fielding Academy.
 * Dim Mak: An ancient form of martial arts where you strike vital points of the opponent's body causing paralysis, intense and prolonged pain or death.
 * Master of stealth/Infiltration/Escape artist: Taught by the Japanese shinobi, Kingi, Bruce is extremely secretive, being able to approach other individuals without being sensed. He can quickly vanish from sight after performing his heroic deeds and managed to be a vigilante for over a decade with very few individuals have actually seen him. He is also a master escape artist, able to free himself from various confinements, such as handcuffs, as after witnessing Kate performing such deed, Luke stated that he could now see the resemblance between the two cousins.
 * Stealth
 * Peak Human Condition: Through intense training, a specialized diet, and biofeedback treatments, Batman represents the natural pinnacle of human physical prowess. His physical attributes roughly exceeded that of an Olympic level athlete. His strength, speed, stamina, agility, reflexes, and coordination are at peak human perfection. He has spent his entire life in pursuit of physical perfection and has attained it through constant intensive training and determination. He can hold his breath underwater for 6 minutes.
 * Peak Human Strength: Bruce's strength is at the highest limit a normal human could achieve. He was able to break through a thin brick wall and break a small motorcycle in half with a single kick.
 * Enhanced Senses: Bruce has sharp hearing and sight, as well as keen skills of perception. He is able to pick up an incoming danger and react extremely quickly.
 * Peak Human Speed
 * Peak Human Agility
 * Peak Human Endurance
 * Peak Human Stamina
 * Peak Human Reflexes
 * Swimming/Free-diving: Bruce is an impressive swimmer and endured long periods of free-diving without proper equipment or stopping for air, however, he uses underwater breathing tanks if wanted.
 * Weaponry
 * Stick Fighting
 * Swordsmanship: Bruce studied fencing during his time at Roxbury Fielding Academy. Additionally, he was taught how to weld a katana by Shihan Matsuda.

Uniforms

 * Batsuit: Whilst fighting crime in Gotham, Bruce wore a protective black suit stylized like a bat designed to both terrify his enemies and hide his identity from them. The suit is mostly gray, with black trunks, cowl, and cape.

Other Equipment

 * Utility Belt: As Batman, Bruce carries with him a utility belt consisting primarily of a strap and buckle, that houses many pouches or cylindrical cartridges attached to its outside each containing one of his various gadgets.
 * Grappling gun: As Batman, Bruce uses a length of monofilament wire attached to a spool. It could be used to make a quick ascent to a rooftop or offensively to pull people or objects.
 * Smoke pellet: A pellet that creates non-acidic smoke and burn for around 60 seconds, allowing the user to flee the scene.


 * Items in the Batcave: The cave was the headquarters for Bruce under his manor, discovered by him during early days before his public appearance. It houses Bruce's equipment and suit for his superhero persona.
 * Batcomputer: Batman's giant and powerful multi-purpose supercomputer console, located in the Batcave, with several monitor screens.

Vehicles

 * Batman's plane: Batman's aerial combat prototype vehicle made by Wayne Tech, designed by Lucius Fox. Batman used this during the first month of his debut.