10 Obscure Batman Facts That You Have Probably Never Heard Of

WhatCulture

Did you know the original Batman occasionally favoured guns over batarangs?

Transcript

00:00From wielding famous powers, to adopting unlikely individuals as his stepchildren,

00:04Batsy has done plenty of eyebrow raising things that barely get a mention. Some of these may come

00:08across as little more than mundane life facts, some of these may make you question everything

00:13you knew about Batman. Taking all of that into account, I'm Adam from WhatCulture and here are

00:1810 obscure Batman facts that you have probably never heard of.

00:2110. Bob Kane conceived the character, but it was Bill Finger who created the

00:26version we know today. Bob Kane is widely remembered, and rightfully so, as the man behind one of the

00:32greatest comic book characters of all time. Following the crazy success of Superman, DC were

00:37eager to cash in on momentum and put more superheroes out there, that is when they turned to Kane, and

00:42the rest is history. But there is more to the story, Bob Kane's original idea for the character

00:47incorporated influences from Douglas Fairbanks Zorro, a Leonardo da Vinci conceptual machine,

00:53the movie Bat Whispers, and even Dracula. However, that original concept involved red clothing,

00:59a domino mask, and a cape that was less a cape and more a pair of actual bat wings. This is where

01:04Bill Finger entered the picture. Kane originally met Finger at an event and invited him to join his

01:09team. It was Finger who later completely revamped the aesthetics of the character and gave it the

01:14iconic look we know now. This included changing the color scheme to black, inserting a cowl with bat ears,

01:19and swapping the wings for a more practical cape.

01:229. He was packaged as a merged character with Wolverine

01:27The amalgam comics saw DC and Marvel come together to create hybrid versions of some of their most

01:32popular characters. Set between two of their major crossover events, these one-shot comics served up

01:36as a series of dream combinations that few would ever have imagined seeing. One of which was Batman

01:42merging with none other than Wolverine. The result was every bit as over the top as one would expect.

01:48Logan Wayne was orphaned at a young age and had to be sent to live with his uncle in Canada.

01:52The latter is met with the same fate, and the now kinless Logan finds himself in the Canadian Air

01:57Force. From there, he ends up in a super soldier program, gets implanted with adamantium, and

02:01eventually gets free of his masters to become his own superhero. To the rest of the world, he is a

02:06wealthy artist. But in the shadows, he is Dark Claw, a superhuman blessed with enhanced healing,

02:12an adamantium skeleton, mastery of every kind of combat technique out there, and of course, money.

02:198. His favorite food is Mullagatani Soup

02:23From crazy scenarios no one thought they would ever get to see, to the most basic of personal facts,

02:28everyone has that one comfort food they keep turning to. Even Bruce, after coming home all tired from a long

02:34night of crime fighting, has that one culinary demand he will make to Alfred as soon as he's taken off

02:39the cape. The item in question is Mullagatani Soup. Originating from South India, Mullagatani is a dish

02:46featuring a spicy curry base together with carrots, coconut milk, and either chicken, mutton, or lentils

02:52as the protein core. A somewhat bastardized version was imported into Europe back in the 18th century.

02:57Of course, everything has to be made extra special for one of the world's greatest protectors.

03:02In Batman number 701, we find out that Alfred actually has a special customized recipe for

03:07the soup. This includes a chicken mane with bacon, garlic, tomatoes, and a unique curry powder.

03:13Well, if you have the responsibility of staving off the likes of Joker, you need the right amount of

03:18nutrition and taste. And judging by the look on Batman's face in the aforementioned issue,

03:22when Alfred announces that his favorite dish is ready, this soup might just be essential for

03:27keeping Gotham safe.

03:287. In the original story,

03:31he was raised by his uncle Batman's origin story is arguably the

03:35most famous in all of comic book history. The unforgettably grisly sight of a helpless Bruce,

03:40collapsed on the cold floor as his parents laid dead in front of him, is known to one and all.

03:45What is equally well known is that after the tragedy he was raised by his butler and proxy dad,

03:50Alfred Pennyworth. In one of the earliest versions of the story, however, it was not Alfred, but rather

03:56Bruce's uncle Philip Wayne who took in the young orphan and helped raise him.

04:00Originally, Philip was part of the Earth 1 continuity, though subsequent revamps saw his

04:04character move to Earth 2. He was then erased completely in the aftermath of Crisis on Infinite

04:09Earths. Ultimately, he does get reintroduced, but as Philip Kane, Bruce's maternal uncle.

04:15Though he gets very little mention in mainstream discussions, it is worth wondering how different

04:20the entire Batman franchise might have looked without Alfred as one of the key pieces.

04:25After all, though Wayne's most loyal servant is so much more than a mere caretaker,

04:29he is the one who helped shape the kind of hero Bruce eventually goes on to become.

04:336. He Has Used A Green Lantern Ring The dark multiverse is a mirror to the normal

04:39multiverse. Whatever exists in the regular multiverse is likely to have a twisted and

04:44corrupted version in the dark one. After all, the latter is where the realities are on an irreversible

04:49path to complete annihilation. In Earth 32 of this multiverse lived a Bruce Wayne who would go on to

04:55master the power of a green lantern ring. The ring chooses Bruce following the murder of his parents,

05:00but instead of using it as a tool for justice, the vengeful Bruce whirls into a weapon for executing

05:05criminals. His killing spree eventually sucks in the likes of Jim Gordon, who stood opposed to his

05:10brutal ways. After he is able to boost the ring with a battery of his own construction, because he does

05:15also possess the intellect and resourcefulness of a Bruce Wayne, he manages to even defeat the rest of

05:20the lantern corps who arrive to stop him. With no one else left to oppose him, Bruce eventually dons

05:26the aesthetics of an actual Batman while also retaining the powers of the ring.

05:305. He Adopted A Piece Of Starro As His Son

05:34You know, the giant alien starfish that controls people via telepathy and conquers entire worlds?

05:40Yeah, Batman kept a sentient piece of them as his adopted son. During the No Justice storyline,

05:45Starro joins the Justice League in their battle against the Omega Titans. Determined to redeem

05:50themselves after all of their horrible past deeds, Starro sacrifices themselves in order to help the

05:55heroes win. In the aftermath, Batman comes across a surviving piece of their fallen ally, and decides

06:01to keep them. This sentient miniature Starro is housed in the Hall of Justice. In uncharacteristically

06:06lazy fashion, Bruce simply names them Jarro, after the fact that they used to live in a jar. Jarro becomes

06:12strongly attached to Bruce, coming to regard him as their father. They also become an important ally to the

06:18Justice League in their battles against the likes of the Legion of Doom. Despite their background,

06:22Jarro is shown to be quite affectionate and protective of others, at one point going as far

06:27as manipulating the League to stay away from the Legion, so they don't get hurt.

06:314. He Was Chosen To Be A Yellow Lantern

06:35The Yellow Lanterns are one of the major antagonist groups of the DC Universe. Founded and led by the

06:40rogue Green Lantern Sinestro, their yellow power rings use fear instead of justice as a measure for

06:45choosing their wielders. In that case, it doesn't come as much of a surprise that a yellow ring would

06:50set up Batman as a potential suitor. After all, who can strike more fear into the hearts of criminals

06:56than the dark knight? This is precisely what happened during the Green Lantern Sinestro

07:00Corpse War storyline. A yellow ring censors Bruce and approaches him as its next potential user.

07:05Of course, this is Bruce freaking Wayne that we're talking about. No alien energy battery can bend his

07:11willpower. The ring immediately realized who it was up against and decided to retreat.

07:15Batman, and Batman alone, gets to decide what powers he calls upon and how. Though it has to be said,

07:21the prospect of Batman powered by a fully charged lantern ring is an absolutely terrifying one.

07:273. He Held His Own Against Darkseid In A Physical Brawl

07:32Batman's most important weapons are his superior intellect, battle acumen, willpower, and of course,

07:37near endless resources. As the man himself once put it, his superpower is being rich. However,

07:43that does not mean he hasn't put on unreal shows of strength when the situation is called for it.

07:47Case in point, his fight against Darkseid in Batman and Robin number 37. Now admittedly,

07:52it was with the help of a special armor, but that can be considered as part of his abilities.

07:57The armor in question, the Hell Bat, is one of Batman's final aces up his sleeve. It is a last resort

08:03he only ever turns to when all other options have been exhausted. Made of a special kind of nanometal,

08:08it gives Batman unparalleled strength. But the suit itself is actually powered by Bruce's own

08:13metabolism, meaning the more he uses it, the more he drains himself. In the aforementioned issue,

08:18Batman calls upon this double-edged sword to take on the near unbeatable Darkseid. Despite all of his

08:24might, the ruler of Acropolis takes a pounding from the Dark Knight, before uncharacteristically allowing

08:29Bruce to make a tactical retreat after the suit becomes compromised.

08:332. He has teamed up with Spider-Man

08:36DC and Marvel's crossovers have given us some absolute dream teams. One of which was the

08:41Caped Crusader joining forces with your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. During the 1995 crossover

08:47one-shot, Spider-Man and Batman Disordered Minds, Bruce and Peter are forced to come together to

08:52thwart their two greatest adversaries. The story sees Carnage and the Joker encountering one another.

08:58After a psychiatrist tries to use them as subjects for her new treatment chip. Naturally, this goes

09:03south in no time. After the treatment fails, the two villains briefly tease a partnership.

09:08Of course, this is the Red Slayer and the Clown Prince of Crime we're talking about. The prospect

09:12of an alliance was short-lived. Before long, the two are trying to kill each other. The deadly conflict

09:18draws in their respective superheroes, who quickly realize they have to put a stop to this. Carnage then

09:23fakes his death at the hands of Joker and is even able to entrap Batman. Eventually though,

09:28the two heroes are able to work together and overcome both the enemies. Because of course.

09:321. The no-kill rule wasn't always there

09:37No matter what happens, no matter how dire the circumstance, the Dark Knight does not allow his

09:42morals to get corrupted. There is just one slight issue. This no-kill rule was not actually there

09:48when Batman first started. In the earliest versions of the character, Batsy was more than happy to

09:54mow down his opponents with bullets if the situation called for it. Batman was fine with shooting criminals,

09:59tossing them into giant containers filled with acid and snapping their necks with lethal kicks.

10:04There is one particular panel from Batman number 1 that gives us the starkest of contrasts imaginable

10:09with the modern day Batman. Here we see him literally hanging a criminal to death from the

10:13Batplane while it was flying. Maybe increased coverage and the later advent of social media

10:18forced even Batman to make his methods more palatable. Or maybe Bruce decided the world needed

10:23a philosophical saviour as much as a physical combative one. Regardless of the reason, it is near

10:29impossible to imagine this kind of Batman existing today and how it would change his entire mythos.

10:34And as always please do let us know what you think of our list in the comment section,

10:38and also let us know which one of these facts you found the most shocking.

10:41If you do want to come and follow me on social media I am at strown87 on Twitter and on Instagram,

10:46come and say hello to me on there. Thank you for watching everybody,

10:48I hope you enjoy the rest of your day and until next time, take care.

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