Batman/Characters/And Bat Family: Difference between revisions

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* [[Dysfunction Junction]]: See their individual sections. The [[DC Universe]] seems to have a compulsion against giving any of the Batfamily a happy life.

* [[Thou Shall Not Kill]]

 

 

== '''Batman''' (Bruce Wayne) ==

 

Bruce Wayne was a carefree child born into the humongously wealthy and prominent Wayne family, but one night, after seeing a movie (usually something to do with Zorro - if you know the background of Zorro, you'll know why that's important), he and his loving parents took a shortcut through a dark alleyway, inevitably leading to a mugger (usually named Joe Chill in most versions) shooting both of them dead.

 

[[Batman: Year One|Remembering an incident in his youth when he stumbled into a cave full of bats and the sudden appearance of a bat that had crashed into his sitting room, he decided to adopt a bat motif]] and become the legendary figure Batman. This has worked to some degree, as most common criminals are scared shitless of him, and organized crime began to lose its hold on the city, but nearly as soon as Batman made his debut, a new breed of criminals began to pop up... ones dressed in garish costumes and bearing colorful masks... which unfortunately causes many people to wonder if Batman is directly responsible for the criminals he faces.

 

 

 

* [[The Ace]]/[[Broken Ace]]: While Bruce stands head and shoulders above the greater majority of heroes in the DCU, it's fairly obvious that in doing so he's not the most well-adjusted or emotionally mature individual, has great difficulty forming close relationships, and frequently experiences friction with people whom he is close to. This is also occasionally [[Lampshade Hanging|acknowledged]] by Bruce himself; in one instance, Nightwing laments over the belief that he can never match up to Bruce, who assures him that despite living a very similar life in the same line of work Dick hadn't allowed it to mess him up as much, having a much more positive personality and maintaining a good relationship with just about every fellow hero he knows, and as such [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming|was already better than him]].

* [[Adult Child]]: A rather subtle version, believe it or not. Never mind the fact that dressing up as a giant bat and swearing to exterminate crime seems like a rather childish thing to do, it could be argued that Bruce's emotional development was stunted the moment his parents died. Add to the fact that he seems to relate to young people (re: the Robins and Batgirls) better then he does adults and many stories also make note of the fact that while all criminals fear Batman, [[Friend to All Children|children do not]].

* [[All Girls Want Bad Boys|All Guys Want Bad Girls]]: Bats likes his women tough, dangerous and morally ambiguous. Hence his clear preference for villainesses such as Talia Al Ghul (whom he got over) and Catwoman (whom he likes ''much'' more than he would ever admit). He actually used this to figure out that someone was actually a villainess.

* [[Anti-Hero]]: Generally a [[Sliding Scale of Anti-Heroes|Type II or III.]] In his earliest days, he was a Type IV and actually willfully ''killed'' criminals, a stark contrast to his [[Thou Shalt Not Kill]] attitude in modern times.

* [[Astonishingly Appropriate Appearance]]: Most of his major rogues.

* [[Badass]]: This is a given. [[The Dark Knight Returns|No other normal human has ever given Superman such an ass-kicking as Batman]].

** [[Lex Luthor|Almost no other human.]]

* [[Belligerent Sexual Tension]] / [[Unresolved Sexual Tension]]: With Catwoman, mostly. And, even though he hates to admit it, he thoroughly ''enjoys'' it. So does she.

* [[Berserk Button]]: Don't hurt [[Papa Wolf|his sidekicks. Or any children]] in front of him.

* [[Captain Ersatz]]: On his first appearance, he was basically [[The Shadow]] in a bat costume. There's also quite a bit of [[Zorro]] in his DNA, which has been acknowledged in most recent versions by establishing that it was a Zorro movie he and his parents went to see on the fatal night.

* [[Characterization Marches On]]: To be expected with over 70 years of comics. It may be particularly jarring for some readers though, upon seeing some of his earlier incarnations. The 60's version with [[Camp]] springs to mind, but even further back, in his first published adventures, Batman ''killed'' people, and had no problems whatsoever using a gun. While it is understandable, given both the time period, as well as that this was just the first incarnation of the character, it's still a far cry from the Batman known by most people today.

* [[The Chessmaster]]: One of the most intelligent superheroes and an utterly brilliant tactician. If you don't have a superpower then improve your smarts instead.

* [[The Comically Serious]]: Especially in storylines featuring the JLA.

* [[Creepy Good]]: Some interpretations of [[Batman]]'s membership in the [[Justice League]] are portrayed this way. Everyone has their seat at the table, and Batman's off in a corner being quiet (if you notice him at all).

* [[Dating Catwoman]]: With the obvious, but also with Jezebel Jet, Lady Shiva (well, maybe that was more UST), Talia Al Ghul and a few others. He's well aware of his penchant for this trope and it's actually an important plot point in ''R.I.P.''

* [[Deadpan Snarker]]: Sometimes. For example, from his DCAU iteration:

* [[Doesn't Like Guns]]: Post [[Golden Age]]. Missiles, lasers, and other things, particularly weapons systems mounted on his vehicles, seem to be fair game, as long as they don't resemble pistols. {{spoiler|He'll also pick up a gun under extremely dire circumstances, such as shooting Darkseid in order to save the universe.}}

* [[The Dreaded]]: Is feared even by many superpowered criminals and those who don't fear [[Superman]].

* [[Elseworlds]]: Batman has had quite a few Elseworld stories about him, but the one that was most memorable (and actually influenced the mainstream Batman and the comics medium in general) was [[The Dark Knight Returns]]. That besides, he may be the single most popular subject of Elseworlds tales.

* [[Fate Worse Than Death]]: {{spoiler|In ''[[Final Crisis]]'', Darkseid blasted Batman with the Omega Sanction and puts Bruce in a loop of horrible lives.}}

* [[Foe Yay]]: He has this with most of his Rogues Gallery. But no one else gets as much as the Joker does.

* [[Genius Bruiser]]: One of the most intelligent heroes in comics and can stand toe-to-toe with many superpowered characters.

* [[Genre Savvy]]: Part of what makes him such an excellent tactician.

* [[Honest Corporate Executive]]: His Bruce persona is generally portrayed this way.

* [[Identity Impersonator]]: He's probably done it as much as [[Superman]]!

* [[It's Not You, It's My Enemies]]: Has been forced to give up many a love interest because of this.

* [[Jack of All Trades]]: Among the members of the Bat-Family, Bruce is this in terms of overall ability (at least when writers aren't going full-on 'Bat-God' mode). He isn't the natural acrobat or leader Dick Grayson is, he doesn't have the level of [[Magical Database|computer and intel-gathering skills]] Oracle has, he lacks Cassandra Cain's [[Charles Atlas Superpower|incredible martial arts ability]], and even admitted to himself that Tim Drake would eventually surpass him as the World's Greatest Detective. But the fact that he is still very good in all such fields allow him to more then pull his own weight whatever the circumstance. Fairly reasonable, considering the [[Game Breaker|implications]] that would result in him actually being the best at everything.

** Nevertheless, he still outdoes them as a [[The Strategist|strategist]] and [[Batman Gambit|tactician]].

*** And [[The Cowl|instilling pants-crapping fear and dread into evildoers.]]

* [[Jerkass]]: Four words - [[Frank Miller|I'm the Goddamn Batman!]]

* [[Latex Perfection]]: He's ripped off masks to reveal his entire costume underneath, ears and all.

* [[Lethal Chef]]: He even screws up ''tuna sandwiches''.

* [[My Greatest Failure]]: Bruce has had a few, although he believes that every failure he encounters is his fault. The top five that stick out most though are (in chronological order): The "creation" of [[The Joker]], [[The Long Halloween|the descent of Harvey Dent to Two-Face]], Jason Todd and his death, losing control of Gotham's gangs during ''War Games'' that lead to the torture of Stephanie Brown and forced her to flee, and allowing his suspicions of his fellow supers to overcome him and building Brother Eye, which then hi-jacked by Max Lord and led to the death of [[Blue Beetle|Ted Kord]].

* [[Nineties Anti-Hero]]: Ever wonder why Azrael (AKA Batman [[II/Az Bats|Az Bats]]) was brought in? It was due to Bats demonstrating way too much of this trope in the eighties (''[[The Killing Joke]]'' is a prime example).

** Indeed, the overwhelming popularity and critical acclaim of ''[[The Dark Knight Returns]]'' was one of the major influences on the rise of the [[Nineties Anti-Hero]] in the first place (As well as [[The Dark Age of Comic Books]] in general).

* [[Obfuscating Stupidity]]: His guise as Bruce Wayne pretty much demands it.

* [[Overprotective Dad]]: According to fandom, he's this.

** Pretty much canon when Batgirl III was dating Superboy.

** [[Friend to All Children]]: Don't hurt kids, period.

** Hurt his actual, biological son? He'll water board you. With acid.

* [[Parental Abandonment]]: HIS PARENTS ARE <s>DEAD</s> ''[[Memetic Mutation|DEEAAAAAAAD!!!]]''

* [[Roof Hopping]]: One of his many specialties.

* [[Rogues Gallery]]: One of the most recognizable in all of comics.

* [[Shadow Archetype]]: Of [[Superman]]. Most of his rogues are ones of himself.

* [[The Smart Guy]]: When he's with the Justice League. Not so much on his home turf, where everyone he hangs out with is ''also'' a genius.

** Though [[Fridge Logic]] sets in when Superman is supposed to be super-intelligent. Martian Manhunter and Green Lantern have a lot more experience with aliens, Wonder Woman's been on earth the longest, The Flash is a scientist and Aquaman has a comprehensive knowledge of everything water-related. Probably he's the only one who'll 1) look into actual criminology and 2) remember to think things through.

* [[Socially Awkward Hero]]: Social skills isn't one of his strong points. He doesn't seem to know how to behave like a [[Rich Idiot With No Day Job]] as Bruce Wayne.

* [[The Strategist]]: He has no peer as a combat strategist and plan-maker in [[The DCU]]. Quite simply, if Batman cooks up a plan, it's probably the BEST plan.

* [[Super Reflexes]]: Acquired through training.

* [[The Team Normal]]: In superhero ensembles.

* [[Thou Shalt Not Kill]]: Nearly every version has this, a notable exception being the Burton movies. Of course, [[What Measure Is a Non-Human?]] is in full effect.

** Other exceptions include anyone who is truly immortal, such as Solomon Grundy or Clayface. Lethal force is necessary against them, but they can come back from even the worst of blows. And when Batman does have to exchange blows with Darkseid, you can damn well bet that Batman is doing is absolute best to hurt the bastard.

* [[Unstoppable Rage]]: He might not show much emotion, but his attack on the Joker in ''Hush'' is one of the few times that he does. And it's not pretty to look at (the art itself was gorgeous, though).

* [[Weapon of Choice]]: [[Battle Boomerang|Batarangs]] are his signature weapons.

* [["Well Done, Son" Guy]]: He ''does'' say it. It's just that he only says it when you've been ''perfect''.

* [[Would Hit a Girl]]: Well, not ''first'' but if she's coming at him with the intent to fight or kill him, she's fair game.

* [[Wouldn't Hurt a Child]]: A good way to make him pissed off for real is to hurt or threaten children in front of him.

 

== Alfred Pennyworth ==

 

[[File:alfredpennyworth_2532.jpg|frame]]

During several critical junctures in Batman's career, Alfred was the key factor in his survival. A master surgeon, Alfred was almost always the one to patch him back up after particularly gruesome battles, since Batman couldn't very well simply go to the hospital. Alfred can be said to be the closest thing to a father figure that Bruce has - his advice is the often the only one that Bruce gives a second thought about. Or, as Michael Caine has said, he's more of the replacement mother figure in contrast with Gordon's replacement father.

 

* [[Badass Normal]]

* [[Battle Butler]]: Perhaps the ur-example.

* [[Characterization Marches On]]: Alfred started out as a goofy, clean-shaven, overweight butler.

** This is a minor case of [[Ret Canon]]. In the 1943 Batman film serial Alfred was played by William Austin, who was tall and thin, and had the moustache. To match this, comic book Alfred promptly went off to a health resort to lose weight and grew a moustache.

* [[Deadpan Snarker]]

* [[Drop What You Are Doing]]: When he sees that Stephanie Brown is still alive, he drops a tea tray. Steph comments that it's good to see him lose his cool demeanor.

* [[Good Hair, Evil Hair]]: Subverted; the pencil mustache that he's normally portrayed with is usually associated with villains.

* [[The Jeeves]]: What do you expect from one of the most classic butlers in existence?

* [[Old Retainer]]

* [[Parental Substitute]]: Openly acknowledged in a holo-message Bruce left to play in the event of his death. He refers to Alfred as his father and thanks him for raising him.

* [[Secret Keeper]]

* [[Servile Snarker]]: We actually considered naming this trope after him.

** ...Except for the one or two arcs where he temporarily retires, because he thinks he's holding Batman back from growing the hell up ("Officer Down", for example).

 

 

=== Robin I / '''Nightwing''' / Batman III (Richard "Dick" Grayson) ===

 

[[File:NightwingYO1.png|frame|<ref>[[File:grayson3_2224.jpg|frame]]</ref>]]

** To drive the "linchpin" comment home: remember, this was one of the major reasons DC Comics Editor-in-Chief Dan Didio wanted to kill off Dick--because his death would send the biggest shockwave throughout the DCU. The other editors/writers convinced him to keep Dick alive, but the idea of how close he came, especially in light of what Dick's been doing lately, makes one shudder to think what would've happened if the decision had been pushed through. You really want to shatter the DCU? You don't target Superman or Batman or Wonder Woman--you target Dick Grayson.

** Further lampshaded in one issue of ''[[Teen Titans (Comic Book)|Teen Titans]]'', where various Titans band together to take on a more dangerous Dr. Light. In Superboy's inner monologue, he marvels at how when Nightwing shows up, no one questions his leadership and everyone automatically follows his lead.

* [[All Up to You]]

* [[Badass Biker]]: As both Robin and Nightwing, he often rides a motorcycle alongside the Batmobile, though recently, he has received his own [[Cool Car]].

* [[Dual-Wielding]]: His [[Weapon of Choice]] as Nightwing is dual Escrima Sticks.

* [[Mr. Fanservice]]: It's blatant and unrepentant, and it ''works''.

* [[Fan Nickname]]: Fans refer to Dick as Batman only as [[Dick Bats]], since as noted above, THE Batman is Bruce.

** And yet when Bruce came back, the fans still supported [[Dick Bats]].

* [[Unknown Rival]]: Shrike, a member of his Nightwing [[Rogues Gallery]] who claims to be his [[Arch Enemy]], but isn't even considered a threat.

* [[What Could Have Been]]: Was going to be [[Killed Off for Real]] in ''Infinite Crisis''. For the same reason that [[The Heart|saved him in fact]]. See his entry in [[The Ace]] above. Considering how much emotional weight came from [[The Flash|Barry Allen's death]] he could have been gone a while...

 

=== Robin II / '''Red Hood II''' / Red Robin I (Jason Todd) ===

 

[[File:JasonYO.png|frame]]

* [[Anti-Hero]]: type IV in his solo series, Type V or even an [[Anti-Villain]] when a heel.

* [[All Girls Want Bad Boys]]: One of the key reasons to his newfound popularity among readers after his ressurection.

* [[Black Sheep]]

* [[Darker and Edgier]]: Jason stands out from the rest of the Bat-Family thanks to his willingness to take criminals' lives.

** After the Crisis, his origin was revised to make him different from Dick Grayson. Specifically, a criminal.

* [[Domino Mask]]: It seems to be a requirement for Robins.

** Most depictions even show his wearing the mask ''under the Red Hood mask''.

* [[Fire-Forged Friends]]: When Jason originally became Robin II, he didn't have a very good relationship with Dick. This is changed when the two end up in a situation where they save Alfred's life.

** Fast becoming this with his Outlaws, Roy in particular.

* [[Roaring Rampage of Revenge]]: After being resurrected for real, one of his first acts is to take vengeance on the Joker (who killed him) and Batman (who he's mad at for not killing Joker).

* [[Straw Man Has a Point]]: Jason's [[Armor-Piercing Question]] about why Batman's [[Thou Shalt Not Kill|One Rule]] should have an exception for the Joker:

* [[Street Urchin]]

* [[Stuffed Into the Fridge]]

* [[Underwear of Power]]: Just like Dick, Jason wore tightie-greenies for his Robin costume.

* [["Well Done, Son" Guy]]: This is Jason's biggest flaw, the need to be approved of by a parental figure. First as Robin, then when searching for his mother, his resurrection, to becoming Red Robin on Earth-51, to ''Battle For The Cowl'' where because he couldn't deal with Batman's death, Jason decided to take his place as "Batman's successor".

 

=== Robin III / '''Red Robin III''' (Timothy "Tim" Drake) ===

 

[[File:Red_Robin_Tim_Drake_Wayne-2_7473.jpg|frame|<ref>[[File:RobinYO.png|frame]]</ref>]]

At age nine, Tim was able to deduce both Batman and Robin I's identities, but kept it to himself, until years later, when Dick went solo and Jason died. Realizing how deeply Jason's death had affected his idol, Batman, Tim tried to convince Dick to reprise his role as Batman's partner. Although he agreed, Dick would only do so as Nightwing, despite Tim's insistence that Batman needed a Robin.

 

 

* [[A Man Is Not a Virgin]]: Averted.

* [[Badass Biker]]

* [[Badass Bookworm]]

* [[Celibate Hero]]: Whether this is an intentional editorial decision or many writers independently not wishing to age the teenage character is a matter of [http://www.comicsalliance.com/2010/11/11/tim-drake-celibacy-icon/ some debate]. He's certainly had opportunities, though not as many as [[Anything That Moves|Robin I]].

* [[The Chessmaster]]: {{spoiler|How he defeated Ra's Al Ghul. It was such a victory that Tim himself earned the title, "Detective." ''That'' was something Ra's reserved ''only'' for The Goddamn Batman! Goes to show you how much the boy matured once Bruce Wayne... left.}}

* [[Heterosexual Life Partners]]: With both [[Superboy|Conner Kent]] and [[The Flash|Bart Allen]].

* [[Informed Ability]]: His supposed leadership skills with the [[Teen Titans (Comic Book)|Teen Titans]].

*** Hell, even when Wonder Girl took over leadership, everyone still treated Tim like he was the one in charge.

* [[Legacy Character]]: The third Robin, obviously. Following ''Battle for the Cowl'', Tim has taken up the role of ''Red Robin'' like Jason before him, now that the General is in jail.

* [[Lonely Rich Kid]]: In stark contrast to the [[DCAU]] version, which was more based on Jason Todd.

* [[My Greatest Failure]]: Just after the Black Glove fiasco, an old enemy, The General (who is an intelligent adolescent supervillain), returned to Gotham, terrorizing it under the Red Robin moniker. In an attempt to get him to surrender peacefully, Tim got the General's family (mother, father, and two siblings) to come. While his parents were trying to calm him down, one of the bombs that the General had hidden detonated, killing the both of his siblings. Tim blames himself as he brought the family into the situation in the first place.

* [[Name's the Same]]: The name "Red Robin" sure would sound more intimidating if it weren't the name of a fast food franchise. ''Especially'' if their slogan weren't:

* [[Parental Abandonment]]: Left alone for most of his childhood, then mother died and father died and stepmother disappeared soon after he took the job.

* [[Phrase Catcher]]: One of the catchphrases of Young Justice was "We can tell you were trained by the world's greatest detective" said by any character when Tim points out something obvious.

* [[Underwear of Power]]: Averted; Tim was the first Robin to actually wear a decent pair of pants. ''[[Memetic Mutation|"Solomon Grundy wants pants too!"]]''

** It's been [[Retcon]]-ned that Dick wore the revised version of the costume (or something very similar to it) for winter missions.

* [[Wholesome Crossdresser]]: In ''Batman'' #626, Tim, in order to get to a dead body held at Gotham General Hospital, briefly took up the identity of Caroline Hill. Despite his complaints, the disguise is [http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/ladymirth/Batman626Pyrate-DCPpg10.jpg pretty] [http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/ladymirth/Batman626Pyrate-DCPpg11.jpg effective], [http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/ladymirth/Batman626Pyrate-DCPpg12.jpg alright]. [[Attractive Bent Gender]], indeed.

 

 

=== '''Robin V''' / Batman IV (Damian Wayne) ===

 

[[File:DamianYO.png|frame]]

*** Plus, bigger islands, [[Where Does He Get All Those Wonderful Toys?|cooler toys.]]

* [[Hope Spot]]: "Batman vs. Robin" sets him up for several of these in a very, very cruel fashion. To illustrate: wow, Damian, your father might still be alive, but wait, does that mean you'll lose your place as Robin? That's all right, the man you've come to respect believes in you and is excited to have you helping him solve an old school mystery complete with secret passages and ancient clues! Isn't that wonderfu- {{spoiler|SPINE HACK!!!!}}

** Damian drops most jerkass tendencies when Dick either impresses him or is in trouble. The greatest example of this is when he tries to save Dick during 'Batman and Robin Must Die!' arc.

* [[Karma Houdini]]: Hey, remember the Spook? The D-list villain who Damian ''decaptitated?'' Neither does anyone else, apparently...

* [[Lamarck Was Right]]: He's been trained from early childhood to kick ass; Talia leaves Damian with Bruce to just enhance it.

* [[Leeroy Jenkins]]

* [[Luke, You Are My Father]]: More like "Batman, I'm your son."

* [[Multi Melee Master]]: As the 99 Fiends find out.

* [[My Dad Can Beat Up Your Dad]]: Fine, when your dad is '''Batman''', you ''can'' have bragging rights.

** His giving Colin/Abuse the Cycle Of Abuse, as a roundabout way of thanking him for his assistance.

** In ''Batman'' #666, he owns a cat that he named Alfred.

* [[Redemption Demotion]]: He's still as agile and intelligent as he was when he first appeared, it's just the fact that he can't kill tends to render most of the stratagems he was taught moot; cue many beatdowns.

* [[Reckless Sidekick]]: His superiority complex from his League of Assassins training and being Batman's son has made him a very reckless child, but he's [[Character Development|developing]] out of it.

* [[Royal Brat]]: Alright, technically he's not royalty, but his maternal grandfather is Ra's Al Ghul and his father is ''Batman''.

* [[Small Name, Big Ego]]: Subverted, he really is as deadly as he says... he's just not allowed to kill.

* [[Sour Supporter]]: He'll sneer and chide to the moon, but he rarely disobeys an order.

* [[You Can't Go Home Again]]: By choice, as he found being a part of the Bat-family to be a more fulfilling life than being the prince of the League of Assassins.

 

 

=== '''Batgirl I''' / Oracle (Barbara "Babs" Gordon) ===

 

[[File:OracleYO.png|frame|<ref>[[File:BatgirlBarbara4_31.jpg|frame]]</ref>]]

 

 

Unlike [[Batwoman]] and Bat-Girl (characters introduced during the [[Silver Age]]), who were merely female counterparts to the Dynamic Duo, Barbara was completely independent of male superheroes, being a representation of the feminist movements of the 1960s (she even had a PhD; however, she was only allowed to be a brown belt in judo).

 

=== Batgirl III / '''Black Bat''' (Cassandra Cain) ===

 

[[File:batgirlcover.jpg|frame]]

 

* [[Action Girl]]

* [[A Real Man Is a Killer]]: subversion.

* [[The Atoner]]: More or less her entire motivation is to make up for her first kill.

* [[Badass]]: Incarnate. Quite possibly more [[Badass]] than ''Batman'', if you are [[Beyond the Impossible|prepared to believe it.]] At the very least, she is more than capable of ''kicking his ass'', and on one or two occasions actually '''has''' kicked his ass!

* [[Book Dumb]]: Originally, she barely was able to speak and couldn't read at all (she had trouble reading the words ''it was''). Now, she knows Navajo Code!

* [[Cass Toons]]: Created because of the Fan Outrage.

* [[Charles Atlas Superpower]]

* [[Cute Mute]]

* [[Defusing the Tykebomb]]: She defused herself.

* [[Dodge the Bullet]]

* [[Dragon Lady]]: Not only does she Monologue in Navajo, she starts to flirts with Robin.

* [[Parental Substitute]]: Bruce and Barbara.

* [[Phlebotinum Rebel]]

* [[The Quiet One]]

* [[Retcon]]: The [[Author's Saving Throw]] is obvious, so let's discuss her origins. Despite the fact that her entire upbringing was a neverending training from hell, she did love her father, and yet she ran away from him. The reason was that her first kill was the very first time she had witnessed death up close and due to her body-reading abilities, she thought it to be very, very, scary. Thus she found out her upbringing was evil. Now enter the last issue of Adam Beechen's miniseries about her where it is revealed that she hated her dad all along, and that she had actually witnessed her father committing murder up close many times before her first kill.

* [[Technical Pacifist]]: Just because she won't kill doesn't mean she won't stop your heart with pressure strikes so you understand what death will be like. She'll restart it afterwards, but...

* [[Thou Shalt Not Kill]]: Originally, her urge to not kill was even stronger than Bruce's. To be fair, she began to question her stance at the end of her series.

* [[Twofer Token Minority]] - Dyslexic, half-Vietnamese woman. Well, formerly dyslexic anyway.

* [[Tyke Bomb]]

 

=== Spoiler / Robin IV / Batgirl IV (Stephanie Brown) ===

 

[[File:Spoiler2.jpg|frame|]]

Daughter of the Cluemaster (a second-rate Riddler copycat), Stephanie was enraged when her father, who claimed to have gone straight, returned to committing crimes (only without his compulsion to leave clues). Donning a costume of her own, Stephanie became the Spoiler, at first only showing up whenever Cluemaster did and spoiling his plans, hence the codename. She eventually became a full-fledged vigilante, partly because of her attraction to Tim Drake, the third Robin.

 

 

(Don't let her attire fool you; she's not [[Teen Titans (Comic Book)|Raven.]])

* [[Groin Attack]]: She's pretty fond of it - she's done it at least three times.

* [[Kid Sidekick]]: And sometimes, she's the Kid Sidekick ''to'' the Kid Sidekick.

** Fourth Batgirl is working out for her.

** You jinxed it.

* [[Pettanko]]: According to Damian. Though while not quite at [[Most Common Superpower]] level, she isn't exactly ''lacking''...

** He implies that she pads her bras.

* [[Plucky Girl]]: Very much so. She is referred to by Batman as the most hopeful of his organization, and a [[What Could Have Been]] scene shows her as a Blue Lantern.

* [[Retcon]] She did die, and then she didn't.

Before you ask, no, [[Batwoman]] was not Batman's wife. Not even in the [[Silver Age]] (no matter what that one comic cover on Superdickery.com says). Kathy was, however, designed to be a possible romantic interest for the Dark Knight (mainly to dispel the [[Ho Yay Shipping]] between him and Robin), as well as an attempt to cash in on the popularity of [[Superman]]'s "family members", such as [[Supergirl]]. As a rich heiress and a former circus performer, Kathy's life was rather untouched by tragedy, and she mainly became a crimefighter because of her attractions to Batman. Eventually, her niece Betty joined in on the fun as well, as Robin's love interest Bat-Girl.

 

 

 

Previous to her series, in ''52'', DC had some trouble fleshing out the character. She was basically a [[Lipstick Lesbian]] with [[Combat Stilettos]]. However, when she got her own series, both these traits were promptly dropped. While Kate is definitely not butch, she does wear her hair short out of costume and insists on wearing tuxedos to dances. She also now wears practical flats in costume. Now the tropes that define Kate are:

 

 

 

[[File:15164_400x600_2017.jpg|frame]]

In his crime fighting, Terry usually has Bruce's help via radio as well as quite a few advanced toys in his combat suit, including flight, limited invisibility, enhanced strength, and a whole lot more. Unlike his predecessor, Terry likes to talk and rile his opponents. He is decidedly less cynical and jaded and has a far healthier view of the role of Batman. Terry sees being Batman as an active redemption for his past sins as a criminal and a "bad kid". But he's also not afraid to enjoy the perks of the job and how it can be the coolest thing in the world.

 

 

These adventures, however, only took place in the alternate world of Earth-12 of the DC multiverse. Terry has since been adopted into the current mainstream DCU continuity where he is the fifth known incarnation of Batman (after Bruce, Jean-Paul, Dick, and Damian) and is now under the guidance of Damian Wayne instead of Bruce. The poor kid.

* [[Deadpan Snarker]]: "A huge smoking hole. Could be a clue."

* [[Delinquents|Delinquent]]: Terry used to be a criminal when he was a kid, but seemed to be scared straight by juvie hall.

* [[Genre Savvy]]: Terry has the advantage of knowing a lot about the past Batman's history and is sometimes pretty [[Genre Savvy]] because of it. At one point in the ''Batman Beyond'' comic, he was happy to learn that he had his "own Catwoman".

* [[Hannibal Lecture]]: Terry pulled one of these over on the ''Joker''.

* [[Secret Legacy]]: Thanks to DNA replacement therapy Warren McGinnis unknowingly went through, Terry is actually Bruce Wayne's son.

* [[Shiny Midnight Black]]: One of the biggest signs that he was really Bruce's son given that his mother was a redhead and his father had nut brown hair.

* [[Troubled but Cute]]: Following the trend of the Bat-family, if the not the entire comic book genre, Terry is a handsome guy with a troubled past.

* [[You Fight Like a Cow]]: Terry likes to talk when he's kicking your ass.

'''Terry''': Look who's talking. }}

 

 

* [[Plucky Girl]]

* [[Stepford Smiler]]: Implied in her appearance in the ''Hawk and Dove Annual'', by Dove's analysis of her personality that she's actually a lonely and depressed girl desperate for company and contact with others.

* [[What Could Have Been]]: Almost got featured, alongside Beast Boy and a host of other 1970s characters, in a spin-off called ''Titans L.A.'' As Bat-Girl, she was initially set to be part of the main '70s ''Teen Titans'' team and be involved in a love triangle with Robin and Duela Dent, but DC pulled the plug on the title before Bob Rozakis could get to those plans.

 

Ahh, the [[Silver Age]]. In this era of lightheartedness, sidekicks were abound, both human (or at least humanoid) and animal. Over in the Superman titles, Krypto the Superdog had made his debut, so a question was raised, "Why can't Batman have a canine sidekick as well?" And so Ace the Bat-Hound was born.

 

 

* [[Multiple Choice Past]]: Each time he's adapted to a new continuity, his origin is heavily revised to justify Batman having a dog. Did he help Batman anytime his owner kept him at Bruce's care? Batman got him from a Native American? Was he a dog trained for illegal fights who escaped and was found by Bruce?

So, anyway, Jean-Paul Valley was just an [[Ordinary High School Student|ordinary postgraduate student]] in Computer Science at Gotham University, when his father stumbled into his dorm, bleeding to death. Just before he died, good ol' dad informed him that he was actually the most recent in a long line of enforcers/assassins who worked for [[Church Militant|the Sacred Order of St. Dumas]]. So, after a series of misadventures involving a trip to Switzerland, training with a [[Old Master|short old guy]], allying with Batman, and defeating the weapons dealer [[You Killed My Father|that killed his father]], Jean-Paul had learned that every Azrael was trained by being subjected to a series of subliminal messages (known as "the System," this training was "programmed" into an individual, and remained latent until activated by hypnosis) since childhood. Inspired by Batman, he rejected the Order of St. Dumas and saved the Caped Crusader from death. He even filled in for Batman for a while during the ''Knightfall'' arc, while the Dark Knight was incapacitated. Unfortunately, [[Fan Nickname|Azbats]] went crazy due to the System, and made a suit of armor to replace the Batsuit, which included adding a frikkin' flame-thrower and ''claws'' to it. The whole point of the arc was to show fans who wanted Batman to be more like [[The Punisher]] what would happen if that want became reality. Anyway, when the fan reaction was largely negative, they had Batman reclaim the title in a battle where he outwitted Jean-Paul, who finally came back to his senses when he took off the Azbatsuit's helmet.

 

 

Also, word on the street is that Azrael will be appearing in ''[[DC Universe Online]]'', though it remains unknown whether it's Jean-Paul Valley or Michael Lane. [[Lying Creator|No one seems to have found either of them yet]].

* [[Clueless Chick Magnet]]: Jean-Paul, you dork. Oracle has a stuffed doll of you next to her computer (Check issue #82 of ''Azrael: Agent of the Bat'' if you don't believe me). Huntress considers your team-ups ''dates'' (but perhaps that's [[Belligerent Sexual Tension|cutting it a bit fine]]). And you have the balls to wonder why you can't get a girlfriend.

** But then again, seeing as how he has a [[Vitriolic Best Buds|somewhat tense relationship]] with [[Nightwing]], [[Fridge Brilliance|maybe he just doesn't want to tick him off even more by going out with either of Nightwing's exes]].

* [[Church Militant]]: Sacred Order of St. Dumas? Check.

* [[Costume Porn]]: Jean-Paul Valley's first costume.

* [[Did Not Do the Research]]: Ehh... [[Joe Quesada]]? Azrael is the name of the ''Islamic'' angel of death.

* [[Dirty Old Man]]: Subverted for [[The Shrink|Brian Bryan]], though he has stated concerning Lilhy, "If I were twenty years younger..."

* [[Dual-Wielding]]: Jean-Paul Valley had two [[Flaming Sword|flaming blade things]] on his wrists. See picture.

* [[Exiled From Continuity]]: Mostly because the book only had one creative team for its entire run. To [[X Ray|this troper's]] knowledge, Jean-Paul Valley has never appeared in another book aside from his own that was not a Bat-book, with the sole exceptions of ''[[Blackest Night]]'' #1 & #4 and the frankly obscure ''Plus'' #1. Also partially because a lot of people hate him for some reason.

* [[Mask of Power]]: After a fashion for Jean-Paul - only his Azrael persona (see [[Split Personality]] entry below) has his ''[[Badass]]'' combat skills, and he can only activate this persona by putting on his Azrael mask.

* [[Mass "Oh Crap"]]: All of the Azrael's are ''very'' good at instigating these. Take this example found in ''Plus'' #1, were Azrael (Jean-Paul Valley) teams up with [[The Question]]:

'''[[Western Terrorists|Terrorists:]]''' (''[[Mass "Oh Crap"]] expressions'')<br />

(''[[Curb Stomp Battle]] ensues'') }}

** A ''lot'', actually. Notably one of the first to actually be treated as... ''bad''.

* [[Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot|Ninja Angel Knight Vigilante ]]: Frequently lampshaded in Jean-Paul Valley's early days. In the words of the [[Hitman]]:

* [[No Social Skills]]: Jean-Paul Valley suffers from this.

* [[Oblivious to Love]]: Lilhy couldn't take any of Jean-Paul's hints, so the poor guy just gave up.

* [[Offscreen Afterlife]]: When Jean-Paul dies in the final issue of his series, he says "It looks just like the earth." And he was sporting his famous smile, so that's a good thing.

* [[Oh Crap]]: Not only are the Azraels good at instigating these, but it occasionally happens to them too. For instance, Jean-Paul is going about in a run-down part of town as Azrael in issue #32 of his series. He's just been fixed up by this old woman, when he realizes that he left his car unattended. His [[Oh Crap|sudden realization]] and reaction to this are priceless.

* [[Outdated Outfit]]: After a [[Incredibly Lame Pun|fashion]]. Ludovic Valley's decidedly more crusader-esque costume was one of the factors that contributed to his death.

* [[Our Angels Are Different]]: Apparently, the residents of the DC Universe's idea of an angel is either someone dressed up in crusader armor or someone dressed up, well, like in this entry's picture.

** A third, though less developed, personality is Batman. This personality manifested during Jean-Paul's stint at the Caped Crusader, and remanifested near the end of his series. It combined the intellect of Jean-Paul Valley and the bloodlust of Azrael, but lacked the compassion of Jean-Paul.

* [[Stealth Hi Bye]]: Jean-Paul's inability to pull this off during his [[Anti-Hero Substitute|stint as Batman]] was Commissioner Gordon's first clue that there was a new Batman in town. The below scene doubles as a [[Crowning Moment of Funny]].

'''Azbats:''' [[Did Not Do the Research|So?]]<br />

'''Gordon:''' ''Usually'' I turn and you're gone.<br />

* [[Suck Sessor]]: Jean-Paul Valley to [[Batman]] during the ''[[Knightfall]]'' arc. The whole reason it ever happened was to show fans why Bruce Wayne's Batman ''wasn't'' a brutal [[Anti-Hero]] like [[The Punisher]].

* [[Take Up My Sword]]: [[Batman]] (Bruce Wayne) appointed him as his [[Suck Sessor]] after [[Knightfall|Bane broke Bruce's back]].

* [[Temporary Scrappy]]: Jean-Paul Valley was promoted as this when he turned into Azbats and the majority of the fans were not pleased.

* [[Tragic Hero]]: At varrying points in his series, though most significantly in the end.

* [[Tyke Bomb]]: Apparently, Jean-Paul was subjected to subliminal messages and other mental conditioning since he was a little kid.

* [[Vitriolic Best Buds]]: With [[Nightwing]].

* [["Well Done, Son" Guy]]: Played straight. Jean-Paul had ''terrible'' issues with both his real father, Ludovic Valley, and his adoptive father figure, [[Batman|Bruce Wayne]]. The elder Valley had always been distant from Jean-Paul, and rarely even saw him, let alone had extended interactions with him. Even in Jean-Paul's "system" induced dreams and visions, Ludovic is condescending and unsatisfied with Jean-Paul's actions. But then again, it was revealed in Azrael: Year One that Ludovic was actually trying to get him to safety, away from the Order of St. Dumas when he mentioned the instructions, so maybe he wasn't such a bad father. And then there's ''Batman.'' Imagine if ''your'' father was Batman. (Maybe Jean-Paul could identify with Damian) Indeed, their relationship has been compared to a very athletic father looking down on an intelligent but physically lacking son. On the other hand, Jean-Paul's father issues led him to [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming|identify with a lot of the villains he fought]].

* [[Will They or Won't They?]]: Jean-Paul Valley got this with Sister Lilhy a lot.

=== '''Batwing''' (David Zavimbe) ===

 

 

Batwing first debuted in 2011, with the fifth issue of the first volume of Batman, Incorporated. He was one of the latest recruits to Batman's cause of combating the combined forces of Leviathan and Doctor Dedalus. He was seemingly killed by a legion of Talia al Ghul's Man-Bats in the one-shot Leviathan Strikes!, but was given his own ongoing series in the New 52.

 

* [[Arch Enemy]]: {{spoiler|His brother Isaac, now known as the mercenary Massacre.}}

* [[The Atoner]]: Fights crime to make up for his actions as a child soldier.

* [[Badass Boast]]: "I am Batwing, and I'm going to beat you until you can't stand up."

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Batman And Bat Family]]

[[Category:Characters]]

[[Category:Batman]]