13 Batman Facts You (Probably) Didn't Know
Batman is defined by his all-encompassing knowledge of everyone's secrets, whether they be friend or foe. But this time, we're the ones who did some digging on the Dark Knight, and we rounded up some lesser-known facts about him, from his lost "first movie" to some crazy feats in the comics. Check out our list of 17 things you (probably) didn't know about the Caped Crusader.
1. Bruce Wayne's Name Comes from Two Real Heroes
Batman’s secret identity, Bruce Wayne, was derived from two historical figures.
Robert the Bruce, a Scottish national hero:
And Mad Anthony Wayne, a hero of the American Revolution:
2. Batman Beat Darkseid… Twice!
Darkseid is essentially the end boss of the DC Universe, an evil god who can go toe-to-toe with Superman himself. Even though Batman is a mere mortal, he's bested the villain on two separate occasions.
The first time, Darkseid blasted him with his Omega Sanction beams, so Batman shot Darkseid with a god-killing gun. Darkseid's beams sent Batman back in time, but Batman eventually returned to the present and thwarted Darkseid's plans.
The second time, Batman put on the Hell bat armor designed by the Justice League, giving him immense strength at the expense of his own life-force. He was able to brawl with Darkseid long enough to complete his mission, rescuing his son Damian Wayne.
3. There’s a Batman College Course
There’s a real course called The Science of Batman at the University of Victoria in Canada. The course description reads: “The extreme range of adaptability of the human body explored through the life of the Caped Crusader.”
4. Batman Could Have Been a Yellow Lantern
The Yellow Lanterns of the Sinestro Corps are powered by fear, so when a ring attempted to choose the best person on Earth when it comes to instilling fear, it chose Batman. Yup, criminals are that scared of Batman.
5. Gotham City Got Its Name from the Phone Book
Batman writer Bill Finger said he came up with the name Gotham City by opening up a phone book and randomly putting his finger on “Gotham Jewelers.”
6. Kevin Conroy Has Played Batman More Than Anyone
Voice actor Kevin Conroy has played Batman more than any other person. Starting with Batman: The Animated Series, he’s been Batman in 8 TV series, 13 animated movies, and 10 video games.
7. Batman’s Ears Are Hidden Projectiles
Even though this trick was used when it was Dick Grayson in the costume, the ability to fire razor-sharp Bat-ears at your opponent is too ridiculously awesome not to include.
8. Ben Affleck Is Both Batman and Superman
Ben Affleck is the only actor ever to wear both the Batman suit and the Superman suit in two different films, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Hollywoodland.
9. Batman’s Creative Inspiration
The creation of Batman was inspired by Zorro...
the Shadow...
...and Dracula.
10. The Fans Killed Robin
Yes, it was the Joker who beat Jason Todd aka Robin with a crowbar and left him to die in an explosion, but it was the fans who voted for DC Comics to kill him. A call-in poll racked up 5,343 votes for him to die, narrowly eclipsing the 5,271 votes for him to survive.
11. Bob Kane Didn’t Create Batman as We Know Him
Bob Kane created Batman, but it was collaborator Bill Finger who added numerous essential elements that made him the iconic hero we know today, including naming Gotham City, naming him Bruce Wayne, and completely overhauling the original costume (a red bodystocking with a domino mask) by giving it pointed ears, a black color scheme, and a scalloped cape. Yet it was only recently that DC Comics started giving Finger a co-creator credit.
12. The Lamborghini in The Batman Trilogy
The Lamborghini driven by Bruce Wayne in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy is a Murciélago. Murciélago is Spanish for “bat.”
13. Batman Merged with Wolverine
A Marvel/DC comic book crossover in 1996 saw Batman merge with Wolverine, creating a new character named Dark Claw. His real name? Logan Wayne.