Over the years, Bane has emerged as one of Batman’s most powerful enemies. A landmark comic for the character was the Knightfall arc that includes the iconic panel of him breaking Batman’s back. Despite the violent history that they share, the two have also joined forces in unlikely situations.
Much like the Joker, Bane develops a symbiotic relationship with Batman. Both characters grow attached to the city of Gotham and wish to become its protectors in their different ways. The clash of ideals between the two leads to much of their conflicts in the comic books.
Bane Had An Intense Fear Of Bats
The 1990s-era Batman comic storyline Knightfall reveals that ever since he was young, Bane was extremely afraid of bats. In fact, a giant bat used to haunt him in his dreams. This ran in contrast with his otherwise fearless and tough personality.
When he arrives in Gotham, he believes that he has met his match in Batman. He is sure that it is fate that has brought him to defeat the vigilante and overcome his fear. As Gotham is dominated by the fear of Batman (much like how Bane instilled fear in Peña Duro prison), he wishes to usurp his position.
Batman’s Nemesis King Snake Is Bane’s Father
The Dark Knight Rises mentions Ra’s al Ghul as a mentor figure to Bane, recruiting him in the League of Shadows. However, in the comics, Bane’s father is another Batman comic book villain known as King Snake.
The master martial artist and mercenary were helping rebels in Santa Prisca when the country’s authoritarian government foiled his plans. While King Snake fleed, the government also captured the child that he had with a local rebel back there. Imprisoned at a young age, this child grew up to be Bane. All this time, Snake moved to Gotham and sought to establish his criminal supremacy by fighting off rival gangs in Chinatown and the duo of Batman and Robin.
The New Batman Defeated Him
With Bruce Wayne broken and battered by Bane’s attacks in Knightfall, he passed on the mantle of Batman to the assassin antihero Jean-Paul Valley (or Azrael as he liked calling himself). Azrael initially gets heavily injured while fighting off Bane impulsively.
By the end of Knightfall, the alternate version of Batman strategizes more and also decides to give the classic Batman costume a modern update. With metallic armor, razor-sharp projectile weapons, and metal gauntlets, he does manage to weaken Bane. Finally, he severs the tubes that pump the Venom into the villain's body, leaving him weakened enough for Valley to beat him.
Ra’s Al Ghul Disowned Bane When He Failed To Defeat Batman
In the search for his “dead” father, Bane somehow met Talia al Ghul, eventually striking a friendship with her father Ra’s al Ghul in the comics. The latter was so impressed by Bane’s physical strength and intellectual prowess that he wished for his daughter to marry him. While taking over Gotham, Bane also served as his henchman.
This mission in Detective Comics #701 brought him in direct hand-to-hand combat against Batman. This much-awaited rewatch ended up being in the caped crusader’s favor as he gained the upper hand and defeated Bane. Following this, Ra’s al Ghul was so embarrassed that he disowned him as a member of the League of Assassins and called off his daughter’s marriage.
Bane Once Believed That He Was Batman’s Brother
In the villains ever-continuous search for his father, a Jesuit priest revealed the possibility of an American doctor as being Bane's biological father. Based on his research, Bane arrives at the possibility that Batman’s father Thomas Wayne was close to Bane’s mother when the former visited Santa Prisca.
This makes him arrive at the conclusion that he is Batman’s father. In the Gotham Knights storyline "Tabula Rasa," Bane continues fighting the Dark Knight in the streets while also staying at Wayne Manor until the DNA results arrive. Finally, it is medically proven that Thomas Wayne did not father Bane. The villain peacefully leaves Gotham and resumes his search while Batman agrees to finance his trip.
Bane Burned Down The Wayne Manor
The classic 1990s Justice League comic Kingdom Come was released under the Elseworlds imprint, implying an alternate reality for the DC heroes. As the story focused more on the philosophies of the lead ensemble instead of action, Bane doesn’t get to engage in any of his “challenges” against Batman. Instead, he is just mentioned in passing by a Bruce Wayne who has aged past his prime.
Wayne reveals that ever since his superhero identity came out in the public, Bane and Two-Face ended up burning down the entirety of Wayne Manor. The only place that remained intact on the grounds was the underground Batcave.
They Teamed Up Against King Snake
Bane finally finds out that King Snake was his father in the "Veritas Liberat" arc of Gotham Knights. However, his antiheroic side is awakened when he decides to stop his father’s plans of a global takeover. Batman also arrives in the scene and the two foes decide to unite for a change.
When King Snake shoots Batman at close range, Bane jumps in to protect the Dark Knight. As Bane is mortally wounded after this attack, Batman helps him to heal by bathing him in one of Ra’s al Ghul’s Lazarus Pits. This storyline definitely makes for an unlikely and emotional team-up for the two.
Knightfall Even Inspired A Metal Album
Fans of Bane and Batman recognize the legacy of Knightfall with the comic even serving as inspiration for The Dark Knight Rises, the final chapter in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. The comic went on to inspire even the Swedish metal band Silent Images that released a concept album of the same name in 2016.
The album Knightfall paints a philosophical narrative that examines the rivalry of Bane and Batman through modern sociopolitical issues and even subtle homoeroticism between the two rivals. For instance, a track like “I Am The City” reveals the differing ideologies they have while controlling Gotham City through a reign of fear.
He Couldn’t Break Batman’s Back In Batman ‘66
A homage to the Adam West Batman series, Batman ‘66 comics are intentionally campy and over-the-top. One such issue dealt with Bane challenging Batman for a wrestling match. In a Knightfall-like scenario, Bane does manage to lift Batman up and break his back but it is revealed that Batman had a Batarang on his back! The little weapon prevents Bane from snapping his spine.
Later on, Batman even attaches a gadget on Bane’s face that prevents him from ingesting any Venom. This renders him weak and Batman yet again emerges victorious.
Bane Discovered Bruce Wayne’s Alter Ego In One Year
Bane is a villain that possesses both brain and brawn. For the former, the Bane of the Demon storyline also mentions him having eidetic memory that allows him to recall images accurately after seeing them only once.
In Knightfall, he carefully observes the body language of Batman as well as everyone else that he encounters in Gotham. Within the span of a year, he is easily able to deduce that Bruce Wayne is Batman. Apart from the physical mannerisms, Bane was also able to accurately compare Wayne and Batman’s facial structures as being similar.