Who has been Batman?

[pk.]

Wonder if anyone could help.

I'm trying to find out who has been Batman in the comics apart from Bruce Wayne and why it happened. Tried to find some sort of list on Google but can't.

Anyone know?

 

[Mister J]

Jean-Paul Valley/Azrael - was asked by Bruce to assume the role after Bane had broken his back (Knightfall arc)

Dick Grayson - asked by Bruce after stripping Azrael of the mantle (because he was ****ing up), while Bruce still needed to train after recovering from Bane's attack. (Prodigal Son arc); Dick is also the current Batman after Bruce's apparent death (apparent, being the operative word).

There are some Silver Age/pre-Crisis stories where Thomas Wayne acted as a Bat-Man when he was comparably Bruce's age. Along those lines, I believe there a story where Alfred dresses up as Batman to perpetuate Bruce's secret identity.

There might be some other stuff, depending on how technical you want to get (or if I'm just entirely absent-minded on something), both those first two names are the biggies.

 

[david icke]

There are these two stories showing possible futures for Batman and has people taking over as Batman.

Detective Comics Annual 4 from 1991 shows Robin III, Tim Drake, taking up the role of Batman when Bruce breaks his spine. Really good story this one, worth tracking down if you haven't read it.

Batman 666 - shows Bruce's son Damien having taken over the role of Batman.

 

[Lorendiac]

There are these two stories showing possible futures for Batman and has people taking over as Batman.

Detective Comics Annual 4 from 1991 shows Robin III, Tim Drake, taking up the role of Batman when Bruce breaks his spine. Really good story this one, worth tracking down if you haven't read it.

Batman 666 - shows Bruce's son Damien having taken over the role of Batman.

Well, if we're going to go way outside the regular continuity, then there are bound to be others. For instance, Terry McGinnis was the new Batman in the "Batman Beyond" TV series, and there were some comics set in the alternate possible future of "Batman Beyond" as well, so in that sense, Terry has been "Batman" in a few comic books. It's just that nobody in the mainstream DCU knows anything about him!

By the same token: In the "Superman/Batman: Generations" Elseworlds arcs from John Byrne, Bruce was Batman, then Dick was Batman, and then Bruce Wayne Jr. (who has never existed in regular continuity) was the third Batman!

P.S. I just remembered that Tim was very briefly Batman in a storyline set in the regular continuity -- part of the "Sins of Youth" fifth week event from several years ago. Tim had been aged to appear to be a grown man in his 20s, while Bruce had been de-aged to look like he might barely be a teenager, so they switched roles for a bit. However, I've heard a rumor that "Sins of Youth" has since been retconned away into oblivion?

 

[Nepenthes]

Roy Kane was Batman for a couple of issues around Detective 600. He was some kind of troublemaker who's taken in by Bruce Wayne and learns his identity and hangs around the batcave with his sister Jean Kane. He slips up in the end but I'd rather not spoil it

 

[Lorendiac]

Roy Kane was Batman for a couple of issues around Detective 600. He was some kind of troublemaker who's taken in by Bruce Wayne and learns his identity and hangs around the batcave with his sister Jean Kane. He slips up in the end but I'd rather not spoil it

I thought of that, but Roy wasn't really being Batman. He was letting Bruce take control of his body so Bruce could continue to be Batman. As far as I'm concerned, Bruce using Roy's body as a puppet doesn't count as Roy being a whole new Batman.

 

[david icke]

I thought of that, but Roy wasn't really being Batman. He was letting Bruce take control of his body so Bruce could continue to be Batman. As far as I'm concerned, Bruce using Roy's body as a puppet doesn't count as Roy being a whole new Batman.

Yeah, I ended up thinking of this story too, but not until today...

*spoilers for the story 'blind justice'*

I don't know, I would say it counted in a way. If he hadn't volunteered his body there would have been no Batman out there, he was a hero for putting his life at risk in Batman type situations, so in essence could be considered to have taken the burden of the role of Batman on his shoulders. Ok, it was still Bruce's mind out there, but at the end of the story roy's mind comes back into control of his body whist in the middle of a Batman situation and he dies as a result, so he was there as Batman in mind and body for that.
Anyway, Mister J basically covered all the straight by the book Batman take overs, there's no harm in listing other tales where the notion is explored in 'What if?''s or mind control or whatever, it's just a bit of fun. unless of course the OP is doing a PhD on the subject, in which case I'm sure he will know to ignore certain tales in his thesis.

edit to add:

the OP wanted the reasons why other people ended up in the Batman role, so...

in Detective comics annual 4 when Tim Drake takes over, it's because Batman breaks his spine falling down a mountain after his final confrontation with Ras Al Ghul.

In 'Blind Justice' Detective comics 498-500, Bruce Wayne is shot in an assasination attempt putting him in a wheelchair temporarily, which leads to him using Roy Kane's Body.

Batman 666 - reason not given, we are to assume Bruce is dead by that point I think.

 

[The Guard]

Don't forget Hugo Strange, who dressed as Batman, and tried to become him.

 

[Lorendiac]

Don't forget Hugo Strange, who dressed as Batman, and tried to become him.

I remembered that -- I ought to, since it was just a few days ago that I posted a Hugo Strange Timeline on this very forum! -- but I didn't think we were counting times when a villain amused himself by dressing up as Batman. (Even if the villain was crazy enough to think he could really last as Batman in the long run.) If we do count that sort of thing, there are several other villains/lunatics/impostors/etc. whom we could add to the list, besides Hugo Strange!

 

[The Joker]

Yeah, I don't think Hugo counts. He never went out and did anything as Batman. He only impersonated Bruce Wayne.

 

[Cobblepot]

Supes also posed for Batman a few times.

 

[ibnalxufash101]

Batman: The Dark Knight Detective
I (EARTH One) Bruce Wayne
II imposter (EARTH One) Mark Desmond
I (EARTH Two) Bruce Wayne
I (NEW EARTH) Bruce Wayne
II imposter (NEW EARTH) Mark Desmond
III imposter (NEW EARTH) Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot
IV (NEW EARTH) Roy Kane
V (NEW EARTH) Jean-Paul Valley Jr.
VI (NEW EARTH) Richard John "Dick" Grayson - Wayne
VII (alternate "Titans Tomorrow" timeline)Timothy Jackson "Tim" Drake I
VII (NEW EARTH) Timothy Jackson "Tim" Drake I of the Titans Tomorrow alternate timeline
VIII (NEW EARTH) Jason Peter Todd - Wayne
IX (NEW EARTH) Timothy Jackson "Tim" Drake - Wayne
IX (alternate future timeline) Damian al-Ghul - Wayne of a possible future alternate timeline
XI (alternate "Batman Beyond" timeline) Terrence "Terry" McGinnis of a possible future alternate timeline

 

[Franklin Richards]

I'm Batman.