A superhero is often as great as their nemesis, and the bigger the superhero, the more villainous the nemesis. A quick look at Batman’s Rogues Gallery will have you count off a high number of villains that the Bat has faced and bested, but when it comes to one particular villain, the stakes change – entirely. That man is Bane. And that is why the Batman vs Bane feud is so intense.
While Bane may be the new guy on the block in comparison to the other batman villains (he only started making Batman appearances in the 90s), it is without a doubt that he has quickly made a name for himself and kept himself on a high pedestal, striking fear into the hearts of those who hear his name alone.
The Batman vs Bane rivalry is a strong one, one almost as strong as Batman’s dealings with the Clown Prince of Crime himself. Over the course of history, there have been countless timed where both have squared off, fueling their constant animosity for another. Here are some of the most iconic Batman vs Bane matchups
Batman vs Bane: Dark Knight Rises
The Dark Knight Rises is the final movie in the Christopher Nolan trilogy. It’s one of the top superhero movies and one of the most anticipated after how good the Dark Knight was with the Joker. The Batman vs Bane battles were amazing in this movie. Not only did they get batman getting his ass whipped and back broken right. They also took it a step further with the dialogue of their first big battle.
Bane goes on to tell Batman that he has adopted the Dark, but the dark molded bane. It’s one of the best lines from a villain in a movie. The scene is so memorable and is easily worth watching a few times over. The movie does a great job showing why batman has so many fans. He is a man with no powers. When he gets a beat down, he has to feel it just like us.
Batman vs Bane: Vengeance of Bane
1993’s Batman: Vengeance of Bane stands out as an iconic moment in #BatmanVSBane, considering it is Bane’s very first appearance in the comics. Superheroes often have definitive moments that we call origin stories, but so do villains as well, as we see in the case of Bane.
In this same comic, we see how Bane went from a lowly prisoner slash test subject on Santa Prisca to the venom-filled monster he is known as today. Batman and Bane also have their first meeting, and the 1995 follow-up, Vengeance of Bane II, would set the stage for the events that would lead to Bane breaking Batman’s back.
Batman vs Bane: Knightfall
“The man who broke the bat” is an expression that sends chills into the spines (no pun intended) of Batman and DC fans everywhere. After the events of Vengeance of Bane, Knightfall chronicles Bane’s very brutal attack campaign on Batman.
The attack results in none other than the biggest Batman vs Bane moment ever – a no holds barred battle that sees Bane smash Batman’s spine/back to kingdom come. It is a moment of sheer violence that still causes ripples in the comic community and went on to be the backdrop for the last installment in the Dark Knight Trilogy; The Dark Knight Rises.
Batman vs Bane – Batman Legacy
Ra’s al Ghul has a peculiar hold over anyone who hears his name. Practically immortal and one of the deadliest beings to ever exist. His relationship with Batman over the course of time has been something for the ages.
But following the Batman: Contagion arc that saw Gotham fall under the Clench plague, Batman and Ra’s cross paths once more; this time with a twist. It is revealed that Ra’s intends to pick none other than Bane to succeed him and take over the League of Assassins.
However, the storyline packed more of a punch as it was the first time Batman would be facing Bane after the events of Knightfall.
Batman vs Bane: Gotham Knights
Not all of Batman VS Bane encounters have started off as fights. In the Gotham Knights #33-36 storyline, we see a continuation of a major plot from Batman: Bane of the Demon regarding the identity of Bane’s biological father.
The two initially pair up to take down the rest of the Lazarus pits in a strike back against Ra’s al Ghul and things take a huge twist when Bane reveals his father search has led him to Gotham and the doorstep of the now late Thomas Wayne.
Faced with the possibility of being brothers, Batman vs Bane soon becomes Batman & Bane as they search for the truth. It is one hell of an arc that tests both the resolves of two characters that have come a long way in the quest to end each other.
Batman vs Bane: I Am Bane
The Rebirth continuity was a breath of fresh air from the many troubles of the New 52. Many characters underwent serious changes and reboots, but perhaps Bane’s return to form was the most lethal in the grand scheme of things.
The I Am Bane arc was a step in the right direction of establishing just how vengeful Bane can get. His vendetta against Batman saw him return to Gotham to cause havoc, and even though he had to face a slew of heroes and villains, Bane got his due.
Batman vs Bane City of Bane
If the events of I Am Bane teach readers anything about Bane, it is just how cold and calculating he can is. In a full blown onslaught against Gotham and the Bat family, Bane pulled the entire rug from everyone involved, taking the bat family as hostages, taking over Gotham and even bringing Batman to his lowest point, culminating in the biggest fight between them since Knightfall.
Batman vs Bane: Batman & Robin
Arguably one of the worst Batman movies ever made. The movie was loaded with star power with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Uma Thurman, George Clooney and more. But the vision for these Batman’s made Gotham into this colorful utipio that was gimmicky and hard to swallow.
None the less the movie did get one thing right and that was making bane insanely strong. The Dark Knight rises did not exaggerate just how strong bane was in that movie.
Here that made good on making him much larger than your average guy. The movie is pure comedy no matter how you look at it, but I remember seeing this as a kid and being scared. He was just a juiced-up monster in this, but he was not smart enough to match the comics.
Final Thoughts On One of The Best Matchups
The Batman vs Bane fights don’t get as much attention as the Joker and Batman but its just as good. The Joker is insane and pushes Batman to the edge, but Bane is physically too much for Batman.
When they fight, he literally breaks Batman at one point. It’s what gives readers so much empathy for what Batman goes through every night. If you want to increase your Batman Factor, study how resilient Batman is when he fights Bane.
