6 Crazy Knights

For decades the character of Batman has evolved and changed, from actor to actor and artist to artist we have seen many shades of this iconic character. With such a legendary character there are bound to be other characters who take on the role. Today we'll be exploring each character to officially become The Batman.

Bruce Wayne (1939)

Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, Bruce Wayne is the character we all know. His persona of a rich socialite is just as act put on by a broken man. After witnessing the death of his parents as a child, Bruce spent two decades of his life studying combat, science and detection. When he returned to his corrupted city of Gotham, he embraced the symbol of a bat to strike fear into the hearts of criminals. Since you know Bruce Wayne already, let's hop ahead to someone you might not know about. Another Bruce Wayne.

Tiano/Bruce Wayne's Back-Up Personality (1958/2008)

Created by France Herron and Dick Sprang (easy now, it was the 50's), this Batman was originally a scientist named Tiano from Planet X (or Zur-En-Arrh). Batman had traveled to Planet X and assisted this alien Batman in defeating giant robots. It was implied that adventure was just a dream, but in 2008 the concept of The Batman of Zur-En-Arrh was revived by Grant Morrison to be a back-up personality for Bruce Wayne. Basically, Bruce took a bunch of hallucinogens and dreamed up goofy 50's-style adventures (Morrison's attempt at setting Batman's Silver Age into continuity) hoping to understand insanity. Knowing he might go crazy some day, Bruce Wayne psychologically created another personality-built from his hallucinations-to take control of his body if he-Bruce Wayne-ever needed to psychology repair himself. And thus, The Batman of Zur-En-Arrh was recreated to be a crazy, gibberish speaking, bat swinging lunatic. I really like this one.

Jean-Paul Valley (1992/1993)

Created by Denny O'Neil and Joe Quesada, Jean-Paul Valley was a brainwashed victim of a cult and made to believe he was Azrael The Angel of Death. After Batman saved Valley, he began training him and the two men began sharing the mantle of Batman, essentially taking shifts. It made Bruce's life easier and it helped Valley make up for his crimes as Azrael. However after a battle with Bane, Batman's back was shattered and he needed time to recover. Bruce gave Valley full position as Batman and Valley took the job too far. He lacked the skills Bruce had and replaced them with technologically advanced armor, lethal weapons, and tools only an executioner would use. Valley kicked Robin out of the Batcave, killed numerous petty criminals, and made Gotham into his playground of violence. Bruce returned fully recovered and used his skills to disarm and defeat Valley, leaving him to find his path back to redemption and become a heroic version of Azrael.

Terry McGinnis (1999)

After the success of "Batman: The Animated Series" Paul Dini and Bruce Timm were asked by their network to create a "younger, hipper Batman". Instead of de-aging their already successful take on the character, they created a future version of the Batman lore and set it in their pre-established universe. Dini and Timm created Terry McGinnis as a teenager in Gotham twenty years in the future where Bruce Wayne is a rich old hermit and the Batman is but a legend. Terry discovers the murder of his father and steals a Bat-Suit from the Batcave he stumbled into. Though Old Bruce is opposed at first, he agrees to train Terry and help guide him to find his father's killer. This Batman dealt with traditional issues teenagers deal with: family, school, work, relationships and responsibility. Along with crazy future villains. Terry and his cartoon "Batman Beyond" were so beloved they have been accepted by the DC fan community and officially tied into the main DC Universe.

Dick Grayson (1940/2009)

Bob Kane and Bill Finger created this character too, but I'm sure some of you already knew that. After the supposed death of his adopted father in the event "Final Crisis", Richard Grayson accepted his heritage and became Batman. After years as Robin and Nightwing, training with The Teen Titans and The Justice League, Grayson was ready for the task. Though his acrobatic skills were harmed by the Batsuit's long cape. As Batman, Grayson carried on Bruce's legacy and even had his own Robin in Bruce's illegitimate son Damian Wayne. This created an interesting contrast of Batman being a uplifting one and Robin being the brutal one, but this partnership helped Damian develop as a character and was the driving force between their brotherly bond. Though many Robins came after Grayson, he was the first and most deserving of the Batman mantle. When Bruce returned from the dead he was so proud of his adopted son he allowed Grayson to remain the Batman of Gotham while he-Bruce-started an international foundation of vigilantes called Batman Incorporated. Since then, Grayson has returned to the role of Nightwing and even had a brief period of being a secret agent.

Jim Gordon (1939/2015)

Another Kane and Finger creation, Jim Gordon has traditionally been the Commissioner of The Gotham City Police Department and an ally to The Batman Family. However, after Batman supposedly died (Bruce got amnesia) Jim Gordon was selected by The Powers Corporation to be the new, city-sponsored Batman. Jim received a 10-foot battle armor with offensive weaponry and also a skin-tight Batsuit (kind of like Zero Suit Samus) and a batarang-firing gun. One of the more drastic versions of Batman, Jim performed like a soldier at war and never truly liked the idea of being Batman, simply because he respected him so much. But regardless, he and his robot suit put in time and effort to earn Gotham's approval. He worked alongside Batman allies and even Justice League members. By the look of things, Jim will be returning to his supportive role very soon. This change in character will stick with Jim forever and redefine what it means to be "The Batman". It's not about what you do or what you have, it's about carrying a symbol that means more than fear or justice. It's about legacy.
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