Bane’s Origin: How Animated Series Creators Avoided the Joker
- Few comic book villains have had as auspicious a debut as Bane.Created by writers Chuck Dixon & Doug Moench with artist Graham Nolan, Bane was devised as the...
- The team behind "Batman: The Animated Series," which aired from 1992-1995, overlapping with the publication of "Knightfall." Bane appears in a single self-titled episode of season 2, made...
Few comic book villains have had as auspicious a debut as Bane.Created by writers Chuck Dixon & Doug Moench with artist Graham Nolan, Bane was devised as the villain of the “knightfall.” He figuratively and then literally breaks Batman with patient strategy and strength (derived from the super-steroid Venom). Bane came closer to defeating Batman in his first appearance than many older villains ever have. Batman bounced back, though, and Bane’s quest to once more break the Bat has turned into an enduring rivalry.
You know who wasn’t impressed by Bane and “Knightfall”? The team behind “Batman: The Animated Series,” which aired from 1992-1995, overlapping with the publication of “Knightfall.” Bane appears in a single self-titled episode of season 2, made after the
In the comics, Bane’s vendetta is personal; a bat apparition haunts his dreams, compelling him to battle the Bat. In “The Animated Series,” Bane (voiced by Henry Silva) appears as an assassin hired by mob boss Rupert Thorne (John Vernon) to kill Batman. With a tight 21-minute runtime,the episode instantly builds up Bane’s threat and his massive stature. In the first scene when he arrives in Gotham City, the frame sometimes cuts off at his shoulders. Later, he beats up another super-strong villain, Killer Croc (Aron Kincaid).
Bane hails from the fictional South American country of Santa Prisca and his costume has a Luchador motif. Per Brian on “Batman: The Animated Podcast,” he and the team decided to play up the “Mexican wrestler” side of Bane. Bane’s mask was redesigned from the comics to include a mouth opening and smaller eyes, making it look even more like a Luchador’s costume. When Batman and Bane at last face each other on a tanker ship, Bane calls it “[his] arena.” In a truly cartoony touch, the ship’s iron fence railings bounce Batman back into the “ring” like rubber wrestling fences. Batman also uses