Unlike some of the most iconic members of Batman’s rogues gallery like Joker and Penguin, Bane is a fairly modern creation, if you consider that thirty years may still be considered recent in the world of the Dark Knight. This international masked criminal debuted in Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1 (January 1993). He was created by writer Chuck Dixon and artist Graham Nolan, but the original idea for the character came from Batman editor Dennis O’Neil.
Bane: Batman’s Back Breaker
O’Neil had the idea of introducing a new Batman and the concept of the long Knightfall storyline. He wanted a new version of the character who could challenge the readers’ expectations. He wanted a Batman who could kill (so, not Nightwing). This is why Azrael was created. He was going to be the replacement. With a new Batman, a new villain was also introduced–especially after the idea of using KGBeast was forgotten, the fall of the Soviet Union apparently made him irrelevant.
Originally named Doc Toxic, Bane was always a Venom addict–a drug introduced by O’Neill in Legends of the Dark Knight #16-20. He was thought of as being Batman’s equal on multiple levels. Chuck Dixon added a touch of the Man in the Iron Mask, and introduced a tragic origin story, making him a “prisoner from birth,” to offer a kind of parallel with Bruce Wayne’s childhood trauma. It was Graham Nolan though who had the idea for the mask, giving him a Mexican Luchador look.
Bane came onto the scene with a plan to push Batman to his limits and, when the moment came, he confronted him and famously broke his enemy’s back.
The Bane Origin Story
Bane’s origin begins with his father, Edmund Dorrance, a revolutionary who had managed to escape the corrupt court system of Santa Prisca, an island in the Caribbean. Dorrance’s rebellious spirit ultimately led to his demise, and upon his death, the oppressive government of Santa Prisca decided that his young son would serve out the remainder of his father’s life sentence.
As a consequence, Bane spent his formative years within the harsh confines of the Peña Duro prison. Within the prison walls, he voraciously consumed knowledge, immersing himself in books and dedicating his spare time to rigorous bodybuilding training–he also developed his own unique form of meditation and honed his combat skills in the brutal crucible of prison life.
Throughout his incarceration, Bane found unlikely mentors, ranging from hardened convicts to an elderly Jesuit priest who provided him with a classical education. However, his survival instincts led him to commit his first murder at the age of eight, defending himself against a criminal seeking to exploit him for information about the prison.
Haunted by nightmarish dreams of a bat-like creature, Bane developed an intense fear of bats. Nevertheless, he persevered and established himself as the “king” of Peña Duro prison. Recognizing his prowess, the prison authorities forced him to become a test subject for the experimental drug: Venom. Unlike previous subjects who perished, Bane survived the ordeal, discovering that Venom dramatically enhanced his physical strength. However, he became dependent on the drug, requiring regular doses pumped directly into his brain to avoid debilitating side effects.
With newfound strength and an addiction to Venom, Bane orchestrated a daring escape from Peña Duro, accompanied by a group of accomplices named after 1960s rock bands—the Fabulous Five. His ambition shifted to Gotham City, a place he found intriguing due to the pervasive fear, similar to that which ruled Santa Prisca. Bane became fixated on Batman, whom he believed to be the embodiment of the bat creature haunting his nightmares. Convinced that fate had set Batman on a collision course with him, Bane’s sole purpose became the destruction of the Dark Knight.
Bane: Recommended Reading
To start with Bane, a reading of the Knightfall saga is required. Once this ended and, obviously, he was finally beaten by Batman, Bane became another recurring villain. He never came back as formidable as he was when first introduced, but he stayed a dangerous enemy.
His most notable stories are Batman: Legacy (1996) and Batman: Bane #1 (1997), Batman: Bane of the Demon (1998), Secret Six by Gail Simone (2008-2011), Forever Evil: Arkham War (2013-2014), Bane: Conquest (2017-2018), and Tom King’s run on Batman–especially the following TPBs: I Am Suicide/I Am Bane/The Tyrant Wing/The City of Bane.