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Did you know the original Batman occasionally favoured guns over batarangs?
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00:00From wielding famous powers to adopting unlikely individuals as his stepchildren, Batsy has
00:04done plenty of eyebrow raising things that barely get a mention. Some of these may come
00:08across as little more than mundane life facts, some of these may make you question everything
00:13you knew about Batman.
00:14Taking all of that into account, I'm Adam from WhatCulture and here are 10 obscure Batman
00:19facts that you have probably never heard of.
00:2210. Bob Kane conceived the character, but it was Bill Finger who created the version
00:26we know today. Bob Kane is widely remembered, and rightfully so, as the man behind one of
00:32the greatest comic book characters of all time. Following the crazy success of Superman, DC
00:37were eager to cash in on momentum and put more superheroes out there, that is when they turned
00:41to Kane, and the rest is history.
00:43But there is more to the story, Bob Kane's original idea for the character incorporated
00:48influences from Douglas Fairbanks' Zorro, a Leonardo da Vinci conceptual machine, the movie
00:53Bat Whispers, and even Dracula. However, that original concept involved red clothing, a domino
00:59mask, and a cape that was less a cape and more a pair of actual bat wings. This is where
01:04Bill Finger entered the picture.
01:06Kane originally met Finger at an event and invited him to join his team. It was Finger who
01:10later completely revamped the aesthetics of the character and gave it the iconic look we
01:15know now. This included changing the colour scheme to black, inserting a cowl with bat ears,
01:19and swapping the wings for a more practical cape.
01:229. He was packaged as a merged character with Wolverine
01:27The Amalgam comics saw DC and Marvel come together to create hybrid versions of some of their
01:31most popular characters. Set between two of their major crossover events, these one-shot
01:36comics served up as a series of dream combinations that few would ever have imagined seeing, one
01:41of which was Batman merging with none other than Wolverine. The result was every bit as over
01:46the top as one would expect. Logan Wayne was orphaned at a young age and had to be sent
01:50to live with his uncle in Canada. The latter is met with the same fate, and the now-kinless
01:55Logan finds himself in the Canadian Air Force. From there, he ends up in a super soldier program,
02:00gets implanted with adamantium, and eventually gets free of his masters to become his own
02:04superhero. To the rest of the world, he is a wealthy artist, but in the shadows, he is
02:09Darkclaw. A superhuman blessed with enhanced healing, an adamantium skeleton, mastery of every
02:14kind of comeback technique out there, and of course, money. Lots of money.
02:198. His Favorite Food is Mullagatani Soup
02:23From crazy scenarios no one thought they would ever get to see, to the most basic of personal
02:28facts, everyone has that one comfort food they keep turning to. Even Bruce, after coming
02:33home all tired from a long night of crime fighting, has that one culinary demand he will
02:38make to Alfred as soon as he's taken off the cape. The item in question is Mullagatani soup,
02:43originating from South India, Mullagatani is a dish featuring a spicy curry base together
02:48with carrots, coconut milk, and either chicken, mutton, or lentils as the protein core. A
02:53somewhat bastardized version was imported into Europe back in the 18th century. Of course,
02:58everything has to be made extra special for one of the world's greatest protectors. In
03:05fact, Alfred actually has a special customized recipe for the soup. This includes a chicken
03:09main with bacon, garlic, tomatoes, and a unique curry powder. Well, if you have the responsibility
03:15of staving off the likes of Joker, you need the right amount of nutrition and taste. And
03:19judging by the look on Batman's face in the aforementioned issue, when Alfred announces that
03:24his favorite dish is ready, this soup might just be essential for keeping Gotham safe.
03:297. In the original story, he was raised by his uncle
03:33Batman's origin story is arguably the most famous in all of comic book history. The unforgettably
03:39grisly sight of a helpless Bruce, collapsed on the cold floor as his parents laid dead in
03:43front of him, is known to one and all. What is equally well known is that after the tragedy,
03:48he was raised by his butler and proxy dad, Alfred Pennyworth. In one of the earliest versions
03:53of the story, however, it was not Alfred but rather Bruce's uncle Philip Wayne who took
03:58in the young orphan and helped raise him. Originally, Philip was part of the Earth 1 continuity,
04:03though subsequent revamps saw his character move to Earth 2. He was then erased completely
04:07in the aftermath of Crisis on Infinite Earths. Ultimately, he does get reintroduced, but as
04:13Philip Kane, Bruce's maternal uncle. Though he gets very little mention in mainstream discussions,
04:18it is worth wondering how different the entire Batman franchise might have looked without
04:22Alfred as one of the key pieces. After all, though Wayne's most loyal servant is so much
04:27more than a mere caretaker. He is the one who helped shape the kind of hero Bruce eventually
04:32goes on to become. 6. He Has Used A Green Lantern Ring
04:37The dark multiverse is a mirror to the normal multiverse. Whatever exists in the regular multiverse
04:42is likely to have a twisted and corrupted version in the dark one. After all, the latter is where the
04:47realities are on an irreversible path to complete annihilation. In Earth 32 of this multiverse
04:53lived a Bruce Wayne who would go on to master the power of a Green Lantern Ring. The ring chooses
04:57Bruce
04:58following the murder of his parents, but instead of using it as a tool for justice, the vengeful Bruce
05:03wills into a weapon for executing criminals. His killing spree eventually sucks in the likes of Jim
05:08Gordon, who stood opposed to his brutal ways. After he is able to boost the ring with a battery of
05:13his own
05:13construction, because he does also possess the intellect and resourcefulness of a Bruce Wayne,
05:18he manages to even defeat the rest of the Lantern Corps who arrive to stop him. With no one else
05:23left
05:24to oppose him, Bruce eventually dons the aesthetics of an actual Batman while also retaining the powers
05:29of the ring. 5. He Adopted A Piece Of Starro As His Son
05:34You know, the giant alien starfish that controls people via telepathy and conquers entire worlds?
05:40Yeah, Batman kept a sentient piece of them as his adopted son. During the No Justice storyline,
05:46Starro joins the Justice League in their battle against the Omega Titans. Determined to redeem
05:50themselves after all of their horrible past deeds, Starro sacrifices themselves in order to help the
05:55heroes win. In the aftermath, Batman comes across a surviving piece of their fallen ally, and decides
06:01to keep them. This sentient miniature Starro is housed in the Hall of Justice. In uncharacteristically
06:06lazy fashion, Bruce simply names them Jarro, after the fact that they used to live in a jar. Jarro
06:12becomes strongly attached to Bruce, coming to regard him as their father. They also become an
06:17important ally to the Justice League in their battles against the likes of the Legion of Doom.
06:21Despite their background, Jarro is shown to be quite affectionate and protective of others,
06:26at one point going as far as manipulating the League to stay away from the Legion so they don't get
06:31hurt.
06:324. He was chosen to be a Yellow Lantern
06:35The Yellow Lanterns are one of the major antagonist groups of the DC Universe. Founded and led by the
06:40rogue Green Lantern Sinestro, their yellow power rings use fear instead of justice as a measure for
06:46choosing their wielders. In that case, it doesn't come as much of a surprise that a yellow ring would
06:50set up Batman as a potential suitor. After all, who can strike more fear into the hearts of criminals
06:56than the Dark Knight? This is precisely what happened during the Green Lantern Sinestro Corps War
07:00storyline. A yellow ring censors Bruce and approaches him as its next potential user.
07:05Of course, this is Bruce freaking Wayne that we're talking about. No alien energy battery can bend his
07:11willpower. The ring immediately realized who it was up against and decided to retreat. Batman,
07:16and Batman alone, gets to decide what powers he calls upon and how. Though it has to be said,
07:21the prospect of Batman powered by a fully charged lantern ring is an absolutely terrifying one.
07:273. He held his own against Darkseid in a physical brawl
07:31Batman's most important weapons are his superior intellect, battle acumen, willpower, and of course,
07:37near endless resources. As the man himself once put it, his superpower is being rich. However,
07:43that does not mean he hasn't put on unreal shows of strength when the situation is called for it.
07:47Case in point, his fight against Darkseid in Batman and Robin number 37. Now, admittedly,
07:53it was with the help of a special armor, but that can be considered as part of his abilities.
07:57The armor in question, the Hell Bat, is one of Batman's final aces up his sleeve. It is a last
08:02resort he only ever turns to when all other options have been exhausted. Made of a special kind of
08:07nanometal, it gives Batman unparalleled strength. But the suit itself is actually powered by Bruce's own
08:13metabolism, meaning the more he uses it, the more he drains himself. In the aforementioned issue,
08:18Batman calls upon this double-edged sword to take on the near unbeatable Darkseid. Despite all of his
08:24might, the ruler of Acropolis takes a pounding from the Dark Knight, before uncharacteristically
08:28allowing Bruce to make a tactical retreat after the suit becomes compromised.
08:332. He has teamed up with Spider-Man
08:36DC and Marvel's crossovers have given us some absolute dream teams. One of which was the Caped Crusader
08:42joining forces with your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. During the 1995 crossover one-shot,
08:48Spider-Man and Batman Disordered Minds, Bruce and Peter are forced to come together to thwart their
08:53two greatest adversaries. The story sees Carnage and the Joker encountering one another, after a
08:58psychiatrist tries to use them as subjects for her new treatment chip. Naturally, this goes south in no
09:04time. After the treatment fails, the two villains briefly tease a partnership. Of course, this is the
09:09Red Slayer and the Clown Prince of Crime we're talking about. The prospect of an alliance was
09:13short-lived. Before long, the two are trying to kill each other. The deadly conflict draws in their
09:18respective superheroes, who quickly realize they have to put a stop to this. Carnage then fakes his
09:23death at the hands of Joker, and is even able to entrap Batman. Eventually though, the two heroes are
09:28able to work together and overcome both the enemies, because of course.
09:331. The no-kill rule wasn't always there
09:37No matter what happens, no matter how dire the circumstance, the Dark Knight does not allow his
09:43morals to get corrupted. There is just one slight issue. This no-kill rule was not actually there
09:48when Batman first started. In the earliest versions of the character, Batsy was more than happy to mow
09:54down his opponents with bullets if the situation called for it. Batman was fine with shooting criminals,
09:59tossing them into giant containers filled with acid, and snapping their necks with lethal kicks.
10:03There is one particular panel from Batman number 1 that gives us the starkest of contrasts imaginable
10:09with the modern day Batman. Here we see him literally hanging a criminal to death from the
10:13Batplane while it was flying. Maybe increased coverage, and the later advent of social media
10:18forced even Batman to make his methods more palatable. Or maybe Bruce decided the world needed a
10:24philosophical saviour as much as a physical combative one. Regardless of the reason,
10:28it is near impossible to imagine this kind of Batman existing today and how it would change his entire
10:33mythos.
10:34This could be a bit of a bit of a trick, but not a bit of a trick or a
10:34trick or a trick.
10:34Now, as always, please do let us know what you think of our list in the comment section,
10:38and also let us know which one of these facts you found the most shocking.
10:41If you do want to come and follow me on social media, I am at Straughan87 on twitter and on
10:45instagram.
10:46Come and say hello to me on there. Thank you for watching everybody, I hope you enjoy the rest of
10:49your day and until next time, take care.
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