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  1. #1
    Ultimate Member babyblob's Avatar
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    Default Create Your Own batman

    Ok so it has been like three weeks since I have seen one of these threads. And I love seeing threads with ideas for alternate versions of heroes. But with all the talk back and forth in a couple other threads about how unhappy some people are about Batgod/Batjerk I thought it would be fun to hear people's ideas on how they would create Batman. what his origin is, how he handles himself and others etc...

    Here is my idea. The Agents of The Oracle.

    I heard many times Batman was inspired by The Shadow so why not run with that by having some elements.

    When Bruce Wayne was a child and walking down an alley with his parents a hold up man by the name of Joe Chill robbed and murdered his parents. But not wanting any witnesses Chill also shot Bruce. but Bruce did not die. He was however paralyzed from the waist down.
    Angry and upset Bruce fell into a funk. He wanted to do something to avenge his parents death but not being able to walk he was not sure how. Then he decided to work behind the scenes. He trained himself as a scientist, as well as in psychology, criminology, and computer sciences. He created a vast computer network and began hacking systems and learning all he could about Gotham's criminal underworld. He called himself The Oracle and began to help the police. But he knew he was limited by his lack of mobility. He decided he needed agents to be his eyes, ears, and legs in the field. He sought out candidates and once he decided they would be worthy to join him he contacted and recruited them. He had them trained in hand to hand combat and many other areas. he called these men his Batman. Calling them that after his fear of bats. Over time he also promoted special agents calling then NightWing, Batwoman, and Robin to act as his right hand agents. He also had other agents. Regular people who provided information and other services that are non combat related. He and his agents waged a war on crime in Gotham. He and his agents worked closely with the police. But Bruce wanted them to be a force of good in other areas as well. So he had some of his less combat skilled Bats work as volunteers with everything from helping build housing, cleaning trash, and building parks and working in social programs. it was his goal to turn The Bats into a very public force for good that set an example.

    When Bruce learned of other heroes he reached out to them, Superman Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern. he came up with the idea of forming a group to combat threats that they alone could not handle. They agreed and formed the Justice league. They soon came to learn the existence of The League Of Assassins, and The Legion of Doom.

    In my version Bruce is not bitter. He is using his money, influence, and agents to make real positive change for Gotham and the rest of the world.

    So let me know what you guys can come up with.
    Last edited by babyblob; 02-05-2021 at 04:49 PM.
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  2. #2
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    For the longest-time I've had the idea of a sequel to the classic story "To Kill a Legend", from 'Tech # 500. To recap, in that story, Batman and Robin are transported by the Phantom Stranger to a parallel earth where the Thomas and Martha Wayne murders are just about to happen. Batman of course wants to stop the deaths, though Robin discovers that this is an earth where no other superheroes existed or will exist, which makes him wonder that maybe they should let the Waynes die so that Bruce does become Batman...in the end, Batman does stop the murders. But the story ends on an exciting note - its strongly implied that this version of Bruce would end up becoming Batman anyway when he grew up, inspired by the mysterious hero who saved him and his parents.

    So my series would be set on this earth, some 15 years later. Thomas and Martha Wayne are both alive and well. Martha is the mayor of Gotham, while Thomas continues to remain a philantrophist and renowned surgeon. Bruce has been traveling the world. He's a bit purposeless - all his life he's been consumed by memories of the mysterious Batman. He's both fascinated by that figure and a little envious of him. But on some level, he's always wanted to be Batman...to not feel the helplessness he felt as a kid, and to feel as empowered as he imagines this crusader was. So he has been training in secret, and developing his detective and scientific skills, along with athletics and martial arts.

    Anyway, the story begins with Gotham, after a couple of relatively crime-free decades, suddenly becomes a hotbed of violence again - maybe due to some of Martha's policies as mayor meeting with opposition. When Martha is targeted for assasination, and almost killed, Bruce swings into action and assumes the identity of Batman, having finally gotten a chance to be the hero he's always dreamed of being.

    This is a very different take on Batman for a couple of key reasons. The obvious one is that this is a Batman who isn't motivated by tragedy or vengeance. Which is not to say he doesn't have his hang-ups - he's been fascinated by the original Batman all his life, and that's led to an obsession of sorts with wanting to measure up to that ideal, wanting to be the perfect hero. Batman is a bit of an ego project for him, but as he realizes the seriousness of what he's set out to do, and its probable costs, he gets a lot more serious and committed to it.

    The other major reason is that the Waynes are alive, so Bruce can't operate as freely as he could without a family. He finds an ally in Alfred, but Alfred is clearly torn between his loyalty to Thomas and to Bruce, and doesn't entirely approve of Bruce running around as Batman, though he's determined to help if only to avoid the young master getting himself killed. You can bet that one or both of Bruce's parents will learn the truth soon enough, and will have something to say about it.

    Gordon will also be a significant character. At first he wonders if this Batman is the same one who saved the Waynes, and gradually he starts to suspect that its Bruce.

    Far from being a 'Batgod', this Batman will also be a little less polished and sure of his skills. A lot of the training he's had was based on what he thought someone like Batman would need, not what he actually needed. He goes through a steep learning curve. And of course, getting hold of equipment is a lot harder without being in complete control of the Wayne business empire.

    And yes, I envision a story at some point where this version of Batman ends up meeting the original and realizing what would have happened had his parents not been saved, and maybe feeling a lot more grateful for his life and his parents.

  3. #3
    Astonishing Member Mutant God's Avatar
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    I have a couple of these so I might divide them per post

    Idea/Universe 1:
    Alfred Pennyworth was the Grey Ghost, a British mercenary working for the League of Assassins, but one day decided to quit he then was attacked and left to die in a rundown building in Gotham City, Gotham. Luckily for him a doctor, Thomas Wayne, heard him and helped him get back on his feet. Then one day an assassin kills Thomas and his wife Martha right in front of their child Bruce. Alfred decides to take Bruce and they flee and escape Gotham City. For the next 20 years Alfred trains Bruce in the art of combat where Bruce succeeds beyond Alfred, and Bruce decides to research more in psychology and in the mind of a criminal. When Bruce returns home he finds his family's company, Wayne Enterprises, has become Cobblepot Enterprises, Wayne Manor has been turn into Kane Manor by his mother’s family and that Gotham City has become very corrupted. When Bruce confronts the owner of Cobblepot Enterprises, Oswald "Penguin" Cobblepot, but Penguin uses his connections and has Bruce put into Gotham's Mental Institution. Bruce breaks out of the institution, releasing himself and several criminals who end up destroying the place. Once he gets out, Bruce decides to put on a costume and expose Penguin's crimes and make Gotham safe once again.

    Batman's suit is an armored all black ninja costume but with a grey bat on the chest which is a shout out to the Grey Ghost and as a symbol that he is the grey between good and the bad. Instead of a utility belt Batman hides his weapons inside the many pockets of the costume so his enemies can’t see where he is getting them from.

    "Batfam" (There is no family Batman tries to shut down any other vigilante activities in Gotham):
    Robin/Nightwing - After surviving the Haly Circus massacre, young Dicky Grayson is taken in by Bruce Wayne and becomes Batman’s sidekick Robin but after a few years Dick begins to get cocky and makes a few mistakes which causes Bruce to send Dick to a boarding school in Bludhaven. While in Bludhaven, Dick trains himself and becomes the vigilante known as Nightwing.

    Jason Todd - After Joker kills his parents, Bruce takes Jason in to become a better Robin but Jason ends up going on his own trying to kill Joker who manages to outsmart Jason and leaves alone him to die. Talia al-Ghul saves Jason and inducts him into the LoA trying to use him as a pawn so she can kill Bruce/Batman and be high ranking member of the LoA.

    Oracle - During a ceremony that was honoring Jim Gordon for protecting Gotham The Joker interrupted the party criticizing Gordon for hiding behind other cops and Batman. Joker then pulled a gun and forced Jim to choose who he shoots, Gordon or a stranger in the crowd, Jim chooses Gordon but Joker says that he didn’t say which Gordon. Joker shoots Barbara and it sends her off the stage onto a glass table and paralyzes her. Years later Barbara decides to use her computer skills to help out vigilantes like Nightwing and they end up forming a hero team known as the Titans.

    Batwoman - Kathy Kane Jr. daughter of actress Kathy Kane and General Jacob Kane is a political activist in Gotham and trains with militant feminist. She becomes Batwoman after Batman saves her from an assassin. After she takes down Cluemaster she ends up gaining a sidekick in his daughter Stephanie Brown know as Batgirl.

    The Creeper - A failed comedian whos family dies in a house fire caused by a defective product of Cobblepot Enterprise. When he tries to confront Cobblepot he gets sent to Gotham's Mental Institution, where he is accidently exposed to both the Warden's fear gas and laughing gas causes him to go insane. He also doesn't remember his crimes, until Batman finds out that he has not committed any of the crimes and was framed by criminal called The Joker and his real name is Jack Rider.

    Jean Paul Valley - An European monk who also taught Bruce how to fight.

    Villains:
    Oswald "Penguin" Cobblepot - A rich aristocrat who buys Wayne Enterprises, and turns into a corrupt business. Also has many of his critics and enemies including Bruce Wayne, put into Gotham's Mental Institution, and bribes many authorities and also the cause of many crimes in Gotham.
    Scarecrow - The head doctor of "Gotham's Mental Institution" until Bruce Waynes breaks out and causes many other inmates to break out and burn the institute to the ground.
    Riddler A scientist at Gotham whos inventions scared Penguin so much that he had him institutionalized.
    Firefly - Head of security at Cobblepot Enterprises who is given weapons and armor by Penguin to kill Bruce Wayne.
    Killer Croc - Mercenary who wears camouflage and travels in the sewers.
    Bane - Violent and abusive gangbanger who takes a drug, made by Cobblepot Enterprise, to make him powerful at the cost of his mental stability.
    Black Mask - Crime lord Dr. Thomas Roman Elliot (just combining Black Mask and Hush)
    Joker - A criminal and serial killer who hates clowns and ends up looking like one after getting thrown into some chemicals by The Creeper.
    Dr. Harleen Quinzel - A psychiatrist who grows too attach to her patients and tends to stalk them until Batman puts her into Arkham Asylum.
    Poison Ivy - Eco-terrorist and College Professor who uses students and activists to commit crimes.
    Azrael - Religious serial killer turned assassin, Michael Lane, who works for the 1st Church of Gotham specifically Deacon Blackfire.
    Catwoman - A dominatrix who use her clients to commit crimes.
    Manhunter - Helena Bertinelli is a serial killer from Gotham who loves to chop off body parts of mobsters but is now locked away in the new asylum on Arkham Island.
    Man-bat - Dr. Kirk Langstrom puts on a bat costume to chase away people and commit crimes including taking over Arkahm Asylum from the Arkham Family.

    ...and thats only one idea.

  4. #4
    Extraordinary Member Restingvoice's Avatar
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    Mine is simply an amalgam of everything as much as I can fit

    First thing first, Gotham is not a cursed cesspool of a city but a normal one.

    It may be dark it may be creepy... Dr. Hurt, Barbatos, Darkseid, Vandal Savage, Solomon Grundy, and Deacon Blackfire may hold dominion one time or the other on some cursed grounds, but they're not all cursed and the evil forces have also been kept at bay by the likes of Alan Scott, Jonah Hex, The Spectre, The Phantom Stranger, The Question, or The Reaper depending on the era, so, all in all, they resulted in a pretty normal feeling city.

    Part 1 - Fall of The Waynes

    Park Row was a rich safe neighborhood like in the classics. Joe Chill not hired by anyone jumped out of the alley and shot them and the event shook the city. Slowly the rich moved out and crime elements moving in, and Park Row became Crime Alley.

    At the same time the Waynes were shot, beat cop Gordon shot Wrath's parents and he was transferred to Chicago while Wrath went to juvie

    The person who was there in Crime Alley with Bruce was Leslie, who live there and continue to live there as the only former rich people that wish to return Park Row to the safe place that it was using her fortune. By the time Bruce was an adult, she's not as rich as she was and became a doctor of a small clinic instead.

    Alfred came later to pick Bruce up at the GCPD, having been on rest for the night

    During the wait at the GCPD was when Gordon and Bruce talked

    Lew Moxon did hire an assassin but Chill got to Thomas Wayne first, this is why he's not caught

    Little Bruce started investigating to fill time, trying to find Chill, link it to Moxon, The Court, anything

    Alfred was named guardian of Bruce and the fortune until he's of age, disallowing him to return to London to his wife and daughter. They keep in contact through mail.

    Martha didn't trust his family enough to keep the Wayne fortune, including Jacob. She was mistaken, but The Mayor of Gotham and Philip has been hounding her with the backing of The Court while Thomas was dealing with the mafia that she just couldn't trust anyone

    To atone for her son's crime, Joe Chill's mother became Bruce's baby sitter

    As they graduated elementary school, Tommy Elliot lost his parents

    Taking Bruce on a trip to take his mind off things, they stayed on the Kents farm when the car broke down.

    Bruce went to the Gotham Academy middle school under Headmaster Hammer at first but was expelled for fighting all the time. He's committed to a sanatorium alongside little Harvey Dent for a month then enrolled to Bristol public school after that

    Other childhood friends include Golden Dawn, Rachel Dawes, Oswald Cobblepot, and Roman Sionis in Elementary to Middle School. They got cut off from him after he went to public school instead.

    In high school, Bruce studied stage magic and escape artistry under Zatara. There were some charged moments with Zatanna but he's dating Julie at that time and after Zatara went missing they just never gone anywhere.

    Bruce broke up with Julie and went traveling the world after graduation.

    During all this, the crime families were growing a steady foothold, with Dr. Wayne gone, the only thing stopping them from completely taking over are each other. Eventually, the Calabrese family lost, and The Falcone became the leader and uniter, under which there were The Maroni, The Zucco, The McKillen, The Bertinelli, The Hasegawa, and others.

    Then seeing the descent of Gotham, The Order of St. Dumas and The League of Assassins are making plans, with the international Parliament of Owls keeping tabs on every mover to make sure their Court branch can keep Gotham for their own since they have enough problem trying to keep these Italians, Japanese, and Irish families from meddling with their hold on Gotham. The US gov who's been sniffing on the presence of the Court, but not the Parliament, chose a representative from Gotham, Jacob Kane, to keep things secure from the opposite side.

    No one paid attention to the teenage boy who lost his parents and later presumed dead while traveling abroad, training under Henri Ducard, the monks of Nanda Parbat, and many others while forming a rivalry with Morgan Ducard and Ghost Maker, having an affair with Miho from the League of Assassins, among other things

    Part 2 - Rise of The Freaks

    At the time Bruce returned to Gotham at age 25, Philip Kane has been blackmailed by Red Hood Gang, Oswald Cobblepot was recruited for Falcone after they defeated Fish Mooney, Gordon reassigned from Chicago after good behavior but with his cop crime held against his head by Commissioner Loeb, The recently wedded Todds have moved to Crime Alley, Black Mask Gang is rising, Selina Kyle divorced from her first, teenage marriage, and moved to East End with Holly Robinson...

    ...and Bruce returned to found out that a Superman existed, partially resentful that there were no heroes to save his parents but realized from the state of his city that the arms of gods are sometimes too big, so he continues with his plan.

    At the international level, unbeknownst to most people including Bruce and the Crime families, there's Spyral, The League of Assassins, The Order of St. Dumas, and the Parliament of Owls vying for control or destruction of Gotham, none of them winning against the other

    In the City, The Bat formed an alliance with Gordon and Harvey Dent to clean up Gotham's crime families which The Court allows as it introduces a wrench to their three-way war with the crime families and US Gov's Colony lead by Jacob Kane that resulted in the fall of Falcone and Maroni.

    However, this power absence gave rise to the freaks. After Harvey Dent was gone to insanity, The Court doubt if The Bat is enough to keep their city safe but a chance happened that they both were attracted to the same circus prodigy. Whether it was them or the bat who trained the Gray Son does not matter as long as he can be used as an asset to keep things under control against the clowns while they deal with The Colony.

    Soon Moxon and Zucco also fall, after both Batman and Robin discovered the plan for their families and solved it.

    So... that's the setup so far
    Last edited by Restingvoice; 02-06-2021 at 11:10 AM.

  5. #5
    Astonishing Member Mutant God's Avatar
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    Idea #2

    Batman - After his father's death, Bruce Wayne puts the family money into Wayne Enterprise and charity projects, meanwhile tries to be more political and becomes the vigilante known as Batman who funds his crime fighting through stealing money from gangs and stealing equipment from super villains i.e.: Riddler's tech, Scarecrow's fear gas, Firefly's jet pack, Captain Boomerang's boomerangs into batarangs

    The Five Founding Families of Gotham - Five families who help create what Gotham is today:


    Waynes - A family who protected Gotham as Cops, Judges (Solomon Wayne), Soldiers (Kane family), Detectives

    Cobblepots - A family who controlled business and politics throughout Gotham's history. After some businesses fell under, Elder Cobblepots had their daughters marry some up-and-coming business families including the Malronies, Falcones, and Bertinellis.

    Arkhams - The family who set up medical care in Gotham and is mostly known for its infamous mental facility, Arkham Asylum, which includes all types of science and medicine being found in the hospital

    Valleys - A religious family who has many churches set up in Gotham and is a part of many magical dealings in Gotham. Started with St. Durmas Valley, a devout woman who battled a demon named Etrigan and banished it from Gotham causing her descendants to take advantage of people's beliefs.

    Napiers - The family who entertained Gotham through art, literature, comics, tv, movies, and the circus.

    Each family could be an arc: Wayne (origins), Cobblepots (gangs), Arkham (mad science), Valley (magic), Napier (television/circus)

  6. #6

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    #1: Bruce with the JSA.
    The JSA returned from Ragnarok during Bruce Wayne's childhood. After, his parents died Bruce starts training under Wildcat/Ted Grant and becomes his side kick. Clark Kent is also training with the JSA and becomes the new Starman while Bruce becomes 'Wild Bat'. They both get into a love triangle with a young Dinah Laurel Lance/Black Canary while Selina pines for Bruce in a distance. Yes, this is exactly, the kind of cheesey YA novel that you hate but can't avoid.

    #2: Batman Begins 2.0
    -After his parents death, Bruce and Alfred are forced to move out of the manor and live with Leslie Tompkins. While, Phillip Wayne, the ruthless cut throat CEO runs Wayne Enterprises.
    -Bruce grows up seeing all the poverty and how it leads to crime in the neighborhood. Alfred teaches him self defense which inspires Bruce takes a step further into crime fighting. Alfred introduces him to Henry Ducard, a friend from his British Intelligence days not knowing that Ducard works for the bad guys now. Ducard tries to push a young Bruce into becoming an assassin but he rejects the idea. He gets a list from Ducard and uses it to find masters who can teach him how to fight.
    -Bruce is childhood friends with Harvey Dent who fills the 'Rachel Dawes' role in this. Harvey never shared with Bruce about the depth of the childhood abuse he experienced. Other childhood friends he had were Tommy Elliot and Zatanna.
    -Bruce returns to Gotham as an adult and wrestles control of the company away from Phillip and tries to reform the company and steer it towards a more philanthropical side by creating Wayne Foundation.
    -Wayne encounters Chill in his teenage years and realizes he was a simple drunken man who didn't realize who he killed.
    -Batman fights the things that Bruce Wayne can't and Bruce Wayne handles situations that Batman can't.

  7. #7
    Comix Addict! Comics N' Toons's Avatar
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    I would probably create a mix of my own headcanon, a more consistent/cohesive version of the mythology. I think if I had control... I would write a Bruce Wayne that is from the 70's and his Batman would be a Golden Age Batman combined with the O'neil/Adams, Englehart/Rogers, Grant/Breyfogle Batman. I would give Grayson a few years as Robin, after Batman was solo for a year. I would then have him move off to college in Bludhaven (not Hudson U) and then adopt the identity of Nightwing at 18 years old. The Max Collins Todd plot was brilliant and so I would have Jason progress SLOWLY into Robin and play his characterization out the way MIKE W. BARR did in Detective. He would NOT be a snotty jerk. Then... after about 2 years, we could have the DEATH IN THE FAMILY story. Tim's Lonely Place origin would stay in place and he would be the final Robin. The Knightfall story would be very short, limited to Bruce having his back broken and he would have no replacement. There would be no Jean Paul Valley. Then crime would escalate and Robin (Drake) would have to deal with it as best he could. No Man's Land would never happen in my Bat-universe.

    The villains would be about how they've always been in Vol. 1 (pre that NEW 52/Rebirth bullshit). Bruce's romances with Silver St. Cloud, Selina, Zatanna and Vicki Vale would be window dressing. His Bruce Wayne persona would be closer to how it was in BTAS...

  8. #8
    Astonishing Member Mutant God's Avatar
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    Idea 3:
    The Bat – When the deaths of several innocent civilians happened while engaging in a battle with terrorist soldiers, Kate Kane is devastated and quits the army. Coming back to Gotham, Kate tries to further her combat skills and learns different fighting techniques and since she no longer wants to fight in the army Kate decides to focus on a different kind of war, the war on crime. While fighting crime Kate wears full body armor that covers her face and looks a bit monstrous.

    The Heretic – After the Waynes leave the theatre, they are recognized by low level criminal Joe Chill. Chill tries to kidnap Bruce for a ransom but in the process accidently kills Thomas and Martha. Trying to get a ransom off of two relatives of Bruce, Jacob Kane and Phillip Wayne, both men tell Chill they don’t care and threaten to kill him if he contacts them again. Joe sells Bruce into slavery but Bruce is saved by a group called the League of Assassins who take him and train him under their philosophy. Many years later Bruce comes back to Gotham under the name Heretic, for opposing his parent’s teachings of saving Gotham, and tries to burn Gotham to the ground but comes into conflict with The Bat.

    Penguin - "Big" businessman who has his own private military company, Cold Colony, who protect other criminals and ends up fighting The Bat.

    Dr. Harleen Quinzel - A psychiatrist and ally of The Bat who becomes violent and pulls off dangerous crimes thanks to The Joker who is just a figment of her own imagination to blame her crimes on.

    Red Hood Gang – A gang of criminals all wearing red hoods and no one outside of the group knows who is the leader.

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