Bat Fans Unite
If you consider yourself a fan of the Bat, then you know that he has a rich and deep lore going back decades. With so much content—from hundreds of comic books to dozens of TV appearances—it’s easy to miss a few things. Here’s your chance to test your knowledge. Do you know these 20 Batman facts?
Photo by Yulia Matvienko on Unsplash
1. Contingency Files
Let’s start out easy, as most dedicated fans should know this. Turns out Batman has a contingency plan for all of his allies, detailing strategies to defeat them should he ever need to. This unsurprisingly led to some trust issues within the team.
2. Banana Muffin
Everyone knows Batman isn’t a fan of asking for help. For someone who claims to prefer fighting his battles solo, he sure takes on a bunch of apprentices and teammates. Well, when the going gets tough, Batman has a code word he uses to ask Superman for help. That code word is "Banana Muffin."
3. Singing Chops
It seems like Batman can do everything, from martial arts to hacking to magic tricks. But did you know he’s quite the singer too? For fans of Justice League Unlimited, this is a proven fact, as Kevin Conroy delivered quite a rendition of "Am I Blue."
4. Bruce Wayne is Batman
Of course, you know this fact. But did you know that Batman pretends to be a conspiracy theorist online and has a website dedicated to talking about flat Earth, reptile people, and the “fact” that Bruce Wayne is Batman? By making the theory look as crazy as possible, he keeps his true identity safe.
5. Hypnosis
When Hugo Strange was getting close to uncovering his identity, Batman once did something quite drastic: he hypnotized himself to forget his own identity, leaving Hugo nothing to find.
6. In Brightest Day
Batman has amassed quite a collection over the years, and he has even acquired a Green Lantern ring of his own. He keeps this under lock and key in case he ever needs to enact his contingency plan against Hal Jordan.
7. I’m Batman
This iconic phrase, when delivered with the right intensity, can leave most criminals shaking in their boots. While this line was occasionally spoken in comic books, it only soared to popularity after an improvised delivery from Michael Keaton in 1989’s Batman movie.
8. Thanksgiving Treat
Batman has a soft side and cares deeply for the villains he often grapples with. That’s why he prefers to turn them in rather than take revenge. We see this side of him when he offers Solomon Grundy Thanksgiving dinner in Long Halloween.
9. Multilingual
Of course, someone like Batman would speak every language under the sun. But did you know he’s learned how to speak Kryptonian too? Considering how few Kryptonians are left, this is clearly only to show up Superman.
10. Nightmare Training
Batman never rests—not even when he’s sleeping, apparently. In the HBO Audio Adventure series, it’s revealed that Bruce takes a small dosage of fear toxin before going to bed so he can practice fighting scenarios in his nightmares.
11. Bill Finger
It’s important to give credit where it’s due. While some fans may assume Bob Kane is majorly responsible for Batman’s design, it’s actually Bill Finger who deserves the credit. Kane’s original Batman wore a red suit with wings, while Finger created the Batman we love today.
Joe Crawford from San Diego, California, USA on Wikimedia
12. Tick Tock
Most fans know that to enter Batman’s cave, you need to go through the grandfather clock in the mansion. However, to open it, you must set the time to when his parents passed in the alley—a gruesome and oddly specific detail.
13. Failsafe
Batman has many tricks up his sleeve, and it’s really hard to sneak anything past him. When it comes to his computer, he leaves his chair at a 4 o’clock angle, which reveals if anyone has been sitting there in his absence. Turns out you don’t need tech to keep the hackers at bay.
14. Taking a Break
Batman often pushes himself way too hard, and his family is all too aware of that. This is why Alfred secretly laces his food with sedatives if things get too intense. That’s probably the only way anyone’s getting the Bat to sleep.
15. Photographic Memory
Whether Batman has a photographic memory depends on the writer, but it’s a little-known fact that he has memorized the Gotham phone book. If he did that without a photographic memory, then that’s very impressive.
16. Keeping It Sober
Considering the high-stakes life the Bat lives, he needs to always be aware of his surroundings. That means he never drinks. Even as Bruce Wayne, he’ll pretend to sip sparkling water.
17. Jack of All Trades
When it comes to Batman’s skill set, he’s mastered pretty much everything. Dedicated Batman fans may be surprised to hear that this includes chemistry, computer science, and ventriloquism, of all things.
18. Dumb Luck
One of the most iconic things about Batman’s world is Gotham. It may surprise you to hear that the name was chosen completely at random, as Bill Finger simply put his finger down on a phone book page, highlighting Gotham Jewelers as the inspiration.
© 2010 by Tomasz Sienicki [user: tsca, mail: tomasz.sienicki at gmail.com] on Wikimedia
19. There’s a College Course
This real-world fact would probably surprise most comic fans: you can learn about Batman at the University of Victoria, where The Science of Batman was offered by the Department of Exercise Science, Physical, and Health Education.
20. Behind The Mask
Okay, I know you’ve already heard this several times, but hear me out: is Batman the mask Bruce Wayne wears, or is it the other way around? True fans probably know that when put under Wonder Woman’s lasso, Bruce referred to himself as Batman. Additionally, he thinks of himself as Batman in his thoughts.
