#SeunSays: Why Bane’s role In Knightfall saga may be overstated

Is Bane truly the mastermind behind Knightfall he is hailed as, or was he just an opportunist? A super-fan and columnist extraordinaire weighs in on the now-classic storyline.

By Seun Odukoya

The Knightfall saga is revered as one of the most iconic Batman storylines. It featured Batman as he is rarely seen; run ragged to his last breath, exhausted and broken – figuratively and literally – by the end of the run. It was a smash with readers worldwide for several reasons, one of which has been mentioned. A couple other reasons are; it was the reintroduction of a substance Batman had struggled with earlier in his career; venom, and it introduced the much-regarded Bane.

And while Knightfall was good storytelling, how great is its main antagonist, Bane?

Knightfall is the story of how Bane broke the ‘invincible’ Batman. Bane became interested in Batman when one of his prison mates in Pena Duro told him about his hometown Gotham and its indefatigable protector. As the legend of this Dark Knight was confirmed all over the prison, Bane decided that to be indeed feared by all men, he must take this Batman down.

And so it began…

Several issues later, Bane comes to Gotham and starts to monitor a Batman rapidly losing his edge and unable to focus. And he realizes…he is not strong enough to go against this man…this ubermensch. He realizes; The Batman is truly worth every word of his legend.

So what does he do? He breaks out every criminal from Arkham Asylum and watches as a sick, physically drained, and mentally exhausted Batman goes after them and takes them down one after the other. And even though, with every re-apprehended criminal, Batman draws nearer to his breaking point, he pushes through and apprehends every one of the criminals.

He nearly lost his mind twice – beating Victor ZsasZ nearly to death and then giving The Joker the same treatment. He repeatedly refused help from Tim Drake, keeping him on the sidelines on an observe-and-report mission. All of this, combined with his failing health, loss of focus, assumed mourning of his friend Superman, made him easy pickings for an unnaturally enhanced Bane.

So, what exactly is the ‘superhuman feat’ Bane executed that made him one of Batman’s better-revered foes? The only impressive thing (which is really not-so-impressive considering) is Bane figuring out that Bruce Wayne is the mask and Batman is the man’s real face. Everything else has been exaggerated, mostly because of the imposing sight on the last page of Batman #497 – Batman slammed across Bane’s knee – and the sound effects of his spine snapping like so much kindling.

Truth is, Batman lost that fight long before Bane showed up at the Wayne Mansion’s door that night. Another oft-ignored truth is that, despite Batman’s severely weakened state, Bane still had to dose up on Venom to beat Batman the way he did. How many times has he been able to take on Batman, in hand-to-hand combat since then? The only time he seems to have a clear upper hand – at least at the beginning – is when is he operating from the shadows and manipulating Batman, as can also be seen in the Rebirth storyline, I Am Bane.

Also, considering that Batman has been pushed to his physical and mental limits several times before, and by more spectacular opponents also begs the question – exactly what is it about Bane that makes him spoken about the way he is spoken about?

There is a story that happened several years earlier – a miniseries that took a closer look at what would happen if a criminal managed to break through the walls Batman guards his psyche with.

There is a story that happened several years earlier – a miniseries that took a closer look at what would happen if a criminal managed to break through the walls Batman guards his psyche with. Titled Batman: The Cult, the series introduced a villain known as Deacon Blackfire who has allegedly lived for centuries. This skilled and charismatic conman was able to build an army of the homeless in Gotham and hide them away in the sewers, with his ultimate goal being to take over the city.

Blackfire captured Batman who was investigating a series of grisly murders, brainwashed and drugged the Dark Knight, and recruited him to his cause. He even made Batman break his no-killing rule, a move that further haunted the Dark Knight and made him incapable of pursuing him – even after breaking his conditioning. Even the torture and drugging Batman went through at the hands of The Court of Owls in the Snyder/Capullo New 52 Batman run is more organic and creative than Bane simply seizing an opportunity at a convenient time.

There may be other moments, other triumphs in store for Bane, and he may have been a steroid-enhanced giant with genius intellect, an incredible threshold of pain, and amazing fighting skills. The distinction he is yet to truly earn, however, is the title of ‘the man who broke the bat’. There are definitely others more deserving of that title. Blackfire, for one.