The Pit

The Pit was a prison in a foreign country outside of Gotham, which had established such a fearsome reputation that it became referred to as "the worst Hell on Earth". The Pit also featured a well-like structure which the prisoners were free to climb in order to attempt their escape, although none have succeeding, barring one. This individual recounted that, in order to escape from The Pit, one needed to be in touch with fear.

History
Approximately 30 years before the events of Batman Begins, a young mercenary, Ra's Al Ghul was sentenced to be imprisoned within this Pit for falling in love with the daughter of the warlord he worked for. Unbeknowst to Ra's however, the warlord's daughter arranged for his release under the condition that she take his place in The Pit. Also unknown to him was that she was pregnant with Ra's Al Ghul's child, a young Talia Al Ghul and gave birth to her inside the prison walls. Following this, the warlord's daughter was killed by the other inmates and the child was helpless.

A prisoner Bane aided in the escape of the child from the prison, which lead to his disfigurement through severe beatings. Bane was then treated by the prison doctor and heavily bandaged. Following the child's escape from the prison, she located her father and he returned with the League of Shadows to exact revenge upon the prisoners who had killed the love of his life. In the process, Ra's and the League also saw to the treatment of Bane, but were unable to stop the continual pain he experienced. Bane is then recruited into the League of Shadows, wherein he is given a mask which supplies him with analgesic gas to stem the constant pain from the injury he received in The Pit.

The Dark Knight Rises
Following his fight with Batman, Bane and his mercenaries transport Bruce Wayne to The Pit. He recounts the story of The Pit to Bruce before returning to Gotham. Bruce then spends the better part of five months in The Pit training to become Batman once more, despite constant advisement from the other prisoners that physicality is not needed to scale the walls of The Pit. After Bruce learns more about the child's past, he assumes the child who escaped from the prison to be Bane.

Bane also enables Bruce to view the state of martial law he implements throughout Gotham City through a television screen outside his cell. After several failed escape attempts, Bruce attempts to traverse the Pit without the use of the rope, so that "fear may find him again". As Bruce begins the climb, the prisoners begin chanting "Deshay Bashara" (Moroccan for "He Rises"). Bruce successfully manages to escape from The Pit and begins the journey back to Gotham.

Appearances

 * The Dark Knight Rises