Batman (Burtonverse)

"I'm Batman."

- Batman (Michael Keaton)

Batman, played by Michael Keaton in the movie Batman (1989), is an alter-ego and personality deviation of Bruce Wayne, formed in response to the sudden and brutal murder of his parents when he was ten. A dark, brooding spectre, Batman sees himself as the protector of Gotham City and aims to bring the city back from the corruption that haunts its streets through bringing its criminals to justice, by any means necessary.

Biography
Bruce Wayne had been born to Doctor Thomas Wayne and philanthropist Martha Wayne. Together the pair had became famed in Gotham for hosting fundraiser events and charities to help stimulate the city's growth as a place without crime and poverty and stood as symbols against the city's slow corruption.

One summer night when he was ten years old, Bruce had accompanied his parents to see Footlight Frenzy at the Monarch Theatre in Gotham. Following the show, his father had decided that they should walk for a bit before taking a cab back to the manor.

After a while, his mother had noticed that someone was following them. While attempting to evade the followers, who turned out to be two hoodlums, Bruce's parents found themselves cornered in an alley as the hoods, on orders to kill the Waynes due to their meddling in mafia affairs, confronted them with guns drawn.

As one of the hoods grabbed for Martha's pearl necklace, Thomas tried to stop him only to be gunned down by the other hood; Bruce's mother was then also gunned down.

As the first hoodlum ran away, the second turned to kill Bruce but was persuaded from it by his fleeing companion. Bruce would never forget the man's grin as he was aiming the gun, or the question that he asked of him: "Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moon light?".

Following the incident that resulted in the deaths of his parents, Bruce's psych became fractured and to cope with the trauma he became focused only on irradicating crime from Gotham's streets; so that no-one else would suffer the same incident he had suffered.

For years he studied in criminology, sciences, psychology and combat to aid in his mission and, with the assistance of his guardian and butler, Alfred Pennyworth, he developed new technologies and weapons in the caves beneath the manor until he finally deemed himself ready to enter the streets of Gotham as "the Batman"; a vigilante-like phantom that deals justice upon criminals.

Batman
While publicly devoting his money and attention to cleaning up Gotham, his forays against the criminal underworld continued; encouraging rumour and superstition of himself to manifest amongst the populace. As Batman he became attached to the Gotham Cathedral; once the spiritual center of the city, and would take to surveying the city from amongst the cathedral's towers during patrols. It was during one of these surveys that he heard the scream of Harold's wife as she and her son, victims of a mugging, lay next their prone husband/father.

Tracking the two thugs responsible, Batman took the opertunity to use them to spread word of his presence in Gotham. His attention to being Batman, however, meant that he was unable to attend the celebratory event of Harvey Dent being elected as Gotham's new District Attorney; his seat as one of Dent's prominant electoral supporters being notably empty.

Holding a charity gala at Wayne Manor to help fund the flailing Gotham City 200th Anniversary Parade, Bruce was forced to attend the event due to his duties as a host, however, he ensured that the mansion's surveilance system tracked key guests such as James Gordon, Harvey Dent and Joe Borg, to gather possible intelligence on Gotham's affairs.

While attending to his duties as host, he was harried by photographer Vicki Vale who, not knowing that he was the one she was looking for, asked him where she could find "Bruce Wayne" to which Bruce responded seemingly in jest that he did not know, taking him seriously Vale then left to continue looking for him.

Later catching Vale wandering the mansion along with reporter Alexander Knox, Bruce decided to follow them as they wandered into the mansion's armoury and engaged them in conversation, revealing himself to be the one Vale was searching for, however, as Vale offered that she would like to photograph the mansion, Alfred appeared to alert Bruce of James Gordon's sudden compulsion to leave the gala.

Leaving the two journalists in the armoury, Bruce reviewed the survailence footage of Gordon and learnt of a pending massing of mafia and police forces gathering at Axis Chemicals.

Learning of Gordon's potential plan to capture Jack Napier in order to get to crime boss Carl Grissom, Bruce decides to also go to Axis Chemicals to assist Gordon's forces in Napier's capture.

Arriving at the chemical plant, Bruce found himself walking into a firefight between Napier's men, Grissom's men and Gordon's men. Systematically working his way through Napier's men, Bruce crossed paths with Gordon before managing to catch sight of Napier.

About to apprehend him, Bruce was forced to let Napier go when his second, Bob, caught James Gordon at gunpoint. Letting Napier kill Max Ekchardt, Bruce returned to distract Napier before he could escape. However, as a ricocheted bullet that was originally intended for Batman, pierced through Napier's face, Bruce attempted to save the thug from falling over the railing only to lose his grip and watch as Napier plummetted into the vat of chemicals below.

Having failed in capturing Napier, Gordon attempts to capture the Batman only to have him disappear from his reach; ascending to the factory's roof using his grapple.

The night a failure, Bruce left the plant and returned to the cave.

Managing to gain a dinner date with Vicki Vale, Bruce attempts a formal dinner in one of the manor's formal dinner rooms only to realise her uncomfortability. Deciding to eat in the manor's kitchen instead with Alfred, Alfred begins recounting stories of Bruce's youth and Vicki and Bruce begin to bond.

As Alfred leaves for bed, the pair leave soon after; with Vicki being slightly intoxicated. As she falls asleep in his bed, Bruce stays awake due to his insomia and conflict over their growing bond; eventually Bruce leaves to excercise until daybreak where he pretends to have fallen asleep on the couch.

"Awoken" by Vicki, he turns down her offer to spend lunch together; saying that he an "important meeting" to attend, which was the anniversary of his parents' deaths. Fending off her further offers with the lie that he would be out of town, he instead agreed that they would meet at another time.

Later that day after Vicki had gone to work, Bruce leaves to perform the same ritual he had performed every year since his parent's death; paying his respects at the alley where his parents died.

Having learned of his lie about going out of town that day and having found no information on him at the Gazette, Vicki secretly followed Bruce as he left the manor; following and watching as he enters the alley between Pearl and Phillips street and lays a pair of roses on the pavement.

Not knowing of the significance of the alley, Vicki continued to follow Bruce as he wandered out of the alley into Gotham Square and a public announcement outside City Hall of Vincent Ricorso taking control of Carl Grissom's businesses.

As Bruce watched the announcement and subsequent interview by Knox, various mimes began to approach and surround the group until one mime interrupted the announcement and killed Ricorso with a quill.

Recognizing the mime as Jack Napier, a shocked Bruce didn't notice the subsequent gunfight that erupted around him as the other mimes open fire on Ricorso's escorts and the police. While a bullet passes through his jacket, Bruce follows Napier as he escapes in a limosine with the other mimes; shaken out of his psychosis only after Vicki jostles him after the mimes escape.

Bruce returns to the manor only to be confronted by Alfred who had learned about the gunfight from Vicki over the phone. As Bruce sat in the lounge, Alfred questioned him on his treatment of Vicki and his choice to live alone. While momentarily considering the issue, Bruce turned instead to the issue that Napier was still alive and now leading Grissom's men.

While perusing acquired police files on Napier, Bruce caught the Action News television cast as the Joker hijacked the airwaves and announced his poisoning of various consumer products with Smilex.

Learning of Napier's knowledge of chemistry, Bruce embarked with Alfred to acquire various products to conduct their own investigation into the Joker's poison.

A day and a half later, Bruce received a message from Vicki saying that she would be late going to a date with him at the Flugelheim Museum, even though he himself hadn't set up such a date.

Regardless, Bruce went to the museum, thinking that he had simply forgotten the date due to his fixation with solving the chemical cocktail Joker was killing Gotham with, to discover that the Joker was inside museum with his henchmen; destroying the exhibits and harrasing Vicki; the apparently sole museum patron still alive.

Changing into his suit and summoning the Batmobile to arrive at the location, Bruce broke into the museum through the skylight; grabbed Vicki and escaped the museum using the Gauntlet grapnel gun.

Instructing Vale to enter the Batmobile, which had pulled up outside the museum's entrance, the pair were pursued by Joker's thugs in their own cars; and the police pursuing both factions soon after. Easily outmanuevering its pursuers, the Batmobile was forced to stop when it ran up against a construction project for the Anniversary Festival. Evacuating the vehicle, Bruce and Vicki run down an alleyway where they are pursued again by the Joker's men.

Attempting to escape by grappling them both to an overhead catwalk, Bruce was forced detache himself from the device after it couldn't handle the weight of two people. As Vicki was catapulted to the catwalk, Bruce fell back into the alley with the Joker's thugs. Shot point blank in the chest, Bruce was momentarily incapacitated; allowing the hoodlums to partially take off his mask, however, as flashes from Vicki's camera taking photos overhead distracted them, Bruce replaced his mask and continued dispatching the hoodlums, momentarily confronting Bob in the process.

Once the hoodlums were dispatched Bruce turned his attention to retrieving Vicki, who had disappeared from the rooftops overlooking the alley and was in the process of hiding her photofilm. Instructing the Batmobile to lead the police, which were currently surrounding the parked vehicle, on a chase through the streets as a diversion, Bruce managed to catch Vicki as she was descending a fire escape three buildings away. With Vicki in hand he ordered the Batmobile to retrieve them and then made their way to the Batcave.

Once in the cave, Bruce proceeds to explain the findings of his chemical investigations with Vicki, handing her the research notes to release to the press. After a brief conversation Bruce knocks Vicki out and takes the role of film she had hidden in her blouse before returning her to her apartment.

While his findings are advertised on the evening addition of the Gotham Globe, Bruce moves on to locating the Joker's hideout.

As Alfred informs him that Vicki had left another message, he advices that perhaps, due to her tenacity, it would be better if Bruce told her that he was Batman.

Taking Alfred's advice to heart, Bruce goes over to Vicki's apartment to confess his identity only to run up against her outrage over the one night stand, his refusal to answer her calls and her concern over his behaviour in the Gotham Square shootout. While managing to calm her down enough to begin attempting to explain who he was he was interrupted as the Joker and his flunkees entered the apartment.

Managing to get to the kitchen as the Joker entered, Bruce intuitively tucked a metal tray under his shirt before entering the living room before Joker could further harrass Vicki.

Perturbed by the presence of another man in the apartment, the Joker and Bruce exchanged small talk before Bruce himself hinted that he knew who Joker was previously and began acting violent. As Joker raised a gun towards Bruce he asked the choice phrase he asked all his victims before killing them; "Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moon light?". Disturbed by the familiarity of the phrase, Bruce was shot in the chest; the bullet catching in the metal tray. Pushed into a corner by the impact Bruce opted to slump to the ground and play dead until the Joker and his flunkees left the apartment and, while Vicki was distracted, he too escaped; leaving the tray and bullet behind.

Returning to the cave, Bruce requested the files on his parents to check on something as he returned to locating the Joker's hideout; managing to trace the villain's operations to the Axis Chemicals factory as Alfred delivered the files with a stern admission of his wariness of Bruce's obsession with his parents' deaths.

After the Joker once again hijacks the airwaves to declare a challenge towards the Batman to be held during the anniversary festival, Bruce recalls the night of his parents' deaths and remembers Jack Napier as the man who killed them; remembering the thug's catch phrase and his grin as he aimed the gun.

As Bruce awakens from his recollection Alfred is revealed to have let Vicki, who had deduced that Bruce was Batman, into the cave. As Alfred leaves, Vicki begins to question Bruce on how he really felt about her and their relationship and admitted herself that she didn't know how to handle his duel persona. Revealing that he, too, did not know what to really think about him being Batman, he admits that he would have liked to form a relationship with her but that as long as threats like the Joker were in Gotham, he wouldn't be able to.

Leaving Vicki in the cave, Bruce then suited up to respond to the Joker's challenge; taking the Batmobile and using it to invade the Axis Chemicals factory and destroy it.

As the Joker manages to escape via a helicopter, Bruce returns to the cave to change vehicles as the Joker begins the parade on Broad Avenue; inciting chaos by throwing money into the crowd. As Bruce returns in the Batwing, Joker then begins releasing Smylex gas from the parade balloons; killing onlookers as they clambered over each other for the money. Quickly using the Batwing to acquire and drag the balloons into open air away from the city, Bruce turned back and began straffing the avenue with guns and missiles, killing many of Joker's men but missing Joker himself until Joker pulled out a modified handgun and shot down the Batwing in one shot.

Crash landing and exploding upon the stairs of the Gotham Cathedral, Bruce survived the Batwing's destruction and followed Joker into the cathedral as the villain abducted Vicki when she had attempted to free Bruce from the wreckage. Doggedly following Joker and Vale up the cathedral tower, dodging aside as Joker sent a cathedral bell free to fall down the tower and block the police from entering, Bruce entered the cathedral belfry and combatted the remainder of the Joker's thugs before engaging and beating Joker senseless; revealing how Napier had murdered his parents before knocking him over the edge of the cathedral.

The Joker, however, managed to stay up thanks to the building's gargoyals and attempted to drag both Batman and Vale over the edge instead; leaving them hanging over the edge as his helicopter arrived to collect him.

However, Bruce used a bolo launcher to tie one of the gargoyles to Joker's leg as the villain hung onto a rope ladder and attempted to climb. Weighed down by the statue, Joker was unable to ascend and, as the gargoyle broke free from its foundations, his grip on the ladder faltered and he plummeted to the streets below to his death.

While attempting to pull themselves back up onto the ledge, Bruce and Vale also lost their grips and plummeted only to be saved by Bruce's grapnel gun.

In the following days, Bruce sends a letter and a personalized searchlight/signal to Gotham City Hall in the spirit of co-operation with the Gotham City police and the signal is unveiled to the general public during a press conference.

Batman Returns
He kept his promise to the city to protect it from thugs too hot for the police to handle. Though there was still crime in the city with the Red Triangle Gang causing trouble. The crime rate was low enough for Gothamites to be celebrating the special occasions such as Christmas. One December evening during a tree lighting ceremony, the Red Triangle Gang came after a new target. Company Mogul and Philanthropist Max Shreck. While Batman's prescence scared off the gang, they managed to capture Shreck. Their leader, The Penguin revealed himself to the public eye claiming that he is merely a lost soul trying to find his parents. While Bruce was initialy sympathetic from one orphan to another, he suspected something suspicious of The Penguin, after further researching his connection to the Red Triangle Gang. During a business meeting with Shreck, Bruce accused him of shady dealings with his power plant as well as his connection to a crime lord like The Penguin. There he was smitten by secretary Selena Kyle, whom Batman saved early on. Little did Bruce know, Selena dug up some dirt on Shreck which resulted in her near death and transformation of Catwoman, a vengful cat burglar whose main focus is making Shreck's life a living hell for his attempted murder. During a night on patrol Batman ran into The Penguin, they exchanged words about The Penguins true intentions, one of them being running for Mayor of Gotham's recall election. Before they could fight they were interuppted by Catwoman, whom moments before just rigged a Shreck endorsed department store to explode. Penguin fleed using a modified umbrellacopter, leaving Batman to pursue Catwoman. They fight breifly causing Batman to nearly knock her over a building and into a gravel truck. Despite their personalities it was hinted that they both have an animalistic attraction to one and other. The next day Bruce meets Selena again, each unaware of their dual identity. As they walk along and talked, they noticed newspapers insulting and exageratting their personas and events that happend that night. Penguin must have contacted the press in order to send the story out. This causes many of the people of Gotham to lose their faith in Batman in favor of the Penguin. During their talk Bruce invites Selena to dinner during another tree lighting ceremony. Little did he know, that Catwoman and Penguin early on formed a temporary aliance to take down Batman. As they watch the lighting ceremony on T.V. They both get to know each other and Bruce vents about his failed relationship with Vicky Vale. In the heat of the night, they kiss while each tries to hide their scars from their previous fight. Before they could find out about each other, there had been a news bulletin regarding the Ice Princess' kidnapping. Apperentally Batman has kidnapped her. Both leave seperately to don their personas and head out for the night. Batman manages to find the princess, who was happy to clear his name, but was intervened by Catwoman. Unlike last time they never held back, but she managed to grab hold of the princess and take her up to the roof of the building. Batman followed but Catwoman was nowhere to be found and the princess standing on the edge of the roof. Before batman could get her to safety, the penguin scared her with an umbrella concealing bats. This causes her to fall and the crowd to believe that Batman was the murderer. The cops pursue Batman with the intent to kill him but he manages to evade them with the help of Commissioner Gordon, whom didn't believe the rumors. During the midst of it he again was attacked by Catwoman while having a romantic moment under the misltetoe. Batman and Catwoman part ways again and he returns to the Batmobile. However his Batmobile was earlier hacked into by the Red Triangle gang and became controlled remotely by The Penguin. While fighting for controll Batman put a recording disc into the radio to record everything the penguin said. He manages to regain control of the batmobile and gets back home. Bruce later gets even by hacking into the Penguin's podium during a speech and playing the recorded messages. This finally clears Batman and exposes The Penguin for who he really is causing him to flee from the sewer. Later on Bruce goes to a masquerade ball and after a heated argument with Shreck he runs into Selena once again. While they have a romantic moment, she tries to go away because she came for Max. Bruce at first thought she meant she had an affair, but she later drew a gun out of her dress with intention to kill him. Though Bruce manages to talk a little sense into her she sees a mistletoe and says a line that Batman told her, to which Bruce replied with the line Catwoman told him. They finally found out each other's identites and she joked about whether or not they should fight each other again. Before they could settle their differences, The Penguin crashed the party informing the people of Gotham that his Gang are rounding up their first born sons. He personally came for Chip, Max's Son. However Max convinced Penguin that it's really Max he wants to kill for not backing him up on his humiliation. The Penguin agrees and takes him to the sewer. The chaos was enough for Bruce and Selena to go and don their costumes again. Batman managed to save the children to which Penguin retaliated by sending his Penguins to blow up Gotham. Batman managed to one up him again causing his Gang to retreat leaving him all alone. Batman and Penguin breifly fight but, Batman has another trick up his sleeve. He has a remote detonator rigged to blow up the Penguins. Penguin managed to get the remote but detonates it himself causing him to fall into the shallow end of the sewer lagoon. As the hideout was falling apart, Batman tries to talk Selena out of Killing Shreck. He even goes as far as unmasking himself in front of Shreck and offfering to let Selena stay at Wayne Manor. This fell on deaf ears since Shreck shoots him in the stomach. While neither Shreck nor Selena knows of Batman's armor. This proves to be the last straw for Selena who kills him by kissing him while electrocuting him. Bruce gets up and frantically finds Selena only to find the charred remains of Max Shreck. As this was going on the Penguin, broken and bleeding to death, slowly advances on Bruce, and attempts to kill him. Only to find he accidentally picked the Cute umbrella he planned to use to lure the kids to their death. He later collapes dead and the Penguins give him a water burial. On his way home, Bruce thought he saw Selena's sillohuette and urged Alfred to stop the car. He finds nothing but Selena's pet cat Miss Kitty for Bruce to remember her by. Though it isn't said out loud, Bruce and two and extent, Batman vowed then and their to never kill criminals. As uses Selena as an example of how dark the path was for revenge.

Gallery

 * See: Batman (Michael Keaton)/Gallery for additional images

Behind the scenes
"He looks like a guy who needs to dress up like a bat for effect."

- Tim Burton

Keaton's Batman is stoic, almost mechanical. When he sheds his armor, the emotional barrier remains. There isn't much shading to Keaton's superhero. That's the point. His psyche is scarred almost beyond repair. He's a vacuum, in danger of imploding. It is a riveting, understated performance.

While discussing the character's motivation, Sam Hamm is quoted as saying, "Our guy is basically insane and Batman is a manifestation of his insanity.".

Producer Michael Uslan remarks that he only let Tim (Burton) see the original year of the Bob Kane/Bill Finger's comic run, up until the time that Robin was introduced. Tim Burton remarks that, "This guy wants to remain as hidden as possible, and in the shadows as possible, and unrevealing about himself as possible, so all of those things - you know, he’s not gonna eat up screen time by these big speeches and doing dancing around the Batcave. Again, I felt less is more with him in the sense of who he is. (…) Michael’s eyes - it goes back to kind of like silent movie acting. I like when people sort of just look. It’s a movie so you kinda get more between the lines then you do [from] the actual lines (…) There's a loneliness to that character and witheldness. He’s a character that is sad and is private. Even when he's standing there looking there's an electricity about him. Again this is why I wanted him (Keaton) for Batman because its all about that."

Michael Keaton remarks on the character; "What makes it doubly interesting is that he's kind of psychotic. At first, I wasn't willing to take it that far, but Tim was more than willing to take it that far. I read the script thinking, 'This guy's really angry and depressed and dark." It is implied in the movie that being Batman wasn't his choice. It is as if there was a reckoning, he was summoned to be Batman which added to his over the edge nature of almost snapping at any point (You wanna get nuts!?). He was compelled to become the Batman. And it was something that consumed him. He almost has no life outside of that suit. Commenting on Keaton's performance, Dan Didio, head editor of DC comics, remarks, "Batman's the real identity. Bruce Wayne is the secret identity, Bruce Wayne is who he is but it's just a shell. Bruce Wayne is just passing time until Batman can take over and Batman can be who he is. The wonderful aspect of Michael Keaton's portrayal is that you felt almost sad for him, the fact that he looked so uncomfortable in his own skin, in his own house, talking to people who were suppose to be his best friends. You wonder where does he fit in in the world, thus when you see him sitting in the batcave in front of the console you realize this is where he belongs, this is where he should be."

While fans like to individualize them due to their differing depictions and actors, the Batmen that appear in Batman (1989), Batman Returns, Batman Forever, and Batman & Robin, are actually intended to be the same Batman, who's continuity stretches across the four films. Three different actors played the role; with Michael Keaton in Batman (1989) and Batman Returns, Val Kilmer in Batman Forever, and George Clooney in Batman & Robin.

Legacy
It was also Tim Burton who originated the idea of Batman changing his voice while in the costume for Batman (1989). The staple action was previously never mentioned in the comic books and wasn't used in any of the serials or the TV show before that time.

When questioned on which of the previous Batmans did he think added the most credibility to the role, Christian Bale replied, "I would say Michael Keaton because of Tim Burton and the way that he approached the movie."

Appearances

 * Batman (1989)
 * Batman Returns
 * Tiny Toons (Return of Batduck) cameo
 * Animaniacs (Garage Sale of the Century) cameo
 * Animaniacs (Twas the Day Before Christmas) cameo
 * Animaniacs (A Midsummer Night's Dream) cameo
 * Batman: Child of Dreams
 * Batman Coke Commercials

Trivia

 * In preperation for his role, Michael Keaton went under extensive kick-boxing training for Batman (1989).
 * Contrary to modern depictions of Bruce Wayne, in Burton's films Bruce is not a socialite. While he sometimes hosts a gala (as seen in Batman (1989)), he tries to hide among the crowd and refuses to even answer to Bruce Wayne. Even members of the press have no idea what he looks like. Most people in Gotham were only vaguely familiar with the name Bruce Wayne. In addition, in the two Burton films there was no Wayne Enterprises mentioned and it seemed like Wayne's money just came from old family wealth, which allowed him to be a hermit stuck in Wayne Manor instead of a socialite that the newspapers wanted to print about.
 * One of the greatest outcries by fans against the Michael Keaton Batman is that Tim Burton's movies depicted him as a killer; possessing an on-screen kill count of at least 20 kills between the two movies he appears in. Commenting on this, Daniel Waters is quoted saying, "We live in dark times. You can't just drop bad guys off in a spider web in front of city hall." This portrayal harks back to Batman's original template in Detective Comics # 27 where Batman used deadly weapons and didn't think twice about killing his enemies and criminals to serve justice. "He was a grim figure in his first years, casually killing criminals, and Bob Kane liked this dark version best."
 * In the Batman - The Video Game (1990), a video game based on the 1989 film for the Nintendo Game Boy, Batman used a gun as his main weapon.
 * Michael Keaton casting as Bruce Wayne/Batman caused a controversy amongst comic book fans, with 50,000 protest letters sent to Warner Bros. offices. Bob Kane, Sam Hamm and Michael E. Uslan also heavily questioned the casting.
 * Alec Baldwin, Jeff Bridges, Emilio Estevez, Matthew Broderick, Kevin Costner, Tom Cruise, Michael J. Fox, Harrison Ford, Robert Downey Jr., Kevin Spacey, Patrick Swayze, Dennis Quaid, Kurt Russell, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mel Gibson, Charlie Sheen, Bill Murray, Pierce Brosnan, Tom Selleck, Daniel Day-Lewis, Tom Hanks, Kevin Kline and Bruce Willis were considered for the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman.