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The Mother (How I Met Your Mother)
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Tracy McConnell
How I Met Your Mother character
The Mother appearing in "The Locket"
First appearance
"Lucky Penny (unseen)"
"Something New" (seen)
Last appearance
"Last Forever"
Created by
Carter Bays
Craig Thomas
Portrayed by
Cristin Milioti
Information
Aliases
The Mother
Gender
Female
Spouse(s)
Ted Mosby
Significant other(s)
Max (deceased former boyfriend)
Louis (ex-boyfriend)
Children
Penny Mosby (daughter, born in 2015, played by Lyndsy Fonseca)
Luke Mosby (son, born in 2017, played by David Henrie)
Nationality
American
Tracy McConnell, better known as "The Mother", is the title character from the CBS television sitcom How I Met Your Mother. The show, narrated by Future Ted, tells the story of how Ted Mosby met The Mother. Tracy McConnell appears in 8 episodes from "Lucky Penny" to "The Time Travelers" as an unseen character; she was first seen fully in "Something New" and was promoted to a main character in season 9. The Mother is played by Cristin Milioti.
The story of how Ted met The Mother is the framing device behind the series; many facts about her are revealed throughout the series, including the fact that Ted once unwittingly owned her umbrella before accidentally leaving it behind in her apartment. Ted and The Mother meet at the Farhampton train station following Barney Stinson and Robin Scherbatsky's wedding; this scene is shown in "Last Forever", the series finale. The Mother's death from an unspecified terminal illness in 2024, also revealed in the series finale, received a mixed reaction from fans.
An alternate ending was released in the ninth season DVD. In the alternate ending, Tracy Mosby is still living when Ted is telling the story in 2030.[1][2] In the video, future Ted is heard saying, "...When I think how lucky I am to wake up next to your mom every morning, I can't help but be amazed how easy it all really was...", indirectly stating that The Mother is alive. The video ends right after the train passes at Farhampton station and credits start rolling, implying that Ted never went back to Robin as he lived a successful married life with Tracy Mosby.[3]
Contents
[hide]
1 Casting
2 Character history
2.1 Name
3 Death
4 Notes
5 References
Casting[edit]
During its first eight seasons, the successful sitcom How I Met Your Mother often hinted at the unseen character of The Mother. Well-known actresses often made guest appearances on the show. Many fans expected that another would play one of the most-wanted roles in Hollywood, but creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas wanted an unknown. Using Anne Hathaway and Amy Adams as examples, Thomas said that "We didn’t want it to be a big famous star because we didn’t want the wider audience to have associations with whatever actress this would be ... The whole idea is that Ted’s never seen this woman before, so it better feel that way to the audience", similar to how Cobie Smulders being cast as Robin Scherbatsky had "kept the show alive" when it began. Bays and Thomas also did not want a large casting call.[4][5]
They chose Cristin Milioti after seeing her on 30 Rock and Once; her musical ability was also helpful, as The Mother had been described as a band member. After competing for the role against at least two others, Milioti filmed her first scene—for the last episode of season 8—having never watched How I Met Your Mother; she recalled, "I had ignorance on my side. So I didn’t know what it meant." Milioti learned of the character's importance only after binge watching the show during the summer.[5][6]
Character history[edit]
The Mother was born on September 19, 1984.[note 1]
The Mother, joined by her roommate Kelly awaits the arrival of her boyfriend Max only to receive a call informing her of his death. After the funeral service, she returns to the apartment to open Max's last gift to her — a ukulele. The Mother spends the next few years grieving the passing of the man she believes was her one true love.[7]
In "Wait for It", it is revealed that the short story of how they met involved her yellow umbrella. In "No Tomorrow", Ted finds the umbrella at a club and takes it home after attending a St. Patrick's Day party which she also attended, as it had been two and a half years since the death of Max, her late boyfriend. She is still grieving, but her roommate Kelly encourages her to go out and date again, bringing her to the same bar where Ted and Barney are celebrating. The two women run into Mitch, her old orchestra instructor; The Mother offers to give Mitch her cello for his work at a school and they head to her apartment. After they start talking, Mitch encourages her to pursue her dreams. The Mother expresses her desire to end poverty by taking up economics in college.[7]
On his first day of teaching as Professor Mosby, as seen in the season 4 finale "The Leap", he is seen in front of the classroom of students, one of which Future Ted says is the titular mother. But in the first episode of season 5, "Definitions", it is revealed that he was actually in the wrong classroom — Economics instead of Architecture. At the same time in "How Your Mother Met Me", the Mother sits her first session in Economics 305 and meets another graduate student named Cindy (Rachel Bilson), whom she offers to move in with her as her roommate. They see Ted enter the room, but when he announces the subject, The Mother thinks she is in the wrong room and runs off. She heads back to the room after seeing Ted scramble to his actual classroom.
Later, in "Girls Versus Suits", Ted dates Cindy, not knowing that her roommate is his future wife. Throughout the episode, Ted notes that Cindy had spent most of their first date talking jealously about her roommate. When in Cindy and the mother's apartment he picks up many of The Mother's belongings, attempting to show how compatible he and Cindy are (thinking the items are Cindy's) and glimpses the mother's foot as she disappears into her room after taking a shower. Ted finds out at this time that she plays bass guitar in a band. Ted forgets to take the yellow umbrella with him when he goes out and Future Ted mentions, "this is how your mother got her yellow umbrella back." In "How Your Mother Met Me", it is revealed that, after Ted left the apartment, the Mother had discovered the umbrella and, upon going to question Cindy, finds her in a state. As she tried to console her, Cindy said that she was a much better match for Ted, and began to lovingly list all of the reasons that Ted would find the mother attractive, before spontaneously kissing her, revealing that her jealousy towards her roommate was actually a crush. While this incident made Cindy realise that she is a lesbian, it also made the Mother decide to go back into dating, as the kiss was her first in a long time.
Some time after this, a man named Darren approaches The Mother and is welcomed into her band named Superfreakonomics. Darren gradually takes over the band.[7]
In the season 6 opener "Big Days" it is revealed Ted meets his future wife "the day of" the wedding at which he is the best man. In the episode "False Positive" Robin asks Ted to be her future best man, should she ever get married. In the episode "Challenge Accepted", it is revealed that Ted meets the mother of his children the day of Barney's wedding. In the last episode of season 7, "The Magician's Code" it is shown that Barney will marry Robin, and Ted will meet the mother "the day of" their wedding. On the premiere of season 8, Ted's wife appears after Barney and Robin's wedding, outside at the "Farhampton" station while holding a yellow umbrella and her bass guitar.
In the season 8 episode "Band or DJ?," Ted runs into Cindy on the subway and tells her that the band Barney and Robin hired to play at their wedding cancelled at the last minute. The end result of the encounter is that Cindy's (now ex-) roommate's band plays at Barney and Robin's wedding.
The Mother is first shown meeting Louis in "How Your Mother Met Me" as she is left to carry the band equipment while the now-lead band member Darren talks to his fans. Later at MacLaren's Pub, she tells him she's not yet ready to date. Louis asks her to give him a call if she changes her mind and they begin dating not long after.
The Mother meets all of Ted's best friends (Barney, Lily, Marshall and Robin) before she meets him. The Mother is responsible for convincing Barney to pursue Robin, as revealed through a flashback in "Platonish". In "The Locket", Tracy meets Lily on a train journey.
In "Bass Player Wanted", the Mother picks up a hitchhiking Marshall, carrying his son Marvin, on her way to Farhampton Inn. On their way, it is revealed that the Mother is a bass player in the band, that is scheduled to play at the wedding reception. But the band's leader, Darren, forced her to quit. The Mother ultimately decides to confront Darren and retake the band. She ends up alone at the bar, and while practicing a speech to give Darren, Darren walks up to her furious the groom's best man punched him for "no reason." Amused by this, the Mother laughs, and Darren quits the band in anger.
In "How Your Mother Met Me", it is shown that after this incident, the Mother returns to Louis' summer cottage not far from the Farhampton Inn where she has been staying for the duration of the wedding weekend. As she walks in the door, Louis proposes to her, but she goes outside to think about it for a few minutes. She declines Louis' proposal and leaves his cottage, going to check in at Farhampton Inn. On her room's balcony, she plays the ukulele and sings "La Vie en Rose". Ted hears her singing from his room next door.
In "Gary Blauman", Ted and the Mother are on their first date. Ted picks her up at her New York City apartment and they proceed to walk to a Scottish-Mexican fusion restaurant for dinner. On the way there, Ted is telling her a story when they nearly have a run-in with Louis. She says that she is in the "weirdest place on earth" right now and that it is too soon for her to be dating. Ted walks her back to her apartment. They say goodnight and Ted begins to walk away. The Mother then stops him and asks him to finish the story he was telling her. When the story is over, they say goodnight again. The Mother takes a step towards Ted and they kiss for the first time, before deciding to carry on their date.
In a flashforward in "The Lighthouse", Ted proposes to the Mother at the top of the lighthouse near Farhampton Inn. She immediately accepts. In another flashfoward in "Unpause", the Mother is revealed to be pregnant with their second child, Luke, in the year 2017. She goes into labor while she and Ted are staying at Farhampton.
Name[edit]
The Mother's real name is not revealed until the series finale, "Last Forever". When Ted meets her at the Farhampton train station, she reveals that her name is Tracy McConnell. In the season 1 episode "Belly Full of Turkey", Ted meets a stripper named Tracy and says "...that, kids, is the true story of how I met your mother". The children react in surprise and appear to believe Ted before he admits he is joking,[9] which led some fans to correctly guess that The Mother's name is Tracy.[10]
Death[edit]
See also: Last Forever
In the series finale, it is revealed that six years prior to Ted telling the story to his children, Tracy died in 2024 from an undisclosed illness. In the finale the characters do not directly state that the mother is dead. Ted says that she "became sick" and his children saying that she has been "gone" for six years. Many fans expressed considerable disappointment to The Mother's death.[11] Milioti cried when she learned her character was supposed to die, but came to accept the ending was what the writers had planned from the beginning.[12] Bill Kuchman from Popculturology said that The Mother was "an amazing character"[9] and that "over the course of this final season HIMYM made us care about Tracy.[13] Kuchman said that "asking fans to drop all of that with a simple line about The Mother getting sick and passing away was a very difficult request", that the finale "advanced too quickly" and that "HIMYM was a victim of its own success on this issue".[9]
A petition was started, aiming to rewrite and reshoot the finale. The petition has over 20,000 signatures and considerable online news coverage.[14][15] On April 5, 2014, Carter Bays announced on Twitter that an alternate ending would be included on the Season 9 DVD. No new material was shot for this scene.[16][17] In the alternate ending, the mother is still living when Ted is telling the story in 2030.[18][1]
Notes[edit]
Jump up ^ The Mother celebrates her 21st birthday on the day that "Pilot" is set.[7] The pilot is set on September 19, 2005.[8]
References[edit]
^ Jump up to: a b Debnath, Neela (7 September 2014). "How I Met Your Mother alternative finale leaks online ahead of DVD release". The Independent. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
Jump up ^ Kreps, Daniel (September 6, 2014). "Watch the Happier 'How I Met Your Mother' Alternate Ending". Rolling Stone.
Jump up ^ MacGregor, Rachel (September 23, 2014). "8 reasons why How I Met Your Mother should’ve used its alternative ending". Metro UK.
Jump up ^ Stransky, Tanner (2013-05-13). "'How I Met Your Mother': Burning questions about the mother". Entertainment Weekly.
^ Jump up to: a b Fallon, Kevin (2013-05-14). "‘How I Met Your Mother’ Mother Revealed: Meet Cristin Milioti". The Daily Beast.
Jump up ^ Fallon, Kevin (2015-11-03). "How Cristin Milioti Met ‘Fargo’—And Left ‘How I Met Your Mother’ Behind". The Daily Beast.
^ Jump up to: a b c d "How Your Mother Met Me". How I Met Your Mother. Season 9. Episode 16. January 27, 2014.
Jump up ^ "Pilot". How I Met Your Mother. Season 1. Episode 1. September 19, 2005. CBS.
^ Jump up to: a b c Kuchman, Bill (April 4, 2014). "'How I Met Your Mother' 'Last Forever' Recap: A Divisive Finale and What It Means for 'HIMYM'". Retrieved July 7, 2014.
Jump up ^ Rullo, Samantha (10 March 2014). "What is The Mother's Name on 'How I Met Your Mother'? Episode Title Might Hold the Secret". Retrieved July 7, 2014.
Jump up ^ "HIMYM Tomatometer Watch: Series Finale Currently Rotten - Majority of critics disappointed by 'Last Forever'". Rotten Tomatoes. April 2, 2014. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
Jump up ^ http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/cristin-milioti-sobbed-found-characters-fate-met-mother/story?id=25947923
Jump up ^ Kuchman, Bill (March 31, 2014). "'HIMYM' Finale Instant Reaction". Retrieved July 7, 2014.
Jump up ^ Guerrero, Danger (April 4, 2014). "Now There's A Petition To 'Rewrite And Reshoot' The 'How I Met Your Mother' Ending". Retrieved July 7, 2014.
Jump up ^ Maresca, Rachel (April 3, 2014). "'How I Met Your Mother' series finale sparks online petition from fans who want ending changed". New York Daily News. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
Jump up ^ Update for those who've been asking: Alt #himym ending will be on s9 DVD and also in the series box set. https://twitter.com/CarterBays/status/452299544995184640
Jump up ^ James, Lauren (April 5, 2014). "'How I Met Your Mother' May Get Alternate Ending After Petition, Says Carter Bays". Contact Music. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
Jump up ^ Kreps, Daniel (September 6, 2014). "Watch the Happier 'How I Met Your Mother' Alternate Ending". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
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List of Australian capital cities
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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There are eight capital cities in Australia, each of which function as the seat of government for the state or territory in which they are located. Melbourne was the initial capital following the 1901 Federation of Australia. In 1913, the seat of national government was moved to the newly created city of Canberra, which continues to serve as the national capital.
Each capital city hosts the judicial, administrative and legislative functions for their jurisdiction. In the case of the states and internal territories, their capital cities also happen to be the most populous city in their respective jurisdiction.
The Australian external territory of Norfolk Island has its official capital at Kingston, although this acts merely as the administrative centre of government; its de facto capital is Burnt Pine.[1]
WESTERN
AUSTRALIA
NORTHERN
TERRITORY
SOUTH
AUSTRALIA
QUEENSLAND
NEW
SOUTH
WALES
VICTORIA
TASMANIA
●Perth
●Adelaide
●Melbourne
★Canberra (ACT)
●Sydney
●Brisbane
●Hobart
●Darwin
State and Territory Capitals of Australia
Jurisdiction
Capital
City Population[2]
State/Territory Population[3]
Date of statehood
Capital since
Image
Australia and
Australian Capital Territory Canberra 435,019 403,468 Must remain a territory as per s.125 of the Australian Constitution [N 1] 1913
View of Civic from Mount Ainslie, with Telstra Tower in the background
New South Wales Sydney 5,029,768 7,759,274 1788 1788
Skyline of the Sydney central business district
Victoria Melbourne 4,725,316 6,179,249 1851 1851
The Melbourne skyline on the Yarra River
Queensland Brisbane 2,360,241 4,848,877 1859 1860
Brisbane's CBD, with the Story Bridge in the foreground
Western Australia Perth 2,022,044 2,558,951 1829 1829
View of Perth CBD skyline
South Australia Adelaide 1,324,279 1,713,054 1836 1836
View of Adelaide Skyline
.
Tasmania Hobart 224,462 517,588 1825 1826
View of the Hobart downtown district and Mount Wellington from Constitution Dock
Northern Territory Darwin 145,916 245,740 Has not attained Statehood[N 2] 1911
View of Darwin CBD
Notes[edit]
Jump up ^ Although the ACT has its own government, it remains a territory ultimately under Commonwealth rule.
Jump up ^ in 1911, South Australia transferred responsibility for governing the Northern Territory to the Commonwealth Government of Australia. It was granted self-governance in 1978, however the Northern Territory is still considered a territory under Commonwealth rule, not a state.
References[edit]
Jump up ^ Norfolk Island - Kingston http://www.pitcairners.org/vt_kingston.html Norfolk Island's Home on the Web
Jump up ^ http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/3218.0Main+Features12016?OpenDocument
Jump up ^ http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/3218.02016?OpenDocument
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Batman: Knightfall
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"Knightfall"
Cover to Batman #497: The breaking of the bat. Art by Kelley Jones.
Publisher
DC Comics
Publication date
April 1993 – August 1994
Genre
Superhero
Crossover
[show]Title(s)
Batman #492-510
Batman: Shadow of the Bat #16-30
Catwoman #6-7,12-13
Detective Comics #659-677
Justice League Task Force #5-6
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #59-63
Robin #7-9
Showcase '93 #7-8
Showcase '94 #10
Main character(s)
Batman, Bane, Azrael
Creative team
Writer(s)
Chuck Dixon, Jo Duffy, Alan Grant, Dennis O'Neil, Doug Moench
Penciller(s)
Jim Aparo, Jim Balent, Eduardo Barreto, Bret Blevins, Norm Breyfogle, Vincent Giarrano, Tom Grummett, Klaus Janson, Barry Kitson, Mike Manley, Graham Nolan, Sal Velluto, Mike Vosburg, Ron Wagner
Inker(s)
Jeff Albrecht, Jim Aparo, Terry Austin, Eduardo Barreto, John Beatty, Bret Blevins, Norm Breyfogle, Rick Burchett, Steve George, Vince Giarrano, Dick Giordano, Scott Hanna, Klaus Janson, Ray Kryssing, Tom Mandrake, Mike Manley, Ron McCain, Frank McLaughlin, Josef Rubinstein, Bob Smith, Bob Wiacek
Vol. 1
ISBN 978-1401233792
Vol. 2: Knightquest
ISBN 978-1401235369
Vol. 3: KnightsEnd
ISBN 978-1401237219
"Knightfall" is a 1993-1994 Batman story arc published by DC Comics. It consists of a trilogy of storylines that ran from 1993 to 1994, consisting of "Knightfall", "Knightquest", and "KnightsEnd".[note 1] The story takes place over approximately six months. Bruce Wayne (Batman) suffers burnout and is systematically assaulted and crippled by a "super steroid"-enhanced genius named Bane. Wayne is replaced as Batman by an apprentice named Jean-Paul Valley (a.k.a. Azrael), who becomes increasingly violent and unstable, tarnishing Batman's reputation. Eventually, Wayne is healed through paranormal means, and reclaims his role as Batman.
"Knightfall" resulted in long-term ramifications for the Batman continuity, as Batman's trust from the police, the public, and fellow superheroes had to be rebuilt, due to Azrael's violence. Additionally, Wayne realizes the peril and burden of attempting to work in solitude, leading to the eventual creation of the modern incarnation of the Batman family. The events of Knightfall also led to the resignation of Wayne's loyal butler, Alfred Pennyworth.
The entire "Knightfall" storyline took over a year to complete in the comic book serials. In later years, the comics were reprinted several times, though never in full, as the Knightquest: The Search arc had not been collected until the second omnibus edition in 2017.
Contents
[hide]
1 Publication
2 Storyline
2.1 Prelude
2.2 "Knightfall"
2.3 "Knightquest"
2.4 "KnightsEnd"
2.5 Aftermath
2.6 "Prodigal"
2.7 "Troika"
2.8 Nightwing: Alfred's Return
2.9 Azrael
2.10 "Batman: Legacy"
2.11 "Bough Breaks"
2.12 "Angel and the Bane"
3 Reading order and release dates
4 Influence and legacy
5 Reception
6 Continuity
7 Adaptations
7.1 Novels
7.2 Television
7.3 Animation
7.4 Film
7.5 Video Games
7.6 Radio
7.7 Action figures
8 Collected editions
8.1 2012 new editions
8.2 2017-2018 Omnibus editions
9 Notes
10 References
Publication[edit]
The initial idea for the character of Azrael stemmed from a two-part story idea pitched by Detective Comics writer Peter Milligan circa 1991, as he was leaving that position.[1][2] After line editor Dennis O'Neil decided to expand it into a larger epic, he and the Batman line writers Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench and Alan Grant convened an authors' summit over a long weekend to flesh out the details and story points. At the same time, the Superman team was planning for a similar character-altering storyline, and neither they nor the Batman group initially had any knowledge of each other's plans.[2] Dennis O'Neil denies the Knightfall storyline was in any way inspired by the Death of Superman and states that it was already in development by as much as three years, saying that if the Batman staff had known, the storyline would likely have been pushed down a year.[3]
The serial stories of the monthly Batman comics titles began slowly building toward the "Knightfall" arc several months prior, in conjunction with the publication of the Sword of Azrael miniseries and Vengeance of Bane one-shot which also laid foundation for the larger story.
"Knightfall" ran from April to October 1993, Batman issues 492 through 500 and Detective Comics issues 659 through 666, with the two titles sharing a single narrative during this time. The massive story was quickly collected into two volumes of trade paperbacks. Volume one was subtitled Broken Bat and the second Who Rules the Night. Knightfall was the first time that multiple Batman titles had shared a single narrative for an extended period since Crisis on Infinite Earths.
"Knightfall" was immediately followed by "Knightquest" in the monthly serials. "Knightquest" is divided into two storylines, one following Bruce Wayne ("Knightquest: The Search") and the other on the new Batman ("Knightquest: The Crusade"). The stories were not treated as crossovers and the Batman titles continued as they had before "Knightfall" where the creative teams each pursued its own storyline. Instead of a crossover, "Knightquest" was more of an umbrella title that also encompassed some issues of Batman: Shadow of the Bat. (To avoid giving away their plans, the publishers treated it as though it were the new status quo, so issues were not numbered as chapters.) Additionally, The Crusade served as a launching point for the first ongoing monthly series featuring Robin in solo adventures.
Although previous parts of the "KnightSaga" had taken considerable time to run their course, the entirety of "KnightsEnd" was published within two months, as the Batman books had to prepare themselves for DC's impending company-wide crossover Zero Hour, which would immediately follow the "KnightSaga". Nothing was truncated as the Batman editorial line made use of all of the Batman-related titles at their disposal, such as Catwoman, Robin and Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight (normally an anthology title with stories set in the past). "KnightsEnd" was later collected in trade paperback as Knightfall Volume 3.
The serial nature of the Batman titles continued beyond the end of KnightsEnd, with the Prodigal storyline, and into subsequent unbannered stories. This continued in later arcs such as "Contagion", "Legacy", "Cataclysm", "No Man's Land", and "War Games", and has on occasion continued into the present.
The intent of the writers was to counter the then-popular style of violent heroes in comics, and demonstrate that the traditional Batman made for a better hero.[2] The issues featuring Jean-Paul Valley as Batman on the cover depict him with highly exaggerated musculature and legs which taper into disproportionally tiny feet, mimicking the styles of contemporary "violent hero" artists such as Rob Liefeld.
Storyline[edit]
Prelude[edit]
The prelude to "Knightfall" began with the introduction of two new characters key to its storyline in issues prior to the release of "Knightfall":
Azrael, a.k.a. Jean-Paul Valley (introduced in Batman: Sword of Azrael #1-4 (October 1992 to January 1993) by Dennis O'Neil and Joe Quesada), a graduate student at Gotham University who discovers he has been unconsciously trained since birth as an assassin for an ancient religious order.
Bane, introduced in Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1 (January 1993) by Chuck Dixon and Graham Nolan, an orphan born and raised in a Central American island prison, self-taught and ruthless, who underwent an involuntary experimental operation to become a new type of supersoldier, before breaking free and deciding to take Gotham City from its "king," Batman.
The two characters were quickly added to the cast in the monthly Batman titles, with Azrael being a superhero-in-training who fights alongside Batman, while Bane was introduced as a supervillain.
Within the regular series, the buildup to "Knightfall" begins with a six-issue run in Batman #484-489 (September 1992 - February 1993), in which Batman (at the onset of a personal psychological mid-life crisis) is forced to deal, in rapid succession, with the returning villain Black Mask and his gang (who target Bruce Wayne and Lucius Fox), a crazed killer called Metalhead, and a sharpshooter assassin hired by an imprisoned mobster to murder Commissioner Gordon. Batman begins to feel he has lost his edge, especially after his failure to capture Black Mask. He finds himself unable to meditate or even focus. As Bruce Wayne, he contacts holistic therapist Shondra Kinsolving for treatment. He also assigns Robin (Tim Drake) to train Jean-Paul Valley in detective work to aid them as an ally, hoping to guide Valley's brainwashing away from making him a villainous threat. Despite the advice of everyone in his life, including Dr. Kinsolving, Bruce refuses to rest, and continues to pursue his self-imposed duty despite his worsening condition (although not explicitly noted as a cause, these events take place immediately after the death of Superman, Batman's peer, elsewhere in the DC Universe).
The next storyline, in Detective Comics #654-656 (December 1992 - February 1993), involves a young military student usurping power in Gotham's underworld and assaulting a police station, with Bruce's fatigue continuing to worsen. At the conclusion of this story, Bane and his henchman are shown monitoring Batman's performance.
Bane begins a series of encounters letting Batman know of his presence and his intentions. In the following issues, Bane interferes with encounters pitting villains Killer Croc and Riddler against Batman, and, to test Batman's limits, goes so far as to inject Riddler with the Venom drug. This escalation culminates in an assault on Arkham Asylum in Batman #491 (April 1993), where Bane breaks the inmates free and supplies them with numerous weapons to escape. Meanwhile, Robin finds it difficult to work with Jean-Paul, due to the man's violent subconscious training and lack of social skills, and also finds himself being shut out from working alongside Batman.
"Knightfall"[edit]
The plot of "Knightfall" begins[note 2] with the master criminal Bane freeing all of the maximum-security inmates of Arkham Asylum, a notorious psychiatric facility in Gotham City. Aware that he would lose in a direct assault against Batman, Bane's plan consists of weakening Batman by forcing him to deal with the deadly villains simultaneously. Among the freed inmates, there are numerous high-profile villains, such as the Joker (who trapped Arkham's administrator Jeremiah Arkham), the Scarecrow, the Riddler, and Poison Ivy, as well as many lesser-known villains, such as the Mad Hatter, the Ventriloquist, the Firefly, the Cavalier, the Film Freak, Mr. Zsasz, Cornelius Stirk, Abattoir, and Amygdala. The scenario creates a rift in the relationship between Robin and Batman, as Batman irrationally seeks to face the outbreak alone—in later issues, Robin asks Batman if he is even needed as his sidekick anymore. A later flashback to this time period (Showcase '93 #7-8) shows Batman pursuing Two-Face alone, being trapped and kidnapped to stand a mock trial; he is saved only by a rescue attempt from Robin.
Bane breaks Batman's back in a splash page from Batman #497 (July 1993). Art by Jim Aparo.
Over the next few issues, Batman becomes weaker and weaker as each criminal is put away. The rescue of Mayor Krol from the teaming of the Joker and Scarecrow pushes Batman to his mental and physical limits: a dose of Scarecrow's fear gas makes him relive the murder of Jason Todd, which he considers to be his greatest failure. After this encounter, Bane's men assault Batman before he himself makes his move and attacks him at Wayne Manor, his home as his alter-ego—by this time; Bane had deduced the secret identity of Batman. The fight between Bruce Wayne and Bane is detailed in Batman #497. By this time, Batman is so exhausted from the exertion of catching the escaped criminals that he cannot even defend himself; Bane beats him mercilessly before breaking Wayne's back over his knee inside the Batcave below the manor, symbolically "breaking" Batman.[4] Bane takes the grievously-wounded Wayne (still costumed in the Batman outfit) downtown to Gotham Square and throws him from a rooftop to demonstrate his superiority to the populace. Quick action by Robin and Alfred spares Batman's life, but at great cost - he is left a paraplegic. With Batman incapacitated, Bane assumes control of Gotham City's underworld and takes over several illegal operations within it.
After his defeat, Bruce Wayne enlists the aid of Dr. Shondra Kinsolving to rehabilitate him and asks Jean-Paul Valley to take up the mantle of Batman so that Gotham has a protector. Tim Drake argues with Bruce to allow Dick Grayson (the former Robin and then-current Nightwing) to become Batman, as he is more experienced and mentally competent. Bruce replies that Grayson has his own responsibilities and would only take up the mantle of the Bat reluctantly (Dick later expressed resentment at not being asked to stand in as Batman). Bruce's rationale for this decision is revealed in later issues - secretly, he does not want Dick to have to face Bane, as he knows Dick's character will compel him to try. Indeed, Bruce gives Jean-Paul strict orders never to engage Bane in combat—and when Jean-Paul does face Bane, only his modified gloves save Jean-Paul from being thrown to his death.
Soon after, Kinsolving and Tim's father Jack Drake are kidnapped and Bruce and Alfred leave the country to find them - their story is continued in "Knightquest: The Search", while the happenings in Gotham are recorded in "Knightquest: The Crusade". Jean-Paul is shown to be a different, but not dangerous, Batman until an encounter with the Scarecrow, which results in Jean-Paul being infected by Scarecrow's fear gas and "The System"—his programming as Azrael—taking over, in order to combat Jean-Paul's fear. Following this, Jean-Paul is unable to shake the influence of the System, giving in to it completely after his first defeat at Bane's hands and being increasingly influenced by it during the rest of his tenure as Batman. Gradually, Jean-Paul alienates Robin with his paranoia and arrogance.
In Batman #500, Jean-Paul, in his new mechanical Batsuit (which is an amalgam of the Azrael costume with the Batman's) confronts Bane in an arduous battle and prevails, although many bystanders are put at risk. Jean-Paul leaves Bane broken mentally and physically, though he struggles with the choice of whether to simply kill Bane or hand him over to the police. He decides that he will let Bane go to Blackgate Prison. Jean-Paul continues to watch over Gotham after the fight, but grows increasingly unstable.
"Knightquest"[edit]
Jean-Paul Valley as Batman, during The Crusade arc. Cover to Detective Comics #667. Art by Kelley Jones.
A paraplegic Bruce Wayne, traveling across the globe on a rescue mission, with help from his allies including members of the Justice League Task Force in The Search arc. Cover of Justice League Task Force vol. 1, Oct 1993. Art by Sal Velluto.
At the onset of "Knightquest", Jean-Paul Valley has been established as Batman, and Bruce Wayne is out of the country. Instead of a crossover with a definite ending, the publishers treated the scenario as though it were the new status quo, leaving it open-ended.
"Knightquest: The Crusade" follows the story of Jean-Paul Valley during his tenure as Batman. He becomes increasingly violent and mentally unbalanced. During this time, he drives Robin away because he believes Gotham to be so tough that only violence could answer its criminals. In several issues Robin is left horrified as Jean-Paul ferociously attacks common criminals, often with a weapon and sometimes nearly to death. This surge of violence from Gotham's defender puts pressure on Batman's relationship with Police Commissioner Gordon, who begins to distrust and even fear the new Batman and eventually comes to realize he is not the same man he has known.
All of Jean-Paul's actions are compelled by "The System"; on numerous occasions, he experiences the ghosts of his father and the patriarch Saint Dumas giving him guidance and he is driven to near insanity by the time the saga ends. He repeatedly redesigns his Batman costume, adding more gadgets and lethal weapons, including metal claws, a laser, razor-sharp Batarangs and a flame-thrower. Eventually, he also adds a Bat-symbol, matching the one used for the series' logo. Valley becomes compelled by a desire to be a better Batman than Bruce Wayne, especially when he discovers his lack of interest in detective work caused him to make false assumptions about Catwoman (he thought she would sell a powerful nerve gas to terrorists when she merely wanted to dispose of it so it could not be used to hurt anyone).
His questionable behavior climaxes when he encounters the serial killer Abattoir, who is keeping an innocent prisoner in a secret torture chamber: Jean-Paul purposely lets Abattoir die, thereby condemning the prisoner to death as well. Other villains Jean-Paul faces include Mr. Freeze, the Trigger Twins, Gunbunny & Gunhawk, the Tally Man and Clayface III and IV; the most notable encounters are with Catwoman and the Joker, both of whom could tell Valley was not the original Batman.
"Knightquest: The Search" follows Bruce Wayne and Alfred Pennyworth's search for Jack Drake and Shondra Kinsolving, the father of the current Robin and the physical therapist with whom Bruce Wayne had fallen in love during his rehabilitation sessions respectively. Their investigation leads them to the Caribbean and then Great Britain. Kinsolving's brother-by-adoption Benedict Asp kidnapped her to use her special powers to kill people at a distance. Asp demonstrates this new form of mass murder on a small English village. When Bruce Wayne finds Kinsolving, he finds himself caught in the middle of a telekinetic tug-of-war between Asp and Kinsolving. The battle climaxes with her refocusing her energy to defeat Asp; as a side effect of the energy, Bruce's broken spine becomes healed. However, the drugs forced onto her by Asp, combined with the effects of the fight with Asp, reduce her mind to that of a child as Shondra's traumatised mind regresses to the past to escape her unhappy present, and Wayne reluctantly puts her into a mental institution.
Bruce eventually leaves England to return home to a civilian life in Gotham, but Alfred remains in England, not wanting to see Bruce Wayne damage his body further. He does not return to Gotham until a while later, when Dick Grayson persuades him to do so in later issues.
"KnightsEnd"[edit]
Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham City, battles to reclaim his mantle from Jean-Paul Valley. Artwork for the cover of Batman: Shadow of the Bat vol. 1, 30 (August, 1994 DC Comics).
Art by Brian Stelfreeze.
Jean-Paul Valley sees visions of his dead father, who had programmed him at birth to be a deadly weapon. These visions tell Jean-Paul to avenge his father's death, and Jean-Paul searches Gotham for his father's killer. Though the killer, Carlton LeHah, had already been encountered and defeated (in Batman: Sword of Azrael), Jean-Paul's conditioning had warped his mind to the extent that he no longer remembered the incident. He eventually comes to believe that Penn Selkirk, a Gotham mobster turned weapons dealer who has taken over the remnants of LeHah's organization, is his father's murderer. Valley now spends his time doggedly pursuing him.
Returning to Gotham, Bruce meets with Tim. Even though Jean-Paul disobeyed Bruce's order to refrain from attacking Bane, Bruce is sufficiently impressed with Jean-Paul's results. Bruce decides to retire and allow Jean-Paul to continue as Batman. But when Robin tells Bruce of the circumstances surrounding Abattoir's death, Bruce sneaks into the Batcave and demands that Jean-Paul step down. Jean-Paul refuses and tells Bruce to leave the cave and never come back.
To rehabilitate his skills due to his lost reflexes after so long out of action, Bruce asks the famed assassin Lady Shiva to retrain him (using a mask to conceal his identity and arguing that she will do it for the same reason that she does anything; it might be interesting). Instead, Shiva pits Bruce against several vengeful expert martial artists, having killed their master while wearing a distinctive tengu mask that carries a motif of a bat that she subsequently gives to Batman.[4] Shiva's caveat is that these attacks will continue indefinitely until Bruce Wayne breaks his vow to never kill. Finally, in the midst of an attack by the final martial artist, Bruce feigns using the "Leopard Blow" fatal maneuver Shiva had taught him, leaving his would-be assailant apparently dead. Shiva finally declares him worthy of fighting her at some point in the future, with Bruce only revealing his adversary's survival after her departure.
Now back in fighting shape, Bruce returns to the Batcave and resumes his role as Batman. Along with Robin and Nightwing, he tracks Valley down to Selkirk's penthouse. Coincidentally, Catwoman is chasing the same man because he owns a neural enabler which might allow her paraplegic friend to walk again. Selkirk already wants to kill Jean-Paul for destroying a valuable weapons cache in Gotham Harbor.
When they eventually all meet, mass fighting and gunfire ensue. The battle ends with Selkirk's helicopter crashing into the Gotham Narrows Bridge while Bruce and Jean-Paul fight on the attached Batrope; Jean-Paul falls aflame into the Gotham River. Bruce and Catwoman save Selkirk and his aides just before the helicopter explodes from the leaking fuel, his decision to protect criminals affirming to Catwoman that the true Batman has returned. When Bruce tries to find Jean-Paul using the Batmobile, it explodes due to a planted booby-trap. Nightwing fears Bruce dead and takes his vengeance out on Jean-Paul on a party boat. The police arrive in time to prevent Nightwing from committing murder, but Jean-Paul escapes. However, to his shock, Jean-Paul finds Bruce waiting at Wayne Manor; Bruce had managed to escape the Batmobile before Jean-Paul's trap destroyed it, reasoning that he would have done the same thing with a less dangerous trap.
The final battle of the "Knightfall" saga takes place between Jean-Paul Valley and Bruce Wayne in the caverns surrounding the Batcave below Wayne Manor: rather than beating Jean-Paul at hand-to-hand combat, Bruce outwits him by escaping into a passage too narrow for Jean-Paul to go through in his armor, thus forcing Jean-Paul to remove most of it. Bruce then opens a hatch to the outside, which covered the very hole he fell into as a child,[5] allowing sunlight to enter the night lenses in Jean-Paul's helmet. After being momentarily blinded, Jean-Paul removes his cowl, sees Bruce standing over him in the original Batman costume and concedes defeat, saying "You are the Batman... You've always been the Batman... and I am nothing..." Bruce comforts Jean-Paul, who leaves to wander the streets of Gotham, homeless and destitute. Bruce decides not to take Jean-Paul to the police because it was his decision to make Jean-Paul the Batman, leading to his subsequent breakdown.[4]
"KnightsEnd" was collected into a trade paperback about a year later. Originally released as Batman: KnightsEnd, recent editions retitled it as Knightfall Volume 3.
Aftermath[edit]
"Prodigal"[edit]
Dick Grayson assuming the role of Batman during the "Prodigal" storyline from Batman #513 (Dec. 1994), a homage to Dick's first appearance as Robin in Detective Comics #38 (1940).
Art by Mike Gustovich.
Bruce reaffirms his partnership with Tim, resolving the tension caused by Bruce's unwillingness to accept help during the Arkham prison break. Bruce passes the mantle of Batman to Grayson so he can re-evaluate what it will take to restore his aura of invincibility. This begins the Prodigal storyline, a reference to Dick Grayson essentially being Bruce's prodigal son; Bruce had adopted Dick after his parents were murdered.
Because of the events of the entire arc, considerable time passes before Commissioner Gordon restores his trust in the idea of a Batman working for good. Gordon can tell that he is not looking at the original Batman (based on Jean-Paul's costume and Dick's height, and the fact that Jean-Paul was more than ready to kill people), and he refuses to place blind trust in a costume after spending so long learning to trust the man. "Prodigal" was utilized as a way of tying up the numerous loose ends that "Knightfall" left, with Killer Croc, the Ventriloquist, the Ratcatcher and Two-Face, along with many other, less notorious escaped inmates being returned to prison. In doing so, Dick avenges his worst mistake from his days as Robin, when a mistake in a confrontation with Two-Face caused a man to die and nearly killed Bruce. He also comes to appreciate the incredible physical and mental burden Bruce places on himself in donning the Batsuit. During the story, a firm bond arises between Dick and Tim as they share Wayne Manor together in Bruce's and Alfred's absence.
It is revealed later in "No Man's Land" that Bruce also used this time to set up contingency bases throughout Gotham.
"Troika"[edit]
Batman's costume's debut during "Troika."
When Bruce finally returns for good, he wears a sturdier, all-black Batsuit made of Kevlar (inspired by the costume of the Tim Burton Batman films), and drives a new, state-of-the-art Batmobile. He fights former Soviet agents Colonel Vega (who teamed with Asp in "Knightquest: The Search"), KGBeast, and Dark Rider, in order to foil a plot to nuke Gotham City with a device the size and shape of a baseball. (Troika is the Russian word for "trio".) The saga also shows how Batman makes changes to his life as Bruce Wayne, his relationships with his "family", plans to live without Alfred, and copes with the decision of making Jean-Paul his replacement.
Nightwing: Alfred's Return[edit]
A one-shot that features the return of Alfred after his resignation during "KnightQuest: The Search". It has Nightwing going to England in order to track Alfred down.
Azrael[edit]
Main article: Azrael (comic book)
A new series following Jean-Paul Valley was begun in April 1995, titled Azrael. In it, he is found on the street by Bruce Wayne, and given money to leave Gotham to travel the world and find his purpose as had Bruce. His journeys take him to Europe, where he uncovers conspiracies within the Sacred Order of Saint Dumas which had brainwashed him. Later, he returns to Gotham City to aid Batman, and the series was retitled Azrael: Agent of the Bat at issue 47. The series ended after one hundred issues, with Valley's apparent death. Each issue was written by Dennis O'Neil. Azrael's demise occurred at the same time as the Batman: Hush storyline, which focused on how Bruce Wayne as Batman interacted with his various friends, allies, loved ones, and enemies; oddly enough though, Jean-Paul Valley was neither mentioned, alluded to, or appeared during this time.
"Batman: Legacy"[edit]
This crossover event involves a rematch between Batman and Bane, who is now allied with Ra's al Ghul. It is followed by the one-shot graphic novel Batman: Bane.
"Bough Breaks"[edit]
Batman Annual #22 featured the return of Arnold Etchison (Abbatoir)'s spirit, wishing to take revenge on Batman (specifically, Azrael-Batman) for his death. Now calling himself Etkar, he possesses Azrael's former Batsuit and returns to the site of his own death, with a hostage.
"Angel and the Bane"[edit]
In Azrael issues #36-40, a final thread of the "Knightfall" plot is resolved in the four-part storyline "Angel and the Bane" and its following issue, "Hour of the Quake".
After the events of Batman: Bane, Azrael is tasked by Batman to track down the recently resurfaced Bane. After meeting, the two men struggle, and Bane gets the upper hand with the aid of a small band of Santa Priscan soldiers and his old henchman Bird. He restrains Azrael and injects him with Venom, with the plan of using him as a super soldier to take over Santa Prisca. Azrael is able to resist addiction to the drug and eventually conquers Bane and flies him back to Gotham City. They arrive just as the massive earthquake occurs. Bane attempts escape but is unable; as a last-ditch effort he unsuccessfully tries to convince Azrael to form a partnership. Instead, Azrael reaffirms his dedication to Bruce Wayne.
The cover of issue 37 depicts Bane breaking Azrael over his knee in a recreation of the famous cover of Batman #497, "Knightfall" part 11.
Reading order and release dates[edit]
Each story arc of the "Knightfall" saga ran across a number of Gotham City-related comics. This created a fairly complex reading order, which is summarized below.
Knightfall
Knightquest
KnightsEnd
Aftermath
"Broken Bat"
(Apr-Late July 1993) "The Crusade"
(Oct 1993-June 1994) "The Search"
(Oct 1993-June 1994) (July-Aug 1994) (Nov 1994-Feb 1995)
Batman #491[note 2]
1: Batman #492
2: Detective Comics #659
3: Batman #493
4: Detective Comics #660
5: Batman #494
6: Detective Comics #661
7: Batman #495
8: Detective Comics #662
9: Batman #496
10: Detective Comics #663
11: Batman #497
Detective Comics #667-668
Batman: Shadow of the Bat #19-20
Batman #501-502
Detective Comics #669-670[note 3]
Catwoman #6[note 4]
Batman #503-504
Catwoman #7
Detective Comics #671-673
Batman: Shadow of the Bat #24
Batman #505
Batman: Shadow of the Bat #25
Batman #506-507
Batman: Shadow of the Bat #26-27
Detective Comics #674
Batman #508
Batman: Shadow of the Bat #28
Detective Comics #675
Justice League Task Force #5-6[note 5]
Batman: Shadow of the Bat #21-23[note 5]
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #59-61[note 5]
Robin #7
1: Batman #509
2: Batman: Shadow of the Bat #29
3: Detective Comics #676
4: Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #62
5: Robin #8
6: Catwoman #12
7: Batman #510
8: Batman: Shadow of the Bat #30
9: Detective Comics #677
10: Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #63
Aftermath: Robin #9
Aftermath: Catwoman #13
Showcase '94 #10
"Prodigal"
(Nov 1994-Jan 1995)
1: Batman #512
2: Batman: Shadow of the Bat #32
3: Detective Comics #679
4: Robin #11
5: Batman #513
6: Batman: Shadow of the Bat #33
7: Detective Comics #680
8: Robin #12
9: Batman #514
10: Batman: Shadow of the Bat #34
11: Detective Comics #681
12: Robin #13
"Who Rules the Night"
(Late July-Oct 1993) "Troika"
(Feb 1995)
12: Detective Comics #664
13: Showcase '93 #7
14: Showcase '93 #8
15: Batman #498
Batman: Shadow of the Bat #16-18[note 6]
16: Detective Comics #665
17: Batman #499
18: Detective Comics #666
19: Batman #500
Batman #515
Batman: Shadow of the Bat #35
Detective Comics #682
Robin #14
The following annuals, special issues and guest appearances take place during "Knightquest" with Jean-Paul Valley as Batman, but are not vital to the plot:
Batman Annual #17
Detective Comics Annual #6
Showcase '93 #10
Superman vol. 2 #83
Chain Gang War #6-7, #10-12
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Annual #3
Catwoman #5
Showcase '94 #5-7
Robin #1
Outsiders #7-9
Bloodlines: Bloodbath #1-2
Batman/Punisher: Lake of Fire (this has a direct sequel, Punisher/Batman: Deadly Knights, which takes place during "KnightsEnd" and features Bruce Wayne as Batman)
Batman: Turning Points #4
During his incapacitation, Bruce Wayne appears in:
Justice League Task Force #4
Catwoman #4
Batman #506
Bane and his henchmen appear in Catwoman #1-4, in the lead-up to and aftermath of his defeat by the new Batman.
Influence and legacy[edit]
DC Comics published "Knightfall" around the same time as "The Death of Superman" storyline. "Knightfall" started almost immediately after the "Funeral For a Friend" storyline in the Superman books. During the breakout at Arkham Asylum, Batman and Robin both wear a black arm band with the S-shield engraved on it. The two stories involved DC Comics's most prominent characters. Similar stories followed for Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Green Arrow, with Green Lantern Hal Jordan being driven insane and replaced with Kyle Rayner, a new Wonder Woman being appointed by Hippolyta, Aquaman losing his hand, and Green Arrow dying in a plane crash as his long-lost son took over the role.
In the opening of the novelisation, KnightFall, Dennis O'Neil stated that part of the reason "Knightfall" was written was due to the recent popularity of more "ruthless" heroes such as the Terminator and James Bond in films, as editors were starting to wonder if readers would prefer a Batman who was willing to kill his opponents.
During DC vs. Marvel, Bane attempts to break Captain America's back in a fight in a similar maneuver, but is caught off-guard when Captain America's shield returns to its owner to strike Bane in the back of the head and knock him out.[6]
In the climax to Year One of Injustice: Gods Among Us, Superman confronts Batman in the Batcave as Batman is downloading the formula to a pill that can grant the user superhuman strength and durability, stolen from the Fortress of Solitude. While Superman does not want to kill Batman, he chooses to paralyze him by breaking his back in a similar fashion to Bane (albeit by standing on Batman's back instead of slamming him over his knee as Bane did). This puts Batman out of commission for much of Year Two as he heals.
Reception[edit]
IGN Comics #15 ranked Batman: Knightfall Part One-Broken Bat on a list of the 25 greatest Batman graphic novels, saying: "What makes 'Knightfall, Part One' so memorable is not the actually snapping of Batman's back. It's the quick fall into despair that proves most shocking. The ending is a foregone conclusion as Batman is worn down both physically and mentally. The Batman's spirit is broken before his vertebrae and that's a feat you'll never see accomplished anywhere else."[7]
Continuity[edit]
The bulk of the events in the Knightfall saga are estimated to take place in the tenth or eleventh year of Batman's career by most reckonings, including official DC timelines. It begins within a few months of Tim Drake assuming the role of the third Robin. Dick Grayson's wedding to Starfire occurs very shortly after Bruce Wayne's injury. It is an election year, and Armand Krol is campaigning for re-election as mayor both before and after the story arc.
The initial scenes of the prelude mini-series Batman: Sword of Azrael #1-4 take place during the Gotham City "Founders Day" parade.
A meeting between Selina Kyle and Bruce Wayne on his airplane is explicitly described as the first Post-Crisis out-of-costume interaction between the two.
As the contemporary Batmobile was destroyed in "KnightsEnd", the original Batmobile (with the large hood ornament) was used by Batman and Robin for several issues following. "Knightquest" also introduces Batman's rocket railcar linking the Batcave to the Gotham subway system; it was designed and completed by Harold Allnut after his discovery of the cavern passages in Detective Comics #650 ("The Dragon").
In "KnightsEnd", Jean-Paul Valley references his defeat of Marvel Comics' Jigsaw during the crossover issue Batman/Punisher: Lake of Fire. This is a very rare mention of a character from another company in a non-intercompany capacity, made possible by the insanity of Jean-Paul.
Adaptations[edit]
Novels[edit]
Dennis O'Neil adapted the entire storyline trilogy into a 1994 novel which was released by Warner Books in hardcover form and then in mass paperback later on (Hardcover ISBN 0-553-09673-7, Paperback ISBN 0-553-57260-1). A young adults book version was also released, this one written by Alan Grant and titled Batman: Knightfall and Beyond (ISBN 0-553-48187-8).
Television[edit]
The Flash alluded to Knightfall in the episode "Enter Zoom." The Flash's enemy Zoom overpowers Barry in their battle and breaks his back. He then goes to Central City News and the police department holding Barry's broken body while taunting Central City of his victory similar to what Bane did to Batman. After Zoom escapes, Barry's accelerated healing allows him to heal from his damaged back, although he takes some time to recover from the psychological effects of the beating.
Animation[edit]
The character Bane was quickly added to the roster of villains in Batman: The Animated Series. He appeared in the episode "Bane" as an assassin rather than the mastermind as he was in the comics. He was hired by the mobster Rupert Thorne to eliminate Batman, and in turn by Thorne's moll to eliminate Thorne afterwards. Bane eventually fought Batman on board a boat (where Robin had been kidnapped and tied up), but before he could break his back as he did in the comics, Batman thrusts a crumpled batarang into the controls that inject Bane with Venom. This action caused a rapid and uncontrollable feed into Bane's body before Batman pulls out the tube, stopping a fatal overdose of the drug.
The Knightfall saga was loosely adapted in The Batman episode Traction. In this version, Bane lures the Batman into a trap. Batman overpowers Bane in his normal form, but when Bane unleashed his more bestial side, he severely injures Batman and breaks his back off screen. Believing him to be dead, Bane attempts to take over Gotham City. Three weeks after crippling Batman, Bane goes on a rampage through Gotham and knocks out Detective Ellen Yin. As he prepares to kill her, Batman interferes wearing a new mechanical Batsuit and battles Bane. As Bane attempts to unmask Batman and kill him, Batman uses an electrical wire and knocks out Bane with it.
Film[edit]
In Justice League: Doom, Bane makes reference to the storyline when he confronts Bruce Wayne above his parents' empty graves, stating: "When we fought before, I broke the bat. Today... I break the man."
The Dark Knight Rises is partially based on the "Knightfall" story arc. In it, Alfred resigns as Bruce's butler, Bane releases hundreds of criminals; and when Bane and Batman first meet, Bane brutally defeats and cripples him by striking Batman's back with his knee, mirroring the events of the Knightfall saga.
Video Games[edit]
The video game adaptation of Batman Forever pays homage to the initial confrontation between Batman and Bane. During the final boss battle, The Riddler initially appears wearing a hulking suit of armor (based upon the costume worn during the film's climax) which gives his physique a muscular appearance akin to that of Bane's. As such, Riddler will attack the player with an identical back breaker move to the one seen in Knightfall. However, once the player manages to diminish his health bar, The Riddler's true feeble form will appear, allowing the player to eliminate him with ease.
In the video game Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu Bane breaks into the batcave to challenge Batman. During this fight, if the player is caught by Bane he executes the infamous back breaker.
The famous back-breaking scene was referenced in Batman: Arkham Asylum, where if the player loses the fight with Bane, one of the death scenes shows Bane breaking Batman over his knee. Another reference is where Batman threatens, "No, Bane. This time, I break you!" before knocking Bane down with the Batmobile.
In Lego Batman: The Videogame for the Xbox 360, the achievement Atomic Backbreaker is acquired by using Bane to give Batman the famous back-breaker.
An alternate skin for Bane inspired by "Knightfall" can be unlocked in Injustice: Gods Among Us by rating the mobile app version. Also, Bane's super move is known as "Break the Bat", which involves striking his opponent's back over his knee.
In the video game, Batman: Arkham Origins, exclusive DLC for the PlayStation 3 includes a Batman skin based on the "Knightfall" storyline. It also includes a selection of challenge maps featuring characters and enemies from the storyline. Bane makes reference to "breaking the bat" on a few occasions and in multiplayer, Bane can perform the backbreaker to instantly kill Batman or Robin.
In Batman: Arkham Knight, Azrael appears in a sidequest in which he expresses his interest in becoming Batman's successor (though this is the Michael Lane version), referencing Azrael replacing Batman in the Knightfall storyline. In the game's ending, Batman activates the Knightfall protocol after Scarecrow reveals to the world he's Bruce Wayne. He is supposedly killed when he arrives home and Wayne Manor explodes (though a likely scenario is that he faked his death) and a new Batman emerged protecting Gotham's streets afterwards. Whether this is Bruce or a successor is never shown.
Radio[edit]
Batman: Knightfall
Studio album (radio broadcast)
Released
March 5, 2007 (2007-03-05)
Length
Disc 1: ~80 min
Disc 2: ~60 min
Disc 3: ~80 min
Label
BBC Audio
Producer
Dirk Maggs
In 1994, BBC Radio 1 broadcast a radio-play adaptation, later also released on audio-tape (ISBN 0-563-39520-6) and CD by BBC Audiobooks on March 5, 2007. It was adapted, produced and directed by Dirk Maggs, with music composed by Mark Russell, who had recently made Superman: Doomsday & Beyond on BBC Radio 5. This show, however was not commissioned of its own, but rather to be three-minute episodes on the Mark Goodier Show. This meant it was written with a sense of immediacy; having to make an instant effect and each three-minute segment contains a major plot development or sound effect stunt and end on a cliffhanger. DC acknowledged the effort in an issue Shadow of The Bat by having villains jump past a sign that read Dirk Maggs Radio. The radio-play itself contained similar minor allusions to Batman - the host of a TV show called Chuck Dixon and Dennis O'Neil an author of a book.
"Knightfall" was a sequel to Batman: The Lazarus Syndrome also produced for BBC radio by Dirk Maggs.
Its performers are:
Bob Sessions as Batman
Michael Gough as Alfred Pennyworth
Daniel Marinker as Robin
Peter Marinker as Bane, Jack Drake
Kerry Shale as Jean Paul Valley, The Joker, The Cavalier, Thomas Wayne
William Roberts as Commissioner James Gordon, Amygdala, Carlton LeHa, Tough Tony
Lorelei King as Renee Montoya, Leslie Thompkins, Lady Shiva, Young Bruce, Martha Wayne, Sarah Essen
Eric Meyers as Harvey Bullock, Colonel Vega, Batcave Computer, Joe Chill, Bird, Jeremiah Arkham, Firefly, Nomoz
Michael Roberts as The Ventriloquist, Film Freak, Simpson Flanders, Benedict Asp, Hood
Alibe Parsons as Shondra Kinsolving
James Goode as Nightwing, The Scarecrow
Stuart Milligan as Riddler, Maxie Zeus
Chris Emmett as Mad Hatter
Vincent Marzello as Armand Krol, Abattoir, Mr. Zsasz
Action figures[edit]
In 1994, Kenner released the Legends of Batman action figure collection. This revolved primarily around Elseworlds stories and the modern "Knightfall" era; although it strangely did not include a Bane figure. The collection lasted two series and corresponded with the Superman: Man of Steel figure line based on "The Death of Superman".
In 2006, DC Direct released a series of figures specifically based on the "Knightfall" saga. This included Jean Paul Valley as Batman, Nightwing, Bane, Catwoman, and the unique "Mask of Tengu" Batman figure.
Collected editions[edit]
Part of the storyline has been collected into a few trade paperbacks. Earlier printings of the "Knightfall" books had covers by Kelley Jones were under the "Knightfall" name and book three was under the "Knightsend" name (with this volume featuring a new cover by Graham Nolan and Brian Stelfreeze). These earlier editions also featured the original cover art/DC Comics monthly ads of the storyline as the chapter headings. The later printings of these three books do not have these cover/ads and solely title the three books under the "Knightfall" name with a similar cover dressing design. These new editions have covers by Mike Deodato.
Batman: Knightfall, Part One: Broken Bat (collects Batman vol. 1 #491–497 and Detective Comics vol. 1 #659–663, 272 pages, paperback, September 1993, ISBN 1-56389-142-5)
Batman: Knightfall, Part Two: Who Rules the Night (collects Batman vol. 1 #498–500, Detective Comics vol. 1 #664–666, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #16–18, and stories from Showcase '93 #7–8; 288 pages, paperback, 1993, ISBN 1-56389-148-4)
Batman: Knightfall, Part Three: KnightsEnd (collects Batman vol. 1 #509–510, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #29–30, Detective Comics vol. 1 #676–677, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #62–63, and Catwoman vol. 2 #12; 304 pages, paperback, June 1995, ISBN 1-56389-191-3)
Parts of the Aftermath storyline had been collected in a trade paperback:
Batman: Prodigal (collects Batman vol. 1 #512–514, Detective Comics vol. 1 #679–681, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #32–34, and Robin vol. 4 #11–13; 271 pages, paperback, January 1998, ISBN 1-56389-334-7)
2012 new editions[edit]
Accompanying the release of the movie The Dark Knight Rises in 2012, DC Comics released a new edition of trade paperbacks collecting the Knightfall storyline. While the 1993 editions omitted the complete Knightsquest story arc, the 2012 editions re-release "The Crusade" part of this arc in volume 2, leaving "The Search" part still uncollected. In addition, Bane's back story from the one-shot publication Vengeance of Bane is included in the first volume, providing a proper introduction of the character, and volume 3 sees the "KnightsEnd" and "Prodigal" arcs released in a single volume.
Batman: Knightfall, Vol. 1 (includes all the material collected in 1993s Batman: Knightfall, Part One: Broken Bat and Batman: Knightfall, Part Two: Who Rules the Night with the addition of Vengeance of Bane, 640 pages, paperback 2012, ISBN 978-1401233792)
Batman: Knightfall, Vol. 2: Knightquest (includes Detective Comics vol. 1 #667-675, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #19-20, 24-28, Batman vol. 1 #501-508, Catwoman vol. 2 #6-7 and Robin vol. 4 #7, 656 pages, paperback 2012, ISBN 978-1401235369)
Batman: Knightfall, Vol. 3: KnightsEnd (includes all material collected in 1993s Batman: Knightfall, Part Three: KnightsEnd and 1998s Batman: Prodigal, 652 pages, ISBN 978-1401237219)
2017-2018 Omnibus editions[edit]
Batman: Knightfall Omnibus Vol. 1 (ISBN 978-1401270421) was released in April 2017 in hardcover format, featuring a new cover by artist Kelley Jones. At 960 pages, this edition contains the entire contents of the 2012 edition of Batman: Knightfall, Vol. 1, and in addition also contains several never before re-printed prelude issues to Knightfall. These extra issues include Batman #484-490 and Detective Comics #654-658. Other new features in this edition include a two-page intro written by Doug Moench, a two-page afterword written by Chuck Dixon, a short story from Batman Villains: Secret Files and Origins (1998) titled "Lost Pages: How Bane Infiltrated Wayne Manor", and other various concept art and covers.
Batman: Knightfall Omnibus Vol. 2: Knightquest (ISBN 978-1401274368) was released in hardcover in October 2017. This edition includes "The Crusade", which was included in the 2012 edition Batman: Knightfall, Vol. 2: Knightquest, as well as "The Search", which had never before been reprinted.
Batman: Knightfall Omnibus Vol. 3 - KnightsEnd (ISBN 978-1401278496) is expected to be released in May 2018 in hardcover.
Batman: Prelude to Knightfall (ISBN 978-1401284220) is expected to be released in September 2018 in paperback. It will contain BATMAN: VENGEANCE OF BANE #1, BATMAN #484-491 and DETECTIVE COMICS #654-658.
Notes[edit]
Jump up ^ On the comic book covers, only the third part had its title written in CamelCase.
^ Jump up to: a b Batman #491 was the final prelude issue and therefore not an official part of Knightfall. However, this issue was included in the original trade paperback edition "Broken Bat", as well as the 2012 and 2017 re-printings.
Jump up ^ Detective Comics #670 was mislabeled on its cover as "The Search". It is in fact part of "The Crusade". This was confirmed in the letters page in Detective Comics #674. Per editor Scott Peterson, "we printed the wrong story title on the cover of DETECTIVE #670 (it said "The Search" when it should have said "The Crusade"), and are extremely embarrassed."
Jump up ^ Catwoman #6 was mis-labeled on its cover as "The Search". It is in fact part of "The Crusade". This was confirmed in the letters page in Catwoman #10. Per assistant editor Jordan Gorfinkel, "The banner identifying CATWOMAN #6 as "Knightquest: The Search" was our mistake. The banner should have read "Knightquest: The Crusade", as it did on the cover of CATWOMAN #7."
^ Jump up to: a b c These issues were not included in the 2012 Knightquest trade paperback, but they are included in the 2017 omnibus edition.
Jump up ^ Batman: Shadow of the Bat #16-18 is a non-numbered tie-in story to Knightfall. In both the original trade paperback release as well as the 2012 reissue edition, this story was incorrectly placed between Detective Comics #665 (part 16) and Batman #499 (part 17). This created a problem with the flow of the story, as Knightfall part 16 flows directly into part 17. In the 2017 omnibus edition of Knightfall, the Batman: Shadow of the Bat story is correctly placed after Batman #498 (part 15).
References[edit]
1990s portal
Jump up ^ "The Bat Signal: Peter Milligan". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
^ Jump up to: a b c "An interview with Dennis O' Neil". Knightfallsaga.angelfire.com. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
Jump up ^ Wizard: The Guide to Comics #35 - publication date July 1994
^ Jump up to: a b c Beatty, Scott (2008), "Batman", in Dougall, Alastair, The DC Comics Encyclopedia, London: Dorling Kindersley, pp. 40–44, ISBN 0-7566-4119-5
Jump up ^ depicted in Batman: The Man Who Falls, et al.
Jump up ^ "Secret Wars on Infinite Earths: The Comic Book Fight Club". Secretearths.blogspot.com. 2006-05-22. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
Jump up ^ Yehl, Joshua (2014-04-09). "The 25 Greatest Batman Graphic Novels - IGN". Comics.ign.com. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
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