Tim Drake was little more than a toddler when he attended the circus with his parents. In order to ease his wife's concerns that the circus might frighten Tim, Jack Drake asked to take a picture with the Flying Graysons, who were the starring act. It was here that Tim first met Dick Grayson, who offered Tim special attention, and even promised to dedicate his performance to the toddler. Soon after, Tim and his family bore witness to the murder of Dick's parents John and Mary, alongside Bruce Wayne. As his parents rushed him out of the circus tent, Tim managed to catch sight of the mysterious Batman consoling Dick. Feeling sorry for Dick, Jack and Janet sent him a copy of the photo they had taken prior to the murder. A few years later at the age of nine, Tim saw footage of Batman and Robin apprehending the Penguin. Robin performed a quadruple somersault, a rare maneuver that only a Flying Grayson could do. After learning Grayson was the ward of Bruce Wayne, he came to the conclusion that Grayson was Robin and that of course Wayne was Batman. Tim continued to follow the adventures of the Dynamic Duo, as well as Grayson's becoming Nightwing and Jason Todd succeeding him as Robin. After Jason's death, Timothy began to take notice of a drastic and almost psychotic change in Batman's behaviour, in which he became convinced that Batman needed a Robin to maintain his sanity. When Nightwing left the Titans for a short time in order to find himself, Tim followed him and after helping Dick solve a mystery at Haly's Circus, was able to convince Dick that Batman needed help. However, where Dick intended to help Batman as Nightwing, Tim remained convinced that Batman needed Robin more. Dick ignored these pleas and raced off to help his mentor, only for both Dick and Bruce to be captured by Two-Face. Realizing that his idols were in danger, Tim donned the costume of Robin, at only thirteen years old and with the help of Alfred Pennyworth, was able to rescue them. Batman, although extremely reluctant, accepted Tim as the new Robin on a trial basis after being convinced by the boy, as well as Dick and Alfred. He was trained over several months, first by Alfred, then Batman, and finally Nightwing before ever being allowed to wear the costume again or go into the field. Unfortunately, just prior to completing his training, the ruthless Obeah Man later captured Tim's parents during a trip to the Caribbean. The Obeah man intended to sacrifice them, but Batman arrived to their rescue. Unfortunately, Janet and Jack both drank water laced with poison, and Janet died, while Jack was left in a coma. Batman began to reconsider Tim for the role of Robin, due to his fear that Tim was now motivated by anger, just as Jason had been. Tim, however, became more driven by his desire to do what was right, rather than petty revenge. After later saving Batman and Vicki Vale and defeating the Scarecrow, Bruce at last bestowed upon Tim the mantle of Robin, as well as a new costume. Despite finally getting his heart's desire, Tim had his doubts about becoming the new Robin, but Bruce told him that he had every confidence in him to be his new partner. He also confided in him that he was looking for someone with smarts, not just guts, and Tim had that and more. All that was necessary was that Tim go through intensive training before taking to the streets in Gotham. This would involve a tour overseas, helping Tim understand who he was in addition to learning how to be a great fighter. His first stop would be Paris, where he would learn from Rahul Lama, a Chinese martial arts master. In Paris, Tim crossed paths with some thugs working for King Snake, who was himself being shadowed by Lady Shiva. Shiva actually joined with Robin and a man named Clyde Rawlins (who wanted revenge against Snake for the death of his family) to help take down King Snake's heroin trafficking in the area. Not that Shiva was opposed to it for any moral sake, she simply wished to learn for herself if King Snake was truly as dangerous as rumors made him out to be—a good challenge for her talents. Together they discovered that King Snake was interested in more than just drugs—he was going into the chemical weapons industry, manufacturing his own bubonic plague. They followed the trail to Hong Kong. While there, Shiva trained with Robin some more, and here he first acquired his collapsible fighting staff. King Snake's plan was actually to unleash his plague into Hong Kong so as to leave it a rotting cesspool before the Chinese reclaimed it from the British. The team split up when they breached his lair. Clyde found him first and was quickly killed by Snake. Robin managed to defeat him, but refused to kill him when Shiva ordered him to. He returned to Gotham, ready to take his place alongside the Batman. Tim distinguished himself from Jason Todd by being far more reserved in temperament and from Dick Grayson by being more of a detective and less of a great acrobat. Whereas Dick had been brought up from a very early age to be acrobatic, Tim had to work hard for it. He proved himself more than capable of holding his own in a fight though. However, Batman did have strict orders with Tim—whenever he came across a known killer (such as Joker, Two-Face) he was supposed to withdraw and summon help. Unfortunately, Tim was not quite able to follow Batman's orders, and during one of his first solo-periods in Gotham without Batman, he found himself confronting Jason Todd's killer, the Joker. Having recently escaped from Arkham, Joker managed to use a hacker to cause the city to digitally self-destruct. Forced to handle the situation alone, Robin was made to confront the Joker who became infuriated at the sight of him, thinking that he had actually failed to kill the previous Robin. Upon realizing that this was a new Boy Wonder, Joker swore to kill this one, just as he had done Jason. Unfortunately for Joker, Tim proved more intelligent than Joker thought, and he was soon defeated and returned to Arkham, where he claimed that Robin was his, and his alone to kill. Around this time, Jack Drake came out of his coma, and with some manipulation from Tim, purchased a home right next door to Wayne Manor. This allowed Tim to continue his work as Robin, while also staying close to his father. Unfortunately for Tim, following the loss of his wife and his near-death, Jack's priorities had shifted. Where before he was more concerned with business than his son, Jack now wanted to develop a closer relationship with Tim. Unfortunately, Jack became more and more resentful at Tim and Bruce's close relationship and the fact that Tim would constantly disappear and seem to avoid spending time with him. Soon after, the Russian Mob began cracking down against the King Snake's organization, and once again Robin found himself stuck in the middle. Batman had ordered Tim to stay clear of it, but Tim found himself inadvertently disobeying his orders, upon meeting a young Russian girl named Ariana, whose father had been murdered by the KGBeast. With the aid of Huntress, Robin managed to defeat the King Snake, the Beast, and rescue Ariana who was forced to work in a drug sweatshop after being captured. Ariana would later move in with her aunt and uncle, and then be transferred to Tim's high school where they would soon start dating. Around the this time, the Cluemaster was released from jail, supposedly cured of his need to leave clues for people to track his crimes. However, clues still managed to appear all over the city, causing Batman and Robin to become confused by the supposed odd behavior of Arthur Brown. While attempting to stop Cluemaster, Robin noticed a girl in a purple costume leaving the scene. Assuming that she was an accomplice, Tim took chase and not only caught the girl, but unmasked her, revealing a teenage blond girl. The girl escaped by using Tim's surprise and striking him down with a broken brick. After a quick investigation, Tim realized the girl was Cluemaster's daughter Stephanie Brown, who was not working with her father, but trying to stop him. Calling herself Spoiler, Steph teamed up with Batman and Robin and stopped her father. Tim was in Gotham City when Bane broke open Arkham Asylum, unleashing nearly every inmate into the city, and was the first to suggest to Batman that Bane was responsible. He set out with the Batman at first, and initially they had some good progress, busting up the Mad Hatter's tea party and bringing in a half dozen or so thugs along with him. They got separated, however, as Robin decided to pursue Bird, one of Bane's lackeys, while Batman went after Victor Zsasz. Robin was briefly captured by Bane and Killer Croc, but managed to escape. He then did some detective work regarding Firefly, but a physically and emotionally drained Batman ordered him to stay put in the lair while he took on Firefly by himself. He did, however, get some action when Riddler held a live TV show hostage (although he had a fake bomb) and helped apprehend him. Tim was with Alfred and Jean-Paul Valley when Bane broke Batman's back and threw him from a rooftop in downtown Gotham. They acquired an ambulance and took Bruce back to the Batcave (despite Tim's initial protestations that he should go to a hospital). He contacted Jim Gordon to get some medicine Bruce needed. After that, there was nothing he could do but wait and pray alongside Alfred. Thankfully, Bruce did not die, though when he awoke he was psychologically scarred, as his defeat from Bane on top of months of exhaustion was a major blow to him mentally (in addition to his broken back). Tim could barely stand to watch his mentor so shattered, but he stayed the course, helping Alfred recruit Dr. Shondra Kinsolving to be his personal physician and smashing up the Porsche to explain how Bruce Wayne could have sustained such injuries. Once Bruce was feeling in better spirits, Tim went to talk to him about the escalating violence and gang war in Gotham—someone would have to step in for Bruce until he could recover. Bruce turned down Tim's suggestion to get Nightwing, reasoning that he was his own man now with his own responsibilities, which left the task to Azrael, Jean Paul Valley. Tim gave him the costume and taught him a few of Batman's tricks. Bruce's condition was particularly heartbreaking for Tim, given that his own father was still paralyzed (although Jack had been making remarkable progress; while still wheelchair bound, he had much more feeling and could move his arms a lot better). Robin went out with the new Batman (sometimes referred to by fans as "Az-Bats") on patrol and was dismayed when Jean Paul kept getting more and more aggressive, pushing the edge when it came to defeating criminals. Robin kept trying to remind Jean Paul that there was more to being Batman than just the costume, but Jean Paul had quickly lost himself in his role. Meanwhile, Bruce surmised that since Bane had guessed his secret identity, he may have guessed Tim's, and went to the Drake's manor—too late, for Jack Drake was kidnapped just before he got there. Tim found out that his father was missing when he finally went home (after Jean Paul made it clear that he would not take directions from him). Bruce and Alfred had left Gotham to go search for Jack Drake and Shondra Kinsolving (who had also been taken). Tim kept up the pretense that his father had planned his trip. Tim felt shut out of the team and the Cave by the time Nightwing dropped by. Tim filled him in on the situation, saying that he blamed himself partly for Jean Paul's behavior, as it had been he who had designed his original costume, which was very similar to a villain Bruce had recently defeated. That, combined with "the system", a kind of brainwashing Azrael had undergone, might have been the cause of his recklessness. Nightwing told him not to blame himself. He also admitted he was surprised Bruce hadn't asked him to fill in while he was injured. Robin showed up when Bane and Jean Paul had their second sparring and managed to save the passengers of an elevated train while Az-Bats took down Bane. Much to Tim's relief, Jean Paul did not kill Bane and for a moment considered that perhaps Jean Paul was a worthy successor. During the Genesis crisis, Robin was unable to save a hood who tried to kill him from drowning. Feeling depressed, Robin nevertheless had to head for the front-lines—this time literally. Armstrong was back, this time as the adviser to Ali Ben Khadir, a claimant to the throne of the Karoccan Emirate. His rival was being backed by Qurac. With Nightwing's help and a Waynetech jet, Robin went over to the war-torn country (the conflict was escalating with the appearance of more mercenaries on either side, such as Deadline (whom Robin managed to easily take down). Nightwing managed to stop two armies from clashing outside the capital while Robin penetrated Armstrong's lair. He found that Armstrong and his employer had had a falling out, so the boy was arrested and Robin withdrew. Robin had Nightwing drop him off in France, saying that lately he'd been feeling lost and decided he needed to step back for a while. He thought Paris was the right place to start, since his training had never really ended there. Knowing that Rahul Llama was dead, Tim decided to train in the course of the Iron Master, although he remained in his identity as Robin. He stopped a former student from stealing from the master and also met a girl named Dava Sborscs. The girl was there to learn a single move to add to her arsenal of lethal moves. She wanted to be able to fight in the war that was destroying her native country of Transbelvia. After she left, Lady Shiva arrived looking for her. Robin had to withdraw, leaving the Iron Master to fight her alone, and she killed him. King Snake was also involved again, this time selling weapons to Transbelvia. Robin went after Dava to warn her about Shiva. Back in Gotham, Jack Drake, Ariana, and Spoiler were all wondering what had happened to Tim. Robin found Dava, a rebel fighting against the oppressive regime, and she has a secret—a special chemical called Aramilla that allows her to move at super-speed. Together, they easily took down some military thugs—but then Shiva turned up. Not willing to step aside and let her murder Dava, Robin attacked. Not even Shiva could stand up to Robin moving at super-speed. Losing control, Robin beat her to death—just in time for King Snake to saunter in. While Dava fought King Snake and his minions, Robin performed CPR and managed to revive Shiva—unfortunately, she had absorbed some of the Aramilla, and at super-speed she took down all of King Snake's men and went after him herself. Robin left them to fight each other and brought an injured Dava to safety. But the war continued, and Robin decided it was finally time to return home. Unfortunately, on the flight home, Gotham City was struck by the Cataclysm, a massive earthquake that leveled most of the city. Robin joined with Batman and the rest of the "family," overwhelmed at the near total destruction of the entire city. There was little that Robin could do in such chaos, and Batman had him stay out of most of the city. Luckily, the Drake home, in one of the outer neighboring communities, suffered only minor damages and they were able to repair it. During the Aftershock, Ariana and Stephanie were both staying in a shelter with their families. Stephanie asked Robin to retrieve her costume, worried someone would steal it and learn her secret. Cluemaster was waiting there, but Robin took him down and turned him in to the National Guard. Unable to be with Ariana for a long period of time, Robin began spending more and more time with Spoiler, causing Robin to realize that he did care for her. However, before taking their new relationship too far, Tim decided that he to break things off with Ariana rather than keep leading her on (the pair had been allowed to date again shortly before). Fortunately, Ariana felt exactly the same way about a breakup, although stating it was because they were too young to be so serious. Tim would later run into Ariana during an awkward meeting upon Tim's later return from Keystone City. At this same time, Robin also became one of the charter members of Young Justice alongside Superboy and Impulse. Despite Superboy's protests, Robin immediately became the team's unofficial leader, due primarily because of his training from Batman. Robin and Spoiler got along well—she didn't pry any about his real identity, and he could share being Robin with her. However, after their first real date, Steph told him that she was pregnant. Robin was not the guilty party (he was not even a suspect)--she was actually about two months along—but he stood by her. Disguised as Alvin Draper, he went to Lamaze classes and told her that she had to give up being Spoiler until after the baby was born. Later, Robin had to save his friends Ives and Hudson from Steeljacket. At school, a friend of Tim's was found dead in the woods and two bullies were suspected of killing him. While Tim initially believed they were innocent, he soon found evidence of their guilt, which lead to their arrest. With all of Gotham in ruins, Jack Drake decided the family should relocate from Gotham Heights for a while. He decided to move to Keystone City along with Dana, who was transferred there. When they arrived, Robin teamed up with the Flash (Wally West) to take on the Riddler and Captain Boomerang. They also got some help from Superman to stop a bomb threat. While they were in Keystone, Stephanie went into labor (earlier than expected) and needed a C-section. Flash got Robin back to Gotham in time for him to come to the hospital and see her before the baby was born just as he promised her. The baby (later revealed to be a girl) was born and Stephanie gave the child up for adoption as planned. Jack was furious with his son for apparently running home to Gotham—but admitted that he had hated Keystone and that he wanted to come back. Robin even managed help Shotgun Smith take down three monstrous thugs who held hostage an emergency room. Now that he had returned, it was time for Robin to help with No Man's Land. Recalled to Gotham City by Batman, Robin and Nightwing had to crawl through an extensive system of tunnels and underground chambers, as the bridges were all down and patrols kept them from going over the river. They had a tussle with Tommy Mangles and Gearhead, but Nightwing easily defeated them and got into the city. Robin was depressed by what he saw—despair and desperation, people fighting to just survive. Batman put Robin to work immediately, ordering him to track down a cache of food from an old shelter. Robin found it—and discovered the Ratcatcher there. Robin had to flee the Ratcatcher and his legions of rats—though a combination of rat bites and exposure to sewage gave him a fever. He managed to stay it off with some antibiotics he brought, and was found by a group of children known as the Wolflings, including a kid Robin knew from his school who was calling himself Aragoth. The Wolflings decided to find the stores, and Robin was too sick to follow them at first. The kids found it, but unfortunately so did the Ratcatcher—and so did Mister Freeze. Robin managed to defeat both Freeze and Ratcatcher, arranging for them to be arrested. Batman was impressed with Robin's actions. Robin did not have much time to recover, however, as he knew Batman and the others were fighting for their lives. Robin was captured by Killer Croc, who was planning an all out battle with Penguin and his police allies. Alfred helped free Robin and he rallied with Bullock and Penguin to defeat Croc. He then had to make the hard decision to call his father and tell him that he was in Gotham—and there was no way out. Jack made a lot of noise, and Washington took notice. Federal agents were ordered to stage a rescue. Tim was told to come to Grant Park to be pulled out. The rescue site turned into a firefight, but Tim was successfully lifted out with some help from the new Batgirl. Jack decided to enlist his son in Brentwood Academy, a private high school not too far from home. Because of all his absences, Jack also insisted that Tim board at the school. His first roommate was Ali Ben Khadir, the religious leader of a small country called Dhabar. Ali had a bodyguard, Zugir. Thankfully, Bruce assigned Alfred to be his personal valet for the rest of the semester. Tim decided life at the school wasn't so bad—he still got to see Spoiler and created a new hi-tech skateboard. There were some people who had been transformed into Man-Bat like creatures that warranted investigating. With help from Nightwing, he learned that the bats were Kirk and Francine Langstrom and their child. He had to ask Jason Bard for help. Bard had been entrusted with a serum by Man-Bat years ago. The serum worked on the parents, but the child was born in his condition. Much like Dick Grayson, Tim Drake has allied himself with the other superheroes in his age demographic. He mostly worked with only the Gotham City heroes, but on occasion joins forces with heroes such as Superman, the Flash, Superboy (who became Tim's best friend) and Impulse. During one adventure where a pre-teen boy was given god-like powers, Robin, Superboy and Impulse joined forces to defeat him. The boys work so well together that they created their own team of heroes called Young Justice. Robin acted as the leader of the team (with Red Tornado acting as team mentor) until the Imperiex War. Due to the team's age, the then President Lex Luthor refused to let teen heroes on the frontline of the war. As such, Young Justice was forced to play the role of a space mobile medical team, collecting injured heroes. During one of their missions, the group crashed onto Apokolips, where they would later be captured and tortured. Robin discovered during those events that over half the team, Superboy, Wonder Girl, Impulse and Cissie King-Jones (formerly Arrowette), no longer trusted him. The cause of the new mistrust came after the Justice League discovered that Batman kept contingency plans on them in case they ever went rogue. As a result, the younger heroes begin to wonder if Robin, who had still not revealed his true identity and kept most of himself hidden, might also have plans to defeat or even kill them. Secret, who has deep feelings for Robin, along with new members Empress and Lil' Lobo, however, remained trusting of Robin and side with him. Still, feeling hurt and unable to be a proper leader when only half the team trusted him, as well as strained by assorted other problems in his personal life, Robin quit the team temporarily. Tim rejoined the team after having to go up against Bedlam a second time, during which his secret identity is revealed to his teammates. However, upon his return the team refused to give him back the mantle of leader, and decided instead to elect their leader this time around. Tim lost to Wonder Girl, however the team continued to look at Tim as its tactical expert, aiding Wonder Girl, in leadership, similar to Batman's own position in the JLA. Unwilling to quit Young Justice a second time, Tim takes on the identity of "Mister Sarcastic" at a point where Young Justice agree to be become reality TV stars. Soon after, Secret is turned evil by Darkseid and it is Tim (not Robin) who manages to save the world by reminding Greta of her humanity. Soon after Young Justice and the Titans were approached by a company offering to support their super-heroic teams. Before anything could happen however, the team was attacked by a cyborg from the future, who then turned on a robotic Superman in an effort to save itself. The Superman Robot was out of control and while trying to shut it down, Donna Troy and Omen were murdered. Young Justice disbanded soon after, as did the Titans, both of who felt broken following the losses of Donna and Lilith. Cyborg, Starfire and Beast Boy brought Robin, Superboy, Wonder Girl and Impulse (later known as Kid Flash) together to form the new Teen Titans. While Cyborg took the lead, Robin was often seen as the leader of the younger members, even going against the direct orders of the elder Titans. In the "Titans Tomorrow" storyline, Tim encountered his future self in the identity of Batman after his mentor died in a crisis. This future happened despite his repeated statement that he did not want to be the next Batman, and is rather content being Robin. In this timeline, Tim was now the leader of the future Titans with himself as Batman. After Bruce Wayne's death, Tim has the Titans take control of the entire West Coast. He orders any rebellions to be put down by Dark Raven absorbing the people's free will and hope. He even hunts down most of Batman's Rogue's gallery and kills them with the handgun that was used to kill Thomas and Martha Wayne. As he explained to his younger self, "It took me years to do it." He even began a relationship with Bettie Kane, who became his partner, Batwoman. He later killed her during an argument; wracked with guilt, he makes a deal with Ra's al Ghul to restore her using the Lazarus Pit. Once revived, however, she joined the Titans East (led by an older version of Cyborg) and opposed him and his team. His latest victim before the younger Teen Titans show up was Duela Dent, the Joker's daughter, whom he apparently murdered out of revenge for the death of assorted people including Cassandra Cain and Alfred Pennyworth. Abilties: Martial Arts Master: Tim has been trained by Batman and assorted other martial artist in a wide assortment of martial arts disciplines. Although he has not mastered near as many fighting styles as his mentors, he has managed to use the training given to be considered a highly skilled combatant. He is very proficient in the use of the Bo staff. Escapologist: Batman and Nightwing have trained Red Robin to be skilled in escaping from any trap, lock or captivity, ranging from the most simplistic of handcuffs to the most elaborate of cages. Gifted Intellect: His naturally high intellect allows him to excel in computer science and more importantly as a skilled detective. Further more, Tim apparently has a firm grasp of assorted scientific techniques including biology, engineering and genetics, which he has been shown to use in his attempts at re-cloning Superboy. Batman states that Tim could potentially be smarter and better than himself. The Batman has trained him in many disciplines, such as forensic, criminology, acrobatics, stealth, disguise, and escapology. Master Detective: Tim is highly analytical, able to perceive and interpret the most minor of clues. His skills were so advanced that at the age of 13 he was able to deduce the identities of Batman and Robin. Master Tactician and Strategist: Tim is a brilliant and experienced strategist with impressive leadership skills, having served as leader to the Teen Titans, Young Justice, and even being placed in charge of the rescue efforts of Blüdhaven by Superman, following the attack made by Deathstroke and his fellow villains. In recent times, he has managed to orchestrate the unified control of the Gotham Street Gangs, thus reducing the threats they pose to the city. Red Robin Costume: With Damian now assuming the role as the fifth Robin, Tim adopted the full uniform of Red Robin. This costume seems to contain a mixture of both Tim's old Robin uniforms, as well as Batman's. The uniform is comprised of black leggings and boots, a red tunic similar to that of Dick Grayson's old Robin tunic, though lacking the 'R' emblem. He wears a utility belt, again similar to the one worn by Dick Grayson while as Robin, only of a slightly larger size. He then has a chest harness, that is connected by the Red Robin symbol. Finally, he wears a black cowl and cape. Rather than using throwing stars or batarangs like before, Tim now uses Red Robin throwing disks. He does, however, continue to use his collapsible bo-staff as his primary weapon. Red Robin Costume 2: With a few minor alterations by Alfred, Tim begins patrolling with a new version of the Red Robin costume. The hip-flaps are replaced with a more streamlined look and the heavy leather is replaced (or at least lessened). Tim returns to a utility belt more like his previous Robin costume (arguably more Batman-esque, as well, ditching the thin rod-canisters in favour of the metal, square "pouch"-style). It seems, if the cover of Red Robin 13 is anything to go off of, that Tim has developed a sort of Red Robin-branded batarang of his own to replace the throwing disks. Transportation: Tim's first vehicle was the Redbird car. It is capable of morphing between a highly armored combat-vehicle and a normal-looking car. As both Robin and Red Robin, Tim has driven different versions of a Robin-themed motorcycle. With the disappearance of Batman, Robin has also begun using the Batmobile. Robin Weapons: "R" shurikens, Batarangs, extendible staff given to him by Lady Shiva. He also often uses a sling. Red Robin Weapons: Red Robin emblem throwing disks, collapsible bo-staff, grappling hooks.

The Bat-Family is a network of crimefighters who operate in and around Gotham City. Nearly all members trained directly under Bruce Wayne. These include the Birds of Prey who operate out of the Clock Tower and the the Belfry. The group usually are seen interacting with one another and assisting in each other's cases in their respective series. When a new vigilante emerges in the city Batman deduces their identity relatively quickly. Although some members occasionally resent Batman’s intrusion into their lives, all respect him as a legend within the superhero community and rarely challenge his authority. Most of the members also have a strong rapport with the Dark Knight due to their long and close relationships with him over the years, and consider him a close friend as well as ally. In a 2002 storyline in which Bruce Wayne, Batman’s secret identity, is accused of murder, Batman's friends gather to prove his innocence. It has also been implied through Batman's history that this network serves as a surrogate family for Batman and keeps him from slipping too far into his ruthless vigilante persona. Members: 1. Bruce Wayne / Batman (leader) 2. Cassandra Cain / Orphan / Batgirl 3. Claire Clover / Gotham Girl 4. Barbara Gordon / Batgirl / Oracle 5. Selina Kyle / Catwoman 6. Helena Bertinelli / Huntress 7. Julia Pennyworth 8. Duke Thomas / Robin / Lark / The Signal 9. Damian Wayne / Robin 10. Stephanie Brown / Spoiler / Batgirl 11. Henry "Hank" Clover Jr. / Gotham (deceased) 12. Timothy "Tim" Drake / Robin / Red Robin 13. Richard "Dick" Grayson / Robin / Nightwing / Batman / Agent 37 14. Lucas "Luke" Fox / Batwing 15. Katherine "Kate" Kane / Batwoman 16. Basil Karlo / Clayface (retired after faking his own death) 17. Alfred Pennyworth 18. Harper Row / Bluebird (retired) 19. Jason Todd / Robin / Red Hood 20. Jean-Paul Valley / Azrael 21. David Zavimbe / Batwings 22. Minhkhoa "Khoa" Khan / Ghost-Maker 23. Harleen Quinzel / Harley Quinn 24. Ace the Dog / Bat-Hound 25. Haley the Dog / Bitewing 26. Titus / Bat-Hound 27. Alfred the Cat 28. Bat-Cow 29. Jerry the Turkey 30. Lucy the Monkey 31. Goliath 32. Wiggles the Dragon 33. Jarro / Robin

The Batcave is the secret headquarters of Batman and the extended Bat-Family, consisting of a series of subterranean caves beneath Wayne Manor. The most prominent tool in the Batcave is its famous Central Computer Console, used daily by Batman to research and solve crimes. Discovered and used long before by Bruce Wayne's ancestors as a storehouse as well as a means of transporting escaped slaves during the Civil War era, Wayne himself rediscovered them when he fell through a dilapidated well on his estate. Much like Superman's Fortress of Solitude, the Batcave serves as a place of privacy and tranquility where Batman can be himself. Upon his initial foray into crime-fighting, Wayne used the caves as a sanctum and to store his then-minimal equipment. As time went on, Wayne found the place ideal to create a stronghold for his war against crime and has incorporated a plethora of equipment as well as expanding the cave for specific uses. The cave is accessible in several ways. It can be reached through a secret door in Wayne Manor itself, which is located in the main study, behind a grandfather clock. The panel unlocks when the hands of the clock are set to the time that Bruce Wayne's parents were murdered: 10:48. Alternately, the study entrance has been shown to be behind a bookcase which slides to the side when a secret button is pushed, revealing the "Bat-Poles," which allow Bruce Wayne and his ward to change into their Batman and Robin costumes en route as they slide down to the cave. There is also an entrance under Bruce Wayne's chair in his office in Wayne Enterprises, as shown in Batman Forever. In Batman Begins the cave is accessible through a secret door disguised as part of a large display case and unlocked by pressing a sequence of keys on the nearby piano. Another secret entrance, covered by a hologram or a camouflaged door, allows access to a service road for the Batmobile. Another alternate entrance is a dry well- which was actually the hole that Bruce fell into when he originally discovered the cave as a child- highlighted especially during the Knightfall storyline. At one point, Tim Drake and Dick Grayson use the dry well to get into the cave, which they had been locked out of by Jean-Paul Valley during his time as Batman, with Bruce using it himself during his final confrontation with Valley to force Valley to remove his armour in the confined space. The Batcave serves as Batman's command center, where he monitors all crisis points in Gotham and the world. All variations of the Batcave are linked up the Dupin supercomputer system. The cave's centerpiece is a large monitor and keyboard console. Dupin's specs are on par with any of those used by leading national security agencies; it permits global surveillance and also connects to a massive information network as well as storing vast amounts of information, both on Batman's foes and his allies. A series of satellite link-ups allows easy access to Batman's information network anywhere in the globe. The systems are protected against unauthorized access, and any attempt to breach this security immediately sends an alert to Batman or Oracle. Despite the power of Batman's computers, the JLA Watchtower is known to have more powerful computers (composed of Kryptonian, Thanagarian and Martian technology), and Batman does occasionally use them if he feels his computers are not up to the task; on occasion, he also consults Oracle for assistance. It is usually operated by Alfred Pennyworth while the Bat-Family are out on a mission. The Batcave also has a collection of ancient armor due to Batman's study of military history. It includes outfits worn by European Knights, Desert nomads, and Samurai warriors throughout the centuries. Additionally, the cave contains state of the art facilities such as: crime lab, various specialized laboratories, mechanized workshops, personal gymnasium, a vast library, parking, docking and hangar space (as appropriate) for his various vehicles as well as separate exits for the various types, trophies of past cases, a large bat colony, and a Justice League teleporter. It also has medical facilities as well as various areas used in training exercises for Batman and his allies. The cave houses Batman's vast array of specialized vehicles, foremost being the famous Batmobile in all its incarnations (mostly for nostalgia as well as for contingencies, as all are serviceable and in excellent working condition). Batman keeps a fleet of regular cars of various models and utility vehicles such as an ambulance as well when the Batmobile would be too conspicuous for a mission. Other vehicles within the complex include various motorcycles, and various air and watercraft such as The Batplane, a single occupant supersonic jet. Another vehicle found in the Batcave is the subway rocket, first used during the time when Jean Paul Valley was substituting for Bruce Wayne after Bane had broken his back. It let Batman get into Gotham City very fast, and could electronically clear a path via the Gotham Rail system. The cave is sometimes powered by a nuclear reactor, but most often by a hydro-electric generator. Batman later incorporated safeguards against earthquakes and even nuclear catastrophe, outfitting the cave as a virtual bomb shelter or an enhanced panic room. It is rumored that the world's last Lazarus Pit was constructed inside the Batcave, although the validity of this claim is suspect. Memorabilia: Three memorabilia items often seen in the cave are a defunct full-size mechanical Tyrannosaurus Rex, an equally large U.S. penny and a Joker playing card. The T. Rex comes from an adventure on "Dinosaur Island"; the penny was originally a trophy from Batman's encounter with a penny-obsessed villain named the Penny Plunderer. Other "keepsakes" in the cave include Two-Face's original coin, Deathstroke's sword, the shroud of the Mad Monk, a collection of Penguin's deadly umbrellas, a Joker laughing fish, one of Harley Quinn's popguns, a Scarface dummy, Bane's mask and Venom tank, Mad Hatter's top hat, the Red Hood's domed helmet and original costume, Maxie Zeus's lightning weapon, and an over-sized collection of bowling ten-pins. There is also a glass case display of Jason Todd's Robin costume as a memorial to him, with the epitaph "A Good Soldier." Barbara Gordon's Batgirl costume also remains on display. Following his death at the hands of The Heretic, Damian Wayne's costume always remains on display.

Wayne Manor is the stately residence of billionaire Bruce Wayne, secretly Batman. Under all the expensive china and bookcases, it also serves to hide the massive underground cave used as Batman's base of operations, the Batcave. The Wayne family has owned the property since the 19th century, but construction was abandoned after Joshua Wayne died. Jonah Hex held criminal cabals on the grounds. Alan Wayne decided to fully construct a mansion on the acreage. While playing on the property, Bruce fell through rotting wood covering an old well that drew water from the cave. Injured and feeling vulnerable, he was quickly frightened by the bats that had been sleeping there. This was a highly traumatic for Bruce Wayne, he was only comforted by his mother Martha after Dr. Thomas Wayne scolded him for being foolish. When Bruce first returned to the mansion, he kept his small crime lab in his father's study. After the Window Bat appeared to him there he decided it was time to return to the cave he fell into as a child. After exploring the cave with Alfred he realized it was the perfect place to hide his vigilante equipment. Bruce Wayne decided to vacate the property after his ward left for college. Bruce and Alfred moved into a penthouse apartment on top of the Wayne Foundation Building in the heart of the city, which also included a secret sub-basement acting as a Batcave. Wayne returned to his ancestral home in 1982 (Detective Comics #513) over a decade later. During the events of Batman: Cataclysm a massive earthquake struck Gotham City, the epicenter of which was less than a mile from Wayne Manor. The mansion was seriously damaged, as was the cave network beneath. The ground beneath the mansion shifted significantly, and actually revealed the Batcave below. The original Manor was damaged beyond repair, forcing Bruce Wayne to redesign the Manor along with the Batcave. The new Manor is a veritable fortress, a pastiche of Gothic architecture combined with features of castellated architecture. Solar panels are installed in the new Manor, providing environmentally-friendly electricity generation for the complex. It also includes a heliport for commercial helicopters. Following the events of Arkham Asylum's collapse in Batman Eternal #29, Wayne Manor was donated by Bruce Wayne to replace the institution in Arkham Manor #1. After reconstruction, the Manor was renamed "Arkham Manor" and began housing the Arkham Inmates. The doctors note that Arkham Manor is even more secure than the original Asylum. The entrance to the Batcave was sealed off with a wall of cement to prevent anyone from discovering or accessing the Batcave. Bruce Wayne has extensive library and spends much his spare time here to collect his thoughts. This is where a large bat flew threw a window, inspiring his bat-uniform. The Manor grounds include an extensive subterranean cave system that Bruce Wayne discovered as a boy and later used as his base of operations as Batman, the Batcave. The method used to access it has varied across the different storylines in the comics, movies, and shows. In the comic books, it is typically accessible from a hidden door in Wayne Manor's study behind a non-functioning grandfather clock, which opens to a descending staircase when the hands on said clock are turned to 10:47 p.m., the time Thomas and Martha Wayne were killed. The grounds also include a large hill that was partially hollowed out for Batman's aerial vehicles, and there is also an underground river system that is large enough to accommodate docking space for the Batboat and has a large opening for the boat and has a water fall. The Bat-Plane was originally kept underground and was brought to the surface by a winch apparatus,

Park Row, later called Crime Alley, is a historical landmark in Gotham City and was rather infamous for being the location where Bruce Wayne's parents Thomas and Martha were murdered, which started off Bruce's career as Batman. The area on the northern Gotham island that now comprises Park Row and the Bowery was originally called Logerquist's Acres in the 17th century. Gotham City's founder Captain Jon Logerquist maintained farmland here in the years before his death. However, Logerquist's farmstead was eventually burned by British forces when he refused to pay his taxes. According to an urban legend in Gotham City, the area is cursed and the ghost of Logerquist still lingers in the Bowery and Park Row. This story persists to this day, even though occult investigator Dr. Terrence Thirteen has claimed to have debunked the myth. Originally a ghetto street in downtown Gotham, Park Row gained its glory after thirty years. The glamour of its heyday was changed to poverty, and the street was commonly referred to as Crime Alley. One of the first residents was Leslie Thompkins, who lived there from the start. The Park Row Tragedy, as the newspapers called it, was a pivotal point in the life of Bruce Wayne. A robber named Joe Chill murdered Thomas and Martha Wayne in front of their eight year old son, Bruce after they had left the Monarch Theatre. Chill was first arrested the very same night after he murdered Thomas and Martha after he fled the scene. While the GCPD investigated, Dr. Leslie Thompkins looked after young Bruce, and the two remained friends after. Bruce Wayne used his influence to keep the street preserved during the rebuilding of Gotham, and made it the only part of the present-day Gotham City that remained. Bruce visited Crime Alley and placed flowers on the ground where his parents were shot. Roland Daggett, director of the Daggett Development Corporation, considered Crime Alley a breeding ground for crime, and tried endlessly to get it demolished and replaced with a mini-mall. As the legal roads proved unsuccessful, Daggett sent his henchmen to evict the residents, and hired Nitro to place explosives on an old gas pipe. The plan was, however, thwarted by Batman. Only several already condemned planned demolition buildings were destroyed, while the SRO Hotel, where there were still people, remained undamaged. Crime Alley was the location where Batman first met Jason Todd, when he attempted to steal the tires from the Batmobile. That was also where Dr. Leslie Thompkins maintained her clinic, and where Batman battled Superman in Frank Miller's graphic novel, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. Park Row was also part of Arkham City, and the memory flashdrive that Catwoman stole before she was captured by Two-Face contained information on Crime Alley, or rather, Park Row.

Gotham City is the hometown of Batman and the Bat-Family. Though it first appeared in Detective Comics #27, it was first identified by Bill Finger in Batman #4 (Winter 1940). Often depicted to be on the East Seaboard of the United States, Gotham has changed depiction, including with the city geography and architecture. From the Bronze Age of Comics, Gotham's politics has often been depicted as having heavy ties to organized crime and corruption. Gotham itself has become a major location in the DC Universe, with many characters like Superman, Swamp Thing, Green Lanterns and the JLA visiting the city on occasions. In Swamp Thing #52, Alan Moore established that Gotham City was founded in 1635 by Captain Jon Logerquist.[1] Other writers have generally followed this backstory for Gotham City. According to the regular version of this story, Jon Logerquist was a Swedish mercenary who served the Swedish Empire during the Thirty Years' War and fought in the Battle of Nördlingen in Swabia. In order to flee the religious wars that were raging throughout Europe, Logerquist and a small group of colonists decided to pursue a new life in North America, where they established a settlement on the East Coast in 1635. Captain Logerquist named the territory Fort Adolphus after Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus, who had died in the Battle of Lützen a few years earlier. Fort Adolphus along with New Netherland was later ceded to the British in 1674 and English General Adam Howe took over as governor. Howe then renamed the settlement Gotham City. To an extent, this mirrors the history of many American cities that changed hands over the course of time. During the American Revolutionary War, Gotham City was the site of a major battle and rumors held it to be the site of various occult rites. Shadowpact #5 by Bill Willingham expands upon Gotham's occult heritage by depicting a being who has slept for 40,000 years beneath the land upon which Gotham City was built. Strega, the being's servant, says that the "dark and often cursed character" of the city was influenced by the being who now uses the name "Doctor Gotham." Many storylines have added more events to Gotham's history, and at the same time affecting the city and its people greatly. Perhaps the greatest in impact was a long set of serial storylines, which started with Ra's Al Ghul releasing a debilitating virus called the "Clench" during the "Contagion" storyline. As that arc wrapped the city was beginning to recover only to suffer an earthquake described as being 7.6 on the Richter Scale in "Cataclysm". This resulted in the federal government cutting Gotham off from the rest of the United States in "No Man's Land." This trio of storylines allowed writers the freedom to redefine the nature and mood of the city. The result suggested a harder city with a more resilient, resourceful, and cynical populace; a more dramatic and varied architecture; and more writing possibilities by attributing new locales to the rebuilding of the city. Before Detective Comics #48, Batman's adventures were said to happen in New York City. Gotham is known to be architecturally modeled after New York City, but with exaggerated elements of the styles and derives its name from a sobriquet for that real world city, first popularized by the author Washington Irving in his satirical work Salmagundi (1807). Prior to that the term "Gotham" had been used to refer to places with foolish inhabitants since as early as the mid-15th century. The existence of Gotham, Nottinghamshire in the DC Universe was acknowledged in Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #206 (and again in 52 #27), although the connection between two names within the DCU has not been fully explained. In a story titled 'Cityscape' in Batman Chronicles #6 it is revealed that Gotham was initially built for the purpose of housing the criminally insane, and Robin reads a journal that tells of how Gotham got its name; "I even have a name for it. We could call it 'Gotham' after a village in England - where, according to common belief, all are bereft of their wits. The name "Gotham City" is generally associated with Batman and DC Comics, although it also appears in the first Mr. Scarlet story by France Herron and Jack Kirby from Wow Comics #1. Kirby historian Greg Theakston notes that this was published December 13, 1940, shortly before Detective Comics #48 was published. In terms of atmosphere, Batman writer and editor Dennis O'Neil has said that, figuratively, "Batman's Gotham City is Manhattan below Fourteenth Street at eleven minutes past midnight on the coldest night in November." Gotham City's atmosphere took on a lighter tone in the comics of the 1950s and part of the 1960s, similar to the tone of Batman stories of that era. However, by the early 1970s the tone of the city, as well as that of the stories, had become grittier. In recent decades, the portrayal of Gotham has been as a dark and foreboding place rife with crime, grime, and corruption. Different artists have depicted Gotham in different ways. But they often base their interpretations on various real architectural periods and styles, with exaggerated characteristics, such as massively multi-tiered flying buttresses on cathedrals, or the huge Art Deco and Art Nouveau statuary seen in Tim Burton's movie version. Within the Batman mythos, the person cited as being influential in promoting the unique architecture of Gotham City during the pre-American Civil War era was Judge Solomon Wayne, Bruce Wayne's ancestor. His campaign to reform Gotham came to a head when he met a young architect named Cyrus Pinkney. Wayne commissioned Pinkney to design and to build the first "Gotham Style" structures in what became as the center of the city's financial district. The "Gotham Style" idea of the writers matches parts of the Gothic Revival in style and timing. In a 1992 storyline, a man obsessed with Pinkney's architecture blew up several Gotham buildings in order to reveal the Pinkney structures they had hidden; the editorial purpose behind this was to transform the city depicted in the comics to resemble the designs created by Nigel Phelps for the 1989 Batman film. After "No Man's Land", Lex Luthor took the challenge of rebuilding Gotham City after the events of "Cataclysm". Gotham's old Art-deco and Gothic structures were replaced with modern glass skyscrapers and buildings. A common theme in stories set in Gotham is the rampant and recurring corruption within the city's civil authorities and infrastructure, most notably within the Gotham City Police Department. During stories set early in Batman's career (most notably "Batman: Year One"), Commissioner Gillian B. Loeb was depicted as having his hands in many pockets. However, Batman found evidence for conspiracy charges, forcing Loeb to resign his position. Later stories depicted subsequent commissioners as also being corruptible, or open to various forms of influence. In other stories, Batman has had to take on crooked cops, either acting in collusion with supervillains, working for the mob, or on their own. Later stories, featuring James Gordon as the new Commissioner, show the two characters often uniting to purge corruption from the force. Gordon was the commissioner for about 9 to 10 years of continuity, then retired, handing the police force over to his replacement, Commissioner Akins. Recent stories have returned Gordon to the position of Commissioner. Gotham has a wide variety of sports teams; like their baseball teams, the Gotham Knights and the Gotham Griffins, their basketball team, the Gotham Guardsmen, their football team the Gotham Wildcats and their ice hockey team, the Gotham Blades. The Gotham Knights baseball team colors are black and gold like the Knights football team. The Griffins team colors are dark green and white. In The Dark Knight Rises directed by Christopher Nolan, several Pittsburgh Steelers players portray the fictional Gotham City football team, the Gotham Rogues. In The Batman, there is a different, or possibly an additional, basketball team called the Gotham Gators. Gotham City's geography, like other fictional cities' geographies in the DC Universe, has varied over the decades, because of changing writers, editors and storylines. At various times the depiction has Gotham on the shores of "Lake Gotham". The majority of appearances, however, place Gotham on the eastern coast of the United States. Maps shown in various comics have depicted the city in different places. Many of the maps directly use Manhattan, Vancouver, and other real coastlines as their basis, while others are completely original. One map showing Gotham City in relation to Metropolis, the home of Superman, published in New Adventures of Superboy #22 (October 1981), placed Gotham City and Metropolis on opposite sides of a large bay. In Swamp Thing vol. 2, #53 (October 1986) the geography of Rhode Island was the basis of another map of Gotham City. The current definitive maps of Gotham City are those based on the ones produced for the "No Man's Land" story arc. The distance between Gotham City and Metropolis has varied over the years, ranging everywhere from being hundreds of miles apart to being twin cities on opposite sides of a large bay. Blüdhaven, a city that for several years was home to Nightwing, is located near Gotham City. Additionally, the Seven Soldiers of Victory series Klarion the Witch Boy, calls New York City the "Cinderella City", referring to nearby Metropolis and Gotham as its "ugly step-sisters". One older theory was proposed by Mark Gruenwald, who later went on to be a major writer/editor at Marvel Comics, and published in the 1970s in the DC house fanzine, The Amazing World of DC Comics in an issue dedicated to the Justice League. Gruenwald suggested that Gotham City is located somewhere in the state of New Jersey while Metropolis is located in close vicinity to Washington, D.C. Man-Bat #3 refers to Gotham City being in the Central Time Zone. In Nightwing #153, when Dick Grayson moved back to Gotham City from New York City via commuter train, it was revealed that the travel time by train was six hours, while the same trip via air shuttle between the two cities was only 40 minutes. According to the Planetary/Batman one-shot, a Gotham City also exists in the Wildstorm universe. It is similar to its DC Universecounterpart, but is not usually home to costumed vigilantes. In Captain Atom: Armageddon Gotham City does not exist in the Wildstorm universe. The Atlas of the DC Universe, published in 1990 by Mayfair Games Inc. as a supplement to the DC Heroes role-playing game (under license from DC Comics), places Gotham City in southern New Jersey (and Metropolis in Delaware). This source, never officially recognized by DC Comics, has since been contradicted with regards to other locations. A Gotham City driver's licence shown in Batman: Shadow of the Bat annual #1, contains the line "Gotham City, NJ", placing Gotham City in New Jersey. Detective Comics #503 (June 1983) includes several references suggesting Gotham City is in or near New Jersey. A location on the Jersey Shore is described as "twenty miles north of Gotham." Robin and Batgirl drive from a "secret New Jersey airfield" to Gotham City and then drive on the "Hudson County Highway." Hudson County is the name of an actual New Jersey county. Many comic book series and characters are set in Gotham. The most notable characters are Batman and Robin. Some of the most prominent characters directly connected to Batman whose adventures are set in Gotham are Nightwing, Huntress, Barbara Gordon and most recently Batwoman. Other DC characters have also depicted to be living in Gotham, including Jason Blood, Ragman, The Question, Plastic Man, Zatara and Zatanna, and Tommy Monaghan, the anti-hero Hitman. The superhero teams Section 8 and the Justice Society of America are also shown operating in Gotham City. Within the DC Universe continuity, Batman is not the first hero in Gotham. Stories featuring Alan Scott, the Golden Age Green Lantern, set before and during World War II depict Scott living in Gotham, and later depictions[5] show him running his Gotham Broadcasting Corporation. Additionally, the Justice Society of America and the Golden Age Black Canary have been depicted as operating in Gotham. Black Canary's daughter, the Modern Age Black Canary, is based in Gotham through much of the Birds of Prey series. Arella (formerly Angela Roth), a supporting character in Teen Titans and mother of Titan member Raven, is shown in flashback to have resided in Gotham City as a teenager. Apart from Gotham's superhero residents, the residents of the city feature in a back-up series in Detective Comics called "Tales of Gotham City" and in two limited series called Gotham Nights. Additionally, the Gotham City Police Department is the focus of the series Gotham Central. Ace Chemical Processing Plant — The factory where a costumed criminal named the Red Hood fell into a vat of chemicals and became the Joker, in Alan Moore's Batman: The Killing Joke. Amusement Mile — An amusement park in Gotham, lined with ferriswheels, rollercoasters, and other attractions typical of a theme park. Blackgate Penitentiary — The city’s main prison, located on Blackgate Isle. Batman: The Long Halloween suggests that it was preceded by Gotham Penitentiary. The Bowery — Described in the comics as Gotham City's worst neighborhood. Bordered by Crime Alley to the north, The Bowery is home to Crown Point, a smaller inner-district ridden with crime, homelessness, and prostitution. Brentwood Academy — A privately run high school once attended by Tim Drake during Chuck Dixon's tenure as writer of Robin vol. 2. Burnley — A district located north of Sprang River that is connected with Mercey Island via the Schwartz Bypass. Named for writer Jack Burnley. The Cauldron — An area known for organized crime. The Irish Mob runs most of The Cauldron and it is home to some of the most prestigious hitmen in the city, per Hitman by Garth Ennis and John McCrea. The Clocktower — A tower in central Gotham which at one time contained the secret headquarters of Barbara Gordon, for her activities as Oracle. The "War Games" storyline shows the destruction of the Clocktower. Chinatown — Gotham's primary Asian district. Crime Alley — A small side street, located in the East End, formally "Park Row." It is a dangerous, crime-infested area. This is where Joe Chill killed Thomas and Martha Wayne in front of their young son, Bruce, after the family had visited a cinema. In addition, this is the location where Batman first met Jason Todd, when the youth attempted to steal the tires from the Batmobile. This is also where Doctor Leslie Thompkins maintains her clinic, and where Batman battles Superman in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. Diamond District — An area run by the Penguin during the No Man's Land series. East End — An underdeveloped part of Gotham laden with poverty, crime, prostitution, and the circulation of illegal drugs. Some writers occasionally blend the East End together with Crime Alley as a single area in the city. In the Catwoman series, especially volume 3, Catwoman takes an active interest in protecting this area. Falcone Penthouse — This was the home of Carmine Falcone before Two-Face killed him. This was also the place where Batman first encountered Catwoman, and first faced Two-Face, all of this in Batman: The Long Halloween. Fashion District — An area run by the Penguin during the No Man's Land series. Finnigan's — A bar popular with uniformed police officers in Gotham. Gotham County High School — A public high school once attended by Tim Drake. Gotham Docks — This is the city's harbor. Among other stories, the harbor figures in Batman: The Long Halloween as the place the coroner's body is found. Gotham Heights — An affluent area also known as "Bristol" and/or "Crest Hill", due to mutual proximity of the three neighborhoods. This is where Wayne Manor is located. Gotham Square — A central area of the city resembling New York City's Times Square. Gotham Village — In 1970s comics this was a bohemian area, based on New York City's Greenwich Village. Grand Avenue — The city's main theatre district based on New York City's Broadway. The Iceberg Lounge — A nightclub in the city center operated by the Penguin. Killinger's Department Store — A large department store similar to Macy's in New York. Mercey Island — An island in the northern part of Gotham City that is home to Arkham Asylum and the D'Angelo Sewage Treatment Plant. Monarch Playing Card Co. — The playing card factory adjacent to Ace Chemical Processing that the Red Hood was attempting to rob before encountering the Batman and fleeing. My Alibi — An underworld bar in the city center. The Narrows — A run-down part of Gotham City that is located on a small island surrounded by the Finger River. The Gotham Narrows were originally created for the Nolanverse, but later incorporated into the regular comic continuity during the New 52 era. New Town- An area in which during the No Man's Land series, was the district operated by the Ventriloquist and his puppet Scarface. Old Gotham — The Gotham district more well known for the location of Oracle's Clock Tower and the GCPD headquarters. Park Row— The place where the Solomon Wayne Courthouse is located. Plant Factory — The place where Batman first fought Poison Ivy during his first year of operation. It apparently burned to the ground by the end of the battle. Robinson Park — The city’s main park. During "No Man's Land," Poison Ivy claimed this area as her own. Named for 1940s Batman artist and Joker co-creator Jerry Robinson. The Stacked Deck — A seedy nightclub where the most notorious criminals in Gotham go to hide out sometimes. The Statue of Justice — Also known as "Lady Gotham," this is a monument situated off shore of the city and modeled loosely on the Statue of Liberty in New York. It varies in that the figure has a blindfold over her eyes, and a sword and scales in her outstretched hands. Slaughter Swamp — Just outside Gotham, this swamp 'birthed' Solomon Grundy, a frequent villain to Alan Scott. Sullivan Island — A small island off the coast of Old Gotham that is connected with Downtown Gotham City via two bridges. It is sometimes also known as Elsa Island. Tricorner — An island at the southwest corner of Gotham City. It is home to the Tricorner Yards. Toxic Acres — An abandoned neighborhood of newly built houses, unsuitable for habitation due to its proximity to a toxic waste dump. To prevent illness, those entering or staying in the area need to use gas masks or take antivenin. At one-time Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn used the area as a hideout. Wayne Manor — Also referred to as "Wayne Mansion" or "Stately Wayne Manor," this is the mansion estate of Bruce Wayne, and the location of the Batcave. Wayne Tower — This is the headquarters of Wayne Enterprises, located at the corner of Finger and Broome Streets. Named for comic creators Bill Finger and John Broome.

Batman is a crimefighter operating in Gotham City, he serves as its protector, using the symbol of a bat to strike fear into the hearts of criminals. Unlike other superheroes, Batman is often depicted to lack any "superpowers", instead using lifelong training and equipment to fight crime. His secret identity is Bruce Wayne, a rich playboy and philanthropist who swore to fight crime after witnessing his parents' brutal murder. He has served as a member of various teams, including the Justice League, the Justice Society of America, and the Outsiders. Batman is also the founder and leader of various teams, including the Bat-Family, Batmen of All Nations and Batman Incorporated. He also goes by numerous nicknames, including "The Dark Knight", "the Caped Crusader", "World's Greatest Detective" and the "Defender of Gotham". Bruce Wayne is born to Dr. Thomas Wayne and his wife Martha Kane, two very wealthy and charitable socialites from Gotham City. Bruce was brought up in the wealthy splendor of Wayne Manor and leads a happy and privileged existence until roughly the age of eight. While returning home one night, his parents were killed by a small-time criminal named Joe Chill. After the incident, Bruce swears an oath to rid the city of the evil that had taken his parents' lives. As he grows up, Bruce engages in intense intellectual and physical training. He also travels abroad, training in various martial arts, fields of science, criminology, and detective skills. After returning to Gotham, Bruce realizes that these skills alone would not be enough. "Criminals are a superstitious and cowardly lot", Wayne remarks, "so my disguise must be able to strike terror into their hearts. I must be a creature of the night, black, terrible..." As if responding to his desires, a bat suddenly flies through the window, inspiring Bruce to assume the persona of Batman. In the early strips, Batman's career as a vigilante initially earns him the ire of the police. He initially operates alone, using only street contacts and circumstantial allies in his investigations. Batman also comes into conflict with various criminals, including a mad scientist Doctor Death, a vampire called the Monk, and a criminal mastermind Professor Hugo Strange. During this period Wayne was engaged to actress Julie Madison, though this is called off after several encounters with the serial killer Clayface. After witnessing the murders of circus acrobats called the Flying Graysons, Wayne takes in the couple's son Dick Grayson. The boy quickly joined him in his crusade as his sidekick Robin to help capture the criminal responsible for his parents' murder. Shortly afterward, Batman comes into contact with costumed criminals like Joker and Catwoman, who begin taking over the criminal underworld in Gotham. Batman also becomes a founding member of the Justice Society of America, although he, like Superman, is an honorary member and thus only participates occasionally. Batman's relationship with the law thaws quickly, and he is made an honorary member of the Gotham City Police Department by its commissioner, James Gordon. During this time, butler Alfred Pennyworth arrives at Wayne Manor and after deducing the Dynamic Duo's secret identities joins their service. During 1956, the main continuity for DC moved to Earth-One after the introduction of the second Flash, Barry Allen. Though Batman's past and adventures remain the same, many elements are reinterpreted, including his upbringing by uncle Philip Wayne and a history operating as the original Robin whilst under the guidance of Harvey Harris. Despite these, Batman and Robin retain similar tones to their late-Golden Age stories, though begin taking on enemies and criminals who utilize more fantastical gimmicks or advanced inventions. During it, the duo adopt a pet called Ace, who joins their crusade as "Bat-Hound", and begins receiving help from fellow vigilante Batwoman. This, along with additions of Bat-Mite and Bat-Girl, lead to the formation of the Bat-Family. Batman meets and regularly works with other heroes during the Silver Age, most notably Superman, whom he began regularly working alongside in a series of team-ups in World's Finest Comics, starting in 1954 and continuing through the series' cancellation in 1986. Batman and Superman are usually depicted as close friends. Batman becomes a founding member of the Justice League of America, appearing in its first story in 1960s Brave and the Bold #28. In the 1970s and 1980s, Brave and the Bold became a Batman title, in which Batman teams up with a different DC Universe superhero each month. In 1969, Dick Grayson attends college as part of DC Comics' effort to revise the Batman comics. Additionally, Batman also moves from Wayne Manor into a penthouse apartment atop the Wayne Foundation building in downtown Gotham City, in order to be closer to Gotham City's crime. Batman spends the 1970s and early 1980s mainly working solo, with occasional team-ups with Robin and/or Batgirl. Batman's adventures also become somewhat darker and more grim during this period, depicting increasingly violent crimes, including the first appearance (since the early Golden Age) of an insane, murderous Joker, and the arrival of Ra's Al Ghul. In the 1980s, Dick Grayson becomes Nightwing. In the final issue of Brave and the Bold in 1983, Batman quits the Justice League and forms a new group called the Outsiders. He serves as the team's leader until Batman and the Outsiders #32 (1986) and the comic subsequently changed its title. After the 12-issue limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC Comics rebooted the stories of some major characters in an attempt at updating them for contemporary audiences. Frank Miller retold Batman's origin in the storyline Year One from Batman #404-407, which emphasizes a grittier tone in the character. Though the Earth-Two Batman is erased from history, many stories of Batman's Silver Age/Earth-One career (along with an amount of Golden Age ones) remain canonical in the post-Crisis universe, with his origins remaining the same in essence, despite alteration. For example, Gotham's police are mostly corrupt, setting up further need for Batman's existence. While Dick Grayson's past remains much the same, the history of Jason Todd, the second Robin, is altered, turning the boy into the orphan son of a petty crook, who tries to steal the tires from the Batmobile. Also removed is the guardian Phillip Wayne, leaving young Bruce to be raised by Alfred. Additionally, Batman is no longer a founding member of the Justice League of America, although he becomes leader for a short time of a new incarnation of the team launched in 1987. To help fill in the revised back story for Batman following Crisis, DC launched a new Batman title called Legends of the Dark Knight in 1989 and has published various miniseries and one-shot stories since then that largely take place during the "Year One" period. Various stories from Jeph Loeb and Matt Wagner also touch upon this era. In 1988's "Batman: A Death in the Family" storyline from Batman #426-429 Jason Todd, the second Robin, is killed by the Joker. Subsequently, Batman takes an even darker, often excessive approach to his crime-fighting. Batman works solo until the decade's close, when Tim Drake becomes the new Robin. In 2005 writers resurrected the Jason Todd character and pitted him against his former mentor. Many of the major Batman storylines since the 1990s have been inter-title crossovers that run for a number of issues. In 1993, the same year that DC published the "Death of Superman" storyline, the publisher released the "Knightfall" storyline. In the storyline's first phase, the new villain Bane paralyzes Batman, leading Wayne to ask Azrael to take on the role. After the end of "Knightfall", the storylines split in two directions, following both the Azrael-Batman's adventures, and Bruce Wayne's quest to become Batman once more. The story arcs realign in "KnightsEnd", as Azrael becomes increasingly violent and is defeated by a healed Bruce Wayne. Wayne hands the Batman mantle to Dick Grayson (then Nightwing) for an interim period, while Wayne trains to return to his role as Batman. 1994's company-wide crossover Zero Hour changes aspects of DC continuity again, including those of Batman. Noteworthy among these changes is that the general populace and the criminal element now considers Batman an urban legend rather than a known force. Similarly, the Waynes' killer is never caught or identified, effectively removing Joe Chill from the new continuity, rendering stories such as "Year Two" non-canon. Batman once again becomes a member of the Justice League during Grant Morrison's 1996 relaunch of the series, titled JLA. While Batman contributes greatly to many of the team's successes, the Justice League is largely uninvolved as Batman and Gotham City face catastrophe in the decade's closing crossover arc. In 1998's "Cataclysm" storyline, Gotham City is devastated by an earthquake. Deprived of many of his technological resources, Batman fights to reclaim the city from legions of gangs during 1999's "No Man's Land." While Lex Luthor rebuilds Gotham at the end of the "No Man's Land" storyline, he then frames Bruce Wayne for murder in the "Bruce Wayne: Murderer?" and "Bruce Wayne: Fugitive" story arcs; Wayne is eventually acquitted. DC's 2005 limited series Identity Crisis, reveals that JLA member Zatanna had edited Batman's memories, leading to his deep loss of trust in the rest of the superhero community. Batman later creates the Brother I satellite surveillance system to watch over the other heroes. Its eventual co-opting by Maxwell Lord is one of the main events that leads to the Infinite Crisis miniseries, which again restructures DC continuity. In Infinite Crisis, #7, Alexander Luthor, Jr. mentions that in the newly-rewritten history of the "New Earth", created in the previous issue, the murderer of Martha and Thomas Wayne - again, Joe Chill - was captured, thus undoing the retcon created after Zero Hour. Batman and a team of superheroes destroy Brother Eye and the OMACs. Following Infinite Crisis, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, and Tim Drake retrace the steps Bruce had taken when he originally left Gotham City, to "rebuild Batman". In the "Face the Face" storyline, Batman and Robin return to Gotham City after their year-long absence. At the end of the story arc, Bruce adopts Tim as his son. The follow-up story arc in Batman, "Batman & Son", introduces Damian Wayne, who is Batman's son with Talia al Ghul. Batman, along with Superman and Wonder Woman, reforms the Justice League in the new Justice League of America series, and is leading the newest incarnation of the Outsiders. Batman was involved in a battle with Dr. Simon Hurt and the "Black Glove," a criminal organization dedicated to corrupting virtue, as they attempted to destroy Batman and everything for which he stands. Using a mixture of physical and psychological attacks, the Black Glove tests Batman's resolve, forcing him to temporarily adopt the crazed persona of the "Batman of Zur-En-Arrh." He is then led to Arkham Asylum to face the Joker. Seemingly defeated, Batman is buried alive by the Black Glove, a group that includes Bruce Wayne's girlfriend, Jezebel Jet, who has betrayed him. With the assistance of Robin and Nightwing, he turns the tables on his foes. In a final confrontation with Dr. Hurt, Batman is caught in a helicopter crash. The storyline concludes with both Batman's fate and the true identity of Dr. Hurt still up in the air. Hurt himself repeatedly claimed to be Thomas Wayne throughout the story, while Batman apparently believed him to be Mangrove Pierce, a crazed actor. In Final Crisis #6, Batman confronts Darkseid in the villain's bunker. He states that he will make an exception to his "no firearms" rule and shoots Darkseid using the bullet that killed Orion and hits Darkseid. As Darkseid dies he fires the Omega Sanction (which traps its victim's soul in a series of alternate lives, each worse than the one before it), from his eyes, and hits Batman. Before the Omega Sanction hits Batman he silently says, "Gotcha". It is unknown if ' Batman knew Darkseid shot the Omega sanction or he knew it was coming and accepted his fate. (Morrison notes that Batman's use of the gun is symbolic as “the root of the Batman mythos is the gun and the bullet that created Batman. So, Batman himself is finally standing there to complete that big mythical circle and to have the image of Batman up against the actual personification of evil and now he's got the gun and he's got the bullet. It seemed to me to work.") At the close of the penultimate issue in the series, Superman returns to Earth from the 31st century, where he was given access to the reality-altering Miracle Machine by Brainiac 5 of the Legion of Super-Heroes. In a fit of desperate rage, Superman attacks Darkseid's bunker, finding Batman's charred corpse within. The Dark Knight is seemingly dead. However, the Omega Sanction does not kill its victims: instead, it sends their consciousness traveling through parallel worlds, and at the conclusion of Final Crisis, it is made clear that this is the fate that has befallen the still-living Batman, as he watches the passing of Anthro in the distant past. For the most part, Batman's family and friends come to believe that Bruce Wayne is indeed dead. The only exception to this is Bruce's adopted son Tim Drake, who believes firmly that Bruce is still alive. After having the Robin identity taken from him by Dick Grayson, the new Batman, and giving it to Bruce's son, Damian, Tim takes on the identity of Red Robin, and begins searching the world for signs that Bruce Wayne is still alive. While searching in Baghdad, Tim finds a wall painting of the Bat emblem that was painted by Bruce upon the passing of Anthro. Tim realizes that Bruce is not dead, but rather lost in time. In Blackest Night, the villain Black Hand is seen digging up Bruce Wayne's body, stealing his skull, and recruiting it into the Black Lantern Corps. Deadman, whose body has also become a Black Lantern, rushes to aid the new Batman and Robin, along with Red Robin against the Gotham villains who have been reanimated as Black Lanterns, as well as their own family members. The skull was briefly reanimated as a Black Lantern, reconstructing a body in the process by Black Hand's lord, Nekron, to move against the Justice League and the Titans. After the Black Lantern Batman created several black power rings to attach to and kill the majority of the Justice League, the skull was returned to normal after Nekron explained it served its purpose as an emotional tether. Nekron also referred to the skull as "Bruce Wayne", knowing that the body was not authentic. In Batman and Robin's third storyline, "Blackest Knight," it is revealed that the body left behind at the end of Final Crisis #6 was actually a clone created from a failed attempt by Darkseid to amass an army of Batmen. Because of this, the skull that was used by the Black Lantern Corps and reanimated by Nekron was a fake. Dick Grayson, thinking it was Bruce Wayne's real body, attempted to resurrect it in a Lazarus Pit only to be met with a fierce, mindless combatant. He then realized the truth about the body. It is revealed in the Final Crisis that Bruce Wayne is not dead, but in fact, lost in time and amnesiac. Maintaining a presence in Gotham, Bruce would be sent to Paleolithic era, the Puritan witch-hunting era, the 17 century, the Wild West days, the years he grew up in, and finally the far future. During these travels, Bruce fights an early Vandal Savage, investigates a murder under the guise of a witch-hunter, fights the dreaded pirate Blackbeard, and arranged the meeting of his ancestors Alan Wayne and Catherin Van Derm. During these encounters, Bruce was chased by Darkseid's Hyper-Adapter, which had been sent following him as a fallback plan to wipe out the present-day Earth. After an encounter with the Black Glove in the days following his parents' murder, Bruce gained access to Professor Carter Nichols' time machine and used it to travel to the End of the Universe. Upon arrival, Bruce's memories returned to him, during which he realized Darkseid had simply used his Omega Beams to banish him through time intentionally. Each time jump built up Omega Energy that would have destroyed Earth when he returned to the present day. Having mitigated the plan with the time jump, Bruce was rescued by Superman, Rip Hunter, Green Lantern, and Tim (now using the alias Red Robin). Merging with both the Hyper-Adapter and the robotic Architects, he returns within the Time Bubble so that the Justice League can remove the creature and throw it into the time stream. To remove the Omega Energy, Bruce goes into a medically induced coma. During this, he is offered a chance to embrace the Anti-Life Equation by Darkseid, though he refuses. Upon waking, Bruce decides to not only return to Gotham but to spread Batman's operations outside of Gotham City. Upon his return, Bruce Wayne goes public with the news that he has been funding his crusade the entire time, though does not inform Gotham that he is Batman. Sharing the identity with Dick (who had taken it whilst he was "dead"), Batman sets out to create a worldwide crime-fighting organization known as Batman Incorporated. The idea behind the organization is that each country or region will have its own specific Batman that will be funded by Bruce Wayne and his business empire. After a confrontation with the Legion of Doom, Batman learned that a legion of assassins had been sent to Gotham and were targeting Catwoman, Penguin, and Riddler. After defeating most of the group, he learned that they and the Joker had been involved with a master criminal called the Designer. Believed dead after a meeting gone wrong, Batman learned that he'd planned schemes for the villains that had been abandoned after his death. Whilst Catwoman attempted to stop her plans to steal his fortune, Batman defeated Deathstroke and stopped Riddler's scheme. Tracking down "the Designer", Batman realized too late that these were actually a larger scheme by the Joker to steal his fortune and turn it against him. As Joker used the acquired resources to wage an endless war against Gotham's civil citizens and law enforcement organizations, Batman confronted his new sidekick Punchline, during which he was injected with a new toxin. Joker also used the Designer's gas to resurrect the bodies of all his victims, using them to attack him. Physically and mentally drained from the fight, Batman was rescued by Harley Quinn, who helped him purge Punchline's toxins from his body. Whilst recovering, Bruce resolved to become a better Batman by living within and operating within Gotham, rather than outside of it. After subduing Punchline, Batman contacted the rest of the Bat Family to help defeat Joker's forces. In the aftermath of Joker's attacks, Batman donated his fortune to Lucius Fox and his family. He later abandoned Wayne Manor to set up operations within Gotham's Fort Graye neighborhood. During his early days, Batman learned that a Joker survivor called Bao Pham had become the murderous vigilante Clownhunter and that his former friend Ghost-Maker. After confronting the duo, he managed to convince them to help operate in Gotham City. Sometime later, Batman learned from the Teen Titans that Damian had begun killing criminals. After stopping him from killing KGBeast, his son abandoned the Robin identity and left Gotham. Following the Infinite Frontier event, Batman learns of a new criminal conspiracy led by the Scarecrow, leading him to seek out the Unsanity Collective. However, his focus on these lead to the Magistrate and Simon Saint to take over the city, using Peacekeepers to take over law enforcement. With the help of the Batman Family, the Dark Knight is able to defeat Scarecrow and disband the organization. In the aftermath, he helps clear the names of Batman Incorporated after they are implicated in a murder, during which he learns Lex Luthor has become their financer. After defeating both him and the Abyss, Batman gives the team's leadership to Ghost-Maker and helps foil an escape from Arkham Tower. He also reconnects with Damian and Talia whilst solving Ra's al Ghul's murder by a Deathstroke impersonator. After being framed for murder by the Penguin, Batman comes into conflict with the robot Failsafe: a countermeasure created by the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh following the Tower of Babel incident. During their final confrontation, Batman is transported to an alternate reality ruled by Red Mask, an alternate version of the Joker who has been experimenting with the multiverse. Since this reality's Bruce Wayne died, he becomes the "Bat-Man" of this reality to overthrow Red Mask's regime, working alongside alternate versions of allies such as Alfred and Selina. Batman also loses his right hand during a fight with an alternate Ghost-Maker. After overthrowing Red Mask's regime, Batman chases after him in the Multiverse and defeats him with the assistance of other versions of himself. After being recovered by Tim, Batman helps the Justice League defeat Insomnia, though the effects place him into a coma due to the amount of stress on his body. After awakening from it, he come into conflict with Catwoman due to her usage of criminals to steal from Gotham's wealthy and reduce white-collar crime. Batman, in most of his incarnations, is a dark and brooding hero with a personal vendetta against crime and injustice. Psychologically traumatized by the death of his parents, Batman has sworn to rid Gotham from the criminal elements that took his parents away from him. He is extremely pessimistic and suspicious, which often makes it difficult for him to trust people other than Alfred, Commissioner Gordon, Lucius Fox, the Robins, or the Batgirls. Despite this, Batman has proved to have a great love for humanity, which was instilled by his parents. His father was a doctor, while his mother was a crusader against child abuse. Indeed, Batman's oath of vengeance is tempered with the greater ideal of justice. He refrains from killing, as he feels this would not make him any better than the criminals he fights. He is also a very prominent member of the Justice League and the founder of the Outsiders. To protect his secret identity, Batman has constructed a fake persona he can use in his civilian identity. To the world at large, Bruce Wayne is a self-absorbed, irresponsible playboy and philanthropist. Only his closest allies know that this attitude is just an act. It's implied that he also considers Batman his true identity and that his civilian identity was essentially an alter ego as a result of having to watch his parents be gunned down. Throughout the years, Bruce Wayne's family has often changed, with members either appearing, being added, and retconned both in and out of continuity. Despite this, it is widely regarded that he has two different families: the biological Wayne Family and the surrogate Bat-Family. The two most important figures of the Wayne family are Bruce's parents Thomas and Martha Wayne, whose murder served as the main factor that inspired activities as Batman. However, their charitable activities has also inspired him to use him to continue such causes, often to ensure he can improve the living conditions of Gotham's citizens. Several other members of the Wayne Family have also appeared over the years, such as his uncle Philip Wayne, aunt Agatha Wayne, various cousins such as Van Wayne, and propertied brothers like Thomas Wayne, Jr. and Lincoln March. The Waynes also share a vast history with Gotham City and the wider world of the DC Universe. Though his mother, Bruce's maternal family includes the Kanes, whose members have included various members tied to Gotham's past. After DC's restructuring in the Post-Crisis continuities, Alfred Pennyworth's relationship has changed from serving just as his butler to also being Bruce's surrogate father and legal guardian. Through this, Bruce has become linked to the Pennyworth family, including Alfred's daughter Julia. Likewise, the Batman Family itself is widely considered part of Batman's surrogate family, Bruce adopted and served as a paternal figure to several members of the Batman family (such as Dick Grayson, Lance Bruner, Jason Todd, Cassandra Cain, Tim Drake, and Duke Thomas) or tied to him via family relations (Kathy Kane, Bette Kane and Kate Kane). Among his protégés are Barbara Gordon, Helena Bertinelli, Stephanie Brown, Carrie Kelley, Hank Clover and Claire Clover. Through relationships with several women, Bruce has had children, notably Helena Wayne, Echo, Bruce Wayne, Jr. and Aion (with Selina Kyle / Catwoman) and Tallant Wayne, Damian Wayne and Athanasia (with Talia). Sometimes this is due to scientific methods, such as the Damian clone, Heretic, and (in some continuities) Terry McGinnis / Batman Beyond and his brother Matt. Many of his children have also started crime-fighting activities, often alongside him or when he is unable to assume the identity of Batman. Some continuities also stated that Bruce will have descendants through them or through other children, many of whom will become Batmen or Batwomen of the future.