Bane cheated right?

Hi all, how is everyone?

I'm sorry if this topic is already covered somewhere. I done a search, albeit not a very thorough one, to see if my following question has been covered on the Batman threads but I only got so far before I gave up and decided to post this...So here goes...

"Broken Bat", the storyline where a bunch of Arkham Asylum inmates are broken free by Bane and his henchmen, is a story that has always bothered me. I have always felt that Bane "cheated" to defeat Batman and put him in a wheelchair. I was disappointed to see Batman defeated, even though it was a ploy at the time by DC Comics to see how fans reacted to their super hero's being defeated for the first time ever in history (remember just before Batman they did it to the guy with the big red 'S' on his chest?)

For me, I felt that Bane purposely weakened Batman by freeing the AA inmates (makes em sound like alcoholics eh?) True Bane did it to "study" his foe, but if Bane is as clever as he seems, he would not need to free any inmates, but just follow Batman around and study him in action.

I'm looking for cop outs for Bruce's defeat. But somehow the rematch did nothing for me. Bane didn't have his vemon to pump him up, Bruce was not weakened by a fever/illness he had been carrying around for some time. So do others agree Batman would have defeated Bane had Bruce not been feeling under pressure/stress/strain? Do you agree the only way Bane could win was by facing a weakened Bat? Or was Bruce defeated fairly?

Either way, the story, no matter how disheartening it was, was a very good storyline.

P.S. X-Menfan2003 - I got your message, cheers mate! Tried to email you back but it wouldn't let me.

yeah but i think also Batman was not getting any sleep and he was veryyyyyyyy weak form capturing the villians form Arkham and you have to remember these villians were good most of them took alot out of the BAT.

But i liked the way he got better thay was throught pure will power amazing 🙂

Bane released the prisoners for the purpose of wearing down the Batman. That's not cheating, because cheating implies there's an honorable way to do something. Bane set out to defeat the Batman to make a name for himself in the United States. There's no other way to accomplish this other than to force batman into a corner, since Batman would never fight him in a duel. He's a brilliant strategist, that's all.

indeed

Whoa, that's me told!!!

Bane did not cheat. If were going to talk about cheating, what about Hush? He manipulated all of Batman's villians, so didn't he cheat? I don't think a villian can actually cheat when it comes to coming up with a major plan. Releasing the inmates of Arkam was smart, way smarter than any Batman villian yet. Making Batman tired was a perfect way to break Batman. I think he did it so he could see if Batman was strong enough to recover and eventually be ready for their rematch.

It's especially odd to think of a Batman villian cheating. I mean, the title character is hardly Mr. Fair-play himself. But it certainly wasn't a fair fight, if that was the question.

Maybe I could have phrased this question better...

To me, it was never a fair fight. Bane released the Arkham inmates to study Batman, or to wear him down (which according to Herr_Logan and ash007 was his stratgey). These are both good points. But in terms of comics, Bane didn't have to release any inmates to study Batman because with each monthly comic, there is always a foe that Batman comes up against. Why release Batman's enemies? Why not just follow him around and watch him in action against regular mediocre criminals?

To me, the whole Knightfall story line was a way of the DC guys saying: "Hey, the Bat guy has been defeated, but it was under these circumstances." No Bane did not cheat, but there certainly wasn't anything honourable about what he did to wear down Batman/study him. In the one shot comic "Vengeance of Bane", we saw that Bane was not ready to face Batman because Gotham is a "complex and fast world", too fast for Bane. Him threatening Batman, with Batman replying: "You're threatening me? Get in line." says it all that on top of his form, you better be pretty damn good to beat this guy.

Even Deacon Blackfire had to go to some lengths to "beat" Batman. He wore him down, broke his spirit and then made Batman into a believer of his cult. Strategy? Of course. Fair? Hmm, maybe. In both cases, DC have built in pretty good excuses as to why Batman went down, so as to allow him to redeem himself. To me, the first fight against Bane was never fair, and it was actually clever of Bane to fight Batman when he was at the end of his endurance. Like Jean Paul Valley said: "You're not facing someone at the end of their endurance" when he and Bane fought, and I think if this was the case with Bruce, even when he had his medical problems, I think Batman/Bruce Wayne would have come out top. So clever of Bane to wear Batman down, actions of a "Girl Scout" to not face him from the beginning.

I know what your saying. But Bane succeeded where all others failed, he's like the RAS AL GHUL, but without a real purpose.

You see Ras could easily give Batman the hell that Bane did, on a nightly basis, but Ras see's/saw the bigger picture, he wanted the world, not Gotham. And he also saw that it would be better to have Batman on his side.

Bane is essentially Batman, in the wrong direction. He did'nt learn all the arts, but physically it's hard for most to beat him. But like Bruce he's a thinker, and people underestimate him for this.

But sure he cheated, Batman cheats all the time too, it's just what you consider to be cheating. The point is he beat Batman fair and square, and it was PART of his plan to have him sick and weak in order for him to lose. If Batman would have gotten 2 nights of sleep. Bane would have never made it out of the Cave.

But what I think your real concern is, lies in the rematches. They were so monotone. And seemed to lack the quality of Batman beating the respect out of Bane the way readers wanted him to. The first rematch was riddled with explosions, and Bane drifting away on the Sea. Boo that sucks. The next one, was more hands on,...Batman clearly win's but Bane exits by putting an innocent in danger.

But EVEN still this is unsatisfying as BANE in NO LONGER on Venom. THAT is the rematch I want!!! It would be hard considering Bane is quite smart, but Bat's would still win even against the Venom head. Bat's would be quite battered but still victorious.

Im too sure of this after seeing Batman, beat Deathstroke in combat. Also still secretly holding the greatest fighter on earth title, while letting Shiva and Batgirl mettle with it publicly. And too many other gruesome, monster-esque, mutated, alien, meta-humans that he's always managed to kick the crap out of.

Yes he's he's that Kick-ass in the Arts!