Wayne Manor is a fictional mansion appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics . It is the home of Bruce Wayne, owner of Wayne Enterprises, who is also the superhero Batman .
127-565: The Batcave is a subterranean location appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics . It is the headquarters of the superhero Batman , whose secret identity is Bruce Wayne and his partners , consisting of caves beneath his personal residence, Wayne Manor . The Batcave appeared in the 1960s Batman television series and in the films Batman (1989), Batman Returns (1992), Batman Forever (1995), Batman and Robin (1997), The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005–2012), and in
254-487: A naturalistic style of superheroes with human failings, fears, and inner demons - heroes who squabbled and worried about the likes of paying the rent. In contrast to the super-heroic do-gooder archetypes of established superheroes at the time, this ushered in a revolution. With dynamic artwork by Kirby, Steve Ditko , Don Heck , and others, complementing Lee's colorful, catchy prose, the new style became very popular among teenagers and college students who could identify with
381-646: A shell corporation in the Caribbean , thus protecting Bruce Wayne's secret. However, it is compromised by the Intergang , Prankster , and Mister Freeze . Lex Luthor is also aware of Leviathan's location due to his tracking of Superman 's radiation signature with his satellites. Wayne is later shown in the Batcave itself with Alfred when the Martian Manhunter infiltrates it to talk with Batman. In
508-498: A tabloid -sized, 10-by-15-inch (250 mm × 380 mm), 36-page magazine with a card-stock, non-glossy cover. An anthology , it mixed humor features such as the funny animal comic "Pelion and Ossa" and the college-set "Jigger and Ginger" with such dramatic fare as the Western strip "Jack Woods" and the " yellow-peril " adventure "Barry O'Neill", featuring a Fu Manchu -styled villain, Fang Gow. Issue #6 (Oct. 1935) brought
635-498: A Siegel/Shuster creation from the slush pile and used it as the cover feature (but only as a backup story) in Action Comics #1 (June 1938). The duo's alien hero, Superman , was dressed in a cape and colorful tights. The costume, influenced by Flash Gordon 's attire from 1934, evoked circus aerial performers and circus strongmen, and Superman became the archetype of the " superheroes " that would follow. In early 1939,
762-529: A brownstone in the center of town, Batman residing in a mausoleum in the basement while Alfred prepares his equipment in the main house. Although Alfred and Gordon stake Batman at the conclusion of Batman: Bloodstorm after he succumbs to his vampire instincts and drinks the Joker's blood, he is restored to life after Alfred removes the stake in Crimson Mist , subsequently relocating to the catacombs underneath
889-531: A chance to have a life without Batman. However, Bruce returns to the manor when he realizes who he used to be. In Gotham War , Batman loses most of his money to the Joker . Afterward, Vandal Savage buys Wayne Manor and the Batcave. The manor grounds include the Batcave , an extensive cave system that Bruce Wayne discovered as a boy and uses as his base of operations. Its method of access has varied, though it
1016-468: A chemistry lab, punch-card computers, and other electronic crime-fighting devices, almost always prominently labeled with their function. In this incarnation, it primarily served as a crime lab and garage for the Batmobile. In this version, the Batcave is accessed from Wayne Manor via two Bat-Poles (one marked BRUCE and the other marked DICK), which are hidden behind a bookcase that can be opened by turning
1143-735: A collection of English-language newspaper inserts originally published in Europe as the 1837 book Histoire de Mr. Vieux Bois by Rodolphe Töpffer . The G. W. Dillingham Company published the first known proto-comic-book magazine in the US, The Yellow Kid in McFadden's Flats , in 1897. A hardcover book, it reprinted material—primarily the October 18, 1896, to January 10, 1897, sequence titled "McFadden's Row of Flats"—from cartoonist Richard F. Outcault 's newspaper comic strip Hogan's Alley , starring
1270-482: A complete underground crime lab and introduced it in the second chapter entitled "The Bat's Cave". The entrance was via a secret passage through a grandfather clock and included bats flying around. Bob Kane , who was on the film set, mentioned this to Bill Finger who was going to be the initial scripter on the Batman daily newspaper strip. Finger included with his script a clipping from Popular Mechanics that featured
1397-418: A desk and rock walls lit up by candles. Behind the desk is a large black bat symbol. The cave is connected to a crime lab. Bats were depicted as flying around the cave, although only their shadows were visible. Batman uses these bats as a scare tactic to make an apprehended enemy reveal information. To prevent the enemy from escaping, an iron door covers the exit. The Batcave was also featured and expanded on in
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#17327798649561524-482: A detailed cross-section of underground hangars. Kane used this clipping as a guide, adding a study, crime lab, workshop, hangar and garage. This illustration appeared in the Batman " dailies " on October 29, 1943, in a strip entitled "The Bat Cave!" In this early version the cave itself was described as Batman's underground study and, like the other rooms, was just a small alcove with a desk and filing cabinets . Like in
1651-459: A duel in the cave. In the alternate reality of Flashpoint , the Batcave- here used by Thomas Wayne rather than Bruce- is far smaller and more run-down than the traditional version, containing merely a couple of tables for Thomas to work on his equipment and a medical area, with a conventional computer in the upper manor, reflecting Thomas's more brutal and solitary M.O. as Batman as opposed to
1778-520: A fresh body by having Alfred take him to the point of brain death and then download the data onto his blank brain. The Batcave serves as Batman's secret headquarters and the command center, where he monitors all crisis points in Gotham City , as well as the rest of the world. The cave's centerpiece is a supercomputer whose specs are on par with any of those used by leading national security agencies; it permits global surveillance and also connects to
1905-456: A gargantuan bat belonging to Morgaine le Fey inside what can be assumed would become the Batcave. Wayne himself rediscovered the caves as a boy when he fell through a dilapidated well on his estate, but did not consider it as a potential base of operations until returning to Gotham to become Batman. In addition to a base, the Batcave serves as a place of privacy and tranquility, much like Superman 's Fortress of Solitude . In earlier versions of
2032-599: A gradual decline, due to a shift away from print media in the wake of television and the impact of the Comics Code Authority . The late 1950s and the 1960s saw a superhero revival and superheroes remained the dominant character archetype throughout the late 20th century into the 21st century. Some fans collect comic books, helping drive up their value. Some have sold for more than US$ 1 million. Comic shops cater to fans, selling comic books, plastic sleeves ("bags") and cardboard backing ("boards") to protect
2159-500: A large display case and is unlocked by pressing a sequence of keys on the nearby grand piano. Another secret entrance, covered by a waterfall, pond, hologram, or a camouflaged door, allows access to a service road for the Batmobile. Another alternate entrance is the dry well where Bruce originally discovered the Batcave, highlighted especially during the Knightfall comic book storyline. At one point, Dick Grayson and Tim Drake use
2286-423: A machine to download his memories and training into a series of clones of himself, each one aged to a point where they can act as Batman for around twenty-five years before they need to activate the new clone. By the time that the tenth generation clone is created, the Batcave has become a vast workshop, including a flying Batmobile, a robotic shark as a trophy, and costumes in glass cases, but the older Batman informs
2413-482: A massive information network as well as storing vast amounts of information. A series of satellite link-ups allows easy access to Batman's information network anywhere around the globe. The systems are protected against unauthorized access, and any attempt to breach their security immediately sends an alert to Batman or Oracle . Despite the power of Batman's computers, the Justice League Watchtower
2540-603: A million copies a month each; comics provided very popular cheap entertainment during World War II especially among soldiers, but with erratic quality in stories, art, and printing. In the early 1940s, over 90 percent of girls and boys from seven to seventeen read comic books. In 1941, H. G. Peter and William Moulton Marston , created the female superhero character Wonder Woman , who debuted in All Star Comics #8 (December 1941) and Sensation Comics featuring Wonder Woman in 1942. MLJ 's Pep Comics debuted as
2667-510: A profound impact upon the American comic-book industry. Their popularity, along with mainstream media attention and critical acclaim, combined with changing social tastes, led to a considerably darker tone in comic books during the 1990s nicknamed by fans as the "grim-and-gritty" era. The growing popularity of antiheroes such as Wolverine and the Punisher exemplified this change, as did
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#17327798649562794-442: A promotional item to consumers who mailed in coupons clipped from Procter & Gamble soap and toiletries products. The company printed 10,000 copies. The promotion proved a success, and Eastern Color that year produced similar periodicals for Canada Dry soft drinks , Kinney Shoes , Wheatena cereal and others, with print runs of from 100,000 to 250,000. Also in 1933, Gaines and Wildenberg collaborated with Dell to publish
2921-610: A single-occupant supersonic jet , and the Subway Rocket. The cave is sometimes depicted as being powered by a nuclear reactor, but most often by a hydroelectric generator made possible by an underground river. During the Cataclysm storyline, the cave was seriously damaged in an earthquake, with the Bat-family relocating most of the trophies and equipment in the cave to offsite storage to conceal Batman's identity. During
3048-493: A sophisticated security system to prevent all measure of infiltration. The security measures include motion sensors, silent alarms, steel and lead mechanical doors which could lock a person in or out, and a security mode which is specifically designed to stop if not eliminate all Justice League members in the event that any of them go rogue. After Bruce Wayne's 'death' during the Final Crisis , Two-Face managed to infiltrate
3175-520: A superhero, science-fiction and adventure anthology, but after the title introduced the teen-humor feature "Archie" in 1942, the feature's popularity would soon eclipse all other MLJ properties, leading the publisher to rename itself Archie Comics . Following the end of World War II, the popularity of superheroes greatly diminished, while the comic-book industry itself expanded. A few well-established characters such as Superman , Batman and Wonder Woman continued to sell, but DC canceled series starring
3302-409: A switch hidden inside a bust of Shakespeare . When Bruce and Dick slide down these Bat-Poles, they are instantly outfitted in their costumes before reaching the landing pads at the bottom. The Bat-Poles can also be used to lift Bruce and Dick up from the Batcave to Wayne Manor by use of the steamjet-propelled landing pads. The Batcave is also accessible via a service elevator used by Alfred . The cave
3429-484: A teleporter. Although Wayne Manor was repossessed and converted into the new Arkham Asylum following the events of Batman Eternal , Batman maintains the original cave after sealing off the entrance to Wayne Manor, musing that it is a good opportunity to keep his foes contained. After the manor was gifted back to Bruce by Geri Powers, Alfred kept the location of the Batcave a secret from Bruce who had lost his memory of being Batman in his last battle with The Joker . While
3556-494: A ten-cent pricetag [ sic ] on the comic books". When Delacorte declined to continue with Famous Funnies: A Carnival of Comics , Eastern Color on its own published Famous Funnies #1 (cover-dated July 1934), a 68-page giant selling for 10¢. Distributed to newsstands by the mammoth American News Company , it proved a hit with readers during the cash-strapped Great Depression , selling 90 percent of its 200,000 print, although putting Eastern Color more than $ 4,000 in
3683-402: A third of all North American sales in the early 1950s. Its 90 titles averaged a circulation of 800,000 copies per title for every issue, with Walt Disney's Comics and Stories peaking at a circulation of three million a month in 1953. Eleven of the top 25 bestselling comic books at the time were Dell titles. Out of 40 publishers active in 1954, Dell, Atlas (i.e. Marvel), DC, and Archie were
3810-508: A true comic book. But it did offer all original material and was sold on newsstands ". The Funnies ran for 36 issues, published Saturdays through October 16, 1930. In 1933, salesperson Maxwell Gaines , sales manager Harry I. Wildenberg , and owner George Janosik of the Waterbury, Connecticut , company Eastern Color Printing —which printed, among other things, Sunday-paper comic-strip sections – produced Funnies on Parade as
3937-521: A vast library, 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 Batmobile in all its incarnations. Other vehicles within the complex include various motorcycles, air - and watercraft such as the Batplane ,
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4064-486: A virus unleashed by Ra's al Ghul, Ra's takes control of the Batcave and uses some of Bruce's sketches of possible costumes to create an army of Bat-men based on Bruce's rejected costume designs. Eventually, this 'Brotherhood' is infiltrated by Tallant, the son of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul, who is able to destroy the Brotherhood from within using his father's own costume, culminating in him defeating his grandfather in
4191-777: A way to keep their presses running. Like The Funnies , but only eight pages, this appeared as a newsprint magazine. Rather than using original material, however, it reprinted in color several comic strips licensed from the McNaught Syndicate , the Ledger Syndicate , and the Bell-McClure Syndicate . These included such popular strips as cartoonist Al Smith 's Mutt and Jeff , Ham Fisher 's Joe Palooka , and Percy Crosby 's Skippy . Eastern Color neither sold this periodical nor made it available on newsstands , but rather sent it out free as
4318-461: A year. In 1929, Dell Publishing (founded by George T. Delacorte, Jr. ) published The Funnies , described by the Library of Congress as "a short-lived newspaper tabloid insert" and not to be confused with Dell's 1936 comic-book series of the same name. Historian Ron Goulart describes the 16-page, four-color periodical as "more a Sunday comic section without the rest of the newspaper than
4445-471: Is a containment vault solely for Lex Luthor's Kryptonite ring. However, it was later revealed that Batman built another containment facility within the cave for a variety of forms of Kryptonite. What is allegedly the world's last Lazarus Pit was constructed inside the cave, although this has been contradicted by events in the pages of Batgirl and the Black Adam miniseries. The Batcave is rigged with
4572-482: Is also a deep chasm within walking distance of the areas where Batman kept the aforementioned items when he was human. At the story's conclusion, Commissioner Gordon sets off explosive charges to destroy the cave's roof, letting the sun into the cave once again to destroy the monster that Batman has become once and for all. In Batman: Brotherhood of the Bat , some years after Bruce Wayne's death and humanity's decimation by
4699-462: Is depicted as a large mansion on the outskirts of Gotham City and is maintained by the Wayne family's butler, Alfred Pennyworth . While the earliest stories showed Bruce Wayne buying the house himself, by the 1950s at the latest, retroactive continuity established that the manor had belonged to the Wayne family for several generations. Along with serving as a personal residence, the mansion sits above
4826-422: Is destroyed as part of a plan to destroy Dracula's vampire family, bombs exposing the interior of the Batcave to sunlight after Batman lured the vampires into the cave following a chase through Gotham's sewers that ended in the Batcave just as the sun rose. Although the manor collapses into the cavern system after a second series of bombs are set off, thus concealing Bruce Wayne's secret, Batman and Alfred relocate to
4953-466: Is known to have more powerful computers, 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. Additionally, the cave features state-of-the-art facilities such as a crime lab , various specialized laboratories, mechanized workshops, personal gymnasium, parking, docking and hangar space for his vehicles as well as separate exits for each type, memorabilia of past campaigns,
5080-467: Is on a metal platform. There is also an office-like workstation, some unspecified machinery and a large vault for Batman's costume. The cave is once again seen in Batman Returns , and Bruce gains access to it via a tube/elevator like passage from Wayne Manor, the entrance to which is hidden in an iron maiden , and is activated by flipping a small switch hidden on a small replica of Wayne Manor in
5207-527: Is present in Tim Burton 's 1989 Batman feature film. The cave is shown to house the Batmobile , which is parked on a turntable-like platform at the edge of a large chasm filled with pipes, looking somewhat like a sewer. The Batmoblie enters the cave from a rock cliff/door. A huge switch turns on the lights in the cave. There are also bats roaming the cave. The cave also features the Batcomputer, which
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5334-473: Is repossessed by the city and turned into the new Arkham Asylum following the destruction of the original, but Bruce decides to accept this new status quo, reasoning that he can at least make sure that his enemies remain contained in the new manor given his intimate knowledge of its entrances and exits. The manor is eventually reclaimed by Bruce's lawyers, but it is temporarily left empty due to Bruce's death and amnesic resurrection as Alfred wanted to give Bruce
5461-464: Is taken symbolically as the beginning of a new era, although his success was not immediate. It took two years for the Flash to receive his own title, and Showcase itself was only a bimonthly book, though one which was to introduce a large number of enduring characters. By 1959, the slowly building superhero revival had become clear to DC's competitors. Archie jumped on board that year, and Charlton joined
5588-537: Is typically accessible from a hidden door behind a grandfather clock. While these grounds are the regular home of Bruce Wayne, he temporarily vacated it in the stories from the late 1960s to the early 1980s, preferring to live in a penthouse apartment on top of the Wayne Foundation building in the city, which also included a secret sub-basement acting as a Batcave. Wayne came to this decision when Dick Grayson went off to college, which led him to decide that
5715-799: The Batcave , which Batman uses as his secret headquarters. The vast majority of DC Comics references place Wayne Manor just outside of Gotham City in the state of New Jersey . The manor, indicative of Wayne's ancestral wealth, is designed in a Gothic Revival architectural style, matching the Gothic architecture present in Gotham. For live-action films, English country house locations in Nottinghamshire , Hertfordshire , and Buckinghamshire , as well as Stevenson Taylor Hall in New York, have been used to depict Wayne Manor. Wayne Manor appears in
5842-523: The DC Extended Universe (2016–2023), as well as The Batman (2022). Originally, there was only a secret tunnel that ran underground between Wayne Manor and a dusty old barn where the Batmobile was kept. Later, in Batman #12 (August–September 1942), Bill Finger mentioned "secret underground hangars". In 1943, the writers of the first Batman film serial, titled Batman , gave Batman
5969-529: The Dark Horse two-part crossover, Grendel/Batman II, Hunter Rose 's skull is also put on display in the memorabilia room. After the Flashpoint comic book storyline, a letter written by a Thomas Wayne from an alternate timeline addressed to Bruce Wayne has lain in a display case, as a reminder of Thomas Wayne's love for his son and encouraging him to move on from his tragic past. However, this letter
6096-667: The Flash and Green Lantern and converted All-American Comics and All Star Comics to Western titles, and Star Spangled Comics to a war title. The publisher also launched such science-fiction titles as Strange Adventures and Mystery in Space . Martin Goodman 's Timely Comics , also known as Atlas, canceled its three formerly high-selling superhero titles starring Captain America (created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby ),
6223-613: The Human Torch , and the Sub-Mariner , briefly reviving the characters in 1954 only to cancel them again shortly thereafter to focus on horror, science fiction, teen humor, romance and Western genres. Romance comics became strongly established, with Prize Comics ' Young Romance and with Young Love , the latter written and drawn by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby; those two titles' popularity led to an explosion of romance comics from many publishers. Dell 's comic books accounted for
6350-685: The Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency held hearings on comic book indecency from April to June 1954. In the wake of these troubles, a group of comics publishers, led by National and Archie, founded the Comics Code Authority in 1954 and drafted the Comics Code, intended as "the most stringent code in existence for any communications media". A Comic Code Seal of Approval soon appeared on virtually every comic book carried on newsstands. EC, after experimenting with less controversial comic books, dropped its comics line to focus on
6477-580: The United States , on average 32 pages, containing comics . While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of Action Comics , which included the debut of the superhero Superman . This was followed by a superhero boom that lasted until the end of World War II . After the war, while superheroes were marginalized, the comic book industry rapidly expanded and genres such as horror, crime, science fiction and romance became popular. The 1950s saw
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#17327798649566604-663: The Yellow Kid . The 196-page, square-bound, black-and-white publication, which also includes introductory text by E. W. Townsend , measured 5 by 7 inches (130 mm × 180 mm) and sold for 50 cents. The neologism "comic book" appears on the back cover. Despite the publication of a series of related Hearst comics soon afterward, the first monthly proto-comic book, Embee Distributing Company's Comic Monthly , did not appear until 1922. Produced in an 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 -by-9-inch (220 mm × 230 mm) format, it reprinted black-and-white newspaper comic strips and lasted
6731-448: The 1949 serial Batman and Robin starring Robert Lowery . In this serial, there are filing cabinets and the cave now has a crime lab built in. The cave also contains the first incarnation of a batphone. In both serials, the cave is accessed by walking through a grandfather clock. The 1960s live-action Batman TV series featured the Batcave extensively, and portrayed it as a large but well-lit cavern containing an atomic power generator,
6858-491: The 1960s Batman television series and in films Batman (1989), Batman Returns (1992), Batman Forever (1995), Batman & Robin (1997), in The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005–2012), in the DC Extended Universe (2016–2023) and The Batman (2022). Wayne Manor is depicted in earlier comics as being on the outskirts of Gotham City in the state of New Jersey . Comic book portrayals place
6985-535: The 1960s, DC, and then Marvel, began to include writer and artist credits on the comics that they published. Other notable companies publishing comics during the Silver Age included the American Comics Group (ACG), Charlton , Dell , Gold Key , Harvey Comics , and Tower . Sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll were featured, as the anti-authoritarian underground comix made waves in 1968, following
7112-457: The 1970s coincided with the appearance of comic-book specialty stores across North America. These specialty stores were a haven for more distinct voices and stories, but they also marginalized comics in the public eye. Serialized comic stories became longer and more complex, requiring readers to buy more issues to finish a story. In the mid-to-late 1980s, two series published by DC Comics , Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen , had
7239-542: The 1990s changing the format and distribution of their comic books to more closely resemble non-comics publishing. The " minicomics " form, an extremely informal version of self-publishing , arose in the 1980s and became increasingly popular among artists in the 1990s, despite reaching an even more limited audience than the small presses. The development of the modern American comic book happened in stages. Publishers had collected comic strips in hardcover book form as early as 1842, with The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbuck ,
7366-520: The 36-page Famous Funnies: A Carnival of Comics , which historians consider the first true American comic book; Goulart, for example, calls it "the cornerstone for one of the most lucrative branches of magazine publishing". Distribution took place through the Woolworth's department-store chain, though it remains unclear whether it was sold or given away; the cover displays no price, but Goulart refers, either metaphorically or literally, to "sticking
7493-598: The American comic book has been adapted periodically outside the United States, especially in Canada and the United Kingdom . While comics can be the work of a single creator, the labor of creating them is frequently divided between a number of specialists. There may be a separate writer and artist , or there may be separate artists for the characters and backgrounds. Particularly in superhero comic books,
7620-504: The Batcave below, although the Bat-family were able to relocate all of Batman's equipment before official rescue came to the manor so that nobody would learn Bruce Wayne's secrets. 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
7747-498: The Batcave to confront his long-time nemesis, and David Cain , who infiltrated the cave during the Bruce Wayne: Fugitive comic book storyline when he framed Bruce Wayne for murder. During Batman: Dark Victory , Two-Face, the Joker, Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy discovered the Batcave while fleeing through the sewers to escape the attacks of the surviving mobsters, but they had lost their way and were never able to find
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#17327798649567874-470: The Batcave's walls at the moment the sun rises, destroying the vampires trapped within it, before setting off additional charges to collapse Wayne Manor to preserve his secrets. The first sequel, Bloodstorm, shows that a cellar beneath a brownstone owned by Alfred Pennyworth serves as a lair/laboratory for Batman after he has become a vampire himself, the Dark Knight 'sleeping' there in his coffin during
8001-525: The Batman role during the Prodigal storyline, Bruce established satellite Batcaves throughout the city on areas either owned by him, his company, or unknown or abandoned by the city, in the event that he needed a place to hide or resupply, which were pivotal during the No Man's Land storyline. One such Batcave was given to Batgirl , below a house owned by Bruce Wayne himself, during a point where her identity
8128-586: The Batwing, a rotating turntable that houses the Batmobile, and a large dome-like structure where Bruce's Batsuits and gadgets are stored. During an invasion of Wayne Manor by Riddler and Two-Face, Riddler destroys the Batcomputer, the crime lab, every Batsuit except for a prototype with a new sonar system, and the Batmobile, although there is a lower section containing the Batboat and the Batplane that Batman and
8255-678: The CCA) stopped publishing crime and horror titles, which was their entire business, and were forced out of the market altogether, turning to magazine publishing instead. By 1960, output had stabilized at about 1,500 releases per year (representing a greater than fifty percent decline since 1952). The dominant comic book genres of the post-CCA 1950s were funny animals, humor, romance , television properties, and Westerns . Detective, fantasy , teen, and war comics were also popular, but adventure, superheroes, and comic strip reprints were in decline, with Famous Funnies seeing its last issue in 1955. In
8382-474: The Justice Lords universe begin repairs to the Batcave and to the suit Terry found with the intention of T taking over as the new Batman and Dick becoming his mentor. They later help send Terry back to his own universe. The Batcave first became part of the Batman mythos in the 1943 15-chapter movie serial Batman starring Lewis Wilson . In this version, as later in the comics, it was a small cave with
8509-609: The Modern Horror age. But as of 2009 historians and fans use " Bronze Age " to describe the period of American mainstream comics history that began with the period of concentrated changes to comic books in 1970. Unlike the Golden/Silver Age transition, the Silver/Bronze transition involves many continuing books, making the transition less sharp. The development of the " direct market " distribution system in
8636-428: The actual origin of the coin trophy. Other pieces often shown in the Batcave are Two-Face's original coin, Deathstroke 's sword, the shroud of the vampiric Monk, and oversized 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", which remains even after Todd's resurrection. Barbara Gordon 's Batgirl costume also remains on display. In
8763-411: The additional gardens that existed at the time the manor was built add on to this symbol to create the image of a bat. 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
8890-407: The angsty and irreverent nature of characters like Spider-Man , Hulk , X-Men and Fantastic Four . This was a time of social upheaval, giving birth to a new generation of hip and more counter-cultural youngsters, who found a voice in these books. Because Marvel's books were distributed by its rival, National, from 1957 until 1968 Marvel were restricted to publishing only eight titles a month. This
9017-408: The art may be divided between: The process begins with the writer (often in collaboration with one or more others, who may include the editor and/or the penciller) coming up with a story idea or concept, then working it up into a plot and storyline , finalizing it with a script . After the art is prepared, the dialogue and captions are lettered onto the page from the script, and an editor may have
9144-487: The badly damaged Batcave. After exploring the cave he finds a number of damaged display cases which contain an unknown Batgirl suit, Justice Lord Batman suit and a Red Robin suit. He then discovers an armored and more powerful version of his own Batsuit which is powered by synthetic Kryptonite. After defeating the Jokerz gang he is confronted by Justice Lord Superman. Following the defeat of Lord Superman, T and Dick Grayson of
9271-478: The bandwagon in 1960. In 1961, at the demand of publisher Martin Goodman (who was reacting to a surge in sales of National's newest superhero title The Justice League of America ), writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby created the Fantastic Four for Atlas, which now re-named itself Marvel Comics . With an innovation that changed the comic-book industry, Fantastic Four #1 initiated
9398-468: The bottom of a fish tank. Alfred also confirms, in a throwaway remark, that there is a staircase to the cave. The cave was huge and well lit and featured a forensics lab, a computer, unspecified machines, a closet for the costumes, the Batmobile, and its repair tools. In this film, the Batcave is accessed through a rotating shelf which led to a staircase in Wayne Manor's silver closet, the only room in
9525-454: The cave again after being defeated, with Batman reflecting that he would seal that entrance to prevent such a thing happening again. When the powerful Bedlam took over the world and transferred all adults to a duplicate Earth, Robin attempted to assess the situation from the Batcave with Superboy and Impulse , but it would appear that he avoided revealing the cave's exact location to them, suggesting that he accessed it via an external passage or
9652-431: The cave as a headquarters 300 years earlier. Bruce Wayne discovering the cave as an adult remained the case at least through Who's Who #2 in 1985. 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
9779-459: 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 almost always depicted as in the main study, often behind a grandfather clock which unlocks when the hands are set to the time that Bruce Wayne's parents were murdered, 10:48 pm. In the 1960s Batman TV show, the cave entrance is behind a bookcase which
9906-427: The cave with the aid of a psychic analyzing a batarang to 'sense' where it was forged and then hiring Warp to teleport him into it, something that Two-Face had never been able to do before as Batman used various spells and equipment to shield the cave which his allies either never knew about or had discontinued as they no longer used the cave themselves following Bruce's death. Despite Two-Face successfully breaking into
10033-417: The cave, Dick Grayson, acting as the new Batman, is able to convince Dent that he is the same man and has just adopted new methods, preserving Batman's secrets as Dent is rendered unconscious before he can find the location of the cave. The cave stores unique memorabilia items collected from the various cases Batman has worked on over the years. Originally, these were stored in a room designed just for them; it
10160-401: The comic book series Batman Beyond 2.0 , Terry McGinnis no longer uses the Batcave following an argument with Bruce. He now uses Dick Grayson's apartment as his base of operations. When Terry is seriously injured in a battle with Rewire, he wakes up in the Batcave where Bruce has treated his injuries and left information regarding Rewire himself. He arrived there due to a built in subroutine in
10287-501: The comic books. An American comic book is also known as a floppy comic . It is typically thin and stapled, unlike traditional books . American comic books are one of the three major comic book industries globally, along with Japanese manga and the Franco-Belgian comic books . The typical size and page count of comics have varied over the decades, generally tending toward smaller formats and fewer pages. Historically,
10414-534: The comic-book debut of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster , the future creators of Superman . The two began their careers with the musketeer swashbuckler "Henri Duval", doing the first two installments before turning it over to others and, under the pseudonyms "Leger and Reuths", they created the supernatural -crimefighter adventure Doctor Occult . In 1938, after Wheeler-Nicholson's partner Harry Donenfeld had ousted him, National Allied editor Vin Sullivan pulled
10541-432: The countercultural era. Legal issues and paper shortages led to a decline in underground comix output from its 1972 peak. In 1974 the passage of anti-paraphernalia laws in the US led to the closing of most head shops, which throttled underground comix distribution. Its readership also dried up as the hippie movement itself petered out in the mid-1970s. Wizard originally used the phrase "Bronze Age", in 1995, to denote
10668-464: The country. Some cities passed laws banning comic books entirely. In 1954, psychiatrist Fredric Wertham published his book Seduction of the Innocent , where he discussed what he perceived as sadistic and homosexual undertones in horror comics and superhero comics respectively, and singled out EC Comics due to its success as a publisher of these genres. In response to growing public anxiety,
10795-524: The darker tone of some independent publishers such as First Comics , Dark Horse Comics , and (founded in the 1990s) Image Comics . This tendency towards darkness and nihilism was manifested in DC's production of heavily promoted comic book stories such as " A Death in the Family " in the Batman series (in which The Joker brutally murdered Batman's sidekick Robin ), while at Marvel the continuing popularity of
10922-466: The day. Although Wayne Manor collapses into the remains of the cave, part of the tunnel system is still intact, with Batman establishing his lair there in the story's second sequel, Crimson Mist , after he surrenders to his new vampire instincts. Despite the collapse of the manor, the cave interior appears mostly intact, with the giant penny, the T-Rex and the Batmobile shown to be undamaged, although there
11049-410: The dry well to get into the cave, which they had been locked out of by Azrael during his time as Batman, and Bruce Wayne used it to infiltrate the cave and confront the insane Valley in the final battle between the two men for the title of the Batman. Lured into the narrow tunnel, Valley was forced to remove the massive Bat-armor he had developed, thus allowing Wayne to force Valley to remit his claim to
11176-471: The early days of comic books, this practice had all but vanished during the 1940s and 1950s. Comic books were produced by comic book companies rather than by individual creators (EC being a notable exception, a company that not only credited its creative teams but also featured creators' biographies). Even comic books by revered and collectible artists like Carl Barks were not known by their creator's name— Disney comics by Barks were signed " Walt Disney ". In
11303-412: The end of the graphic novel, the Manor has been rebuilt as a hospital/hospice for Gulag battle victims. Outside of the bustling metropolis of New York City, and on the outskirts of the sleepy town of Brewster, NY, boasts an active ‘Wayne Manor’ on a private residence. Known for elaborately themed parties and functions, W.M. northeast includes custom stonework, multiple fireplaces, a standing tiki bar and
11430-559: The film serial, Batman's symbol was carved into the rock behind the desk and had a candle in the middle of it. The entrance was via a bookcase which led to a secret elevator. The Batcave made its comic book debut in Detective Comics #83 in January 1944. Over the decades, the cave has expanded along with its owner's popularity to include a vast trophy room, supercomputer, and forensics lab. There has been little consistency as to
11557-444: The final say (but, once ready for printing, it is difficult and expensive to make any major changes), before the comic is sent to the printer. The creative team, the writer and artist(s), may work for a comic book publisher who handles the marketing, advertising, and other logistics. A wholesale distributor, such as Diamond Comic Distributors , the largest in the US, distributes the printed product to retailers. Another aspect of
11684-469: The floor plan of the Batcave or its contents. The design has varied from artist to artist and it is not unusual for the same artist to draw the cave layout differently in various issues. The cave was 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. The 18th-century frontier hero Tomahawk once discovered
11811-483: The introduction of the Comics Code Authority in the wake of Senate hearings on juvenile delinquency , which, ignoring the social problems caused by the wars of 1939–45 and 1950–52, sought to blame those problems solely on comics. While there was only a 9% drop in the number of releases between 1952 and 1953, circulation plummeted by an estimated 30–40%. The cause of the decrease is not entirely clear. Television had begun to provide competition with comic books, but there
11938-590: The items' origins can be found in Batman Chronicles stories in issue #8 ("Secrets of the Batcave: Dinosaur Island") and issue #19 ("The Penny Plunderers"). A story in Batman #81 featured Two-Face tying Batman and Robin to a giant replica of his silver dollar coin. This story was the basis for an episode of Batman: The Animated Series wherein Batman gains the giant coin from that encounter; this has caused widespread confusion as to
12065-628: The late 1940s and early 1950s horror and true-crime comics flourished, many containing graphic violence and gore. Due to such content, moral crusaders became concerned with the impact of comics on the youth, and were blaming comic books for everything from poor grades to juvenile delinquency to drug abuse. This perceived indecency resulted in the collection and public burning of comic books in Spencer, West Virginia and Binghamton, New York in 1948, which received national attention and triggered other public burnings by schools and parent groups across
12192-485: The later reconstruction, the new Wayne Manor incorporates additional safeguards against future quakes and even a potential nuclear catastrophe, outfitting the cave as a virtual bomb shelter or an enhanced panic room . The city's earthquake redesigned the caverns of the Batcave, with eight new levels now making up Batman's secret refuge of high-tech laboratory, library, training areas, storage areas, and vehicle accesses. It also includes an "island" computer platform (built on
12319-433: The major players in volume of sales. By this point, former big-time players Fawcett and Fiction House had ceased publishing. Circulation peaked in 1952 when 3,161 issues of various comics were published with a total circulation of about one billion copies. After 1952, the number of individual releases dropped every year for the rest of the decade, with the biggest falls occurring in 1955–56. The rapid decline followed
12446-545: The manor was being renovated and all the Arkham inmates were removed Bruce and Alfred until then remained in a Brownstone in Gotham itself. Even after Bruce loses all memory of his life as Batman, the cave was still used by other members of the Bat-Family; Alfred took the de-powered Clark Kent to the cave to explain what had happened to Bruce, and Dick Grayson and the various Robins used it as a base of operations while opposing
12573-423: The mansion that is kept locked. The cave can also be reached via a secret tunnel system from Bruce Wayne's office at Wayne Enterprises, through which he rides down in a capsule. The capsule has a communication device Bruce used to communicate with Alfred. The cave features the main computer, as well as a crime lab and canal, the latter of which provides sea access. The cave also includes a lengthy tunnel used to launch
12700-540: The mansion was now impractical with only one resident and one servant. Furthermore, Wayne decided he wanted to be closer to his main field of operations in Gotham City than a home situated outside the main urban area would allow. However, by the early 1980s, Wayne came to reconsider that purpose and decided that being less accessible to the public was more advantageous for his Batman activities and returned to Wayne Manor. In Batman & Dracula: Red Rain , Wayne Manor
12827-463: The mansion within driving distance of Gotham City, close enough that the Bat-Signal can be seen from Wayne Manor alerting Batman of distress in the city. Wayne Manor's grounds include a surrounding gate around the perimeter with a larger front gate at the main entrance. Batman's subterranean headquarters, the Batcave , is located beneath the mansion. The grounds also includes a large hill that
12954-485: The more sophisticated training undertaken by his son. In the 31st century, the Batcave has been long abandoned, although Cosmic Boy , Saturn Girl and Lightning Lad briefly infiltrate the cave while looking for evidence that Krypton existed to counter the xenophobic claims of the Justice League of Earth that Superman was a human given powers to fight against aliens. In a possible future, Bruce Wayne has used
13081-486: The new Manor, providing sustainable and environmentally-friendly electricity generation for the complex. It also includes a heliport for commercial helicopters. During Batman Eternal , Hush's machinations result in Wayne Enterprises being ruined and Bruce Wayne essentially bankrupt after the villain detonates various weapons caches Batman had concealed around Gotham. As part of this bankruptcy, Wayne Manor
13208-428: The new Robin use to confront the villains. In the deleted scenes, the Batcave has a secret section that Bruce fell as a child during the funeral of his parents. After Riddler's attack, Bruce and Alfred come to that place where Bruce fell back to where finding the diary of his father and confronting his biggest fear; the giant bat. American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in
13335-472: The new one that the contents of the cave will be burned upon his death so that the new Batman can make room for his own things while using the recorded memories to keep track of anything important from the past. In the comic book continuation of the television series Smallville , Batman has a safe house in the form of a cargo ship, known as "Leviathan", docked at a hub in Metropolis . It is registered to
13462-482: The penny was originally a trophy from Batman's encounter with a penny-obsessed villain named the Penny Plunderer ( World's Finest Comics #30 1947), but was later retconned into being from an encounter with Two-Face . Other "keepsakes" in the cave come from "The Thousand and One Trophies of Batman!" ( Detective Comics #158, 1950). These three stories were reprinted in Batman #256. Modern retellings of
13589-559: The process involved in successful comics is the interaction between the readers/fans and the creator(s). Fan art and letters to the editor were commonly printed in the back of the book, until, in the early 21st century, various Internet forums started to replace this tradition. The growth of comic specialty stores helped permit several waves of independently-produced comics, beginning in the mid-1970s. Some early examples of these – generally referred to as "independent" or "alternative" comics – such as Big Apple Comix , continued somewhat in
13716-505: The publication of Robert Crumb 's irregularly published Zap Comix . Frank Stack had published The Adventures of Jesus as far back as 1962, and there had been a trickle of such publications until Crumb's success. What had started as a self-publishing scene soon grew into a minor industry, with Print Mint , Kitchen Sink , Last Gasp and Apex Novelties among the more well-known publishers. These comix were often extremely graphic, and largely distributed in head shops that flourished in
13843-650: The red. That quickly changed, with the book turning a $ 30,000 profit each issue starting with #12. Famous Funnies would eventually run 218 issues, inspire imitators, and largely launch a new mass medium . When the supply of available existing comic strips began to dwindle, early comic books began to include a small amount of new, original material in comic-strip format. Inevitably, a comic book of all-original material, with no comic-strip reprints, debuted. Fledgling publisher Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson founded National Allied Publications, which would evolve into DC Comics , to release New Fun #1 (Feb. 1935). This came out as
13970-439: The remains of Wayne Manor. The manor's remains are finally destroyed for good when Gordon, Alfred, Two-Face , Killer Croc , and Two-Face's gang plant bombs on the cave roof, exposing the interior to sunlight and ending Batman's reign of terror once and for all. In Kingdom Come , the Manor was mostly destroyed by Two-Face and Bane after Batman's true identity was exposed; the Batcave, however, remained relatively untouched. By
14097-629: The satirical Mad —a former comic book which was now converted to a magazine format in order to circumvent the Code. DC started a revival in superhero comics in 1956 with the October 1956 revival of its former golden age top-seller The Flash in Showcase #4. Many comics historians peg this as the beginning of the Silver Age of American comic books, although Marvel (at this point still known variously as both Timely and Atlas ) had started reviving some of its old superheroes as early as 1954. The new Flash
14224-511: The schemes of the ruthless "Mother" in Batman and Robin Eternal . When new villain Mr. Bloom launches a massive attack on Gotham, Alfred is forced to allow Bruce into the Batcave to access an apparently-disregarded program designed to upload Bruce's memories to a series of Batman clones to maintain his legacy, Bruce overcoming the original project's limitation of being unable to upload the memories to
14351-408: The size was derived from folding one sheet of Quarter Imperial paper (15 in × 11 in or 380 mm × 280 mm), to print 4 pages which were each 7 + 1 ⁄ 2 by 11 inches (190 mm × 280 mm). This also meant that the page count had to be some multiple of 4. In recent decades, standard comics have been trimmed at about 6.625 x 10.25 inches. The format of
14478-574: The spot where the Batmobiles' hydraulic turntable once was) with seven linked Cray T932 mainframes and a state-of-the-art hologram projector. There's also a selection of retractable glass maps within the computer platform. Kevlar shieldings are prepared to protect the cave's computer systems from seismic activity. With the cave's various facilities spread amid limestone stalactites and stalagmites, Batman built retractable multi-walkway bridges, stairs, elevators, and poles to access its facilities. There
14605-494: The story, Bruce Wayne discovered the cave as an adult. In "The Origin of the Batcave" in Detective Comics #205 (March 1954), Batman tells Robin he had no idea the cave existed when he purchased the house they live in. He discovered the cave by accident when, while he was testing the floor of an old barn on the rear of the property, the floor gave way. This story also established that a frontiersman named Jeremy Coe used
14732-689: The success of Superman in Action Comics prompted editors at National Comics Publications (the future DC Comics) to request more superheroes for its titles. In response, Bob Kane and Bill Finger created Batman , who debuted in Detective Comics #27 (May 1939). The period from the late 1930s through roughly the end of the 1940s is referred to by comic book experts as the Golden Age of comic books . It featured extremely large print-runs, with Action Comics and Captain Marvel selling over half
14859-543: The suit that if the user is seriously injured or falls unconscious, the suit becomes automated and returns the user to the Batcave. After arriving in the universe controlled by the Justice Lords Terry encounters a version of himself who is a member of the Jokerz known as " T ". Both McGinnis's arrive at Wayne Manor to find that it had been destroyed by the Justice Lords. A gang of Jokerz then proceed to attack them with T giving Terry enough time to make his way to
14986-519: The title. The location of the cave is known not only to Batman but to several of his allies. In addition to the so-called "Batman Family", members of the Justice League and the original Outsiders are aware of the cave's location. Essentially, anyone who is aware of Batman's secret identity also knows the location of the Batcave, much like how people who have knowledge of Robin's identity have knowledge of Batman's; these, unfortunately, include such villains as Ra's al Ghul , who makes occasional visits to
15113-417: The tradition of the earlier underground comics , while others, such as Star Reach , resembled the output of mainstream publishers in format and genre but were published by smaller artist-owned ventures or by a single artist. This so-called " small press " scene (a term derived from the limited quantity of comics printed in each press-run) continued to grow and diversify, with a number of small publishers in
15240-451: The various X-Men books led to storylines involving the genocide of superpowered "mutants" in allegorical stories about religious and ethnic persecution. In addition, published formats like the graphic novel and the related trade paperback enabled the comic book to gain some respectability as literature. As a result, these formats are now common in book retail and the collections of US public libraries . Wayne Manor The house
15367-408: Was a cloud with a silver lining, and proved the making of Marvel, allowing the company to concentrate its brightest and best talent on a small number of titles, at a time when its rivals were spreading their creative talents very thin across a huge number of monthly titles. The quality of Marvel's product soared in consequence, and sales soared with it. While the creators of comics were given credit in
15494-464: Was also a rise in conservative values with the election in 1952 of Dwight Eisenhower . The Comics Code Authority, a self-censoring body founded to curb the juvenile delinquency alleged to be due to the crime and horror comics, has often been targeted as the culprit, but sales had begun to drop the year before it was founded. The major publishers were not seriously harmed by the drop in sales, but smaller publishers were killed off: EC (the prime target of
15621-415: Was compromised after she saved a man from rogue government agents, meaning that she could not walk around without a mask. The other satellite Batcaves introduced during No Man's Land were: In Batman & Dracula: Red Rain , Batman destroys the Batcave to eliminate Dracula's followers; having lured them into the cave after a prolonged pursuit through the sewers, he sets off explosive charges to destroy
15748-645: Was destroyed by the reborn Eobard Thawne as a way to hurt Bruce for Thomas's attempt to kill him before Flashpoint ended. The Outsiders were, for a time, based out of a Batcave in Los Angeles. When Jean-Paul Valley takes over the role of Batman, Tim Drake establishes his own safe house using an abandoned barn nearby Wayne Manor and his own house. After Bane 's attack during the Knightfall story arc, Bruce Wayne swore that he'd never be caught unprepared to defend Gotham City ever again. When Dick Grayson assumed
15875-443: Was explained that Batman and Robin took one memento from each case. Later, the trophies were shown to be in the large main area of the cave, residing among the rest of the Batcave's furnishings. The most regularly featured trophies are a full-size animatronic Tyrannosaurus Rex , a giant replica of a Lincoln penny , and an oversized Joker playing card . The T. Rex comes from an adventure on "Dinosaur Island" ( Batman #35 1946);
16002-490: Was opened when Bruce Wayne activated a control switch hidden in a bust of William Shakespeare . An entrance under Bruce Wayne's chair in his office in Wayne Enterprises, as shown in Batman Forever , connects to a mile-long tunnel that Bruce travels through in a high-speed personal transportation capsule. In Batman Begins and The Dark Knight Rises , the cave is accessible through a secret door disguised as part of
16129-468: Was partially hollowed out for Batman's aerial vehicles, with the most prominent being the batcave, 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 said vehicle. In Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne , it is revealed that Wayne Manor was designed by Nathan Van Derm for Darius Wayne, forming a stylized "W", although
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