Bane (The Adventures of Batman & Robin)

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“Bane”
'Batman: The Animated Series' episode
Episode no.	Season 2 Episode 75
Written by	Mitch Brian
Directed by	Kevin Altieri
Production no.	075
Original airdate	September 10, 1994
Episode chronology
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"Catwalk"	"Baby Doll"
List of Batman: The Animated Series episodes

Bane is the 10th episode of Season 2 of Batman: The Animated Series. It first premiered on September 10, 1994. This is the first and last time Bane appeared as an episodes main villain. Bane appeared in Batman & Robin the movie several years later.

[edit] Summary

After being crossed for the umpteenth time by Batman, Rupert Thorne decides to hire the chemically-powered superhuman Bane to assasinate the Dark Knight once and for all. Upon arriving in Gotham, Bane strikes up a friendship with Throne's secretary Candice, and meets with Thorne, who pays him a suitcase full of diamond to kill Batman. But Bane, curious to know how Batman fights, decides to tail the recently-escaped Killer Croc to a construction yard, where Croc is already on the run from Batman and Robin. Bane confronts Croc in the sewer, and brutally beats him, knocking him out. To leave his calling card, Bane literally smashes up the front of the Batmobile with his bare hands.

Batman visits Croc in Arkham for details on the mysterious "helper", and Croc describes his attacker as a huge South-American-accented man with tubes wired into his head which pumped him up twice as big. Back at the Batcave, Batman relates Croc's description with a scientific experiment in Cuba which resulted in Bane, a man with the same description as Croc's attacker. With Bane's high prices as an assassin, Batman can only think of one person who would spend so much money to have him eliminated: Rupert Thorne.

Meanwhile, Bane and Candice grow closer, and soon start plotting to overthrow and kill Throne to take over his criminal empire. Robin spies on Thorne and Bane with binoculars from a nearby building as Batman tails Candice in the now-repaired Batmobile. Unfortunately, Bane sneaks up behind Robin and a rooftop chase ensues. Robin holds his own, but is eventually caught and knocked out by the chemical behemoth.

Batman follows Candice to her apartment and starts questioning her about Bane. Just as Candice starts mocking Batman about not being aware of Bane spying on him, Batman recieves a phone call by Bane himself, who knew Batman was at Candice's flat. Bane reveals that he has kidnapped Robin and left his shirt on a nearby satelite dish. Batman jumps over to the building and finds the shirt along with a note instructing him to go to the wharves and find a ship named The Rose's Thorn, just as Candice departs for the same destination.

On the ship, Bane has chained Robin to a crane and tied weights around his legs. He then lowers the crane into the ship's swimming pool and starts filling it up just as Batman arrives. With Candice watching, Bane pumps himself up and duels with Batman. While Bane's brute strength proves to be the dominant one, Batman's speed and agility allow him to match the behemoth. Eventually, Batman uses an anchor-gun to shoot Bane off the ship and into the water.

Batman then attempts to free Robin, which he manages to do just as an enraged Bane returns and resumes the fight, kicking Robin back into the pool. Candice jumps into the pool and fights Robin to stop him aiding Batman. Batman holds his own against Bane, but the giant proves to be too much for the Caped Crusader and literally beats him helpless. Batman refuses to beg for mercy, so Bane prepares to break him by smashing him on his leg. However, using a Batarang Bane had crushed earlier on, Batman jams the venom control on Bane's wrist, and the venom starts pumping into Bane's body non-stop, literally inflating him. But as Batman sees that Bane seems to be on the point of exploding, he pulls the venom tube out of Bane's head and saves his life, although Bane loses all of his strength in the process. Robin wins the fight against Candice, who flees the ship for Thorne Enterprises.

Batman and Robin carry the weakened Bane back to Thorne Enterprises, and Batman berates Thorne for not providing him with a better challenge. Also, Batman plays a tape for Thorne, which is a recording created by Robin of Bane and Candice's private conversation about assassinating Thorne after Batman. Satisfied, Batman leaves Thorne Enterprises, leaving Thorne to deal with his treacherous secretary.

[edit] Notes

• This episode marks the first animated appearance of Bane.

• Bane comic version wears a full-face mask, but the animated version wears a similar mask that exposes his nose and mouth.

• The producers originally didn't like Bane because they felt he was a gimmick character.

• Bane's Modus Operandi in the episode is similar (but minor) to his strategy in Knightfall: Testing Batman by seeing him facing other enemies (ALL his enemies in Knightfall, only Killer Croc in the episode) and only after that facing the Dark Knight by himself.

[edit] Cast

Actor	Role
Kevin Conroy	Batman
Loren Lester	Robin
Efrem Zimbalist Jr.	Alfred Pennyworth
Aron Kincaid	Killer Croc
Joe Lala	Dicky the Thug
Diane Michelle	Candice
Henry Silva	Bane
John Vernon	Rupert Thorne