One ofBatman’smost defining character traits is how difficult it is for him to trust anyone. Batman is a deeply paranoid man, making it difficult for him to operate in teams. He has plotted against his allies countless times and even created contingency plans to defeat them, and DC once revealed the source of this paranoia.
The root of Batman’s inability to trust his teams was revealed inBatman Confidential#54 by Marc Guggenheim and Jerry Bingham. In this story, Bruce Wayne is still traveling the world trying to learn the skills he will need to become the Dark Knight.Batman ends up in China, where he encounters the warlord Huairen, who has been destroying the countryside. Unable to defeat Huairen alone,Bruce teams up with the Zhuguan.
The Zhuguan area group of heroes whose name roughly translates to “the League.“Batman first tries out teamwork with this “first League,” but unfortunately, it doesn’t end well for him. This terrible first experience with teams is the big reason why Batman finds it so difficult to trust the Justice League later on.
Batman’s First League Ended Up Being a Traumatic Experience
Batman: Confidential#54 by Marc Guggenheim, Jerry Bingham, David Baron, and Ken Lopez
The Zhuguan was notthe best team for Batman. They were people fighting a war, and they intended to win that war with lethal force. One of the ways they fought this war was through the use of a special drug that granted them power, which they offered Batman as well. Not knowing any better, Bruce accepted it and briefly gained superpowers. During a final confrontation with Huairen, theZhuguan manipulate Batman into nearly using lethal force, promising that they will use their powers to revive Huairen afterward. When they nearly break their promise, Batman realizes how foolish it is to trust people with powers.
Batman prefers being on his own because then there are no uncontrolled variables.
Batman often craves control,given that his parents died in a moment of chaos. It’s not unusual for Bruce to be remarkably uncomfortable in situations where he has no control, and that’s especially true when he’s faced with god-like beings such as Superman.Batman prefers being on his ownbecause then there are no uncontrolled variables. Even Robin is someone who he personally trained and knows as well as himself. But after the Zhuguan try to get Batman addicted to opium, which is what their superpower-granting drug was based off of, and try to make him break his one rule, it’s understandable that he would want to avoid teams.
Batman Distrusted the Justice League for Years After This First Team Experience
And Some Stories Prove He Was Right
It is immensely difficult for Batman to trust people that he can’t control. While there’s no denying that Batman wanted to trust the Justice League, just like he wanted to trust the Zhuguan, he has been betrayed before. The Zhuguan tried to get Batman addicted to opium and trick him into breaking his one rule, and the Justice League once wiped Batman’s memory to cover up their crime inIdentity Crisisby Brad Meltzer and Rags Morales. WhileBatmanhas tried to believe in the good of people, a few key events have made it understandably difficult for him to ever trust having teammates.
Batman Confidential#54is available now from DC Comics!
Batman
One of DC’s most iconic heroes, Batman is the vigilante superhero persona of billionaire Bruce Wayne. Forged by tragedy with the death of his parents, Bruce dedicated his life to becoming the world’s leading martial artist, detective, and tactician. Recruiting an entire family of allies and sidekicks, Bruce wages war on evil as the dark knight of his hometown, Gotham City.
