This is only an insight look, in no way am I demoralizing or saying that my theories are facts.
Bane's hellish history
Best way to define a man like Bane is to strongly focus on his origin. Born and raised within the harshest and fictional prison of Santa Prisca, DC would successfully express Banes character as a man who was raised within humanities own hellish nightmare. As a child, it was said that Bane spent most of his young life surviving and doing everything he can on not becoming a victim for the other inmates. Unlike other children who were raised under the guidance of an adult or guardian, Bane was basically on his own throughout most of his entire life. So it’s quite understandable that at such a young age, Bane would sadly learn how to kill. Yet that wasn’t the only thing that Bane learned as he self-taught himself with the available literature within the prison.
Not only did Bane dedicate himself into whatever knowledge he could acquire, but also kept his physique in absolute perfect condition throughout his adulthood. His whole life was about survival and facing his worst fears, and nothing else. But as Bane found himself literally becoming the most powerful prisoner, there was one thing that did managed to haunt Bane for a long time, which were the mythical stories of a monstrous Batman that he heard from other prisoners.
Feeling that fear was a weakness that could cost Bane his life, it was after his escape that he fully dedicated himself into hunting this monster within Gotham City. From there on, Bane managed to fulfill his goals with all the knowledge he gained and managed to do what no other man could, which was breaking the Batman.
So that history of Bane is probably the best way to help understand what kind of villain Bane truly is. But, when I say a Batman villain, is he really the Bat-villain that we all describe him as?
First off, you’ll notice that he had what was completely the opposite of a childhood. By the time Bane should’ve been in Elementary School, the kid was already stabbing an inmate to death. It was like that all the way through his entire childhood and that a great portion of his life was all dedicated towards his own survival. Only knowledge he knows is from the books that were kept within the prison. But even though he is a self-educated man, I see Bane as man who hasn’t gained a personality that was properly developed.
Why the Batman?
Going more inside the mind of Bane, I wondered why the Batman? Why go through great lengths to take down the man and let him live?
Last question was mind-boggling at first because of the fact that Bane gained a history of killing and letting the man who's known to be his own worst fears live with a broken back that me wonder about Bane’s character.
But after reading about Sigmund Freud’s theories on sexual psychology, I was surprised how I found a very strong connection between Bane and Batman, and more about Bane’s character as well.
Let’s put it this way, currently Secret Six showed us more about Bane’s character when we saw him displaying an awkward reaction towards women. It’s true that we haven’t seen Bane with another female or successfully carry out some form of a relationship or affection with another. But psychology has proved that most of the human population has displayed expression of sexual urges while developing their own personality, but some hasn’t grown to develop these traits normally (meaning that some people find sexual satisfaction through other and abnormal means). So exactly how does this tie into Bane?
It’s quite simple when looking into his history. From what I’ve managed to discover, is that he was raised within a hellish world with no women. Growing up witnessing the nightmarish nature of a foreign prison life and found himself afraid and later retaliating by means of murder. As Freud would describe about the child development that Bane went through, he would probably define Bane as man who found himself incapable of going through Freud’s stages of sexual expression that just about everybody goes through within their lives.
Trying to steer away from Freud’s in-depth analysis, basically Bane didn’t grow up on not knowing how to sexually express himself like normal people did.
What’s also interesting about this is how Bane managed not to become or advance in any violent episodes to where he literally became a sexual victim for others. It’s a harsh and violent fact that after a long time within a prison, one would most likely develop a change within their ways of fulfilling their urges. But for a kid to grow up in an environment such as a “supposed” harsh prison and avoiding something like involuntary/voluntary acts through means of survival really defines Bane’s sense of willpower. If you still don’t understand what I mean, then the best way that I can explain is by watching a film known as The Midnight Express, probably the one thing that comes close into defining what kind of hellish nature Bane grew up in and how one man’s personality quickly changes for the worse.
So comes The Batman.
It is said that even those who veer away from sexual acts at a certain age, would naturally find themselves expressing their urges through means of different ways, and that is what our boy Bane here probably did when first encountering the Batman. From what he believed to be a monster within his own nightmares, was probably changed into a man who was the byproduct of perfection. I strongly believe that Bane looked upon Batman and somehow gained a sense of admiration, affection, and fear all together.
Bane had to be a part of Batman’s life in some form or way, and with the deadly cocktail of emotions that ran through Bane’s mind. Doing this by setting Batman through one of the most elaborate schemes to wear down the hero and have Bane resolve his urges once and for all. Yes, Bane tired the hero down through a series of fights from numerous escaped convicts and finally faced the Batman himself as the poor hero was fatigued and barely able to stand. It was that Bane wanted more than Batman’s defeat, he wanted to own Batman; he wanted to be a part of Batman’s life as the man who broke him. It was right after Bane managed to break Batman’s back, I realized that he finally fulfilled his life more ways than one. This signature backbreaker that he did on Batman was Banes abnormal way of expressing his hate, fear, admiration, respect, and sexual urges. It was after that incident, that Bane now saw himself as a fulfilled man who finally developed into manhood.
Now some may be find this shocking or unbelievable, but it is a strong fact that there are people within this world who express their urges through more unbelievable ways than what I just described. IN ABSOLUETLY NO WAY am I trying to demoralize Banes character. For me personally, after seeing how the writer of the Secret Six has managed to support this portion of Banes character within her storytelling, I can’t help but feel how DC managed to create a character that represented one of the most abnormal sexual disorders that has also developed within his character fully as we see him slowly discover what it’s like to express his urges normally thanks to Vandal Savage. I also know about his bio and how he constantly tries to backbreak everyone as Batman beat-em up villain, but it was only Knightfall and some developing character traits from writers that has me believe my theories about Bane.
But, I could be wrong on my theories depending on if DC tends to redefine Banes character in some form or way. But it also seems that i'm not the only one who spots this within Bane's character, besides the fact this other villain fan claims Bane expresses his violent form of sexual satisfaction through means of steroid (Venom) use which I somewhat disagree.If you don't know what the hell i'm talking about, basically all im saying is that Bane got his jollies knocked off when breaking the Batman.
Hate comments or not, I strongly thankyou so much for reading my cure for boredom.
Log in to comment