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    Batman

    Character » Batman appears in 23506 issues.

    Bruce Wayne, who witnessed the murder of his billionaire parents as a child, swore to avenge their deaths. He trained extensively to achieve mental and physical perfection, mastering martial arts, detective skills, and criminal psychology. Costumed as a bat to prey on the fears of criminals, and utilizing a high-tech arsenal, he became the legendary Batman.

    Did Batman Really Say "Quiet or Papa Spank"?

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    gmanfromheck

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    Edited By gmanfromheck
    No Caption Provided

    Batman is known for many things. One of them he can't seem to live down is saying, "Quiet or Papa spank!" When I first saw the image you see here, it looked too clean and simply to absurd to have actually happened. Panels are sometimes touched up or "remastered" so there was a possibility this could have actually happened. Then I recalled a Batman coffee mug I had years ago with panels from 1940's Batman #1.

    It turns out that the lady Batman is asking to be quiet is actually Catwoman in her first appearance. Thanks to my copy of Batman Chronicles Volume 1 (which reprints Detective Comics 27-38 along with Batman #1), I was able to read the story.

    The question is, is this an actual panel or has someone manipulated it and played a trick on us?

    No Caption Provided

    Batman #1 contains several stories. The Batman Chronicles trade does contain that page, but that still wasn't proof enough. I did some more research and did find this old scan. It looks like Batman did indeed utter those words.

    The story dealt with Batman reading about a ritzy yacht party that was in the party. He figured every crook in town would also know about it and it would be a giant target for trouble. He sends Dick Grayson undercover as a steward who becomes suspicious when he sees a shady looking guy escorting an old woman with a sprained ankle. Robin discovers a crumpled note the man tried throwing overboard signed by "The Cat" and soon, the yacht owner's half million dollar necklace has been stolen!

    The boat is soon boarded by other crooks but they're too late as the necklace has already been stolen. Robin takes them on and soon Batman arrives. What ends up happening is after the crooks are defeated, everyone is gathered at a costume party on the yacht when a fire alarm goes off. Batman notices the old woman running off and that she has "nice legs for an old woman!"

    No Caption Provided

    With the Cat captured, Batman tells Robin he's heard tales about her in the underworld. He removes her wig and make up despite the protest. This is when Batman tells her "Quiet or Papa spank!" Batman discovers that the Cat hid the necklace in the bandage on her ankle. She tries persuading Batman to become her partner after he defeats the shady guy. Batman replies, "Sorry, your proposition tempts me but we work on different sides of the law!"

    As they try to take the Cat away, she jumps overboard. Batman and Robin make their moves to go after her but bump into each other. Robin accuses Batman of bumping into him on purpose. Batman just comments on it being a "nice night." He also wonders if he'll bump into the Cat again.

    In other words, there is no explanation why on Earth Batman said "Quiet or Papa spank!" Maybe Batman just liked giving spankings. It was the 1940s. Batman was attracted to her. Perhaps we should just leave it at that.

    No Caption Provided
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    Chaos Burn

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    #1  Edited By Chaos Burn

    That picture of Bruce spanking Dick is just messed up

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    longbowhunter

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    #2  Edited By longbowhunter

    Batman...you are gross.
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    Magian

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    #3  Edited By Magian

    If that was Batman's idea for waking someone happily for his birthday, I don't want to know what he would do to his wife for their anniversary.

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    xerox_kitty

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    #4  Edited By xerox_kitty

    It sounds weird by today's standards.  Hell, it sounds downright seedy!   
     
    I guess it's just the evolution of the character.  We've gotten so used to Batman as the Dark Knight.  I guess back then Batman was still a Billionaire playboy under the mask.  Women weren't hardened criminals, but frail & pretty damsels who happen to operate on the wrong side of the law... and therefore can be lightly flirted with & 'accidentally-on-purpose' freed instead of handing over to the authorities.

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    Norusdog

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    #5  Edited By Norusdog

    HAHAHAHAHAHAAHA

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    darkxman123

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    #6  Edited By darkxman123

    why was golden age batman so creepy 

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    dondasch

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    #7  Edited By dondasch
    @xerox-kitty said:
    " It sounds weird by today's standards.  Hell, it sounds downright seedy!    I guess it's just the evolution of the character.  We've gotten so used to Batman as the Dark Knight.  I guess back then Batman was still a Billionaire playboy under the mask.  Women weren't hardened criminals, but frail & pretty damsels who happen to operate on the wrong side of the law... and therefore can be lightly flirted with & 'accidentally-on-purpose' freed instead of handing over to the authorities. "
    This.
     
    And wow, that was just weird, but in character for that era I suppose.  I couldn't see that happening today.
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    NightFang3

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    #8  Edited By NightFang3

    LMFAO!!!!

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    vance_astro

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    #9  Edited By vance_astro  Moderator
    @darkxman123 said:
    " why was golden age batman so creepy  "
    Because 1930's-40's people were creepy.
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    TheMess1428

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    #10  Edited By TheMess1428

    Thanks to G-Man to creep us out when it comes to Batman...

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    Bruce Vain

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    #11  Edited By Bruce Vain

    Ahh the good ol' days :D
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    FoxxFireArt

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    #12  Edited By FoxxFireArt
    @xerox-kitty: 
    It's almost more jarring that Batman would make a joke. Let alone that really bad one. He was kind of kinky, too. Checking out an old woman's legs. Best answer is that it was the 40s. That kind of stuff passed for humor back then.
    It doesn't paint Selina in the best light. She's an expert thief, but ran while she was trying to fake an injury.
     
    I have to say hearing this news. I can almost feel a 4koma in this gag. Maybe have Selina turn the tables on Bruce.
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    kungnima

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    #13  Edited By kungnima

    Thanks for ruining Batman for me with that last picture, G-man.. :P
     Batman's a pimp!

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    gmanfromheck

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    #14  Edited By gmanfromheck

    You'd be surprised at the things I discover when doing "research." I'm even going to bring something up on the LIVE Show today about Robin.

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    Eyz

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    #15  Edited By Eyz

    That crazy ol' silver age Bats! XD

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    xerox_kitty

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    #16  Edited By xerox_kitty
    @FoxxFireArt: Quiet... or Mama spank! 
     
    ;)
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    jasraj

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    #17  Edited By jasraj

    wtf was that 
     
    anyway, im glad modern day batman doesnt do this
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    TerryMcC

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    #18  Edited By TerryMcC

    At least the Golden-Age Batman never wet himself.

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    Theodore

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    #19  Edited By Theodore

    hahahaha Happy Birthday, Dick!

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    tgaxgriffenx

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    #20  Edited By tgaxgriffenx

    Imagine the joker saying that to Batman just before being captured. "Oh by the way Batman Quite or Papa spank." Camera pans to Batman's face of utter confusion and shame. Comedic music plays. Whaa Whaa Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! "Darn you creepy old Bats!"

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    KRYPTON

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    #21  Edited By KRYPTON

    So this is like todays, "Off My Mind" just without the title. 

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    bobtv

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    #22  Edited By bobtv

    Golden Age creepiness, oh, the memories.

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    Tanya Hyde

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    #23  Edited By Tanya Hyde

    lol

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    gmanfromheck

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    #24  Edited By gmanfromheck
    @KRYPTON said:
    " So this is like todays, "Off My Mind" just without the title.  "
    Yeah. This was more "research" versus my opinion.
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    EisforExtinction

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    #25  Edited By EisforExtinction

    What about when the Joker talks about his boner?

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    countvontrey

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    #26  Edited By countvontrey

    I'm pretty sure I heard Joker say this in the animated series or one of the feature films with Mark Hamil as Joker. It was a nice little nod to this panel. lol

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    Thunderscream

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    #27  Edited By Thunderscream

    No Caption Provided
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    deactivated-5a98cd905fc97

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    This just goes to show you how society has changed.  What was once viewed as normal, "innocent" humor, is now seen differently by us.  Political correctness, equal rights, and so forth have all changed how we view things, and while mostly it's for the better, we probably over-react sometimes too.  Though these examples seem odd to me as well.
     
    Batman, spanking unjustly and injustice since 1939.

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    Demas

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    #29  Edited By Demas

    This was also reprinted in "Catwoman: Nine Lives of a Feline Fatale" (Ed. Anton Kawasaki, DC Comics, 2004)... at the time, Bill Finger was 26, and had just gotten into comics (this was, for example, the first appearance of costumeless "The Cat" who in two issues would come to be called "The Catwoman".  With the genre so new, Finger's inspiration was of course pulp fiction and  prototype vigilante heroes like The Phantom.
     
    In said fiction, misogyny was rather a norm reflected not only in Finger's books but in Eisner's "The Spirit" who would just as easily show a woman the back of his hand for giving him lip or some other slight as he would force her into a deep kiss in the same time period.  On the flipside, the women are often depicted as having sex and seduction as their only viable weapon.
     
    In a sentiment perpetuated by Depression Era men who not only needed their jobs but felt they were being stolen by women, a 1936 Gallup Poll showed an overwhelming 82 percent of Americans felt women should not have a job if their husbands were employed.
     
    This is what Finger grew up in and the 1940s comics show that devaluation of women.  These early interactions with female characters, from Catwoman and Vicki Vale to minor female characters, demonstrate a condescending paternalism.
     
    The question is whether society, fiction, and Batman have grown up....
     
    Adapted from:
    http://www.lonelygods.com/women.html 

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    dondasch

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    #30  Edited By dondasch
    @Thunderscream said:
    "
    No Caption Provided
    "
    Best laugh I've had in a while !
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    RYU/BATMAN

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    #31  Edited By RYU/BATMAN
    @G-Man said:
    " You'd be surprised at the things I discover when doing "research." I'm even going to bring something up on the LIVE Show today about Robin. "
    So, was Batman a comedic character in those comics?
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    Video_Martian

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    #32  Edited By Video_Martian

    O_O (wow, creepy...)

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    rlmay3

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    #33  Edited By rlmay3

    At some point Batman realized what a socially awkward creep he was after he and Superman had a heart-to-heart. That's when he started becoming reclusive and dedicating his time to working out more and beating the snot out of everyone.

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    KRYPTON

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    #34  Edited By KRYPTON
    @G-Man said:
    " @KRYPTON said:
    " So this is like todays, "Off My Mind" just without the title.  "
    Yeah. This was more "research" versus my opinion. "
    You should come up with a name for this segment. 
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    Lvenger

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    #35  Edited By Lvenger
    @Thunderscream said:
    "
    No Caption Provided
    "
    Hilarious!!!! This is utter brilliance!
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    wikiwickerman

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    #36  Edited By wikiwickerman
    @Vance Astro: What do you mean 'were'? 
     
    And I remember reading that issue and thinking it was pretty creepy.
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    Nova`Prime`

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    #37  Edited By Nova`Prime`
    @jasraj: How do you know what he does behind closed doors :)
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    doordoor123

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    #38  Edited By doordoor123

    Best pick up line EVER

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    thveej

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    #39  Edited By thveej

    lol what a pimp

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    cbishop

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    #40  Edited By cbishop

    This isn't the only place I've ever seen that phrase.  I'm pretty sure that it was a phrase of the time - probably a pop culture (or whatever "pop culture" was called then) reference for the time, derived from an early movie or radio show.  Kind of the way we got "That's not a knife.  This is a knife," from Crocodile Dundee, or "I'll be bach" from Terminator (and every other Arnold film). 
     
    If this had come from a more whimsical character, like Spider-Man, Blue Beetle or Beast Boy, who are known for their one-liners, we wouldn't have given this much thought. 

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    N7_Normandy

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    #41  Edited By N7_Normandy

    In my mind, this never happened

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    mpgeist

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    #42  Edited By mpgeist

    I'm trying to imagine what would happen if he said this to the Catwoman of today.  It would not end well.

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    deadpool1109

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    #43  Edited By deadpool1109

    papa spank!!! lmao

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    Rabbit Tots

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    #44  Edited By Rabbit Tots

    Ahh... things were much innocent and playful in those days around the 30s to 50s. People just need to relax.
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    asmus

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    #45  Edited By asmus

    I think I might get this printed on a mug. :)

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    www.deadpoolforum.com

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    LMFAO!!!!
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    wbburnette

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    #47  Edited By wbburnette

    You know, I was really having a bad day.  Thanks for the laugh G-Man!

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    caesarsghost

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    #48  Edited By caesarsghost

    ha, this reminds me of Harley's line in Arkham Asylum "Sharpie used a bad word... Momma spank...". Hey, I wonder if the writer's new about this...
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    -Vigil-

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    #49  Edited By -Vigil-

    Why is everyone so disturbed by the last image? Spanking was a perfectly acceptable form of punishment back then, as well as a long-standing birthday tradition.  
     
    In other words, it's the readers minds that are perverted, not the Batman.

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    .o0Johnny0o.

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    #50  Edited By .o0Johnny0o.
     The implication here always makes me giggle
     The implication here always makes me giggle

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