What It Would Take to Become Batman 1
by The mental and physical requirements that one would need to become Batman. Do you think you’ve got what it takes?
One key element to remember is that Batman was born from tragedy. Unless you happen to have your parents killed in front of you at the tender age of 8, you will probably never have the all consuming rage that drove Bruce Wayne to become Batman. Regardless of the seemingly limitless financial stream, he still had to push himself to near superhuman levels of strength, fighting skill, mental performance, and self-discipline.
Strength
By my account, Bruce Wayne is incredibly strong. He is often depicted in comic books bench pressing a weight bar with some 5-8 large weight plates on either side. Assuming that most large weight plates are usually 45 lbs (20.45 kg) and he is using a standard 45 lbs Olympic bar, Bruce Wayne would be bench pressing somewhere in the range of 495-765 lbs. This is within reason for peak human performance, but it does not account for the fact that he is often performing multiple repetitions. It also doesn’t account for the fact that his muscular frame does not resemble that of a weight lifter who would be able to press that much weight multiple times.
The same goes for Batman’s leg strength. The world record squat is 1250 lbs (568.18 kg). It is presumed that Bruce Wayne can squat a weight similar to that, yet he doesn’t have the massive tree trunk legs that power lifters have. There is a scene from Batman: Dark Victory where The Hangman has lassoed Batman around the neck and he is left suspended from a roof. Disregard his neck strength, it turns out that he was wearing a metal (possibly medieval) neck brace. Batman was still able to push himself up and back over to the top of the roof. So basically, he was able to push some 210 lbs (assumed weight) up into the air approximately 10 feet from a dead stop. I’d recommend trying that with a bowling ball a few times and then tell me that you think you’ll be able to do that with your entire body. This is truly one of those “no way” moments that is immediately followed with “what a badass”.
Fighting Skill
According to an online posting, Batman has mastered some 127 different fighting styles. I don’t think you have to go that far, but you are going to have to be incredibly proficient at 10 or more. Just to name a few, I’d say that you’d have to master Jujitsu, Hapkido, Ninjitsu, Judo, 52 Blocks (jailhouse rock), Aikido, various forms of Kung Fu, and straight-up back alley brawling. You’d better be prepared to dedicate 10-15 years to even get a chance to ride the bench on Batman’s team. Basically, you are going to need to be able to beat Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Chuck Lidell, and about 5 other UFC powerhouses all at once.
Mental Development
We already know that Bruce Wayne was the son of a doctor. So, it’s a given that he has a general idea of first aid and the processes of the human body. Yet, he had to train to become the great detective and tactician that he is. He also seems to be pretty good with computers, chemistry, and many other disciplines. Regardless of any other factors, you can’t fake this. This would mean that he has to read at an incredible rate and completely retain it. It is entirely possible to have planned strategies to combat situations, but you still have to remember them. Even still, you would have to have a pretty good mastery of all of these disciplines and some pretty big stones to trust in your abilities to perform required actions as required. It’s safe to say that you’re going to need an IQ that is somewhere in the genius range.
Self-Discipline
Ultimately, none of this would be possible without the amazing level of self-discipline that Bruce Wayne possesses. Keep in mind that his childhood was shattered and rebuilt on his feelings of helplessness, anger, and vengeance. You would literally need to get to the point that you could climb Mt. Everest, cruise through Navy Seal training, say and do everything without having any fear of doing it wrong, and have complete confidence in your physical and mental capabilities.
Then, and only then are you ready to start thinking about the other things needed to become Batman
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Post CommentYayan
On May 19, 2008 at 10:33 pm
The first key to strength is actually hitting the gym. I am on my way to it and if you meet me there, you will be too. This is more motivation for ya. You have some very valuable points.
Raskolnikov
On September 22, 2008 at 7:50 pm
This kind of falls into that humorous realm of pseudo-science / pseudo-fiction called “super hero physics”. I’ve heard funny stories about college professors proving that the Flash would be shaken to jelly, Spiderman would not be able to climb walls with gloves on, etc.
Batman is kind of a “normal human”, however, in that he has no special “powers” above what other “normal human’s” might possibly attain. Like the author said.
Like all super heroes, we see different “versions” of batman, in which he has varying levels of humanity.
I have also dedicated great thought to this matter, and created my own more human Batman.
Obviously to train all the things Batman has mastered would take several hundred years, for even the best minds on earth. Batman usually looks to be early to mid 30’s. Not only that, but he has skills to train for two separate lives; Bruce Wayne and Batman.
So the name of the game, REALLY, to become batman is not strength or brainpower, it’s EFFICIENCY, and maybe a little cheating.
Fighting arts – We have seen Batman depicted as a ninja, but that doesn’t fit our time line. It just takes too long to master Ninjutsu well enough to product the necessary practical results. Let’s say he spent 8 years in the Seals and picked up weapons training + Krav Maga. Then he moved on to a special airborne unit for 4 years where he picked up hang gliding, climbing, etc.
Batman has displayed superhuman strength, but his body does not match. let’s say his suit has some sort of advanced hydraulic system or robotics to assist him.
Science – Batman has a lot of financial assets, so let’s say he farms most of his really tough science out. To be really efficient, he taps resources at Wayne Industries that may already be researching things similar to what he’s working on as Batman. He probably has a degree in physics or biology from a good College.
Wealth – Bruce inherited a wealthy company with some military contracts. He plays a relatively inactive role in the company, focusing on philanthropic efforts, similar to Bill Gates.
So we skip the ninja idea, and say he finishes college early due to being rich and smart. We’ll say he’s 20. Spends 12 years in special forces training, which puts him at 32. He realizes the company he owns makes high tech military gear. Score.
So to me that could sum up Batman. I think as the years go by newer and more elaborate things get “bolted on” to the character making him less and less believable, but the character could be boiled down to something not completely unattainable by “normal humans”.
Veles
On July 20, 2009 at 10:12 am
OK, lets start with who batman truly is (if anyone still reads this article, since when I read this it was a year since any comments).
Batman is apparrently a polymath (poly=many; math is a technical study, thus multi-gifted) genius who has, apparently, been rated with an IQ of 192 in mainstream comic continuity. Having virtually unlimited finances, and with an IQ so high probably even greater mental intuitive gifts, he started college at 14 in Cambridge. He regularly transferred between big colleges until he had nine competent degrees at age 25. One of his jobs was in the FBI at age 20 for six weeks until he decided the desk job wasn\’t for him. Now, I will guess him to be a complete mesomorph, with maybe some minor ectomorph characteristics (thus strong, pleasing frame, yet not quite as bulky as a full mesomorph with more stamina and agility). He is also probably a bananna-shaped dude, due to equal mass and fat distribution, and a OO (or \”O\”) blood type, though maybe a BO (\”B\”); this being due to his large frame that is obviously high-protein, but he also has a strong immune system and gifted mind. His numerology based life path of \”Bruce Wayne\” is 5, which would mean he is very adaptable with great talent and reflexes, being out there in the open experiencing a constantly changing environment; also, because of the threatening, changing place he always is in, that path also means that he can feel love passionately, but resist emotional attachments and remain free and individual. Also, with an expression number of 9, this means that he expresses himself more toward the ieals of a humanitarian, meaning he wants to transform the world for the better, right wrongs, and is his own harshest critic, constantly trying to push himself until he feels he\’s made a positive difference on humanity on this world.
Now, the most he has ever bench-pressed was nearly 850 pounds held for several seconds, which is similiar to the modern world record as of July 2009. Since his earliest 1939 depictions he has broken past leather restraints, with progressively harder acts over the years.
His suit in the comics is made f a cabon nanotube (single-walled)-kevlar (29?) weave very resistant to tearing and abrasion, and often has a ballistic vest and flame-retardent material. However, you could fit some of the new advancements in artificial muscle fibers or hydraulic exoskeletons in his movie-type suits, but he wouldn\’t perform many acrobatics, no matter how strong he is. Speaking of acrobatics, I still think Dick Grayson is much more plausible, who is basically a hyped-up circus/ genius version of Bruce Lee, the greatest martial artist who has yet lived. In fact, except for the circus thing, Dick has practiced the exact same martial arts Bruce did (Jeet Kune Do, Wing Chun, Tai Chi, Eskrima, Boxing, Jiujutsu, Karate, and a few others; obviously ninjutsu as Nightwing).
The biggest arts Batman practiced were ninjutsu (which IS still useful if you learned it), boxing, Savate, gymnastics, muay thai, karate, parkour, Dragon Kung Fu (not sure if it is the Northern, which is balanced and graceful, or Southern, which is direct, short, and powerful, though; maybe both), Tae Kwon Do, Aikido, and probably all that Dick knows of other styles, inclding Kenpo, Kendo, Fencing, Judo, Swordmanship, Hapkido, and several others. He may have scanned through others, but if he mastered any of them (of course he did, but not all 127 said!) then I probably mentioned most of them.
I\’ve only read maybe 10 Batman comics, about 85% of them being 1939-1940, but I\’ve read alot from both credible and not so credible sites, though it\’s been a while. Oh, and wikias are different from wiki. Very.
Veles means devil (little god), and the other aged European (Slavic?) root Vele means ancient demon who went around sucking the souls of innocents (or was it the other way around?). I never read comics, except those… 12, a long time ago, but I just turned thirteen, am in high school, physically superior to everybody (lol), have the same life path and expression numbers as Batman, I\’m guessing blood type \”B\” due to heritage, bananna-shaped, mesoectomorph, am Caucasian, score Advanced and in the 99th percentile on all my tests, and want to be a celebrity who also lives like a real life Batman because I know I can! I\’m not jerking your chain! My initial spelled backward is peg, and my first name means \”watchful, vigilant, aware, observant, alert\”. Give me five to ten years to make a name for myself, and possibly a few more years to read about a demonic vigilante in a big city.
Dragon Fist
On March 22, 2010 at 8:18 pm
well guess this. I am 22 and i have actually came back from thailand, being there for 6 months i will be batman. If you don’t believe it, than wait about a few years u’ll hear of me. My name is sukhraj. Learn It.
David
On February 3, 2011 at 4:18 pm
In what city are you going to be batman in sukhraj?