Dark Knight Rises: Latest Pictures of Batman, Bane and Others.
Teaser trailer images of the Dark Knight Rises. Warner Bros.

“The Dark Knight Rises” movie is still a year away, but fans are already buzzing with excitement and speculation. Perhaps the biggest question is whether or not arch-nemesis Bane will break the back of Batman / Bruce Wayne.

To comic book fans, Bane holds the distinction of having “Broken the Bat,” which left Batman / Bruce Wayne a paraplegic. It was arguably the most successful attack on Batman ever, the act Bane is mostly known for, and an iconic moment in the Batman comic book series.

Bane grew up an orphan in prison under a corrupt regime. In that gritty environment, he honed is knowledge, fighting skills, and hardiness. He eventually rose to the top of the prison hierarchy.

That got him noticed by the prison officials, who injected him with a drug called Venom as an experiment. Bane survived the drug and gained superhuman strength from it.

He then escaped from prison and eventually became obsessed with conquering Batman. In their first meeting, he ambushes an exhausted Batman (due to circumstances he created), beat Batman in the fight, and broke Batman’s back. Batman then becomes a paraplegic.

The upcoming Batman movie will probably feature the first meeting of Bane and Batman. The trailer of the movie states that Batman’s journey as a hero must end with an “epic conclusion.”

The only logic conclusion, according to the comic books, is the breaking of the Bat. However, director Christopher Nolan doesn’t have to follow the comic books at all. Moreover, leaving Batman a paraplegic would be a controversial and unconventional way to end the movie series.

Still, Nolan is known for his stark and gritty interpretation of Batman in his movie series. If anyone is going to end a superhero series on a dark note, it’d be Nolan. Plus, why would he bring in Bane if he doesn’t plan to break the Bat?