81 years of The Dark Knight: The superhero without a super power

One of the most iconic fictional characters in the world, Batman dedicated his life to an endless crusade against evil.   

Since the tragic night his parents were murdered, Bruce Wayne (Batman's real name) gradually trained his body and mind to near perfection and grew into a self-made superhero. 

At the same time, he developed an arsenal of technology that would put most armies to shame. 

He also assembled teams of his fellow DC superheroes, like the Justice League, the Outsiders and Batman Incorporated.

Whether you call him The Dark Knight or The Caped Crusader, this superhero has captured the hearts and minds of people across the globe for generations.

Although he does not have any super power like Superman or Spiderman, he is incredibly strong. 

Every third Saturday in September, we celebrate Batman and the ageless storytelling of his life through comic books and movies. 

The first Batman Day was on July 23, 2014. 

This was the year of the 75th anniversary of the first appearance of Batman. 

The purpose of Batman Day is to celebrate the anniversary of the character's first ever appearance, which was on Detective Comics #27 in May 1939. 

Since those early comic book appearances, Batman has become the focal point of television shows, animated cartoons, video games and Hollywood blockbusters.

This year, Batman fans from all over the world will have the opportunity to celebrate the iconic hero in a variety of fun and exciting ways as part of a global "Batman Day" on September 19. 

DC is treating fans of all ages to Batman-themed digital activities, digital comics, movies, cartoon marathons, online gaming and more. 

There are also free activity kits for kids and even a digital mystery to solve in which fans can put on their cape and cowl and transform into their strongest self!

Fans can also team up with Batman to protect Gotham City in a series of digital activities, such as help him to piece together a series of clues left behind by The Riddler (a supervillain and Batman's enemy).  For 81 years, Batman has gained massive popularity as a character whose name is synonymous with justice for his fans all over the world. 

On this Batman Day, let us celebrate by knowing more about our favourite superhero.

Batman was co-created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. 

In DC Universe, Batman is Gotham's protector for decades, CEO of Wayne Enterprises, patriarch of the Bat Family, and a veteran member of the Justice League. 

At the age of 14, Bruce embarked on a journey that took him to every continent as he sought to learn all the skills he would need to keep his vow. 

He studied criminology, forensics, and criminal psychology, and learned from manhunters and martial artists, mastering every fighting style. 

On his return to Gotham, Bruce stalked street thugs as a plainclothes vigilante. 

Beaten by the very people he intended to protect, he barely survived his first night out. 

As he sat bleeding in his study at Wayne Manor, Bruce knew that he had to first strike fear in the hearts of his enemies. 

Just then, a bat crashed through the study window, giving him the inspiration he needed.

Establishing a secret headquarters in the caves beneath his mansion, Bruce became Batman, the Dark Knight to protect Gotham and its citizens from vice and villainy. 

A playboy billionaire by day, Bruce Wayne could afford a comfortable double life with no financial worries, a loyal butler-turned-guardian, and the perfect base of operations in the ancient network of caves beneath his family's sprawling estate. 
By night, however, he sheds all pretence, dons his iconic scalloped cape and pointed cowl and takes to the shadowy streets, skies and rooftops of Gotham City.

This Caped Crusader found a friend in Captain James Gordon, a Gotham cop who did not approve of Batman's methods, but appreciated the results of his nightly crime fighting. 

Batman's Rogues Gallery (the term used for Batman's villains) grew to include a host of bizarre criminals, such as the Joker, Catwoman, Two-Face and the Penguin. 

As his enemies increased, help arrived in the form of another young boy left parentless by brutal crime.

As a member of the Flying Graysons acrobatic family, young Dick Grayson thrilled audiences nightly on the high wire beside his circus aerialist parents. 

But when gangster "Boss Zucco" sabotaged the high wire because the owner of Haly's Circus refused to offer up protection money, the Graysons paid with their lives. 

Billionaire Bruce Wayne was in the audience that night; however, it was Batman who visited the grieving boy and offered him a chance at retribution by becoming Robin, the Dark Knight's squire in his personal war on crime.

The first Robin (yes, there was more than one Robin, there are four in fact, all in continuity) was carefully schooled by Batman, learning all the skills he would need and swearing a solemn oath, he joined the Dark Knight's crusade as his most trusted partner, Robin the Boy Wonder.

After several years of service to the Dark Knight, Grayson adopted the identity of Nightwing and continued to battle crime while remaining Batman's close ally.

Batman does not have superpowers, but his suit made of fictional materials sure does. 

His uniform is bulletproof and fire resistant, featuring a weighted cape and a cowl outfitted with night-vision technology and communications arrays.  

The utility belt contains an arsenal of crime-fighting gear, including various types of Batarangs (Bat boomerangs), micro-camera, smoke and gas pellets, acetylene torch, gas mask, rebreather (for underwater actions), and flexi-cuffs among other miniaturised non-lethal weapons. Batman is also known to carry a kryptonite ring!

Batman employs a variety of detective gadgets, including micro-computers and crime scene analysis kits; maintains a fleet of high-tech and high-powered vehicles, including the Batmobile, Batcycle, Batboat, Batplane and Batcopter. 
The super sophisticated Batcave headquarters houses the training facilities, forensics laboratories, computer databases, and maintenance bay for all Bat-vehicles.

Batman is defined by his all-encompassing knowledge of everyone's secrets, whether they are friends or foes. But this time, we are the ones who did some digging on the Dark Knight! 

Unknown facts about Batman     

• The story of Batman's parents' deaths were not created until Detective Comics #33, nearly a year after the first Batman story hit the shelves.
• Bruce Wayne's father, Dr Thomas Wayne, was himself a masked vigilante.
• Wayne Entertainment owns the newspaper, The Daily Planet, which means Batman is technically Superman's boss.
• Bruce Wayne is estimated to be worth $9 billion. This makes him wealthier than the X-Men's Professor Xavier, but not as wealthy as Tony Stark, AKA Iron Man.
• There have been many Robins over the years, most of them were orphans and adopted by Bruce Wayne. 
• According to the Batmobile Owner's Manual (yes, that's a thing), the Batmobile has up to 10,000 horsepower (hp).
• Across different universes, Bruce Wayne has three children; all of them have followed him into the crime-fighting business.
• Bruce Wayne had a childhood pen pal who became a criminal mastermind, the Penguin.
• The University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada, offers a course on Batman.
• His name is a combination of two Scottish and American Revolutionary heroes Robert the Bruce and Mad Anthony Wayne.