What Did Batman Inject Himself With in ‘The Batman’ Movie?

‘The Batman’ (2022) is one of DC’s best recent movies, and fans left the theaters with many questions and hopes for a promising new cinematic universe. At the end of the story, Batman uses a strange substance to strengthen himself and defeat the Riddler, which sparked a lot of theories. So, what did Batman inject himself with?

The book ‘The Art of the Batman’ shows Bruce injected himself with an adrenaline shot. While many fans theorized it was Bane’s Venom, the book proves the theory wrong. Batman keeps adrenaline for himself or others to use in emergencies.

This is unfortunate news for some fans, as Bane is one of the best Batman villains. The substance is also relevant for a comic-book story, ‘Batman: Venom.’ This text will discuss more about the effects of Venom and who Bane is.

Why did Batman inject himself with the adrenaline?

In his fight against Riddler’s army, Batman is overwhelmed and nearly defeated. When he sees Catwoman almost being killed, he finds no alternative but to give himself a shot of a strange green liquid. He rises and fights again but loses control and violently beats up the Riddler goon.

As discussed, Batman uses an adrenaline shot which is a nice detail and a good backup plan. ‘The Art of the Batman’ not only reveals that but also gives instructions on how to use it and shows a drawing of the prototype.

However, if the substance was actually Venom, it would be an interesting development, as the drug announces the arrival of Bane. The villain is the most common user of Venom and is shown using it in many animations and comics.

Adrenaline sends more oxygen to your major muscles, increasing your strength temporarily. Venom works in a similar way, but it’s even more effective and addictive. The Venom made Bane capable of beating Batman once and gave life to the iconic scene in which he breaks the hero’s back.

Has Batman ever used Venom?

Batman was actually the first user of Venom. After failing to save a girl, the hero starts using the drug to surpass his limitations in the comic ‘Batman: Venom,’ created by Dennis O’Neil. It presents Batman spiraling out of control after becoming addicted to the substance that would soon become the power source for his nemesis.

Other characters besides Bane and Batman have already used Venom in the comics. Some of them are Man-Bat, the Riddler, and even Lex Luthor. You might also recognize the drug from the game ‘Arkham Asylum,’ which shows a monstrous version of the Joker powered up by the substance.

Although Batman has only used Venom once, it’d be interesting to see the hero using it in the movies while trying to desperately save the city he loves. As we saw him losing control in ‘The Batman’ after using adrenaline, it does seem like a possible event.

Why is Bane associated with the Venom?

Created by Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench, and Graham Nolan, Bane is an expert strategist who spent his childhood in prison in the fictional South American country Santa Prisca. He developed super strength through experiments involving Venom, also making him addicted to the substance.

Even though he is treated more like a brute and a thug in animations and movies, Bane is a complex character in the comics. He is smart enough to discover Batman’s real identity and even beat him in the story arc ‘Knightfall,’ in which he breaks the hero’s back and makes him stop being a vigilante for a while.

But the event that made him known as “The Man Who Broke the Bat” doesn’t define everything he is. Bane has played many roles in the DC Universe — he has already worked for the League of Shadows, Suicide Squad, and Secret Six and has even helped Batman protect Gotham a few times.

The character immediately brings the idea of Venom, not only because he went through experiments with a variation of the substance but also because he still constantly uses it. However, during the 90s, Bane stopped using the drug, admitting it was one of his weaknesses due to the side effects.

As mentioned, you won’t see most of these sides of the character if you don’t read the comics, which doesn’t mean he’s badly written in other media. He appears in more than 20 projects. We definitely have some remarkable examples, even if they don’t live up to Bane’s potential.

The first that comes to mind is Tom Hardy’s portrayal of the character in ‘Dark Knight Rises,’ the conclusion to Nolan’s trilogy. And, turning everything upside down, ‘Batman & Robin’ delivers the funniest possible version of the character (it wouldn’t be hard to convince a friend he is the Hulk if they aren’t familiar with him).

Outside of movies, we see the character in animations like ‘Young Justice,’ ‘Batman: The Animated Series,’ and even ‘Superman: The Animated Series.’ You can also see him in a few games. For example, Bane is a playable character in Injustice and a boss in ‘Batman: Arkham Asylum.’

You can currently stream ‘The Batman’ on MAX. A sequel will be released in 2025, and a Penguin spin-off is set to air in 2024.

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