Absolute Batman #11 (2025)

Bane returns from Ark M to Gotham. Alfred Pennyworth notices this and bitterly reflects to himself how he should have warned Batman about Bane and told him who and what Bane is. Bane was born in the war-torn Caribbean island Santa Prisca, a country which had been repeatedly invaded, colonised and plundered for its abundant natural resources. His father was the leader of Cielos Libres, a rebel group which had been fighting to free the country and bring peace for over a hundred years. When Bane was a young man Cielos Libres successfully took the capital city, but after three days foreign troops moved in and crushed the rebellion. They were sentenced to life in the notorious prison Peña Duro. After languishing in the prison for eleven years, Bane lead the surviving members of Cielos Libres in breaking out and sailing back to Santa Prisca to retake the island. However, when they reached the beach they found no army waiting for them, but a man in white: the Joker. The Joker spoke to Bane privately and told him that his father's plans to seize Santa Prisca by force hadn't worked before and wouldn't work now because too many outside forces wanted what Santa Prisca had; that even if they successfully took the country and established peace war would inevitably come back to their shores. Bane acknowledged that this was true and so the Joker offered him a deal: he would use his wealth and power to ensure that Santa Prisca would be forever independent, prosperous and safe; and in return Bane would serve him. Bane agreed and the Joker departed from the island never to return, however as a test of loyalty he ordered Bane to kill his father and Bane complied. From there Bane became the Joker's lead enforcer, conducting assassinations and acts of terrorism around the globe to advance the Joker's interests. Bane also submitted to tortuous medical experiments and treatments with the super-steroid Venom which enhanced his body and mind far beyond human capabilities. With his new photographic memory, he was able to master every fighting style, every weapon, and every strategy used throughout history. Alfred imagines how Bruce would valiantly try to fight Bane, but ultimately fail, as Bane will be able to anticipate and counter his every move. He then imagines Bane delivering Batman's broken body to the Joker's doctors to perform the same procedures on Batman that they did on him, something he has done before with other opponents who proved especially skilled. How Bane would make the same offer to Bruce that the Joker did to him, to accept the power of the Venom and become the hero Gotham needs, to make it gleaming and bright as Santa Prisca became. However, Alfred also knows that this would not work, as Bruce would have to choose to break, and he never will. Instead, he will go after Bruce's friends, and break him by breaking them. In Gotham, Bane tracks down and corners Eddie, Harvey and Oz.