10 Batmen From Around the World

Batman is one of the most influential superheroes of all time. From his iconic costume to his lack of powers, Batman shows that anything is possible through hard work and dedication (as well as a ton of money, genius, and a capacious utility belt). The Dark Knight has inspired people all over the world to become heroes and fight against injustice. Batman, who wanted to extend his influence outside of Gotham, created two international teams of Batmen: the Batmen of all Nations and Batman Incorporated. Now, from Argentina to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, there is a Batman-inspired superhero ready to fight crime and defend the innocent. 

Gotham City isn’t the only place that needs a masked protector. These are ten international heroes that donned their masks because they were inspired by Batman.

1) Knight and Squire

The Knight and Squire are a British crime fighting duo who in their initial incarnation were inspired by the exploits of Batman and Robin. The original duo were the father and son team Percy and Cyril Sheldrake. Percy possessed a magical suit of armor that increased his durability. After the death of his father, Cyril became the new Knight and took in a young orphan girl named Beryl Hutchinson. Beryl became the new Squire. The pair defended Britain for many years and became members of Batman Incorporated and the Batmen of all Nations. Cyril eventually died in the line of duty, and Beryl inherited the mantle of her mentor.

2) Mr. Unknown

The original Mr. Unknown was Tokyo’s protector for many years, but was killed by the supervillain Lord Death Man. Upon his death, his friend, the detective Jiro Osamu, took on the role of Mr. Unknown. Jiro met Batman when he came to Japan to investigate the first Mr. Unknown’s murder. Batman was concerned with Jiro becoming the new Mr. Unknown because he used a gun and wanted to kill Lord Death Man. However, not wanting to let his hatred consume him, Jiro ultimately decided to abandon the use of firearms and his quest to execute Lord Death Man. Instead, he had the murderer arrested. Impressed by Jiro’s emotional growth, Batman deemed the young man to be worthy of the Mr. Unknown mantle. Now, Jiro fights crime in Japan and abroad as a member of Batman Incorporated.

3) Nightrunner

Bilal Asselah, aka Nightrunner, is a French-Algerian vigilante who protects the streets of Paris. Bilal became Nightrunner after his friend Aarif was brutally murdered by the Paris police. Bilal fights crime and supports the oppressed Muslim population of France. He first met Batman and Nightwing when they were investigating a child-smuggling ring in Paris. The trio joined forces to take down the criminal organization and save the kids. Batman and Nightwing appreciated Bilal’s help and offered him a spot on Batman Incorporated. Nightwing even trained Bilal in martial arts so that he could be a better crime fighter.  

4) Man-of-Bats and Red Raven

Dr. Bill Great Eagle of the Sioux people grew up on a Native American Reservation in South Dakota. He became the hero Man-of-Bats to protect his community. Bill’s son, Charles Great Eagle, joined his father’s crusade as the hero Red Raven. The pair lacks Batman’s wealth and resources. Instead, they focused on using medicine to heal injured people and social activism. Man-of-Bats uses funding from Batman to support the reservation. Bill and his son are proud members of the Batmen of all Nations and Batman Incorporated and are always ready to fight villains. 

5) El Gaucho

Santiago Vargas, aka El Gaucho, is a crime-fighter from Argentina who took his inspiration from Batman. Santiago was once an agent for the secret organization Spyrall. After retiring, Santiago led a life as a millionaire playboy. However, despite his extravagant lifestyle, he was bored and longed for his former days of adventure. Inspired by the exploits of Batman, Santiago decided to become the superhero, El Gaucho, and now fights crime in the city of Buenos Aires. Like Batman, El Gaucho uses specialized gadgets to fight crime, including bolas and electrically charged brass knuckles. Santiago’s heroism eventually landed him a spot as a member of both the Batmen of all Nations and Batman Incorporated.  

6) Dark Ranger

The Dark Ranger was an Australian costumed vigilante who was also inspired by Batman. He used a jetpack and a laser gun to fight crime. He also had a sidekick, a young boy named Johnny Riley, aka Scout. Dark Ranger was a member of the Batmen of all Nations until his teammate, Wingman, betrayed and killed him. Dark Ranger’s legacy continued when Johnny assumed the Dark Ranger mantle. Johnny followed in the original Dark Ranger’s footsteps and joined the Batmen of all Nations and Batman Incorporated.

7) Batwing

The first Batwing, David Zavimbe, dedicated his life to defending the innocent in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. David was raised as a child soldier for a local warlord, but he eventually managed to escape. Later, David became a police officer and fought against child soldier training camps. He also became a source of local information for Batman. Thankful for his help and recognizing the corruption in the local police force, Batman gave David a bat-themed suit. The Batwing suit gave David enhanced strength and powered flight. David worked alongside Batman Incorporated and the Justice League International for several years. However, the trauma he suffered on the job led David to relinquish the Batwing mantle. After David retired, Batman gave the Batwing role to Luke Fox, a genius and martial arts master, who was the son of Batman’s friend Lucius Fox. 

8) Gray Wolf

Anzor, aka Gray Wolf, is a hero from Kazbek, Chechnya. He is a martial arts expert and a wall of pure muscle. Lex Luthor used Kazbek as a site for dangerous experiments. When one of the experiments went awry, the local town was infected by a chemical that made them incredibly violent. Luthor fled, and Anzor was left to fix the villain’s mess. He imprisoned the entire village until a cure could be found. When Batman Incorporated went to investigate the missing townsfolk, Anzor mistook them for Luthor’s goons and attacked them. Once the misunderstanding was settled and the townspeople were cured of their ailment, Anzor was made a member of Batman Incorporated.

9) Wingman

Several people have been the Swedish hero Wingman. The original Wingman was a man named Benedict Rundstrom who joined the Batmen of all Nations. Benedict became jealous of Batman’s success and worked with the supervillain team the Black Glove to destroy the other Batmen. However, Benedict was betrayed and killed by the Black Glove’s leader, John Mayhew. Afterwards, several other people took on the Wingman mantle, including for a brief period Jason Todd. The last Wingman’s real name is unknown. He joined Batman Incorporated; however, he was killed by the Australian supervillain Corvus Cawl, who was a member of the team Joker Incorporated.

10) Bat-Man

When China decided to create their own version of the Justice League, the brilliant tech-whiz Wang Baixi was selected to be China’s equivalent of Batman. Baixi was trained since childhood in a secret location known as the Academy of the Bat. This Chinese government-funded school trained hundreds of children in martial arts and engineering for the chance to become the Batman of China. Baixi was chosen due to his fighting skill and technological expertise. He built a Batmobile that can turn into a giant mech suit, and a robot sidekick named Robinbot. Baixi is a huge Batman fan. When they first met, Baixi asked if the Dark Knight could autograph his cape. Batman of course said no.

All of Batman’s Vehicles, Ranked