Batman 666 Makes a Surprising Return to the DC Universe

The confrontation in Batman vs. Robin pits Bruce Wayne against his son Damian Wayne, with a larger villain pulling Damian’s strings in the shadows. Damian has grown from an impetuous child battling his demon urges as the grandson of Ra’s al Ghul, to a beloved member of the Batman Family. There’s even precedent to Damian replacing his father as Batman in a possible alternate future. DC has revisited the “Batman 666” timeline on various occasions, and the latest issue of Batman vs. Robin #2 jumps all in with a reference to this fan-favorite period.

WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Batman vs. Robin #2. Continue reading at your own risk!

Batman vs. Robin #2 is by Mark Waid, Mahmud Asrar, Jordie Bellaire, and Steve Wands. Damian Wayne has turned on his father, under the evil influence of his great-grandmother Mother Soul. She uses Damian as the host for the return of the Devil Nezha, who Batman and Superman trapped years ago in the pages of Mark Waid and Dan Mora’s Batman/Superman: World’s Finest. After fending off Batman and a seemingly resurrected Alfred Pennyworth, Mother Soul gifts Damian “the ultimate symbol of the ascension of Damian Wayne… into his destined birthright.” We then see Damian wearing his Batman 666 costume.

How Did Damian Wayne Become Batman 666?

2007’s Batman #666 by Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert is the first appearance of Damian’s iconic suit. The story takes place in a dark DC future where an adult Damian Wayne gains metahuman abilities after selling his soul to the devil. Sound familiar? Damian patrolled Gotham City in his new costume that was a mix of your typical grey-and-black Batman costume, with the added bonus of a large cowl and long feet-length jacket look over a cape. It’s worth pointing out that Bruce Wayne is dead in the future.

The origin of Batman 666 was explored in 2013’s Damian: Son of Batman. After Dick Grayson’s death, Damian goes on a bloodthirsty rampage killing criminals. Aside from appearing in other 2019 DC Nuclear Winter Special, Future State: Gotham and Batman: Urban Legends, Batman vs. Robin #2 marks the first time Batman 666 has been referenced to this degree in the main DC continuity. 

What Is Batman vs. Robin?

Batman vs. Robin is a five-issue DC limited event series from writer Mark Waid, artist Mahmud Asrar, and colorist Nathan Fairbairn. The event spins out of Waid’s current run on Batman/Superman: World’s Finest with artist Dan Mora, while also tying into the concluding “Shadow War” crossover between Joshua Williamson’s Batman, Robin, and Deathstroke series. Each part of Batman vs. Robin features five oversized issues, and also involves the Devil Nezha from World’s Finest.

“What I can say is that the first arc of World’s Finest is, was, and always has been, designed deliberately to lead into what is going to be Batman vs. Robin,” Mark Waid teased in the announcement by Popverse. “What I was trying to do with Batman versus Robin was try to take them into a realm that I’m not used to seeing them in, which is dark magic sorcery, rather than science, rather than logic and detective stuff. We’ve seen Batman and sort of peripheral magic, but I want to get into the down and dirty of it.”

The description of Batman vs. Robin reads, “Deep in the heart of Lazarus Island, the demonic legacy of the al Ghul family line has at last been freed, and the Devil Nezha is out for blood. To reclaim his total domination over planet Earth, Nezha has supercharged magic—anyone who dares use it is overcome by a demonic evil that supercharges their abilities to dangerous, unpredictable, and in some cases deadly levels! With Damian in Nezha’s clutches and Bruce haunted by the return of an old friend, the Dark Knight and the Boy Wonder are pitted against one another in the battle of the century!”

Batman vs. Robin #2 by Mark Waid, Mahmud Asrar, Jordie Bellaire, and Steve Wands is on sale now from DC.