Major Issues: First Appearance of Bane

Hundreds of comic book characters are being portrayed in film and television, and with each new day more are being announced.

Major Issues -- a ComicBook.com original video series -- will speak to true comic book hobbyists as well as new fans in a short, fast-paced digital series featuring the first appearances of characters we all love. Each episode will feature the actual comic book, info on the creators, and the backstory on the creation and legacy of the character.

The first is our look at the introduction of the lethal Batman villain, Bane.

The description of one of the leaders of the criminal underground from ComicBookDB.com: Bane possesses Olympic-level strength that appears to be equal to or greater than Batman's. During the Knightfall storyline, when he uses the "Venom" drug, his strength level is artificially increased to superhuman levels. Even without Venom, his physiology appears superior to other normal human characters with strength such as Batman.

Bane is also highly intelligent; in "Bane of the Demon", Ra's al Ghul says that Bane "has a mind equal to the greatest he has known". In prison he teaches himself various scientific disciplines equal to the level of understanding of leading experts in those fields. He teaches himself six active languages and at least two additional arcane and dead ones. The "Bane of the Demon" storyline reveals that he has photographic memory. Within one year he is able to deduce Batman's secret identity. He is also highly devious (he crafts the escape from Arkham Asylum of all of Batman's enemies), and a superb strategist and tactician. In prison Bane also invents his own form of calisthenics, meditation, and a unique fighting style.

Origininally published in 1993, Bane is one of a very few villains to get his own run that began with and origin story. The initial release which was titled, "Vengeance of Bane, No. 1." It is now available for bid on Amazon (in varying conditions) for just under $50.

Be sure to check out our other Major Issues.

Luke Cage | Black Mariah | Misty Knight | Cornell Cottonmouth | Wally West | Negan | King Ezekiel | Kaecilius