Chapter Eleven: Batman in Culture

"Somebody's opened up Pandora's Box,

Now every sin is free!

Dark entwined with darkness, is all I ever see.

Save me o'lord, can't you hear my desperate plea?

I dark entwined with darkness, all I'll ever see?"

Lyrics from 'The Dark Knight' Broadway musical, 1985

It would not be a complete record of the Batman without mentioning his impact on popular culture. Being the first masked vigilante, he captured the imagination of people like the heroes of old. He was frequently compared to Robin Hood and occupies a similar ideal of a man seeking for justice outside the confines of the law. He was an inspiration to others to follow a similar path and caused a large number of pop culture figures to use him as a subject for their pieces.

Others took up masks to fight crime after the Batman appeared. Perhaps most notable in the period was Sir Justin Arthur of England. Working for British Intelligence, Arthur had uncovered a spy ring in his native Sussex. Ever a fanciful sort, he donned a suit of armour from his family's castle and broke up a meeting of the spy ring, managing to take several members captive as reinforcements helped him. Dubbing himself the 'Shining Knight', Arthur would go on to serve as something of a propaganda piece for the British government, also still acting in his capacity as an intelligence officer as his identity was kept a secret until official documents were released in 1992. He was also the inspiration for famed children's author Ian Fleming, whose stories based off Arthur's work, with a good deal of embellishment thrown in.

In the US, the Batman's influence would be felt even more keenly. In Wyoming, a man by the name of Greg Saunders put on a mask and the moniker of Vigilante as he was inspired to track down his father's killers. He successfully brought the gang to justice and continued on in his role as a protector of the state, being seen as someone carrying on the tradition of the lone law-man, dispensing justice and protecting the weak. His identity was eventually revealed by Saunders himself, who retired from his role of the Vigilante in 1947, five years after taking it on. He had found it had taken a toll on his mind and body and enjoyed a quiet retirement, happy to keep to his music and telling tall days of his action filled career.

Even in places where World War II had isolated from the outside world, there were those who found themselves inspired to take on the role of a masked vigilante. In occupied Poland, while the resistance movement was ongoing, a man by the name of Janos Prohaska put on a dark costume and struck at Nazi forces throughout the country. Serving as a rallying call for people throughout Eastern Europe, the man known as 'Blackhawk' infuriated Nazi forces for years. Sadly, he would die in the Warsaw Uprising, his body hidden by the Polish Resistance and eventually given a full burial by Soviet forces. He remains a hero to his country to this day and his actions as a man who avenged his country from the shadows remain legends to this day.

The war also had an impact on one person back in the USA. Courtney Whitmore was a young woman who wanted to fight for her country, but found that her step-father, brilliant mechanic Pat Dugan, had pulled enough strings to make sure she was stuck with a safe desk job. Frustrated in her role, Whitmore clad a colourful costume to hide her identity as she discovered corruption within her department as a colonel was selling off surplus goods to Argentina. Although, in this case, Whitmore admitted later on to being much more inspired by Selina Kyle's actions than Batman's, even if she did wear a costume. She confronted the colonel, managing to expose him and the conspiracy and gaining great acclaim in doing so. Much like Justin Arthur, Whitmore was used as a propaganda role, although she used her position to speak for women's rights. She would reveal her identity after the war, going onto become a spokesperson for greater rights for women throughout the country.

One of the most notable and tragic figures to come out of the masked vigilante movement was John Wilson. An African-American born in Alabama, Wilson fought in World War I as a young man, getting noted for his bravery in combat. Returning home to his farm, he would marry and have a family. His life was destroyed in 1940 after an attack by Ku Klux Klan members on his house was burned down with his family inside. Wilson managed to survive and took up a masked persona, wearing a black hood and wielding two sledgehammers as he decided to fight back against the injustice that effected him and others in the state. The Klan were to find him a nightmare to deal with as he attacked their members and high ranking government officials who gave the Klan and their members protection. He was eventually gunned down in one such attack, dying a martyr to his cause in 1942. His legacy would be very mixed as the urge to take up violent means in order to secure civil rights, or just even to get revenge, proved popular among some sections of the African-American population. Despite that, he would be famed as a hero for many, fighting against oppression.

There were many others who put on masks, inspired by the Batman and having their own motivations for doing so. It is entirely possible that they would have acted on their own, the motivation was certainly there to do so. But the Batman had made the use of theatrics and hidden identities seen as a possible course of actions and it caught on. These were simply the most notable names during the period and stood out for their actions, particularly in the war. Although masked vigilantism is less common now than it was in the 1940's, there still remains those who would don masks and cowls to protect their identities while fighting crime, with mixed success. It is undeniable that, while the substance may have been there, the style was influence by the Dark Knight.

In terms of pop culture, the Batman has seen his own star rise with art, books and a smash hit musical all focusing on him being released over the decades. Fiction and non-fiction dominate the story of Batman with history books, speculative fiction and outright conspiracy theories taking up the majority of it. Political science has taken an interest as well, with the Batman's role in the growth of Gotham and the elimination of vast amounts of poverty in the city taking great interest. Fiction revolves around who the Batman might have been and him interacting with the figures made famous due to the period in Gotham's history. Among them, Ellery Queen's novel The Knight's Quest, published in 1958, stood out for helping popularise fictional books in the era. Queen himself was also one who pushed forward the idea of Bruce Wayne being Batman.

In recent times, the most popular part of Batman's pop culture legacy has been The Dark Knight, a 1985 Broadway musical written by Jim Steinman. A dark, brooding show in the style of Sweeney Todd, it became a smash hit and also ran in London's West End. The soundtrack, including various songs including Drives Us Bats, Where Does He Get All Those Wonderful Toys and Dark Entwined With Darkness, the show became and instant hit and held a long run on Broadway with a revival earlier this year. It, almost more than anything else, has helped continue the interpretation of Batman being a grim loner, despite the evidence of his partnerships with the Black Bat and Azrael.

The depiction of the Batman as a tragic, lone crusader is commonly what is seen in fiction about him. Personally, I cannot see that as the full truth. Whoever Batman was, he was fighting for something and he had those who supported him, potentially an entire network of people. He must have had people who were there for him and lighter moments in his life to offset the overwhelming crusade he had taken up. His role in popular culture is the dark avenger, grim and foreboding, but he was a man who strove for justice, was an inspiration to others and served as an example for others to follow.

Dark Knight he might have been, but the Batman certainly brought the light with him.

Coming close to the end of this, been an interesting challenge as far as writing goes and hope people have enjoyed. The lyrics at the start of the chapter for the song 'Dark Entwined With Darkness' aren't from an actual Jim Steinman song, but was composed by David J. Smith and you can find a rendition of it on Youtube. It's very influenced by Steinman though.

6tailedninja: Hopefull in a good way there. ;) Thank you for all your comments on this fic.

Thanks to all those who have read, faved and followed. One more chapter to go and then this'll be the end of it. Hope you enjoy.