Though Batman is one of the world’s most iconic heroes, he’s also the product of a controversial idea (at least, in the modern age). Batman’s whole backstory is that he’s a vigilante by night, and a billionaire by day. Spurred on by the murder of his parents, Batman takes the fight to the criminals of Gotham City using state-of-the-art technology and equipment paid for with his vast wealth.
Bruce Wayne being a billionaire is something that once seemed a sensible explanation for his ability to pursue crimefighting as a pastime. However, as society has changed (remember, Batman is over 80 years old), so too have opinions of billionaires, who many now see as hoarders of wealth rather than simply financially fortunate or shrewd. That’s where the controversial Batman idea comes in: being a billionaire effectively makes Bruce Wayne – A.K.A. Batman – a bad guy.
The argument itself is well-documented, so we won’t examine it too closely. DC have even acknowledged the idea, with Blue Beetle containing a line in which the film’s protagonists describe Batman as a “fascist“. Strangely enough, a subtle choice of words in Batman v Superman also alluded to a similar notion, lending more credence to the most controversial Batman idea.
Batman’s Stance On Superman Had A Real-Life Precedent
In the film, Bruce Wayne eloquently explains his reasoning behind planning to kill Superman. “He has the power to wipe out the entire human race. If we believe there’s even a 1% chance that he is our enemy, then we have to take it as an absolute certainty,” Batman opines.
Fans of American politics might notice a stark resemblance to a quote attributed to Dick Cheney during the Bush administration attempting to manage the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on 9/11. Cheney reportedly said: “If there’s a 1% chance that Pakistani scientists are helping al-Qaeda build or develop a nuclear weapon, we have to treat it as a certainty in terms of our response. It’s not about our analysis… It’s about our response.” Similar not just in tone and intent, but in specific wording – an interesting likeness, that’s for sure.
There are very few people in the world who consider Cheney a good guy. We’re not politics experts, so we won’t delve into that here, but the ways in which Cheney was criticized for his reaction to 9/11 isn’t dissimilar to the complaints about Batman’s character. The decision to include a quote that appears to be a reference or homage to Cheney is one that only adds further fuel to the notion that the hero has fascist tendencies, seemingly helping to prove a controversial Batman idea.