9 Times Batman Was Forced To Surrender His Cowl
2. Divergence
Not for the first time, Bruce Wayne was seemingly killed during the Endgame storyline and DC Comics were in dire need of a new Caped Crusader.
That honour fell upon the aged shoulders of Commissioner Jim Gordon, but age isn't an issue when you've got an armoured batsuit with shoulder missile launchers.
Gordon's stint in the enhanced cape and cowl during the Divergence event proved to be a breath of fresh air and posed some important questions about Batman.
Can the Dark Knight exist independently of Bruce Wayne, does he really need Robin, how does Alfred really feel about his master's vigilante career and what has Gordon learned from his long-time ally over the years?
Of course, Bruce is later found alive, working in a children's centre with a bad case of amnesia. It's actually a more creative twist than it sounds.