7. The Dark Knight Rises - Bane Breaks Batmans Back
In the rest of The Dark Knight trilogy thus far, Batman had pretty much been able to take on all comers when it came to mano-a-mano fighting. His extensive training under Ras Al Ghul had paid off handsomely and he was taking on henchmen left right and centre with no major problems. However, Tom Hardys Bane was always going to be a different kettle of fish. The man-mountain would be a daunting opponent at the best of times but given Bruce Waynes advancing years and myriad of niggling injuries, the odds were firmly stacked against the caped crusader. The epic confrontation finally came about after Batman is sold out by Catwoman and finds himself in a confined and dark underground layer with the imposing figure of Bane spoiling for a fight. The moment that Im sure many fans of the Batman comic-books in particular were looking forward to followed shortly after as a dominant Bane raised a beleaguered Batman above his head and smashes him down onto his knee, breaking Bruce Waynes back in the process. It was a fast and frenetic sequence but one which sent out a clear message and a statement of intent as to the rest of the film. This is a threat nothing like Batman has faced before and a happy ending is looking far from assured.