Before there was the Joker, there was Ra's al Ghul - the man who trained Bruce spiritually and physically, only to betray him through an ill-judged attempt to destroy Gotham City. Embodied brilliantly by Liam Neeson, Ra's eventually finds himself facing off against his estranged pupil on a runaway subway train. With the track coming to an end just metres ahead, Batman refuses to kill his former master... but won't save him, either. Throwing a grenade and opening up the back of the carriage, he soars to safety. Ra's, finally accepting his fate, closes his eyes and awaits death.
34. Backup - Batman Begins
They don't call him Batman for nothin', you know. A brilliant unexpected inclusion in a lot of ways, this fan-pleasing moment sees Batman using a small sonar device hidden in his boot to actually SUMMON bats to his side - a neat trick our hero uses to distract the police as he attempts to escape from Arkham. The great thing about this moment, of course, is that it proves how far Bruce Wayne has come on his journey - he's no longer afraid of bats, people! Progress.
33. Batman Goes Cold-Blooded - Ten Nights Of The Beast
The KGBeast might not exactly have the greatest villain name of Batman's rogue's gallery, but what he did boast was the greatest physical threat to the Dark Knight. In his attempts to stop the villain from offing 10 high-ranking Americans, Batman finds himself bested, with no hope of the Beast being brought to justice, thanks to diplomatic immunity. So, showing uncharacteristic cold-bloodedness, Bruce simply tricked his opponent into a locked room in a sewer and left him to die quietly.
32. "Some Men Just Want To Watch The World Burn..." - The Dark Knight
Alfred is a staple character in the Batman canon, of course, and one who the great Michael Caine embodied brilliantly for the sum of three Christopher Nolan movies. Arguably this best and - let's face it - most badass moment comes when he regales Bruce with tales of his time in Burma tracking a thief. "Some men," Alfred says, "aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn." This little speech perfectly encapsulates the Joker's demented mentality. Well done, Alfred.
31. Batman Vs Darkseid - Final Crisis
At the crowning point of a massive, catastrophically affecting event, Batman faced off against an almighty foe in the shape of Darkseid, vanquishing his attempt to create an army of Batman clones, and killing Darkseid just before his own death. That sacrifice would have been the perfect end for Batman, but he was subsequently revealed not to be dead, not for the first or last times.
30. A Joker Is Born - Batman
After Jack Nicholson's Jack Napier accidently falls into a vat of toxic sludge, he winds up having a little bit of reconstructive surgery in order to fix his, uh, "identity." As he frantically removes the post-op bandages, the camera lingers behind him as we wait breathlessly to see the results. "Mirror," he says quietly to his doctor, who looks on in horror as he gets his first glimpse. "Mirror!" he suddenly snaps. Seeing himself for the first time - and breaking down into manic laughter - the Joker stumbles off into the darkness. Alas, an iconic villain is born.
29. Bane Breaks The Bane - The Dark Knight Rises
The definitive moment we were all waiting for came at the end of a horrific and depressing battle between Batman - now aged and weak - and powerhouse villain Bane. Batman doesn't stand a chance against Bane, of course, because he's younger, stronger and more adapted to fighting in the dark. After Selina Kyle leads Batman deep within Gotham's sewer system, our hero is sealed in an arena and forced to face off against a terrifying new foe. The battle itself is painful to watch, made more nerve-wracking by the noticeable lack of music and the sound of trickling water. Batman is taunted, beaten and pulverised, all before Bane lifts the caped crusader up and brings him down onto his knee, snapping his back in two. Ouch.
