Batman Symbolism: What 15 Most Famous Villains Really Mean

5. Bane - Extreme Version Of The Self-Made Warrior

Bane represents a very extreme example of the self-made warrior that Batman has become and, as a result, also represents the fear that there's somebody stronger that him who he can't defeat. His origins also make him a sort of third-world, or even primal, version of Batman. Born in a prison in the fictional Caribbean Republic of Santa Prisca where his father was being held, Bane had to serve his father's life sentence and, as such, was there until his death. He trained and fought in the prison as he grew up in the tough and merciless conditions, but was strong and brutal enough to become the prison's "king". The prison's controllers took note of his strength and eventually forced him to become a test subject for a mysterious drug known as "Venom" which had killed every other test subject. It enhanced his strength to superhuman levels and he escaped the prison. Having heard stories about Batman whilst in there, he sought to battle him and headed to Gotham. As well as having physical abilities that dwarf Batman's, he also possesses a genius-level intellect to rival him. He has a photographic memory, is an expert tactician, strategist, combatant, mercenary and escapologist, as well as a master of disguise. Essentially, he is everything Batman is mentally, and everything Batman is physically and more.