Batman is one of the world's most famous and beloved superheroes, and he is also one of the most unusual.\u00a0 Appearing in comics, television, and major motion pictures, Batman hides behind the identity of Bruce Wayne, a playboy billionaire and industrial tycoon.\u00a0 As a child, Wayne witnessed the murder of both his parents and vowed to avenge their deaths by fighting crime.\u00a0 Undergoing a quest for both physical and mental excellence, Wayne transformed himself into the dark hooded and caped Batman.\u00a0 Batman's transformation into a hero is as unique as it is purely self-motivated.<\/p>\n Unlike Spiderman, who was bitten by a radioactive spider, or Superman who was secretly an alien from another planet, Batman is a regular human being whose personal drive and rigorous mental and physical conditioning allow him to achieve superhero power.\u00a0 Batman's foremost qualities include wealth, physical strength, intelligence, and obsessive passion for justice.\u00a0 Void of fantasy circumstances or characteristics, Batman is a hero worthy of our admiration, inspiration, and identification; he is a man at his greatest.\u00a0 As quoted in the 2005 film Batman<\/em> Begins<\/em>, "<\/em>If you make yourself more then just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal, then you become something else entirely."<\/em><\/p>\n In addition to his exceptional strength and intelligence, Batman is a superhero because of his unwavering moral compass.\u00a0 Batman lives in the fictional American town of Gotham city, a metropolis plagued by crime, greed, and corruption.\u00a0 Within Gotham, Batman fights crime by combating menacing criminals such as the Joker, Two-Face, Catwoman, and the Penguin.\u00a0 More importantly, however, Batman fights crime by standing as a symbol of hope for ordinary citizens Often referred to as a masked vigilantly, Batman is frightening and intimidating in the manner befitting a villain.\u00a0 Batman is accused of being a criminal himself by the citizens of Gotham because he is not afraid to break the law in minor ways to achieve a higher goal.\u00a0 As depicted in the film The Dark Knight<\/em>, Batman also allows himself to be hated by the society he serves.\u00a0 Foregoing all self-aggrandizement, Batman does not look for the love and admiration given most super heroes.\u00a0 Instead he claims that by not being a hero he can be something more.\u00a0 Living like an outcast, Batman is the \u20ac\u02dcWatchful Protector', a benevolent godlike force looking out for society.<\/p>\n Unconcerned with glory or recognition, Batman is purely motivated to bestow a boon on his fellow man.\u00a0 Batman believes society is capable of justice and this motivates him to fight crime. When Gotham is overrun with corruption and greed, Batman still sees the potential for good in people and refuses to let society consume itself.\u00a0 Ideally, society sees the good in the hero, but with Batman, he sees the good in society.\u00a0 Batman symbolizes a hero's most important role:\u00a0 the ability to believe in others when they have stopped believing in themselves, and the faith to inspire them for change.<\/p>\n Below is the trailer for the last Batman movie The Dark Knight<\/em> (2008):<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The following blog post finished 2nd in our recent contest for a free autographed copy of our Heroes book.\u00a0 Each week we have been posting a hero profile from the top 5.\u00a0 Next week we will post the winning entry.\u00a0 Congratulations to all five of these excellent submissions.\u00a0 — Scott Allison and George Goethals By … Continue reading Blog Contest 2nd Place Winner: Batman: The Unique Superhero<\/span> ![\"2794269061_f70cee271d_z.jpg\"](\"http:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/heroes\/files\/2010\/11\/2794269061_f70cee271d_z.thumbnail.jpg\")
<\/a>By Mila Buckner<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"batmanrobin.jpg\"](\"http:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/heroes\/files\/2010\/11\/batmanrobin.jpg\")
<\/a>who need not show fear in the face of danger.\u00a0 As noted by Joseph Campbell<\/a> in his classic book A Hero with a Thousand Faces<\/em>, individuals who refuse their call to adventure or heroism do so out of fear.\u00a0 As an ordinary man who chooses to step up and fight crime, Batman overcomes this fear at an individual level, and his example encourages other members of society to do the same.\u00a0 As a superhero, Batman continues to be as unique as he is a very mysterious figure.<\/p>\n[kml_flashembed movie=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/xxKJgOZXEho\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" wmode=\"transparent\" \/]<\/code><\/p>\n