Back when I started collecting comic books, one of my favorite series was Who’s Who: The Definite Directory of the DC Universe. Published between 1984 and 1987, it was a sort of companion to Crisis on Infinite Earths, the twelve issue maxiseries designed to streamline the DC Universe and eliminate any problems in continuity. The character biographies contained inside were my introduction to the DC Universe at large, and they proved useful as I began my scholarship of the DCAU.
While character bios of the characters from Batman: The Animated Series, Justice League, and other related shows exist, I found many of them to be lacking in depth, content, and quality. Therefore, I’ve taken it upon myself to create character bios for the characters of the DCAU based upon existing information from Series Bibles, the episodes themselves, material from the comic books, and information from the creative teams. Many of these began as bios written for my character profiles on The Justice League Watchtower. Also, the bios I’m writing are limited to characters that I consider key, so no bios for Ubu, Ron Troupe, or the Mad Bomber.
This time, it’s the Bs. Again, everyone noteworthy from that section of the dictionary will be included, along with voice actor information, the date and location of their first appearance, and accompanying images.
Baby Doll
Voiced by Alison LaPlaca (“Baby Doll”), Laraine Newman (“Love is a Croc”)
First Appearance: “Baby-Doll” (October 1, 1994), Harley Quinn: 30th Anniversary Special #1 (November 2022)
As a child, Mary Louise Dahl was diagnosed with systemic hypoplasia, a rare condition that prevented her body from physically aging, resulting in her perpetual resemblance to a preschooler. Undaunted, Dahl became an actor and, at age ten, landed a role on the family sitcom Love That Baby, where she played the youngest of three children, the ubiquitous Baby Doll. The series ran for ten seasons until Dahl—upset over the addition of Cousin Spunky to combat low ratings and, perhaps, a desire to branch out and establish herself beyond her sitcom character—left the show to pursue a stage career. However, after her performance as Lady Macbeth was savaged by critics, she unsuccessfully attempted to return to the show that initially brought her fame but was unsuccessful. Unable to find work due to both typecasting and her physical condition, she fell into obscurity.
Ten years later, the increasingly unhinged Dahl began kidnapping her old castmates as part of a revenge plot. Possibly jealous of their ability to move on from their sitcom when she could not, she attempted to kill her former castmates (and possibly herself) by way of a stick of dynamite in a birthday cake. This plot was foiled, however, by the intervention of Batman and Robin, who saved the kidnapping victims and brought Dahl into custody.
Years later, presumably after time served and intensive psychiatric care, Mary Dahl was released and found work as a hotel receptionist. Finding the job humiliating, she found common cause with Killer Croc, a fellow criminal who was also victim to a genetic irregularity. Smitten with the violent criminal, she helped him escape during a prison transfer, and together they embarked on a crime wave. However, when she realized that he was not attracted to her, she sought to kill them both by overloading a nuclear reactor. Once again, however, Batman intervened, capturing them both.
A woman trapped in the body of a child, Baby Doll suffers from both abandonment issues and psychotic episodes. This is paired, however, with a cunning criminal mind and a knack for building gimmick weapons, such as a baby bottle rigged with knockout gas and Mr. Happy Head, a doll containing a handgun in the toy’s cranium. Seeking her place in a world in which she was shunned and forgotten, she cannot help it if people get hurt along the way. After all, she didn’t mean to.
Bane
Voiced by Henry Silva (BTAS, TNBA), Hector Elizondo (Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman)
First Appearance: Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1 (January 1993)
The child of a mercenary working with rebels against a communist Caribbean government, he was unknowingly left behind when he fled the country, leaving a fellow revolutionary pregnant with his child. Upon the mercenary’s disappearance, it was decided by the corrupt judicial system that the son would serve out the life sentence of the father in Peña Duro Prison, located in Cuba. And so, the child spent his early life in one of the world’s most dangerous prisons, one which the inmates dubbed “the armpit of the Earth.”
However, despite growing up in this hellish environment, the child nonetheless flourished, building his body in the prison’s gym and his mind by reading any books he came across. However, his time there left its mark, as he suffered repeated nightmares where he was tortured by a monstrous bat. Despite this, he grew to rule the prison, and he became known to the other inmates as Bane.
Later, Bane became a test subject for Project: Gilgamesh, a plan to create super soldiers by injecting them with Venom, an experimental, steroid-like drug that vastly increases physical strength, but leaves the recipient dependent on the drug, lest they experience severe withdrawal symptoms. The only test subject to survive the experiments, the drug gave Bane the power to escape Peña Duro, tearing the stone walls down with his bare hands. Upon his escape from prison, Bane established himself as a mercenary for hire. His price: five million per hit. This price is presumably to grant him the funds necessary to either procure or manufacture Venom, for while he is free from prison walls, he is not free from his addiction to the drug.
Initially brought to Gotham City by crime boss Rupert Thorne, he was hired to kill Batman, but following an unsuccessful attempt the mercenary has chosen to remain, as he sees the Dark Knight as the embodiment of the bat monster from his childhood dreams and that it is his destiny to destroy him.
Already physically formidable, at the push of a button the chemical Venom is pumped into his body via tubes implanted into his brain, allowing him to increase his strength and body mass at will. This, coupled with his knowledge of strategy and history of violence, makes him a force to be reckoned with. Recently trading in his luchador motif for a more imposing BDSM fetish look, only one thing drives Bane: his desire to break the bat.
Batgirl
Voiced by Melissa Gilbert (BTAS), Mary Kay Bergman (Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero), Tara Strong (TNBA)
First Appearance: Batman #139 (Betty Kane, April 1961), Detective Comics #359 (Barbara Gordon, January 1967)
The daughter of Gotham City Police Commissioner James Gordon, Barbara Gordon got her first taste of vigilantism when she rescued her father from Cybertron Industries and its A.I., the malevolent HARDAC, who sought to replace humanity with robotic replicants. It was also during this event that she first encountered Batman, a meeting that would make quite an impression on the young college student. Later, when her father was framed by both Deputy Commissioner Gil Mason and Two-Face for corruption, she implored Batman to make an appearance supporting the commissioner at a rally, but when he declined to appear, Barbara got a costume together and attempted to give the appearance of Batman herself from the rooftops. However, when the rally was interrupted by gunfire she intervened, and while assisting Batman and Robin in clearing the commissioner’s name the press, eager to leap on a developing story, ran photos of her in action and dubbed her Batgirl.
Initially operating independent of Batman, the rebellious cosplayer was eventually brought in-house by the Dark Knight, much to the chagrin of Robin, who initially saw her as a novice who would only get hurt. This was complicated, of course, by the burgeoning relationship between Barbara and Dick Grayson—as neither of them knew the other’s costumed identity—and Bruce Wayne’s move disrupted the already volatile connection between Batman and Robin, leading to Grayson quitting as Batman’s partner and leaving Gotham City for roughly two years.
During Grayson’s absence, Barbara Gordon succeeded in becoming partner to the Dark Knight, granting her full access to the Batcave and Wayne’s mentorship. In addition, following her graduation from Gotham State University, she used her degree in computer science in service of the Gotham City Police Department, helping them maintain their central database; her skill set also made her an expert in utilizing the Bat Computer as well. This is coupled with her intelligence and aptitude for gymnastics, which were already significant assets prior to becoming protégé to the Dark Knight.
Overall, Batgirl’s career as a vigilante has been a positive one, as she has successfully protected Gotham City both by Batman’s side and independently, no doubt granting him leeway to participate in Justice League missions when needed. This is not to say, however, that there have been no difficulties, such as her prickly relationship with Dick Grayson, who returned to Gotham as the new crimefighter Nightwing. She also has reservations about how her chosen path puts her at odds with her father’s profession, and how it could cause trouble for both Batman and Commissioner Gordon if the worst were to happen. Finally, while her passion for Grayson has cooled, she must contend with her developing attraction to Batman himself, as well as how that attraction may cause problems for them somewhere down the line.
Bat Lash
Voiced by Ben Browder
A professional gambler and rogue, Bartholomew Aloysious Lash (known as Bat Lash to his friends) was a noted local character who answered the call when Ohiyesa Smith sought help from the threat of Tobias Manning. Fortunately, Bat Lash—a maverick with weapons and his own silver tongue—was more than up for the task.
Batman (Bruce Wayne)
Voiced by Kevin Conroy
First Appearance: Detective Comics #27 (May 1939)
The life of Bruce Wayne, only child of Thomas and Martha Wayne and heir to their family fortune, changed forever the night he witnessed his parents’ murder on the streets of Gotham City’s notorious Crime Alley. Standing over their fallen bodies, he made a vow to rid his native city of the evil that had taken their lives. Over time, he made good on that promise, seeking mentors across the globe to train him in the arts of detection, criminology, martial arts, escape artistry, the sciences, weaponry, and other fields that would enable him to accomplish his goal. Having mastered these skills, he returned to Gotham and adopted the guise of the Batman to strike fear in the hearts of those who would make others suffer as he suffered those many years ago.
His exploits steeped in urban legend, Batman fought evil in its many forms during his distinguished career, from the common criminal—such as muggers, rapists, gangsters, and corrupt businessmen—to the more exotic varieties in the form of costumed criminals, supervillains, mutants, zombies, and immortal conquerors. Although best known for working alone, the Dark Knight is also notorious for organizing and surrounding himself with makeshift surrogate families, such as his group of protégé Gotham vigilantes and his teammates in the Justice League. Although he claims to only be a reserve member of the latter organization—presumably to maintain his autonomy and loner credibility—there can be no doubt that Batman serves a vital role in the team’s dynamic: as the financial backer of the League, Batman designed and paid for the team’s headquarters, vehicles, and weaponry and, as the team’s resident detective and scientific expert, it often falls to him to use these skills to decipher the plots of the League’s super-powered enemies.
While it is true that Batman prefers to limit his activities to Gotham City, he also realizes that, sometimes, one must safeguard the world in order to ensure that there is a Gotham City to return to, which means that the Dark Knight will always be on call to aid the Justice League with any threat that they may face.
Batman II (Terry McGinnis)
Voiced by Will Friedle
First Appearance: “Rebirth, Part 1” (January 10, 1999), Superman / Batman #22 (October 2005)
Years after the Justice League’s conflict with Project: Cadmus, the former head of the organization, Amanda Waller, found that her stance had softened regarding the proliferation of costumed heroes on the world’s stage, and the one that she admired most of all was Batman. However, as years passed, she recognized that the Dark Knight was not immortal, and that age was beginning to dull his once razor-sharp reflexes and abilities. Personally believing that someone like him would always be needed, she created Project: Batman Beyond, an operation designed to create a genetic “son” for Bruce Wayne that would be compelled to become his successor.
Gathering the necessary technology from her former Cadmus contacts, she identified a young Neo Gotham couple with psychological profiles nearly identical to Thomas and Martha Wayne in the form of Warren and Mary McGinnis. Under the guise of receiving a flu shot, Warren was inoculated with a nanotech solution containing a sample of Bruce Wayne’s DNA, which overwrote his own reproductive DNA. A year later, Terry McGinnis was born as a genetic son of both Mary McGinnis and Bruce Wayne.
Later, recognizing that tragedy was as important a factor as genetics in Batman’s origins, Waller hired an assassin to kill eight-year-old Terry’s parents in front of him in an attempt to duplicate the murder of Bruce Wayne’s parents and the effect it had on his psyche. However, the assassin—Andrea Beaumont, the costumed killer known as the Phantasm and a former lover of Bruce Wayne—backed out at the last minute, arguing that another murder would dishonor everything Batman stood for by subjecting another child to the same horrors. Recognizing her hubris, Amanda Waller scrapped the project.
Coincidentally, the tragedy would occur naturally years later, as a sixteen-year-old Terry McGinnis would encounter an older, retired Bruce Wayne and discover his secret the same night that Warren McGinnis was murdered by a hit man hired by Derek Powers, the CEO of Wayne-Powers. Seeking justice, he broke into the Batcave and “borrowed” Wayne’s upgraded, highly advanced Batsuit to hunt down his father’s killers. After an initial confrontation, Bruce Wayne agreed to take on McGinnis as his protégé and train him to become his successor.
Though eager to honor the legacy of the Dark Knight—both as a means to fight injustice and to manage the demons of his past—Terry was either unwilling or unable to be the type of Batman that Bruce Wayne was. Whereas Wayne was an only child with a personal fortune who was willing to sacrifice everything for his cause, Terry still had living family, in the form of his mother and younger brother, and the love of fellow classmate Dana Tan. Not willing to relinquish these loved ones or the prospect of a regular life, Terry attempted to live two lives, which proved to be as debilitating as the injuries sustained from fighting a new generation of costumed criminals.
Though it took many years, Terry would eventually find a balance when, upon discovering his origins and confronting Amanda Waller, he realized that he could be Batman on his own terms. This attainment, along with finally recognizing that Bruce Wayne was a much a father to him as Warren McGinnis, gave Terry a sense of closure, as well as allowed him to fully embrace his destiny as the Tomorrow Knight.
Batwoman
Voiced by Kyra Sedgwick, Kimberly Brooks, Kelly Ripa, and Elisa Gabrielli
First Appearance: Detective Comics #233 (Kathy Kane, July 1956), Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (October 21, 2003)
To understand the mystery of the enigmatic Batwoman, one must recognize that her existence came about as the result of three women seeking justice against organized crime in Gotham City. The first, Sonia Alcana, sought revenge after her family lost everything when crime boss Rupert Thorne burned down her parent’s store. The second, Rocky Ballantine, sought to free her fiancé Kevin when he was framed for smuggling by the Penguin. And finally, Kathy Duquesne, daughter of gangster Carlton Duquesne, grew distant from her father when her mother died in hit intended to kill him. Meeting through Sonia—who had become a Gotham City cop—the three of them created the shared identity of Batwoman to strike back against the three criminals, who had since entered into partnership.
Utilizing Sonia’s detective skills, Rocky’s scientific expertise, and Kathy’s financial assets, the trio set up a base in the Gotham City sewers and developed an arsenal of weapons, including a set of special gliders, allowing the Batwoman to fly. While their attempts to take on the mob were successful, though their varying skill sets led to some discrepancies in regard to their avatar’s prowess, and their activities drew the attention of Batman, who was concerned that their actions would be misattributed to him. Eventually, Batman deduced the identities of Batwoman, and together they successfully defeated the criminal syndicate, though her actions as Batwoman led to Sonia’s dismissal from the GCPD. In the end, as their agendas were successful, their fellowship was dissolved, and the women resumed their civilian lives.
Bernadeth
Voiced by Jennifer Hale (Uncredited)
First Appearance: Mister Miracle #6 (February 1972)
Sister of Desaad and co-leader of the Female Furies, Bernadeth wields the “Fahren Knife,” a mystical blade that burns her victims from the inside out. Like the other Female Furies, she sided with Granny Goodness in the civil war against Vermin Vundabar following Darkseid's disappearance.
Big Barda
Voiced by Farrah Forke
First Appearance: Mister Miracle #4 (October 1971)
A child of the planet Apokolips, Barda was taken away from her mother, Big Breeda, at an early age and raised at Granny Goodness’ Home for Orphaned Youth. The elder New God groomed her to one day lead her Female Furies, an elite strike force loyal to Granny first and Darkseid foremost. However, during a raid, she encountered Scott Free, Darkseid’s adopted son, and—sensing how different he was from others on Apokolips—fell in love with him. Together, the two warriors fled their blighted planet for Earth.
As a warrior trained by Granny Goodness, Barda is a masterful fighter in multiple forms of combat. She also possesses the Mega-Rod, a weapon that can create Boom Tubes for teleportation, propel her through the air, and release energy blasts capable of wounding Superman. Of course, she is also heir to the same gifts of immortality and abilities as her fellow gods, and her strength alone puts her in a weight class with Wonder Woman.
Content to live a domestic life on Earth with her now-husband, Scott Free, Barda also is more than happy to aid him in his stage performances. However, she has no problem with returning to active duty, such as when she and Scott returned to Apokolips to free his stepbrother Kalibak from Virman Vundabar. And while she may not be a member of the Justice League, that may change in the future.
Big Time
Voiced by Stephen Baldwin (“Big Time”), Clancy Brown (“Betrayal”)
First Appearance: “Big Time” (October 7, 2000)
An 18-year-old thug in Neo Gotham, Charlie “Big Time” Bigelow recruited the 14-year-old Terry McGinnis as an asset in his criminal career. Under the guise of friendship, Bigelow groomed him to be his sidekick, cementing the unequal relationship by giving McGinnis the street nickname “Tiny Terry.” Initially participating in minor criminal acts, eventually Bigelow attempted impress a local gang by participating in a break-in and bringing “Tiny Terry” along for backup. In the end, McGinnis got 90 days in a youth detention center, while Bigelow went to prison for three years.
Upon his release from prison, Bigelow sought out his former “partner” Terry McGinnis, who in the ensuing years had become the protégé of Bruce Wayne, the former Batman. Eager to see the good in his alleged friend, Terry pulled some strings and got Bigelow a job at Wayne-Powers. However, the criminal used his new position to help a mercenary named Karros to steal an experimental growth hormone named Cerestone. However, while the robbery was foiled by Batman, a broken canister doused Bigelow in the chemical, transforming him into a misshapen, superstrong monster. Growing to like his new appearance, he repurposed the street name “Big Time” for his supervillain identity.
A frequent opponent of the Tomorrow Knight, Big Time is a difficult foe for Terry McGinnis to face, not only due to the brute’s incredible strength and endurance, but also as he is a reminder of the hero’s troubled past and how he was a victim of criminal exploitation.
Bizarro
Voiced by Tim Daly (STAS), George Newburn (JLU)
A tragic example of the dangers of cloning, the genesis of Bizarro can be traced to a sample of Superman’s blood that Lex Luthor obtained early in their conflict. Eager for a legion of Supermen to command, Luthor created the creature as a prototype, and he prepared additional clones in a secret lab located outside of Metropolis. Initially mistaken for the Man of Steel, the creature began to devolve, presumably due to the scientist’s unfamiliarity with the extraterrestrial DNA, resulting in the chalk white skin and reduced mental capacity. Dubbed “Bizarro” by Luthor’s henchperson Mercy Graves, the creature’s rampage drew the attention of Superman, resulting in the destruction of the lab and the apparent death of the clones.
However, Bizarro survived the explosion and wandered north, eventually discovering Superman’s Fortress of Solitude. Mistaken by the citadel’s computers as Kal-El of Krypton, the system provided Bizarro the history of his predecessor, leading the creature to believe that he was Kal-El. Returning to Metropolis, he attempted to rebuild Krypton and, later, destroy it, thus replaying the events of his “origin.” Once again, he was stopped by Superman, who—recognizing the danger his clone could present—took him off-world, offering him his own planet to protect. Despite this relocation, Bizarro has still found his way back to Earth multiple times to cause more devastation.
Following his most recent return, Bizarro has allied himself with the Legion of Doom. Initially partnered with Giganta, who Bizarro harbored a crush on, he was later handed back over to Luthor, who performed some brain surgery on him in an attempt to make his former experiment more manageable. This was only partially successful, for while Luthor made Bizarro controllable by him, he must issue his commands in a manner that suggests the opposite of what he wants Bizarro to do. Thus, all edicts must possess a backwards “Bizarro” logic. However, following the Legion’s dissolution and Luthor’s disappearance, Bizarro is once again under his own recognizance.
Possessing all of Superman’s powers but the maturity and intelligence of a child, Bizarro is every bit the threat that Luthor has always claimed Superman to be. However, what may be more dangerous than the clone itself is the science used to create Bizarro. Handed over to the Cadmus Project and the genius of Professor Emil Hamilton, the process has been refined, producing a superior second generation of Kryptonian clones, including Galatea, created from Supergirl’s DNA, and Doomsday, a monstrous creation specifically designed to kill the Man of Steel. All that destruction from a few drops of Kryptonian blood.
Black Canary
Voiced by Morena Baccarin
First Appearance: Flash Comics #86 (Golden Age, August 1947), Justice League of America #75 (Dinah Lance, November 1969)
A private detective patrolling the mean streets of Gotham City, it is very easy to underestimate Black Canary. However, one does that at their peril. Trained by Ted Grant—also known as the masked vigilante Wildcat—she grew to become his most skilled student, using a mixture of martial arts and boxing to take on any opponent. Now a world-class combatant, she compliments her physical prowess with her “canary cry,” a mutant ability to project a sonic scream that can shatter objects and stop adversaries in their tracks, which is a valuable asset if her hand-to-hand skills are useless against a more powerful opponent.
Having joined the Justice League during their recent reformation, Black Canary now finds herself fighting crime on a global scale, which is a new plateau for the street vigilante. However, she has excelled in her new role as global protector, and remains one of the League’s most valued members, either solo or with her new partner, Green Arrow.
The Blackhawks
First Appearance: Military Comics #1 (Quality Comics, August 1941), Blackhawk #108 (DC Comics, January 1957)
Based on Blackhawk Island—located somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean—the Blackhawks were a mysterious paramilitary organization that operated during World War II. Originally comprised of one man, the team came to bolster pilots from several European countries as they fought against the Axis powers in a campaign independent of any nation.
Members of the Blackhawks include the following:
Blackhawk
Voiced by Robert Picardo
First Appearance: Military Comics #1 (Bart Hawk, August 1941), Blackhawk #1 (Janos Prohaska, March 1988)
Frustrated with the Nazi’s invasion of his native Poland, Janos Prohaska left his homeland and joined the Polish resistance, flying a plane he painted black in a series of successful raids. His victories caught the attention of the Nazis, who retaliated by bombing his families’ farmhouse, killing his brother and sister. Vowing vengeance, he adopted the identity of Blackhawk to continue his war on the Axis powers.
Olaf Bjornson
First Appearance: Military Comics #2 (September 1941)
Unable to stand by in neutral Sweden as World War II raged across its borders, Olaf Bjornson left the circus, where he performed as an acrobat, and his country to become a Blackhawk.
André Blanc-Dumont
First Appearance: Military Comics #2 (September 1941)
A soldier of fortune and former member of the French underground, André was already an expert linguist and military planner when he joined the Blackhawks, where he plotted out the team’s daring raids.
Hans Hendrickson
First Appearance: Military Comics #2 (September 1941)
The oldest member of the Blackhawks, this combat veteran left Holland to offer his weaponry expertise to the paramilitary organization.
Chuck Sinanni
Voiced by Seymour Cassel
First Appearance: Military Comics #11 (Chuck Wilson, August 1942), Blackhawk #1 (Chuck Sirianni, March 1988)
An American pilot, Chuck joined the Blackhawks as the team’s communications specialist. Serving honorably during World War II, he would return to Blackhawk Island decades later to aid the Justice League when it was invaded by the Legion of Doom.
Black Mass
First Appearance: Justice League of America #234 (January 1985)
Initially a slight physicist, Geoffrey Thibodeaux was granted a bulkier physique and wristbands that can manipulate gravity by the omnipotent alien being known as the Grandmaster. Coerced into joining the Cadre as the powerhouse Black Mass, the Overmaster pitted his team against the Justice League in a contest designed to prove whether or not the human race deserved to survive. The Justice League succeeded in defeating the Overmaster, but the Cadre opted to stay together and turn to a life of crime.
As he was unseen during the Hall of Doom’s launch into space, it is possible that Black Mass survived the headquarters’ destruction. However, the same cannot be said for several other members of the Cadre.
Blight
Voiced by Sherman Howard
First Appearance: Detective Comics #469 (Doctor Phosphorus, May 1977), “Rebirth, Part 1” (Blight, January 10, 1999)
A corporate shark in the grand tradition of Lex Luthor, Derek Powers was the CEO of Wayne-Powers, the multinational megacorporation that came from the merger of Wayne Enterprises and Powers Technology. One of the most powerful men in Neo Gotham, the unscrupulous Powers enriched his portfolio by doing things the former CEO, Bruce Wayne, would never do, such as develop chemical weapons for military use, such as the mutagenic nerve gas that he attempted to sell to the Kasnian government. However, in the process of covering up a workplace “accident” feigned to test the weapon, one of his henchmen, Mr. Fixx, murdered Wayne-Powers employee Warren McGinnis, an act that led to his son becoming the new Batman. During their initial encounter, Powers was dosed with his own toxin, and in the process of treating his exposure with radiation Powers was mutated into a radioactive being whose skeleton could now be seen through his luminescent, green body.
Attempting to hide his deformity under a layer of synthetic skin, the mutated Powers—taking the name Blight—initially liked his new abilities, which included projecting blasts of radioactive fire from his hands. Long term, however, he discovered that his radiation levels were increasing, making it difficult to maintain his façade , as well as his state of mind. Seeking to maintain his control over Wayne-Powers, he brought in his son, Paxton Powers, to assume control of the company in a figurehead position. However, his son—seeking to supplant his father as CEO—arranged a stunt meant to enrage his father and out him as the criminal Blight. Revealed as an unhinged, radioactive monster and hunted by Batman, Powers appears to have died during their final confrontation on a nuclear submarine.
Blockbuster
Voiced by Dee Bradley Baker
First Appearance: Detective Comics #345 (November 1965)
A physically frail chemist, Mark Desmond always yearned to be big and strong, and he dedicated his studies to finding a way to enhance his body through science. After untold hours of research, Desmond developed a serum that would stimulate his endocrine glands but, in his eagerness to try it on himself, he didn’t adequately test it first. In the end, his experiment was successful—granting him immense levels of strength—but it significantly reduced his intelligence to childlike levels.
Discovered by his criminal brother Roland, his sibling manipulated Mark into committing a series of robberies, which set him against both Batman and the Justice League. His brother presumably imprisoned for his part in the crimes, Desmond was sent to S.T.A.R. Labs for treatment, but he inevitably fell under the sway of Grodd, who recruited him for his criminal enterprise.
Siding with Grodd during the mutiny, Blockbuster was singled out for punishment by Luthor and, as a result, died at the hands of Killer Frost.
Bloodsport
Ravaged with guilt over the disfigurement of his brother, who served on active duty during wartime in his brother’s place, Robert DuBois suffered a nervous breakdown, which led to an obsession with war and the irrational belief that he did indeed serve with his brother. Hired by Lex Luthor as a pawn in his war against Superman, he was outfitted with an arsenal of powerful weapons, including a gun that fired kryptonite bullets and a teleportation system that could rotate his arsenal. Believing that U.S. citizens were wasting the freedoms that he and his brother fought to defend, DuBois—now calling himself Bloodsport—went on a rampage in Metropolis until he was confronted by Superman and his brother, who managed to talk DuBois down. However, still prone to criminal activities, Bloodsport participated in the illegal cage fighting of Meta-Brawl, as well as Grodd’s Legion of Doom.
Although he sided with Grodd during the mutiny, Bloodsport was not singled out for punishment by Luthor. However, it appears that he died in the Hall of Doom’s destruction in deep space.
Blue Devil
Voiced by Lex Lang (“Destroyer,” Uncredited)
First Appearance: Fury of Firestorm #24 (June 1984)
A Hollywood stuntman and special effects artist, Daniel Cassidy became bonded to his greatest creation—a monster suit designed to give the wearer an array of super-powers—when he fought a demon who attacked the set of the movie Blue Devil. Initially horrified by his transformation, this self-described “weirdness magnet” has grown to love his new condition, and how uses his super strength, enhanced hearing and sight, and rocket-powered trident to both fight crime and further his Hollywood career.
The Blue Lama
First Appearance: Sensation Comics #68 (August 1947)
An adversary of Sargon the Sorcerer, this cerulean-hued enchantress has also proven to be a thorn in the side of many adversaries. As she was unseen during the Hall of Doom’s launch into space, it is possible that the Blue Lama survived the headquarters’ destruction.
Booster Gold
Voiced by Tom Everett Scott
First Appearance: Booster Gold #1 (February 1986)
Originally from the 25th century, Carter was a night watchman at the Space Museum, an institution dedicated to the history of space exploration and the exploits of the costumed superheroes of the 20th and 21st centuries. Inspired by the displays, Carter decided that this was the era he was meant to live in, and he stole a variety of super-powered weapons from the exhibits and used a time machine to travel back to the present day, where he adopted the identity of Booster Gold.
Establishing Goldstar, Inc. as a way to cash in on his fame, Booster Gold, along with his robot sidekick Skeets, fights crime while making money on the side through commercial endorsements, much to the distain of his comrades in the Justice League. However, while considered a hero is the present day, he is now a wanted criminal in 2462 for his theft of the museum exhibits.
Bouncing Boy
Voiced by Googy Gress
First Appearance: Action Comics #276 (May 1961)
A native of Earth in the 30th and 31st century, Chuck Taine possesses the ability to inflate his body like a ball and bounce. A longtime member of the Legion of Super Heroes, he was one of the few Legion members remaining following the Fatal Five’s attack.
Brainiac
Voiced by Corey Burton
First Appearance: Action Comics #242 (July 1958)
Created by the inhabitants of Krypton, the computer program known as Brainiac was designed to be sophisticated artificial intelligence dedicated to monitoring the entirety of the planet—serving multiple functions such as monitoring planetary defenses, facilitating scientific research, aiding the Council in political decisions, and the collection and cataloguing of knowledge. Initially, this collaboration worked well, but it quickly became imbalanced as the Kryptonians, ruled by logic and their love of science, came to deify the program, taking its proclamations on blind faith. This worship, coupled with its own rapidly evolving sentience, led Brainiac to value its own existence over that of its people. As a result, when Brainiac discovered the increasing disruptions at the planet’s core—disruptions that would result in Krypton’s destruction—it decided to save itself and allow its people to die, and it misled the Council while making preparations for its own departure. Finally, despite the efforts of scientist Jor-El, Brainiac downloaded its programming and database into a satellite, which fled the system moments before the planet’s destruction.
Later, following the satellite’s retrieval by an unnamed alien species, the Brainiac program reactivated, killing the crew and hijacking the ship’s computer. Over time, Brainiac made its way across the galaxy, making improvements to its systems, bettering itself through acquiring technology from countless worlds, and constructing for itself a humanoid form, with which to better interact with the civilizations it encountered. Its transformation complete, Brainiac resumed its original programming—to collect knowledge—but this time through conquest. Realizing that knowledge is more valuable when it is in fewer hands, Brainiac’s quest became the discovery of inhabited planets, the downloading of that planet’s knowledge, and that world’s destruction. And so it went, as Brainiac cut a bloody swath across the cosmos.
However, as the artificial intelligence changed and evolved over the years, Brainiac eventually reached the limits to which it could develop in its present form. Eager to take itself to the next level, the program plotted to use biological components to create for itself an organic body with which to evolve itself into a true life form. However, following Krypton’s destruction, its preferred species from which to draw genetic material was lost to it … until one fateful encounter.
Brainiac discovered another world and made contact with the first creature to return its transmissions. This creature, Lex Luthor, offered to make an exchange with Brainiac, trading information about his home world, Earth, in exchange for Brainiac’s database of cosmic knowledge. Initially amused by the human’s offer, Brainiac’s curiosity deepened when Luthor mentioned a new inhabitant of his world, an alien from the planet Krypton that had acquired superhuman powers, taken up residence in his city, and adopted the costumed identity of Superman. Intrigued by the notion of another survivor of its home world, as this being could be the biological donor it had been looking for, this interest quickly turned to obsession when it discovered that this Superman was the son of its old enemy, Jor-El. However, this Last Son of Krypton proved to be as uncontrollable as his father was, as the offer of an “alliance” was rejected and—upon discovering Brainiac’s true intentions for Earth—its conquest of the planet was obstructed.
Its ship destroyed and its connection to the program’s central core broken, this portion of Brainiac’s programming made multiple attempts to catalogue Earth’s knowledge and leave the planet, attempts that were stopped by Superman and the Justice League. It was during one of their earlier encounters that Brainiac, seeking an escape from destruction, injected a nanotech copy of itself into Luthor’s body, which used the body as a host until a future time. Meanwhile, an attempted conquest of Apokolips resulted in its central database being overtaken by Darkseid and, in an ensuing battle with the Justice League, destroyed.
Now fragmented and in a weakened condition, Brainiac attempted a comeback via Luthor’s body. Debilitated by a cancer created by kryptonite poisoning, Brainiac used its nanotech to heal Luthor and temporarily provide him with super-strength. However, its master plan was to use him and Project: Cadmus to build a new body using AMAZO nanotech, but that plan was thwarted by Amanda Waller and the Justice League. On the run from the authorities, Luthor pitched Brainiac on the possibility of merging together as a true dual entity and Brainiac—already interested in becoming a biological life form—agreed. Unfortunately for them, the partnership was short lived, and Luthor’s attempts to recreate that partnership via his tenure with the Legion of Doom was unsuccessful.
Historical records following these events are spotty, but it is known that, centuries in the future, Brainiac will successfully create a biological progeny on the planet Colu, which would eventually result in the birth of Brainiac 5, a 12th-level intellect who will serve honorably in the Legion of Super Heroes and attempt to atone for his ancestor’s legacy of destruction. As for the original Brainiac, in the year 2979, a copy of the program will travel back to 1979 in an attempt to destroy a teenaged Kal-El before he would become a threat to it in the future. However, thanks to intervention by the aforementioned Legion, Brainiac was defeated and teleported into the sun, where it incinerated, destroying what may be the last remnant of the artificial intelligence in the timeline.
Brainiac 5
Voiced by Matt Czuchry (JLU), Noel Fisher (Justice League vs. The Fatal Five)
First Appearance: Action Comics #276 (May 1961)
A 12th-level intellect from the planet Colu, Brainiac 5 is a descendant of the original Kryptonian Brainiac who, at some point in the past, was successful in evolving into an organic life form. Self-described as “the black sheep of his family,” this Brainiac attempts to use his abilities as a way to atone for his ancestor’s destructive history as a member of the Legion of Super Heroes.
During a crisis involving the Fatal Five, Brainiac 5 used time travel technology to bring 21st century Justice League champions into the future to save his teammates. In doing so, he not only saved the Legion, but he also recruited Supergirl as the latest member of the team.
Brimstone
First Appearance: Legends #1 (Brimstone, November 1986), “Initiation” (Unnamed Robot, July 31, 2004)
Following their revolution, the new government of the breakaway republic of Chong-Mai sought a means to both protect their people and show off their new nation’s technological prowess. Their plan: create an enormous, nuclear-powered robot to defend its borders. Unfortunately, when activated, it went berserk, attacking anyone it came into contact with and releasing enormous amounts of heat and radiation.
Registering what they initially thought to be a nuclear accident, the newly-expanded Justice League—here in the form of Green Lantern, Captain Atom, Supergirl, and Green Arrow—investigated and, following some misdirection by the xenophobic military, confronted the machine.
Wielding phenomenal levels of nuclear energy, the mechanical kaiju proved to be a formidable threat to the League. Attempts by Captain Atom to drain the machine of its energies proved to be unsuccessful, and it was able to knock Supergirl out of the sky with a swing of its arms and severely injure Green Lantern with an energy blast from its arm cannons. Despite this, after multiple skirmishes, it was eventually shut down by Green Arrow using carbon rod dampers shot into the small port under the robot’s neck.
Bruce Wayne (Batman Beyond)
Voiced by Kevin Conroy
First Appearance: “Rebirth, Part 1” (January 10, 1999)
After many years operating as the Dark Knight, Bruce Wayne’s tenure as Batman came to an end when, one night, he had a heart attack while attempting to save a kidnapping victim. Forced to threaten the kidnapper with a gun in order to save himself, Bruce finally recognized that it was time to let Batman go. However, without the identity that had come to define his life, he fell into depression, retreated to Wayne Manor, severed ties with the Justice League, and allowed his company to be taken over by Derek Powers.
Decades later, Bruce Wayne, now in his 70s, encountered a young man named Terry McGinnis, who ended up in front of his home after being chased by members of the Jokerz gang. After making swift work of them, Terry helped the old man back to the mansion, where he unwittingly discovered that Wayne was Batman. Later, after the murder of Terry’s father, Warren McGinnis, the young man broke into Wayne Manor and stole his upgraded Batsuit to avenge his father’s death. Initially against the thought of taking on a protégé, Bruce relented, and took on Terry under the pretense of hiring him as a personal assistant.
(It should be noted that Wayne may have been partially motivated by a previous Justice League adventure, where he, along with Green Lantern and Wonder Woman, travelled to the future to be confronted by his older self and a new, younger Batman. While a timeline corrupted by the villain Chronos, it is possible that this knowledge may have had a hand in his decision.)
Eager to show Terry the ropes, Wayne nonetheless took a lighter hand in training Terry, presumably as to not make the same mistakes made when training previous apprentices Dick Grayson, Barbara Gordon, and Tim Drake. In fact, the presence of the youthful Terry in his life served to energize Wayne, motivating him to retake control of his family’s corporation and to become personally invested in the city once more, much like he was in his younger days. And while Bruce Wayne’s days as the Dark Knight are over, the elder Bruce Wayne can take comfort in the fact that there will always be a Batman to protect his beloved Gotham City.
B’wana Beast
Voiced by Peter Onorati
When his plane went down onto Mount Kilimanjaro, game warden Mike Maxwell sought refuge from the elements in a nearby cave. After drinking the rainwater that had filtered through the cavern’s mineral-laden walls, Maxwell’s body grew to superhuman proportions, which aided him in subduing a giant, red gorilla who made his home in the cave. Accepting the human as his master, the red ape, named Djuba, retrieved an ancient helmet that, when worn by Maxwell, allowed him to read and control the minds of animals, as well as combine species into larger, mutant creatures with the best attributes of both. Choosing to utilize his powers for the good of Africa, Mike Maxwell adopted the identity of the B’wana Beast to protect his adopted continent.
Images courtesy of Warner Bros. Discovery, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, and DC Comics.
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