Warning! Contains spoilers for Batman: The Brave and the Bold #7!
While the secret identity of Batman is a heavily sought-after secret, one version of Batman had his identity revealed in a twist so shocking that literally no one saw it coming. Amnesia struck a man who happened to be wearing Batman’s gear — but his real identity is not as simple as his clothing would make it appear.
The shocking identity of this amnesiac Batman is revealed in “Pygmalion,” a story from Batman: Brave and the Bold #7, by Guillem March and Arif Prianto. After an amnesiac Batman wakes up in the suburbs of Gotham, equipped with nothing but a Batcowl and a utility belt, he begins training with his new sidekick Hoopoe to relearn everything he had forgotten about being Batman. The shocking twist comes when Batman is summoned to the GCPD — only to find Batman there waiting for him.
It turns out that this amnesiac Batman isn’t Bruce Wayne at all, but rather Frank Freeman: a professional martial artist and thief who tried to steal from Batman and lost his memory when the theft went wrong.
Batman Officially Has a New Secret Identity in DC Continuity, Replacing Bruce Wayne
As Batman abandons the Bat-Family and commits to stopping Joker for good, he says goodbye to Bruce Wayne and embraces a new secret identity
An Amnesiac Version of Batman Discovers His Real Name: Frank Freeman
Batman is an extremely popular hero who has inspired a lot of people, especially within the DC Universe. Several members of the Bat-Family have taken on the mantle of Batman himself — some more willingly than others — and there are a number of potential futures that include revamped version of Batman. Other characters, like Jace Fox, have also taken on the mantle of Batman to fight crime in their own way. But while there have been people under the cowl other than Bruce, their identities are usually known to the reader — meaning Frank Freeman’s revealed identity is a new kind of shocking twist.
Frank Freeman is this version of Batman’s secret identity, which comes as a surprise to not only the characters, but also the readers. Usually, when a new character takes on the cowl, every reader knows who it’s going to be. It was a major event when Dick Grayson became Batman, and fans can follow Jace Fox’s adventure as Batman over in New York. Their identities were never secrets to DC readers, but Frank Freeman is a special case. The story presented him as Bruce Wayne but with amnesia, meaning the reveal of his true secret identity — and just how he procured his Batman gear — comes as a true shock to The Brave and the Bold readers.
The Real Batman Teams Up with Frank Freeman
While Batman first treats Frank as a criminal who needs to be taken down, it seems that Frank’s memory loss and belief that he is Batman has changed him for the better. Instead of arresting Frank for his crimes, the two Batmen are currently working together to save Frank’s newfound family. While it’s unclear what Frank’s future will be after his family is saved, there’s no denying that Frank’s identity as Batman is a truly shocking twist.
BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #7 (2023) | |
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