Batman

Context

This character is an original creation. We often call these “homemades” or “homebrewed” – think home cooking or craft beer.

Many of these characters were created to take part in tabletop role-playing game sessions. Others were invented as a creative writing exercise, often as part of a community event.

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Tangent

This specific character is based on DC’s “Tangent” concept – sharing the name of a well-known DC characters but being a different person on a different world.

This Batman was also the non-powered member of the League. He may be blind, but that doesn’t stop Joseph Kapowski, mystery writer and occasional hero, to be an extraordinary addition to the League (their human side?). However, the Batman recently changed to his Monster form in our game.

Background

(Human form)

(Monster form)

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Powers and Abilities

Joseph Kapowski is a very perceptive man, and a talented writer.

On the street he prefers to surprise the enemy (thus, “blindsiding” him, in the name of irony) instead of a direct attack.

This is despite the might of his Power Suit. It allows him to:

• Fly.
• Run at high speed.
• Project bat-shaped energy bolts.
• Create an energy sword.

His mask has two very special features :

1. It allows him to see all-around, thanks to a sonar system that directly arrives to his brain.
2. It is modeled to make people trust the owner as a wise, paternal figure (Charisma).

Now that he has the Armor of the Bat, Batman’s old cloak is almost useless. But it is still of some value in case the Armor malfunctions, for short flights, clinging and cutting materials (the border can turn for a while into a blade if violently shaken).

History

Holmes, Poirot, Miss Marple… Those were the best. Now, mystery is at the hands of the blind writer Joseph Kapowski. Because when at his mail arrives, (by error, isn’t it ?) a package with a mask and a bat cloak that allow him to see and fly, mystery becomes too big to forget it. Night or day, life can be much funny when you are… Batman !

A car accident rendered Joseph Kapowski blind during his mid 30’s. But that didn’t stop him from following his writing career, not made him a bitter man. Neither did the fact that New York police (commanded by Joseph’s friend, Chief Sam Stone) disliked his seemingly vigilante run over Manhattan and the Village roofs.

He began investigating the abduction of millionaire Bruce Wayne’s young daughter, Helena, but almost got killed by a car. Unharmed but scared, he saw he needed help. And help came in the shape of a beautiful scientist: Tina Carlyle.

In a Flash

Tina called Joseph because she was searching for a group of people a strange man had told him to search for before dying. Joseph, or JKF, as he signed his books, was one of them. Another was somebody called Erleth. That stunned Joseph : on his dreams, lately, there was a voice whispering that non-sensical word: “Erleth”.

He decided to trust in the woman and revealed his identity as Batman. She decided to do the same and so the Batman/Flash team was born. Together they rescued Helena from the grasps of the evil mastermind Robin, although he ran away in a escape pod.

Batman and Tina began searching the other names of the list, but New York, even with their combined skills, proved to be too big. The City Hall attack (as explained in (T) The Flash write-up) joined them again : such a danger would perhaps call for other superpowered people, and perhaps they would be the ones from the list.

They were.

The Justice League was formed. That moment on, Batman has been one of the core members of the team, sometimes fighting with Superman of being too much words and too little action, and sometimes fearing not to be at the size of his mates, for the fact of not having powers. A new postal error helped him: this time it was a full power-armor.

Who was his secret helper ? Was it really an error ? Until answering those questions, the Armor of the Bat would be very helpful…

Note

What neither Batman nor nobody in the League knows is that a radio system taps their conversations all the time, directing them to the secret provider of the equipment: the remains of the JSA (Justice Society of Allies), Mongool and Congo Bill’s widow.

Description

The Armor of the Bat looks very much like Gangbuster’s motor system after his leg paralysis, just in dark orange. It has inverted pentagons on the knees and a sticker of a B, with the left side of the B converted into a bat-wing.

The mask covers his eyes and nose, and the sides of the mouth, and rises at the sides, both high and low, like the ears of a bat (^… . …^)

Personality

Batman is cheerful, but a little ironic and caustic. It’s a system to protect him against the truth : he’s an old, blind man side by side with superpowerful people who can move tanks or blind others. But he know something : with Aquaman, he is the human anchor of the League. And that is a high honor to fight for.

Quotes

“Stop the car ! I want to look at… I want to see if… Oh, just stop the car !!”

By KalEl el Vigilant.

Helper(s): Arthur Dominguez.

Source of Character: Homemade Tangent Universe: Justice League.