Eduardo Dorrance

Bane
Full name	Eduardo Dorrance
Alias	Bane
Affiliation	Delta Force Nyssa al Ghul (boss; formerly) Jim Gordon (formerly) Hugo Strange (formerly) Edward Nygma (mind controlled, formerly)
Occupation	Soldier (formerly) Delta Force Leader Mercenary
Status	Alive
Appeared in	4 episodes (see below)
Portrayed by	Shane West

"When I was in Peña Dura prison, Jim, the guards played a game. They'd choose one of us... and they buried us alive. They'd take bets on whether you could dig your way out. But then they'd bury you deeper. And play again. I was the champion. To survive that... I had to stop being human. I had to become... something else. I became Bane. Only I didn't know it yet. But she knew and she showed me the way. If the world is full of monsters, the only way to defeat them... is to become one yourself."

—Bane^[src]

Eduardo Dorrance, later known as Bane, is a mercenary and the leader of the Delta Force, as well as an old military ally of Jim Gordon before Jim left the army. Sometime after, Eduardo and other soldiers were captured by the enemy on a mission and were placed in a prison known as Peña Duro. After being the sole survivor, he was rescued by Nyssa al Ghul, being employed and loyal to her. Eventually, he became determined to complete his mission of eliminating all of the criminal elements in Gotham, complicit in all of the murders Nyssa has committed.

He was mortally wounded in a fight with Jim, but Nyssa preserves his life so that Hugo Strange could save him. After being experimented on by Strange, he was enhanced and given superhuman physical capabilities leading to Eduardo being reborn as Bane.

Biography

Early Life

Sometime after Jim Gordon joined the army, he met another soldier known as Eduardo Dorrance. Around this time, the two were on a mission, where Jim eventually ran through sniper fire and saved Eduardo's life from a burning truck, becoming a friend of his and earning his gratitude. Shortly after Gordon left the military, Eduardo, Ramirez and various other soldiers were captured by the enemy and imprisoned at Peña Duro which he described to be "the darkest hell on Earth", expressing his hatred towards the prison. After being left to die there by the government, Eduardo eventually ended up being the sole survivor of his fellow soldiers. "Theresa Walker" eventually found Eduardo in the prison and pulled him out to give him a new purpose.

Arrival in Gotham

Eduardo Dorrance and his Delta Force save Jim Gordon and arrive in Gotham to stop all the criminals in the city.

Eventually, Eduardo became the leader of the Delta Force sent by "Theresa Walker" and lead an operation on Gotham that tactically neutralized all the gunmen threatening Jim, paying him back for saving his life. Later, he and Jim find Edward Nygma, who tries to appeal to Jim, stating that he only hurt people that he knew despite not knowing anyone in Haven. When Jim decides to take him in, Edward pulls a book from the shelf and leaves Eduardo in an explosive trap, escaping. Jim manages to defuse the explosives, saving Eduardo as they continue the hunt for the destroyer of Haven. When they finally find Hugo Strange and Edward in Hugo's lab, Hugo states that someone ordered him to put a mind-controlling chip in Edward Nygma. As a result, Jim asks who ordered for a controller in Nygma's head, but Eduardo then uses a device that freezes Ed, revealing his deception. He ordered his Delta Force to extract Hugo Strange and asks Jim to shoot Nygma in order to prove his loyalty to Walker, but Jim refuses and drops his gun after saying that he saved Eduardo's life too many times. Eduardo lowers his gun just as Jim attempts to take action and flees the scene. Angered, he orders Edward Nygma to hunt down and kill Jim Gordon.​​

Conflict with James Gordon

Under Eduardo's control, Edward began to hunt down Jim, however, Jim managed to fry his forehead and disable the chip. Following Gordon's escape, Eduardo later found him hiding out at Barbara Kean's nightclub, stating that he found him because when someone is in trouble, they'd go to a familiar place. Eduardo then stated that they could've worked together on making the world a better place like old times, however, Jim says that Eduardo is just murdering innocent people. Eduardo replies by stating that Gotham is filled with criminal elements. After Nygma arrives, Jim explains to Eduardo that he has evidence regarding his plans and actions. Eduardo doesn't believe him and orders Nygma to kill him despite Ed not being mind-controlled as a result of his chip being fried. Nygma turns on Eduardo and kills one of his men. After a shootout, Jim, Barbara and Nygma manage to escape Eduardo and his Delta Force. Upon returning to the GCPD, he orders his men to seize control of the precinct and lock up the police or anybody who opposes his actions. He then receives orders from "Walker" to get Jim and Nygma by using Lee Thompkins as a bargaining chip. He radio contacts Jim and arranges the exchange, on the condition that it happens at the ruins of the Haven.

After a fist fight between Eduardo and Jim occurs, he is kicked into a pole by Gordon, impaling him.

At the Haven ruins, Jim arrives without Nygma but reveals the chip was removed from his brain and that it contains evidence. He then witnesses him destroying it, but Eduardo feels that he had already duplicated it and was disappointed. Eduardo then openly states that he was always the "first man in" during the time in the military together.

Gordon then explains that his recklessness got people killed, but Eduardo protested that they were not on him. They then engage in hand-to-hand combat. Eduardo explains that Walker spent months trying to convince her superiors that the city was overrun by criminals that were nearly sent in. But since the Haven was set up, it made them believe that the criminal element wasn't that bad. Therefore, Walker had it destroyed to change their minds. He then orders Lee's execution after torturing a defenseless Jim of his time in Peña Duro and how "Walker" got him out. Jim then finally overpowered him and kicked him into a steel pole, leaving Eduardo for dead.

Hours later, "Walker" arrives in person and explains to a surprised Eduardo how her actions have been exposed. She says he still has much more to do and won't die yet, just before she puts a defibrillator on him. After saying Gordon's name, "Walker" assures him that her second brainwashed operative, Lee Thompkins, will kill him.

Becoming Bane

A weakened Eduardo wears his defibrillator mask in Hugo Strange's lab.

Sometime after, Eduardo was still weakened and was eventually brought to a lab by "Walker", where his wound was patched up. There, he met up with Hugo Strange, who had told Eduardo that the process may cause him immense physical and mental pain. He also met with "Walker", who reassured Eduardo by telling him that'd she keep her promise and give him a true purpose before Hugo Strange injected Venom into Eduardo's veins, bulging his veins and giving him bloodshot eyes as Eduardo yelled in agony, becoming Bane.

Later, Eduardo and his Delta Force ambush Bruce Wayne, Harvey Bullock, Jim Gordon, and General Wade while they try to make a reunification deal. Once Eduardo steps out of the back of a Delta truck, he is shot at by General Wade's soldiers, however, he is unaffected as a result of his bulletproof suit and attacks the soldiers with his newfound powers. Jim Gordon manages to recognize Eduardo, who informs Jim that he no longer goes by that name before Jim and Bruce are shot in the neck with darts by Delta soldiers. As a result, Harvey Bullock and the GCPD attempt to search the location that Eduardo had taken Jim Gordon and Bruce Wayne while Alfred Pennyworth and Selina Kyle join this investigation in concern for Bruce. Soon after, Jim is brought to an old mansion by Eduardo, asking Eduardo what "Walker" did to him, however, Eduardo replies by explaining what happened during his time in Peña Duro and how "Walker" showed him the way of eliminating criminal elements and monsters: by becoming one himself, referring to himself as Bane. Under the orders of "Walker", Bane begins to torture Jim by kicking him in the stomach until Bruce manages to obey "Walker"'s orders. 

Hunting Down Barbara Kean

Bane is not affected by the explosive trap, created by Edward Nygma and Oswald Cobblepot.

After "Walker" speaks to Bruce and Jim about why she been taking such actions to take down criminals and reveals her true identity to be "Nyssa al Ghul", she orders Bane to hunt down Barbara Kean and bring her back to the mansion before Jim tries to prevent this from happening by telling Bane that Barbara is pregnant, however, Bane states that the baby isn't worth risking the whole world's safety. Shortly after, Bane arrives to the hospital that Edward Nygma, Oswald Cobblepot, Lee Thompkins and Barbara Kean were at, causing damage to the location and using a microphone to threaten Barbara through the speakers, informing her that she cannot run from her sins or him. As a result, Edward and Oswald attempt at stopping Bane by using a flammable weapon that explodes, however, Bane manages to walk through the flames without any type of injury, leading to Edward and Oswald running away.

After Barbara gives birth to her daughter, Bane jumps down from the roof and finds them before Selina Kyle and Alfred Pennyworth arrive in a car to their aid, knocking Bane down. Seconds later, he gets up while Alfred attempts to injure him by punching him multiple times, though, Bane is unaffected and attacks Alfred and Selina, who is pushed away by Bane. Then, Bane lifts Alfred above his head and slams his back into a pole, knocking out Alfred and walking away which frightens Selina as she yells for help and tries to wake Alfred up. After Nyssa uses a mind-controlled General Wade to order "Special Order 386" which is an order that will reduce Gotham to rubble, Jim Gordon, Harvey Bullock and Bruce Wayne watch soldiers in helicopters, under the influence of Nyssa and Bane, destroy Gotham by dropping explosives on the city.

War with Gordon

After breaking the military commander's neck, Bane takes his place as the new commander and begins to enforce his plan.

After Nyssa's plan to enforce "Special Order 386" succeeds, they use a mind-controlled General Wade to contact a military commander in order to tell him and the rest of the soldiers to destroy the Green Zone which the mind-controlled General Wade replies by saying that anybody still in Gotham is an enemy of the state, however, the commander refuses to take part in the murder of civilians. Shortly after, Bane arrives to tell the military commander that he will be the new commander before breaking his neck and killing him, asking if anybody else has a problem with the orders that the mind-controlled General Wade gave, however, the remaining soldiers salute him. After the soldiers obey his commands, Bane claims that this is good and claims that they should get started with the mission. Later on, Harvey interrupts Penguin and Jim Gordon's conversation about saving Gotham by stating that Bane and about six or seven hundred military soldiers are by his side while they only have thirty, however, Riddler shows up and claims that it's thirty one and that he will be joining their fight to save Gotham. 

When Gordon and his newly formed team arrive on the top of their defensive barricades and aim their guns, they are faced with Bane, who claims that he always knew that Gordon had a "saviour complex" and that his current actions were too much. Gordon replies by asking what happened to Bane, stating that there was a time where the two would've been on top of the barricades together, however, Bane claims that this was before he found his true purpose before ordering the military to fire on his command. As Gordon orders his team to fire at Bane's and the military, a battle between the the two teams. As this gun brawl continues, one of the soldiers give Bane a bazooka which he uses to blow a hole in the GCPD barricades and orders the soldiers to bring him Jim Gordon and Bruce Wayne. After Selina Kyle and Bruce Wayne manage to blow up the Wayne Enterprises building in an attempt to be seperated from the military and buy some time for their plan, they are ambushed by Bane, who pushes Bruce to the ground and states that his plan to stop the military was impressive but that it will take more to stop him. As a result, this ends up in a hand-to-hand fight between Bane, Bruce and Selina, however, Bane manages to get the upper hand and send Bruce to the ground. Bruce tells Bane that he shouldn't have hurt Alfred but Bane claims that it was collateral damage that happens in war. Selina attempts to attack Bane, however, he manages to stop her and hold her hostage in front of Bruce, claiming that he's sorry that Bruce wasn't able to see him break Alfred but that he won't miss Bane killing Selina. However, Selina manages to grab a knife from a knife holster on Bane's uniform and stab him which allows Bruce to jump on Bane and place a device that is used as a beacon for "certain winged mammals", more specifically, bats. Shortly after, Bane is attacked by a large swarm of bats, stopping him from following Bruce and Selina.

Defeat

Once the military arrive to aid an injured Bane and complete their mission, Bane begins to adjust and fix the tubes that supply him an unidentified green chemical. Eventually, Gordon and his small team walk down the streets to face Bane and his large army as Bane states that the battle between them is over. Gordon replies by stating that all wars come to an end, however, Bane says that it isn't a war but rather, a firing squad, as he pr

Bane's plan backfires as he is betrayed by his military army and forced to surrender

epares to order his army in an attack. Not long after, the refugees that were supposed to hide for their own safety, begin to walk up behind Gordon in order to defend him in his battle against Bane. When Bane orders his army to fire, Gordon gives them all a choice to stand with him or stand with Bane which leads to the military force all aiming their guns at Bane, who is surprised by their choices. As a result of Nyssa escaping Gotham and him losing his power, he is forced to surrender as the remaining civilians of Gotham cheer at his defeat and Gotham's safety.

Legacy

"When Bane had you, I thought he was going to kill you, Selina, and there was nothing I could do."

—Bruce Wayne to Selina Kyle^[src]

Despite being defeated and imprisoned by the GCPD, Bruce is still affected by the damage that Bane and Nyssa had brought upon Gotham, blaming himself for the destruction and murder caused by them. In addition, he talks to Selina about how he believed that Bane would kill Selina when he held her hostage and that there was nothing that he could do to stop it, leaving him conflicted on whether him being gone wouldn't have caused this.

Eduardo's encounter with Alfred Pennyworth seemingly left a lasting physical effect, as Alfred was forced to walk whilst leaning on a cane in the immediate aftermath of the Gotham crisis. Over ten years later, Alfred could still be seen leaning on a cane for support, although it was unknown if Alfred had perhaps eventually healed from the encounter before encountering other factors such as old age which forced him to rely on a cane anyway.

Personality

Initially, Eduardo appeared to be a loyal and steadfast soldier who would always focus on any orders or missions he was given. He seemed to be kind to Jim Gordon when they were friends in the army and when they meet again in Gotham. It is implied by Jim that Eduardo was like this prior to being imprisoned in Pena Duro and being found by "Theresa Walker", even claiming that he had to stop being human and become something else: Bane, possibly turning him into a much more sinister individual.

However, when he revealed his betrayal to Jim, he is shown to be ruthless, cold, calculating, sadistic and determined. After taking up the alias of Bane, he becomes much more brutal and violent than before with little regard for harming or killing anyone. He is also more prone to anger, making him all the more dangerous. Though he and Jim had a brutal fight, Nyssa reveals that Eduardo still wants Jim to join them on their brutal mission to erase all evil from Gotham, showing that Eduardo didn't completely abandon their former friendship.

Powers and Abilities

Powers

"I made you a promise when I found you in that hole in Pena Dura. And I intend to keep it. To give you a true purpose and the strength to see it through."

—Nyssa al Ghul to Eduardo Dorrance^[src]

After being subjected toVenom  by Hugo Strange, Eduardo gained superhuman physical capabilities.

• Enhanced strength: Eduardo's newfound strength enabled him to throw grown men like they were nothing, casually lifted Alfred above his head and throw him against a metal pole hard enough to break his spine, snap necks with ease, crush a soldier's head with his bare hands, and smash concrete with a singe punch.
• Enhanced durability: Eduardo was able to take punches without flinching, endured being stabbed, being run over by a car without harm, jumped down from a multi-story building window and land on his feet without injury, and withstand a point-blank explosion and still remained standing.

Abilities

"In war, there are no attachments, only then can you fight without your hands tied. You see, just a little ounce of pressure, that's all that separates the living from the dead."

—Eduardo Dorrance to Bruce Wayne^[src]

• Peak of human physical condition: As a soldier, Eduardo is in peak physical condition. He was able to survive being imprisoned in Peña Duro, which he described as "the darkest hell on Earth". During his time in prison, Eduardo was the champion of self-exhuming himself from being buried alive by the guards. He survived being impaled through the chest by rebar, though he needed specialized equipment in order to survive from that point onward.
• Expert hand-to-hand combatant: As a soldier, Eduardo was highly trained in hand to hand combat. This is seen when he fought on par with Jim Gordon before his enhancements. After becoming Bane, he was able to defeat Alfred Pennyworth and Selina Kyle. He was also able to defeat Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle at the same time.
  • Skilled stick wielder: Eduardo is proficient at using stick like weapons in combat. This seen when he used a piece of rebar against Jim Gordon during their fight at the ruins of Haven.
• Expert marksman: As a soldier, Eduardo is accomplished in using firearms. This seen when he headshot a drug dealer trying to stab Jim Gordon on the ground.
• Master tactician/strategist/manipulator: As the leader of Delta Force, Eduardo is highly trained in military strategy and tactics. His training in psychological operations allowed him to easily track down Jim Gordon to The Sirens based on his past relationship with Barbara Kean.
• Military training: Due to his time in the military, Eduardo is well adept in military protocol and psi-ops.
• Stealth: As a soldier, Eduardo is an expert at stealth tactics. This is seen when he lead Delta Force to suprise attack a weapons dealer without anyone noticing. He also suprised Jim and Barabara at her night club with his men. He was able to sneak around Jim during their fight at the Haven ruins and successfully got the drop on him. He was even able to ambush Bruce and Selina.
• Indomitable will/High pain tolerance: Eduardo was able to survive the torture he endured at Peña Duro by emotionally detaching himself of everything from his old life. He managed to survive for hours after being impaled with a piece of rebar during his battle with Jim. He also survived the process that turned him into Bane, with Hugo Strange describing it to him as "agonizing" and "lengthy".

Equipment

• Guns/Firearms: As a soldier, Eduardo uses different types of firearms such as handguns, assault rifles, and rocket launchers.
• Combat knife: Eduardo carries a combat knife on his thigh.
• Life support suit : As Bane, Eduardo wears a life support suit, created to enhance his strength and durability using the mask that Bane wears. In addition to giving Eduardo his powers, the suit is bullet proof as shown when General Wade's soldiers attempt to shoot him but fail to harm him.

Former equipment

• Delta Force uniform: As the leader of Delta Force, Eduardo wore the uniform of his team. It consists of camo military garb, combat boots, a vest with a walkie-talkie, a protective helmet, and a fabric half-mask to conceal his identity.
• Remote control: Eduardo used a remote control linked to a chip inside of Edward Nygma's brain in order to control him. Though the remote control became useless when the chip was removed from Nygma's brain.
• Defibrillator mask: After being mortally injured from his fight with Jim Gordon, Eduardo was given a specialized mask by Theresa Walker in order to keep him alive before and during his experimentation by Hugo Strange.

Appearances

Season 5

• "Pena Dura"
• "13 Stitches"
• "Ace Chemicals" (mentioned)
• "I Am Bane"
• "They Did What?"

Trivia

• In the comics, Bane is most infamous for physically breaking Batman and taking over Gotham's criminal underworld in the Knightfall storyline.
  • In the comics, Bane's father is the mercenary ganglord Edmund Dorrance, A.K.A. King Snake.
  • In the original series of Batman films, Bane was given the real name Antonio Diego. However, Bane's father was unknown in the comics when those films were released.
• This is the third live-action portrayal of Bane, following the 1997 film Batman & Robin, and the 2012 film The Dark Knight Rises, the latter in which he was portrayed by Tom Hardy. His appearance in Gotham marks Bane's live-action debut on television.
• His appearance as Bane has a resemblance to Tom Hardy's portrayal of Bane from The Dark Knight Rises as both lack any luchador-related likeness.
• Similar to Tom Hardy's Bane from The Dark Knight Rises, Eduardo often grips the sides of his vest with both hands. This character trait and Hardy's cargo vest were both integrated into the comics during The New 52 relaunch. However, the subsequent DC Rebirth relaunch saw the return of Bane's classic design.
• In an interview with BUILD, Shane West confirmed that this version of Bane does use the Venom drug.