Batwing is the alias used by several characters in American comic books published by DC Comics. Both versions of the character are superheroes inspired by Batman notable for their technological capabilities. The first Batwing is David Zavimbe, a Congolese police officer created by writer Grant Morrison and debuting in Batman Incorporated#5 in May, 2011 before headlining his own Batwing comic series. This version of Batwing acts as one of representatives of Africa within Batman Incorporated, being known as the "Batman of Africa".
The second Batwing, Lucas "Luke" Fox, is an African-American mixed martial artist and genius who is the son of Lucius Fox, one of Batman's closest associates. After David retires from the role, Batman offers the Batwing role to Luke, who is eager to accept despite protest from his father.
The Luke Fox version of the character has appeared in the Arrowverse TV series Batwoman as part of the main cast, portrayed by Camrus Johnson. He takes on the mantle of Batwing at the end of the second season.
According to fellow Batman Incorporated artists, Chris Burnham told iFanboy that he designed the character first, while Paquette was the first to draw him in interiors. In line with Morrison's use of obscure continuity throughout his Batman stories, the character seems to be based visually on a minor character which appeared in Batman #250 in a story called "The Batman Nobody Knows". In this story, a young African-American boy tells his friends how he imagines Batman to be, and gives him the name "Batwings".
Writing duo Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti took over the book starting with Batwing #19 (June 2013), to introduce a new Batwing, Luke Fox, unrelated to the previous one.[6] The new Batwing character would no longer be the "Batman of Africa", but be more international, along with having more ties to Gotham City.[7][8]
When David Zavimbe was a young boy in Tinasha, his parents died of HIV/AIDS early in his life.[9] In the wake of their parents' deaths, David and his brother, Isaac, were conscripted from their orphanage into General Keita's Army of the Dawn. Like many children his age, David became a boy soldier in a war that had devastated his country. The Zavimbe brothers, however, distinguished themselves from other child conscripts through their exceptional obedience and capacity for violence. Their speed, dexterity, and prodigious killing abilities earned them the moniker the Dragonflies and led to their promotion into Keita's elite guard.
On Keita's path to power and domination, he orders the brothers to kill Okuru, one of Keita's major enemies.[10] They accepted a mission to infiltrate and assassinate Okuru. However, Keita's subsequent command to torch the entire village to prevent escapes was met with refusal. Isaac, unwilling to kill innocent women and children, fired a warning shot into the air. This action alerted Okuru's squadron, who returned fire and forced a retreat from Keita's forces.[11]
Incensed by this insubordination, Keita confronted Isaac, who then struck the general over the head with a rock. In retaliation, Keita severely wounded Isaac with his machete as David fled the scene.[11]
Later that night, David sneaks into Keita's room and drugs him before he can make a move. Eventually, Keita comes to be tied up in the back of an SUV. David says he will not kill any longer and drops Keita outside of Okuru's new encampment, while firing shots in the air to notify them.
Following the death of General Keita, David embarked on a journey to the Children's Harbor, an orphanage specifically for former child soldiers. This provided him an escape from his life as a boy soldier.Elsewhere in the United States, Bruce Wayne announces Batman Incorporated, an initiative to put Batman-like figures in countries all across the world. Soon after that, Batman pays a visit to Tinasha, where he inducts David as the newest member of his team in his quest to stop the global terrorists, Leviathan.[12][13]
Shortly after confronting Leviathan and the false Dr. Dedalus, Batman traveled to an undisclosed location in Africa to recruit a new member for his team, Batman Incorporated. Batman led David on his first mission, equipping him with an advanced Batsuit. David quickly discovered a Leviathan brainwashing cell and, once compromised, narrowly escaped capture. During his escape, he showcased his martial arts skills and utilized the Batsuit's special features, including its jet propulsion..[14]
When Batwing confronts a new villain named Massacre, he is quickly overpowered. During the struggle, the story flashes back to a past mission where Batwing, with the assistance of Batman, successfully captured Blood Tiger. Tiger, a former warlord's captain, had been operating a drug ring.
Continuing his investigation, Batwing discovers a gruesome crime scene with several beheaded bodies. His research with the police leads him to another room full of murdered officers, where he is suddenly stabbed in the back by Massacre.
As Batwing attempts to fight back, he is quickly overwhelmed. Massacre is about to deliver the final blow when Kia Okuru and other officers arrive, firing shots that force the villain to retreat. David passes out during the exchange and wakes up two weeks later in The Haven.
He asks Matu about the shootout, and is told that Kia survived but was badly beaten, and the rest of the officers were killed. David, eager to go after Massacre, is urged by Matu to stay at The Haven to recover from his injuries and regain his strength.
Following his recovery, Batwing and Matu argued about his decision to seek out Massacre. However, Batwing managed to subdue Matu with a tranquilizer dart and left The Haven. He used a previous conversation with Massacre at the police station to deduce his location. Batwing arrived just in time to assist Thunder Fall, a member of a superhero team called The Kingdom, who was in a brutal fight with Massacre. Despite his injuries, Batwing and a severely wounded Thunder Fall managed to escape Massacre and make it to a nearby hospital. There, Thunder Fall revealed that The Kingdom had committed a terrible act, and that Massacre was their punishment.[15]
The full truth is revealed after the heroes rescue Steelback, the tech-powered member of The Kingdom. He recounts that years prior, The Kingdom had been fighting a ruthless dictator in the Congo alongside the People's Army. With the dictator cornered and only the capital city left to defend, The Kingdom withdrew, believing the People's Army could achieve a victory for the people.However, they soon received a message stating that the dictator had allied himself with African crime lords, making victory impossible, even with The Kingdom's intervention. This forced the heroes to grant the dictator amnesty, promising no retaliation.[16]
Following a bomb attack at the United Nations, Booster Gold was left grieving the loss of several Justice League International (JLI) members who were either injured or killed in the event.
It was later revealed that Massacre was Batwing's older brother, who had been brainwashed by the villain X. After an attack on his home base left Matu injured, Batwing decided to begin using lethal force in his mission to protect the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Batwing joined with the team calling themselves the Dead Heroes Club, an offshoot of Batman Inc.. The other members are Looker, Freight Train, The Hood, Gaucho, Wingman, and Halo.
Luke Fox
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After the events of Batwing #19, David resigned as Batwing. Lucius Fox would then make a new Batwing suit, which Batman then gives to Fox's son Luke Fox.[17] Luke plays a significant part in Batman Eternal when he helps Jim Corrigan investigate recent events in Arkham Asylum, where the Joker's Daughter is using the spirits of the inmates to resurrect what she believes to be the Joker in the body of Maxie Zeus (although it is revealed to be Deacon Blackfire). In Batgirl #45, Luke Fox began a romantic relationship with Barbara Gordon, also fighting crime together as their alter egos Batwing and Batgirl.[18][19] Luke Fox was created by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, the writers of Batwing #19[20] in April 2013.
In 2016, DC Comics implemented another relaunch of its books called "DC Rebirth", which restored its continuity to a form much as it was prior to "The New 52". Following Red Robin's apparent sacrifice, Luke is recruited to the team that Batman and Batwoman set up.[21]
Abilities and resources
David Zavimbe's abilities
Batwing is a highly skilled combatant, proficient in martial arts, and is considered a significant threat even without his weapons. He is equipped by Batman with a vast array of advanced gadgets, weapons, and technology to combat crime and corruption.His Batsuit is armored, with the ability to regenerate itself and adapt to different situations. It is also equipped with wings that allow him to fly and glide. As a police officer, it is implied that he received basic police training, which was further enhanced by the guidance of the genius detective, Bruce Wayne.
Luke Fox's abilities
Possessing his father's intelligence and business acumen, Luke is a gifted technological genius, inventor, designer, and engineer. He is also a trained martial artist and boxer whose skills have been further honed under the tutelage of Batman.[22]
In addition to his combat skills, Luke's immense wealth and connections provide him with nearly unlimited access to Wayne Industries' advanced technology. His Batwing suit grants him a wide range of offensive and defensive capabilities, including flight, invisibility, enhanced strength, the ability to pinpoint and neutralize electronic signals, and pores in the fingertips that can exude a sedative mist of his own design..[22]
Other versions
David Zavimbe is featured in the Smallville Season 11 digital comic based on the TV series. In this continuity, David is an ally of Lana Lang, who supplies her with information for her vigilante activities in Africa.[23]
Luke Fox appears in media set in the Arrowverse, portrayed by Camrus Johnson.[24]
First appearing in the TV series Batwoman, this version watches over Wayne Tower following Batman's disappearance three years prior. After meeting and befriending Batman's cousin, Kate Kane, Luke assists her in crime-fighting via his technical knowledge and skill in gadgetry throughout the first season until she also disappears. In the second season, Luke assists Kane's successor Ryan Wilder until he is shot by a corrupt crow agent and left in a coma. He almost dies, but is encouraged to survive by a vision of Bruce Wayne. Luke awakens and eventually becomes Batwing to help her defeat Black Mask and save Kate from her brainwashing. In the third season, he and Ryan are blackmailed by corrupt ex-GCPD officer Renee Montoya into tracking down Batman's lost trophies, unaware that Montoya is secretly holding the Joker's joy buzzer as part of her own plans to unleash her ex-lover Poison Ivy, while dealing with Ryan's deranged half-brother Marquis Jet. Ryan and Luke eventually defeat both Ivy and Marquis, and cure Marquis of his insanity with the joy buzzer while Montoya and Ivy are banished to Coryana on threat of imprisonment for their crimes. Throughout the series, Luke is accosted by John Diggle, who seeks Luke's help regarding a glowing green box he received shortly after the Crisis and Oliver Queen's death, but Luke's technology proves unable to open the box.
An alternate reality version of Luke from Earth-99 makes a minor appearance in the crossover event "Crisis on Infinite Earths". This version works for an aged Bruce Wayne.
An omnibus collecting the entire series was solicited, but later cancelled and replaced with Batwing: Luke Fox.[26]
References
↑ Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p.35. ISBN978-1-4654-5357-0.
1 2 The DC comics encyclopedia: The definitive guide to the characters of the DC universe. Matthew K. Manning, Stephen Wiacek, Melanie Scott, Nick Jones, Landry Q. Walker, Alan Cowsill (Newed.). New York, New York: DK Publishing. 2021. ISBN978-0-7440-2056-4. OCLC1253363543.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
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