If there is one sure-fire way to create a supervillain in the comic book world, it is through the failings of science experiments planned by geniuses. Often in both Marvel and DC Comics, the most tragic and powerful foes that heroes have to face come out of the failed experiments of some of the universe’s greatest minds.
One such villain for DC Comics is Man-Bat. Otherwise known as Dr. Kirk Langstrom, Man-Bat has been a staple of the Batman Rogue’s Gallery for years. Let’s take a closer look at ten things fans should know about Man-Bat.
10 Originally A Zoologist
One aspect of Kirk Langstrom’s life that may shock fans is the job he had when he became the Man-Bat. Many may assume he was strictly a scientist who worked in his lab experimenting with some formula, and fans would be partially right. However, that is not the whole story.
Kirk Langstrom worked originally as a zoologist, primarily specializing in the study of bats. This led to his research to develop an extract that would give humans the ability to mimic sonar sense. However, the experiment he performed on himself had a side-effect, transforming him into the dreaded Man-Bat.
9 Family Of Bats
Another aspect of Kirk Langstrom’s story that will surprise fans is his family. After the initial experiment saw Kirk become the Man-Bat and lose his sanity in the process, Batman cured him. However, soon after Langstrom took the serum again, turning into the Man-Bat and then convincing his wife Francine to take the serum as well, turning her into She-Bat.
Years later, Kirk and Francine had both a son and a daughter. Thanks to the genetic augmentation of the Man-Bat serum on both of them, their son inherited a deadly disease, leading to Francine turning her son into a mini Man-Bat.
8 Forced To Create Bat-Men For Talia al Ghul
After briefly appearing as a member of Alexander Luthor Jr.’s Secret Society of Super-Villains in the Infinite Crisis event, a year after the event, Kirk Langstrom and his wife Francine are shown to be alive. Francine has been kidnapped by none other than one of the leaders of the League of Assassins, Talia al Ghul.
Forcing Kirk to give Talia the formula that turned him into Man-Bat, he is able to save his wife’s life. However, this leads Talia to turn the common soldiers of the League of Assassins into a Man-Bat commando group.
7 Can Trigger Transformation Without Serum
After Batman’s supposed death, during the 'Battle for the Cowl' storyline, Kirk Langstrom begins to have haunting nightmares. Dreaming that he turns into Man-Bat and ends the life of his wife Francine, Kirk fears the worst. When his wife goes missing, he takes the serum and uses his Man-Bat abilities to track her.
After battling the Outsiders and returning to normal, Langstrom is taken by Doctor Phosphorus. There, he discovers Doctor Phosphorus had taken Francine and reveals to Kirk that the serum is not needed to become Man-Bat. Kirk then changes into Man-Bat and saves his wife.
6 Permanently Becomes Man-Bat During Blackest Night
One event that affected a majority of the heroes and villains of the DC Universe was Blackest Night. One day Francine comes to Kirk and reveals that she has a cure to stop the Man-Bat persona from coming forward any longer. She reveals his next transformation will be his last, making him Man-Bat permanently if he transforms again.
Sadly this comes to pass; in the midst of the Man-Bat persona trying to stop Kirk from taking the serum, Francine is injured by a blast from the Black Lantern Solomon Grundy fighting Bizarro. Kirk’s fear and anger trigger a transformation, making him Man-Bat forever.
5 New 52 Retconned Origin
When the New 52 began its run in DC Comics, many villains and heroes alike found their origin story rewritten or altered in some way. One major example of this happens to be Kirk Langstrom. After the villain Emperor Blackgate, aka Ignatius Ogilvy, steals the Man-Bat serum and uses it as an airborne virus to turn Gotham City citizens into bat creatures, Batwoman brings Kirk and Francine to Batman.
Kirk reveals he created the serum to try and cure deafness in humans, and Ogilvy stole the serum from him. Injecting himself with the serum to create antibodies and a cure, he transforms himself into the last Man-Bat.
4 Becomes Addicted To Man-Bat Serum
After stopping the initial attack by Ogilvy and being forced to become the Man-Bat, Kirk has given Batman the serum and begun working on a cure for himself. However, he soon discovers that he has become addicted to the Man-Bat serum, becoming human and then taking the serum again to become the Man-Bat.
Soon a series of brutal attacks on Gotham City citizens strikes a resemblance to the Man-Bat attacks, making Kirk afraid that he is behind the attacks. His addiction becomes so great that his nights as the Man-Bat become a blank slate for Kirk, his memory completely gone from the previous night.
3 Recruited By Crime Syndicate
During the Forever Evil storyline of DC Comics, the Crime Syndicate of America recruited many villains to join the Secret Society of Super-Villains. One of the people they recruited was Kirk. Soon enough he is forced to team up with Scarecrow, aka Dr. Jonathan Crane, to undertake a mission for the Crime Syndicate.
Together Kirk and Scarecrow are tasked with infiltrating Blackgate Prison to steal the frozen bodies of the Talons, the super-soldier assassins who worked for the Court of Owls. Interrupting a meeting between Bane and Penguin, Kirk utilizes an army of Man-Bats to steal the Talons.
2 Son Of Corrupt Businessman
In the Batman: The Dark Knight series, Kirk’s history was further explored by introducing his father. It turns out Kirk comes from a wealthy family, and his father was a very corrupt pharmaceutical businessman named Abraham Langstrom. He considered Kirk a failure, often comparing him to Bruce Wayne’s success as Thomas Wayne was Abraham’s rival.
Years later, Abraham decided to steal the Man-Bat serum for himself, tweaking the formula and unleashing the serum onto the homeless population, believing no one would truly miss them. Batman, of course, stopped Abraham from carrying out the plot, but he managed to avoid prison by pleading insanity.
1 Saves Francine From She-Bat Transformation
One of the few storylines Kirk has been involved in during the DC Rebirth era has been the transformation of his wife Francine into She-Bat. In the pages of Harley Quinn’s Rebirth series, her feud with the Penguin reached a boiling point when he decided to use Francine to become She-Bat, who went on to attack and transform Harley and her friend Tony into bat creatures.
Harley’s friends and makeshift family were forced to break Kirk Langstrom out of prison, using him to find an antidote to save his wife and the others. Of course, during the battle, Kirk found a way to escape.