The Real Reason Bane Wears A Mask In Batman

The Bane of Christopher Nolan's "Dark Knight" trilogy is one of the most enigmatic comic book villains to be portrayed on the big screen. First appearing in "The Dark Knight Rises" as the ultimate challenge of Batman's masked career, Bane manages to dismantle almost everything that the hero had spent the last two films building. He even breaks the caped crusader's spine and leaves him to rot in a prison as icing on the cake.

For as terrifying and capable as Nolan's Bane is, however, he is equally mysterious. Aside from working with the League of Shadows, his origins are completely unknown. Nobody is sure where he came from or why he could beat the Batman so badly. All they know is that he's another freak with a mask. Surprisingly, however, the mask is actually the key to unlocking a bit of Bane's true backstory. We may not know his name or his full history, but we do know why he put on the mask.

While the purpose for Bane's mask is never stated explicitly throughout "The Dark Knight Rises," it can be surmised from context. After Bane defeats Batman and traps him in The Pit (a massive, underground prison), Batman learns what shaky details exist about Bane's backstory. At one point, Bane was also a prisoner in The Pit, where he received poor medical treatment after being beaten by the other inmates. Later, during Bane and Batman's final fight, Batman breaks the mask and incapacitates him, indicating that the mask has something to do with his injuries. According to Batman-News.com, director Christopher Nolan confirmed this as the story behind Bane's iconic mask, as reported by Rolling Stone.

"Bane is someone ravaged by pain from a trauma suffered long ago," Nolan said. "And the mask dispenses a type of anesthetic that keeps his pain just below the threshold so he can function."

This isn't too far off from the function of Bane's mask in the original comics, which dispenses the experimental chemical called Venom directly to his brain. Venom acts as a sort of super-steroid, further increasing Bane's already impressive physique into something more superhuman. Likewise, the key to beating the Bane of the comics is similar to "The Dark Knight Rises," where dismantling the drug system he is reliant on severely hinders his ability to fight.