DC Studios is set to launch its “Gods and Monsters” slate next month with James Gunn’s Superman, but fans are genuinely curious when a new Batman and new Wonder Woman will join the Man of Steel on the big screen. Batman, especially, has been at the forefront: everyone from Jensen Ackles to Alan Ritchson has thrown their hat in the ring to play the Dark Knight, and Batman: The Brave and the Bold was one of the first projects announced for “Gods and Monsters”. Gunn even described the approach he’d be taking to Batman, saying that he didn’t want a “campy” or “funny” take on Bruce Wayne. It’s a statement that proves that DC Studios is looking to make sure that each of its characters feels truly distinct from each other, which in turn will make all the different projects feel truly distinct. If Gunn truly wants to crack Brave and the Bold’s story and make a Batman movie that doesn’t feel like anything before it, there’s one comic book storyline he should turn to: the “Failsafe” story arc that takes place in Batman #125-130 by Chip Zdarsky and Jorge Jimenez.
Failsafe Is One of the Most Terrifying Foes That Batman’s Ever Faced
The “Failsafe” story begins when Batman and Tim Drake, the third Robin, foil one of the Penguin’s plans. But Tim is nearly fatally wounded, and when Batman confronts the Penguin, the diminutive crime lord fakes his own death and frames the Dark Knight for it. This activates Failsafe, a massive robot that is built to stop Batman if he ever kills. Failsafe is virtually unstoppable, thanks to the cutting-edge technology Batman used to create it, and the knowledge to take out Batman’s allies along with the Justice League. Only Batman’s faithful butler, Alfred Pennyworth, had the key to stopping Failsafe… but given that Alfred had been killed by Bane at this point, the robot was locked on the warpath. In the lead-up to his run, Chip Zdarsky compared Failsafe to Doomsday, the massive monster who killed Superman. “When DC approached me to write Batman, I immediately thought about things that could really challenge the character mentally, physically, and in terms of his relationships,” Zdarsky said. “Failsafe is his Doomsday.” The end of the “Failsafe” arc does live up to Zdarsky’s words, as Zdarsky finally fulfills its mission by shooting Batman with a weapon that seems to kill him but instead sends the Dark Knight to another universe.
Using Failsafe as a Villain Fits the Vibe That James Gunn & Peter Safran Are Bringing to DC Studios

Image via DC Comics

Failsafe isn’t just a truly terrifying foe for Batman, but he also fits the vibe that DC Studios is going for. Throughout his DC projects, particularly Creature Commandos and The Suicide Squad, James Gunn balanced the more fantastic elements of the DC Universe with a thoughtful look at how superpowered beings would actually affect the world — especially when it comes to matters of the world stage. That’s exactly the kind of story “Failsafe” is; one moment, Batman is fighting for his life against Failsafe, and the next he’s leaping from the wreckage of the Justice League Watchtower, literally descending from space. This is a scene that’s both utterly ridiculous (what else do you call a man in a batsuit pulling off the biggest base jump of all time?) and yet it also shows how Batman often uses nothing more than his skills and his wits to fight enemies who outpower him. “Failsafe” also lines up with Gunn’s desire to do a more serious Batman story, as it basically boils down to “Batman fights The Terminator:”.

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The Dark Knight momentarily appeared in ‘Creature Commandos.’

‘Batman: Brave and the Bold’ Is Inspired by a Storyline That Helped Shape the ‘Failsafe’ Arc

When Gunn first announced Batman: Brave and the Bold, he said that it would draw from the storylines where Batman meets his son Damian Wayne, who becomes the new Batman. Damian was co-created by Grant Morrison, who had a lengthy run on the Batman comics and penned a storyline that would eventually lay the foundation for Failsafe’s creation. In ‘Batman R.I.P.,” Morrison and Tony S. Daniel reveal that Bruce Wayne has an alter ego titled “The Batman of Zur-En-Arrh” that’s purely dedicated to the mission of cleaning up Gotham Crime — but without Bruce Wayne’s humanity. “Failsafe” reveals that Zur-En-Arrh constructed Failsafe, and when he fails to take over Bruce’s mind, he transfers his consciousness into Failsafe. Failsafe also allied himself with Amanda Waller during the Absolute Power miniseries, where Waller stripped most of the DC Universe’s superheroes of their powers. Considering that Viola Davis is continuing to play Waller in DC Studios projects, that’s another storyline that Gunn could draw inspiration from. If Batman: Brave and the Bold wants to stand out, Failsafe is the best villain for the job.