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* The Batman identity itself is one. In DC's main universe, there have been four Batmen. Obviously, the original is Bruce Wayne. However, after an injury, Bruce leaves the mantle to Azrael (Jean-Paul Valley). Azbats eventually lost his shit, and Bruce offered the mantle to Dick Grayson. Dick Grayson took up the mantle on what both knew was a temporary basis. However, after Bruce's "death" in ComicBook/FinalCrisis, a big deal is made out of who will succeed Bruce. Dick says he won't do it, which leads Jason Todd and Tim Drake to fight over which one of them will do it. Eventually, Dick comes around and became the new Batman. Once Bruce returns, both acted as Batman before Dick went back to being Nightwing. Bruce then died ''again'', and Jim Gordon became the new Batman, although this was without Bat-family involvement (Dick agreed to take up the mantle again in the same story, but he got busy with his own stuff).
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* The Batman identity itself is one. In DC's main universe, there have been four Batmen. Obviously, people to take on the original is mantle of Batman after Bruce Wayne. However, after an injury, Wayne.
** After being crippled by Bane during the ''ComicBook/{{Knightfall}}'' storyline in TheNineties, Bruce leaves the mantle to Azrael (Jean-Paul Valley). Azbats eventually lost his shit, and Bruce offered the mantle to Dick Grayson. Dick Grayson took up the mantle on what both knew was a temporarybasis. However, after Bruce's "death" basis.
** After Bruce was presumed dead following ''[[ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison Batman R.I.P.]]'' and ''ComicBook/FinalCrisis'' inComicBook/FinalCrisis, 2009, a big deal is made out of who will succeed Bruce. [[ComicBook/{{Nightwing}} Dick says he won't do it, Grayson]] doesn't want to take on the mantle, which leads Jason Todd and Tim Drake to fight over which one of them will do it. Eventually, Dick comes around and became the new Batman. Batman, with Damian Wayne serving as his Robin. Once Bruce returns, both acted as Batman before Dick went back to being Nightwing. Nightwing.
** After, after Brucethen died ''again'', and Jim was rendered amnesiac in the aftermath of the 2014 ''ComicBook/BatmanEndgame'' storyline, James Gordon became took on the new Batman, although this was without Bat-family involvement (Dick Batman mantle to protect Gotham in the hero's absence as an officially sanctioned GCPD Batman. Dick had agreed to take up the mantle again in the same story, but he got busy became preoccupied with his own stuff).other things.
** In 2021's ''ComicBook/IAmBatman'', Timothy "Jace" Fox, the son of Lucius Fox, became the fifth Batman. Unlike Bruce's previous successors, when Jace initially takes up the cowl, Bruce was still active as Batman. Jace and DC's promotional material distinguish the two by still referring to Jace as Batman, but referring to Bruce as ''the'' Batman.
* The Batman identity has also been taken over by a multitude of people across DC's various alternate futures and {{elseworlds}}.
** After being crippled by Bane during the ''ComicBook/{{Knightfall}}'' storyline in TheNineties, Bruce leaves the mantle to Azrael (Jean-Paul Valley). Azbats eventually lost his shit, and Bruce offered the mantle to Dick Grayson. Dick Grayson took up the mantle on what both knew was a temporary
** After Bruce was presumed dead following ''[[ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison Batman R.I.P.]]'' and ''ComicBook/FinalCrisis'' in
** After, after Bruce
** In 2021's ''ComicBook/IAmBatman'', Timothy "Jace" Fox, the son of Lucius Fox, became the fifth Batman. Unlike Bruce's previous successors, when Jace initially takes up the cowl, Bruce was still active as Batman. Jace and DC's promotional material distinguish the two by still referring to Jace as Batman, but referring to Bruce as ''the'' Batman.
* The Batman identity has also been taken over by a multitude of people across DC's various alternate futures and {{elseworlds}}.
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** {{Elseworld}} story ''Dark Knight Dynasty'' reinvented Batman as a Legacy Character, creating both an ancestor of Bruce's called Sir Joshua of Wainwright who wore bat-motif armour, and a descendant named Brenna Wayne who became a 25th century Batwoman. All three of them faced Vandal Savage.
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** {{Elseworld}} The Creator/{{Elseworlds}} story ''Dark Knight Dynasty'' reinvented Batman as a Legacy Character, creating both an ancestor of Bruce's called Sir Joshua of Wainwright who wore bat-motif armour, and a descendant named Brenna Wayne who became a 25th century Batwoman. All three of them faced Vandal Savage.
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** ''ComicBook/DCFutureState'' takes place some time in the future across its various series. For the Batman titles, Bruce's Batman is presumed dead and is working completely in secret. In his stead, a new character, "Tim "Jace" Fox, has taken up the Batman identity. In this timeline, the previous Batmen were Bruce, Azrael, Dick and Jim, making Jace the fifth Batman.
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** ''ComicBook/DCFutureState'' takes place some time in the future across its various series. For the Batman titles, Bruce's Batman is presumed dead and is working completely in secret. In his stead, a new character, "Tim Tim "Jace" Fox, has taken up the Batman identity. In this timeline, the previous Batmen were Bruce, Azrael, Dick and Jim, making Jace the fifth Batman.
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* Grant Morrison made two members of the Batmen of All Nations into legacies. In ''ComicBook/JLA1997'', Percy Sheldrake, the Knight of Britain, is revealed to have been killed by his archenemy Springheeled Jack, and his role taken by his son Cyril, formerly the Squire. His own squire is Beryl Hutchinson, who would later take the role of the Knight after Cyril's death at the hands of Leviathan in ''Comicbook/BatmanGrantMorrison'', and later get her own Squire. Earlier in Morrison's ''Batman'', the Ranger of Australia was murdered [[spoiler: by his teammate Wingman]], and the mantle was taken by his previously unmentioned sidekick Johnny Riley, the Scout.
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* Grant Morrison made two members of the Batmen of All Nations into legacies. In ''ComicBook/JLA1997'', Percy Sheldrake, the Knight of Britain, is revealed to have been killed by his archenemy Springheeled Jack, and his role taken by his son Cyril, formerly the Squire. His own squire is Beryl Hutchinson, who would later take the role of the Knight after Cyril's death at the hands of Leviathan in ''Comicbook/BatmanGrantMorrison'', ''ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison'', and later get her own Squire. Earlier in Morrison's ''Batman'', the Ranger of Australia was murdered [[spoiler: by his teammate Wingman]], and the mantle was taken by his previously unmentioned sidekick Johnny Riley, the Scout.
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*** Nightwing’s sidekick Flamebird was originally none other than Mr. Action himself, ComicBook/JimmyOlsen. After he left the bottle city the former Elastic Lad gave the title to the new Nightwing's son-in-law Ak-Var. ComicBook/PostCrisis the original Bat-Girl Bette Kane took the name to impress Nightwing and is probably the best known Flamebird. ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} took the identity when she went to Kandor. Even though the first two were male the name is now associated with female characters so much that when Superman retook the Nightwing identity, Lois Lane and not Olsen was his sidekick, and the sixth Flamebird Thara Var is the wife of the second Flamebird (who apparently no longer exists). Thara was eventually killed, and in a completely unrelated storyline, Bette decided to take up the Flamebird identity again in order to fight crime with the new ComicBook/{{Batwoman}}, her cousin Kate. She would eventually leave the identity to become Hawkfire.
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*** Nightwing’s sidekick Flamebird was originally none other than Mr. Action himself, ComicBook/JimmyOlsen. After he left the bottle city the former Elastic Lad gave the title to the new Nightwing's son-in-law Ak-Var. ComicBook/PostCrisis the original Bat-Girl Bette Kane took the name to impress Nightwing and is probably the best known Flamebird. ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} took the identity when she went to Kandor. Even though the first two were male the name is now associated with female characters so much that when Superman retook the Nightwing identity, Lois Lane and not Olsen was his sidekick, and the sixth Flamebird Flamebird, Thara Var Var, is the wife of the second Flamebird (who apparently no longer exists). Thara was eventually killed, and in a completely unrelated storyline, Bette decided to take up killed.
*** ComicBook/PostCrisis, the original Bat-Girl '''Bette Kane''' became Flamebirdidentity again in order to fight crime with erase her time as Bat-Girl and to contrast against Dick Grayson, to the new ComicBook/{{Batwoman}}, point where her cousin Kate. She would eventually leave main goal during the identity 2000s is to become Hawkfire.prove that she's a competent vigilante ''in spite'' of Nightwing.
--> '''Bette:''' ...Quit? ...like ''hell'' I will.
*** ComicBook/PostCrisis, the original Bat-Girl '''Bette Kane''' became Flamebird
--> '''Bette:''' ...Quit? ...like ''hell'' I will.
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** Betty Kane was the original Bat-Girl introduced in the 1960s. Whilst only having a few appearances in the Bat comics themselves, Betty would become a more [[ComicBook/TeenTitans]]-afilliated character, becoming a member of the short-lived Titans West as well as attending Donna Troy's wedding. After Crisis occurred, she would now be called ''Bette'' Kane and her time with the mantle of "Bat-Girl" was erased, instead now calling herself Flamebird, similar to the Kryptonian legend of Nightwing and Flamebird. However, during her brief appearance as part of the [[ComicBook/YoungJustice New Young Justice]], Bette fought alongside Cassandra Cain and had her previous history restored.
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** Betty Kane was the original Bat-Girl introduced in the 1960s. Whilst only having a few appearances in the Bat comics themselves, Betty would become a more [[ComicBook/TeenTitans]]-afilliated ComicBook/TeenTitans-afilliated character, becoming a member of the short-lived Titans West as well as attending Donna Troy's wedding. After Crisis occurred, she would now be called ''Bette'' Kane and her time with the mantle of "Bat-Girl" was erased, instead now calling herself Flamebird, similar to the Kryptonian legend of Nightwing and Flamebird. However, during her brief appearance as part of the [[ComicBook/YoungJustice New Young Justice]], Bette fought alongside Cassandra Cain and had her previous history restored.
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** Barbara Gordon became Batgirl, the "first" Batgirl in current continuity since Betty Kane's time was (temporarily_ erased, and held the role until ''ComicBook/TheKillingJoke'', when ComicBook/TheJoker shot and crippled her.
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** Barbara Gordon became Batgirl, the "first" Batgirl in current continuity since Betty Kane's time was (temporarily_ (temporarily) erased, and held the role until ''ComicBook/TheKillingJoke'', when ComicBook/TheJoker shot and crippled her.
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** Betty Kane was the original Bat-Girl introduced in the 1950's, but she was retconned out of the DCU history and then brought back again as a minor heroine called Flamebird.
** Barbara Gordon became Batgirl, the "first" Batgirl in current continuity since Betty Kane never existed, and held the role until ''ComicBook/TheKillingJoke'', when ComicBook/TheJoker shot and crippled her.
** Barbara Gordon became Batgirl, the "first" Batgirl in current continuity since Betty Kane never existed, and held the role until ''ComicBook/TheKillingJoke'', when ComicBook/TheJoker shot and crippled her.
to:
** Betty Kane was the original Bat-Girl introduced in the 1950's, but she was retconned out 1960s. Whilst only having a few appearances in the Bat comics themselves, Betty would become a more [[ComicBook/TeenTitans]]-afilliated character, becoming a member of the DCU short-lived Titans West as well as attending Donna Troy's wedding. After Crisis occurred, she would now be called ''Bette'' Kane and her time with the mantle of "Bat-Girl" was erased, instead now calling herself Flamebird, similar to the Kryptonian legend of Nightwing and Flamebird. However, during her brief appearance as part of the [[ComicBook/YoungJustice New Young Justice]], Bette fought alongside Cassandra Cain and had her previous history and then brought back again as a minor heroine called Flamebird.
restored.
--> '''Bette:''' (to Cass) ''Batgirl'', huh? Been there, ''done'' that.
** Barbara Gordon became Batgirl, the "first" Batgirl in current continuity since BettyKane never existed, Kane's time was (temporarily_ erased, and held the role until ''ComicBook/TheKillingJoke'', when ComicBook/TheJoker shot and crippled her.
--> '''Bette:''' (to Cass) ''Batgirl'', huh? Been there, ''done'' that.
** Barbara Gordon became Batgirl, the "first" Batgirl in current continuity since Betty
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** The whole trope is discussed and deconstructed in one issue of the ''Robin'' solo series. The issue is [[VillainEpisode told from the perspective]] of [[BigBad the Joker]] as he reflects on his relationship with Batman and Robin while plotting his next scheme from Arkham Asylum. Joker has connected the dots that there have been multiple Robins, as he knows for sure he killed at least one (Jason Todd) and the current one (Tim Drake) is discernibly younger than the first one Joker encountered (Dick Grayson). Based on this, Joker finds himself wondering just how many Robins there have been, then further wondering if there have been multiple ''Batmen'' too and if he really ''did'' kill the Caped Crusader in some of their previous battles, in a bizarre inversion of JokerImmunity.
** It's similarly lampshaded and discussed in ''ComicBook/GothamCentral'' when a teenage boy in a Robin costume turns up dead. Since it's pretty much public knowledge by this point that there are more than one Robins, the cops and public both find themselves wondering if it's the real one or not, and the kid's parents publicly state that they think their son may well have been ''a'' Robin (he's too young to have been the original; they believe he's one of the replacements). The ComicBook/TeenTitans end up having to stop by GCPD headquarters with Robin in tow just to make clear that, no, the victim is not the real deal.
** It's similarly lampshaded and discussed in ''ComicBook/GothamCentral'' when a teenage boy in a Robin costume turns up dead. Since it's pretty much public knowledge by this point that there are more than one Robins, the cops and public both find themselves wondering if it's the real one or not, and the kid's parents publicly state that they think their son may well have been ''a'' Robin (he's too young to have been the original; they believe he's one of the replacements). The ComicBook/TeenTitans end up having to stop by GCPD headquarters with Robin in tow just to make clear that, no, the victim is not the real deal.
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** ''ComicBook/BatmanTwoFaces'', an Elseworld title consisting of an adaptation of ''Literature/TheStrangeCaseOfDrJekyllAndMrHyde'' where Bruce Wayne is Jekyll and the Joker is Hyde, ends with Bruce Wayne begging Harvey Dent to let him die and to take the serum that was intended to cure Harvey of his psychosis. After finally regaining his sanity, Harvey Dent also chooses to honor Bruce's memory by becoming the new Batman.
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!!''Franchise/{{Batman}}''
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*** Pre-Crisis, the first Nightwing was actually none other than Franchise/{{Superman}} himself, Kal-El/Clark Kent, who needed to become a Batman-like vigilante when he was in the Bottle City of Kandor. He later allowed his cousin Van-Zee (who had an UncannyFamilyResemblance to the Man of Steel) to use the identity to fight crime in the bottle city after Superman left. The best known Nightwing, former Robin Dick Grayson, then decided to adopt the name after he left Batman as a homage to both him and Superman.
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*** Pre-Crisis, the first Nightwing was actually none other than Franchise/{{Superman}} ComicBook/{{Superman}} himself, Kal-El/Clark Kent, who needed to become a Batman-like vigilante when he was in the Bottle City of Kandor. He later allowed his cousin Van-Zee (who had an UncannyFamilyResemblance to the Man of Steel) to use the identity to fight crime in the bottle city after Superman left. The best known Nightwing, former Robin Dick Grayson, then decided to adopt the name after he left Batman as a homage to both him and Superman.
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*** In the New 52, the Red Hoods were a street gang all wearing the same mask, and the Joker was their leader, going by “Red Hood One”. He himself usurped the role from the previous leader. Batman speculates that it’s unlikely ’’that’’ one was even the first.
** Tim Drake figured out Dick and [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Bruce's]] [[SecretIdentity identities]], and when he went to persuade Dick to become Robin again he found himself stepping into the position. Later on, after Damian Wayne usurped the role, he would become ComicBook/RedRobin. In the New 52, it’s said that he was never Robin, and was always Red Robin, however his original origin was restored in DC Rebirth.
** Tim Drake figured out Dick and [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Bruce's]] [[SecretIdentity identities]], and when he went to persuade Dick to become Robin again he found himself stepping into the position. Later on, after Damian Wayne usurped the role, he would become ComicBook/RedRobin. In the New 52, it’s said that he was never Robin, and was always Red Robin, however his original origin was restored in DC Rebirth.
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*** In the New 52, ''New 52'', the Red Hoods were a street gang all wearing the same mask, and the Joker was their leader, going by “Red "Red Hood One”.One". He himself usurped the role from the previous leader. Batman speculates that it’s it's unlikely ’’that’’ ''that'' one was even the first.
** Tim Drake figured out Dick and[[Franchise/{{Batman}} Bruce's]] Bruce's [[SecretIdentity identities]], and when he went to persuade Dick to become Robin again he found himself stepping into the position. Later on, after Damian Wayne usurped the role, he would become ComicBook/RedRobin. In the New 52, it’s it's said that he was never Robin, and was always Red Robin, however his original origin was restored in DC Rebirth.''ComicBook/DCRebirth''.
** Tim Drake figured out Dick and
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** At one point, Tim had a TenMinuteRetirement from being Robin, leaving the space open for [[ComicBook/Batgirl2009 Stephanie Brown]], formerly a solo heroine known as the Spoiler. [[StuffedIntoTheFridge She then died]] in a StoryArc that shook up Gotham City and readers pretty badly and caused Tim to return to the job. She would go on to become the third official Batgirl (more on that below).
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** At one point, Tim had a TenMinuteRetirement from being Robin, leaving the space open for [[ComicBook/Batgirl2009 Stephanie Brown]], Brown, formerly a solo heroine known as the Spoiler. [[StuffedIntoTheFridge She then died]] in a StoryArc that shook up Gotham City and readers pretty badly and caused Tim to return to the job. She would go on to become the third official Batgirl (more on that below).Batgirl.
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* Batman's other sidekick, ComicBook/{{Batgirl}}, is also a legacy character. Betty Kane was the original Bat-Girl introduced in the 1950's, but she was retconned out of the DCU history and then brought back again as a minor heroine called Flamebird. Barbara Gordon became Batgirl, the "first" Batgirl in current continuity since Betty Kane never existed, and held the role until ''ComicBook/TheKillingJoke'', when ComicBook/TheJoker shot and crippled her. The first actual legacy transfer occurred when the Batgirl mantle was picked up years later by Helena Bertinelli, the Huntress, when she realized the crooks were more afraid of Batman than they were of her. This only lasted a short while however, since Batman never gave her his consent or blessing. Eventually the costume passed to Cassandra Cain, an "official" Batgirl with the consent and partnership of ComicBook/{{Batman}}. Cassandra unceremoniously gave up the identity in the ''ComicBook/Batgirl2009'' series and took on the new moniker of Blackbat. The cowl was picked up by Stephanie Brown, previously the Spoiler and the fourth Robin (See also Robin entry above), who starred in an acclaimed but short-lived solo series before having the Batgirl mantle returned to Barbara Gordon via CosmicRetcon.
** In the New 52/Rebirth continuity, Cassandra Cain is the second Orphan, taking over the identity from her father. She's never been Batgirl or Blackbat in this timeline.
** In the New 52/Rebirth continuity, Cassandra Cain is the second Orphan, taking over the identity from her father. She's never been Batgirl or Blackbat in this timeline.
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* Batman's other sidekick, ComicBook/{{Batgirl}}, is also a legacy character. ''ComicBook/{{Batgirl}}'':
** Betty Kane was the original Bat-Girl introduced in the 1950's, but she was retconned out of the DCU history and then brought back again as a minor heroine calledFlamebird. Flamebird.
** Barbara Gordon became Batgirl, the "first" Batgirl in current continuity since Betty Kane never existed, and held the role until ''ComicBook/TheKillingJoke'', when ComicBook/TheJoker shot and crippledher. her.
** The first actual legacy transfer occurred when the Batgirl mantle was picked up years later by Helena Bertinelli, the Huntress, when she realized the crooks were more afraid of Batman than they were of her. This only lasted a short while however, since Batman never gave her his consent orblessing. blessing.
** Eventually the costume passed to Cassandra Cain, an "official" Batgirl with the consent of Barbara and partnership ofComicBook/{{Batman}}. Batman.
** Cassandra unceremoniously gave up the identity in the ''ComicBook/Batgirl2009'' series and took on the new moniker of Blackbat. The cowl was picked up by Stephanie Brown, previously the Spoiler and the fourthRobin (See also Robin entry above), who starred in an acclaimed but short-lived solo series before having the Batgirl mantle returned to Barbara Gordon via CosmicRetcon.
Robin.
** Inthe New 52/Rebirth Post-''ComicBook/{{Flashpoint}}'' continuity, Cassandra Cain is Babs, Cass and Steph became Batgirl, the second Orphan, taking Orphan -taking over the identity from her father. She's never been father- and Spoiler. In the 2022 ''Batgirl'' series, though, they agreed to share the Batgirl or Blackbat in this timeline.title.
** Betty Kane was the original Bat-Girl introduced in the 1950's, but she was retconned out of the DCU history and then brought back again as a minor heroine called
** Barbara Gordon became Batgirl, the "first" Batgirl in current continuity since Betty Kane never existed, and held the role until ''ComicBook/TheKillingJoke'', when ComicBook/TheJoker shot and crippled
** The first actual legacy transfer occurred when the Batgirl mantle was picked up years later by Helena Bertinelli, the Huntress, when she realized the crooks were more afraid of Batman than they were of her. This only lasted a short while however, since Batman never gave her his consent or
** Eventually the costume passed to Cassandra Cain, an "official" Batgirl with the consent of Barbara and partnership of
** Cassandra unceremoniously gave up the identity in the ''ComicBook/Batgirl2009'' series and took on the new moniker of Blackbat. The cowl was picked up by Stephanie Brown, previously the Spoiler and the fourth
** In
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* There have been several [[ComicBook/TwoFace Two-Faces]] in the Franchise/{{Batman}} comics including the first Two-Face Harvey Dent, his butler Wilkins, Paul Sloane, an actor, George Blake, a petty criminal and Harvey Apollo, ''another'' actor. An averted case with the New 52 Two-Face. There's only ever been one, Harvey Dent. But a story arc called "The Big Burn" was seemingly intended as the definitive ending for Harvey, with him committing suicide at the end of it. However, during the story, the person who made him Two-Face, Erin [=McKillen=], gets scratches on one side of her face and becomes leader of the Blackgate inmates, which sets her up as the new Two-Face. However, Scott Snyder would bring back Harvey for his first arc of ''All-Star Batman'', and Erin entered Comic Book Limbo.
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* There have been several [[ComicBook/TwoFace Two-Faces]] in the Franchise/{{Batman}} comics including Two-Faces]],including the first Two-Face Harvey Dent, his butler Wilkins, Paul Sloane, an actor, George Blake, a petty criminal and Harvey Apollo, ''another'' actor. An averted case with the New 52 Two-Face. There's only ever been one, Harvey Dent. But a story arc called "The Big Burn" was seemingly intended as the definitive ending for Harvey, with him committing suicide at the end of it. However, during the story, the person who made him Two-Face, Erin [=McKillen=], gets scratches on one side of her face and becomes leader of the Blackgate inmates, which sets her up as the new Two-Face. However, Scott Snyder would bring back Harvey for his first arc of ''All-Star Batman'', and Erin entered Comic Book Limbo.
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* The ComicBook/{{Batwoman}} identity is ''sort of'' one. The first Bat-Woman was Kathy Kane, a billionaire heiress. The character never caught on and seemingly never existed post-Crisis. But then ''ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis'' happened, and in the pages of ''52'', ''Kate'' Kane takes up the identity of Batwoman, and is seemingly the first... then ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison reincorporated several parts of pre-Crisis canon, including Kathy Kane having been Bat-Woman, meaning Kate is the second. There is no relation between the two characters, despite them having the exact same name, and the New 52 would change Kathy's name to Katrina Netz, with Kathy Kane being an alias.
* Probably the craziest example in Franchise/TheDCU is ComicBook/TheJoker's Daughter. Appearing in the mid-70s Franchise/{{Batman}} titles, she claimed to be the daughter of a different Bat-villain each time, with a costume to match. She was eventually revealed as ''Two-Face'''s daughter, who rejected her and her mother because he wanted twins. She then joined the cast of ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'' as "Harlequin" until that title's cancellation not long after. Afterwards, she mostly disappeared, cameoing ComicBook/PostCrisis as a mental patient and staying that way until the run-up to ''ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis'', which had her gleefully claiming to be the daughter of everyone from Doomsday to Punch and Jewelee, until she was killed for shock value and retroactively revealed as the daughter of the MirrorUniverse heroic version of ComicBook/TheJoker, the Jokester.
* Probably the craziest example in Franchise/TheDCU is ComicBook/TheJoker's Daughter. Appearing in the mid-70s Franchise/{{Batman}} titles, she claimed to be the daughter of a different Bat-villain each time, with a costume to match. She was eventually revealed as ''Two-Face'''s daughter, who rejected her and her mother because he wanted twins. She then joined the cast of ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'' as "Harlequin" until that title's cancellation not long after. Afterwards, she mostly disappeared, cameoing ComicBook/PostCrisis as a mental patient and staying that way until the run-up to ''ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis'', which had her gleefully claiming to be the daughter of everyone from Doomsday to Punch and Jewelee, until she was killed for shock value and retroactively revealed as the daughter of the MirrorUniverse heroic version of ComicBook/TheJoker, the Jokester.
to:
* The ComicBook/{{Batwoman}} identity is ''sort of'' one. ComicBook/{{Batwoman}}: The first Bat-Woman was Kathy Kane, a billionaire heiress. The character never caught on and seemingly never existed post-Crisis. But then ''ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis'' happened, and in the pages of ''52'', ''Kate'' Kane takes up the identity of Batwoman, and is seemingly the first... then ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison reincorporated several parts of pre-Crisis canon, including Kathy Kane having been Bat-Woman, meaning Kate is the second. There is no relation between the two characters, despite them having the exact same name, and the New 52 would change Kathy's name to Katrina Netz, with Kathy Kane being an alias.
* Probably the craziest example inFranchise/TheDCU ''Franchise/TheDCU'' is ComicBook/TheJoker's Daughter. Appearing in the mid-70s Franchise/{{Batman}} ''Batman'' titles, she claimed to be the daughter of a different Bat-villain each time, with a costume to match. She was eventually revealed as ''Two-Face'''s daughter, who rejected her and her mother because he wanted twins. She then joined the cast of ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'' as "Harlequin" until that title's cancellation not long after. Afterwards, she mostly disappeared, cameoing ComicBook/PostCrisis as a mental patient and staying that way until the run-up to ''ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis'', which had her gleefully claiming to be the daughter of everyone from Doomsday to Punch and Jewelee, until she was killed for shock value and retroactively revealed as the daughter of the MirrorUniverse heroic version of ComicBook/TheJoker, the Jokester.
* Probably the craziest example in
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** In ''[[Franchise/{{Batman}} Batman: Shadow of the Bat]]'' Annual #4, the City Hero, the Batman, is the guardian of Nu-Gotham who fights crime in the city and protects it from external threats such as the Lizard-Men. The people of Nu-Gotham believe that the Batman is their ruler King Bruce the 23rd [[spoiler: but it is in fact his retainer Richard Grayson as the King was too frightened.]]
** In ''[[Franchise/{{Batman}} Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight]]'' Annual #6, successive generations of the Kane family, calling themselves either Batman or Batwoman, have been the executioners of the city of Gotham since their ship, the ''Plight of Gotham'', crashlanded 500 years earlier.
** In ''[[ComicBook/RobinSeries Robin]]'' Annual #5, a former proctor on the GenerationShip Gotham who had grown disillusioned with his society was inspired by the legends of Old Earth to become the new Batman. A rebel named Tris Plover becomes his Robin.
* Creator/GrantMorrison made two members of the Batmen of All Nations into legacies. In ''Comicbook/JLA1997'', Percy Sheldrake, the Knight of Britain, is revealed to have been killed by his archenemy Springheeled Jack, and his role taken by his son Cyril, formerly the Squire. His own squire is Beryl Hutchinson, who would later take the role of the Knight after Cyril's death at the hands of Leviathan in ''Comicbook/BatmanGrantMorrison'', and later get her own Squire. Earlier in Morrison's ''Batman'', the Ranger of Australia was murdered [[spoiler: by his teammate Wingman]], and the mantle was taken by his previously unmentioned sidekick Johnny Riley, the Scout.
** In ''[[Franchise/{{Batman}} Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight]]'' Annual #6, successive generations of the Kane family, calling themselves either Batman or Batwoman, have been the executioners of the city of Gotham since their ship, the ''Plight of Gotham'', crashlanded 500 years earlier.
** In ''[[ComicBook/RobinSeries Robin]]'' Annual #5, a former proctor on the GenerationShip Gotham who had grown disillusioned with his society was inspired by the legends of Old Earth to become the new Batman. A rebel named Tris Plover becomes his Robin.
* Creator/GrantMorrison made two members of the Batmen of All Nations into legacies. In ''Comicbook/JLA1997'', Percy Sheldrake, the Knight of Britain, is revealed to have been killed by his archenemy Springheeled Jack, and his role taken by his son Cyril, formerly the Squire. His own squire is Beryl Hutchinson, who would later take the role of the Knight after Cyril's death at the hands of Leviathan in ''Comicbook/BatmanGrantMorrison'', and later get her own Squire. Earlier in Morrison's ''Batman'', the Ranger of Australia was murdered [[spoiler: by his teammate Wingman]], and the mantle was taken by his previously unmentioned sidekick Johnny Riley, the Scout.
to:
** In ''[[Franchise/{{Batman}} Batman: ''Batman: Shadow of the Bat]]'' Bat'' Annual #4, the City Hero, the Batman, is the guardian of Nu-Gotham who fights crime in the city and protects it from external threats such as the Lizard-Men. The people of Nu-Gotham believe that the Batman is their ruler King Bruce the 23rd [[spoiler: but it is in fact his retainer Richard Grayson as the King was too frightened.]]
** In''[[Franchise/{{Batman}} Batman: ''Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight]]'' Knight'' Annual #6, successive generations of the Kane family, calling themselves either Batman or Batwoman, have been the executioners of the city of Gotham since their ship, the ''Plight of Gotham'', crashlanded 500 years earlier.
** In''[[ComicBook/RobinSeries Robin]]'' ''ComicBook/Robin1993'' Annual #5, a former proctor on the GenerationShip Gotham who had grown disillusioned with his society was inspired by the legends of Old Earth to become the new Batman. A rebel named Tris Plover becomes his Robin.
*Creator/GrantMorrison Grant Morrison made two members of the Batmen of All Nations into legacies. In ''Comicbook/JLA1997'', ''ComicBook/JLA1997'', Percy Sheldrake, the Knight of Britain, is revealed to have been killed by his archenemy Springheeled Jack, and his role taken by his son Cyril, formerly the Squire. His own squire is Beryl Hutchinson, who would later take the role of the Knight after Cyril's death at the hands of Leviathan in ''Comicbook/BatmanGrantMorrison'', and later get her own Squire. Earlier in Morrison's ''Batman'', the Ranger of Australia was murdered [[spoiler: by his teammate Wingman]], and the mantle was taken by his previously unmentioned sidekick Johnny Riley, the Scout.
** In
** In
*
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* The ComicBook/{{Batwoman}} identity is ''sort of'' one. The first Bat-Woman was Kathy Kane, a billionaire heiress. The character never caught on and seemingly never existed post-Crisis. But then ''ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis'' happened, and in the pages of ''52'', ''Kate'' Kane takes up the identity of Batwoman, and is seemingly the first... then ComicBook/GrantMorrisonsBatman reincorproated several parts of pre-Crisis canon, including Kathy Kane having been Bat-Woman, meaning Kate is the second. There is no relation between the two characters, despite them having the exact same name, and the New 52 would change Kathy's name to Katrina Netz, with Kathy Kane being an alias.
to:
* The ComicBook/{{Batwoman}} identity is ''sort of'' one. The first Bat-Woman was Kathy Kane, a billionaire heiress. The character never caught on and seemingly never existed post-Crisis. But then ''ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis'' happened, and in the pages of ''52'', ''Kate'' Kane takes up the identity of Batwoman, and is seemingly the first... then ComicBook/GrantMorrisonsBatman reincorproated ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison reincorporated several parts of pre-Crisis canon, including Kathy Kane having been Bat-Woman, meaning Kate is the second. There is no relation between the two characters, despite them having the exact same name, and the New 52 would change Kathy's name to Katrina Netz, with Kathy Kane being an alias.
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* Creator/GrantMorrison made two members of the Batmen of All Nations into legacies. In ''Comicbook/GrantMorrisonsJLA'', Percy Sheldrake, the Knight of Britain, is revealed to have been killed by his archenemy Springheeled Jack, and his role taken by his son Cyril, formerly the Squire. His own squire is Beryl Hutchinson, who would later take the role of the Knight after Cyril's death at the hands of Leviathan in ''Comicbook/GrantMorrisonsBatman'', and later get her own Squire. Earlier in Morrison's ''Batman'', the Ranger of Australia was murdered [[spoiler: by his teammate Wingman]], and the mantle was taken by his previously unmentioned sidekick Johnny Riley, the Scout.
to:
* Creator/GrantMorrison made two members of the Batmen of All Nations into legacies. In ''Comicbook/GrantMorrisonsJLA'', ''Comicbook/JLA1997'', Percy Sheldrake, the Knight of Britain, is revealed to have been killed by his archenemy Springheeled Jack, and his role taken by his son Cyril, formerly the Squire. His own squire is Beryl Hutchinson, who would later take the role of the Knight after Cyril's death at the hands of Leviathan in ''Comicbook/GrantMorrisonsBatman'', ''Comicbook/BatmanGrantMorrison'', and later get her own Squire. Earlier in Morrison's ''Batman'', the Ranger of Australia was murdered [[spoiler: by his teammate Wingman]], and the mantle was taken by his previously unmentioned sidekick Johnny Riley, the Scout.
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!!''Franchise/{{Batman}}''
* The Batman identity itself is one. In DC's main universe, there have been four Batmen. Obviously, the original is Bruce Wayne. However, after an injury, Bruce leaves the mantle to Azrael (Jean-Paul Valley). Azbats eventually lost his shit, and Bruce offered the mantle to Dick Grayson. Dick Grayson took up the mantle on what both knew was a temporary basis. However, after Bruce’s “death” in ComicBook/FinalCrisis, a big deal is made out of who will succeed Bruce. Dick says he won’t do it, which leads Jason Todd and Tim Drake to fight over which one of them will do it. Eventually, Dick comes around and became the new Batman. Once Bruce returns, both acted as Batman before Dick went back to being Nightwing. Bruce then died ''again'', and Jim Gordon became the new Batman, although this was without Bat-family involvement (Dick agreed to take up the mantle again in the same story, but he got busy with his own stuff).
** ''ComicBook/DCOneMillion'' has a grieving man take up the Batman identity in the 853rd century, after the death of his family. He's the warden of the prison planet of Pluto.
** The Trope is deconstructed with ''ComicBook/WhateverHappenedToTheCapedCrusader'', in which it's revealed ''all'' of the various Batman incarnations are real.
** In at least one alternate future, Tim Drake himself will become Batman. He's a murderous version, however, and when the main Tim Drake meets him, he resolves to never become this version of himself. A later story did some Arc Welding to tie this story in with the rest of the Robins, establishing that Tim becomes Batman after Dick retires as Batman and Damian fails to save Gotham (with the implication that Tim killed Damian).
** In another BadFuture, Damian Wayne will become Batman after Bruce retires and Dick is killed.
** CanonImmigrant Terry [=McGinnis=] actually takes up the Batman identity after Damian in that same story, Damian acting as his mentor. The story establishes that the Batman legacy will be carried on for centuries.
** In yet ''another'' BadFuture, Terry inherited the title from Bruce, and got sent back in time to SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong, [[ComicBook/TheNew52FuturesEnd ending up five years into the future of the main DCU]]. He died in the attempt, and the Tim Drake of that future took up the mantle, travelling to the present of the main DCU to complete Terry's mission, then getting thrown to a now-changed future, where Terry was missing and Tim temporarily took his place until he was found. [[TimeyWimeyBall Ow.]]
** {{Elseworld}} story ''Dark Knight Dynasty'' reinvented Batman as a Legacy Character, creating both an ancestor of Bruce's called Sir Joshua of Wainwright who wore bat-motif armour, and a descendant named Brenna Wayne who became a 25th century Batwoman. All three of them faced Vandal Savage.
** In ''ComicBook/Earth2'', Bruce-as-Batman dies in the first issue; much later, another Batman emerges, who turns out to be [[spoiler:Bruce's father Thomas Wayne, who secretly survived the mob hit that killed his wife.]] He in turn is replaced by [[spoiler:Earth-2's Dick Grayson]], who, after an incident that keeps him from being Batman, is replaced by a ''woman'', Helena Wayne, the first Robin of this universe and Huntress. She just wears a heavy coat and pretends to be a man.
** ''ComicBook/DCFutureState'' takes place some time in the future across its various series. For the Batman titles, Bruce's Batman is presumed dead and is working completely in secret. In his stead, a new character, "Tim "Jace" Fox, has taken up the Batman identity. In this timeline, the previous Batmen were Bruce, Azrael, Dick and Jim, making Jace the fifth Batman.
** In the Silver Age, it was established that Bruce himself had taken up a Batman legacy begun by Thomas Wayne, and that Bruce was the original Robin during his years of training to become Batman. Both of these were quietly discarded post-Crisis.
** Actually defied in the Silver Age. In the ''ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica'' two-parter "Only Legends Live Forever", the Golden Age Batman dies trying to apprehend a super powered villain. After the funeral, Dick Grayson decides on the best way to keep Bruce's memory alive. Helena Wayne, Bruce's daughter and the pre-Crisis Huntress, cries out "No!" and it seems that both Dick and Helena wanted to take over the role of Batman. However, she had the same idea Dick had - Batman's too big to be just a man in a costume, especially with his identity revealed, thus they decide to honor his legacy by continuing on in their own identities as Robin and Huntress.
* The Robin Hood inspired identity of ComicBook/{{Robin}} is a somewhat special case, each having been the sidekick to the same character (though, as noted above, he's also a legacy character, and two of them served under other Batmans in addition to Bruce). Each eventually took on a different identity after their time as Robin.
** Dick Grayson, who went on to become Nightwing, left the job to Jason Todd. Dick Grayson also served as Batman (see above).
** ComicBook/{{Nightwing}} is also a legacy character:
*** Pre-Crisis, the first Nightwing was actually none other than Franchise/{{Superman}} himself, Kal-El/Clark Kent, who needed to become a Batman-like vigilante when he was in the Bottle City of Kandor. He later allowed his cousin Van-Zee (who had an UncannyFamilyResemblance to the Man of Steel) to use the identity to fight crime in the bottle city after Superman left. The best known Nightwing, former Robin Dick Grayson, then decided to adopt the name after he left Batman as a homage to both him and Superman.
*** Post-Crisis, Nightwing was the name of a Kryptonian vigilante that Supeman told Dick about, and Dick, being inspired by the story, took up the Nightwing identity. After ''One Year Later'' another former Robin, Jason Todd, became a more sociopathic version to mock Grayson, and a woman named Cheyenne Freemont became a heroic version to help Dick. When ComicBook/PowerGirl went to Kandor she also adopted the Nightwing persona. The mantle was briefly passed to Chris Kent, the adopted son of Superman. Sometime after, poor Chris was trapped (seemingly forever) in the Phantom Zone. Dick Grayson retook the Nightwing identity following his lengthy tenure as Batman, although Chris had been {{RetGone}}'d by that point.
*** Nightwing’s sidekick Flamebird was originally none other than Mr. Action himself, ComicBook/JimmyOlsen. After he left the bottle city the former Elastic Lad gave the title to the new Nightwing's son-in-law Ak-Var. ComicBook/PostCrisis the original Bat-Girl Bette Kane took the name to impress Nightwing and is probably the best known Flamebird. ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} took the identity when she went to Kandor. Even though the first two were male the name is now associated with female characters so much that when Superman retook the Nightwing identity, Lois Lane and not Olsen was his sidekick, and the sixth Flamebird Thara Var is the wife of the second Flamebird (who apparently no longer exists). Thara was eventually killed, and in a completely unrelated storyline, Bette decided to take up the Flamebird identity again in order to fight crime with the new ComicBook/{{Batwoman}}, her cousin Kate. She would eventually leave the identity to become Hawkfire.
** Jason Todd was killed by ComicBook/TheJoker. Jason Todd stole the ComicBook/{{Red Hood|TheLostDays}} identity from ComicBook/TheJoker (making him a Legacy Villain) and also wore the costume of Red Robin, but returned to his Red Hood identity.
*** ''ComicBook/TheKillingJoke'' depicts the Red Hood identity as a sort of extra-disposable legacy character shared by the members of a criminal gang, who foisted the hood on whichever accomplice they'd recruited for a specific job and didn't want to risk being seen with. Whether that's right or not depends on which MultipleChoicePast you prefer for ComicBook/TheJoker.
*** In the New 52, the Red Hoods were a street gang all wearing the same mask, and the Joker was their leader, going by “Red Hood One”. He himself usurped the role from the previous leader. Batman speculates that it’s unlikely ’’that’’ one was even the first.
** Tim Drake figured out Dick and [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Bruce's]] [[SecretIdentity identities]], and when he went to persuade Dick to become Robin again he found himself stepping into the position. Later on, after Damian Wayne usurped the role, he would become ComicBook/RedRobin. In the New 52, it’s said that he was never Robin, and was always Red Robin, however his original origin was restored in DC Rebirth.
*** The Red Robin identity is also a legacy character. Essentially, an Elseworlds Dick Grayson wore it and passed it on to the mainstream Jason Todd. Jason wore it for a while but ditched it, and Tim Drake picked it up after being replaced by Damian Wayne.
** At one point, Tim had a TenMinuteRetirement from being Robin, leaving the space open for [[ComicBook/Batgirl2009 Stephanie Brown]], formerly a solo heroine known as the Spoiler. [[StuffedIntoTheFridge She then died]] in a StoryArc that shook up Gotham City and readers pretty badly and caused Tim to return to the job. She would go on to become the third official Batgirl (more on that below).
** The fifth Robin is Damian Wayne, Bruce Wayne's son. In this case however, he started off as Robin to Dick Grayson while he was Batman, before becoming Bruce's new sidekick once Dick went back to being Nightwing after ''ComicBook/{{Flashpoint}}''. After killing Brother Blood in ''ComicBook/TeenTitansRebirth'', however, Damian rescinds the Robin mantle, believing he failed his father by violating his principles. This led to Tim Drake (who had adopted a new superhero identity as Drake in ''ComicBook/YoungJustice2019'' not long before this storyline) becoming Robin again.
** Extra-Canonical BadFuture Robin Carrie Kelley appeared in ''ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns''. She was inspired to become Robin by Batman's return from retirement and met up with Bruce by chance. In this universe, Dick Grayson was the first Robin and Jason was the second. She is now a CanonImmigrant, but only briefly wore the Robin costume for a Halloween party.
** After Damian's resurrection and Bruce's death, Damian would leave Gotham to go on his own adventures. In his absence, various youths took the Robin symbol as their own, and they all function as a group with the Robin name. None of them work with Batman or even the rest of the Bat-family though, nor has any one member of the group referred to him or herself as Robin.
** Bruce Wayne himself also spent some time as Robin, thanks to some Silver Age silliness in ''Detective Comics'' #266 (which is also referenced in the classic ''ComicBook/TheUntoldLegendOfTheBatman''). Essentially, Bruce learned all he needed to learn to become the World's Greatest Detective from a detective named Harvey Harris. Harris himself decided on the name of Robin for the disguised Bruce, as the costume reminded him of a red-breasted Robin. The reason for the disguise is that Bruce didn't want Harris to try and dissuade him from fighting crime. You'd think that Bruce would have realized this wouldn't really stop him, all things considered... but then again, Silver Age. As you might guess, this last one was removed from continuity with the "ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths", and certainly no longer exists after ''ComicBook/{{Flashpoint}}''.
** In ''ComicBook/Earth2'', the first Robin was Helena Wayne, the daughter of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle. She disappeared from Earth 2 the day her father died, and ended up on the mainstream DCU and called herself Huntress. She eventually takes up the identity of Batman back on Earth 2, and her Robin is Dick Grayson's son.
* Batman's other sidekick, ComicBook/{{Batgirl}}, is also a legacy character. Betty Kane was the original Bat-Girl introduced in the 1950's, but she was retconned out of the DCU history and then brought back again as a minor heroine called Flamebird. Barbara Gordon became Batgirl, the "first" Batgirl in current continuity since Betty Kane never existed, and held the role until ''ComicBook/TheKillingJoke'', when ComicBook/TheJoker shot and crippled her. The first actual legacy transfer occurred when the Batgirl mantle was picked up years later by Helena Bertinelli, the Huntress, when she realized the crooks were more afraid of Batman than they were of her. This only lasted a short while however, since Batman never gave her his consent or blessing. Eventually the costume passed to Cassandra Cain, an "official" Batgirl with the consent and partnership of ComicBook/{{Batman}}. Cassandra unceremoniously gave up the identity in the ''ComicBook/Batgirl2009'' series and took on the new moniker of Blackbat. The cowl was picked up by Stephanie Brown, previously the Spoiler and the fourth Robin (See also Robin entry above), who starred in an acclaimed but short-lived solo series before having the Batgirl mantle returned to Barbara Gordon via CosmicRetcon.
** In the New 52/Rebirth continuity, Cassandra Cain is the second Orphan, taking over the identity from her father. She's never been Batgirl or Blackbat in this timeline.
* Batman and Robin's British counterparts aren't exempt, either. The original ComicBook/KnightAndSquire were the Earl of Wordenshire and his son Cyril. The Earl was killed by one of his archenemies, and Cyril sank into depression, ending up in the gutter, where he was found by Beryl Hutchinson. Cyril took up his father's code name, becoming the new Knight, and Beryl became the new Squire. After Cyril’s death, Beryl became the new Knight.
* Clayface, one of the Batman villains, has had no fewer than ''eight'' entirely different people take the name and powers. (Most of them have shapeshifting powers, and most have an additional power which is different for each individual.) In an odd divergence, the ''original'' Clayface didn't actually ''have'' any powers -- until he arranged to duplicate those of his three "heirs".
* This trope is played with in the beginning of ''ComicBook/GothamCentral'', dealing with the actions of [[PyroManiac Firebug]], an arsonist villain who has just returned to Gotham after a long absence. The Gotham City Police Department eventually managed to track down Joseph Rigger and arrest him after him tried to escape, only for him to reveal that he sold his costume two years ago after it almost killed him. The real culprit is deduced and arrested, and it turns out to be an upper-class twit who bought the suit and runs around burning down banks for the adrenaline rush.
* There have been several [[ComicBook/TwoFace Two-Faces]] in the Franchise/{{Batman}} comics including the first Two-Face Harvey Dent, his butler Wilkins, Paul Sloane, an actor, George Blake, a petty criminal and Harvey Apollo, ''another'' actor. An averted case with the New 52 Two-Face. There's only ever been one, Harvey Dent. But a story arc called "The Big Burn" was seemingly intended as the definitive ending for Harvey, with him committing suicide at the end of it. However, during the story, the person who made him Two-Face, Erin [=McKillen=], gets scratches on one side of her face and becomes leader of the Blackgate inmates, which sets her up as the new Two-Face. However, Scott Snyder would bring back Harvey for his first arc of ''All-Star Batman'', and Erin entered Comic Book Limbo.
* The Azrael identity is this, a line of assassin-enforcers for "The Sacred Order of Saint Dumas". It initially belonged to Jean-Paul Valley (who'd inherited it from his father), but he discarded it after becoming Batman. Years down the line it was picked up by Michael Lane, a cop conditioned so that he would replace Batman should the need ever arise. At the beginning of the New 52 reboot, Lane was still Azrael, but years down the line, Jean-Paul Valley was reintroduced (seemingly never having been Batman), and is apparently the first Azrael.
* Batwing was an identity first used by David Zavimbe, a former child soldier and the Batman of Africa under the Batman Incorporated initiative set up by Bruce Wayne. He eventually quit, and the Batwing identity was taken up by Luke Fox, the son of Bruce's associate Lucius Fox. Since the change, Batwing gradually became a full fledged member of the Batfamily.
* The ComicBook/{{Batwoman}} identity is ''sort of'' one. The first Bat-Woman was Kathy Kane, a billionaire heiress. The character never caught on and seemingly never existed post-Crisis. But then ''ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis'' happened, and in the pages of ''52'', ''Kate'' Kane takes up the identity of Batwoman, and is seemingly the first... then ComicBook/GrantMorrisonsBatman reincorproated several parts of pre-Crisis canon, including Kathy Kane having been Bat-Woman, meaning Kate is the second. There is no relation between the two characters, despite them having the exact same name, and the New 52 would change Kathy's name to Katrina Netz, with Kathy Kane being an alias.
* Probably the craziest example in Franchise/TheDCU is ComicBook/TheJoker's Daughter. Appearing in the mid-70s Franchise/{{Batman}} titles, she claimed to be the daughter of a different Bat-villain each time, with a costume to match. She was eventually revealed as ''Two-Face'''s daughter, who rejected her and her mother because he wanted twins. She then joined the cast of ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'' as "Harlequin" until that title's cancellation not long after. Afterwards, she mostly disappeared, cameoing ComicBook/PostCrisis as a mental patient and staying that way until the run-up to ''ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis'', which had her gleefully claiming to be the daughter of everyone from Doomsday to Punch and Jewelee, until she was killed for shock value and retroactively revealed as the daughter of the MirrorUniverse heroic version of ComicBook/TheJoker, the Jokester.
* In ''ComicBook/DeathOfTheFamily'', [[spoiler: it turns out Harleen Quinzel isn't the first ComicBook/HarleyQuinn. She is, however, the first one to escape with her life]].
* ''ComicBook/LegendsOfTheDeadEarth'':
** In ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'' Annual #20, [[spoiler:a Batman cyborg fights the City Controllers who rule New Gotham through oppression and mind control.]]
** In ''[[Franchise/{{Batman}} Batman: Shadow of the Bat]]'' Annual #4, the City Hero, the Batman, is the guardian of Nu-Gotham who fights crime in the city and protects it from external threats such as the Lizard-Men. The people of Nu-Gotham believe that the Batman is their ruler King Bruce the 23rd [[spoiler: but it is in fact his retainer Richard Grayson as the King was too frightened.]]
** In ''[[Franchise/{{Batman}} Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight]]'' Annual #6, successive generations of the Kane family, calling themselves either Batman or Batwoman, have been the executioners of the city of Gotham since their ship, the ''Plight of Gotham'', crashlanded 500 years earlier.
** In ''[[ComicBook/RobinSeries Robin]]'' Annual #5, a former proctor on the GenerationShip Gotham who had grown disillusioned with his society was inspired by the legends of Old Earth to become the new Batman. A rebel named Tris Plover becomes his Robin.
* Creator/GrantMorrison made two members of the Batmen of All Nations into legacies. In ''Comicbook/GrantMorrisonsJLA'', Percy Sheldrake, the Knight of Britain, is revealed to have been killed by his archenemy Springheeled Jack, and his role taken by his son Cyril, formerly the Squire. His own squire is Beryl Hutchinson, who would later take the role of the Knight after Cyril's death at the hands of Leviathan in ''Comicbook/GrantMorrisonsBatman'', and later get her own Squire. Earlier in Morrison's ''Batman'', the Ranger of Australia was murdered [[spoiler: by his teammate Wingman]], and the mantle was taken by his previously unmentioned sidekick Johnny Riley, the Scout.
* The Batman identity itself is one. In DC's main universe, there have been four Batmen. Obviously, the original is Bruce Wayne. However, after an injury, Bruce leaves the mantle to Azrael (Jean-Paul Valley). Azbats eventually lost his shit, and Bruce offered the mantle to Dick Grayson. Dick Grayson took up the mantle on what both knew was a temporary basis. However, after Bruce’s “death” in ComicBook/FinalCrisis, a big deal is made out of who will succeed Bruce. Dick says he won’t do it, which leads Jason Todd and Tim Drake to fight over which one of them will do it. Eventually, Dick comes around and became the new Batman. Once Bruce returns, both acted as Batman before Dick went back to being Nightwing. Bruce then died ''again'', and Jim Gordon became the new Batman, although this was without Bat-family involvement (Dick agreed to take up the mantle again in the same story, but he got busy with his own stuff).
** ''ComicBook/DCOneMillion'' has a grieving man take up the Batman identity in the 853rd century, after the death of his family. He's the warden of the prison planet of Pluto.
** The Trope is deconstructed with ''ComicBook/WhateverHappenedToTheCapedCrusader'', in which it's revealed ''all'' of the various Batman incarnations are real.
** In at least one alternate future, Tim Drake himself will become Batman. He's a murderous version, however, and when the main Tim Drake meets him, he resolves to never become this version of himself. A later story did some Arc Welding to tie this story in with the rest of the Robins, establishing that Tim becomes Batman after Dick retires as Batman and Damian fails to save Gotham (with the implication that Tim killed Damian).
** In another BadFuture, Damian Wayne will become Batman after Bruce retires and Dick is killed.
** CanonImmigrant Terry [=McGinnis=] actually takes up the Batman identity after Damian in that same story, Damian acting as his mentor. The story establishes that the Batman legacy will be carried on for centuries.
** In yet ''another'' BadFuture, Terry inherited the title from Bruce, and got sent back in time to SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong, [[ComicBook/TheNew52FuturesEnd ending up five years into the future of the main DCU]]. He died in the attempt, and the Tim Drake of that future took up the mantle, travelling to the present of the main DCU to complete Terry's mission, then getting thrown to a now-changed future, where Terry was missing and Tim temporarily took his place until he was found. [[TimeyWimeyBall Ow.]]
** {{Elseworld}} story ''Dark Knight Dynasty'' reinvented Batman as a Legacy Character, creating both an ancestor of Bruce's called Sir Joshua of Wainwright who wore bat-motif armour, and a descendant named Brenna Wayne who became a 25th century Batwoman. All three of them faced Vandal Savage.
** In ''ComicBook/Earth2'', Bruce-as-Batman dies in the first issue; much later, another Batman emerges, who turns out to be [[spoiler:Bruce's father Thomas Wayne, who secretly survived the mob hit that killed his wife.]] He in turn is replaced by [[spoiler:Earth-2's Dick Grayson]], who, after an incident that keeps him from being Batman, is replaced by a ''woman'', Helena Wayne, the first Robin of this universe and Huntress. She just wears a heavy coat and pretends to be a man.
** ''ComicBook/DCFutureState'' takes place some time in the future across its various series. For the Batman titles, Bruce's Batman is presumed dead and is working completely in secret. In his stead, a new character, "Tim "Jace" Fox, has taken up the Batman identity. In this timeline, the previous Batmen were Bruce, Azrael, Dick and Jim, making Jace the fifth Batman.
** In the Silver Age, it was established that Bruce himself had taken up a Batman legacy begun by Thomas Wayne, and that Bruce was the original Robin during his years of training to become Batman. Both of these were quietly discarded post-Crisis.
** Actually defied in the Silver Age. In the ''ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica'' two-parter "Only Legends Live Forever", the Golden Age Batman dies trying to apprehend a super powered villain. After the funeral, Dick Grayson decides on the best way to keep Bruce's memory alive. Helena Wayne, Bruce's daughter and the pre-Crisis Huntress, cries out "No!" and it seems that both Dick and Helena wanted to take over the role of Batman. However, she had the same idea Dick had - Batman's too big to be just a man in a costume, especially with his identity revealed, thus they decide to honor his legacy by continuing on in their own identities as Robin and Huntress.
* The Robin Hood inspired identity of ComicBook/{{Robin}} is a somewhat special case, each having been the sidekick to the same character (though, as noted above, he's also a legacy character, and two of them served under other Batmans in addition to Bruce). Each eventually took on a different identity after their time as Robin.
** Dick Grayson, who went on to become Nightwing, left the job to Jason Todd. Dick Grayson also served as Batman (see above).
** ComicBook/{{Nightwing}} is also a legacy character:
*** Pre-Crisis, the first Nightwing was actually none other than Franchise/{{Superman}} himself, Kal-El/Clark Kent, who needed to become a Batman-like vigilante when he was in the Bottle City of Kandor. He later allowed his cousin Van-Zee (who had an UncannyFamilyResemblance to the Man of Steel) to use the identity to fight crime in the bottle city after Superman left. The best known Nightwing, former Robin Dick Grayson, then decided to adopt the name after he left Batman as a homage to both him and Superman.
*** Post-Crisis, Nightwing was the name of a Kryptonian vigilante that Supeman told Dick about, and Dick, being inspired by the story, took up the Nightwing identity. After ''One Year Later'' another former Robin, Jason Todd, became a more sociopathic version to mock Grayson, and a woman named Cheyenne Freemont became a heroic version to help Dick. When ComicBook/PowerGirl went to Kandor she also adopted the Nightwing persona. The mantle was briefly passed to Chris Kent, the adopted son of Superman. Sometime after, poor Chris was trapped (seemingly forever) in the Phantom Zone. Dick Grayson retook the Nightwing identity following his lengthy tenure as Batman, although Chris had been {{RetGone}}'d by that point.
*** Nightwing’s sidekick Flamebird was originally none other than Mr. Action himself, ComicBook/JimmyOlsen. After he left the bottle city the former Elastic Lad gave the title to the new Nightwing's son-in-law Ak-Var. ComicBook/PostCrisis the original Bat-Girl Bette Kane took the name to impress Nightwing and is probably the best known Flamebird. ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} took the identity when she went to Kandor. Even though the first two were male the name is now associated with female characters so much that when Superman retook the Nightwing identity, Lois Lane and not Olsen was his sidekick, and the sixth Flamebird Thara Var is the wife of the second Flamebird (who apparently no longer exists). Thara was eventually killed, and in a completely unrelated storyline, Bette decided to take up the Flamebird identity again in order to fight crime with the new ComicBook/{{Batwoman}}, her cousin Kate. She would eventually leave the identity to become Hawkfire.
** Jason Todd was killed by ComicBook/TheJoker. Jason Todd stole the ComicBook/{{Red Hood|TheLostDays}} identity from ComicBook/TheJoker (making him a Legacy Villain) and also wore the costume of Red Robin, but returned to his Red Hood identity.
*** ''ComicBook/TheKillingJoke'' depicts the Red Hood identity as a sort of extra-disposable legacy character shared by the members of a criminal gang, who foisted the hood on whichever accomplice they'd recruited for a specific job and didn't want to risk being seen with. Whether that's right or not depends on which MultipleChoicePast you prefer for ComicBook/TheJoker.
*** In the New 52, the Red Hoods were a street gang all wearing the same mask, and the Joker was their leader, going by “Red Hood One”. He himself usurped the role from the previous leader. Batman speculates that it’s unlikely ’’that’’ one was even the first.
** Tim Drake figured out Dick and [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Bruce's]] [[SecretIdentity identities]], and when he went to persuade Dick to become Robin again he found himself stepping into the position. Later on, after Damian Wayne usurped the role, he would become ComicBook/RedRobin. In the New 52, it’s said that he was never Robin, and was always Red Robin, however his original origin was restored in DC Rebirth.
*** The Red Robin identity is also a legacy character. Essentially, an Elseworlds Dick Grayson wore it and passed it on to the mainstream Jason Todd. Jason wore it for a while but ditched it, and Tim Drake picked it up after being replaced by Damian Wayne.
** At one point, Tim had a TenMinuteRetirement from being Robin, leaving the space open for [[ComicBook/Batgirl2009 Stephanie Brown]], formerly a solo heroine known as the Spoiler. [[StuffedIntoTheFridge She then died]] in a StoryArc that shook up Gotham City and readers pretty badly and caused Tim to return to the job. She would go on to become the third official Batgirl (more on that below).
** The fifth Robin is Damian Wayne, Bruce Wayne's son. In this case however, he started off as Robin to Dick Grayson while he was Batman, before becoming Bruce's new sidekick once Dick went back to being Nightwing after ''ComicBook/{{Flashpoint}}''. After killing Brother Blood in ''ComicBook/TeenTitansRebirth'', however, Damian rescinds the Robin mantle, believing he failed his father by violating his principles. This led to Tim Drake (who had adopted a new superhero identity as Drake in ''ComicBook/YoungJustice2019'' not long before this storyline) becoming Robin again.
** Extra-Canonical BadFuture Robin Carrie Kelley appeared in ''ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns''. She was inspired to become Robin by Batman's return from retirement and met up with Bruce by chance. In this universe, Dick Grayson was the first Robin and Jason was the second. She is now a CanonImmigrant, but only briefly wore the Robin costume for a Halloween party.
** After Damian's resurrection and Bruce's death, Damian would leave Gotham to go on his own adventures. In his absence, various youths took the Robin symbol as their own, and they all function as a group with the Robin name. None of them work with Batman or even the rest of the Bat-family though, nor has any one member of the group referred to him or herself as Robin.
** Bruce Wayne himself also spent some time as Robin, thanks to some Silver Age silliness in ''Detective Comics'' #266 (which is also referenced in the classic ''ComicBook/TheUntoldLegendOfTheBatman''). Essentially, Bruce learned all he needed to learn to become the World's Greatest Detective from a detective named Harvey Harris. Harris himself decided on the name of Robin for the disguised Bruce, as the costume reminded him of a red-breasted Robin. The reason for the disguise is that Bruce didn't want Harris to try and dissuade him from fighting crime. You'd think that Bruce would have realized this wouldn't really stop him, all things considered... but then again, Silver Age. As you might guess, this last one was removed from continuity with the "ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths", and certainly no longer exists after ''ComicBook/{{Flashpoint}}''.
** In ''ComicBook/Earth2'', the first Robin was Helena Wayne, the daughter of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle. She disappeared from Earth 2 the day her father died, and ended up on the mainstream DCU and called herself Huntress. She eventually takes up the identity of Batman back on Earth 2, and her Robin is Dick Grayson's son.
* Batman's other sidekick, ComicBook/{{Batgirl}}, is also a legacy character. Betty Kane was the original Bat-Girl introduced in the 1950's, but she was retconned out of the DCU history and then brought back again as a minor heroine called Flamebird. Barbara Gordon became Batgirl, the "first" Batgirl in current continuity since Betty Kane never existed, and held the role until ''ComicBook/TheKillingJoke'', when ComicBook/TheJoker shot and crippled her. The first actual legacy transfer occurred when the Batgirl mantle was picked up years later by Helena Bertinelli, the Huntress, when she realized the crooks were more afraid of Batman than they were of her. This only lasted a short while however, since Batman never gave her his consent or blessing. Eventually the costume passed to Cassandra Cain, an "official" Batgirl with the consent and partnership of ComicBook/{{Batman}}. Cassandra unceremoniously gave up the identity in the ''ComicBook/Batgirl2009'' series and took on the new moniker of Blackbat. The cowl was picked up by Stephanie Brown, previously the Spoiler and the fourth Robin (See also Robin entry above), who starred in an acclaimed but short-lived solo series before having the Batgirl mantle returned to Barbara Gordon via CosmicRetcon.
** In the New 52/Rebirth continuity, Cassandra Cain is the second Orphan, taking over the identity from her father. She's never been Batgirl or Blackbat in this timeline.
* Batman and Robin's British counterparts aren't exempt, either. The original ComicBook/KnightAndSquire were the Earl of Wordenshire and his son Cyril. The Earl was killed by one of his archenemies, and Cyril sank into depression, ending up in the gutter, where he was found by Beryl Hutchinson. Cyril took up his father's code name, becoming the new Knight, and Beryl became the new Squire. After Cyril’s death, Beryl became the new Knight.
* Clayface, one of the Batman villains, has had no fewer than ''eight'' entirely different people take the name and powers. (Most of them have shapeshifting powers, and most have an additional power which is different for each individual.) In an odd divergence, the ''original'' Clayface didn't actually ''have'' any powers -- until he arranged to duplicate those of his three "heirs".
* This trope is played with in the beginning of ''ComicBook/GothamCentral'', dealing with the actions of [[PyroManiac Firebug]], an arsonist villain who has just returned to Gotham after a long absence. The Gotham City Police Department eventually managed to track down Joseph Rigger and arrest him after him tried to escape, only for him to reveal that he sold his costume two years ago after it almost killed him. The real culprit is deduced and arrested, and it turns out to be an upper-class twit who bought the suit and runs around burning down banks for the adrenaline rush.
* There have been several [[ComicBook/TwoFace Two-Faces]] in the Franchise/{{Batman}} comics including the first Two-Face Harvey Dent, his butler Wilkins, Paul Sloane, an actor, George Blake, a petty criminal and Harvey Apollo, ''another'' actor. An averted case with the New 52 Two-Face. There's only ever been one, Harvey Dent. But a story arc called "The Big Burn" was seemingly intended as the definitive ending for Harvey, with him committing suicide at the end of it. However, during the story, the person who made him Two-Face, Erin [=McKillen=], gets scratches on one side of her face and becomes leader of the Blackgate inmates, which sets her up as the new Two-Face. However, Scott Snyder would bring back Harvey for his first arc of ''All-Star Batman'', and Erin entered Comic Book Limbo.
* The Azrael identity is this, a line of assassin-enforcers for "The Sacred Order of Saint Dumas". It initially belonged to Jean-Paul Valley (who'd inherited it from his father), but he discarded it after becoming Batman. Years down the line it was picked up by Michael Lane, a cop conditioned so that he would replace Batman should the need ever arise. At the beginning of the New 52 reboot, Lane was still Azrael, but years down the line, Jean-Paul Valley was reintroduced (seemingly never having been Batman), and is apparently the first Azrael.
* Batwing was an identity first used by David Zavimbe, a former child soldier and the Batman of Africa under the Batman Incorporated initiative set up by Bruce Wayne. He eventually quit, and the Batwing identity was taken up by Luke Fox, the son of Bruce's associate Lucius Fox. Since the change, Batwing gradually became a full fledged member of the Batfamily.
* The ComicBook/{{Batwoman}} identity is ''sort of'' one. The first Bat-Woman was Kathy Kane, a billionaire heiress. The character never caught on and seemingly never existed post-Crisis. But then ''ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis'' happened, and in the pages of ''52'', ''Kate'' Kane takes up the identity of Batwoman, and is seemingly the first... then ComicBook/GrantMorrisonsBatman reincorproated several parts of pre-Crisis canon, including Kathy Kane having been Bat-Woman, meaning Kate is the second. There is no relation between the two characters, despite them having the exact same name, and the New 52 would change Kathy's name to Katrina Netz, with Kathy Kane being an alias.
* Probably the craziest example in Franchise/TheDCU is ComicBook/TheJoker's Daughter. Appearing in the mid-70s Franchise/{{Batman}} titles, she claimed to be the daughter of a different Bat-villain each time, with a costume to match. She was eventually revealed as ''Two-Face'''s daughter, who rejected her and her mother because he wanted twins. She then joined the cast of ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'' as "Harlequin" until that title's cancellation not long after. Afterwards, she mostly disappeared, cameoing ComicBook/PostCrisis as a mental patient and staying that way until the run-up to ''ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis'', which had her gleefully claiming to be the daughter of everyone from Doomsday to Punch and Jewelee, until she was killed for shock value and retroactively revealed as the daughter of the MirrorUniverse heroic version of ComicBook/TheJoker, the Jokester.
* In ''ComicBook/DeathOfTheFamily'', [[spoiler: it turns out Harleen Quinzel isn't the first ComicBook/HarleyQuinn. She is, however, the first one to escape with her life]].
* ''ComicBook/LegendsOfTheDeadEarth'':
** In ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'' Annual #20, [[spoiler:a Batman cyborg fights the City Controllers who rule New Gotham through oppression and mind control.]]
** In ''[[Franchise/{{Batman}} Batman: Shadow of the Bat]]'' Annual #4, the City Hero, the Batman, is the guardian of Nu-Gotham who fights crime in the city and protects it from external threats such as the Lizard-Men. The people of Nu-Gotham believe that the Batman is their ruler King Bruce the 23rd [[spoiler: but it is in fact his retainer Richard Grayson as the King was too frightened.]]
** In ''[[Franchise/{{Batman}} Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight]]'' Annual #6, successive generations of the Kane family, calling themselves either Batman or Batwoman, have been the executioners of the city of Gotham since their ship, the ''Plight of Gotham'', crashlanded 500 years earlier.
** In ''[[ComicBook/RobinSeries Robin]]'' Annual #5, a former proctor on the GenerationShip Gotham who had grown disillusioned with his society was inspired by the legends of Old Earth to become the new Batman. A rebel named Tris Plover becomes his Robin.
* Creator/GrantMorrison made two members of the Batmen of All Nations into legacies. In ''Comicbook/GrantMorrisonsJLA'', Percy Sheldrake, the Knight of Britain, is revealed to have been killed by his archenemy Springheeled Jack, and his role taken by his son Cyril, formerly the Squire. His own squire is Beryl Hutchinson, who would later take the role of the Knight after Cyril's death at the hands of Leviathan in ''Comicbook/GrantMorrisonsBatman'', and later get her own Squire. Earlier in Morrison's ''Batman'', the Ranger of Australia was murdered [[spoiler: by his teammate Wingman]], and the mantle was taken by his previously unmentioned sidekick Johnny Riley, the Scout.
