[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bane_title_card.jpg]]
Rupert Thorne hires Bane to take out Batman.

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!!Tropes in this episode include:

* AdaptationalWimp: A borderline case. In the comics, even without Venom, Bane was still much stronger than the average person and still capable of giving Batman and Killer Croc a hard time. Here, while he's strong enough to break down a brick wall even unenhanced, the battles with both Croc and Batman have him using the Venom all the way through.
* AntiClimacticUnmasking: When Batman defeats Bane and does to him what he bragged he would do to Batman (remove his mask), underneath is... an average looking guy with no distinguishing traits.
* BadassInANiceSuit: The suit is nice, Bane is a badass, but seeing as he wears his mask with it, he looks pretty ridiculous.
* BandageMummy: Killer Croc was [[CurbstompBattle so badly beaten by Bane]] that he was put in a full body cast in his prison cell.
* BelligerentSexualTension: Robin and Candice's interactions come across this way. Not helped by him being stripped bare chested, [[DoesThisRemindYouofAnything chained up by his wrists]] and her wicked, flirty smirk throughout until their watery slugfest ensues. Said tussle started by Robin who does so by inviting her in with an almost ''playful'' tone of voice. Before that you swear she was {{Eating the Eye Candy}} her young, buff captive was providing.
* BodyHorror: Bane's defeat. After Batman breaks Bane's venom pump mechanism, his muscles begin to get enormously pumped while he screams in agony. It keeps going for quite a while until Batman severs the pump from Bane's head.
* TheBusCameBack: Thorne's secretary, Candice, who hasn't been seen since her boss's [[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE10TwoFacePart1 first]] [[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE11TwoFacePart2 appearance]].
* CombatPragmatist: Bane [[DefiedTrope defies the trope]], waiting until he knows exactly where Batman is and calling him to point out that, if he were a common sniper, Batman would be dead by then.
* CompressedAdaptation: Anyone who's read the original ''ComicBook/{{Knightfall}}'' will recall just how ''long'' of a story it is. Here, in Bane's first animated adaptation, only his battle against Killer Croc from the source material is kept. Bane freeing the rogues, wearing Batman down, and eventually breaking him are all left out. Additionally, other characters from the original story like Bane's lieutenants Trogg, Bird, and Zombie are all AdaptedOut, as is Azrael who also doesn't make it into the story. Instead, Bane's story is put together into one episode which sees resolution, without Bane "breaking" the Bat.
* DeathTrap: Candice and Bane put Robin in a pool gradually filling with water, while weights are tied to his feet. Before he can drown, he tells Batman to untie his legs before freeing his arms.
* GeniusBruiser: Bane is enormously muscled, and even more so with Venom, and also takes the time to study Batman's strategies and fighting style before taking him on.
* GoneHorriblyRight: Bane is the result of a project by the Cuban government to make a SuperSoldier from convicts. [[IdiotBall You can tell exactly how well that went for them.]]
* HoistHeroOverHead: Bane ''almost'' gets to break the Bat [[ComicBook/{{Knightfall}} like in the comics]], but gets outsmarted by Batman at the last second.
* HopeSpot: Robin points out that Bane could be another vigilante, and they could do a team-up. Cue Batman finding the Batmobile smashed up.
* KingpinInHisGym: Mobster [[TheDon Rupert Thorne]] is in his private gym, punching a bag while a henchman--named Dickie--holds it for him and urges him on. Thorne is clearly getting a little tired, but then Jake says, "Come on, boss! No wonder the Batman is runnin' circles around ya!" Thorne snarls and [[BerserkButton punches Jake in the face]], knocking him out. Then he grabs a towel from another thug, mentioning before he leaves, "Oh, and when Jake comes to, tell him he's fired." Moments later Bane arrives, this episode being his first appearance. When Thorne threatens to withhold payment for Bane after a recent job was nearly bungled, Bane responds by punching the bag so hard it flies off its fixtures.
* LargeHam: Bane: "I must... '''''BREAK''''' YOU!!!"
* LaserGuidedKarma: After smugly going behind Thorne's back in an attempt to betray him to Bane, only to cowardly run back to the former after Batman defeats the latter, Candice finds her ploy exposed when Batman reveals to Thorne the recording he made of her throwing him under the bus.
* LovesTheSoundOfScreaming: Bane demands that Batman scream his name for him after he has him dead to rights. Batman doesn't give him the satisfaction.
-->'''Bane:''' SCREAM MY NAME! SCREAM!
* MakeItLookLikeAnAccident: Rupert Thorne's moll, Candice, suggests that this might be a way of getting rid of her employer/lover.
-->'''Candice:''' With Batman out of the way, Gotham could be yours. So could I.\\
'''Bane:''' What about your employer?\\
'''Candice:''' Accidents ''do'' happen.
* MythologyGag:
-->'''Killer Croc:''' You'll know hard Bats, once he sucks that juice pumping into his brain, [[{{Comicbook/Knightfall}} and he snaps you in two]]!
** Killer Croc wears a hat and trenchcoat, like in his first appearance in the comics.
* NotHisSled: Bane lifts the [[HoistHeroOverHead worn and tired Batman overhead]] and breaks his back over his knee! No, wait, that was ''ComicBook/{{Knightfall}}''. To be fair, this version of Bruce hadn't been ran ragged by Bane's scheme. [[WesternAnimation/TheBatman And had plenty of experience dealing with super villains by this point.]] [[Film/TheDarkKnightRises And he didn't have a subtle death wish.]]
* OhCrap: A rather magnificent use of this occurs when Batman unveils how Candice conspired with Bane to possibly get rid of Rupert, to which Rupert calmly turns to Candice as she becomes increasingly horrified, realizing she is ''screwed''. [[FridgeHorror This is the last episode she appears in.]]
** Croc gets one when Bane first injects himself with Venom and then manhandles him.
** Bane himself panics when he realizes that Batman has broken his Venom pump's controller.
* PapaWolf: It's implied this is why Batman handed over the proof that Candice wanted to get rid of Thorne. No one kidnaps his ward and tries to drown them.
* PhlebotinumOverdose: Batman only defeats Bane by breaking the Venom pump, giving Bane a massive dose of his own "medicine". Literally. Bane's eyes looked ready to pop out of his head before Bats managed to pull the line out.
* ProfessionalKiller: After breaking out of a Cuban prison thanks to the "enhancements" his jailers provided, Bane became an assassin for hire, charging $5 million per hit. Batman deduces Bane's employer fairly easily, realizing that not many of his foes can drop that much cash to take him out.
* PunchPunchPunchUhOh: Batman realises he might be in trouble when kicking and punching Bane does nothing to him. He switches tactics with dropkicks, [[WrestlerInAllOfUs headscissor takedowns]], [[ImprovisedWeapon firing grapplers at him]], and [[HoistByHisOwnPetard his own Venom pump mechanism]].
* ShirtlessCaptives: Robin is kidnapped by Bane and his accomplice. He is stripped of his shirt and dangled by chains over a tank in which they intend to drown him. Justified in that Bane uses the uniform shirt to show Batman that he'd kidnapped Robin.
* TheStarscream: Candice shows her true colors in this episode and plots with Bane to get rid of her boss, Rupert Thorne.
* TheyLookJustLikeEveryoneElse: You'd think Bane's mask would be hiding hideous disfigurements, or at least something distinctive, but no. Without it, he just looks like a regular guy.
* UnwillingSuspension: Robin gets chained up this way above a rising pit of water after being kidnapped by Bane. For best effect, they [[CementShoes chain his feet to a large weight]].
* VillainousBreakdown:
** Bane has a nightmarish one when he overdoses on Venom and [[ThisCannotBe screams that his defeat is impossible]]. It's especially unsettling to see [[EyeScream his eyes bulge out so much that they pop the red lenses out of his mask]], and [[AintTooProudToBeg he's begging Batman to help him make it stop]] during his breakdown.
-->'''Bane:''' YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!!! '''I AM INVINCIBLE!!!''' '''''I AM BAAAAAAANE!!!!!!'''''
** Happens to a lesser extent to Candice. While her usual demeanor is smug, haughty, and flirtatious, upon being beaten by Robin and seeing Batman defeat Bane, she weakly attempts to seek comfort from Thorne only to have it backfire when Batman reveals her plan to betray him in favor of Bane. Her expression upon hearing the recording says a thousand words.
* TheWorfEffect: Killer Croc is trashed by Bane offscreen just so we know how tough the new guy is.
* WreckedWeapon: Bane trashes the Batmobile, with his ''bare hands''.
* WrestlerInAllOfUs:
** Bane, who is a masked luchador (Mexican wrestler), performs a modified Irish Whip on Batman, throwing him with his SuperStrength.
** Batman pulls an impressive hurricanrana on Bane. [[TheJuggernaut Doesn't slow him down, though.]]
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