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Media Column

Holy PTSD, Batman!:An Analysis of the Psychiatric Symptoms

of Bruce Wayne

S. Taylor Williams, M.D.

Batman: A trauma powerful enough to create an alternatepersonality

leaves the victim. . .

Dr. Chase Meridian: . . .in a world where normal rules of right and

wrong no longer apply.

Batman: Exactly.

Dr. ChaseMeridian:

Likeyou. Well, lets justsay I could write a hell

of a paper on a grown man who dresses like a flying rodent.

Batman Forever (1)

Asuperhero is defined as a fictional hero having ex-traordinary or superhuman powers (2). Superheroesare beloved by modern society, and serve a variety of func-

tions, notably as modern-day deities (3), moral models (4),

and vessels for our fantasy lives (5). One of the aspects of

superheroes that most endears them to society is that they,

like us, are not perfectthey have flaws.

Batman wasfirst introduced in May of 1939, asDetective

Comics #27 (6). The reader is first introduced to socialite

Bruce Wayne (created by Bob Kane). Later, Batman foils

the villain, and the story ends with the revelation to the reader

that BruceWayneand Batman are the same person. Since that

time, the Bruce Wayne/Batman character has been depicted

in a variety of media, including graphic novels, television,

animation, video games, andfilm. With regard to the cine-

matic depictions of the character, Batman (7) was released in

1989, followed by Batman Returns (8), Batman Forever(1),

and Batman and Robin (9). These movies create a unified

timeline, and, subsequent to their release, the Batman movie

franchise underwent a reboot, with the release of Batman

Begins (10) andThe Dark Knight(11), which retell the story

and are not a part of the original movies timeline.

It has been previously observed (12, 13) that Bruce

Wayne appears to exhibit some symptoms of posttraumatic

stress disorder (PTSD). According to the Diagnostic and

Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR)

(14), the diagnosis of PTSD requires that symptomatic

criteria be met within clusters of symptoms: traumatic

event, re-experiencing, avoidance, and increased arousal.

Method

The aim of this article is to systematically consider each

of the individually-listed DSM-IV symptoms, citing exam-

ples from various media incarnations of the character, in order

to demonstrate that Bruce Wayne experiences an adequate

number of symptoms to meet criteria for the diagnosis of

PTSD. The specific argument will be made that the crea-

tion of the Batman persona can be viewed as a symptom of

Bruce Waynes PTSD. Last, the case will be made that

there is a valid rationale for this exercise beyond literary

discussion.

Results

The A criteria of PSTD read as follows: the person

has been exposed to a traumatic event in which both of the

following were present: 1) The person experienced, wit-

nessed, or was confronted with an event or events that

involved actual or threatened death or serious injury, or

a threat to the physical integrity of self or others; and 2) The

persons response involved intense fear, helplessness, or

horror.The back-story of Batman first appeared in Detective

Comics #33 (15), in November 1939. The reader is shown

Bruce Wayne as a boy, walking home from a movie with his

parents, when a mugger demands his mothers necklace.

Waynes father pushes the mugger and is shot and killed.

Waynes mother starts calling for the police and is shot and

killed herself. The text reads The boys eyes are wide with

the terror and shock as the scene is spread before him (15).

Bruce Wayne is pictured with tears streaming down his

Received March 29,2010;revised April 14,2010;acceptedApril30, 2010.

From the Dept. of Psychiatry, Univ. of Tennessee, Memphis, TN. Send

correspondence to Dr. Williams; e-mail: taylorwilliamsmd@gmail.com

Copyright 2012 Academic Psychiatry

252 http://ap.psychiatryonline.org Academic Psychiatry, 36:3, May-June 2012

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cheeks stating Dead! Theyre D-Dead (15). The traumatic

experience of witnessing the murder of both parents clearly

meets the A criteria for PTSD.

The B Criteria for PTSD readthe traumatic event is

persistently re-experienced in one or more of the following

ways: 1) Recurrent and intrusive distressing recollections ofthe event, including images, thoughts, or perceptions; 2)

Recurrent distressing dreams of the event; 3) Acting or

feeling as if the traumatic event were recurring (includes a

sense of reliving the experience, illusions, hallucinations,

and dissociative flashback episodes, including those that

occur on awakening or when intoxicated); 4) Intense

psychological distress at exposure to internal or external

cues that symbolize or resemble an aspect of the traumatic

event; and 5) Physiological reactivity on exposure to in-

ternal or external cues that symbolize or resemble an aspect

of the traumatic event.

The first symptom, frequent recurrent and distressing

recollections of the event, are especially noteworthy in cin-

ema depictions, as the traumatic memories are themselves

depicted on-screen; thus, the audience sees what Bruce

Wayne is thinking and seeing. In the literature, the reader has

access to Batmans internal monologue, and, in several story

arcs, he recalls his parents deaths. In one sequence, while on

the way to a crime scene, Batman thinks to himselfIts

a .45-caliber bullet; hollow-point; it explodes in his chest.

I feel the shock through his fingers. For the hundred-

thousandth timemy father dies (16).

Bruce Wayne meets criteria for Symptom 2 as well,

and is depicted awakening from a distressing dream with

traumatic content, in both cinema (10), as well as graphic

novels (16, 17).

In the movieBatman Forever, the character indicates that

flashbacks, Symptom 3, are occurring when he states my

dreams are coming to me when Im awake now (1). In the

movie Batman Begins, a villain causes Batman to inhale

a hallucinogen, and he experiences flashes of his parents

murder while intoxicated (10). In the video game Batman:

Arkham Asylum (18), the Batman character relives the

deaths of his parentshearing their last words, then seeingthem lying dead in the alley. At this point, the character

of Batman transforms into an 8-year-old Bruce Wayne, and

it is this character whom the player must control through

the game.

Symptoms 4 and 5 of the B criteriapsychological

distress and physiological reactivity to cuesappear to be

present. Bruce Wayne experiences psychological distress

at being reminded of what his parents killer said to him (7)

and upon the image of a pearl necklace (1), which his mother

had on that night. Physiological reactivity is harder to gauge,

given that one cannot take Waynes vital signs. Nevertheless,

an adequate number of symptomsare present forthe B criteria

for PTSD to be met.

The C criteria for PTSD read as follows: persistent

avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma and numbingof general responsiveness (not present before the trauma), as

indicated by three (or more) of the following: 1) Efforts to

avoid thoughts, feelings, or conversations associated with the

trauma; 2) Efforts to avoid activities, places, or people

that arouse recollections of the trauma; 3) Inability to recall

an important aspect of the trauma; 4) Markedly diminished

interest or participation in significant activities; 5) Feeling of

detachment or estrangement from others; 6) Restricted

range of affect (e.g., unable to have loving feelings); and 7)

Sense of a foreshortened future.

In theoriginal back-story comic, in the next panel after his

parents are killed, we are told thatDays later, a curious and

strange scene takes place. Bruce Wayne swears by his

deceased parents spirits to avenge them by dedicating his

life to fighting crime. Finally he sits pondering his need for

a disguise when a batflies into his study window, and he is

inspired. A bat! Thats it! Its an omen. I shall become a

BAT! (15) The dedication of his life to vengeance and the

creation of the Batman character constitute the conscious

efforts of Bruce Wayne to avoid the feelings of help-

lessness and horror associated with the trauma, meeting

the first symptom criterion. In the movieBatman and Robin,

the character of Alfred voices a similar sentiment, telling

Wayne:

Death and chance stole your parents, but, rather than become

a victim, you have done everything in your power to control the

fates. For what is Batman if not an effort to master the chaos that

sweeps our world? (9)

Whereas the creation of alternate personalities, as is seen

in dissociative identity disorder, is often the result of a

severe trauma, this does not seem to be the case with Bruce

Wayne, because the creation of Batman is a conscious,

planned act.

In the literature, Bruce Wayne does not exhibit Symptom2efforts to avoid activities, places, or people that arouse

recollections of the traumaas Batman does the opposite,

patrolling the sky and streets of Gotham City, looking for

criminals upon which to exercise vengeance.

Evidence that Bruce Wayne meets criteria for Symptom

3inability to recall an important aspect of the traumais

provided in the movie Batman Forever. Wayne says I

dont remember a lot of what happened; what I do, comes

to me in my dreams, flashes. Theres a new element now,

Academic Psychiatry, 36:3, May-June 2012 http://ap.psychiatryonline.org 253

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though. He goes on to describe events immediately after

his parents wake, which he had previously been unable to

remember (1).

Bruce Wayne meets criteria for Symptom 4markedly

diminished interest or participation in significant activities.

Given that the creation of the persona of Batman is anavoidance symptom, this leaves the non-Batman activities

of Bruce Wayne as those for which participation must be

ascertained. Bruce Wayne has markedly diminished interest

and participation in average activities (friends, romantic

relationships, raising a family, having hobbies) preferring to

dedicate his time to the Batman role (16, 20).

Bruce Wayne, especially when adopting the Batman

persona, exhibits Symptom 5feelings of detachment or

estrangement from others. He limits his interpersonal rela-

tionships to a few confidantes (Robin, Alfred), and is noted

to not trust even other superheroes when interacting with

them in the Justice League of America (19).

Last, for the C criteria, Bruce Wayne frequently demon-

strates Symptom 6restricted range of affect. Batman, es-

pecially as acted by Michael Keaton (7, 8) and Christian

Bale (10, 11), rarely smiles, although Bruce Wayne is seen

smiling socially when out of the Batman costume/character.

Batmans restricted range of affect is commented on by the

Joker, who is frustrated by Batmans lack of a sense of

humor and tells him to lighten up (20). The affect re-

striction even extends to Batman action figures (21).

The D Criteria for PTSD read persistent symptoms of

increased arousal (not present before the trauma), as indicated

by two (or more) of the following: 1) Difficulty falling or

staying asleep; 2) Irritability or outbursts of anger; 3) Diffi-

culty concentrating; 4) Hypervigilance; and 5) Exaggerated

startle response.

There are many examples of Bruce Wayne/Batman

meeting criteria for Symptoms 1, 2, and 4. Waynes sleep

difficulties, Symptom 1, appear in both print and cinema

incarnations. In The Dark Knight, Waynes butler Alfred

jokes thatwhen Wayne Manor is rebuilt, [he] can swap not

sleeping in a penthouse for not sleeping in a mansion (11).

Bruce Wayne becomes a very angry person after thetrauma, and exhibits Symptom 2anger outbursts. When

confronted by supervillains who have hurt the people of

Gotham City, Batman has difficulty controlling his anger,

taking it out physically on the perpetrators. On extreme

occasions, individuals such as Commissioner Gordon have

had to beg him to exercise restraint (22, 23).

Neither Symptom 3difficulty concentrating, nor Symp-

tom 5exaggerated startle response, seem to be present

for Bruce Wayne. His training for the Batman role, both

intellectual and physical, required great ability to con-

centrate. Batman is frequently, in both print and on screen,

exposed to loud noisesgunshots, explosions, motor ve-

hicle collisionsand is not seen to startle to these noises.

Symptom 4, howeverhypervigilancecould sum up

Batmans character in a nutshell. He is vigilant about his

own surroundings, but also about the entirety of Gotham

City. He watches over the city at night, ever-vigilant.

Discussion

Although many have discussed the philosophical func-

tion of superheroes in society (5, 24), we may raise the

question of the usefulness of arguing that Bruce Wayne

meets diagnostic criteria for PTSD; assuming the diagnosis

is valid, is there any value to this exercise? First, there is

didactic utility in using pop-culture characters to teach

medical students and psychiatry residents how to recognize

the symptoms of this diagnosis. Batman is a character with

whom students are likely to be already familiar, so discus-

sing PTSD in this context allows the students to practice

viewing the world through a psychiatrists eyes. Previous

work has been published on the use of fictional movie

characters to illustrate psychiatric diagnoses (25, 26) in

medical school curricula. Options for presentation of ma-

terial of this type could include showing a Batman movie

during a psychiatry interest-group meeting, showing clips in

a classroom setting, or presentation of Bruce Wayne as

a case.

Second, with the diagnosis of PTSD highly prevalent in

society today (27, 28), finding a superhero who also meets

criteria for the diagnosis could be of comfort to those ex-

periencing the symptoms themselves. Especially in light of

depictions of supervillains, which focus on negative ster-

eotypes of mental illness, as recently described (29) in the

Joker character, to have a hero with a mental illness por-

trayed in a positive light could provide hope and encour-

agement, or lessen the feeling of isolation in those fighting

mental illness. In this respect, Batman is not alone among

superheroes: in the universe of Marvel Comics, BruceBanner/The Incredible Hulk struggles with dissociative

identity disorder (called multiple personality disorder)

stemming from childhood abuse (30). Also, Tony Stark/Iron

Man is an alcoholic and has been depicted binge-drinking to

deal with stress, as well as making efforts to maintain his

sobriety including attending Alcoholics Anonymous meet-

ings (31).

Being orphaned is also common among heroes

Superman, Spiderman, Luke Skywalker, and Harry Potter

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all share the common past of parental loss (3235). In my-

thology, both modern and ancient, heroes are forged by

adversity. Traumatic events are requisite as catalysts for

personal development, allowing heroes to triumph over

adversity and thus act as role-models for the mortals who

imagine them. But it is the flaws of heroes, from Achilles

heel to Supermans kryptonite, which allow us to connect to

them on a personal level. By seeing superheroes struggle

with inner demons as well as supervillainswith mental

illness despite their physical strengthwe, the audience,

can see ourselves in the characters.

The author acknowledges Renate H. Rosenthal, PhD., Brian

Wakefield, Steven Allen, Blair Walden, and Elizabeth Campbell

for their contributions.

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