DC Comics is known for sticking to its continuity and lore. They can just create another reality if they choose to diverge from it. Do you want a villainous Batman? Oh, there you have it, the Owlman, an Earth 3 supervillain. However, because you don’t want to destroy the existing continuity, you must keep the new world’s continuity in mind when creating the other stories. Things become a little more complicated as a result of this.
And it’s here that the Elseworlds publishing imprint comes in. It explores several, alternative scenarios and tells a story based on those scenarios. It’s also not something the writers have to consider while writing for other DC Comics publications.
Today, we’ll discuss one of the most well-known stories from the Elseworlds imprint, Mark Millar’s Superman: Red Son comics from 2003. (which also got a film adaptation in 2020).
Superman’s pod lands in Ukraine in this narrative, and he becomes a Soviet soldier. Meanwhile, today’s video’s idol, Batman or Batmankoff, had his parents murdered by Russian communists. As a result, Batman became the opponent of Soviet Russia and Superman.
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Origins Of The Russian Batman
The Russian Batman or Batmankoff made his first appearance in the comic Superman: Red Son Rising, which is the first issue of the series. Before we get down to Batman, let’s go over the state of affairs that existed in this time.
It’s the 1950s and the United States of America is engaged in the Cold War against the Soviet Union. The Kryptonian pod that had originally crash-landed in Kansas, Smallville, has instead, landed in Ukraine. The Kryptonian boy from the pod has grown up to be his usual powerful self but with socialist ideals. He fights for Soviet Russia and is Joseph Stalin’s, right-hand man. However, his ideas transcend the boundaries of only helping his country as Superman is willing to help anyone who is in need, irrespective of whether them being Russian or not.
Meanwhile, America’s mad scientist Lex Luthor worked himself to death (not literally) in order to destroy Superman. And he found quite the pleasure in doing so. Back in Russia, the USSR is also working on their connections with Themyscira, which brings Princess Diana, also known as Wonder Woman, into the picture. With both Superman and Wonder Woman working together, the USSR was practically unbeatable.
Stalin’s illegitimate son, Pyotr Roslov, was terribly jealous of Superman and the fact that his father favored an alien over his own son, which would inadvertently prevent his advancement within the political sphere of the country. He hated how Superman’s presence had changed the power structure of the USSR.
The press in the country was also severely restricted. So much so that when a couple printed anti-Superman propaganda, Pyotr was forced to kill them in front of their own son (sound familiar?). In fact, after inflicting the little boy with tremendous pain, he couldn’t get over the resolve and patience that he saw in that boy’s eyes. Some believed that the boy later drowned himself in the Moscow River while others said that he relocated to the sewers and swore revenge on the government.
Right after this, the comics show us an all too familiar visual. The one where a young boy in despair is surrounded by bats flying all around him.
Stalin dies soon after, following a secret cyanide poisoning by Pyotr himself (which the people do not find out about), and Superman has to take over the Soviet Union. He was never interested in politics but following an incident where he witnesses his childhood crush, her children, and other citizens standing in queues for scraps of food, his viewpoint changes. Superman decides to become the country’s leader and turn it into a Utopian place where no one has to suffer.
With his powers and abilities, Superman is able to achieve his goal. His super hearing and super speed were the reasons why he was always aware of any major trouble and would always reach there in time to be of rescue.
By the time it is the 1970s, every country in the world, barring the capitalist USA and Chile (both at the brink of fiscal collapse), become a part of the Soviets. Lex Luthor’s attempts to assassinate Superman have failed constantly. At the same time, there’s a growing rebellion against the strict Soviet government regime within Russia itself. Namely, the rebellion led by Batman. And Luthor wasn’t the type of guy who would let that opportunity go to waste.
Batman is Soviet Russia’s most wanted man now and heads an anarchist terrorist network that is staunchly against Superman. The terrorists believe that Superman’s actions work less in the favor of the public and more in the favor of keeping them oppressed and loyal to the regime. This, clubbed with the restrictions in the freedom of speech and expression has done well to polarize certain people against Superman and his regime. Batman blows up a museum but manages to escape the country’s military. And Superman doesn’t intercept him either.
No matter how many miracles Superman is capable of, he has always failed to capture Batman. And this hasn’t gone unnoticed. Some even believed that Batman was the ghost of the murdered dissidents in Russia as he never seemed to die and what mere mortal could even rival Superman?
Batman allies himself with Lexcorp and the killer of his parents, Pyotr. He knows that Pyotr wants Superman out of the picture and he knows that this is the man who killed his parents. However, Batman primarily wants revenge against the system that caused his misery (but it is not that he is opposed to taking Pyotr out as it is very much something he still wants to do). He has access to some of the most high-tech gadgets of his time. His residences are also coated with lead as it prevents Superman’s super-hearing from accessing his conversations.
Anyway, on Superman Day, Batman executes his plan. For a fireworks show where the fireworks would create the Soviet Superman’s emblem in the sky, the fireworks create the Bat-Signal instead. Meanwhile, Superman was also worried about Wonder Woman’s absence from the party. On seeing the Bat’s emblem, he immediately rushes to find Batman. A really cool scene follows this, which we will get into when we talk about the animated movie based on these comics. So rest assured.
But anyway, Batman ended up dying after this exchange and was considered to be martyred by the ones who believed in him. The Bat symbol became an emblem for the anti-government anarchists in Russia and was taken up as a mantle by others. So after the fall of Superman’s collectivist regime, the Batmen took to the streets and took control of Russia.
Interesting Story Of Russian Batman In Superman: Red Son (2020)
The 2020 animated film Superman: Red Son, follows Mark Millar’s comic miniseries to a large extent. However, it does stray from the original story for bits and pieces. And with reference to Batmankoff or the Russian Batman, the movie lays down the foundation for his story by depicting how terribly the people were treated in the gulags of Stalin’s Soviet Union.
In the movie, Superman first appears as a boy who was being chased by his bullies. When a girl named Svetlana tries to help him, he tells her about how he is really trying to protect them from his powers. Svetlana, on seeing his abilities, suggests him to use his powers for his country, which sets the upcoming events into motion.
In the 1950s, Superman is a prominent hero in Stalin’s Soviet Russia. After an incident with a satellite crash staged by the American scientist Lex Luthor, Superman secures an interview with the American journalist Lois Lane. And from her, he gains access to a top secret document which leads him to a secret gulag.
He was unaware of its existence as the gulag was protected by lead. Superman stormed the place, and saw how horribly the people were treated as they took part in rigorous labour on the regular. Around this time, he came across a nine year old orphaned boy. The boy looked Superman straight in the eye and said, “They say you can hear a leaf fall a thousand miles away, and you never heard our cries?” Well, he didn’t know about the lead protection thing but it was a monumental dialogue nonetheless. With the succeeding shot with the bats, it is clear who this boy is.
Anyway, Superman finds a dying Svetlana in the gulag, who was captured since she knew of his real identity. Following her death, Superman killed Stalin to take over Soviet Russia and rule in a way he considered to be the right way. Time goes on and the orphaned boy grows up to become the terrorist known as Batman. He blames Superman for the death of his family and as a result, stands against him.
The museum scene from the comic is brought to life. As a woman in the Superman museum explains how Superman’s actions have turned Karl Marx’s envisioned world into a reality where everyone is equal, Batman crashes the party with his speech about bringing chaos by blowing Superman’s system apart. The museum soon explodes and Batman hijacks one of the aircrafts of the Russian military. He uses it to take the others down and escapes the gun firings of the cops. And he does it all without Superman being able to interfere.
Later, he captures Wonder Woman and binds her with her own Lasso of Truth. With her hands bound, she is unable to use her powers and with Batman holding the Lasso that binds her, she has no choice but to be obedient to him. He uses it as bait to lure Superman into his trap and it works. When Superman arrives, Batman once again breaks out into a flurry of top notch dialogues. “You’ve always underestimate the greatest weapon of all, the human mind”. Imagine being badass enough to face a God because you are smart enough to take him down.
Batman also reveals that he has attached a bomb to his own heart. Superman finds it funny how that can stop him but then Batman reveals his real weapon. He projects the red light from multiple red sun lamps towards Superman. Superman thinks that all it can do is give him a heat rash in a thousand years when Batman rushes towards him and brings out blood from his face with a single punch.
Superman is shocked as this is a first. Batman explains how he got the lamps from Lex Luthor, the American scientist who specializes in doing the impossible. With Superman’s strength neutralized from solar radiation that mimics the radiation of his home planet, he falls prey to Batman’s superior combat technique. The Bat beats the Man of Steel into a pulp and drags him to a cellar, hoping to imprison him there forever. And with the lamps running, he would never be able to escape.
However, Wonder Woman comes to the rescue as she goes through great pain to destroy the Lasso and removes the generator that powers the lamps. Superman is powered once again and Batman is not the type to allow himself to get lobotomized. And so, he detonates the bomb that was within him and dies. And he also lets Superman know that Roslov was the one that had betrayed him by joining hands with Batman.
The story for this series primarily revolve around Superman so there’s more focus in his antics over that of Batman. However, Batman’s rebellious presence adds that much needed spice to the story.
And with that, today’s video comes to an end. What did you think of the Russian Batman? Did you enjoy this video? If yes, then don’t forget to like and comment on this video. Till then, goodbye. And have a nice one!