Bruce Wayne, Part-time Mage

Prince Charon

Well-Known Member
#1
Well, sort of.

Somewhere on his training journey, young Bruce encounters magic, and realizes that he'll need to understand it, just in case (or maybe a seer tells him that he will eventually face demons and sorcerers). So, he spends around a year apprenticed to John Constantine, or someone similar: someone who can impart magical skills with which intelligence, cunning, and knowledge are more important than raw power.

Powerwise, he and his apprentices are very well trained normal DCU humans, as per the standard timeline, just with more esoteric skills (canonically, any DCU human can learn and use magic, but not many can become very powerful). They use magic sparingly, only resorting to it when they really need it, but usually have some charms, spell components, et cetra, on them, just in case.

Whether the Bat-Man comes into existence or not, or has any connection to Bruce, is up to the author.

So, any takers?
 

pacifist

Well-Known Member
#2
As I recall Batman currently knows a magical Eskimo healing song and has a Native American spirit dog named Ace. Although it appears to have been forgotten by the writers.

Constantines magic is defined as being less than helpful to him or anyone he tries to help. The phrase "I'll exorcise your demons even if it takes every last drop of your blood." comes to mind. He'll usually win but the price is equal to the magic or greater.

I could see Batman learning magic or collecting some magical items as a equalizing Tower of Babel style response to JLA level superpowers.
 

ragnarok1337

Well-Known Member
#3
Well, to do a necro myself, I think he would do better learning from Harry Dresden. Possibly along with Molly. After all, Dresden often goes up against guys FAR out of his weight class, and comes out on top. His feats include fighting a necromancer by reanimating a T-rex and riding it through the streets of Chicago, Killing himself then being resuscitated so him and his ghost could beat the bad guy, outsmarting a Fallen Angel, who is one of the most powerful beings out there...the list goes on and on. A bit to snarky for Bruce's taste, but someone Bruce could relate to, fighting guys outside his pay grade and winning.
 

sworded

Well-Known Member
#5
I'd go with and expand on the examples shown in the <a href='http://www.dccomics.com/dcu/comics/?cm=19607' target='_blank' rel='nofollow'>Sorcerer Kings</a> storyline-magic item filled utillity belt with something for just about every occasion. Maybe have the belt poches expanded like some version of a bag of holding.
 

Tsukino_kage

Well-Known Member
#6
If you include the animated series, it shows there that Batman has a good working knowledge of magic, specifically, curse breaking. Not a drop of magical power though.

I think comics is the same.
 

Prince Charon

Well-Known Member
#7
A Curious Stranger said:
Harry: Alright so the first lesson is-

Bruce: That's a gun. *walks away*
Yeah, pretty much.

sworded said:
I'd go with and expand on the examples shown in the <a href='http://www.dccomics.com/dcu/comics/?cm=19607' target='_blank' rel='nofollow'>Sorcerer Kings</a> storyline-magic item filled utillity belt with something for just about every occasion. Maybe have the belt poches expanded like some version of a bag of holding.
Hmm, I need to read that, sometime.

Tsukino_kage said:
If you include the animated series, it shows there that Batman has a good working knowledge of magic, specifically, curse breaking. Not a drop of magical power though.

I think comics is the same.
The comics vary by who's writing it. Also, which animated series did you mean?
 

pacifist

Well-Known Member
#8
I believe he's referring to WW being changed into a pig. So it would be the JLA.
His knowledge boiled down to all magic has a price. However he knows Jason Blood as well as several other mages.

As to him not having a drop of magical power I'd say he simply hasn't explored it on purpose. If he's genre savvy he knows learning magic would simply attract magical supervillians to gotham.

EDIT:
genre savvy
Damn it I've been spending too much time at tvtropes.
 

zeebee1

Well-Known Member
#9
If Bruce walked away from anyone with a potentially lethal weapon he'd be stuck with accountants. He throws sharp metal boomerangs and taught a girl with a sword. Plus most of the members of the JLA have lethal powers that don't require bullets. Nor are all guns loaded with lethal ammo.
 

Prince Charon

Well-Known Member
#10
zeebee1 said:
If Bruce walked away from anyone with a potentially lethal weapon he'd be stuck with accountants. He throws sharp metal boomerangs and taught a girl with a sword. Plus most of the members of the JLA have lethal powers that don't require bullets. Nor are all guns loaded with lethal ammo.
... and yet, he does freak out over guns, specifically. Sure, it depends on the writer, but that's one of his more consistent traits.
 

pacifist

Well-Known Member
#11
Have to disagree. Commissioner Gordan.

He doesn't like them, yes. Because of his parents but also because they make murder much easier.

Not to mention learning under shiva a professional assassin. Sent Tim to learn under her as well.
 
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