It might seem like one of the best-kept secrets in the DC universe is that Bruce Wayne is really the caped crusader known as Batman. However, the truth is that way too many people know who’s really behind the cowl of the bat, which also includes some of the Dark Knight’s greatest enemies.
While there are many ways to uncover a hero’s secret identity, nothing beats a physical unmasking by an enemy which has happened quite a few times over the last eight decades of comic storylines. There are several memorable unmaskings of Batman by DC villains, however, they almost never actually revealed his true identity.
10 The Penguin Unmasked Batman To Find Him “Disguised” As Bruce Wayne
Bill Finger and Dick Sprang featured a classic unmasking of Batman in “The Mystery of the Winged People” from Batman #61 which saw The Penguin escape from prison to use mechanical wings in order to help with his heists while he also planned to force Batman to reveal his secret identity.
Batman deduces their plan ahead of time so that when The Penguin actually unmasked Batman to reveal Bruce Wayne’s face, he also discovered pre-applied makeup that made it seem like Batman was wearing a disguise under his mask in order to fool The Penguin.
9 The Joker Unmasked Batman- Though He Wasn’t Able To See His True Face
While modern versions of The Joker have learned Batman’s secret identity and either chosen not to care about it or exploit the information, the Pre-Crisis version of the character attempted to find out his secret identity quite a few times and appeared to succeed in Bill Finger and Sheldon Moldoff’s “The Joker’s Greatest Triumph” from Batman #148.
When Batman was dazed during a battle with The Joker that ended in a helicopter crash, he was unmasked by his enemy who proceeded to blackmail the Dynamic Duo with the information unless he was set free. However, it was eventually revealed that The Joker had been blinded by a beacon light and didn’t actually see Batman’s true face.
8 The Secret Society Took Over The League’s Bodies And Unmasked The Heroes
The Wizard and his Secret Society of Super-Villains attacked the Justice League’s satellite in Justice League of America #166 by Gerry Conway and Dick Dillin, which resulted in the villains switching bodies with members of the League thanks to a mystical statue, with Batman’s body taken over by Blockbuster.
While the League was eventually able to cast a spell and return to their original bodies, it was later revealed in Identity Crisis that the Secret Society had unmasked the heroes and even taken pictures, forcing the League to use Zatanna’s ability to mindwipe the Secret Society.
7 Talia Al Ghul Unmasked Him While Tending His Wounds After A Battle With Ra’s Al Ghul
One of Batman’s greatest enemies is Ra’s al Ghul, who was able to track down Batman and learn his secret identity by following the money trail. Ra’s al Ghul hoped to find a worthy heir for his criminal empire and a husband for his daughter, Talia al Ghul. Talia has since become a deadly villain in her own right, though when she first met Batman it was as a possible romantic suitor.
She unmasked Batman in order to mend his wounds after his battle with the League of Assassins in Dennis O’Neil and Bob Brown’s Detective Comics #411, kicking off a long history between the two that would eventually see the birth of Damian Wayne.
6 A Gang Of Thugs Unmasked A Disguised Batman After He Was Knocked Out
It isn’t always Batman’s rogues’ gallery that has managed to catch him without his mask on, as a gang of thugs that he was investigating once managed to peek under his mask after he was knocked out by a falling fire escape in Frank Robbins and Bob Brown’s Detective Comics #430, causing temporary amnesia.
The gang unmasked Batman only to find an accomplice of theirs underneath the mask, which also surprised Batman when he awoke to discover he had the face of a criminal. Batman eventually realized that he had gone undercover with the gang before he was knocked out and was thankfully still wearing his disguise under the mask.
5 Hugo Strange Confirmed His Suspicions When He Caught Batman Without His Mask
After an encounter with Doctor Phosphorus left Batman suffering from radiation sickness, he checked himself into a treatment facility that was unknowingly run by Professor Hugo Strange, a psychiatrist who had become obsessed with Batman. While Strange had his suspicions about Batman’s true identity, he was able to unmask the vigilante after drugging him.
Strange then took over Bruce Wayne’s identity and became the Batman while he attempted to sell his secret identity to the highest bidder. However, Strange was kidnapped and tortured for the information, though his refusal to part with his valuable secret seemed to cost him his life (he would later return, of course).
4 Bane Realized Batman And Bruce Wayne Were The Same By Watching Him
Chuck Dixon’s Knightfall introduced Bane to Gotham City for the first time, where he set his sights on taking the city from Batman. He began to study his opponent and was able to deduce that Bruce Wayne was Batman the very first time he saw the hero without his costume.
While it wasn’t quite a physical unmasking, Bane still revealed Batman’s secret identity to his gang and later used the information to bring the fight to Bruce Wayne’s doorstep where he confronted the unmasked Batman before violently breaking his back.
3 Riddler Solved His Greatest Puzzle And Sold Batman’s Identity To Hush
Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee’s “Hush” storyline that launched in Batman #608 introduced a new threat in the form of Bruce Wayne’s childhood friend Dr. Tommy Elliot/Hush. However, one of the biggest reveals of the storyline was the fact that he not only knew Batman’s secret identity, but he also gained the knowledge from The Riddler.
Edward Nygma later revealed to Batman that he figured out his identity after a dip in a Lazarus Pit, though Batman made him realize that sharing the secret made the information worthless and Riddler kept it to himself.
2 Jason Todd Unmasked Batman Before Revealing Himself As Red Hood
While Jason Todd is better recognized as an anti-hero who occasionally works alongside the Batman Family, when he first reappeared as Red Hood he placed himself against Batman as he tried to take over the criminal underworld.
Batman had his suspicions about Red Hood‘s real identity, though it was only during a rooftop battle that he learned the truth. Red Hood first sliced Batman’s cowl before ripping it off his head and unmasking him. He then removed his own helmet to reveal the Dark Knight’s former partner Robin, back from the dead.
1 Cluemaster Unmasked A Captive Batman Before He Was Killed During Batman Eternal
Arthur Brown is the second-rate Riddler known as the Cluemaster who never quite made a name for himself in Gotham City, though he reached a new level of villainy during the weekly Batman Eternal storyline when he began working with Hush.
Cluemaster was able to surprise Batman and knocked him out with electricity before stringing him up on his own bat signal. Cluemaster then unmasked Batman and was about to shoot him when Lincoln March/Owlman shot Cluemaster instead, revealing his own hand in the events.
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