Over the past several years it has become commonplace to bash Batman. However, this series of articles are not here for that. This is a love letter to his origins, his methods, and his endurability. And in a world consumed by flash over substance, his background is now more important than ever.
Let’s start with his oldest ancestor, Lord Percy, aka The Scarlet Pimpernel. The first in a series of historical fiction novels by Baroness Orczy in 1905, this hero’s story is regarded as the birth of many of the vigilante tropes we now take for granted.
First things first, we may not think of the sword or sword cane as a signature weapon, but in the early 1900s, not many literary heroes had a weapon that was emphasized as the wielder’s choice of gear. In today’s culture, we easily identify certain heroes with batarangs or star-spangled shields but back then, it was not a literary device.
Secondly, the secret identity. The Scarlet Pimpernel was a man of daring, action, and quick-witted tactics. His alter ego, Sir Percy Blakeney is a fop obsessed with parlor wit, parties, and fashion. The Scarlet Pimpernel is a master of disguise, escape artistry and the sword. Sir Percy is a master of aristocratic flirting, the latest waltzes, and boredom. If any of this sounds familiar, you thank the Baroness, because playboy billionaire Bruce Wayne would not have been realized if not for Sir Percy.
Next, befuddling his opponents. Yes, although we have come to take for granted a masked avenger outthinking the bad guys, it was The Scarlet Pimpernel who set the bar. Whether it be his mastery of disguise, escape and evasion techniques, or confusing opponents that went after his civilian identity, The Scarlet Pimpernel was a master of confusion. Whether disarming his fellow aristocrats with his foppish wit at society events or escaping the traps of the architects of The Reign of Terror.
The foundation laid by The Scarlet Pimpernel is on which most of the masked adventurer genre has been built. Without Baroness Orczy creating the Scarlet Pimpernel and the series of novels where his adventures have taken place, the supheroes themselves may not have existed. Don’t believe me, well here’s Stan Lee to straighten you all out.
“The Scarlet Pimpernel was the first superhero I had read about,” he once said, “the first character who could be called a superhero.”-
-Stan lee https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/mar/09/batman-wonder-woman-black-widow-worlds-first-superhero-scarlet-pimpernel-orczy#
In a modern world full of identity politics and social media filters, it’s easy to understand why a little window dressing and some attitude could conceal the identity of the first masked vigilante. Also, as this was written about the French Revolution during the Reign of Terror it’s easy to see how political unrest and division can be part of the hero’s backstory. (The Reeves/Pattinson Batman or the Nolan Dark Knight Trilogy? Anyone?)
TO further show the connections between The Scarlet Pimpernel and The Batman, let’s take a look at a Batman: The Animated series reunion panel at a past Greater Austin Comic Con. During the panel, starting at the 28:35 minute mark, the late Kevin Conroy shares his inspiration for the voices of Batman and Bruce Wayne.
And to bring the circle closed from The Scarlet Pimpernel to The Batman, during the ’90s Elseworld’s craze, DC Comics published a tale where The Batman stood in for The Pimpernel and fought against this realities version of Two-Face to rescue those headed for the guillotine.
Written by Mike W. Barr, with rich artwork by José Luis García-López, this unique adventure is best summed up by the DC Fandom wiki’s synopsis:
Captain Bruce Wayne becomes the rogue masked defender of the innocent by night, battling the very revolution he defends by day. This sweeping adventure pits a dashing Dark Knight against the war-scarred political mastermind Herve Deinte and the world’s most frightening weapon: The Blade of Death!
With this return to his roots, this is a graphic novel the Baroness herself would be proud of. For our next ancestor of the Bat, we shall take a look at The Fox, Don Diego de la Vega, aka Zorro.