Batman of Zur-En-Arrh

The Batman of Zur-En-Arrh is fictional character in the DC Comics universe. The character first appeared in in France Herron's 1958 story "Batman - The Superman of Planet-X", which was featured in Batman #113. In this story, the character is an alien named Tlano from the planet "Zur-En-Arrh".

In 2008, writer Grant Morrison resurrected the concept, this time as a backup personality of Bruce Wayne. The persona was stored in Bruce's subconscious in the event that his mind was overwhelmed by psychological trauma. It surfaced in Batman: R.I.P. #678, shortly before Wayne's apparent death. This version was psychotic, seeing images of Bat-Mite (called "Might") and other apparitions.

Origin
Zur-En-Arrh was first used as the name of a planet in France Herron's 1958 story Batman - The Superman of Planet-X featured in Batman #113. In the story, a Batman from Zur-En-Arrh brings what would become Earth-One Batman to his planet to help him battle robots. While on the planet, Earth's Batman found he had "Superman-like" powers.

Resurrection
When Grant Morrison took over the Batman series in September 2006, he immediately began referencing classic moments from the character's career, including utilizing a version of Bat-Mite and reusing a costume and dialogue from the then fifty year old Batman 156. Among the references was the Zur En Arrh phrase, which appeared very nearly covering an alley and again on a dumpster in Batman 655 and continued to appear, usually as a background element graffiti, until the Batman R.I.P. story arc began, at which point it was brought to the forefront. The persona was reimagined as a delusional personality manufactured by Bruce himself to keep Batman able to fight in case he was mindwiped, or driven to insanity. He was intended to be a parody of Frank Miller's grim and gritty Batman.

Golden Age
One night, Bruce Wayne finds himself in a daze. He dresses as Batman and takes off in the Batplane while remaining unclear of his own actions. He soon finds that he has been teleported to another planet, Zur-En-Arrh. There he meets a scientist named Tlano who has been monitoring his activities on Earth, and has decided to become a version of Batman for his own planet. On this planet, the Batman of Earth has enhanced abilities due to the different elements of the alien planet. The two Batmen join forces to defeat invading robots.

Modern Age
In the past, the psychiatrist Doctor Simon Hurt was hired by Batman to oversee an isolation experiment. During this process, he gave Bruce Wayne a post-hypnotic trigger connected the phrase "Zur-En-Arrh". Many years later, Doctor Hurt was working with the Black Glove when they decided to target Batman and his allies, first spreading information to the effect that Batman's father somehow survived his murder by Joe Chill. Then, using the Zur-En-Arrh trigger, in conjunction with drugs, he sent a dazed and confused Bruce Wayne onto the streets of Gotham with no memory of his life. In Batman #678, "Might" appears on the last page, commenting, "uh-oh" to Batman's increasing delusions. He then, throughout the whole Batman R.I.P. series, appears to counsel the Batman of Zur En Arrh. Batman #680 reveals that Might is indeed a product of Batman's imagination, being Batman's rationale, although he comments that he is from the 5th dimension because the fifth dimension is imagination.

Costume
The costumes of the two incarnations of the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh are the same, consisting of gaudy, outlandish colours. In the modern continuity, the crazed Bruce Wayne comments that despite the ostentatiousness of the costume, Robin had dressed this way for years.

Skills, abilities and resources
Tlano possessed much high-tech equipment, owing to his residence on a futuristic planet. His version of the Batmobile had an "atomic-powered" motor, and he flew a rocket-shaped Batplane. His main device was the "Bat-radia", with which he could "jam atmospheric molecules", affecting the equipment of his enemies. At the end of the story, Tlano leaves Bruce with the device.

The Bruce Wayne incarnation also possesses a Bat-radia. This may or may not reflect a continuity between the two stories, as Grant Morrison has made efforts to treat Batman's entire publication history as his backstory. This version of the device scrambled security systems, for instance overriding and confusing Arkham Asylum's.