Zur-En-Arrh!

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I’m better than Bruce. He created me, within our mind. A backup version of Batman, stripped free of “Bruce Wayne.” I’m our protection against psychological attacks.

-Zur-En-Arrh (Batman #127)

Universe: DC
First Appearance: Batman #113 (1958)
Created by: Bill Finger

If you thought Batman who Laughs and his fellow dark universe’s Batmen were evil. Then it’s time you learned about a very dangerous one on the main timestream itself.

Once thought to be an alien Batman, Batman of Zur-En-Arrh, is later revealed to be an alternate berserk backup personality of Bruce Wayne. But in the main continuity, he’s more than just a personality or a thought.

A Knight Not-To-Be-Messed With

Batman #113 (Feb 1958) featured the first appearance of this version in the story ‘Batman: The Superman of Planet-X!’. A story written by France Herron and drawn by Dick Sprang. In this, Tlano, the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh, takes the help of the Earth’s Batman to fight an unidentified alien race. On Zur-En-Arrh, Bruce discovers that he has powers similar to that of Superman of Earth. But the climax leaves it ambiguous whether this adventure was real or just a strange dream.

Batman: R.I.P. story arc that ran through Batman #676-681 had a revelation that the ‘Zur-En-Arrh’ as a backup persona created by Bruce Wayne if he was mentally compromised ever. This persona was berserk dressed in red, yellow, and purple just like Tlano wore in Batman #113.

This Zur-En-Arrh is a young Bruce Wayne’s mishearing of his father Thomas Wayne’s last words ‘…someone like Zorro in Arkham.’ Using the Zur-En-Arrh trigger along with drugs, Dr. Hurt releases confused Bruce Wayne out on the streets of Gotham with no memory of his life. Bruce later assembles a makeshift Batman costume and calls himself “the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh”.

The red-yellow-purple-colored costume signifies boosted confidence with a willingness to go to any extent to achieve his goal, and won’t hesitate to kill his opponent if need be. The Zur-En-Arrh Batman describes himself as the Batman, one gets when Bruce is taken out of the equation, which means that humanity is stripped off from Zur.

In Dawn of DC, Chip Zdarsky—the new Batman writer, reintroduced the Zur-En-Arrh persona as the one who creates Failsafe, a contingency plan should Bruce fall. Bruce’s struggle with the violent berserker Zur persona and its consequences projects throughout.

We learn that when Professor Achilles Milo, a Batman villain poisoned Batman’s mind causing him to experience his fears Batman created Zur to prevent his mind from getting hijacked. when a villain named Professor Achilles Milo poisoned his mind and caused him to experience his fears. And, in order to prevent his mind from getting hijacked, Bruce used a machine to create this personality. But knowing its violent berserk nature Bruce with the help of the machine locks the Zur personality, after it nearly killed Joker, making sure that it does not happen ever again.

Zur has implanted his consciousness in Failsafe. Zur lacks Bruce Wayne’s morality and personality. He takes down Batman’s friends, allies, and even his city. Zur personality is a dangerous personality who created a machine that absorbs the other Zur-En-Arrh personalities into his mind as it was revealed as aforementioned that it was he who created Failsafe. He has defeated Bruce and has him imprisoned in Blackgate Penitentiary, the same place where Joker is after he broke his back. Zur is an existential threat that Bruce can never reconcile.

Zur in Failsafe body is taking this to the next level by joining hands with Amanda Waller and Brainiac Queen as the Trinity of Evil in the upcoming event Absolute Power.

Outside Comics

Animation

In Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode “The Super-Batman of Planet X!” (2010) the Silver-Age version of the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh appears.
In the episode “Night of the Batmen!” (2011), Batman of Zur-En-Arrh makes a cameo appearance along with other alternate versions of Batman.
In Batman: Death in the Family (2020), an interactive film, a possible scenario sees Batman transformed into Batman of Zur-En-Arrh after his death and resurrection by Talia.

Games

In LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham (2014), a video game, Batman of Zur-En-Arrh is a playable character.
In Batman: Arkham Knight (2015), a video game, Batman of Zur-En-Arrh is a playable skin.
In Doodle Jump: DC Super Heroes (2015), Batman of Zur-En-Arrh appears as an unlockable alternate costume for Batman.
In Injustice 2 (2017), two unlockable shaders are present based on Batman of Zur-En-Arrh, “Zur-En-Arrh” and “Zur-En-Arrh (Alternative)”.
In Gotham Knights (2022), Zur-En-Arrh suits for Dick Grayson, Barbara Gordon, Jason Todd, and Tim Drake appear.