Bat-Mite

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caption =Bat-Mite. Art by Ed McGuinness.
character_name =Bat-Mite
publisher =DC Comics
debut ="Detective Comics" #267 (May 1959)
creators =
full_name =
species = Imp
homeworld = the Mite Dimension (possibly analogue to the 5th dimension, though never confirmed)
alliances =
aliases =
supports=Batman
powers = Not bound by third-dimensional laws, can perform nearly any feat using what either is or appears to be magic, essentially omnipotent.

Bat-Mite is a character appearing in stories published by DC Comics. Bat-Mite is an Imp similar to the Superman villain Mister Mxyzptlk. Appearing as a small childlike man in an ill-fitting costume, Bat-Mite possesses near-infinite magical powers and comes from another dimension. Bat-Mite idolizes Batman, and thus he has visited Batman on various occasions, often setting up strange events so that he could see his hero in action. Bat-Mite is more of a nuisance than a supervillain, and often leaves his hero alone when he realizes he has angered his idol.Citation | last = Beatty | first = Scott | author-link = Scott Beatty | contribution = Bat-Mite | editor-last = Dougall | editor-first = Alastair | title = The DC Comics Encyclopedia | pages = 39 | publisher = Dorling Kindersley | place = London | year = 2008 | ISBN = 0-7566-4119-5]

Character history

Pre-Crisis

Bat-Mite regularly appeared in "Batman", "Detective Comics", and "World's Finest Comics" for five years. Bat-Mite and Mr. Mxyzptlk teamed up four times in the pages of "World's Finest Comics" to plague Superman and Batman together, as well. However in 1964, when the Batman titles were revamped under new editor Julius Schwartz, Bat-Mite vanished along with the other extraneous members of the Batman family such as Ace the Bat-Hound. After this, only three more Bat-Mite stories were published in the pre-"Crisis" DC Universe: two Bat-Mite/Mr. Mxyzptlk teamups in "World's Finest Comics" #152 (August 1965) and #169 (September 1967) (which were not edited by Schwartz but by Mort Weisinger), and "Bat-Mite's New York Adventure" from "Detective Comics" #482 (February–March 1979), in which the imp visits the DC Comics offices and insists that he be given his own feature in a Batman comic. This story featured protestors with picket signs shouting "We want Bat-Mite!" outside the Tishman Building (where DC's editorial offices were located at the time), and was accompanied by an editorial comment that this story was published specifically to acknowledge the actual requests of fans for this character's revival.

Later Bat-Mite appeared in a one-page story in the 200th issue of "The Brave and the Bold".

Post-Crisis

After the continuity-changing 1985 limited series "Crisis on Infinite Earths" was published, Bat-Mite was mostly removed from the Batman comics canon. Bat-Mite made an appearance in the series "Legends of the Dark Knight", although he may have been the hallucination of a drug-addled criminal named Bob Overdog. This version of Bat-Mite later appeared in "Mitefall", a one-shot book which was a parody of the "" Batman storyline (with Overdog in the Jean-Paul Valley role). In #6 of the 1999 "World's Finest" miniseries, Mr. Mxyzptlk encountered Bat-Mite, shortly after being mistaken for him by Overdog. While in this story the post-Crisis Bat-Mite encountered Batman for the first time, Superman and Batman subsequently concluded that Mxyzptlk had created him, inspired by Overdog's ravings.

Bat-Mite also appeared in the 2000 one-shot Elseworlds comic special ', in which he battles Mr. Mxyzptlk, destroying the pre-Crisis multiverse and the Post-Crisis Universe of DC Comics, as well as the Elseworlds of "Kingdom Come", ', and the DC animated universe. Despite being an Elseworlds story itself, it is not clear whether "World's Funnest" is in continuity.

Apart from "World's Funnest", there has been no direct connection between Bat-Mite and Mr. Mxyzptlk. In the "Bizarro Comics" anthology, Mxyzptlk's native 5th Dimension seemed to include beings similar to Bat-Mite and Johnny Thunder's Thunderbolt. Neither of these comics are considered canonical; however, in a JLA/JSA crossover in "JLA" and in "JSA" #78–80 it was revealed that both Mxyzptlk and Thunderbolt come from the 5th Dimension. Letter columns and writer interviews indicate that Bat-Mite comes from there as well, although this has never been shown thus far in the comic stories themselves.

In the post-Crisis issue "Superman/Batman" #25, it was revealed that the Joker had gained Fifth Dimensional powers by maintaining the essence of Mr. Mxyzptlk from the earlier "Emperor Joker" storyline; at the end, Bizarro was able to extract this latent magical essence from the Joker, which manifested in a form recognizable as Bat-Mite. As such, a Bat-Mite has been fully reestablished into the current continuity as an outgrowth of Mr. Mxyzptlk incubated within the Joker.

The first Post-Infinite Crisis appearance of Bat-Mite was in "Batman" #672, written by Grant Morrison. Batman is confronted with Bat-Mite (or "Might") after being shot in the chest and suffering a heart attack. Might, who bears a green insectoid creature on his back, claims to have come from "Space B at the Fivefold Expansion of Zrfff" ("Batman" #674) (At times Zrfff has been used as the name of Mr. Mxyzptlk's home dimension). Only Batman sees him. As Batman is having an increasingly difficult time keeping his grip on reality during this period, it is possible that Might is a mental delusion.

In Batman #678, Might reappears at 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", a delusional personality manufactured by Bruce himself to keep Batman able to fight in case he was mindwiped, or driven to insanity. 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.

In "Superman/Batman" #52, Bat-Mite appears having had a bet with Mr. Mxyzptlk similar to that of "World's Funnest". This Bat-Mite appears to have an admiration of Batman and Batman addresses him with familiarity.

Alternate versions

In Frank Miller's "", Bat-Mite is one of the co-founders of 'The First Church of the Last Son of Krypton', a Lunatic Fringe dedicated to worshiping Superman as God. In defense of his beliefs, this Bat-Mite proclaims: "So, you're saying your guy can walk on water and heal the sick, and you're calling "us" crazy?"

In "", he appears in 1959, along with Mister Mxyzptlk. The two imps are testing Batman and Superman, each trying to prove that their hero is the greatest. They are doing so in order for two aliens to take the greatest hero to the other side of the universe to save their planet (Bat-Mite is doing so because he truly wants to help, Mxy is doing so merely because it would take Superman centuries to return from the other side of the universe). However, each one must test the other's hero, so Mxy tests Batman, and vice-versa. After a huge battle, the aliens decide to take Bat-Mite and Mxy back to their planet.

In "", the name Bat-Mite is used on a possible costume design sketched by a young Dick Grayson, as he tries to come up with a secret identity to fight alongside Batman.

In other media

"The New Adventures of Batman"

Bat-Mite was a regular character of the 1977 Filmation animated series "The New Adventures of Batman", where he was depicted as a well meaning magical fan of the superhero. As such, he tried to help Batman even though he usually complicated matters. One episode featured his home planet, called Ergo, as well as a villain of Bat-Mite's species named Zarbor. He also has a crush on Batgirl. Bat-Mite was voiced by Lou Scheimer and is seen by some as a prototype for the later Orko in "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe".

"Batman: The Animated Series"

An animatronic Bat-Mite briefly appeared in the "Deep Freeze" episode of "", in which Bat-Mite enthusiastically greeted Batman, saying, "Greetings, Dynamic Duo! I'm your biggest fan!" before kissing Robin, who was shocked. It then malfunctions and falls apart, stuttering "I just wanna help!" as it does so. He was voiced by Pat Fraley. In the background, an animatronic Mister Mxyzptlk, Streaky the Supercat, and Krypto the Superdog can also be seen.

"Teen Titans" (TV series)

One episode of the animated series "Teen Titans" had the appearance of a very similar character named "Nosyarg Kcid" ("Dick Grayson" spelled backwards) but whom the characters rename Larry for ease. In this episode, "Larry" idolized Robin rather than Batman. He also claims to be his dimension's incarnation of Robin (hence the name, and L(left) emblem versus (R)ight), and they are proven to be genetically identical, thus indicating the identity of Robin as Dick Grayson.

He appeared in "Teen Titans Go!" #36, where he tries to make every Titan in love with a companion he chose with a toy. He "borrows" a cupid friend of Wonder Girl's arrows and wings to make each member in love. The shot heroes were Speedy, Cheshire, Wildebeest, and others. Only Beast Boy, Robin,Starfire, Raven, Cyborg and Pantha survived.

"Batman: The Brave and the Bold"

Bat-Mite will appear in the upcoming animated series "".

References