In the country of Santa Prisca, Bane was condemned to prison since birth to fill out his dead father's sentence. His mother was killed and his nightmares were haunted by a bat-like creature. Over the following years, Bane built up both his mind and body, becoming Batman's mental and physical equal. Volunteering for an experimental drug called Venom, Bane's already-impressive physical condition was enhanced greatly. The Venom, particularly in overdose, granted him incredible strength, healing and resistance to damage, to the point of rendering him bulletproof. When he arrived in Gotham City, Bane discovered Batman's identity as Bruce Wayne. He then blew a hole in the side of Arkham Asylum, forcing the dark knight to face a gauntlet of all his greatest enemies. With Batman worn out, Bane attacked him in the Batcave and broke his back, because he wanted Batman to suffer in his defeat instead of killing him. This is when Bane became known as "The Man Who Broke the Bat". However, Bruce survived and returned to the mantle of the Batman after a recovery time when he was replaced by Azrael, and he and Bane have since become regular enemies. After a while, Bane kicked his dependence on the Venom. Just like Batman, Bane has been considered a worthy successor by Ra's Al Ghul, and was engaged to his daughter Talia Al Ghul