That line on Bruce's left cheek

[RAMPAGE]

What is that line on Bruce's left cheek? It starts below the eye and runs down. Is it a scar or simply a fold of loose skin?

What are your ideas, guys?

[LazyReaper]

fold of loose skin? ~shudders~ Bruce or not, that's gross!

[James Harvey]

I was hping to see that explained. It would've been cool if that resulted from the ROTJ flashback as well, like the Joker slashing across the face. I don't think we every got an explaination...

[DR. BELCH]

Original model sheets for elderly Bruce had him looking more like The Cryptkeeper, with a very evident scar across his mug from forehead to cheek, I believe. So that line may well be a muted version of that. Now whether he got it from a big name like Joker or Two-Face or just some nameless punk in a fleabag bar with a broken beer bottle remains to be seen....

[Maxie Zeus]

And not everything needs an explanation, you know.

"You see this mole, Terry? Got it in Acapulco fighting the Penguin. Stayed out in the sun too long with too weak a sunscreen."

[Trent Lane]

I'd say it's a scar. Surprised he doesn't have more than that on his face, although I'm sure he's got worse cuts elsewhere. His back's probably a mess...

[Russkafin]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think he had it at the beggining of Rebirth, did he? In the sequence where he gives up being Batman? If he didn't have it there, then he must have gotten the scar AFTER he gave up the cowl... so he probably didn't get it fighting crime. The poor old guy probably took a football to the face while trying to scare young whippersnappers off his lawn with his cane. How the mighty have fallen!

[Tim Drake]

LOL! You're right in Rebirth part 1 he didn't have the scar.

[Tim Drake]

It also bothered me that in Paul Dini's opinion Batman being stabbed in the leg by the Joker during the ROTJ flashback caused Bruce's limp. We see in Rebirth Part 1 not only that he isn't using a cane but still kicking ass. We also don't see the cane when he's out of costume and turns off all the lights to the Batcave.

[Bird Boy]

probably because it didn't bother him..I stated this somewhere else, but the reason it probably hurt after he stopped being batman because of old age. Old age makes things hurt elsewhere that you forgot about...

I think anyway...hmmm

-BB

[RAMPAGE]

Maybe during Rebirth, when Bruce turned off the batcave lights, he climbed the stairs without his cane. He had left it upstairs coz the batsuit helps him walk without the cane. Being unaccustomed to walking without a cane, he tripped. He then fell down the stairs and cut his face on a sharp rock.

Mystery solved!

[Maxie Zeus]

Works for me. :p

[Salvor]

Originally posted by RAMPAGE
Maybe during Rebirth, when Bruce turned off the batcave lights, he climbed the stairs without his cane. He had left it upstairs coz the batsuit helps him walk without the cane. Being unaccustomed to walking without a cane, he tripped. He then fell down the stairs and cut his face on a sharp rock.

Mystery solved!
lol what if?...

[optimal321]

Actually his "scar" or whatever it is, is on his right cheek. Sometimes it changed to his left, and sometimes it was on both, but i'm pretty sure it was supposed to be a right cheek thing. But correct me if i'm wrong:p

As for what it is, i don't know and it really doesn't bother me that much. I think that Timm just put it there because it makes him look older. Maybe it's just some nasty wrinkle thing.:D

[Nightwing]

I've heard a very chilling and wonderful fanfiction story on the boards of this very site that explains where Bruce got that scar, and as erie as it was, I think it was right on the money. SilentBob173 wrote an awesome prequal to the events of ROTJ called "Canon in D" that lets you know how that happened, although slightly changing the story, in a way, since he made it happen to Bruce in his Batman days.

It wasn't that big of a mystery who did it, but it still played into the story (and the characters we know well) perfectly when you see who actually did it. Nightwing. :cool:

[optimal321]

Originally posted by Nightwing
I've heard a very chilling and wonderful fanfiction story on the boards of this very site that explains where Bruce got that scar, and as erie as it was, I think it was right on the money. SilentBob173 wrote an awesome prequal to the events of ROTJ called "Canon in D" that lets you know how that happened, although slightly changing the story, in a way, since he made it happen to Bruce in his Batman days.

It wasn't that big of a mystery who did it, but it still played into the story (and the characters we know well) perfectly when you see who actually did it. Nightwing. :cool:

Ah, of course! I was going to mention that in my thread, but i forgot! Yes, SilentBob173 did a great job w/ Canon in D. I can't believe i didn't bring that up.

But actually, in less this is another one of those "comes back to haunt you when you're older" wounds, Batman should have had the scar both in the ROTJ flashback, and at the beginning of Rebirth.

But that was a great idea to have it be a little gift from his protege.

[SMiLEY]

I always thought Bruce got that scar in the beginning of Rebirth when he gets the crap kicked out of him. That explains why he didn't have it in the beginning of the show and did thereafter. If I remember correctly (it's been awhile since I saw it) he was beat about the head savagely, and without remorse!

Anyway, I had to register just to add that.

[James Harvey]

Welcome to the board SMiLEY, hopefully you'll stick around! Was there a scar after the beating incident? I can't remember that either...

[Toddman]

I had a free minute, so I popped in "Rebirth" (I love having that episode at work), so I could check out Bruce's mug while he was still middle-aged. I don't think he got that mark on his cheek during the fight where he rescues Bunny Vreeland, because after he runs off the last kidnapper he immediately takes off his mask. He has the copyrighted DC Animated blood-trickle from the corner of his mouth and an abrasion on his chin, but that's it. I think if the line on his face was due to an injury suffered in his last fight, he would have had a pretty major blood-gushing cut. There's also no sign of it when he turns out the lights in the Batcave.

I think Optimal321 has it right, the mark is probably non-specific and just makes Old Bruce look grizzled and kinda dangerous.

Toddman

[Joe Tully]

Is it possible that Bruce could have donned the suit one more time after his "quitting" in Rebirth? While I understand his quitting, I think that if he thought that there was some problem that only Bats could solve (something really big, maybe a new villain who just absolutely decimates Gotham, destroys its landmarks, kills hundreds, etc) he could put on the costume one last time.

I dunno if this is ruled out by anything in BB but it could be good fanfic fuel for someone out there.

And there is the possibility that it was just something like old man Wayne getting mugged some evening and getting a scar while fighting off the crook. Or he coulda fallen on a rock. :)

[joker]

Originally posted by Bird_Boy
Old age makes things hurt elsewhere that you forgot about...


some thing for me to look foward to when im old and crusty

[RAMPAGE]

Hey Joe, whaddya know? You might have something there. Well, I don't think Bruce would have donned the suit again after quitting, but fighting a few criminals now and then sounds possible. After all, Bruce did save Terry from the jokerz gang in "Rebirth." He also tried to save that woman in "Out of the Past." He could have gotten hurt in a similar fight.

BTW I read "Canon in D" too. Eerie, yet interesting.

[James Harvey]

Maybe he cut himself shaving...

[SilentBob173]

When I wrote that I must admit I wasn't extremely knowldged in the ways of Beyond. I knew the original series, but was just a Joker fan who watched ROTJ, and knew where to go from it. The way I presented it just made sense. Something had to symbolize the breach between the two main characters. I didn't want to just have Joker do it. That would have been an easy out. The way it did happen pleases me, even id the sotry as a whole does not.

If you want to read 'Canon In D' or any of my other stories go to my site at:

http://www.angelfire.com/weird/JasonS/index.html

My three fanfics are there (one being a very short story)

I'm not pleased with any of these stories nowadays, but others claim to enjoy them, so as long as people read them I'll keep them up.

Don't forget to sign my GuestBook.

[TIM]

I've never thought of the line as a scar. Bruce Timm himself has drawn the line on both sides of Batman/Bruce's face, so the scar theory doesn't really work. Also, several other characters have similar lines on their faces, such as pre-JL Superman, John Stewart, and any number of street thugs Batman has faced.

It's more likely that it's a "laugh line" (though I doubt Bruce has done much laughing in his life), or a line tracing his jaw-muscle up to his cheekbone. At least, that's what I think... :)

TIM

--

[BeastBoyWonder]

I enjoyed the story very much, however I think that Nightwing cutting Bruce's face like that was somewhat out of character for him, despite his hard feelings.