Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, sweepstakes, and more!
From Bruce Wayne's Bat-a-wang to Harley Quinn’s hot-tubbing, 10 racy moments from the Batman canon
Justin Halpern, co-creator and executive producer of HBO Max's Harley Quinn animated series, went viral yesterday after discussing a raunchy scene that DC made them cut from the hit HBO Max show.
The axed moment in question would have shown Batman (Diedrich Bader) — ahem — going down on his longtime paramour, Catwoman (Sanaa Lathan). DC nixed the idea over merchandising concerns, stating that it'd be a lot harder to market the character to younger demographics if the Caped Crusader provided ... uh, more than his superhero services.
"Heroes don't do that," is what the company said, according to Halpern as reported by Variety. And yeah, it might've been a step too far for the typically family friendly-ish comic hero, but Bruce Wayne (and by extension the entire mythos built around him) is no prude by any stretch of the imagination. Comics, shows, and films featuring Gotham City's Dark Knight and his rogues and Bat-family have gotten away with plenty of risqué content that would make anyone hot around the collar.
Head below for 10 of the raciest moments to be found throughout the multimedia Batman franchise...
WARNING! The following list details suggestive content from various DC titles, shows, movies, and storylines.
Bruce Wayne's Bat-a-wang (Batman: Damned #1)
Perhaps the most infamous entry on this list, Batman: Damned #1 — from writer Brian Azzarello and artist Lee Bermejo — wasted no time in getting right to the full-frontal Batman nudity (that's a string of words we never thought we'd say) in the first issue of this three-issue limited series. The news immediately went viral after the book debuted in 2018 and news outlets like The A.V. Club pulled no punches with such headlines as "Hey, check out this picture of Batman's d***." ComicBook.com upped the ante with "Batman Shows D*** in New Comic, and We Don't Mean Nightwing." Go big or go home, right? Naturally, Damned was published under DC's Black Label, an imprint for mature readers.
(Photo credit: Batman Damned #1: DC/Comixology)
Nightwing & Harley's controversial hook-up (Batman and Harley Quinn)
Ah, yes — remember that time Harley Quinn went full-on Annie Wilkes and tied Nightwing to the bed before turning out the lights and... doing other stuff that we shan't say aloud in case there are children present?
Speaking with SYFY WIRE (see the video above), Batman and Harley Quinn co-screenwriter Bruce Timm said, "I thought it was just kind of an awkward, funny situation to put the two of them into. Nightwing is known in the comics for being kind of a player and ... for people who are outraged at seeing Harley being sexually aggressive and sexually active, I'm sorry, but they just haven't been paying attention. Because she's been that way since she was conceived 25 years ago. So, it just seemed like a fun thing to do, to put them together and then dealing with the aftermath of their bedroom escapade."
Roxy Rocket's double entendres (The New Batman Adventures)
When you're dealing with a villain who likes to ride phallic objects that cut through the sky, you just know it's gonna be a fun time. Originally a stuntwoman, Roxanne Sutton, aka Roxy Rocket (Charity James), is a criminal with a rather dangerous fascination with death-defying stunts. She's always chasing an adrenaline high that borders on the sexual, and watching her scenes as an adult, there can be no question that Bruce Timm and Paul Dini knew exactly what they were doing.
(Photo credit: Batman: The Animated Series intro screenshot; Warner Bros. YouTube)
"Just the pussy I've been looking for" (Batman Returns)
Someone actually wrote those words into a screenplay and then filmed Danny DeVito speaking them. The dude is up for anything, especially in this encounter between two of Gotham's most notorious underworld figures, the Penguin and Catwoman. Michelle Pfeiffer lying on a bed in a tight latex outfit would've been sexy enough, but no — ol' Oswald just had to throw out the phrase "naked, sexual charisma," while crawling up to her. Hey, we never promised that everything on this list would be a turn-on!
(Photo credit: Warner Bros. Pictures/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)
Batgirl attends an orgy (Batman Confidential #18)
Batgirl showed her absolute commitment to the vigilante gig when she tracked Catwoman to an orgy (yes, that kind of orgy — what other kind of orgy is there?). To gain entrance, Barbara needed to completely strip down to her birthday suit. She complied, but decided to keep her cowl firmly in place. Issue #18 of Batman Confidential was written by none other than Deadpool co-creator Fabian Nicieza and drawn by artist Kevin Maguire (JLA: Created Equal).
(Photo credit: Batman Confidential #18: DC/Comixology)
Harley's nude hot-tubbing (Harley Quinn Vol. 1: Die Laughing)
Sometimes, you just wanna be like Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy and treat yourself to a full spa day of massages, steam rooms, and most importantly, naked hot-tubbing. In fact this entire volume is about Harley fighting for her right to a good time. We can totally relate. Naked hot tubbing for all!
(Photo credit: Harley Quinn Vol. 1: Die Laughing: DC/Comixology)
Batman & Batgirl hook up (The Killing Joke movie)
Another controversial scene, this carnal encounter between Batman (Kevin Conroy) and Batgirl (Tara Strong) is nowhere to be found in the influential source material by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland. “There’s clearly an unstated attraction between the two of the characters from the very beginning and I think it’s there in the comics," executive producer Bruce Timm explained to The Hollywood Reporter following fan backlash. "If you go back and look at the Adam West show, it’s there in the Adam West show. It’s subtle, but to me it’s always been there."
(Photo credit: Batman The Killing Joke trailer screenshot; DC YouTube)
Batman & Catwoman have sex #1 (Batman: Gotham by Gaslight)
Batman and Catwoman have enjoyed a complicated on-again off-again relationship over the years. Despite the fact that one is a hero and the other a criminal, they seem to do the horizontal tango quite a lot. Love is love and Bruce knows that Selina Kyle isn't a flat-out monster like many of his other adversaries. To cap off this Victorian-inspired love affair, Selina wakes up and says, "I guess it's true what they say... practice makes perfect." Don't you mean "purr-fect"?
"Batman & Catwoman **** in this"
Prior to the first issue's publication last December, writer Tom King wrote on Twitter that "Batman and Catwoman f*** in this." The tweet, of course, was later taken down (via Bleeding Cool), but it was a pretty succinct summation of the series, which tracks Bruce and Selina's relationship across three tumultuous eras.
(Photo credit: Batman/Catwoman #1: DC/Comixology)
Batman & Talia al Ghul do the nasty (The Dark Knight Rises)
It's right there in the title, folks. Going under the pseudonym of "Miranda Tate," Talia al Ghul (played by Marion Cotillard) wormed her way onto the board of Wayne Enterprises and enjoyed a rapport with Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) that turned rather steamy. Sadly, Talia ended up showing her true colors and siding with Bane (Tom Hardy). Wanting to finish the work her father started, she betrays Batman by stabbing him ... like with a knife. Get your minds out of the gutter!
(Photo credit: The Dark Knight Rises trailer screenshot; Warner Bros. YouTube)
