Comics readers around the world gasped in shock when Bane broke Batman's back in Batman #497. Now learn the tragic story behind the villain in this facsimile reproduction of Bane's first appearance. Sentenced from birth to serve life imprisonment due to the crimes of his father, Bane honed his body and mind to survive the penal colony of Pena Duro. Fueled by a lifetime of violence and driven by the desire to conquer, Bane escapes from his prison and decides to take over Gotham by destroying its greatest protector--Batman!