Web Video / The Bat (Siltrics)

8 Following

Everyone knows the story of Batman: when Bruce Wayne was a kid, he witnessed his parents getting gunned down and swore to prevent anyone else in Gotham City from ever experiencing the same thing, eventually helping form the Justice League of America, which includes similar-minded people like The Cape Superman, the King of Atlantis Aquaman, and air force pilot-turned-Space Police officer Green Lantern.

This is not that universe. In this universe, the trauma of losing his parents resulted in Bruce Wayne becoming a cruel, tyrannical serial killer and child abductor. In this universe, Superman has developed a god complex. In this universe, Green Lantern uses his power ring to terrorize people. In this universe, Aquaman is an Eco-Terrorist. In this universe, the Justice League of America is an authoritarian organization.

In this universe, people are afraid of these icons and for good reasons.

The Bat is a series of Analog Horror videos by 0BlIVI0N (formerly Siltrics), which features a far darker version of the DC Universe, starting with a crazed version of Batman and then expanded to include the rest of the DCU and eventually even Marvel Comics.

In early 2025, 0BlIVI0N announced that the series was discontinued and eventually deleted their channel, though reactions to their videos still remain.

The Bat contains examples of…

• Adaptation Relationship Overhaul:
  • While Commissioner Gordon feels sorry for what Bruce went through, he is not an ally of Bruce here.
  • While Batman still has enmity with the Joker, he subjected the Joker to Cruel Mercy to torture him for his role in the murder of Bruce's parents, and the Joker regards Bruce with fear and paranoia, not a feeling of whimsy and competition.
  • While the Batfamily formed around Bruce willingly in the comics, here, he kidnaps, drugs and tortures them to be his soldiers, with Jason and Azrael's enmity with him being perfectly justified as they were the few who did escape.
• Adaptational Angst Upgrade: Alfred died not long after the Waynes in this universe, which could be one reason why this version of Batman is as fucked up as he is.
• Adaptational Early Appearance:
  • The Joker, Poison Ivy, Killer Croc, and Man-Bat are already locked in Arkham when Batman makes his debut.
  • Barbara Gordon, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Helena Bertinelli, Stephanie Brown, Jean-Paul Valley, Kate Kane, Luke Fox and Duke Thomas are around during Bruce's early years.
• Adaptational Heroism: Jason Todd and Jean-Paul Valley are much more sane than in the comics. Additionally, in relation to Batman's Adaptational Villainy, they both also have far more valid reasons for their conflicts with Batman as they're the only ones of the Missing to escape from Bruce's clutches.
• Adaptational Job Change: Much like Batman: The Telltale Series and both the comic and animated versions of The Doom That Came to Gotham, Harvey Dent's currently Gotham's mayor, not its DA.
• Adaptational Slimness: This universe's Batman is often described as emaciated, the opposite of the muscular Bruce Wayne the viewer is familiar with.
• Adaptational Superpower Change:
  • Unlike the Badass Normal of the comics, this Batman uses the drug Venom for his physical abilities and is also implied to use Scarecrow's fear toxin as well.
  • In addition to his normal abilities, Aquaman is a Poisonous Person.
• Adaptational Ugliness:
  • The Batman of this universe is emaciated, and if the "Corrupted File" video is any indication, he also had messed-up teeth, scarred skin and is missing his nose.
  • Based on some early images Siltrics posted, the Flash is badly burned.
• Adaptational Upbringing Change: The "Prisoner" video reveals that Alfred died weeks after the Waynes were killed, revealing why the Batman of this universe is as cruel as he is.
• Adaptational Villainy:
  • None of this world's version of DC's heroes are the world's greatest superheroes, but a collection of tyrannical psychopaths. Batman is a cruel, sadistic, venom-abusing, child-kidnapping serial killer; Superman is destructive and has developed a god complex; Aquaman is an eco-terrorist; and based on both the concept trailer and the "Justice League Cartoon" videos, the Flash isn't better. Long story short, these guys make The Dark Knight Returns's version of Batman (even in his worst moments), the Justice Lords, and even the Regime look like cuddly teddy bears by comparison.
  • Marvel heroes aren't safe from this trope, either, as Spider-Man is a creeper and is implied to be possessed by the spider that bit Peter Parker and, while by no means as extreme as the Maker, this universe's Mr. Fantastic has had his brain messed up by the mind-reading machine from "The Terrible Tribunal".
• Adaptational Wimp: Ted Kord never became Blue Beetle, having been killed along with other KORD Industry employees when Batman set the building on fire in retaliation for Ted talking to the police about him.
• Ambiguous Situation: In talking about his escape in the "Prisoner" video, Jason describes Batman's appearance as changing. However, earlier, he talked about being dosed with fear toxin, a compound well-known in Batman lore to be hallucinogenic, suggesting that Batman's "transformation" may be really Jason tripping on the toxin, not an actual, physical transformation due to Bruce's abuse of venom.
• Ax-Crazy: Batman, big time. Not many people would break into Arkham and mutilate several of the inmates.
• Beware the Superman: None of DC's icons, or even Marvel's, are heroes in this universe, not even Batman, who's depicted as a cruel, murderous steroid user.
• Break Them by Talking: Reed Richards invokes this with his hijack at the end of "T H E O N E A B O V E A N D B E L O W", saying that everything the viewer knows is a lie, so therefore it's better for the viewer to allow him to kill them than hide and prolong the inevitable. He then states that he has the power to make them do it anyway. A Freeze-Frame Bonus near the video's end even says “humanity must destroy themselves”.
• The Cameo: The description of "The Blue Boy Scout Turned God" features an autopsy report by Dr. Charles McNider, the victim being Lex Luthor.
• Cruel and Unusual Death: One of Batman's first acts was to break into Arkham Asylum and kill Poison Ivy, Killer Croc and Man-Bat. Ivy and Croc were skinned with Ivy also being scalped and Croc's eyes being gouged out and his teeth pulled, and Langstrom had his arms cut off, beaten and stabbed with a batarang. He later subjected Professor Pyg to a blood eagle.
• Composite Character: The Joker combines both his Batman (1989) counterpart in being the killer of the Waynes and his The Dark Knight counterpart in being the one to disfigure Harvey Dent — which means he's a combination of three characters since those two were themselves this trope (Nicholson's Joker taking Joe Chill's role and Ledger's Joker taking Sal Maroni's role).
• Cruel Mercy: Related to the aforementioned repeat of Batman (1989) in the Joker taking over Joe Chill's role as the Waynes' killer, he is the one criminal that Batman refuses to kill, preferring to punish the Joker for the murder of his parents with psychological torture instead.
• Dark Fic: This is about an evil version of the Justice League who engage in violent acts and plan to overthrow the governments of the world.
• Death by Adaptation:
  • One of the first things the Batman of this universe did was kill Poison Ivy, Killer Croc and Man-Bat.
  • The Ted Kord of this universe was killed after talking to the police about Bruce.
  • Lex Luthor was killed by Superman after recording Clark's recent activities.
  • Likely explaining why this Batman is a sadistic murderer, Alfred died weeks after the Waynes.
  • The "Sinners and Butchers" video reveals that Batman killed Professor Pyg, Duke Thomas and Helena Bertinelli were killed with a cane, Dick murdered the Mad Hatter and Victor Zsasz, Dick himself was killed in self-defense by Azrael, and Azrael later killed Firefly and Killer Moth.
• Dies Differently in Adaptation: As opposed to Bane snapping his neck years into Bruce's time as Batman, here Alfred dies from a stroke weeks after the Waynes died. Also, while his The Dark Knight Returns counterpart also died from a stroke, that was while Bruce was middle-aged.
• The Dog Bites Back: Translated Morse code in "Aquaman Prevention" implies that humanity's mistreatment of both the ocean and its marine life, as well as superhumans in-general, has turn the king of the seas against the world.
• Do Not Adjust Your Set: A lot of the videos have the signals being hijacked, either for people to issue threats or deliver statements about their next actions, including Batman warning people not to stop him, the Court of Owls ordering the Talons to go after Batman and the JLA telling people what they're about to do.
• Dude, Where's My Respect?: Played for Horror. The hijack mid-way into "Aquaman Prevention" is from the fish-man himself. He's well-aware of his status as the Butt-Monkey and isn't having it.
  Aquaman: You laughed and made fun of what I can do. Once I show you what I did to the writer, there will be no more laughter.
• Eco-Terrorist: Aquaman is reimagined as one of these as his actions are in part motivated by people polluting the seas.
• Eye Scream:
  • Among the things inflicted by Killer Croc was Batman removing his eyes.
  • Much like Kyle Breyer, Lex Luthor is killed via heat vision through the eyes.
• Face–Heel Turn:
  • Originally, Superman was a hero much like his main universe counterpart, even aiding the Allies in World War II. However, after leaving Earth for two years, he came back with a god complex.
  • Aquaman was originally a government agent until a cocktail of global pollution, anti-hero laws and the destruction of Atlantis caused him to snap and wage war on the surface.
• Facial Horror: The Batman of this universe has Scary Teeth, scarred skin and is missing his nose.
• Fallen Hero: Unlike Batman, this universe's Superman started out similar to his mainstream counterpart before his god complex kicked in.
• False Innocence Trick: Aquaman is known to kindly approach sailors to trick them into letting him on their boats, then attacking them.
• Flaying Alive: Among the cruelties Batman inflicted on Poison Ivy and Killer Croc was skinning them.
• A God Am I: The Superman of this universe disappeared for a few years, only to return with a god complex.
• Grand Theft Me: "The Origins Of Peter Parker" heavily implies that its version of Spider-Man has been hijacked by an outside force, possibly the very spider that bit him.
• He Knows Too Much:
  • Ted Kord was killed following his talking to the GCPD about Bruce Wayne.
  • Tim Drake was kidnapped following discovering the Batcave and learning some of Bruce's plans.
  • Lex Luthor was killed following getting a picture of Superman.
• Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: One of the things Batman inflicted on Man-Bat was stabbing a batarang into his chest.
• Mercy Kill: Reed Richards frames his psychic attack on humanity at the end of "T H E O N E A B O V E A N D B E L O W" as this; claiming that it's better for people to submit to the end than hide and make their ends more painful.
• Mythology Gag:
  • Like his DCEU counterpart, this version of Batman is not above marking his victims with a bat symbol.
  • Harvey Dent is represented by an image of Aaron Eckhart taken from the promotional material for The Dark Knight, and is the (unpopular) mayor of Gotham City.
  • The Riddler's symbol is lifted directly from The Batman (2022).
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero!: Following Wayne Manor burning down, the GCPD publicly declares Batman dead — which results in crime in Gotham City going back up.
• Nightmare Face:
  • The glimpses and drawings we got of Batman's face depict his face as gaunt, his eyes as blank, and at one point, he's missing his nose.
  • "Novus Ordo" sees a skull-like face for Hal Jordan embedded in the static and the picture briefly glitching on images of Jay Garrick and Alan Scott only to then show them with Joker-like grins.
• No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: In addition to cutting off his wings, Batman also bludgeoned Man-Bat to death.
• Poisonous Person: This world's Aquaman can inflict ciguatera poisoning^note Illness usually gained from eating raw or bad fish. on people just by being close to them.
• Psychic-Assisted Suicide: In "T H E O N E A B O V E A N D B E L O W", Reed Richards states that he can "grant the power to destroy yourself" at the end of his speech.
• Refugee from TV Land: In-Universe example. The uploader in "The Origins Of Peter Parker" is surprised when someone in a Spider-Man costume is shown staring at the camera from a window at the end of the VHS footage, writing it off as coincidence.
• Rouge Angles of Satin: While he is doing better in later videos, by Siltrics' own admission, he isn't good at spelling or grammar, resulting in the typos seen in the early videos.
• Schmuck Bait: Mid-way into "Aquaman Prevention", the viewer is told to neutralize any hostile metahuman they come across. Cue a hijack.
• Scary Teeth: Batman in this series has jagged teeth.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: In the "Crime" video, it's revealed that Gordon quit the police force and gathered enough money to move out of Gotham after his daughter was killed by Batman and tells the locals that if they're still in the city, only God can help them now.
• Sea Monster: An image of one eating people is seen in the background when the Anti-Aquaman PSA begins glitching out.
• Superhero Horror: Pretty much every character who would have been a hero in other continuities are turned into Slasher villains in this one, either having been monsters from the get-go like Batman, or being somehow turned into one like Superman.
• The Tooth Hurts: In addition to skinning Killer Croc and gouging out his eyes, Batman also pulled out his teeth.
• Trauma Conga Line: In addition to losing his parents, Bruce in this universe lost Alfred weeks later, and it's implied that the lack of love and support from Alfred was a big part of Bruce turning out the way he did.
• Vigilante Injustice: Discussed. Commissioner Gordon believes that the vigilantes, like Batman, are doing more harm than good in their crusades against evil, specifically mentioning Metropolis and Central City.
  Jim Gordon: So many people going around, in capes and masks doing more harm than good. Like the Blue Boy Scout in Metropolis and the fast guy in Central City.
• Would Hurt a Child: This Batman abducts kids, drugs them and possibly kills them.