Origin
Originally an extremist Christian biker called 'The Order of Righteous Fury'. Then a guy in a rusty iron mask calling himself 'Dumas' took over and turned them into an intense vigilante gang. Though they called themselves the Order of Saint Dumas, most criminals simply called them the New Red Hood gang as Dumas' helmet began to rust.
This lured the Joker out of hiding and posed such a threat to Gotham that it forced Dick Grayson to take up the Bat Mantle when Bruce was put out of commission by Bane.
After Dumas captured Joker, Bat-Dick confronted the iron masked leader and fought him. Batman managed to unmask Dumas, exposing him as the returned to life Jason Todd.
Jason fled and his gang devoted themselves to Batman, so mystified by his ability to take out their leader. Dick used the gang to return law and order to a ravaged Gotham and installed an assassin looking for a chance at redemption as their leader (Jean-Paul Valley).
Since then Bruce hasn't really warmed to this gang and only tolerated them, never attempting to inspire them and mold them like Dick had, and thus certain members of the gang were able to lead them astray.
Nowadays they don't patrol streets much anymore. Instead, they shakedown businesses for protection money, kidnap Arkham parolees and beat them to near-death with baseball bats (their signature weapon) and rumor has it, some of the leadership have members distributing drugs.
That's not to say they're all bad. Bette is misguided, looking for fun. Duke was the President of their Youth Group and is becoming quickly disenfranchised with the gang since becoming a full member of their Inner Circle, Luke Fox is working undercover for Batman, and Bruce Wayne has even joined the gang as Matches Malone in hopes of being able to find a few gems in the rough that he can salvage before he is forced to declare full on war against the gang and take them down.[1]
UPDATE
In August 2017 Joseph Blackfire took over the club and renamed it "Sons of Barbatos".
Structure
The Sons of Batman are set up much like a typical biker gang or legitimate motorcycle club, but they also have their own unique structure. From the top down they have:
The Inner Circle
- Prez - JPV
- VP - Black Spider
- Road Chaplain - Deacon
- Treasurer - Holly
- Keeper - Duke Thomas
- Sgt at Arms - Speed Demon, Luke Fox (formerly)
- Mechanic - Retro
- Scourge - The "Ghost" of Dumas
Caped Crusaders
Members who have distinguished themselves enough to receive the patch on their backs which they call their 'cape'.
Dark Knights
Members who received their leather jacket or vest and can earn patches) Prospects (Prospective members who are given denim vests/jackets, required to serve as a prospect for a full-year before a vote is taken to give them full membership)
Sidekicks
(Prospective members younger than 18. They are collectively called the 'Kid Wonders' and are overseen by the Keeper. They usually run themselves independently, working out of a clubhouse called 'The Nest' and wear a mixture of Red, Green, Black, and Gold. They function more like a mixture of a juvenile street gang and apprentices. Loyal and long-serving sidekicks are often allowed to bypass the Prospect rank and become Dark Knights upon their eighteenth birthday)
The President, of course, is Jean-Paul Valley, aka: "Saint". He runs the club, oversees club meetings, and determines who among the club fills the positions of Sgt-At-Arms and Scourge. They also 'appoint' all other positions (except VP) which are subject to approval by Inner Circle or club vote. By mandate of the club, the President is chosen by Batman himself. There are contingencies in place if that is unnecessary but it has yet to be challenged as Jean-Paul Valley is a well-respected leader. There is only one president.
The Vice-President (or 'Charter Captain' as the position is called in the club's other charters) is elected among the members of their charter, and acts as president in the president's absence: running meetings and the like. There is only one VP, but every charter outside of the original charter has a Charter Captain which holds the same rank as the Vice-President. Eric Needham is the club's newest VP, elected almost unanimously after getting out of Arkham.
The Treasurer maintains the club or charter's finances. Every charter has a treasurer. The original charter's Treasurer is Holly Robinson.
The Sergeant-At-Arms carries out the club's discipline, security, and the safety of the Inner Circle. Every charter has a Sgt-At-Arms. The original charter's Sgt-At-Arms is Luke Fox.
Road Chaplain is a relic position from the club's days as the christian extremist group called The Order and its brief restructuring under "Saint Dumas". Outside of the original charter, the position of Road Chaplain has been abolished. This hold-over has had the effect that the original charter has mixed its idolization of Batman with religious zeal and over time, where their fervor for Batman ended and their faith began to get clouded until they came to believe that Batman was a divine being. The Road Chaplain's is Joseph Blackfire.
The Secretary keeps a record of club meetings, oversees logistics, and maintains membership records. Every charter has a secretary.
The Scourge is a position unique to the President's charter. The scourge wears the old iron mask that Dumas once wore to Inner Circle meetings to conceal their identity. As the Scourge, this masked member travels to other charters to oversee their allegiance to the main charter. The Scourge is a feared figure among the club, something of a boogeyman. While the Sgt-At-Arms handles disciplinary measures, the Scourge is sent to deal with those that have betrayed the club beyond redemption.
The Keeper oversees the youth group, the Kid Wonders. Only the original charter has a youth group to oversee so there is only one Keeper. Acting a something of a guidance counselor and gang boss, the Keeper guides the Kid Wonders' actions and oversees their training. The Keeper is a recent graduate from the Kid Wonders, a young man named Duke Thomas.
Finally, the Mechanic is the member who oversees the care of the club members' bikes. Every charter has a mechanic.
The original charter, Jean-Paul's charter, has 9 seats at the Inner Circle's table. Most charters only have 5, many of which make up the entirety of the the club or a vast majority of it. The Original Charter which spans Uptown Gotham officially and all of Gotham unofficially is significantly larger with 25 Caped Crusaders, 40 Dark Knights, and when you add in the Sidekicks and Prospects, Jean-Paul Valley has an army of 150 at his command.[2]
Gotham's charter
This army of vigilantes patrols the streets of Gotham on motorcycle rides, dispensing justice with baseball bats, and being where Batman can't always be. Or at least, they were supposed to do just that. Many prospects enter into the club with such ambitions but through gang mentality, peer pressure, and the rush of adrenaline, many fall down the darker path that is the truth of the club. They are barely a step above the criminals they despise so much. The Sons of Batman have lost their way. They have fallen to running protection rackets, putting together fight clubs, and robbing from rival gangs in order to make ends meet and gain a profit for the club.
But, they're not all that barbaric. Under Jean-Paul's leadership, the Sons of Batman have become accepting of female members (they call such Dynamic Daughters) and do not discriminate against their members based on race, creed, sexual orientation, criminal history, or social standing. Once you're a Son of Batman, nothing else matters.[3]
Trivia and Notes
Trivia
- The Club endorsed Lincoln March during the election.
Notes
- They are based on Sons of Batman from The Dark Knight Returns comic.