The comic universe of Batman is a universe very much defined by dualisms
such as: good/evil, true/false, strong/weak, beautiful/ugly. Positive meanings
often define the strong, male superhero, Batman, while the negative describe the
evil villain. Within this universe disability plays an essential role as most
villains have either a mental or a physical disability. While the first part of this
project looks into the concept of ‘disability’ and theory surrounding it, the
second part focuses on three main areas: Gotham City, The Hero and The
Villain in order to highlight normative understandings of able bodied identity.
Using queer- and crip theory this project then investigates how the disabled
body is linked to evil, and how categories such as sexuality, gender, and bodily
practices are used to underline the difference between the disabled villain and
Batman. Lastly, an effort is made to portray the villain as an ‘ability-trouble
maker’ trying to upset the established social and cultural order of things instead
of an always already evil and bitter character.