Bane is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1 (January 1993), and was created by Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench and Graham Nolan. Bane has been one of Batman's most intelligent and physically powerful foes. He is best known for breaking Batman's back in the "Knightfall" story arc. In most other media adaptations of the character, Bane is more simplistic and thuggish than his highly intelligent comic book counterpart. The most notable example is in the 1997 film Batman & Robin, where the character is a mindless henchman. The character was portrayed by Robert Swenson in the film.