Batman’s-Origins-Judex

A hero, borne out of tragedy. A hero, skilled at fighting and an expert in disguise. A hero, with a secret headquarters underground which is filled with high-tech gadgets he uses to combat crime. Sounds familiar, like a well-known socialite named Bruce Wayne who takes to the streets at night, fighting crime as his alter-ego, Batman. Only it’s not. It’s Judex (René Auguste Cresté), and in the 1916 silent French serial Judex, he would lay the groundwork for Batman, The Shadow, and a superhero film franchise genre that dominates the Hollywood box office today.


Jacques de Trémeuse (Cresté) holds corrupt banker Favraux (Louis Leubas) responsible for the death of his father and the paralyzing grief that befell his mother, and sets out to avenge them by bringing Favraux to justice. He anonymously sends Favraux a letter, demanding that he surrender half of his ill-gotten fortune to public support, or else he will die. Favraux disregards the warning, but at the party celebrating his daughter Jacqueline’s (Yvette Andréyor) engagement to the Marquis de la Rochefontaine (Georges Flateau) he does, seemingly, drop dead. Only he isn’t dead, but instead has been captured by de Trémeuse’s alter ego Judex, a mysterious figure clad in black. Judex had slipped a potion in Favraux’s drink, faking his death in order to take him away. Judex intends on keeping Favraux captive in a cell in his subterranean lair for the rest of his life, while distributing Favraux’s wealth to those in need. Judex’s actions, however, put him at odds with the villainous Diana Monti (Musidora), who had intended on stealing Favraux’s wealth for herself. As payback, Monti kidnaps Jacqueline, only for Judex to come to her rescue, warning Monti that she too will find herself imprisoned in Judex’s cells if she attacks Jacqueline again. Unafraid, Monti kidnaps Jacqueline a second time, and is forced to flee when Judex swoops in to Jacqueline’s rescue.

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‘Judex’ Is Batman in All but Name

Judex (René Cresté) listening at the door in the 1916 French serial 'Judex'
Image via Gaumont Film Company

Judex (derived from the Latin for “judge”) was director Louis Feuillade‘s highly successful response to criticisms of his two earlier serials, Fantômas (1913) and Les Vampires (1915). Those two serials were accused of glorifying criminals, so Feuillade went in the other direction and created the 12-episode serial with a hero for the protagonist — Batman, pre-Batman. There was a sequel, Judex’s New Mission, in 1918, but that has been lost. Regardless, the parallels between Judex and the Dark Knight are simply far too close to be circumstantial. The underground lair and high-tech gadgetry are the most obvious connections. Judex’s silhouette, a black-robed figure with a wide, black hat, brings to mind the countless times we’ve seen the shadow of the Batman fall on Gotham’s criminal element, two heroes who strike fear with their shadows alone. The plot line where Favraux is told he’ll die at a specific time draws a direct line to the first appearance of the Joker in Batman #1, who publicly claims millionaire Henry Claridge will die at a specific time. He, too, is slipped a potion, but not so that Joker can take him hostage. Joker flat out kills him, leaving him to die with a horrible grin on his face.

The real interesting thing about Judex‘s relation to Batman is that, despite it being the first superhero movie, it deals in deep themes that are ahead of its time in the genre, ones that Batman himself has struggled with over the years. The serial is not simply good versus evil, and in fact it’s not even immediately clear that Judex is a good guy. Judex struggles with how his infliction of justice is no different than the infliction of pain by the villains he persecutes. His moral certainty isn’t an excuse to mete out vengeance, nor is it a right for judgment. It’s a turnaround in purpose most recently seen in The Batman, with Robert Pattinson‘s Bruce Wayne realizing that he can’t save Gotham by fear alone, but must do so with hope as well. Or, as heard elsewhere, “with great power comes great responsibility.”

‘Judex’ Is One of Many Silent Films That Influenced Batman’s Origins

Zorro (Douglas Fairbanks) face to face with Captain Juan Ramon (Robert McKim) in the 1920 silent film The Mark of Zorro
Image via Douglas Fairbanks Pictures Corporation

While Judex may have been the first superhero film, and the one that most directly influenced the debut of Batman in Detective Comics #27 in May 1939, it isn’t the only silent film to do so. 1916’s The Iron Claw featured Creighton Hale as a millionaire’s personal secretary during the day, but at night he becomes the Laughing Mask, thwarting the plans of the titular villain. Silent era action star Douglas Fairbanks appeared in two films that would also have left an impression on Batman. 1920’s The Mark of Zorro saw Fairbanks as Don Diego Vega, the dandy son of a wealthy ranchero. Seeing how the people are mistreated by those in authority, Vega takes on the identity of Señor Zorro to protect them form the villainous Governor Alvarado (George Periolat) and his henchmen. The swordsman scars the faces of his foes with the iconic mark “Z”, and eventually forces the governor to abdicate, having won over the soldiers with his courageousness. The Black Pirate from 1926 the Duke of Arnoldo (Fairbanks), the only survivor of a ship sunk by pirates, takes vengeance by taking on the guise of the Black Pirate, earning the trust of the pirates before leading troops to overthrow them, thus winning the heart of Princess Isobel (Billie Dove). Why there are so many films featuring rich men fighting crime in disguise may be a topic for another time, but suffice it to say there was no shortage of material that spurred on the development of Batman.

Judex brought something new to the silent film era, a costumed crime-fighter who was, behind his disguises and fighting skills, a normal man. And that may be the most important contribution that the serial gave to Batman’s origins. One didn’t need superpowers to be a hero, just the commitment to do what is right. It’s Batman’s humanness that, arguably, is his biggest draw, the feeling that with the right set of skills and money anyone could be a Batman… or even a Judex.

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