James Holmes Rises As A New 'Dark Knight' Villain After Colorado Shootings

Aurora Colorado

Batman has been a popular superhero since the 1940s and has defeated many enemies – the Joker, Penguin and Catwoman have all come and gone throughout the series. But early this morning in Colorado fantasy became reality.

James Holmes, who allegedly killed 12 theater patrons and wounded scores of others, became the real-life villain at a suburban multiplex where Batman fans went just after midnight to look the 1st showing of the “The Dark Knight Rises,” among the most anticipated films this year.

Director Christopher Nolan's final installment revamps the character Bane, who happens to wear a gas mask. Holmes burst through the emergency exit door of Theatre 9 minutes into the movie with a gas mask addressing his face and two handguns and two rifles in hand. Holmes threw a gas canister into the audience, shot once into the ceiling, and began firing into the crowd.

Sound familiar? Granted, Bane’s mask feeds gas into him instead of blocking it out, but the point remains - could the shooter be replicating villains of past and present?

Aurora police Chief Dan Oates reported that 20 SWAT team members were carefully searching Holmes's apartment because it appeared to be booby-trapped with sophisticated explosives. Sophisticated enough that police evacuated his building and five more surrounding it.

Police also found unknown explosives in the suspect’s car. Many similarities? The Joker does love the drama that follows an explosion, such as the hospital scene plotted by Heath Ledger's character in the previous film. The Joker was also a fan of the long-barreled gun in the 1989 movie, similar to one of the guns recovered from the theater.

And the similarities don’t stop. He was clothed to mix in with the authorities he knew would come to the scene - bulletproof vest, ballistic helmet, black tactical gear. He parked his car near the closest exit for a quick escape.

There's no prove of an accomplice or a motive, but as pieces come together, Holmes just may turn into one of Batman's biggest villains by taking pieces from all the defeated. Scenes of mass chaos and public mayhem are a good portion of superhero films, and that’s precisely what Holmes meticulously planned.

But this wasn’t merely planned - it was downright scripted.