Dr. Kirk Langstrom was working on a cure for diseases with bat DNA before Professor Pyg and Mister Toad raided his laboratory and forced him at gunpoint to mutate into a man/bat hybrid with a corrupted version of his formula. They used a drug-filled mechanical collar to control Man-Bat and force him to rob chemicals so they can recreate Dr. Langstrom's formula and turn humans into animal hybrids. After Man-Bat is captured and freed from control by Batman and Katana, he repays them by helping them defeat Professor Pyg and Mister Toad.