The Black Glove

"We are operators at the highest level"

-Dr. Hurt

The Black Glove is a criminal organisation and devil-worshipping cult that appears in Grant Morrison's run on Batman.

Origins
The Black Glove was founded by Thomas Wayne at some point in the 1700s as an attempt to make contact with supernatural forces. Coincedentally, the Hyper-Adapter that Darkseid had sent encountered the group just as they were performing a satanic ritual. The other members fled in terror, but Thomas Wayne welcomed the entity, gaining immortality from it.

At some point in the 20th century, The Black Glove would once again reform in an attempt to summon supernatural forces, however, this would prove fruitless as a time-travelling Bruce Wayne-who was to be their sacrifice-leapt forward in time, thwarting thier plans.

Confronting The Dark Knight
Thomas Wayne-now Dr. Hurt-would later encounter Batman as a volunteer for an isolation experiment. While under the influence of hallucinogens, Hurt discovered that Batman was none other than his descendant Bruce Wayne. Knowing this, as well as finding out about a hidden word within Batman's psyche called Zur-En-Arrh, allowed Hurt to resume his attempts at raising hell on Earth.

In the ensuing years, Hurt recruited three police officers under the guise that they were to be Batman's substitutes in case the worst should happen. The three men were tortured in various ways, both physically and psychologically, creating not Batman replacements, but horrific parodies.

After a year spent globetrotting, Batman returned to Gotham and seemingly erased all major criminals from the streets. One of his rogue replacements had shot the Joker in the face, leaving him with a permanent smile and incapacitating him for the time being. Around this time, Bruce had begun seeing African supermodel Jezebel Jet. All of this, however, was manipulated by The Black Glove to soften Batman.

When visiting his international allies, The Batmen of All Nations, Batman found out he was being stalked by an agent of the Black Glove. The other vigilantes believed it to be one of their arch-enemies, due to several calling-cards. In the end, it was revealed to be John Mayhew, a corrupt businessman and associate of the Wayne family.Batman would later be confronted by the other two Batman replacements: a steroid-enhanced Batman that resembled Bane and a devil-worshipping Batman. The first was shot by the gun-toting Batman and the third slipped out of Batman's grasp.

R.I.P.
While musing upon all that was happening, Jezebel Jet had figured out Bruce's secret identity. Having no choice now, Bruce decided to let Jet into his personal life, puzzling both Alfred and Robin with this uncharacteristic attitude. When Bruce tells Jet his confusion at how he can't catch a criminal mastermind that is making itself so obvious to him, Jet proposes that maybe Batman is the Black Glove. When Bruce tries to explain how this couldn't be true, Jet utters the phrase Zur-En-Arrh, sending Bruce into a catatonic state while Dr. Hurt drugs him and leaves him out in the streets.

Bruce later comes back as the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh, tracks the Black Glove to Arkham Asylum and is pitted against the newly-revived Joker. When Batman sees Jezebel Jet about to be poisoned, he immediately runs to her aid, only to be poisoned himself. It is then revealed that Jet was immune to those toxins and was infact working with the Black Glove. Batman is buried alive in his old costume and manages to dig his way out. Meanwhile, the Joker tells the Black Glove that their supposed victory was all a ruse: if he couldn't beat Batman, no-one could. At that moment, Batman and Nightwing appear and terrorise them, forcing Dr. Hurt to flee. Batman catches up to him and Hurt tries to coerce Batman to his side. When that fails, Hurt reveals himself as Bruce Wayne's father, but Batman refuses to believe this. As Hurt tries to escape via helicopter, Batman chases after him, crashing into the sea and seemingly killing them...