Gotham City is the first U.S city to be put into lockdown following an outbreak of Coronavirus. Keen to contain the crisis, President Trump appointed a loyalist to control the outbreak: Bane. Bane is a rising star of the Republican Party, having attracted funding from the League of Shadows super PAC during his unsuccessful run for mayor.

Patient zero has been described as ‘Batman’ following rumours that coronavirus originated in Gotham’s bat population. Bane started the lockdown by blowing up all the bridges going into Central Gotham and taking direct control of all communication channels. Limited news reports have come out of Gotham since, but those that have are deeply troubling. Tanks are on the streets and armed militia roam freely. There has been a surge in masked individuals spotted in the city, presumably as a safety precaution against the virus. Bizarrely, most of them wear capes too.

Leading by example, Bane has been seen wearing a mask while discharging his duties. When asked for comment, Bane said, ‘Why do I wear the mask? To protect from Coronavirus of course.’

— Will Rowan