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Bane has to wear a mask, I'm assuming at all times, because it helps him withstand the severe pain. So how does he eat?

Most forum questions are filled with wildly speculative answers, including injection of drugs (which I guess would be the most likely). In the comics, I understand that he originally took Venom, which was the cause of his super-human powers. But could that be enough to supply his body with all the nutrients it needs? (I'm thinking protein especially; he has a lot of muscle.)

Is it ever explained in the comics or elsewhere exactly how Bane receives his nutrition?

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    Through an Emergency Induction Port. (that's a straw)
    – DavRob60
    Commented Jul 26, 2012 at 11:55
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    The comics aren't going to be much help here. In the comics, Bane does not have the same sort of mask covering his face: i.sstatic.net/JSoqK.png So presumably, he's able to eat by just lifting the bottom of his mask up, like Rorschach.
    – Plutor
    Commented Jul 26, 2012 at 12:41
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    I'd like to imagine that it's Bane's frail grandmother asking this question. "Bane, are you eating well? How are you eating?"
    – Zoot
    Commented Jul 26, 2012 at 15:15
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    It's possible Bane has an NG-tube (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasogastric_intubation) setup in his mask he would have a port on his mask where he would connect to a liquid food source. The mask looks like it has some sort of pump (for anesthetic at-least), it could easily pump a liquid food source into his stomach.
    – onewho
    Commented Jul 26, 2012 at 19:18
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    Perhaps he just snorts protein whey powder?
    – AncientSwordRage ♦
    Commented Jul 27, 2012 at 1:51

4 Answers 4

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It's possible that his super-human strength provides him with a decreased need for nutrients and, if so, all regular foods would be recognized as an unstable intake of nutrients compared to that of his "venom" which he relies on.

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    This answer doesn't actually answer anything. In the comics Bane got injected with Venom and has super-strength, but wears a regular mask he can just take off. In the movie Dark Knight Rises Bane is just a highly trained regular-human with a mask that has to stay on.
    – user20155
    Commented Aug 5, 2014 at 23:16
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    In addition, Venom has no nutritional value whatsoever - it's essentially a super-steroid. Venom is seen eating normally in the comics.
    – Omegacron
    Commented Feb 11, 2015 at 20:54
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The problem with this question is that eating would probably not be a problem for Bane.

First, we don't see Bane eat or drink, so we cannot know for sure how he does this. But does it matter? It's for the same reason we don't see anyone going to the bathroom in Star Trek, on almost any movie or series, it's irrelevant to the story or the development of the character.

Second, as I stated in the minute following the submission of this question, the problem could be easily countered by using a straw. I made this with an allusion to Mass Effect's Tali. She is a Quarian, an alien species confined to an enviro-suits because of their weak immune systems. She used this method to get drunk without having to remove her helmet. We know that because they made a joke out of it, but it's otherwise irrelevant.

Does Bane use a straw to eat? Maybe, that one of the many method he could use. But who knows, he could chew Buuble Gum under his masks and we would not know!

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    In all fairness, though we never see anyone use the bathroom in Star Trek due to a lack of importance to the story, it's not something that would really force someone to question the feasibility of the series. A very human individual that doesn't have any seeming way of consuming sustenance, however, that's another story.
    – Terrance Shaw
    Commented Nov 18, 2012 at 1:18
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    @TerranceShaw In my answer, I was trying to explain that the problem is not that he doesn't have any seeming way of consuming sustenance, it's that he have many way he could plausibly do it. Does Picard sit or stand to pee? Who cares!
    – DavRob60
    Commented Nov 19, 2012 at 1:23
  • @DavRob60, or has a catheter ;)
    – Paul Draper
    Commented May 5, 2015 at 17:54
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Bane in Dark Knight Rise wears a mask to hide injury, and there is no mention of Venom.

Bane in the comics wears a mask because it's what all the cool guys are doing, and he receives his strength through the Venom formula.

Bane in comics likely eats normally.

Bane in Dark Knight Rises could do a couple things

Eat through a straw

A friend of mine broke a his jaw and had to get it wired shut. He received sustenance by consuming liquid food through a straw. Some foods work better than others -- steak just isn't meant to go through a straw -- but it works. He did lose a considerable amount of weight, but that was mostly due to the increased inconvenience of eating, not the lack of achievable nutrition.

Eat through an IV

Aka Parenteral nutrition. This is necessitated by a variety of medical conditions and can sustain a person indefinitely. It bypasses the entire digestive system, not just the mouth, and there are a number of complications. But is it possible.

And there are other ways as well.

Due to the extreme nature and complications of prolonged IV-only nutrition, I'm inclined to believe ingestion through the mouth via a straw. His mask could even be designed to make this easier.

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During the part when two of Bane's men take Gordon to him in the tunnel, it can only be assumed that that's when he's eating - just before he stands up and asks

Why are you here?

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    Doesn't really answer the question, though. OP isn't asking when he eats, but how he actually manages to get it done.
    – Terrance Shaw
    Commented Nov 18, 2012 at 1:19

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