Batman will receive some unlikely help against Arkham City's rogues gallery in the form of his one-time nemesis Bane. A recent panel at the San Fransisco Comic-Con, covered by Go Nintendo, has revealed that the 'man who broke the Bat' is to have Batman's back in a less homicidal sense, and will appear alongside the player as an NPC character in Rocksteady's upcoming bat-'em-up.

The monstrous former villain will be Batman's ally in a series of side missions in which Bane and The Bat must track down a shipment of chemical contraband that's gone awry. That's not to say that he's all calmed down since his defeat in Arkham Asylum, however. Edge report that his trademark ram attack can still cause Batman serious damage should he be accidentally caught in Bane's way during a fight. One of the highlights of Arkham Asylum's troubled boss battle with Bane was his careless disregard for the henchmen he bowled over on his way to the Dark Knight, and now we can expect to experience being one of these accidental casualties during the more hectic fights.

Bane joins the already impressive cast of classic characters from the franchise, which boasts appearances from The Riddler, Two-Face, Penguin and Soloman Grundy, though we can't help but feel some slight disappointment that we won't get to control our new ally like we will Catwoman. You can watch the whole Comic-Con panel via the GameSpot's YouTube video.