| Thomas Wayne | |
|---|---|
 Thomas Wayne, as he appeared on a variant cover ofDetective Comics #1050 (January 2022). Art byJorge Molina. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Detective Comics #33 (November 1939) |
| Created by | |
| In-story information | |
| Full name | Dr. Thomas Wayne |
| Team affiliations | Wayne Enterprises |
| Supporting character of | Batman Flash |
| Notable aliases | Dr. Wayne, Batman |
Dr. Thomas Wayne,M.D. is a fictional character appearing inAmerican comic books published byDC Comics. He is the father of Bruce Wayne (Batman), and husband ofMartha Wayne as well as the paternal grandfather ofDamian Wayne. Wayne was introduced inDetective Comics #33 (November 1939), the first exposition of Batman'sorigin story. A gifted surgeon and philanthropist toGotham City, Wayne inherited the Wayne family fortune after Patrick Wayne. When Wayne and his wife are murdered in a street mugging, Bruce is inspired to fight crime in Gotham as thevigilante Batman.[2]
Wayne was revived inGeoff Johns' alternate timeline comicFlashpoint (2011), in which he plays a major role as a hardened, more violentversion of Batman, whose son was killed instead of his wife and himself, leading both of them to become the altered reality's counterparts of Batman and theJoker respectively, and dies again by the end of the storyline. Dr. Wayne returned to the main DC Universe inDC Rebirth, as arevived amalgamation of his original self killed byJoe Chill and hisFlashpoint Batman self killed in "The Button", teaming up with the supervillainBane to attempt to force his son to retire as Batman.
As a key figure in the origin of Batman, Thomas Wayne has appeared in multiple forms of media. Notable portrayals of the character in live-action films includeLinus Roache inBatman Begins (2005),Jeffrey Dean Morgan inBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016),Brett Cullen inJoker (2019), andLuke Roberts inThe Batman (2022).Ben Aldridge also portrays him in the television seriesPennyworth (2019).
Thomas Wayne, M.D. is seldom shown outside of Bruce Wayne's andAlfred Pennyworth's memories of him, and Bruce's dreams and nightmares. He is frequently depicted as looking very much like his son, but with a mustache.
A notable occurrence in Thomas’ biography was when Bruce falls through a fissure on the Wayne property, into what would one day become theBatcave (sometimes the fissure is replaced with an abandoned well). Thomas eventually rescues his terrified son from the cave.
Dr. Wayne's role in his son's future vigilante career is expanded upon in "The First Batman", aSilver Age tale fromDetective Comics #235, which reveals that Dr. Wayne attacks and defeats hoodlums while dressed like a "Bat-Man" for amasquerade ball. According to the story, Dr. Wayne's actions result in crime bossLew Moxon being imprisoned; ten years later, Moxon ordersJoe Chill to murder Dr. Wayne. Realizing Moxon ordered his parents killed,Batman confronts Moxon, now suffering fromamnesia and thus has no memory of Dr. Wayne. When hiscostume is torn, Batman wears his father's in order to frighten Moxon. Sure enough, the costume restores Moxon's memory; the former crime boss panics, believing that Thomas’ ghost is attacking, and flees into the streets and is struck and killed by a truck.[3] These events were retold in the 1980 miniseriesThe Untold Legend of the Batman. Following theCrisis on Infinite Earths, Thomas as the "First Batman" wasretconned - he instead attends the masquerade ball asZorro. This was retconned once more in the pages ofSuperman/Batman, whereSuperman, hoping to reverse some universe-altering change in the time streams, lands in a version of Gotham City in which Thomas never died, finding him giving outHalloween candy in the original Batman costume.
In many of the modern interpretations of the character, such as those byFrank Miller andJeph Loeb, Thomas Wayne is portrayed as having been a somewhat distant, stern father, bestowing more kindness and generosity on his patients than his own son.
InBatman: The Long Halloween, a flashback reveals that Thomas Wayne saved the life of gangsterCarmine Falcone. Falcone's father Vincent Falcone came to Wayne Manor and begged Thomas to save his dying son, who had been shot by rival gangster Luigi Maroni. Thomas wanted to take the younger Falcone to the hospital, but Vincent insisted that nobody know about the shooting; the surgery was thus performed in the dining room with Alfred assisting. After saving Carmine's life, he was offered a reward or favor, but refused to accept any form of payment. Unbeknownst to Thomas, young Bruce watched this all in silence from afar. Years later, Bruce contemplates whether Gotham would have been better off had his father let Falcone die; Alfred replies that Thomas would have helped anyone in need.
InSuperman/Batman #50, it is revealed that, while on a drive with a pregnant Martha Wayne, Thomas witnesses a strange object fall toEarth. As he inspects it, Thomas' consciousness is transported toKrypton, and presented in aholographic form. There, he encountersJor-El, wishing to know what kind of a world Earth is, as it is one of many possible candidates for him to send his sonKal-El to. Thomas tells Jor-El that the people of Earth aren't perfect, but are essentially a good and kind race, who would raise the child right, convincing Jor-El to send Kal-El there. Upon returning to his body, Thomas uses the technology in the Kryptonian probe to revitalize a failing Wayne Enterprises. Years later, the alien technology would be the basis of much of Batman's crimefighting technology. Thomas recorded his encounter in a diary, which was discovered by Bruce in the present day.[4]
).jpg)
When exiting a movie theater (opera in some versions), Thomas and Martha Wayne are murdered by amugger in front of their son, Bruce Wayne. This tragedy shocks Gotham and leads to Park Row (the street where it occurred) being labeled Crime Alley. Most importantly, it serves as the motivation for Bruce to become Batman.[5]
DuringBatman R.I.P., it is alleged that Thomas Wayne andMartha Wayne were leading a double life, secretly partaking in criminal endeavors,drug abuse andorgies while presenting a façade of respectability to the outside world. The alleged evidence is revealed to be doctored in the aftermath of the storyline, however.
DoctorSimon Hurt, head of theBlack Glove and the mastermind behindBatman R.I.P., actually claims tobe Thomas Wayne to both Bruce Wayne and Alfred Pennyworth. Although both of them rebuke him without hesitation, Hurt never explicitly drops the claim.
In the ongoing follow-up series,Batman & Robin, it is suggested that some, if not all, of these allegations have begun to circulate around Gotham;Dick Grayson andDamian Wayne attend a high society function where a few party guests vaguely mention the existence of rumors surrounding the family, and Dick tries to tie Bruce's absence from the public eye with being occupied with clearing his family's reputation.[6] Matters come to a head when Hurt returns to the city, claiming to be Thomas Wayne in order to take control of Wayne Manor and establish himself as the new Batman, but Grayson and Damian outsmart him.
It is hinted at during the course of theBatman and Robin series that Simon Hurt's actual identity is Thomas Wayne, albeit one from the 17th century who was a 'black sheep' of the Wayne family and prolongs his life through occult rituals. TheReturn of Bruce Wayne miniseries and its falloutBruce Wayne: The Road Home cements Hurt's status as the elder Thomas Wayne from the Puritan Ages, driven insane by his meeting withBarbatos, the Hyper-Adapter sent through time along with Bruce Wayne to ensure the effectiveness of Darkseid's "Omega Sanction".
An alternate universe variant of Thomas Wayne appears inBatman: Castle of the Bat. This version was resurrected as aFrankenstein-like creature after Bruce Wayne discovered his disembodied, preserved brain.[7]
An alternate universe variant of Thomas Wayne appears inBatman: Dark Knight Dynasty. This version was killed byVandal Savage.
An alternate universe variant of Thomas Wayne appears inBatman: Holy Terror. This version is the chief physician of thePrivy Council who opposesOliver Cromwell's worldwidetheocratic government
.png)
An alternate universe variant of Thomas Wayne appears inBatman: Earth One.
An alternate universe variant of Thomas Wayne appears in theFlashpoint event. This version is Batman to avenge the death of his son Bruce Wayne, with his wife Martha becoming a version of theJoker.[8] Following his introduction inFlashpoint, Thomas makes subsequent appearances in the eventsConvergence,The Button, andFlashpoint Beyond.[9][10][11]
An alternate universe variant of Thomas Wayne appears inJLA: Earth 2. This version became the commissioner of theGotham City Police Department after the deaths of Martha and Bruce.[12]
An alternate universe variant of Thomas Wayne appears inSuperman: Red Son. This version is an anti-communist activist who is later killed by theNKVD under CommissarPyotr Roslov.[13]
An alternate universe variant of Thomas Wayne fromEarth-Two who succeeded Bruce as Batman using theMiraclo pill appears inThe New 52.[14]
During theConvergence event, he is killed while fighting the Club of Villains.[15][16][17] Thomas was later succeeded byDick Grayson.[18]
An alternate universe variant of Thomas Wayne from Earth-Three appears inThe New 52. This version is a sociopathic doctor who is later killed by Alfred Pennyworth.[19][20]
An alternate universe variant of Thomas Wayne appears inDC Comics Bombshells. This version was saved byBatwoman, leading Bruce Wayne to become Batman in the latter's honor.
An alternate universe variant of Thomas Wayne appears inAbsolute Batman. This version is a schoolteacher who was killed protecting his students from a shooter.[21]
Thomas Wayne appears in theBatman Arkham series, voiced again by Kevin Conroy.[25]
| Characters | |
|---|---|
| Locations | |
| History and themes | |
| Ongoing publications | |
| In other media | |
| Related | |
