It was my job to protect them. Do you understand? I know you always blamed yourself, but you were only a boy, Bruce. I could see the fear in your eyes but I didn't know how to help. I could teach you how to fight, but I wasn't equipped to take care of you. You needed a father, and all you had was me. 
- — Alfred Pennyworth src
Alfred Pennyworth is the caring and wry butler of Bruce Wayne. A former British Intelligence agent, he was deemed Bruce's legal guardian after the death of his parents, and trained so to fight. Year later, he helps him both run Wayne Enterprises and protect Gotham City as the vigilante "Batman".
History
Early career
Alfred Pennyworth
Alfred Pennyworth was once an S.A.S. agent in England before moving to the United States, where he became the family butler of the wealthy Thomas Wayne and his family in Gotham City, New York. When Thomas tried to cover up press leaks about his wife's history of mental illness by working with gangster Carmine Falcone, Falcone had a reporter killed. Thomas, believing he had gone too far, decided to go to the police, but days later, possibly on Falcone's orders, he and Martha were gunned down in an ally in front of their son Bruce, leaving Alfred to feel responsible for being unable to protect them.
Reluctantly aiding Bruce in his mission
A traumatized Bruce was placed in Alfred's care, and Alfred, unsure of how to care for a child, taught him various fighting techniques to defend himself, but this only caused his rage and trauma to fester. He refused to take proper control of his father's company, Wayne Enterprises, leaving Alfred to run communications. In 2020, Bruce donned a bat-like suit of armor to fight crime in Gotham as a vigilante known as "The Batman", and struck up a working relationship with police lieutenant Jim Gordon. Alfred disapproved, but helped Bruce in his missions, despite Bruce becoming more abrasive with him.[1][2]
The Riddler killings
On Halloween night of 2022, Mayor Mitchell was murdered by a serial killer known as the Riddler, and his body was left with a envelope addressed to the Batman. Alfred helped Bruce solve the cipher within, and aided him in uncovering secrets about Falcone's web of corruption in the city, which the Riddler was aiming to reveal to the public through his murder spree. In the following days, he killed Commissioner Savage and District Attorney Colson, leaving further riddles for the Batman to solve.
Alfred escapes the explosion
One night, Alfred was looking through Bruce's mail and discovered a packaged bomb from the Riddler, which Alfred tossed away before detonation. The explosion critically wounded him, and he was rushed to the hospital, while Bruce became more and more obsessed with finding and stopping the Riddler. The next day, the Riddler leaked to the press the truth of Thomas and Falcone's partnership, as well as his wife's history of mental illness, which made Bruce question his entire purpose for being the Batman.
Reconnecting with Bruce
Bruce visited Alfred in the hospital and asked him about Falcone, and he explained Thomas' attempt to go to the police. He and Bruce opened up to each other and finally reconnected, before Bruce left to take down the Riddler and Falcone as the Batman. Alfred recovered in the hospital as the Riddler was brought to justice, but it is unclear if he stayed there once the Riddler's bombs destroyed the city dam and flooded the city, while the Batman acted as a first responder in the aftermath.[2]
Powers and Abilities
Abilities
- Hand-to-Hand Combat (Advanced)
- Tactical Analysis
- Military Protocol
- Computer Operation
- Business Management
- Multilingualism
Other Characteristics
- Restricted Mobility: Alfred walks with a limp and requires a cane to properly balance himself while walking.[1]
Paraphernalia
Equipment
- Cane
- Glasses: Alfred requires thick reading glasses to make out small letters and images.[2]
- Batcomputer
Notes
- This version of the character is exclusive to the continuity of the The Batman Saga and is an adaptation of Alfred Beagle. The original character was created by Don C. Cameron and Bob Kane and first appeared in Batman #16.
- Alfred Pennyworth is portrayed by Andy Serkis.
- Alfred shares many similarities with his Earth-1 counterpart, with his beard, his cane, and admitting that he felt he was an inadequate replacement for Bruce's parents.
Trivia
- Alfred seems to be the only person aware that Bruce Wayne is the Batman.[2]
Recommended Reading
Related
- 2 Appearances of Alfred Pennyworth (The Batman Saga)
- 5 Images featuring Alfred Pennyworth (The Batman Saga)
- 2 Quotations by or about Alfred Pennyworth (The Batman Saga)
- Character Gallery: Alfred Pennyworth (The Batman Saga)
External Links
Footnotes
  This character is or was an incarnation of or an ally of Batman, and a member of the Batman Family. This template will automatically categorize articles that include it into the "Batman Family members" category. |