Laughing Man, I shall build for you an altar of pain! I shall gouge your eyes... and rend your limbs! and finally, finally... I'll aim at the pure center of your evil frame. and plunge my fingers, into your beating heart. your bleeding, suffering, palpitating heart! 
- — Nosferatu src
Bruss Wayne-son was turned into the Nosferatu and became the guardian of the darkness.
History
Bruss Wayne-son was a friend of Attorney Dirk Gray-son, whom he and Grayson had a rival interests over Barbara Gord-son. Bruss was drawn to the mystery of Dr. Arkham and his controversial public "psychomantic" seances which were attempted to be banned by Eschevin Gord-son and Gray-son, both of whom were later killed by Arkham's "Laughing Man". Both Bruss and Barbara personally investigated Arkham after being turned down by the police and apparently ignored by the Super-Man and Lois, who the former greater concerns that require his attention.
Wayne-son infiltrated Dr. Arkham's asylum and discovered that Arkham was in league with the new Chancellor, Hender-son, and that the two were manipulating the Metropolis's aristocrats via knowledge of their secrets and the shows in the cabinet. He also hears the two plotting to kill both himself and Barbara with the Laughing Man. But, during an attempted escape by the inmates in the asylum, Bruss was then captured and thrown into a great pit, at the bottom of which lie "Those Who Live Below," the vast, sentient computers who once built Metropolis and still sustain it and watch over humanity. They turned Wayne-son into the "Nosferatu" and sent him back to the city above.
The Nosferatu saved Barbara and killed the Laughing Man, before attacking Arkham in his asylum. As he fought the orderlies, the inmates hailed him as "the Master." While confronting both Dr. Arkham and Hender-son, the latter armed with a gun scavenged from Lutor's old lair and powered by the green stone taken from Lutor's chest, the Super-Man appears to investigate at Wayne-son's behest and is wounded by the weapon before the Nosferatu hurls Hender-son from the tower to fall to his death. He is then confronted by the Super-Man, who believed there is no place for creatures of shadow in his city of light, while the Nosferatu called him naïve and claimed the inmates as his responsibility. They fought, eventually falling down into the underworld. Their battle was inconclusive, with each mortally wounding the other. However, the ancient machines revealed themselves to the Super-Man and he realizes that there can be no light without shadows. The Nosferatu's duty is to catch these shadows. The machines restored both combatants, and the Super-Man accepts the Nosferatu's control over the dark. Bruss Wayne-son ends up in charge of the asylum where Arkham is now a prisoner.
Later, during the Amazon invasion, Nosferatu led the inmates of his asylum alongside the Super-man in defense of Metropolis. After the battle, he returned the inmates to their cells, though Kent wondered how long they could continue to be contained, now that they had tasted freedom.
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Unique Physiology:
- Superhuman Strength: Nosferatu is strong enough to rip the Laughing Man's heart from his chest with one hand, throw multiple men into the air, and could even fight the Super-man (though his strength seemed somewhat less than the latter's, prompting Nosferatu to make use of his other abilities in their bout).
- Superhuman Agility: Nosferatu is capable of performing astonishing leaps and other feats of acrobatics. He can also leap from multiple stories up and land without injury.
- Regeneration: Nosferatu recovers from injuries quickly, though not without limit; a blast from Super-man's heat vision to his face would have killed him if not for the intervention of Those Who Live Below.
- Enhanced Vision
- Night Vision: Nosferatu can see well in the dark.
- Claws: Nosferatu's long, tapered fingers can pierce the Super-man's nigh-invulnerable flesh.
- Energy Projection: Nosferatu can unleash blasts of psychic injury against his opponents.
- Metamorphosis: Wayne-son can shift between his monstrous and mundane forms, apparently at will.
Abilities
- Acrobatics: Even before his transformation into Nosferatu, Wayne-son was a skilled climber and distance leaper.
- Hand-to-Hand Combat (Advanced)
- Historiography: Prior to his encounter with ancient machines beneath Metropolis, Wayne-son had dedicated his life to uncovering the mysteries of the city's history.
- Leadership: In addition to running the Cabinet of Dr. Wayne-son, Nosferatu can lead the inmates in
- Medicine: Wayne-son is described as an "eminent" doctor, well-known and respected amongst Metropolis' elite.
- Monstrous Appearance/Fear Projection/Intimidation: Nosferatu's skull-like visage is enough even to intimidate the insane Laughing Man.
- Stealth
Trivia
Wayne-son is never seen transforming into or out of his Nosferatu persona. Thus, it remains unclear if Wayne-son is a true shapeshifter, or if he is simply waring an intimidating (and perhaps super-powered) costume. However, Nosferatu's skull-like head is capable of bleeding and recovering from damage, suggesting it is his own body rather than simply a disguise.
Related
- 2 Appearances of Bruss Wayne-son (Earth-1927)
- 5 Images featuring Bruss Wayne-son (Earth-1927)
- 1 Quotations by or about Bruss Wayne-son (Earth-1927)
- Character Gallery: Bruss Wayne-son (Earth-1927)
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. |