Nightwing: Alfred's Return #1 is a one-shot with a cover date of July, 1995.
Synopsis for "The Britannia Coup"
After a month in the Bahamas, then an Antarctic cruise, Alfred finds himself back in London, standing outside the stage door of a playhouse for five nights. He stands, with roses in hand waiting for to make contact with his ex-fiancee, Joanna. He gives her the roses and they both strike up a conversation. They both reminisce about being in "Romeo and Juliet" as the titular characters, although now she plays Juliet's mother. She invites him to dinner to meet her son Derek and informs him that her husband Jonny, who she left Alfred for many years ago because she was having an affair with him, passed away a year after their marriage.
Nightwing follows Alfred to London. After foiling a robbery, Dick asks around at the hotel for Alfred. The hotel clerk says he checked out, but the bellhop offers a tip to his whereabouts if his palms are greased. Actually the bellhop is an informant for Alfred who eventually gives Dick bad information to throw him off Alfred's trail.
Alfred meets Derek and Joanna asks Alfred to help him with a gambling debt to a casino. Alfred is reluctant to give Derek the money and Derek storms out of the apartment. Joanna, worried that the casino creditors might hurt Derek, tells Alfred that Derek is his son!
Immediately, Alfred goes to the casino manager, Hoskins, and offers to pay a large amount of the debt, but Hoskins throws him out. As Alfred leaves, the Duke of Midian walks into Hoskins office.
Nightwing greets Alfred back at his hotel room. Nightwing gives Alfred the good news that Bruce has his back healed, reclaimed the mantle of the Bat, and Tim is doing fine as well. They embrace and Alfred lets Dick in on the situation with Derek and asks for his help.
The duo decide to "bug" Derek's meeting with Hoskins at the casino. Hoskins tells Derek that the debt is paid off, so long as he switches some computer tapes in Derek's workplace at the Department of Transportation. The Duke of Midian calls Hoskins and invites him to dinner the following night in his castle at Kent. Along with some high ranking military leaders of the British Government, the Duke plans to send a convoy rigged with high explosives into the English Channel heading for France. The plan would kill hundreds of people within the tunnel and result in catastrophic economic disaster for England.
Nightwing goes after the convoy, while Alfred and Derek, who followed Alfred and Nightwing, infiltrate the castle. Nightwing is able to send the truck off the cliffs before it reaches the channel tunnel. Alfred and Derek take out Hoskins and the Duke, but not before the Duke mortally wounds Derek.
A grief struck Joanna admits to Alfred that Derek is not his son. She just told him that so Alfred would help him. Shocked at this deception, Alfred simply walks away heartbroken. Alfred finds content with the feeling the Bruce and Dick are his "sons", and that being with them, "men whose emotions serve their reasons", is reason enough for him to return to Gotham City and to Wayne Manor.
Appearing in "The Britannia Coup"
Featured Characters:
- Alfred Pennyworth (Flashback and main story)
- Nightwing
Supporting Characters:
- Joanna Clark (Flashback and main story)
- Derek Forsythe (Dies)
Antagonists:
- Hoskins (Single appearance)
- Duke of Midian (Single appearance)
- General Moyes (Single appearance)
- Fleet Admiral Somerset-Norman (Single appearance)
- Commander Spencer (Single appearance)
- Tony (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Batman (Bruce Wayne) (Flashback only)
- Batman (Jean-Paul Valley) (Flashback only)
- Jonny Forsythe (Flashback only)
- Bob (Single appearance)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- This issue is reprinted in Nightwing: Ties That Bind, Batman: Knightfall Omnibus Vol. 3 - KnightsEnd, and Batman: Troika.
- This one-shot issue is an epilogue to "Knightquest: The Search" and "Prodigal".
- Alfred resigned his post at Wayne Manor in Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #60.
Trivia
- Alfred admits to being drunk twice in his life; before he left England for America, and the night he left Gotham City.
- Dick Grayson refers to Alfred as his "best friend."