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Death is powerless against you if you leave a legacy of good behind. Death is powerless against you if you do your job. My father saved the lives of over four thousand people, one at a time... with his bare hands and his mind. Death was with him the entire time.
- -- Bruce Wayne src
History
Dr. Thomas Wayne was one of the most respected patrons in all of Gotham City. He inherited his family's ancestral home Wayne Manor and took charge of the family business Wayne Enterprises. A skilled surgeon and philanthropist, Thomas Wayne also established the charitable Wayne Foundation. He was the husband of socialite Martha Wayne and the father of Bruce Wayne, the future Batman.
Only a few months later, Thomas and his wife Martha gave birth to their only son, Bruce. Thomas never forgot his astral experience on Krypton and began writing a journal of his experiences. Still in possession of the Kryptonian probe, he reverse-engineered the technology and was able to use some of it to save Wayne Enterprises from bankruptcy. Nobody ever knew about the alien heritage from which the thriving company prospered from. Thomas was careful that his journal would never fall into the wrong hands, so he hid it in a secret grotto in the caverns beneath Wayne Manor. He always intended to give the journal to his son so that he might learn the truth about the family's legacy.[1]
Thomas Wayne was also a close colleague of Roger Elliot, another influential businessman. Together, the Waynes and the Elliots were considered one of "First Families of Gotham". At this time, Bruce Wayne befriended Roger and Marla Elliot's son, Thomas. Thomas Elliot was one of the few friends Bruce ever had as a child. What Bruce didn't know however, was that Tommy Elliot suffered severe pathological tendencies. One evening Tommy Elliot arranged for his parents to die in an automobile accident. Upon hearing the news, Thomas Wayne rushed to Sacred Heart hospital. He was unable to save the life of Roger Elliot, but he did succeed in saving Marla Elliot, though her injuries would require extensive reconstructive surgery.[2]
A few weeks later, Thomas, Martha and young Bruce were walking home from a night out at the movies. A mugger leapt from the shadows of Park Row and assaulted them, demanding money. Thomas tried to fight back, but the mugger shot him directly in the chest, killing him. He then turned his gun on Martha and viciously ended her life as well. Bruce Wayne stared on in horror, as his parents lay dead beside him. Chill turned and ran from the alleyway. Bruce made a graveside promise that he would bring the lowly killer to justice and avenge their deaths.[3]
Powers and Abilities
Abilities
Notes
- As a child, Thomas was a member of the Green Lantern fan club and his son Bruce (who occasionally works with his father's hero) keeps a autographed picture of ten-year-old Thomas and the Lantern.
- The character of Thomas Wayne was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane. Later permutations of the character were developed courtesy of Dennis O'Neil, John Byrne, Frank Miller and John Francis Moore.
Related
- 181 Appearances of Thomas Wayne (New Earth)
- 23 Images featuring Thomas Wayne (New Earth)
- 1 Quotations by or about Thomas Wayne (New Earth)
- Character Gallery: Thomas Wayne (New Earth)
Links
- Dr. Thomas Wayne at dccomics.com
- Dr. Thomas Wayne at Wikipedia.org
- Thomas Wayne article at Wikipedia
- Thomas and Martha Wayne article at the Unofficial Guide to the DC Universe
Footnotes
