Has there ever been a story that describes how Alfred came to work for the Waynes, or why he was close enough to the family to have been left custody of Bruce?
Need Help with a Bit of Batman Lore
- Thread starter Lapis Exilis
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Pre-Crisis he showed up after Bruce became Batman. I think his father worked for the Waynes previously. Batman Year One introduced Alfred as the "old family retainer". (IIRC) I don't recall if Alfred was ever established as Bruce Wayne's legal guardian. At best he was just a father-figure and confidant for the young Bruce Wayne.
The cartoon "The Batman" made a big deal out of the fact that he was an army medic before becoming a butler.
Does that come from any other source or did that 'toon just make that up?
Does that come from any other source or did that 'toon just make that up?
I seem to remember aspects of Alfred's backstory being covered in No Man's Land. It mentioned his army history, his time as an actor, and that he became the Wayne's butler at the request of his dying father.
Norrin Radd
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Spoiler:
He's actually Bruce's real father.
He's actually Bruce's real father.
in the 90's TAS, he was a dashing super secret spy who came to work for the Waynes after he and his old partner - who i think also became a butler - parted ways.
Alfred then became Michael Caine. You may have seen him in a recent film. The Dark Knight. Michael Cain is pretty cool.
and then you have "Can I persuade you to take a sandwich with you sir" Alfred. He was kind of the same thing as TAS Batman. Maybe just a tad more emo-er in Batman & Robin. Ok, maybe a lot more emo-er. Especially when he was programmed in the ba-ba-ba-ba-batcomputer.
Alfred then became Michael Caine. You may have seen him in a recent film. The Dark Knight. Michael Cain is pretty cool.
and then you have "Can I persuade you to take a sandwich with you sir" Alfred. He was kind of the same thing as TAS Batman. Maybe just a tad more emo-er in Batman & Robin. Ok, maybe a lot more emo-er. Especially when he was programmed in the ba-ba-ba-ba-batcomputer.
A story set during Year 1, but written and published years later, related how Alfred, who was ready to leave Wayne's employ, was drawn back in when he had to keep him alive following his injuries during that first costume-less foray. It was then his skills as a medic were intro'd.
Definitely from the comics. I have a 1982 book called The Untold Legend of the Batman, reprinting a comic-book story by Len Wein, John Byrne, and Jim Aparo that summarized everything the pre-Crisis comics continuity had established about Batman's origins and those of his associates. According to it, he was a soldier in the late days of WWII, helping to free refugees from the Nazis. After the war, he swore off violence and returned to his first love, the stage, but then his dying father made Alfred swear to follow the family tradition of butlering.
I think Alfred's medical skills are post-Crisis, though, to explain how Batman gets his injuries patched up.
Original Pre-Crisis Alfred came to the service of Bruce Wayne after he had long since become Batman. Even Robin was already around. He was the son of Jarvis who had served the Wayne family and came to Wayne manor at the dying wish of his father.
Alfred started off fat and clean shaven but his appearance was altered to match that of the Alfred who appeared in the 40's Batman serials.
In the 60's Alfred was killed off and a few years later revived but transformed into the villainous Outsider. Eventually he was cured and returned as the Wayne Butler.
Post COIE Alfred was retconned to have been the Wayne family butler for Bruce's whole life and raised Bruce after his parents were killed.
Time as a stage actor and in millitary intelligence have been the in the backgrounds of both versions of Alfred right from the beginning.
Alfred possibly being Bruce's biological father is recent stupidness from the mind of Grant Morrison.
Alfred started off fat and clean shaven but his appearance was altered to match that of the Alfred who appeared in the 40's Batman serials.
In the 60's Alfred was killed off and a few years later revived but transformed into the villainous Outsider. Eventually he was cured and returned as the Wayne Butler.
Post COIE Alfred was retconned to have been the Wayne family butler for Bruce's whole life and raised Bruce after his parents were killed.
Time as a stage actor and in millitary intelligence have been the in the backgrounds of both versions of Alfred right from the beginning.
Alfred possibly being Bruce's biological father is recent stupidness from the mind of Grant Morrison.
Harriet was Dick's aunt. She came to the manor during the period that Alfred was believed dead.
I know the history of Alfred (i.e. Pre and Post crisis versions and all), but I'm looking for any stories that actually reveal these bits of his current backstory, particularly any Post-Crisis stories about his history with Thomas and Martha Wayne.
Thanks for all these bits, folks!
Some of that is Silver Age.
Yeah, there's a few panels in NML about his time as an actor, which is definitely a Silver Age thing. I know there are some Silver Age stories that reference his time as an RAF pilot, though I think they've dropped those references and changed them to a vague military intelligence thing because for Alfred to be an RAF pilot now would make him in his 80s or 90s.
He did. Julia Remarque I think was her name. She was a short lived love interest for Bruce Wayne around the early 80s. Who knows if she's still part of continuity?
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