Terry McGinnis
Encyclopedia
Batman is a fictional
superhero
in comics published by DC Comics
as well as the main protagonist
of the animated television series Batman Beyond
(1999–2001), in which he has succeeded Bruce Wayne
as the protector of Gotham City
. He was voiced by Will Friedle
. His first appearance in comics was in Batman
#700 (June 2010).
, originally meant as a character for the DCAU
. For a long time, he was not considered a character for the main DC Universe. Countdown introduced Earth-12, an alternate universe with its own version of Terry McGinnis and other Beyond-like characters. However, in Batman
#700, Grant Morrison finally introduced him into Batman's future in mainstream continuity in 2010, migrating him from television into comic books.
Terry was born in Gotham City
on Earth-12, an alternate universe, on August 18, 2023, to Warren and Mary McGinnis, a research scientist at Wayne-Powers and an astronomer
at Astro-Tech respectively. By his own admission, he was once a "bad kid." As a former member of a street gang run by youthful racketeer Charlie "Big Time" Bigelow, Terry had his fair share of run-ins with the Gotham City Police
at age fourteen while his parents were going through a divorce, even serving a three-month stint in juvenile hall
(having been underage, he is spared Charlie's three-year sentence).
Years after Batman is last seen, Terry finds himself on the run from the Jokerz
, another street gang, who have modelled themselves after the deceased Clown Prince of Crime
. Terry flees onto the grounds of Wayne Manor
, where an aged Bruce Wayne comes to his defense. The strain of the fight places substantial stress on Bruce's weak heart
, so Terry helps Bruce into the mansion and gets him his medication; Bruce proceeds to fall asleep afterward. Before leaving, Terry notices a bat
stuck inside a grandfather clock. As he tries to free it, he stumbles upon the entrance to the Batcave
and realizes that the elder man was the city's heroic Dark Knight. He is then forced to leave by Bruce.
Terry returns home to find his father murdered, ostensibly by Jokerz. He later discovers that Derek Powers
—who has assumed leadership of a merged Wayne-Powers—ordered Warren's death after the latter discovered Powers' plan to mass-produce biological weapons
. He seeks Bruce's assistance in bringing Powers down, but cannot convince the old man to take up the cowl once more; Bruce is still shaken from an ordeal years earlier of having relied on a gun
for self-defense
. Terry takes matters into his own hands and steals the latest incarnation of the Batsuit
. Despite some initial mistrust, their similar backgrounds convince Bruce to aid Terry. Terry successfully derails Powers' plan, in the process exposing Powers to his own hazardous chemicals, resulting in his mutation
into Blight
.
Convinced that there is still a need for a Batman, Bruce hires Terry as his "personal assistant" and begins secretly training him for his new role as Gotham's Dark Knight. In addition, Bruce assists Terry in the field primarily by keeping in continual contact with the boy at the Batcave. Beyond the vigilante duties as Batman, Terry is also Bruce's chauffeur
as well as assisting Bruce's daily business and personal tasks at his home and office.
After Powers' criminal identity is revealed to the public and he finally brings retribution to his father's killer, Terry decides to continue his role as Batman to make up for his past sin
s, in the hope that his heroic role is his chance at redemption
.
Terry and Bruce develop a respect for each other, with Terry regarding Bruce as a surrogate father. This is demonstrated in the episode "Sneak Peek" where Terry pays reporter Ian Peek a visit to plead on Bruce's behalf:
Even though the stern attitude of Bruce with Terry is meant to ensure that he pushes Terry both emotionally and physically, and even though Bruce can at times be very emotionally distant to the young Batman, there have also been times he has shown genuine concern and love for Terry even at defending him to Commissioner Barbara Gordon when Shriek held Gotham hostage in exchange for Batman's life:
In turn, Bruce initially treats Terry the same way he treated Dick Grayson
and Tim Drake. In time, Terry grows into the cowl, and Bruce grows to accept him as his heir to the Batman legacy, demonstrating a great deal of faith in him despite his criminal past; in the episode "Eyewitness," when Terry was framed for murder
, Bruce trusted Terry's claims of innocence even after Barbara Gordon
told Bruce that she had seen Terry kill a man. (It was later revealed to be an illusion
created by Spellbinder). Over time, the generally private Bruce Wayne even told Terry about some of his old enemies and adventures as Batman, such as his old relationship with Selina Kyle
, Terry also doing his own independent research into individuals such as Talia al Ghul
, although Bruce rarely discussed Joker due to the intensely personal nature of his confrontations with the villain.
During the 'return' of 'Hush', Bruce briefly appeared prepared to replace Terry with Bat-Wraith robots, but admits when Terry is injured in a confrontation with Hush that Terry is an excellent Batman, with Bruce's issues with his performance stemming simply from his own inability to move on from the role that he had long believed only he could handle.
The Justice League Unlimited
episode "Epilogue" reveals that Terry is Bruce's biological son due to Amanda Waller
's "Batman Beyond" project. The project caused Warren McGinnis to have his reproductive DNA
re-written into an exact copy of Bruce's when he went in for what he thought was a flu shot; this would make Bruce the biological father of Terry and his younger brother Matt McGinnis, even though they were born to Warren and Mary McGinnis. Waller even hired Andrea Beaumont, AKA: The Phantasm, one of Bruce Wayne's many past lovers, and ordered her to kill Warren and Mary as they were coming out of a movie theater with their sons, hoping to recreate the same pyschological trauma that resulted in Bruce becoming Batman within Terry or his brother, but at the last minute Beaumont abandoned the job, refusing to subject an innocent child to the same tragedy that consumed Bruce's life (but in the end, Warren's death at the hands of a criminal still occurred, thus cementing his destiny as the next Batman). This twist seems to be foreshadowed
in a number of Batman Beyond episodes, as references to Bruce being a father figure are occasionally made, both by Terry and other characters, as well as the similarities the two men share. Both of Terry's parents are shown as having red hair, a ressive trait, which would make it impossible for them to have biological sons with black hair. By this point in time Terry, who was considering retiring from the role, had grown into a much larger man than he was at the beginning of the series, closer in size and build to Bruce Wayne in his prime.
d from his wife and their sons split between them: Terry with his father, Matt with his mother. After the divorce, Terry's relationship with his father is shown in the episode "Rebirth" to be strained. After Warren's death, Terry moves back in with his mother. The last time they spoke Terry and his father had a heated argument, something Terry never forgave himself for.
Even though there exists the obligatory spark of sibling rivalry
and tough love
between him and Matt, Terry would be there to raise his brother's spirits when he was feeling down, notably in the episode "Revenant" when Matt reminisces about their father. Matt is also an obsessive fan of Batman in his family, which ironically Matt does not realize that his brother and the hero he idolizes are one and the same.
As far as Mary and Matt are concerned, Terry was simply employed by Bruce Wayne to run errands. They found the idea of Terry being Batman to be absurd, and ridiculed him when he once attempted to reveal his secret in the episode "Sneak Peek."
In the Justice League Unlimited episode "Epilogue", Terry tells Bruce Wayne that he never once doubted that Warren McGinnis loved him with all his heart, and would have taught Terry right from wrong if the young man had been willing to listen.
girl with short dyed pink hair who attends Hamilton Hill High School with Terry. Her parents are separated, and she has one older sister who often works late hours. Max is exceptionally intelligent and talented with computer programming
, even among her peers. It is revealed in the episode "Babel" that the Gibsons own a seal-pointed Siamese cat.
Max becomes curious about Batman
after his "return" to Gotham City
. Exceptionally skilled with computer
s and electronics
, she creates a program that is designed to uncover Batman's secret identity
to satisfy that curiosity. After unmasking Terry (following an incorrect assessment of him being a Jokerz hooligan), Max insists on being a part of his secret life and helps him with everything from computer hacking
to coming up with excuses to give his girlfriend Dana.
Max's importance is similar to that of Barbara Gordon
's in the comics, as her hacking genius. Terry and Max remain close, but their relationship is never shown to exceed the boundaries of friendship, which is in contrast to the relationship between Barbara and Bruce, who later got romantically involved with each other. Max is, essentially, Terry's version of Alfred Pennyworth
; Terry even jokingly referred to her as such on one occasion.
The show has been revisited several times since its end, in Justice League
and in the movie Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
, but Max has not been seen or mentioned in any of these. However, she has made an appearance in the fourth issue of the on-going comic book series Batman Beyond.
to analyze all the data available on Batman and deduce his secret identity
. She informs her friends Terry McGinnis and Dana Tan that she believes that Batman is a new person in the old suit, and is somehow connected to their school. This concerns Terry, who is in fact the new Batman.
When the school is vandalized by a gang of Jokerz
, Max reconfigures her program to search for Jokerz instead. Unknown to her, the vandalism
was targeted at her personally. The leader of the Jokerz, Terminal, is actually an honor student named Carter Wilson, and Max's standing is higher than his, outperforming him academically; at the current rate, she will be valedictorian
instead of him.
Terry, as Batman, discovers that Max is a specific target and mistakenly believes that it is because of her computer program. He convinces her to stop running the program, but when Max goes to delete it, she learns that it has completed its analysis. Much to her surprise, Terry's name comes up on the list of potential Jokerz, and she becomes convinced that Terry is Terminal and sends him a message, threatening to expose his secret if he does not meet her. Further confusing the issue, Terry does not get the message until late, and Terminal (who was following her) shows up at the meeting place with his Jokerz. Terry arrives as Batman and rescues Max, revealing Terminal's true identity in the process.
Max later admits to Terry that she had thought he was one of the Jokerz, but has now figured out the truth. She goes to delete her program, but Terry advises her that it's already been wiped after Bruce hacked into the school's computer systems. Max then immediately proves herself an asset by providing an alibi
for why Terry did not call Dana the previous night when he was saving Max. Max tells Terry that he cannot call her Robin; he instead jokingly calls her "Alfred
." (Naturally she fails to understand the reference, given Alfred's lack of exposure in Batman's exploits to the public.)
In the episode "Hooked Up", Max attempts to join Terry on patrol as his partner, even though both he and Bruce do not approve. Trying to prove her worth to Terry, she becomes addicted to Spellbinder's illegal VR
technology, but fights off its influence and knocks Spellbinder out before he can injure Terry. Although Terry remains unwilling to allow her to physically assist him, he accepts her as his partner after she helps him defeat Curaré and disarming Mutro Botha's nuclear weapon
in the episode "Final Cut."
Terry initially hides Bruce's identity from Max, but Max already has enough information to deduce that Terry's employer is actually the original Batman. In "Where's Terry?", when Terry goes missing in Gotham
's maze of subway tunnels, Bruce and Max look for him together and manage to come to an understanding regarding their respective importance to Terry. Bruce however, steadfastly refuses to allow her to become more involved than is absolutely necessary, due to his not wanting her to take the risks that Robin, Nightwing and Batgirl had. Max and Bruce also find themselves at odds due to their attitudes about Terry's work and personal lives. Eventually, Bruce grudgingly accepts Max, and she befriends him in return.
.
However, as the Justice League Unlimited
episode "Epilogue" reveals, Terry ultimately grows into full acceptance of his role as Batman, and somewhere along the line discloses his secret to Dana. Although it takes him some time to get over his fears for her safety in the event that his identity is ever compromised, the episode ends with Terry planning to propose to her.
. In a burst of clarity, he discards a note Melanie had left him, choosing instead not to read it, and goes back to Dana, while Melanie remains in the dark about her enemy and her lover being the same person.
Terry has additional encounters with Ten and the Royal Flush Gang; each time, he advises her to turn straight, showing that he still cares deeply about her. Their relationship is somewhat reminiscent of the one the original Batman
had with Catwoman
, and Bruce even notes it.
's police commissioner
, Barbara Gordon
, the daughter of James Gordon
and formerly Batgirl
. The alliance starts out on a sour note, as Barbara never fails to take Terry's juvenile record into account and believes he is too reckless for the role of Batman. The fact that Terry occasionally ruins police stakeout operations by intervening without fully assessing the situation sometimes worsens the situation.
Barbara is reluctant to assist the new Batman and to have a teenager as Gotham's new protector. The direct-to-video movie Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
revealed that Barbara remains haunted by the torture
that Tim Drake long ago suffered at the hands of the Joker
. She advises Terry to give up being Batman, and once tries to arrest him after he is framed for murder by Spellbinder; however, when the truth comes out, Barbara rewards Terry with a civic service award as an apology. Barbara eventually relents, however, upon realizing that she could not deter him anymore than she could have been deterred from being Batgirl.
Barbara eventually warms up to Terry, assisting him when Bruce is put out of action by a revived Joker. She states that she hopes Terry would avoid the lonely existence that Bruce leads. However, Barbara's attitude is different from Jim Gordon's, and she notes once that she is "not [her] father", never working as closely with Terry as her father did with Bruce. (i.e. using a Bat-Signal
, directly giving him cases, etc.).
Despite Terry's friendship with Bigelow and the regret that his time in jail did not reform him, subsequent events in the episode "Betrayal" make clear that Bigelow saw Terry merely as hired muscle. Terry finally lets go of his guilt toward Charlie and sees him for the monster he really is. Terry and Charlie's friendship is reminiscent of Bruce and Harvey Dent, two best friends who eventually become enemies, another similarity that Bruce notes.
. Eventually, he is recruited by Superman
to root out a traitor in the team, which turns out to be Superman himself, under the control of the extraterrestrial creature Starro
. Though the rest of the team at first distrusts him due to his perceived inexperience, Terry gains their trust by saving their lives and freeing Superman from the alien's mind control
. However, he says that he would prefer to be like his mentor and only partially serve on the Justice League.
When Static is sent 40 years into the future from the time of the Static Shock
series, he is forced to work with Terry to rescue Static's future self from the KOBRA
organization. While Terry doubts his abilities at first, he eventually develops respect for Static. Terry also sees the resemblance in both the teenage and adult version.
Terry seems to have rejoined, as later episodes of Justice League Unlimited
show him as a regular member (and possibly leader). In the alternate timeline shown in the JLU episode "The Once and Future Thing, Part 2: Time Warped," Terry fights alongside Static (of that era) and Warhawk
. He is killed in the episode, though his death is undone thanks to time travel
.
episode "Epilogue", which takes place 15 years after Batman Beyond
, Terry discovers the shocking truth about his parentage. When Bruce requires tissue for the cloning
of a kidney
to transplant, Terry is checked for compatibility. To his surprise, his DNA
is similar to Bruce's. After hesitating for a time, he runs a DNA test and finds out that Bruce is his biological father. Terry tracks down Amanda Waller
, the only person in the world he believes can answer his questions. As he does so, he imagines scenarios where he leaves the people important to himself because he believes his life was a lie.
Terry vents some of his frustration about Bruce and his plans to Waller, only to be surprised when Waller reveals that Bruce was not responsible for Terry's gene
tic makeup: she herself was, without Bruce's consent.
Decades earlier, Waller was the government liaison to the Justice League and she slowly began to realize and believe that Batman was the most capable person in the League; despite not having any powers; his willpower, body strength, and acute intelligence made him the most balanced and reliable fighter in the entire League. Because of this, Amanda Waller slowly began to respect and trust Bruce Wayne. Unfortunately, Amanda Waller noticed something as the years went by: Batman was human. As such, he was getting older and more and more unable to handle the day-to-day intensities as a crimefighting superhero. She knew that one day Batman would have to retire, or there would be the chance that he'd be killed by one of his enemies eventually. Fearing that fact and believing the world always needed Batman, she decided to create a new one.
Waller, with old connections to Cadmus, gathered the technology necessary for her movement. She called this movement "Project Batman Beyond." Bruce Wayne's DNA was obtained from a mission where he got injured - a small blood sample on a piece of gauze left at the scene of the mission. Years later in New Gotham, she found a couple that was psychologically identical to Bruce's parents. Warren McGinnis was called in to get a routine flu shot
that was actually a Project Cadmus
nanotech
solution that was used to reconstruct his reproductive material to match Bruce Wayne's. A short while later - approximately one year - Mary McGinnis gave birth to Terry, who was a combination of her and Bruce.
But that wasn't the end of Waller's plan. When Terry was eight years old, he and his parents went to a film - ironically titled The Gray Ghost Strikes (The Gray Ghost was Bruce Wayne's hero as a child). While they were going home, they didn't notice someone following them. It was in fact an assassin - Andrea Beaumont, an old love of Bruce Wayne's and the enigmatic Phantasm
- hired by Waller to kill Terry's parents. The trauma of seeing his parents murdered in front of him would cause Terry to someday become Batman. However, a problem came up just as Beaumont was about to do the deed - she refused to murder Terry's parents, saying that even though "Batman was obsessive and would do anything to achieve his goals, he'd never resort to murder." Waller knew that Beaumont was right, and if she wanted to honor Batman and his legacy, she couldn't order the murder in cold blood of two innocent people. This led to the project's inevitable cancellation, resulting in Terry's brother being born later.
In the end however, Terry's father was murdered anyway, causing Terry to become the new Batman in his search for vengeance against his father's killers. Because of this fact, Terry believes he'd been cursed with the fate of becoming Batman since he was born. This bitterness increased when Bruce Wayne's kidneys failed and Terry happened to be a perfect histo-compatibility match with him, allowing doctors to clone his kidneys and save Bruce's life. This event's small percentage of possibility (111 to 1 against) caused enough suspicion in Terry to run a DNA test, discovering that he was Bruce's genetic son. Believing Bruce had set the whole thing up, he became angry and bitter at his mentor - so much so that he compared what was done to him to what the Joker
did to Tim Drake
in the Batman Beyond movie Return of the Joker. This anger and bitterness made Terry create some scenarios in his mind wherein he abandoned all the people he was close to - Bruce, the Justice League, eventually his lover Dana - because of his apparent curse of the Batman mantle.
Before he acted on his anger, he tracked down Amanda Waller and broke into her home, where she told him everything. In the final moments when he discovered the truth, she affirmed that he wasn't Bruce's clone, but his son - he was never fated to become Batman; it was his own choice to don the legendary costume. Waller also said that while Terry wasn't as smart as Bruce, he certainly cared for his fellow man as much as, maybe more than, his mentor.
Waller's admission of guilt and affirmation of Terry's destiny allowed Terry to break free of the chains of the 'curse' that bound him, and freed him from the anger and bitterness that he experienced since he found out his origins. This newfound freedom allowed Terry to finally find the courage to propose to his longtime lover Dana, finding the happiness that Bruce Wayne never did, and to truly become the new Batman.
According to episode co-writer Dwayne McDuffie
, Bruce, as the world's greatest detective, becomes aware that Terry and Matt are his genetic offspring at some point after Terry assumes the role of Batman, and figures out the machinations of Waller and Project Cadmus. However, he never brings it up out of respect for Warren McGinnis, and because he wants Terry to be his own man.
. In the pilot episode "Rebirth", he is able to fend off a number of Jokerz
without aid, and appears to be a member of his high school's wrestling
team. Under Bruce's tutelage, Terry has honed his body to at least Olympic
levels. As expected of Batman, he engages in regular, rigorous training to minimize his reliance on the Batsuit
.
Terry has engaged in combat outside of the Batsuit in various instances. His training has granted him exceptional reflexes, enabling him to evade gunfire and make impressive leaping attempts whether in or out of the Batsuit. In one instance, without the suit's aid, Terry survives a fall from several stories high by bouncing off a pillar that is about to crush him and lands on his feet. Terry even defeats his suit in single combat when it is controlled by the computerized consciousness of a deceased business mogul, armed only with the equipment in Bruce's vintage utility belt
. Fifteen years after the last episode of Batman Beyond
, as Terry reaches his thirties, he is able to get through Amanda Waller
's security systems and overpower her guards without the aid of his suit, suggesting that his skills are rivaling his mentor's when he was in his prime.
In "Epilogue", Waller comments that Terry has inherited several of Bruce's qualities. He possesses a high intellect, though Waller notes that Bruce is the brighter of the pair. In the episode itself Terry is shown to have inherited Bruce's physical stature and build, although in the series Terry is much leaner than Bruce was as Batman. Although he tends to rely on Bruce for the intellectual details when in the field, Terry has been trained by Bruce as a detective
, allowing him to perform such feats as tracking down Shriek or determining a connection between Joker and Tim Drake when Bruce was incapacitated. Despite his detective training, Terry's ambition is to be a physician
, and, under Bruce, he learns to create cures, remedies and antidotes. As a student, his main interests are in health or medical sciences and history; however, his job as Batman and less-than-stellar study habits have caused problems with his grades, as seen in "The Eggbaby" where he needed to get a good grade on a Family Studies to pass the class.
As Batman, Terry emulates Bruce's deep, harsh tone. He does this of his own accord, to separate the entities of Terry and Batman (Terry can be heard using his "Batman voice" outside of the Batsuit in the episodes "Shriek" and "Future Shock"). Actor Will Friedle
stated that, in his opinion, the reason Terry takes on a Batman voice is not just to strike terror into the hearts of criminals, but also to disguise the fact that he is an adolescent.
Terry is also capable of using a rather convincing Brooklyn
accent when undercover ("Shriek," "Ace in the Hole"). Terry has also demonstrated considerable skill in handling a flight-capable Batmobile.
. The circuitry in the suit can be paralyzed from the Batcave
, in case the suit is stolen.
The Batsuit conforms to the size and physique of its wearer, being able to fit both the physically imposing Bruce and the much-slimmer Terry. The form-fitting material provides almost no reduction in flexibility, while muscular enhancement technology enhances the wearer's strength by a factor of ten, and also grants the wearer agility.
The material in the suit is resistant to massive concussive forces (in particular, it was able to take blows from Superman
), fire
, laser
s, electric shock
s, water pressure, wind force, bullets, and even low levels of radiation
. A built-in rebreather
allows the user to remain underwater for long periods or breathe in other inhospitable areas. After an episode where Terry nearly drowns, this is later added.
The suit possesses a two-way audio and visual link with the Batcave computer, allowing Terry to keep in contact with Bruce for superior tactical planning. The same applies to the Batmobile, which will automatically fly to the user's location when summoned. Directional microphones in the fingertips allow the user to hear and record audio through walls or at a distance. The suit's lenses can scan a number of frequencies in the electromagnetic spectrum
, allowing night vision
among other things. However, as the suit's visual capabilities are entirely electronic, the user is effectively rendered blind if they are disrupted.
The suit has several defensive capabilities. A device on the belt can electrically charge the suit to repel close attackers, added after Terry's encounters with the shapeshifting
supervillain Inque
; this same feature can be limited to just the hands, turning the defensive technology into an offensive one if need be. The suit also possesses a cloaking device
that can render Terry invisible to the naked eye, a feature also present on the Batmobile. It cannot, however, filter ultraviolet light. Pads on the feet can be magnetically charged, allowing the user to cling to metal surfaces even when upside-down.
The suit's offensive capabilities are also significant. It carries a large number of dispensable Batarang
s which, when inactive, are compact enough to be invisible to the naked eye. These Batarangs come with a range of auxiliary functions, such as producing electric shocks or explosions. However, there is a limit to the amount of Batarangs the Batsuit can dispense; Batman has run out on at least one occasion. In addition, the Batsuit has discs that can be fired from the tops of the hands, grappling guns in the forearms, and launchable tracers. The belt on the Batsuit carries flashbang grenades, smoke pellets
, Flexicuffs
, and a buzz saw
on the buckle. Retractable claws on the fingers can be used to slice objects and grip solid surfaces.
Finally, the Batsuit possesses a number of other devices to aid in detective work. The right index finger possesses a retractable decoding device for electronic locks, and the fingers can analyze most substances they are dipped into. Other, less-used devices, such as frequency scanners, also make appearances.
, who had kidnapped Terry and was holding him hostage. It is a suit of heavy armor with retractable plates that enhances the survivability of the wearer, boosting their physical strength and resilience to superhuman levels, at a level greater than that of the Batsuit. When retracted, Bruce was able to wear a trench coat
over it and not look like he had any considerable increase in body mass.
Bruce created the Exosuit years earlier in light of his increasing heart problems, as a possible replacement for the Batsuit. However, during testing, using the suit nearly gave him a heart attack and he was forced to abandon that option. Understandably, Bruce will only use the Exosuit in dire circumstances.
It is featured in the episode "Disappearing Inque."
In addition to having his own ongoing comic book
, the Tomorrow Knight made an appearance in Superman Adventures #64, chasing a futuristic version of Brainiac
.
The Batman Beyond
concept became DC Comics
canon
in the pages of Superman/Batman
issues 22 and 23, wherein Bizarro
is transported to an alternate reality somewhere in Hypertime which resembled the Batman Beyond
-era Gotham City
, with Batman Beyond in action with the 1999 animated black-and-red costume and the 1992 Batplane
from the original animated series. This version of the character is in radio contact with Bruce Wayne
, but was referred to as "Tim." The Batman Beyond cameo was enough to garner a DC Direct
action figure, the character's first in years, listed as "Tim Drake"; However, the writers admitted to the mistake of misnaming the character, and although the name was rumored to be changed to "Terry" in the trade paperback, it still reads "Tim" (see first page of "Smoke and Mirrors" chapter in the trade paperback).
McGinnis has made a guest appearance on the Batman Beyond spin-off
series The Zeta Project
. He also appeared on Static Shock
in the episode "Future Shock," which involved time travel
and a future Static. McGinnis later appears in three episodes of Justice League Unlimited
; "The Once and Future Thing, Part 1: Weird Western Tales" (at the very end), "The Once and Future Thing, Part 2: Time Warped," alongside Static and Warhawk
. (He is apparently killed in the episode, though his death is undone later, as the episode's plot involved time travel
.) After the timeline is fixed and Terry's death is prevented, Terry is seen 15 years older in the JLU episode "Epilogue," which is centered on him and takes place in his timeline, serving as the series finale
to Batman Beyond.
Also, in Countdown to Final Crisis
, former Robin
Jason Todd
, former Wonder Girl
Donna Troy
, Green Lantern Kyle Rayner
, and Bob the Monitor travel to "Earth-12," which resembles the DCAU's future. They witness from the rooftops someone in a Batman Beyond costume defeating members of the Jokerz gang (although they do not know who is under the mask of the future Batman), to which Jason Todd says: "Huh. The more things change, the more they stay the same." The group speculates that either Tim Drake or Dick Grayson
is under the mask. However, The Monitor confirms it is indeed McGinnis.
The character has also recently received a figure in the DC Universe
action figure line, which lists him as McGinnis rather than Tim Drake.
A figure of Terry will appear in the "Arkham Asylum" set of DC Heroclix
. On its card, it is mentioned that his name is "UNKNOWN" an his first appearance was in the pages of Superman/Batman
issue 22.
Dan DiDio
announced in a recent questions segment with Newsarama that Terry McGinnis will be appearing within DC Comics again in the future.
The Batman Beyond miniseries began its run in 16 June 2010, set in 2039 Neo-Gotham, revolving around the assassination of anyone who had anything to do with Bruce Wayne's Batman, foe or friend. Dan DiDio stated that this "Terry McGinnis mini-series" is in response to the interest expressed by the "fans of the character." It will be penned by Adam Beechen, a non-DCAU Batman
television writer. According to Beechen, the comic book arc will open the door for the "legendary" DCAU to enter into the mainstream DC Universe (comics), tying into both continuities. The series will take place after McGinnis had defeated the reborn Joker
and pick up where Bruce Timm initially left off, but years before he learns that Bruce Wayne is his biological father.
In 2010, Terry appeared alongside Superman in the over-sized issue Superman/Batman Annual 2010, where it picks up after their first meeting together
taking place in the DCAU, and also jibing with the DCU.
Terry became officially part of the DCU canon in Batman #700, which spans the life of the many men who have been Batman. It is shown that Terry has a history with Damian Wayne
, who rescues him when he was a child from Two-Face-Two as Batman, and later becomes his successor as Batman, with Damian mentoring him, instead of Bruce.
On October 6, 2010, it was announced at New York Comic-Con that Batman Beyond would start as an ongoing series in January 2011. The series ended with only eight issues in August. There is a possibility for a new series to begin in January 2012.
Terry makes a cameo appearance in the 2011 Batman: The Brave and the Bold
episode "Night of the Batmen!" as part of a group of Batmen gathered from across the Multiverse
to help Bruce Wayne protect Gotham.
Terr'y advanced batsuit has been featured as downloadable content in Batman: Arkham City.
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
in comics published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
as well as the main protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of the animated television series Batman Beyond
Batman Beyond
Batman Beyond is an American animated television series created by Warner Bros. Animation in collaboration with DC Comics as a continuation of the Batman legacy...
(1999–2001), in which he has succeeded Bruce Wayne
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
as the protector of Gotham City
Gotham City
Gotham City is a fictional U.S. city appearing in DC Comics, best known as the home of Batman. Batman's place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4 . Gotham City is strongly inspired by Trenton, Ontario's history, location, atmosphere, and various architectural styles...
. He was voiced by Will Friedle
Will Friedle
William Alan "Will" Friedle is an American actor, voice actor and comedian. He is best known for his comedic roles, most notably the underachieving elder brother Eric Matthews on the long-running TV sitcom Boy Meets World from 1993 to 2000...
. His first appearance in comics was in Batman
Batman (comic book)
Batman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27, published in May 1939. Batman proved to be so popular that a self-titled ongoing comic book series began publication in the spring of 1940...
#700 (June 2010).
Publication history
McGinnis was created for the Batman Beyond animated television series, as a continuation of The New Batman AdventuresThe New Batman Adventures
The New Batman Adventures is the successor to Batman: The Animated Series produced by Warner Bros. Animation. Although bearing different character designs and animation styles, both shows take place in the same continuity, with TNBA set two years after BTAS. The series aired on The WB from...
, originally meant as a character for the DCAU
DC animated universe
The DC Animated Universe is a fan term that refers to a series of popular animated television series and related spin-offs produced by Warner Bros. Animation which share the same continuity. Most of these series are adapted from DC Comics properties...
. For a long time, he was not considered a character for the main DC Universe. Countdown introduced Earth-12, an alternate universe with its own version of Terry McGinnis and other Beyond-like characters. However, in Batman
Batman (comic book)
Batman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27, published in May 1939. Batman proved to be so popular that a self-titled ongoing comic book series began publication in the spring of 1940...
#700, Grant Morrison finally introduced him into Batman's future in mainstream continuity in 2010, migrating him from television into comic books.
Fictional character biography
Gotham City
Gotham City is a fictional U.S. city appearing in DC Comics, best known as the home of Batman. Batman's place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4 . Gotham City is strongly inspired by Trenton, Ontario's history, location, atmosphere, and various architectural styles...
on Earth-12, an alternate universe, on August 18, 2023, to Warren and Mary McGinnis, a research scientist at Wayne-Powers and an astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
at Astro-Tech respectively. By his own admission, he was once a "bad kid." As a former member of a street gang run by youthful racketeer Charlie "Big Time" Bigelow, Terry had his fair share of run-ins with the Gotham City Police
Gotham City Police Department
The Gotham City Police Department is a fictional police department servicing Gotham City, as depicted in comic books published by DC Comics, in particular those tied into the Batman books.-History of GCPD:...
at age fourteen while his parents were going through a divorce, even serving a three-month stint in juvenile hall
Youth detention center
A youth detention center, also known as a juvenile detention center , juvenile hall or, more colloquially as juvie, is a secure residential facility for young people, often termed juvenile delinquents, awaiting court hearings and/or placement in long-term care facilities and programs...
(having been underage, he is spared Charlie's three-year sentence).
Years after Batman is last seen, Terry finds himself on the run from the Jokerz
Jokerz
The Jokerz are fictional characters in the DC animated universe, featured in Batman Beyond.They are a large street gang 40 years in the future of Gotham City that take their inspiration from the Joker, Batman's onetime archnemesis...
, another street gang, who have modelled themselves after the deceased Clown Prince of Crime
Joker (comics)
The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
. Terry flees onto the grounds of Wayne Manor
Wayne Manor
In DC Comics, Wayne Manor is a fictional setting, the personal residence of Bruce Wayne, who is also Batman. The residence is typically depicted as a huge stately mansion on grounds outside Gotham City, maintained by the Wayne family's servant, Alfred Pennyworth...
, where an aged Bruce Wayne comes to his defense. The strain of the fight places substantial stress on Bruce's weak heart
Heart
The heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system , that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions...
, so Terry helps Bruce into the mansion and gets him his medication; Bruce proceeds to fall asleep afterward. Before leaving, Terry notices a bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
stuck inside a grandfather clock. As he tries to free it, he stumbles upon the entrance to the Batcave
Batcave
The Batcave is the secret headquarters of fictional DC Comics superhero Batman, the alternate identity of playboy Bruce Wayne, consisting of a series of subterranean caves beneath his residence, Wayne Manor.-Publication history:...
and realizes that the elder man was the city's heroic Dark Knight. He is then forced to leave by Bruce.
Terry returns home to find his father murdered, ostensibly by Jokerz. He later discovers that Derek Powers
Derek Powers
Derek Powers, also called Blight, is a fictional character that appears in the Batman Beyond animated series, voiced by Sherman Howard...
—who has assumed leadership of a merged Wayne-Powers—ordered Warren's death after the latter discovered Powers' plan to mass-produce biological weapons
Biological warfare
Biological warfare is the use of biological toxins or infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi with intent to kill or incapacitate humans, animals or plants as an act of war...
. He seeks Bruce's assistance in bringing Powers down, but cannot convince the old man to take up the cowl once more; Bruce is still shaken from an ordeal years earlier of having relied on a gun
Gun
A gun is a muzzle or breech-loaded projectile-firing weapon. There are various definitions depending on the nation and branch of service. A "gun" may be distinguished from other firearms in being a crew-served weapon such as a howitzer or mortar, as opposed to a small arm like a rifle or pistol,...
for self-defense
Self-defense
Self-defense, self-defence or private defense is a countermeasure that involves defending oneself, one's property or the well-being of another from physical harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force in times of danger is available in many...
. Terry takes matters into his own hands and steals the latest incarnation of the Batsuit
Batsuit
The Batsuit is the costume of the fictional character Batman, a superhero appearing in DC Comics. Though the suit has been drawn many different ways by different artists, and the stories themselves have described Batman as modifying the details of his costume from time to time, it is most often...
. Despite some initial mistrust, their similar backgrounds convince Bruce to aid Terry. Terry successfully derails Powers' plan, in the process exposing Powers to his own hazardous chemicals, resulting in his mutation
Mutation
In molecular biology and genetics, mutations are changes in a genomic sequence: the DNA sequence of a cell's genome or the DNA or RNA sequence of a virus. They can be defined as sudden and spontaneous changes in the cell. Mutations are caused by radiation, viruses, transposons and mutagenic...
into Blight
Derek Powers
Derek Powers, also called Blight, is a fictional character that appears in the Batman Beyond animated series, voiced by Sherman Howard...
.
Convinced that there is still a need for a Batman, Bruce hires Terry as his "personal assistant" and begins secretly training him for his new role as Gotham's Dark Knight. In addition, Bruce assists Terry in the field primarily by keeping in continual contact with the boy at the Batcave. Beyond the vigilante duties as Batman, Terry is also Bruce's chauffeur
Chauffeur
A chauffeur is a person employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or limousine.Originally such drivers were always personal servants of the vehicle owner, but now in many cases specialist chauffeur service companies, or individual drivers provide...
as well as assisting Bruce's daily business and personal tasks at his home and office.
After Powers' criminal identity is revealed to the public and he finally brings retribution to his father's killer, Terry decides to continue his role as Batman to make up for his past sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
s, in the hope that his heroic role is his chance at redemption
Salvation
Within religion salvation is the phenomenon of being saved from the undesirable condition of bondage or suffering experienced by the psyche or soul that has arisen as a result of unskillful or immoral actions generically referred to as sins. Salvation may also be called "deliverance" or...
.
Bruce Wayne
Despite his role as the new Batman, Terry leads a very different, far less privileged life than Bruce. In addition to coping with his father's death, Terry struggles to keep his double life secret from his mother and younger brother. Because of his responsibilities as Batman, he is not afforded the same licenses the Robins enjoyed and is expected to be on the call whenever he is needed. As a result, Terry is just barely successful at balancing out his dual life, on several occasions prompting both men to reconsider Terry's reliability.Terry and Bruce develop a respect for each other, with Terry regarding Bruce as a surrogate father. This is demonstrated in the episode "Sneak Peek" where Terry pays reporter Ian Peek a visit to plead on Bruce's behalf:
- Terry: "I don't care what you do to me, but he doesn't deserve this. He's done too much for this city to wind up in the middle of a media circus."
- Peek: "He means a lot to you, doesn't he?"
- Terry: "Yes... he does."
Even though the stern attitude of Bruce with Terry is meant to ensure that he pushes Terry both emotionally and physically, and even though Bruce can at times be very emotionally distant to the young Batman, there have also been times he has shown genuine concern and love for Terry even at defending him to Commissioner Barbara Gordon when Shriek held Gotham hostage in exchange for Batman's life:
- Bruce: "What are you saying Barbara? That I should just hand Terry over to Shriek?"
- Barbara: "No, give him to me. I'll figure out something. I had some pretty good teachers, remember?"
- Bruce: "I remember, but you work for a mayor who would sell out the kid at the drop of a hat."
- Barbara: "Look, if you've got a better plan..."
- Bruce: "All I know right now is this: That kid's done a lot for this city, it's time the city did something for him."
In turn, Bruce initially treats Terry the same way he treated Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrator Jerry Robinson, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940....
and Tim Drake. In time, Terry grows into the cowl, and Bruce grows to accept him as his heir to the Batman legacy, demonstrating a great deal of faith in him despite his criminal past; in the episode "Eyewitness," when Terry was framed for murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
, Bruce trusted Terry's claims of innocence even after Barbara Gordon
Barbara Gordon
Barbara Gordon is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and in related media, created by Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino...
told Bruce that she had seen Terry kill a man. (It was later revealed to be an illusion
Illusion
An illusion is a distortion of the senses, revealing how the brain normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. While illusions distort reality, they are generally shared by most people....
created by Spellbinder). Over time, the generally private Bruce Wayne even told Terry about some of his old enemies and adventures as Batman, such as his old relationship with Selina Kyle
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, partially inspired by Kane's cousin, Ruth Steel...
, Terry also doing his own independent research into individuals such as Talia al Ghul
Talia al Ghul
Talia al Ghul is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe, the now-estranged daughter of the supervillain Ra's al Ghul, a love interest of Batman, and the mother of his son Damian Wayne, the fifth Robin...
, although Bruce rarely discussed Joker due to the intensely personal nature of his confrontations with the villain.
During the 'return' of 'Hush', Bruce briefly appeared prepared to replace Terry with Bat-Wraith robots, but admits when Terry is injured in a confrontation with Hush that Terry is an excellent Batman, with Bruce's issues with his performance stemming simply from his own inability to move on from the role that he had long believed only he could handle.
The Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
episode "Epilogue" reveals that Terry is Bruce's biological son due to Amanda Waller
Amanda Waller
Dr. Amanda Blake Waller is a character published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Legends #1 in 1986, and was created by John Ostrander, Len Wein, and John Byrne...
's "Batman Beyond" project. The project caused Warren McGinnis to have his reproductive DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
re-written into an exact copy of Bruce's when he went in for what he thought was a flu shot; this would make Bruce the biological father of Terry and his younger brother Matt McGinnis, even though they were born to Warren and Mary McGinnis. Waller even hired Andrea Beaumont, AKA: The Phantasm, one of Bruce Wayne's many past lovers, and ordered her to kill Warren and Mary as they were coming out of a movie theater with their sons, hoping to recreate the same pyschological trauma that resulted in Bruce becoming Batman within Terry or his brother, but at the last minute Beaumont abandoned the job, refusing to subject an innocent child to the same tragedy that consumed Bruce's life (but in the end, Warren's death at the hands of a criminal still occurred, thus cementing his destiny as the next Batman). This twist seems to be foreshadowed
Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing or adumbrating is a literary device in which an author indistinctly suggests certain plot developments that might come later in the story.-Repetitive designation and Chekhov's gun:...
in a number of Batman Beyond episodes, as references to Bruce being a father figure are occasionally made, both by Terry and other characters, as well as the similarities the two men share. Both of Terry's parents are shown as having red hair, a ressive trait, which would make it impossible for them to have biological sons with black hair. By this point in time Terry, who was considering retiring from the role, had grown into a much larger man than he was at the beginning of the series, closer in size and build to Bruce Wayne in his prime.
Family
Terry values his mother, Mary McGinnis, and his younger brother, Matt, as the closest family he has left. At the time of his death, Warren was divorceDivorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
d from his wife and their sons split between them: Terry with his father, Matt with his mother. After the divorce, Terry's relationship with his father is shown in the episode "Rebirth" to be strained. After Warren's death, Terry moves back in with his mother. The last time they spoke Terry and his father had a heated argument, something Terry never forgave himself for.
Even though there exists the obligatory spark of sibling rivalry
Sibling rivalry
Sibling rivalry is a type of competition or animosity among children, blood-related or not.Siblings generally spend more time together during childhood than they do with parents. The sibling bond is often complicated and is influenced by factors such as parental treatment, birth order, personality,...
and tough love
Tough love
Tough love is an expression used when someone treats another person harshly or sternly with the intent to help them in the long run. The phrase was evidently coined by Bill Milliken when he wrote the book Tough Love in 1968 and has been used by numerous authors since then.In most uses, there must...
between him and Matt, Terry would be there to raise his brother's spirits when he was feeling down, notably in the episode "Revenant" when Matt reminisces about their father. Matt is also an obsessive fan of Batman in his family, which ironically Matt does not realize that his brother and the hero he idolizes are one and the same.
As far as Mary and Matt are concerned, Terry was simply employed by Bruce Wayne to run errands. They found the idea of Terry being Batman to be absurd, and ridiculed him when he once attempted to reveal his secret in the episode "Sneak Peek."
In the Justice League Unlimited episode "Epilogue", Terry tells Bruce Wayne that he never once doubted that Warren McGinnis loved him with all his heart, and would have taught Terry right from wrong if the young man had been willing to listen.
Max Gibson
Maxine "Max" Gibson, a classmate of Terry's and later one of his closest friends, is an African AmericanAfrican American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
girl with short dyed pink hair who attends Hamilton Hill High School with Terry. Her parents are separated, and she has one older sister who often works late hours. Max is exceptionally intelligent and talented with computer programming
Computer programming
Computer programming is the process of designing, writing, testing, debugging, and maintaining the source code of computer programs. This source code is written in one or more programming languages. The purpose of programming is to create a program that performs specific operations or exhibits a...
, even among her peers. It is revealed in the episode "Babel" that the Gibsons own a seal-pointed Siamese cat.
Max becomes curious about Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
after his "return" to Gotham City
Gotham City
Gotham City is a fictional U.S. city appearing in DC Comics, best known as the home of Batman. Batman's place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4 . Gotham City is strongly inspired by Trenton, Ontario's history, location, atmosphere, and various architectural styles...
. Exceptionally skilled with computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
s and electronics
Electronics
Electronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies...
, she creates a program that is designed to uncover Batman's secret identity
Secret identity
A secret identity is an element of fiction wherein a character develops a separate persona , while keeping their true identity hidden. The character also may wear a disguise...
to satisfy that curiosity. After unmasking Terry (following an incorrect assessment of him being a Jokerz hooligan), Max insists on being a part of his secret life and helps him with everything from computer hacking
Hacker (computer security)
In computer security and everyday language, a hacker is someone who breaks into computers and computer networks. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, including profit, protest, or because of the challenge...
to coming up with excuses to give his girlfriend Dana.
Max's importance is similar to that of Barbara Gordon
Barbara Gordon
Barbara Gordon is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and in related media, created by Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino...
's in the comics, as her hacking genius. Terry and Max remain close, but their relationship is never shown to exceed the boundaries of friendship, which is in contrast to the relationship between Barbara and Bruce, who later got romantically involved with each other. Max is, essentially, Terry's version of Alfred Pennyworth
Alfred Pennyworth
Alfred Pennyworth is a fictional character that appears throughout the DC Comics franchise. The character first appears in Batman #16 , and was created by writer Bob Kane and artist Jerry Robinson. Alfred serves as Batman’s tireless butler, assistant, confidant, and surrogate father figure...
; Terry even jokingly referred to her as such on one occasion.
The show has been revisited several times since its end, in Justice League
Justice League (TV series)
Justice League is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 2001 to 2004 on Cartoon Network. The show was produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It is based on the Justice League of America and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics...
and in the movie Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker is a 2000 direct-to-video animated film featuring the comic book superhero Batman and his archenemy, the Joker...
, but Max has not been seen or mentioned in any of these. However, she has made an appearance in the fourth issue of the on-going comic book series Batman Beyond.
Notable episodes
In the episode "Hidden Agenda," Max reveals that she is writing a computer programComputer program
A computer program is a sequence of instructions written to perform a specified task with a computer. A computer requires programs to function, typically executing the program's instructions in a central processor. The program has an executable form that the computer can use directly to execute...
to analyze all the data available on Batman and deduce his secret identity
Secret identity
A secret identity is an element of fiction wherein a character develops a separate persona , while keeping their true identity hidden. The character also may wear a disguise...
. She informs her friends Terry McGinnis and Dana Tan that she believes that Batman is a new person in the old suit, and is somehow connected to their school. This concerns Terry, who is in fact the new Batman.
When the school is vandalized by a gang of Jokerz
Jokerz
The Jokerz are fictional characters in the DC animated universe, featured in Batman Beyond.They are a large street gang 40 years in the future of Gotham City that take their inspiration from the Joker, Batman's onetime archnemesis...
, Max reconfigures her program to search for Jokerz instead. Unknown to her, the vandalism
Vandalism
Vandalism is the behaviour attributed originally to the Vandals, by the Romans, in respect of culture: ruthless destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or venerable...
was targeted at her personally. The leader of the Jokerz, Terminal, is actually an honor student named Carter Wilson, and Max's standing is higher than his, outperforming him academically; at the current rate, she will be valedictorian
Valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title conferred upon the student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation ceremony. Usually, the valedictorian is the highest ranked student among those graduating from an educational institution...
instead of him.
Terry, as Batman, discovers that Max is a specific target and mistakenly believes that it is because of her computer program. He convinces her to stop running the program, but when Max goes to delete it, she learns that it has completed its analysis. Much to her surprise, Terry's name comes up on the list of potential Jokerz, and she becomes convinced that Terry is Terminal and sends him a message, threatening to expose his secret if he does not meet her. Further confusing the issue, Terry does not get the message until late, and Terminal (who was following her) shows up at the meeting place with his Jokerz. Terry arrives as Batman and rescues Max, revealing Terminal's true identity in the process.
Max later admits to Terry that she had thought he was one of the Jokerz, but has now figured out the truth. She goes to delete her program, but Terry advises her that it's already been wiped after Bruce hacked into the school's computer systems. Max then immediately proves herself an asset by providing an alibi
Alibi
Alibi is a 1929 American crime film directed by Roland West. The screenplay was written by West and C. Gardner Sullivan, who adapted the 1927 Broadway stage play, Nightstick, written by Elaine Sterne Carrington, J.C...
for why Terry did not call Dana the previous night when he was saving Max. Max tells Terry that he cannot call her Robin; he instead jokingly calls her "Alfred
Alfred Pennyworth
Alfred Pennyworth is a fictional character that appears throughout the DC Comics franchise. The character first appears in Batman #16 , and was created by writer Bob Kane and artist Jerry Robinson. Alfred serves as Batman’s tireless butler, assistant, confidant, and surrogate father figure...
." (Naturally she fails to understand the reference, given Alfred's lack of exposure in Batman's exploits to the public.)
In the episode "Hooked Up", Max attempts to join Terry on patrol as his partner, even though both he and Bruce do not approve. Trying to prove her worth to Terry, she becomes addicted to Spellbinder's illegal VR
Virtual reality
Virtual reality , also known as virtuality, is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds...
technology, but fights off its influence and knocks Spellbinder out before he can injure Terry. Although Terry remains unwilling to allow her to physically assist him, he accepts her as his partner after she helps him defeat Curaré and disarming Mutro Botha's nuclear weapon
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
in the episode "Final Cut."
Terry initially hides Bruce's identity from Max, but Max already has enough information to deduce that Terry's employer is actually the original Batman. In "Where's Terry?", when Terry goes missing in Gotham
Gotham City
Gotham City is a fictional U.S. city appearing in DC Comics, best known as the home of Batman. Batman's place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4 . Gotham City is strongly inspired by Trenton, Ontario's history, location, atmosphere, and various architectural styles...
's maze of subway tunnels, Bruce and Max look for him together and manage to come to an understanding regarding their respective importance to Terry. Bruce however, steadfastly refuses to allow her to become more involved than is absolutely necessary, due to his not wanting her to take the risks that Robin, Nightwing and Batgirl had. Max and Bruce also find themselves at odds due to their attitudes about Terry's work and personal lives. Eventually, Bruce grudgingly accepts Max, and she befriends him in return.
Dana Tan
Although Terry flirts with several girls throughout the show, his main love interest has always been Dana Tan, his classmate at Hamilton Hill High School. In the episode "Big Time," she recognizes Charlie "Big Time" Bigelow by sight, suggesting that Dana and Terry were already together at age 14 in ninth grade. Despite their commitment to each other, their relationship is strained as Terry struggles early on as Batman to balance his dual obligations. The two verge on the possibility of breaking up several times, especially when Terry meets Melanie Walker, AKA Ten of the Royal Flush GangRoyal Flush Gang
The Royal Flush Gang or RFG are fictional characters in DC Comics. They first appeared in Justice League of America #43 in March 1966 under the leadership of Professor Amos Fortune.-History:...
.
However, as the Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
episode "Epilogue" reveals, Terry ultimately grows into full acceptance of his role as Batman, and somewhere along the line discloses his secret to Dana. Although it takes him some time to get over his fears for her safety in the event that his identity is ever compromised, the episode ends with Terry planning to propose to her.
Melanie Walker/Ten
In the midst of a breakup with Dana, Terry meets Melanie Walker and the two become attracted to one another. However, Terry is crushed when he learns she too leads a double life: as Ten, the youngest member of the latest incarnation of the Royal Flush GangRoyal Flush Gang
The Royal Flush Gang or RFG are fictional characters in DC Comics. They first appeared in Justice League of America #43 in March 1966 under the leadership of Professor Amos Fortune.-History:...
. In a burst of clarity, he discards a note Melanie had left him, choosing instead not to read it, and goes back to Dana, while Melanie remains in the dark about her enemy and her lover being the same person.
Terry has additional encounters with Ten and the Royal Flush Gang; each time, he advises her to turn straight, showing that he still cares deeply about her. Their relationship is somewhat reminiscent of the one the original Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
had with Catwoman
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, partially inspired by Kane's cousin, Ruth Steel...
, and Bruce even notes it.
Commissioner Barbara Gordon
Terry upholds tradition by forging an alliance with Gotham CityGotham City
Gotham City is a fictional U.S. city appearing in DC Comics, best known as the home of Batman. Batman's place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4 . Gotham City is strongly inspired by Trenton, Ontario's history, location, atmosphere, and various architectural styles...
's police commissioner
Police commissioner
Commissioner is a senior rank used in many police forces and may be rendered Police Commissioner or Commissioner of Police. In some organizations, the commissioner is a political appointee, and may or may not actually be a professional police officer. In these circumstances, there is often a...
, Barbara Gordon
Barbara Gordon
Barbara Gordon is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and in related media, created by Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino...
, the daughter of James Gordon
James Gordon (comics)
James Worthington Gordon, Sr. is a fictional character, an ally of Batman that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane...
and formerly Batgirl
Batgirl
Batgirl is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, frequently depicted as female counterparts to the superhero Batman...
. The alliance starts out on a sour note, as Barbara never fails to take Terry's juvenile record into account and believes he is too reckless for the role of Batman. The fact that Terry occasionally ruins police stakeout operations by intervening without fully assessing the situation sometimes worsens the situation.
Barbara is reluctant to assist the new Batman and to have a teenager as Gotham's new protector. The direct-to-video movie Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker is a 2000 direct-to-video animated film featuring the comic book superhero Batman and his archenemy, the Joker...
revealed that Barbara remains haunted by the torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
that Tim Drake long ago suffered at the hands of the Joker
Joker (comics)
The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
. She advises Terry to give up being Batman, and once tries to arrest him after he is framed for murder by Spellbinder; however, when the truth comes out, Barbara rewards Terry with a civic service award as an apology. Barbara eventually relents, however, upon realizing that she could not deter him anymore than she could have been deterred from being Batgirl.
Barbara eventually warms up to Terry, assisting him when Bruce is put out of action by a revived Joker. She states that she hopes Terry would avoid the lonely existence that Bruce leads. However, Barbara's attitude is different from Jim Gordon's, and she notes once that she is "not [her] father", never working as closely with Terry as her father did with Bruce. (i.e. using a Bat-Signal
Bat-Signal
The Bat-Signal is a distress signal device appearing in the various interpretations of the Batman mythos. It is a specially modified Klieg searchlight with a stylized symbol of a bat attached to the light so that it projects a large Bat emblem on the sky or buildings of Gotham City...
, directly giving him cases, etc.).
Charlie Bigelow
Charlie "Big Time" Bigelow is a con artist who dragged Terry into a life of crime. In the episode "Big Time," Terry reveals his background with Charlie to Max, explaining that the same felony which landed him in juvie for three months had Charlie put away for three years. Guilt-ridden, Terry would e-mail Charlie periodically while he was in prison. When Charlie is finally released, Terry convinces Bruce to give him a job at Wayne-Powers. This turns out to be a ploy by Charlie to aid in a corporate espionage scheme, during which Charlie is exposed to an experimental growth compound and mutated into a monstrous, disproportionate creature.Despite Terry's friendship with Bigelow and the regret that his time in jail did not reform him, subsequent events in the episode "Betrayal" make clear that Bigelow saw Terry merely as hired muscle. Terry finally lets go of his guilt toward Charlie and sees him for the monster he really is. Terry and Charlie's friendship is reminiscent of Bruce and Harvey Dent, two best friends who eventually become enemies, another similarity that Bruce notes.
With other superheroes
Terry grew up admiring other superheroes of his day, the Justice League UnlimitedJustice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
. Eventually, he is recruited by Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
to root out a traitor in the team, which turns out to be Superman himself, under the control of the extraterrestrial creature Starro
Starro
Starro is a fictional supervillain that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Brave and the Bold #28 , and was created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky....
. Though the rest of the team at first distrusts him due to his perceived inexperience, Terry gains their trust by saving their lives and freeing Superman from the alien's mind control
Mind control
Mind control refers to a process in which a group or individual "systematically uses unethically manipulative methods to persuade others to conform to the wishes of the manipulator, often to the detriment of the person being manipulated"...
. However, he says that he would prefer to be like his mentor and only partially serve on the Justice League.
When Static is sent 40 years into the future from the time of the Static Shock
Static Shock
Static Shock is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It premiered in September 2000 on the Kids' WB! block and ran for four seasons, with a total of 52 half-hour episodes....
series, he is forced to work with Terry to rescue Static's future self from the KOBRA
Kobra (comics)
Kobra is the name used by two fictional supervillains published by DC Comics. The Jeffrey Burr Kobra first appeared in Kobra #1 , and was created by Martin Pasko, Steve Sherman, Jack Kirby, and Pablo Marcos...
organization. While Terry doubts his abilities at first, he eventually develops respect for Static. Terry also sees the resemblance in both the teenage and adult version.
Terry seems to have rejoined, as later episodes of Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
show him as a regular member (and possibly leader). In the alternate timeline shown in the JLU episode "The Once and Future Thing, Part 2: Time Warped," Terry fights alongside Static (of that era) and Warhawk
Warhawk (Batman Beyond)
Warhawk is a fictional character created for the DC Animated Universe, voiced by Peter Onorati.-Batman Beyond Appearances:...
. He is killed in the episode, though his death is undone thanks to time travel
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
.
Project Batman Beyond
In the Justice League UnlimitedJustice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
episode "Epilogue", which takes place 15 years after Batman Beyond
Batman Beyond
Batman Beyond is an American animated television series created by Warner Bros. Animation in collaboration with DC Comics as a continuation of the Batman legacy...
, Terry discovers the shocking truth about his parentage. When Bruce requires tissue for the cloning
Cloning
Cloning in biology is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments , cells , or...
of a kidney
Kidney
The kidneys, organs with several functions, serve essential regulatory roles in most animals, including vertebrates and some invertebrates. They are essential in the urinary system and also serve homeostatic functions such as the regulation of electrolytes, maintenance of acid–base balance, and...
to transplant, Terry is checked for compatibility. To his surprise, his DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
is similar to Bruce's. After hesitating for a time, he runs a DNA test and finds out that Bruce is his biological father. Terry tracks down Amanda Waller
Amanda Waller
Dr. Amanda Blake Waller is a character published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Legends #1 in 1986, and was created by John Ostrander, Len Wein, and John Byrne...
, the only person in the world he believes can answer his questions. As he does so, he imagines scenarios where he leaves the people important to himself because he believes his life was a lie.
Terry vents some of his frustration about Bruce and his plans to Waller, only to be surprised when Waller reveals that Bruce was not responsible for Terry's gene
Gene
A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...
tic makeup: she herself was, without Bruce's consent.
Decades earlier, Waller was the government liaison to the Justice League and she slowly began to realize and believe that Batman was the most capable person in the League; despite not having any powers; his willpower, body strength, and acute intelligence made him the most balanced and reliable fighter in the entire League. Because of this, Amanda Waller slowly began to respect and trust Bruce Wayne. Unfortunately, Amanda Waller noticed something as the years went by: Batman was human. As such, he was getting older and more and more unable to handle the day-to-day intensities as a crimefighting superhero. She knew that one day Batman would have to retire, or there would be the chance that he'd be killed by one of his enemies eventually. Fearing that fact and believing the world always needed Batman, she decided to create a new one.
Waller, with old connections to Cadmus, gathered the technology necessary for her movement. She called this movement "Project Batman Beyond." Bruce Wayne's DNA was obtained from a mission where he got injured - a small blood sample on a piece of gauze left at the scene of the mission. Years later in New Gotham, she found a couple that was psychologically identical to Bruce's parents. Warren McGinnis was called in to get a routine flu shot
Flu vaccine
The influenza vaccine, also known as flu shot, is an annual vaccine to protect against the highly variable influenza virus. Each injected seasonal influenza vaccine contains three influenza viruses: one influenza type A subtype H3N2 virus strain, one influenza type A subtype H1N1 virus strain, and...
that was actually a Project Cadmus
Project Cadmus
Project Cadmus is a fictional genetic engineering project in the DC Comics Universe. It was created by Jack Kirby as the DNA Project in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #133 , and was run by the former Newsboy Legion...
nanotech
Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is the study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally, nanotechnology deals with developing materials, devices, or other structures possessing at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometres...
solution that was used to reconstruct his reproductive material to match Bruce Wayne's. A short while later - approximately one year - Mary McGinnis gave birth to Terry, who was a combination of her and Bruce.
But that wasn't the end of Waller's plan. When Terry was eight years old, he and his parents went to a film - ironically titled The Gray Ghost Strikes (The Gray Ghost was Bruce Wayne's hero as a child). While they were going home, they didn't notice someone following them. It was in fact an assassin - Andrea Beaumont, an old love of Bruce Wayne's and the enigmatic Phantasm
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is a 1993 animated superhero film based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman, and is a spin-off of the Emmy Award-winning Batman: The Animated Series...
- hired by Waller to kill Terry's parents. The trauma of seeing his parents murdered in front of him would cause Terry to someday become Batman. However, a problem came up just as Beaumont was about to do the deed - she refused to murder Terry's parents, saying that even though "Batman was obsessive and would do anything to achieve his goals, he'd never resort to murder." Waller knew that Beaumont was right, and if she wanted to honor Batman and his legacy, she couldn't order the murder in cold blood of two innocent people. This led to the project's inevitable cancellation, resulting in Terry's brother being born later.
In the end however, Terry's father was murdered anyway, causing Terry to become the new Batman in his search for vengeance against his father's killers. Because of this fact, Terry believes he'd been cursed with the fate of becoming Batman since he was born. This bitterness increased when Bruce Wayne's kidneys failed and Terry happened to be a perfect histo-compatibility match with him, allowing doctors to clone his kidneys and save Bruce's life. This event's small percentage of possibility (111 to 1 against) caused enough suspicion in Terry to run a DNA test, discovering that he was Bruce's genetic son. Believing Bruce had set the whole thing up, he became angry and bitter at his mentor - so much so that he compared what was done to him to what the Joker
Joker (comics)
The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
did to Tim Drake
Tim Drake
Timothy "Tim" Drake is a superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics and in related media. The character was created by Marv Wolfman and Pat Broderick. From 1989 to 2009, he was known as Robin in the Batman comics, becoming the third character to take up the identity...
in the Batman Beyond movie Return of the Joker. This anger and bitterness made Terry create some scenarios in his mind wherein he abandoned all the people he was close to - Bruce, the Justice League, eventually his lover Dana - because of his apparent curse of the Batman mantle.
Before he acted on his anger, he tracked down Amanda Waller and broke into her home, where she told him everything. In the final moments when he discovered the truth, she affirmed that he wasn't Bruce's clone, but his son - he was never fated to become Batman; it was his own choice to don the legendary costume. Waller also said that while Terry wasn't as smart as Bruce, he certainly cared for his fellow man as much as, maybe more than, his mentor.
Waller's admission of guilt and affirmation of Terry's destiny allowed Terry to break free of the chains of the 'curse' that bound him, and freed him from the anger and bitterness that he experienced since he found out his origins. This newfound freedom allowed Terry to finally find the courage to propose to his longtime lover Dana, finding the happiness that Bruce Wayne never did, and to truly become the new Batman.
According to episode co-writer Dwayne McDuffie
Dwayne McDuffie
Dwayne Glenn McDuffie was an American writer of comic books and television, known for creating the animated television series Static Shock, writing and producing the animated series Justice League Unlimited, and co-founding the pioneering minority-owned-and-operated comic-book company Milestone...
, Bruce, as the world's greatest detective, becomes aware that Terry and Matt are his genetic offspring at some point after Terry assumes the role of Batman, and figures out the machinations of Waller and Project Cadmus. However, he never brings it up out of respect for Warren McGinnis, and because he wants Terry to be his own man.
Powers, abilities, and equipment
In addition to the training he receives from Bruce, Terry appears at least to be an able street fighterStreet fighting
Street fighting is a colloquial term used to denote unsanctioned, illegal in some countries, hand-to-hand fighting in public places, between individuals or groups of people....
. In the pilot episode "Rebirth", he is able to fend off a number of Jokerz
Jokerz
The Jokerz are fictional characters in the DC animated universe, featured in Batman Beyond.They are a large street gang 40 years in the future of Gotham City that take their inspiration from the Joker, Batman's onetime archnemesis...
without aid, and appears to be a member of his high school's wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
team. Under Bruce's tutelage, Terry has honed his body to at least Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
levels. As expected of Batman, he engages in regular, rigorous training to minimize his reliance on the Batsuit
Batsuit
The Batsuit is the costume of the fictional character Batman, a superhero appearing in DC Comics. Though the suit has been drawn many different ways by different artists, and the stories themselves have described Batman as modifying the details of his costume from time to time, it is most often...
.
Terry has engaged in combat outside of the Batsuit in various instances. His training has granted him exceptional reflexes, enabling him to evade gunfire and make impressive leaping attempts whether in or out of the Batsuit. In one instance, without the suit's aid, Terry survives a fall from several stories high by bouncing off a pillar that is about to crush him and lands on his feet. Terry even defeats his suit in single combat when it is controlled by the computerized consciousness of a deceased business mogul, armed only with the equipment in Bruce's vintage utility belt
Batman's utility belt
Batman's utility belt is one of the most characteristic portions of Batman's costume. Similar belts are used by the various Robins, Batgirls, and other members of the Batman family.-History:...
. Fifteen years after the last episode of Batman Beyond
Batman Beyond
Batman Beyond is an American animated television series created by Warner Bros. Animation in collaboration with DC Comics as a continuation of the Batman legacy...
, as Terry reaches his thirties, he is able to get through Amanda Waller
Amanda Waller
Dr. Amanda Blake Waller is a character published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Legends #1 in 1986, and was created by John Ostrander, Len Wein, and John Byrne...
's security systems and overpower her guards without the aid of his suit, suggesting that his skills are rivaling his mentor's when he was in his prime.
In "Epilogue", Waller comments that Terry has inherited several of Bruce's qualities. He possesses a high intellect, though Waller notes that Bruce is the brighter of the pair. In the episode itself Terry is shown to have inherited Bruce's physical stature and build, although in the series Terry is much leaner than Bruce was as Batman. Although he tends to rely on Bruce for the intellectual details when in the field, Terry has been trained by Bruce as a detective
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
, allowing him to perform such feats as tracking down Shriek or determining a connection between Joker and Tim Drake when Bruce was incapacitated. Despite his detective training, Terry's ambition is to be a physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
, and, under Bruce, he learns to create cures, remedies and antidotes. As a student, his main interests are in health or medical sciences and history; however, his job as Batman and less-than-stellar study habits have caused problems with his grades, as seen in "The Eggbaby" where he needed to get a good grade on a Family Studies to pass the class.
As Batman, Terry emulates Bruce's deep, harsh tone. He does this of his own accord, to separate the entities of Terry and Batman (Terry can be heard using his "Batman voice" outside of the Batsuit in the episodes "Shriek" and "Future Shock"). Actor Will Friedle
Will Friedle
William Alan "Will" Friedle is an American actor, voice actor and comedian. He is best known for his comedic roles, most notably the underachieving elder brother Eric Matthews on the long-running TV sitcom Boy Meets World from 1993 to 2000...
stated that, in his opinion, the reason Terry takes on a Batman voice is not just to strike terror into the hearts of criminals, but also to disguise the fact that he is an adolescent.
Terry is also capable of using a rather convincing Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
accent when undercover ("Shriek," "Ace in the Hole"). Terry has also demonstrated considerable skill in handling a flight-capable Batmobile.
Terry's Batsuit
The Batsuit worn by Terry is the last incarnation created by Bruce before his retirement. Though the technology in the suit is 20 years old, it is still considered cutting edge. In addition, after Terry becomes Batman, it is implied that the suit is updated numerous times, and after it is destroyed, he and Wayne are seen modifying it and rebuilding it. This version of the suit has a mask which completely covers the face, the only opening being the mouth. Lenses in the eyes transmit visual data to the wearer, allow for various scanning abilities, and allow Wayne to monitor Terry's activities from the Batcave, seeing and hearing what he sees and hears and advising him. The cape has been eliminated, being replaced by glider wings under the arms. Thrusters built into the boots allow Batman to fly in the absence of wind. For long-range flight, Terry has access to a flight-capable BatmobileBatmobile
The Batmobile is the automobile of DC Comics superhero Batman. The car has evolved along with the character from comic books to television and films. Kept in the Batcave, which it accesses through a hidden entrance, the Batmobile is a gadget-laden vehicle used by Batman in his crime-fighting...
. The circuitry in the suit can be paralyzed from the Batcave
Batcave
The Batcave is the secret headquarters of fictional DC Comics superhero Batman, the alternate identity of playboy Bruce Wayne, consisting of a series of subterranean caves beneath his residence, Wayne Manor.-Publication history:...
, in case the suit is stolen.
The Batsuit conforms to the size and physique of its wearer, being able to fit both the physically imposing Bruce and the much-slimmer Terry. The form-fitting material provides almost no reduction in flexibility, while muscular enhancement technology enhances the wearer's strength by a factor of ten, and also grants the wearer agility.
The material in the suit is resistant to massive concussive forces (in particular, it was able to take blows from Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
), fire
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
, laser
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
s, electric shock
Electric shock
Electric Shock of a body with any source of electricity that causes a sufficient current through the skin, muscles or hair. Typically, the expression is used to denote an unwanted exposure to electricity, hence the effects are considered undesirable....
s, water pressure, wind force, bullets, and even low levels of radiation
Radiation
In physics, radiation is a process in which energetic particles or energetic waves travel through a medium or space. There are two distinct types of radiation; ionizing and non-ionizing...
. A built-in rebreather
Rebreather
A rebreather is a type of breathing set that provides a breathing gas containing oxygen and recycled exhaled gas. This recycling reduces the volume of breathing gas used, making a rebreather lighter and more compact than an open-circuit breathing set for the same duration in environments where...
allows the user to remain underwater for long periods or breathe in other inhospitable areas. After an episode where Terry nearly drowns, this is later added.
The suit possesses a two-way audio and visual link with the Batcave computer, allowing Terry to keep in contact with Bruce for superior tactical planning. The same applies to the Batmobile, which will automatically fly to the user's location when summoned. Directional microphones in the fingertips allow the user to hear and record audio through walls or at a distance. The suit's lenses can scan a number of frequencies in the electromagnetic spectrum
Electromagnetic spectrum
The electromagnetic spectrum is the range of all possible frequencies of electromagnetic radiation. The "electromagnetic spectrum" of an object is the characteristic distribution of electromagnetic radiation emitted or absorbed by that particular object....
, allowing night vision
Night vision
Night vision is the ability to see in low light conditions. Whether by biological or technological means, night vision is made possible by a combination of two approaches: sufficient spectral range, and sufficient intensity range...
among other things. However, as the suit's visual capabilities are entirely electronic, the user is effectively rendered blind if they are disrupted.
The suit has several defensive capabilities. A device on the belt can electrically charge the suit to repel close attackers, added after Terry's encounters with the shapeshifting
Shapeshifting
Shapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
supervillain Inque
Inque
Inque is a fictional character from the DCAU series Batman Beyond. She is a shapeshifting femme fatale with an aversion to water and electricity. Inque can turn into a dark liquid and slide through the smallest cracks, or apply herself to the surface of an object in order to avoid detection...
; this same feature can be limited to just the hands, turning the defensive technology into an offensive one if need be. The suit also possesses a cloaking device
Cloaking device
Cloaking devices are advanced stealth technologies still in development that will cause objects, such as spaceships or individuals, to be partially or wholly invisible to parts of the electromagnetic spectrum...
that can render Terry invisible to the naked eye, a feature also present on the Batmobile. It cannot, however, filter ultraviolet light. Pads on the feet can be magnetically charged, allowing the user to cling to metal surfaces even when upside-down.
The suit's offensive capabilities are also significant. It carries a large number of dispensable Batarang
Batarang
A batarang is a roughly bat-shaped throwing weapon used by the DC Comics superhero Batman. The name is a portmanteau of bat and boomerang, and was originally spelled baterang. Although they are named after boomerangs, batarangs have become more like shuriken in recent interpretations...
s which, when inactive, are compact enough to be invisible to the naked eye. These Batarangs come with a range of auxiliary functions, such as producing electric shocks or explosions. However, there is a limit to the amount of Batarangs the Batsuit can dispense; Batman has run out on at least one occasion. In addition, the Batsuit has discs that can be fired from the tops of the hands, grappling guns in the forearms, and launchable tracers. The belt on the Batsuit carries flashbang grenades, smoke pellets
Smoke grenade
Smoke grenades are canister-type grenades used as ground-to-ground or ground-to-air signaling devices, target or landing zone marking devices, or as screening devices for unit movements. Smoke grenades are normally considered non-lethal, although incorrect use may cause death...
, Flexicuffs
PlastiCuffs
Plastic handcuffs are a form of physical restraint for the hands, using plastic straps. They function as handcuffs but are cheaper and easier to carry than metal handcuffs, and cannot be reused....
, and a buzz saw
Circular saw
The circular saw is a machine using a toothed metal cutting disc or blade. The term is also loosely used for the blade itself. The blade is a tool for cutting wood or other materials and may be hand-held or table-mounted. It can also be used to make narrow slots...
on the buckle. Retractable claws on the fingers can be used to slice objects and grip solid surfaces.
Finally, the Batsuit possesses a number of other devices to aid in detective work. The right index finger possesses a retractable decoding device for electronic locks, and the fingers can analyze most substances they are dipped into. Other, less-used devices, such as frequency scanners, also make appearances.
The Exosuit
Seen only twice in the series, the Exosuit is donned by Bruce in an encounter with InqueInque
Inque is a fictional character from the DCAU series Batman Beyond. She is a shapeshifting femme fatale with an aversion to water and electricity. Inque can turn into a dark liquid and slide through the smallest cracks, or apply herself to the surface of an object in order to avoid detection...
, who had kidnapped Terry and was holding him hostage. It is a suit of heavy armor with retractable plates that enhances the survivability of the wearer, boosting their physical strength and resilience to superhuman levels, at a level greater than that of the Batsuit. When retracted, Bruce was able to wear a trench coat
Trench coat
A trench coat or trenchcoat is a raincoat made of waterproof heavy-duty cotton drill or poplin, wool gabardine, or leather. It generally has a removable insulated lining; and it is usually knee-length.-History:...
over it and not look like he had any considerable increase in body mass.
Bruce created the Exosuit years earlier in light of his increasing heart problems, as a possible replacement for the Batsuit. However, during testing, using the suit nearly gave him a heart attack and he was forced to abandon that option. Understandably, Bruce will only use the Exosuit in dire circumstances.
It is featured in the episode "Disappearing Inque."
In other media
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
, the Tomorrow Knight made an appearance in Superman Adventures #64, chasing a futuristic version of Brainiac
Brainiac (comics)
Brainiac is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Action Comics #242 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
.
The Batman Beyond
Batman Beyond
Batman Beyond is an American animated television series created by Warner Bros. Animation in collaboration with DC Comics as a continuation of the Batman legacy...
concept became DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
canon
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
in the pages of Superman/Batman
Superman/Batman
Superman/Batman was a monthly comic book series published by DC Comics that features the publisher's two most popular characters: Batman and Superman...
issues 22 and 23, wherein Bizarro
Bizarro
Bizarro is a fictional character that appears in publications published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Otto Binder and artist George Papp as a "mirror image" of Superman and first appeared in Superboy #68...
is transported to an alternate reality somewhere in Hypertime which resembled the Batman Beyond
Batman Beyond
Batman Beyond is an American animated television series created by Warner Bros. Animation in collaboration with DC Comics as a continuation of the Batman legacy...
-era Gotham City
Gotham City
Gotham City is a fictional U.S. city appearing in DC Comics, best known as the home of Batman. Batman's place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4 . Gotham City is strongly inspired by Trenton, Ontario's history, location, atmosphere, and various architectural styles...
, with Batman Beyond in action with the 1999 animated black-and-red costume and the 1992 Batplane
Batplane
The Batplane, later known as the Batwing, is the fictional aircraft for the comic book superhero Batman. The vehicle was introduced in "Batman Versus The Vampire, I", published in Detective Comics #31 in 1939, a story which saw Batman travel to continental Europe...
from the original animated series. This version of the character is in radio contact with Bruce Wayne
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
, but was referred to as "Tim." The Batman Beyond cameo was enough to garner a DC Direct
DC Direct
DC Direct is the collectibles division of DC Comics, the Time Warner subsidiary that publishes comic books and licenses characters such as Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Batman, Batgirl and Hawkgirl. DC Direct produces statues, props, replicas and prints for the direct market, a...
action figure, the character's first in years, listed as "Tim Drake"; However, the writers admitted to the mistake of misnaming the character, and although the name was rumored to be changed to "Terry" in the trade paperback, it still reads "Tim" (see first page of "Smoke and Mirrors" chapter in the trade paperback).
McGinnis has made a guest appearance on the Batman Beyond spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
series The Zeta Project
The Zeta Project
The Zeta Project is a science fiction American animated series produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It first aired on Kids' WB in January 2001. It is a spin-off series based on the character Zeta from the Batman Beyond episode of the same name. The show was created by Robert Goodman and Warner Bros...
. He also appeared on Static Shock
Static Shock
Static Shock is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It premiered in September 2000 on the Kids' WB! block and ran for four seasons, with a total of 52 half-hour episodes....
in the episode "Future Shock," which involved time travel
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
and a future Static. McGinnis later appears in three episodes of Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
; "The Once and Future Thing, Part 1: Weird Western Tales" (at the very end), "The Once and Future Thing, Part 2: Time Warped," alongside Static and Warhawk
Warhawk (Batman Beyond)
Warhawk is a fictional character created for the DC Animated Universe, voiced by Peter Onorati.-Batman Beyond Appearances:...
. (He is apparently killed in the episode, though his death is undone later, as the episode's plot involved time travel
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
.) After the timeline is fixed and Terry's death is prevented, Terry is seen 15 years older in the JLU episode "Epilogue," which is centered on him and takes place in his timeline, serving as the series finale
Series finale
A series finale refers to the last installment of a series with a narrative presented through mediums such as television, film and literature. In many Commonwealth countries, the term final episode is commonly used in regards to a television series...
to Batman Beyond.
Also, in Countdown to Final Crisis
Countdown to Final Crisis
Countdown, known as Countdown to Final Crisis for its last 24 issues based on the cover, was a comic book limited series published by DC Comics. It debuted on May 9, 2007, directly following the conclusion of the last issue of 52...
, former Robin
Robin (comics)
Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...
Jason Todd
Jason Todd
Jason Peter Todd is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Jason first appeared in Batman #357 and became the second Robin, sidekick to the superhero Batman, when the previous Robin went on to star in The New Teen Titans under the moniker of Nightwing.Though...
, former Wonder Girl
Wonder Girl
Wonder Girl is the name of three fictional characters featured as superheroes in comic books and other media produced by DC Comics. The original was a younger version of Wonder Woman...
Donna Troy
Donna Troy
Donna Troy is a comic book superheroine published by DC Comics. She first appeared in The Brave and the Bold vol. 1 #60 , and was created by Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani...
, Green Lantern Kyle Rayner
Kyle Rayner
Kyle Rayner is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by DC Comics, usually in those starring the Green Lantern Corps, an extraterrestrial police force of which Rayner is a member. Created by writer Ron Marz and artist Darryl Banks, Rayner first appeared in Green Lantern vol...
, and Bob the Monitor travel to "Earth-12," which resembles the DCAU's future. They witness from the rooftops someone in a Batman Beyond costume defeating members of the Jokerz gang (although they do not know who is under the mask of the future Batman), to which Jason Todd says: "Huh. The more things change, the more they stay the same." The group speculates that either Tim Drake or Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrator Jerry Robinson, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940....
is under the mask. However, The Monitor confirms it is indeed McGinnis.
The character has also recently received a figure in the DC Universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
action figure line, which lists him as McGinnis rather than Tim Drake.
A figure of Terry will appear in the "Arkham Asylum" set of DC Heroclix
HeroClix
HeroClix is a collectible miniatures game that uses the Clix system. Originally designed and produced by WizKids, it is now owned and marketed by NECA. Players construct teams of comic book heroes, villains, and other characters from popular video games such as Street Fighter, Gears of War, and Halo...
. On its card, it is mentioned that his name is "UNKNOWN" an his first appearance was in the pages of Superman/Batman
Superman/Batman
Superman/Batman was a monthly comic book series published by DC Comics that features the publisher's two most popular characters: Batman and Superman...
issue 22.
Dan DiDio
Dan DiDio
Dan DiDio is an American writer, editor and publisher who has worked in the television and comic book industries. He is currently the Co-Publisher of DC Comics, along with Jim Lee...
announced in a recent questions segment with Newsarama that Terry McGinnis will be appearing within DC Comics again in the future.
The Batman Beyond miniseries began its run in 16 June 2010, set in 2039 Neo-Gotham, revolving around the assassination of anyone who had anything to do with Bruce Wayne's Batman, foe or friend. Dan DiDio stated that this "Terry McGinnis mini-series" is in response to the interest expressed by the "fans of the character." It will be penned by Adam Beechen, a non-DCAU Batman
The Batman (TV series)
The Batman is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation based on the DC Comics superhero Batman. It ran from 2004 to 2008, on the Saturday morning television block Kids' WB...
television writer. According to Beechen, the comic book arc will open the door for the "legendary" DCAU to enter into the mainstream DC Universe (comics), tying into both continuities. The series will take place after McGinnis had defeated the reborn Joker
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker is a 2000 direct-to-video animated film featuring the comic book superhero Batman and his archenemy, the Joker...
and pick up where Bruce Timm initially left off, but years before he learns that Bruce Wayne is his biological father.
In 2010, Terry appeared alongside Superman in the over-sized issue Superman/Batman Annual 2010, where it picks up after their first meeting together
Batman Beyond
Batman Beyond is an American animated television series created by Warner Bros. Animation in collaboration with DC Comics as a continuation of the Batman legacy...
taking place in the DCAU, and also jibing with the DCU.
Terry became officially part of the DCU canon in Batman #700, which spans the life of the many men who have been Batman. It is shown that Terry has a history with Damian Wayne
Damian Wayne
Damian Wayne is a fictional character in the . Damian is the child of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul, and thus the grandson of Batman villain Ra's al Ghul....
, who rescues him when he was a child from Two-Face-Two as Batman, and later becomes his successor as Batman, with Damian mentoring him, instead of Bruce.
On October 6, 2010, it was announced at New York Comic-Con that Batman Beyond would start as an ongoing series in January 2011. The series ended with only eight issues in August. There is a possibility for a new series to begin in January 2012.
Terry makes a cameo appearance in the 2011 Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Batman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics series The Brave and the Bold which features two or more super heroes coming together to solve a crime or foil a super villain...
episode "Night of the Batmen!" as part of a group of Batmen gathered from across the Multiverse
Multiverse (DC Comics)
The DC Multiverse is a fictional continuity construct that exists in stories published by comic book company DC Comics. The DC Multiverse consists of numerous worlds, most of them outside DC's main continuity, allowing writers the creative freedom to explore alternative versions of characters and...
to help Bruce Wayne protect Gotham.
Terr'y advanced batsuit has been featured as downloadable content in Batman: Arkham City.
See also
- Batman BeyondBatman BeyondBatman Beyond is an American animated television series created by Warner Bros. Animation in collaboration with DC Comics as a continuation of the Batman legacy...
- Batman Beyond: Return of the JokerBatman Beyond: Return of the JokerBatman Beyond: Return of the Joker is a 2000 direct-to-video animated film featuring the comic book superhero Batman and his archenemy, the Joker...
- Batman Beyond (comics)
External links
- DK PublishingDorling KindersleyDorling Kindersley is an international publishing company specializing in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 51 languages. It is currently part of the Penguin Group....
. Batman Beyond: The Animated Series Guide - Terry McGinnis' bio at The World's Finest
- http://www.dcauresource.com/profiles/good/b/batmanbeyond.php