Earth 2 has had a new deadly and super-strong Batman haunting it and helping its heroes. His secret identity is finally revealed!
Also this week we also had Worlds Finest Annual #1 hit stands and it reveals the Earth 2 Wonder Woman’s secret legacy. More on that here.
Ok, back to the Earth 2 Annual…
SPOILERS for Earth 2 Annual #2 follow.
Despite DC Comics spoiling the identity of the Earth 2 Batman with its action figure solicitation, the free preview to Earth 2 Annual #2 also spoils the identity!
Below are the TOP 5 SPOILERS from the issue. This is in addition to several other revelations about the new Earth 2 Batman before we knew for sure he was Thomas Wayne in Earth 2 #17 and #18.
(5) Who Is Thomas Wayne?
On Earth 2, in his youth as a young physician, he cavorted with criminals and partook in recreational drug use with his wife Martha! After she gives birth to their son Bruce, they decide it is time to get out of their poor lifestyle.
As a result the mob boss Thomas Wayne wants to unfriend sends three goons to rough him up. However, his butler Jarvis Pennyworth – Alfred’s father – saves Thomas. This leads to a string of events that has the mob boss put a hit out on Thomas and Martha Wayne courtesy of Joe Chill. However, unknown to their son Bruce, only his mother Martha died that fateful night and Thomas pretended to be dead so that the mob boss would leave Bruce alone.
Like with TV’s CW Arrow (with Deathstroke / Slade Wilson and Roy Harper), the pill Miraclo is the key to the new Earth 2 Batman’s powers. It grants him powers for one hour at a time. You may remember that Miraclo was the pill used by the pre-New 52 Goldern Age hero Rex Tyler (a.k.a. Hourman) to fight crime. However on Earth 2, it appears that instead of Hourman it is Rex Mason (a.k.a. Metamorpho in the pre-New 52 DC Universe) who either created it or had the supply that Thomas needed. Or the Tyler vs. Mason surname was a typo since both characters had Rex as a first name?
The pill may actually drive one a bit mad (like in the current CW Arrow Season 2) since Thomas Wayne shoots his son Bruce Wayne the Batman! How’s that for a way to reintroduce yourself to your son? The bright side? The bullet missed Bruce’s vital organs.
Thomas Wayne didn’t have a moral compass in the intervening years between his apparent death and his return as Earth 2’s Batman. He used Miraclo to allow himself to carry out a vendetta on the mob boss, the three men who was hired to beat him and to the man how killed his wife Martha.
Thomas Wayne is unburdening himself by telling his story to Red Tornado and Hawkgirl. He explains how Bruce never forgave him for pretending to be dead and likely knowing he successfully completed a vendetta against that mob boss and those hired to harm / kill the Waynes in the past. Despite his criminal activity, after his son’s death, Thomas Wayne takes over the mantle of Batman honor his son and redeem himself.
Thomas Wayne is a 65 year old man who relies to on Miraclo to be active and fight crime. And he is the picture of the brooding hero having no family to live for or disappoint. This is a Batman with no safety tags or strings attached.
Thanks for reading. All feedback welcome. :)
