Batman’s origin story has been narrated in the DC universe multiple times, with Martha’s pearl necklace breaking as the signature cut. But in 2011, an alternate version of the comic series was released by DC, called the Flashpoint version. This was revealed to the fans as the biggest reset in the history of DC and was called the New 52. The issue witnessed an alternate version of the story, from an angle where Thomas Wayne and Martha Wayne are not the victims of the assault and witness losing their son in the process. This version of the origin according to the readers has been the darkest to date. Here are 10 points from the plot which will help you understand, why it is the darkest version of the Batman narrative, to date.
Thomas Wayne Avenges His Son
As told before in the flashpoint version, it is Bruce who ends up dying. So, his father tracks down Joe Hill the man responsible for his kid’s death. And beats Joe Hill with his bare hands to avenge the death of his son, while ridding the streets of Gotham from the vile scums.
Martha Undergoes A Mental Breakdown
In the flashpoint narrative, after Bruce’s death, Thomas Wayne takes up the road to a newfound bloodlust and hunger for justice. But Martha goes into a mental breakdown state, with madness and a desire for revenge against the city that took away her only child. She becomes the flashpoint version of the Joker while carving the signature smile into her cheeks.
Harvey Dent’s Kids
Martha’s version of Joker is following the same path that joker followed. But this time her target is the judicial system and the officials of the system, who could not get rid of Gotham’s criminals. Flashpoint joker’s first target is Judge Harvey Dent, and she hits him the same way she was given her share of the pain. She abducts Harvey Dent’s kids and gives Harvey the same pain that she felt on losing her son.
Jim Gordon’s Death
While waiting for Gotham’s justice, batman, and the police to catch up to her, Martha disguised Harvey Dent’s daughter like the joker. With arms taped to her hands and a big grin on the tape covering her mouth. Jim Gordon enters the hideout and ends up killing Dent’s daughter, after which Martha slits Jim Gordon’s throat. Reinforcing her endeavor against Gotham’s failed justice system and cutting off another of batman’s lifeline.
Thomas Confronts Martha
Following the events of dent’s daughter and Jim Gordon, Thomas tracks down his wife to the vicinity of the Wayne manor. He tells her about Flash, the original timeline, and the possibility of their son being left to live in their place. Both Thomas and Martha decide on taking the opportunity to reverse the past to give their son a chance to live in place of them.
Martha Commits Suicide
On hearing about what exactly Bruce does after they both die, Martha’s grief and emotions take over her judgment and she throws herself off the cliff surrounding the Wayne manor. Seeing his last connection to the old life, she jumps off a cliff, helps Thomas to harden his resolve of changing the timeline, and fully supports Barry’s plan to reverse his timeline’s mess. No matter the cost.
Batman kills Reverse Flash
One of the stimulating things we get to see with the flashpoint version of Batman is exactly how much Bruce takes after his father. They both share a near genius-level intelligence and are master strategists. Not only does Thomas help re-create the experiment that demonstrated Barry’s metahuman powers, but he also helped gather a task force of metahumans and superpowered individuals. This includes the attempted rescue of Kal-El from a secret government housing facility, with the project being called “Project Superman” while taking help from Cyborg and the Shazam Family.
All of this is in a struggle to stop the looming skirmish between the Amazons and the Atlanteans that will most likely wipe out the remaining sections of the society. During the final clash between the Amazons and the Atlanteans, Thomas delivers the final blow to the Reverse-Flash/Professor Zoom, who was trying to stop the Flash from fixing the timeline. The scene highlights the critical difference between Bruce and this version of his father. A man with the chance to bring his son back to life has the will and drive to do anything and everything, whether it is physically possible or morally “right”.
Thomas Leaves A Letter With Flash
Facing the imminent end of his reality, Thomas gives a letter to Barry requesting for him to deliver it to Bruce in the Prime timeline. This ends up achieving two things, unbeknown to both the parties. Firstly, it provides some much-needed closure to Bruce, taking a monkey off his back that he has carried for almost 20 years. Secondly, it tags along with the narrative of the plot that will come up later with Wally West’s return from the Speed Force, providing tangible links to timelines and realities other than their own. These two unforeseen results could very well act as anchors for several other events that will happen in the future, involving both Thomas’s return and the revelation of Watchmen’s Doctor Manhattan crossing over into their greater DC Universe.
Thomas Confronts Bruce
Towards the end of the City of Bane storyline, Batman faces off against Bane in a one-on-one fight, and almost neutralizes the villain before being shot by Thomas in the back, twice. Thomas then betrays Bane by shooting him in the head, leaving him lifeless. Thomas confronts Bruce and pleads with him to give up his crusade for justice to live and be happy with Catwoman aka Selina Kyle, who physically assaulted Thomas in the process. Catwoman defends Bruce, getting into a scuffle resulting in Thomas holding Bruce at gunpoint in a move of desperation before Bruce reaffirms that he is, and will always be, Batman.
Thomas Meets Bane In Prison
Post the encounter at Wayne Manor, Thomas is sent to a prison facility where Bruce (as Batman) has a final meet-up with his father bound in a straightjacket and masked before leaving. This facility also happens to be the same facility that is currently housing Bane, who is recovering from the shot he took from the Flashpoint Batman. Bane then takes the opportunity to do what he does best and break the back of the Flashpoints Batman and eventually killing Thomas Wayne in the process.
