Alfred Pennyworth in the context of "Batman"

⭐ In the context of Batman, Alfred Pennyworth is considered…

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⭐ Core Definition: Alfred Pennyworth

Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth, originally Alfred Beagle and commonly known simply as Alfred, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, most commonly in association with the superhero Batman.

Alfred is depicted as Batman's meticulous, disciplined, loyal and tireless confidante, butler, legal guardian, best friend, aide-de-camp, and surrogate father figure following the murders of his parents, Thomas and Martha Wayne. As a British noble who is a classically trained butler, whose skills extend far beyond mere housekeeping, Alfred is uniquely suited to support the lives of masked crime fighters. A former British intelligence officer, field medic and retired Shakespearean actor operative of honor and ethics with connections within the intelligence community, he has been called "Batman's batman". He serves as Bruce's moral anchor while providing comic relief with his sardonic and cynical attitude; as an amnesiac, he has also served as the supervillainous Outsider. A vital part of the Batman mythos, Alfred was nominated for the Wizard Fan Award for Favorite Supporting Male Character in 1994. Bane killed Alfred in 2019 during the City of Bane storyline, and he remains dead in the primary continuity of the DC Universe as of 2025.

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👉 Alfred Pennyworth in the context of Batman

Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book Detective Comics on March 30, 1939. In the DC Universe, Batman is the alias of Bruce Wayne, a wealthy American playboy, philanthropist, and industrialist who resides in the fictional Gotham City. His origin story features him swearing vengeance against criminals after witnessing the murder of his parents, Thomas and Martha, as a child, a vendetta tempered by the ideal of justice. He trains himself physically and intellectually, crafts a bat-inspired persona, and monitors the Gotham streets at night. Kane, Finger, and other creators accompanied Batman with supporting characters, including his sidekicks Robin and Batgirl; allies Alfred Pennyworth and James Gordon; love interest and occasional adversary Catwoman; as well as foes such as the Penguin, the Riddler, Two-Face, and his archenemy, the Joker.

Kane conceived Batman in early 1939 to capitalize on the popularity of Superman; although Kane frequently claimed sole creation credit, Finger substantially developed the concept from a generic superhero into something more bat-like. They drew inspiration from pulp fiction characters like the Shadow, Sherlock Holmes, and the Green Hornet. Batman received a spin-off publication, Batman, in 1940. Kane and Finger introduced Batman as a ruthless vigilante who frequently killed or maimed criminals, but he evolved into a just, tempered superhero with a stringent moral code that prohibits killing during the 1940s. Unlike most superheroes, Batman does not possess any superpowers, instead relying on his intellect, fighting skills, and wealth. The 1960s Batman television series used a camp aesthetic, which continued to be associated with Batman for years after it ended. Various creators worked to return Batman to his darker roots in the 1970s and 1980s, culminating with the 1986 miniseries The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller.

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Alfred Pennyworth in the context of List of Batman supporting characters

The Batman supporting characters are fictional characters that appear in the American comic books published by DC Comics featuring the superhero Batman as the main protagonist.

"Batman family" or "Bat-Family" is the informal term for Batman's closest allies, who are mainly masked vigilantes operating in Gotham City. Since the Bat-Family's introduction in 1939, Batman has accumulated a number of recognized supporting characters. The first Batman supporting character was Commissioner James "Jim" Gordon, Batman's ally in the Gotham City Police Department, who first appeared with Batman in Detective Comics #27 (May 1939). Some of the other allies of Batman include his vigilante partner, Robin, who was introduced in 1940; his butler, Alfred Pennyworth, who was introduced in 1943; and Barbara Gordon, who was introduced in 1967.

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Alfred Pennyworth in the context of Pennyworth (TV series)

Pennyworth, marketed as Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman's Butler for its third season, is an American television series that premiered on July 28, 2019, on Epix, based on DC Comics' Batman character of the same name. The series was developed for television and is executive produced by Bruno Heller and Danny Cannon, and stars Jack Bannon as Alfred Pennyworth, a younger version of the iteration of the character previously portrayed by Sean Pertwee in Heller's and Cannon's Fox series Gotham (2014–2019), with the series serving as a prequel to both Gotham and V for Vendetta, by Alan Moore, David Lloyd, and Tony Weare. Ben Aldridge, Hainsley Lloyd Bennett, Ryan Fletcher, Dorothy Atkinson, Emma Paetz, Paloma Faith, Polly Walker, James Purefoy, and Jason Flemyng also star.

The second season began filming in January 2020, but the filming was paused in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The second season premiered on December 13, 2020. In October 2021, it was announced that the series would premiere on HBO Max for its third season, although it would still continue to air on Epix in addition. The third season premiered on October 6, 2022, and concluded on November 24, 2022. In February 2023, the series was canceled after three seasons.

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Alfred Pennyworth in the context of Dick Grayson

Richard John "Dick" Grayson is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Batman, the Teen Titans, and the Justice League. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940. Dick is the original and most popular incarnation of Robin, Batman's crime-fighting partner – together known as the Dynamic Duo. In his origin story, he is the orphaned son of master acrobats the Flying Graysons who is later adopted by Batman's alter ego Bruce Wayne.

Dick Grayson has undergone significant character development since originally introduced in 1940. In 1984, he graduated from the role of Robin to become the adult superhero Nightwing, protector of the city of Blüdhaven, Gotham City's economically troubled neighbouring city. Since then, as Bruce's eldest son, Dick has taken on an older brother figure to his male successors as Robin – tearaway Jason Todd, teenage prodigy Tim Drake, and trained assassin Damian Wayne, who is also Batman's biological child. Among other members of the Batman Family, his closest relationships are with Batman's loyal butler and father figure Alfred Pennyworth, and with his romantic interest Barbara Gordon, who served as Batgirl alongside Dick as Robin, and who later aids Nightwing as Oracle. Dick has also taken up the mantle of Batman himself on a number of occasions when Bruce was missing, incapacitated, or believed dead.

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Alfred Pennyworth in the context of Outsider (comics)

The Outsider is the name of three characters appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first is an evil persona that Alfred Pennyworth assumes after nearly dying and becoming amnesiac. The second, Michael Desai, is an Indian metahuman and businessman introduced during the Flashpoint storyline. The third is Alfred's Earth-Three counterpart.

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