People of Gotham City

Bruce Wayne (Batman)

Bruce Wayne is a very rich man, who resides in Wayne Manor, on the outskirts of Gotham City. Wayne is the owner of Wayne Enterprises, a very large and successful company. Bruce's parents were killed by a mugger when Bruce was six, and the money that his parents' had was placed in trust, eventually becoming worth a lot. Bruce decided that no one should have to lose their loved ones to crime, and became Batman. During the day, however, Bruce effectively fools people into thinking that he is a rich, stupid fop.

Tim Drake (Robin)

Tim is Robin, a pretty-cool fifteen year-old. Tim's mother was killed some time ago, and his father Jack was a pretty sick guy until very recently. Mrs. McIlvaine is the housekeeper at the Drake home, and Dana is Jack Drake's newest love interest. Tim is always trying to hide his "other self" from Jack and Mrs. McIlvaine, and from his girlfriend, Ariana. Ariana recently underwent a crisis of her own (and Robin's, too), as her family was moving away from Gotham. However, Bruce Wayne purchased the store for far more than it was worth, so the family opened a new store elsewhere. Now Tim has Ariana going to his school (Gotham Heights).

Dick Grayson (Nightwing)

Dick has just returned to Gotham. After being found by Alfred, Dick returned, and then undertook a mission of great importance to himself: the discovery of what really happened to his parents. After undergoing an arduous journey (which included a new love interest, Miggy) Dick discovered that his parents were in fact killed to set an example by a protection racket.

Dick now lives in Blüdhaven. He moved to get away from Bruce/Batman, and to strike out on his own. Mostly, I think it was an attempt to stop the comparisons between himself and Batman. Blüdhaven seemed like a lost cause, so it provided a good challenge. Dick is living in a dump of an apartment, and is working at a police bar (hoping to catch some good tips) as a bartender.

Jean Paul Valley (Azrael)

Jean Paul Valley, son of Ludovic Valley, was a computer science graduate student at Gotham University. One night his father appeared at his door, dressed in a strange costume, dying of gunshot wounds. He begged Jean Paul to strip him and leave him in an alley, and to open "that box I gave you." Jean Paul travelled to Europe, and there he found out that he had been trained since he was young to assume the role of Azrael, the Avenging Angel. Jean Paul, as Azrael, saved the life of Bruce Wayne, so Wayne gave Valley a job with Wayne Enterprises. Jean Paul began training with Robin to override the assassination "Program" and to turn himself into a protege of Batman. After Bane broke Batman, Jean Paul took over as Batman. He has since lost that role, and is back to being Azrael. Check out the Azrael Home Page.

[Other Gothamites]


[Alfred]Alfred Pennyworth

Alfred Pennyworth is the butler at Wayne Manor. Alfred knows the identity of Batman, as well as those of the Robins. Alfred has just returned to the employ of Bruce Wayne, thanks in part to the efforts of Nightwing (read Nightwing: Alfred's Return). In Batman, Alfred returned in issue #521. Alfred play an important role in the Batman mythos; Alfred looks after so many details of Bruce Wayne's life so that Bruce can focus on Batman. Alfred also serves as Batman's closest friend and confidant - it keeps Batman from going off the deep end, as well as sound out his theories. Alfred is the rock of stability in the otherwise dynamic life of the Dark Knight. Alfred's training as a field medic also allows him to heal Batman after his evening forays.



Check Out Some Alfred Links

Harold

Harold is a little fellow that Batman picked up some time ago, who was a former employee of the Penguin. Harold is a genius when it comes to developing new gizmos for Batman. I believe he also helped design and build the new Batmobile. Harold biggest friend seems to be Ace, a dog. Harold disappeared during the KnightQuest: The Crusade storyline, and except for a short story in The Batman Chronicles he hasn't appeared back in regular continuity.

Armand Krol

The current mayor of Gotham City, Mayor Krol is a real sleaze. Krol hated the Batman, until he saved his sorry excuse for a life after the Joker and Scarecrow took control of him (during Knightfall). Krol then supported Batman's actions, and urged Jim Gordon to both utilize Batman, and to change the G.C.P.D. to accept Batman's methods. Eventually, Gordon was demoted from the position of Commissioner by Krol, to be replaced by Jim's wife, Sarah (Essen) Gordon.

Krol recently lost the mayoral election for Gotham to Marion Grange. To gain some revenge over Gotham, he replaced Police Commissioner Sarah Gordon with Andy Howe, a worthless, dim-witted lawyer. However, Krol was one of the first citizens of Gotham to succumb to the Clench (the second time around, during Legacy).

Marion Grange

The mayor-elect of Gotham, Marion Grange is the former District Attorney. Marion has moved Sarah Gordon to be the liaison between her office and the Gotham City Police Department. Grange has also replaced Andy Howe with Jim Gordon as police commissioner.

Lucius Fox

Lucius Fox is the man who runs WayneCorp. Because Bruce plays a fop and utter airhead, and because he's too busy being Batman, he needs someone to run his businesses for him. Lucius does this, and even though he knows that Bruce isn't the idiot he pretends to be, he does not know that Bruce is Batman. Batman recently saved Lucius' life, when The Cypher was about to kill him in order to gain access to a top-secret government project that WayneTech was working on.

[Gotham City Police Deparment]


Sarah (Essen) Gordon

Sarah is the wife of Jim Gordon. She was promoted to the position of Police Commissioner after Jim Gordon refused to accept Batman's help (during KnightQuest). She then accepted Marion Grange's offer to be the liason between Grange's office and the GCPD. During all this time, Sarah and Jim were separated, although they have since reconciliated their differences and are living together again.

[Bullock]Sargeant Harvey Bullock

Bullock is a doughnut-eating cop who is always on the scene of the newest crimes in Gotham. Harv was injured in the line of duty, and spent some time in the hospital. He then dated one of his nurses, until she was killed when someone tried to mug her and Bullock during a date. Harv is usually seen in the company of his partner, Detective Renee Montoya. Bullock and Montoya were featured during the recent miniseries Batman: GCPD

Detective Renee Montoya

Renee Montoya is an excellent officer, who believes very much in the Batman's actions. I think she realizes that the police have no chance to stop crime like Batman does. Montoya's convictions were badly shaken when AzBats took over, utilizing methods that were unacceptable. Renee had a new man in her life, Johnny, until he succumbed to The Clench during Contagion.

Detective MacKenzie "Hardback" Bock

Called Hardback because of his avid reading, Bock is well informed about Gotham and its citizens.

[Jim Gordon]Commissioner James Gordon

Jim Gordon first met Batman when he was a lieutenant on the Gotham City Police (Year One). Gordon, a former Chicago cop, provided information to the Batman, allowing Batman to capture criminals. Gordon eventually became the Police Commissioner, and stayed at that post until recently. After Knightfall, Gordon no longer trusted the Batman, due to the changes that occurred as Jean Paul Valley took over as Batman. Gordon would no longer "use" Batman, although Mayor Krol wanted him to, in order to ensure his re-election. Krol replaced Jim Gordon with Sarah Gordon, who is Jim's second wife. They became estranged, as Jim didn't like this change, because Sarah, who formerly did not like Batman, agreed to use him for the Mayor. Then Jim resigned as a police officer and Sarah became the commissioner. Jim did enter the mayoral race, but eventually put his support behind Marion Grange. Bruce Wayne told Gordon that he was going to support Marion Grange in her bid for mayor, as long as she puts Jim Gordon back in the Commissioner's Office. Grange did this. Gordon was recently featured in the miniseries Batman: Gordon's Law.

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