Batman’s origin story is probably one of the most tragic tales in comics. Raised in wealth and luxury, young Bruce Wayne was happy – until the night his parents took him to the movies, only to encounter a mugger who killed them right in front of Bruce. Resolving to make sure no one else had to go through what he did, Bruce trained his body and mind into a living weapon and declared war on all crime.
It's a story that’s been told and retold in comics, television series, and live action films. However, in one haunting version, both Thomas and Martha Wayne knew they were destined to die – and chose to walk right into their fate!
In the miniseries, Superman/Batman: Generations, writer and artist John Bryne took an innovative approach to DC Comics’ long history – show the characters age in real time and influence future generations of heroes with their deeds. This led to him showing Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne starting their careers in the late 1930s and gradually adjusting to the changes in their lives and relationships as time marched forward.
Since this storyline still took place in the fantastical world of comic books, however, both Clark and Bruce managed to live well beyond a normal human lifespan. Superman’s Kryptonian physiology allowed him to live for centuries (he even commented that the older he got the slower he aged). Likewise, while Bruce Wayne did become an old man, he was later rejuvenated thanks to a dip in Ra’s al Ghul’s Lazarus Pits and became functionally immortal.
Bruce also fathered a son and later gained several surrogate children, granting him the family he had lost as a child. In Superman/Batman: Generations 2, however, Batman learned something very disturbing about his parents. Taking place in the “distant future” of the year 2019, the tale begins in the Fortress of Solitude where a still-active Bruce Wayne reunites with Superman who had received a recorded message from Jonathan Kent via his “Chroniscope” – a Kryptonian device that can show people the past and future.
Informing Clark that he needed to tell him about something he did back in the early 20th century, Pa Kent related a story of the first time nine-year-old Clark Kent showed him the Chroniscope, which showed images of Clark as an adult Superman fighting alongside Batman. Clark even revealed he already knew Batman’s secret identity – and that his parents would be killed within the next two months. Horrified, Pa Kent convinced Clark that they needed to warn the Waynes so they could avoid their grim fate.
The two journeyed to a county where Clark revealed himself to the world as Superboy and used his powers to track down the Waynes. Once he did, however, Superboy found they were already being targeted by the Ultra-Humanite who managed to stun Superboy with a massive jolt of electricity and bind and gag the young Bruce Wayne. Bruce escaped, however, and donned the costume of the “Flying Fox” – a type of bat. The young Superman and Batman end up having their first team-up and defeat the Ultra Humanite, ending with Superboy flying off.
Jonathan Kent, however, took the opportunity to perform a side-mission. Approaching Thomas Wayne, Jonathan revealed that he was Superboy’s father – and then showed Thomas the Chroniscope with the images of the Waynes’ upcoming death. However, Jonathan emphasized that the Chroniscope sometimes showed their deaths happening very differently, with some versions showing both Waynes being shot and others showing Martha dying from her weak heart after seeing Thomas murdered. This made Jonathan believe history could be altered and the Waynes could prevent their deaths.
Thomas, however, was intrigued by the images of Batman that Jonathan showed him, realizing that Bruce would base his Batman costume off of a costume Thomas had previously worn at a masquerade ball. He even mused that without the trauma of his parents’ death, Bruce would never become Batman. Thanking Jonathan for his help, Thomas left – but weeks later, Jonathan read about the Waynes’ murder in the newspaper.
Not understanding why Thomas Wayne ignored his warning, Jonathan used the Chroniscope again – and learned that Thomas and Martha decided not to alter their fate after learning what a massive impact Batman would have on the world. Although Martha expressed some misgivings, wondering if it was sinful to walk into their deaths and leave their son an orphan, Thomas assured her that Alfred would look after Bruce. The two made sure to tell Bruce that they love him and shared one last moment together before leaving for the movies, and their now-inevitable murder.
Back in the present, Bruce is shocked that his parents knew about their deaths and willingly made him an orphan. After visiting their graves, however, he tells Clark that he understands why they did what they did. Although Bruce would have undoubtedly grown into a charitable man like his father if his parents had lived, he would never have become Gotham’s greatest weapon against crime without their deaths to motivate him. Reflecting on how many lives the Batman has affected during his long career, Bruce hopes what the world gained was worth his parents’ sacrifice.
While this story was confined to the separate “Generations” continuity that Byrne established for his miniseries, the revelation that the Waynes knew about their deaths but did nothing to stop it is a controversial one. Although some would argue that Batman did need his parents’ death to achieve the mindset he needed to become the Dark Knight, the idea that his parents would basically abandon him for the good of Gotham City suggests they placed greater stock in the well being of their city than in their son’s mental health and happiness. Having spent his entire life fighting for others, Bruce Wayne understands that mindset – but his memory of his parents may be radically altered by what he learned.