Warning: contains spoilers for Batman/Superman 2021 Annual #1!
It isn't often that Batman's surrogate father turns on him, but DC has given Alfred a deadly new alter ego as the monstrous being that once killed Superman himself: Doomsday. Batman/Superman 2021 Annual #1 takes readers back to the World of Tomorrow, but with Batman at the helm to face an iconic Superman foe. However, the origin for the deadly villain is far different than fans are used to.
Batman/Superman is currently following alternate-universe versions of Batman and Superman who each exist in a world where the other never became a superhero. Since the villainous Auteur.io damaged the barriers between their worlds, Batman and Superman have been teaming up across realities to fight villains that they aren't used to seeing in their respective homes. Classic villains have been twisted from their initial origins and plots. They've been given new homes, new origins, and deadlier abilities. However, not everyone Batman and Superman have to face is recognizable as a regular villain. In the World of Tomorrow, Bruce Wayne's mother - Martha Wayne - survived the fateful night in Crime Alley. Consequently, Batman was never created in this world, but that doesn't mean the incident didn't have lasting consequences, with the fallout leaving both Martha and Alfred with some dark secrets.
The creative team responsible for twisting up these familiar characters in Batman/Superman 2021 Annual #1 includes Gene Luen Yang, Francesco Francavilla, Paul Pelletier, Mick Gray, Hi-Fi, and ALW's Troy Peteri. While facing an alternate villainous version of himself, Batman finds himself taking on more than he can handle. When he doesn't follow the demands of the World of Tomorrow's Alfred Pennyworth, the man fans known as an ever-helpful and comforting figure in Batman's life turns bad. He already juiced himself up on Bane's strength-enhancing Venom in this series, but now, he has an even more powerful drug that allows him to transform into Doomsday.
Doomsday has long been one of Superman's deadliest foes. After all, the monster succeeded in killing him in the famous 1992 storyline 'The Death of Superman.' Since then, this foe has been known for being one of DC's deadliest characters, so the latest twist with Alfred is certainly one that fans did not see coming. While this Alfred has been shown to be very close to Martha Wayne and aiding with her evil schemes, this takes his own villainy to another level. Batman's butler is typically one of his greatest allies. Normally, the two look out for one another and the Dark Knight gets a lot of assistance and guidance from him. But in a world where his loyalties lie elsewhere, Alfred becomes a major threat - one Batman has to call Superman in to take down.
Alfred's loyalty to the Wayne family as a whole certainly can't be questioned, but this attribute that is typically his greatest strength is now his greatest shortcoming. It is clear that he's willing to go to extreme lengths to keep whichever Wayne he attaches to safe at any cost. In this world, that protected person just doesn't happen to be Bruce. Alfred has always been a great ally, yet this issue proves that under the right circumstances, even he can turn bad. As Batman/Superman continues to mix and merge the heroes' comic villains, giving Alfred the ability to become Doomsday has created a terrifying threat with ties to both the Dark Knight and the Man of Tomorrow.