Warning! Spoilers ahead for Crime Syndicate #2
In the latest issue of DC Comics' new Crime Syndicate series, the origins of the dark Justice League of Earth-3 are revealed, including those of the darkest Batman who was corrupted by his own parents. While the main story has followed the origins of the Crime Syndicate coming together to stop the alien invasion of Starro, back-up stories have revealed each member's individual origins from the past, and Crime Syndicate #2 reveals those of Thomas Wayne, the brutal and lethal Owlman.
During Starro's invasion, Owlman manages to capture and dissect one of the millions of spores Starro has unleashed to control the Earth. Learning their true nature and ability to bond and control a host victim telepathically, Wayne quickly arrives to meet with the other members of the future Crime Syndicate, having come up with a plan to kill Starro - while also having hacked into Emerald Knight's power ring, a testament to Wayne's brutal intelligence and remorseless cunning.
However, Wayne's origins are revealed at the end of Crime Syndicate #2 from writer Andy Schmidt with art by Kieran Mckeown. After the deaths of his mother, father, and brother Bruce, Thomas dedicated his life to training and learning all that he could to become an agent of justice, just like the more familiar Batman of the Prime Earth. However, Thomas' inspiration came from an Owl instead of a Bat, which clawed his face during their encounter, seemingly foreshadowing the brutal methods Owlman would soon adopt. This was because on Earth-3 Thomas finds his family's killer, and it's none other than Harvey Bullock who had been following the orders of Jim Gordon, one of Gotham's biggest crime bosses. However, Bullock also reveals the dark truth about the Wayne's of this world, and why Gordon had them killed in the first place.
Sadly, Thomas realizes his family's killer is telling the truth, and that his parents were corrupt killers themselves. However, it soon becomes worse as Owlman starts laughing, seemingly relieved that he no longer has to live up to any sort of code of honor for his parents' sake. Dropping Bullock to his death, Owlman declares that his no-killing rule and code he once had no longer matters, as this was the birth of one of the darkest versions of Batman there is in the DC Multiverse. Rather than being motivated by the deaths of his parent to seek justice and vengeance for their deaths honorable and without taking lives, the Owlman is a brutal vigilante who maims and kills as he pleases. He goes after criminals and gains power as it suits his needs and desires, and it's all thanks to his own corrupt parents who in turn corrupted him even in death.
While this is an incredibly dark tale, it's likely going to get worse in the present day of Earth-3 during Starro's invasion. The Crime Syndicate isn't going to unite out of any sense of justice, or to help the innocent as certain other teams might on other worlds like the Justice League. Instead, it looks as though the Owlman's plan will be to get rid of Starro purely out of a desire for survival and to keep himself and the rest of the Crime Syndicate in power over their world once the dust settles. Likewise, when the darkest version of Batman has a plan, it likely means someone is going to get hurt, and could very well be his own "teammates" as the series continues from DC Comics.