Warning! Spoilers for Batman/Superman #16!

Superman’s world has just been flipped on its head and it’s all because Martha Wayne is alive. Surviving her fateful night in Crime Alley that would have seen both her and her husband, Thomas Wayne, murdered at the hands of a petty thief, thus giving birth to the Dark Knight himself, Batman, in the process, the reality Superman knows and loves has significantly changed with her walking around in it, and fans should take note.

As part of the new Infinite Frontier initiative that's currently sweeping all DC books, Batman/Superman #16 by Gene Luen Yang and Ivan Reis gives fans two simultaneous stories told throughout that sees Batman and Superman living in worlds that are slightly skewed from what they’re used to. And while it’s clear by issue’s end that these altered realities are the doing of a mysterious new group of villains, the implications of a world where Martha Wayne survived can’t be ignored.

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Originally murdered trying to protect her son, Bruce, from a criminal that was out to rob anyone unlucky enough to cross his path, Martha’s survival of that harrowing incident has sent ripples throughout Superman’s story and the very world he lives in. From Metropolis being the same city fans know and love, to Superman still being Superman, the on-the-surface changes seem negligent at best until we dig a bit deeper into what makes this reality tick. Wearing his original “S” shield from way back when he debuted in 1938, Superman still protects the city he loves, but with a twist. Seen all around him as well as through the tech that Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen use for their reporting, this reality has all the trappings of the comic book industry during its Golden Age, just with flying robots (piloted by the still nefarious Lex Luthor) and camera drones skittering about.

Superman changing to old costume

Speaking of Lex, he’s up to his usual villainous antics, and after being handily thrashed by Supes, he goes on to complain, “That charlatan from Gotham City steals all my ideas!”, referring to Martha and her successful business in the still existing Wayne Enterprises. This gives fans pause to wonder if she ran Lex Corp out of business or if this altered reality has simply lessened him to a petty criminal, with Martha's very existence no doubt being a huge reason for this high-tech world and Lex’s heightened inferiority complex as well. As Martha arrives on the scene touting her new omni-battery that will be “a never-ending source of energy”, her son, Bruce, arrives with her. Leaning heavily into the dumb playboy role, it seems as if Bruce never became Batman in this reality, a logical conclusion to come to since he only lost one parent on the night of Batman’s “birth”, not two.

As a result, Bruce never lived the life he originally would have, leading him to never coming close to donning a cape and cowl and beginning his crime-fighting obsession in the first place, calling into question what else has been changed. Is Dick Grayson still in the circus with his family? Does the Joker even exist? Furthermore, it’s shown that while Alfred is still kicking it in this reality, he’s Martha’s lover and for some wild comic book reasoning, is doping with what seems to be a version of Bane’s venom that he uses it to try and battle Superman before the sham of this alternate world is revealed.

So although this issue is clear about telling fans these dueling stories are simply just fake realities, it can’t be denied that Martha’s presence would have changed Superman’s world – and by extension Batman’s – immensely had she survived for real. Martha Wayne might not be coming back to life in mainstream continuity anytime soon, but its fun to see exactly what little wrinkles pop-up simply because she exists.

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