Chapter Ten: Under The Cowl
"By now, it is far too late to determine the identity of the Batman. No clues remain and the motivations are murky. It shall forever remain one of the great unsolved mysteries of this century."
Interpol Inspector Maxwell Gadget, speaking in 1989
The identity of the Batman remains one of the most appealing parts of his legend to those who read about it. Countless articles and books that have detailed theories have been released over the years, yet we are still no closer to the truth than we are when people first started trying to deduce the facts sixty years ago.
There are four names which are commonly brought up when discussing those suspected of being the Batman. It would be remiss of me not to mention them, since they have evidence and support enough to at least talk about them. Two of them stand before above the others and one has been mentioned for years as the most likely suspect as the Batman, but I am getting ahead of myself. Here are the four names most linked to being the Dark Knight:
Gomez Addams:
Eccentric is often a term used to describe the Batman. How else could you describe a man who dressed up as a giant bat? And eccentricity was something that ran in the Addams family bloodline. The family had been attached to Gotham for centuries when the Batman first appeared, the then current patriarch of the family being Gomez Addams, who, on paper, actually had some aspects that made him a good suspect to be the Batman.
To start, the Addams were fantastically wealthy. No one is quite certain as to where the money came from, rumours of the family having had a very successful pirate in their line were common though. But the money that the Addams had would allow Gomez to pursue a path such as the Dark Knight. The equipment that the Batman used and had to maintain would have required a great amount of money, as well as having enough money to live on as the role as the city's defender would have taken up too much time to allow for a regular job. The need for money would have meant that the Batman would have been wealthy, or required some serious backing.
The personality of Gomez Addams also played into the suspicion around him being Batman. He was in his mid-thirties at the time, physically very active, having had the chance to compete for the Olympics as a fencer. He passed on it though, as he worked hard to maintain the family estates and law practice in Gotham and the surrounding area. He was known to take on any challenge outside of these ventures however, as well as being very active in local charities. He was also an eccentric, having a taste for the macabre and Gothic that dominated his house and defined his fashion sense throughout his life.
Wealth, physical ability and a taste for the darker things in life. All these have made people suspect Gomez Addams to be the Batman. The theory falls apart in large part due to Addams' own personality. He was flighty, easily distracted and a terrible judge of character as well as an horrifically incompetent lawyer. It sounds amazing, but Addams was known to boast that he had never won a single case he had taken on. In fairness, all of these cases were pro bono and largely considered to be completely hopeless anyway. The man relished a challenge, whether or not it could be achieved and loved the outcome.
His faith in other people was another characteristic that people noted about him, to the extent that he publicly stated Carmine Falcone was a dear friend of his who was just misunderstood by the population at large. That Falcone did everything he could to avoid him did little to deter Addams and the mobster was known to privately state that Addams was a bewildering irritant that he longed to be rid of. Had Addams actually been the Batman, it would be doubtful he would have latched onto Falcone in such a way, unless he was simply adding some sadism into his quest for justice.
There was also the fact that Addams was seen numerous times when the Batman was active at the same time. A solid alibi seemed to infuriate Addams whenever it happened, the rumours of him being Batman having had lit a fire in him that he refused to douse. It went as far as him storming into a police station and demanding to be interrogated as a suspect, much to everyone's bewilderment. He had little ability to falsehood as well, losing large sums on poker throughout his life, in large part because he didn't have a tell so much as an inability to even understand the concepts of bluffing and lying. He was impeccably honest in all his dealings and the thought of him being able to keep a secret such as being the Batman was unthinkable to anyone who knew him.
Gomez Addams cannot be seen as a serious suspect to being the Batman, despite the man's own protests at the thought of being dismissed. He had several factors that leant well to theories, but his personality, some solid alibis (Even if they were accidental) and the fact he was willing to get along so well with the likes of Falcone, must eliminate him from suspicion. Addams still lives in Gotham City to this day, an old and beloved figure who is still devoted to the city, although that pales in comparison to the devotion he shows to his extended family. A group that have roots deep in Gotham, the Addams family link the city to its past through its taste in the dark, macabre and strange.
Harvey Dent:
Harvey Dent is quite the opposite to Gomez Addams in terms of factors that make him look like a good suspect on paper. His arrests, mental break down and the fact that his life ended as a patient in a mental hospital usually disqualifies him from being regarded as a serious suspect. To those that believe Dent was the Batman, these points help make him all the stronger as a potential Dark Knight.
Those that follow on with Dent being the Batman point out (Not without merit) that anyone who dresses up as a giant bat to fight crime was never very stable to begin with. Being involved in the District Attorney's office would have clued Dent in on the fact that it would have taken drastic action to bring down the Falcone family, and so entered into a conspiracy with James Gordon to create a figure that they could use to attack the mob. So goes the theory anyway and there is some merit to Dent's motivation at least.
That Dent was slowly consumed by his obsession of the Falcone family is undeniable, as is that the Batman almost seemed to work hand in hand with his investigations. Everything that the Batman did early on greatly benefited Dent in his quest to bring down the crime family and seemed to have intimate knowledge of Dent's trials, such as the jury and suspects. Now, while this could have easily been an ally doing it, people point towards only Dent being obsessed enough to carry it out. Many also mention that the first time the Joker and Batman meeting each other was when Dent had gone missing, only reappearing long after the Batman and Joker had gone.
Those appearances that Dent had been seen with the Batman were chalked up to the conspiracy that Dent had formed with James Gordon. An, as of yet, unidentified police officer took on the role when Dent was unavailable. The theory goes on that Dent's time in Arkham Asylum was merely a cover, so that his activities could carry on without scrutiny. It is easy to fake records showing Dent was in Arkham while actually patrolling the streets as Batman, those pushing the theory say. In defence of such an argument, considering the woeful security and corruption in the institute, it is a point not entirely without merit.
Physically, there was little stopping Dent from being Batman, having had a history of boxing since childhood that had led to him having had a chance as following it as an actual career before he chose law. He kept up practice as his time as an ADA, using it as an outlet for his frustrations. A tendency towards violence and his ability to use it singled him out as a suspect by some and even the murder of Carmine Falcone is used as a point towards Dent simply being unable to get at the man in either of his other personas.
In truth though, Harvey Dent could not have been the Batman, despite those who push the theory that he was. He was a fundamentally broken person by the end of his life and simply lacked the stability to take up a quixotic crusade like the Batman had done. His obsession with duality simply could not be faked and his mental health was catalogued by many doctors outside of Arkham's own questionable staff standards. Dent himself would violently deny being Batman on the rare occasions someone asked him. Although his feelings towards Gordon softened after his capture in 1945, he would continue to harbour resentment towards the Batman, feeling that the Dark Knight had abandoned him to his fate.
The theory of Harvey Dent concerns those who tend towards conspiracies, it being favoured by those who believe that the Batman was either a tool for the city government to keep down the masses, or a desperate move made by Jim Gordon and his allies in the GCPD to bring down organised crime. But there are too many holes to support it and Dent simply wasn't capable of being the Dark Knight. As tempting as it is to try and redeem the man, he cannot have been the person who brought about Gotham's salvation.
Joseph Chill:
A relatively unknown individual, Joseph Chill wasn't even a suspect to being the Batman until research in the 1970's uncovered his role and connection in Gotham City. Chill had been born into a poor family of Gotham, struggling against poverty his entire life and having numerous run ins with the law during his childhood. After a spate of petty crimes in his life, Chill eventually left Gotham when he was eighteen. No one is quite sure why he did this, although the fact that he left mere days after the Wayne family murders could point to him being affected badly by them, as many in Gotham were.
From there, it's hard to track Chill's movements exactly, although there is one photo from the Spanish Civil War which links him to the conflict. It's a group shot of him standing amongst some Republican fighters in the aftermath of the Siege of Madrid. While those who push Chill's claim as Batman go to say that it showed a key sense of justice in the man, others point towards the long pressed accusations by Francoist Spain that Chill had a role in gun smuggling to the Republicans.
Whatever his role and actions in this period, Chill returned to Gotham in late 1938 with enough money to set himself up in an isolated house just outside the city itself. He got into contact with a few old friends, who noticed that the years had changed Chill. He was quieter, more thoughtful and, above all, determined to stay on the right side of the law. The few friends he remained in contact with during this period would go on to mention how retiring he was and seemed reluctant to talk about anything regarding his past and why he had returned to Gotham.
Over the next few years, Chill's behaviour would turn erratic and paranoid as he believed that someone or something was after him. He withdrew completely, turning his house into a veritable fortress as he was determined to fight off whatever threat he was scared of. By 1946, he was a recluse with only a handful of people knowing that he even still lived. On the 14th October, the house caught fire which took several hours to put out. Once it was done, Chill's remains were found inside, having been incinerated in the heat. Due to the damage to his body, it was impossible to determine the time of death. He could have died in the fire, or may have been dead for months before the blaze. Indeed, many supporters of Chill being Batman like to claim that he was murdered by the remainders of Bane's organisation who were looking for revenge.
The cause for the fire had been arson, but with no clear evidence as to who stared it. With such a reclusive lifestyle, Chill had no enemies known to the police and there were no suspects. Murder or suicide were considered viable reasons for his death but nothing concrete could be proven and his death is still regarded as unsolved. It went by largely unnoticed until several theorists latched onto him as a suspect to be the Batman. Indeed, there seems to be a good deal to support this theory.
Joseph Chill was wealthy, physically fit and of a questionable mental state that deteriorated during the period that the Batman's enemies increased in number. There was a gap in his history that would have allowed him to take on training to become the figure of the night. The event of the Wayne murders could have easily provided the catalyst for him to wander and learn the skills needed to fight the corruption in Gotham. What really pushes this theory that there is certainly enough circumstantial proof to support it.
But, all the evidence is just circumstantial. While there are enough parts to Chill's character that did point towards him as a suspect to being the Batman, but nothing concrete. He never once made a comment to anyone in regards to the Falcone family or even gave an opinion on the Dark Knight. He mostly kept his conversation to the old days of Gotham, as if he wanted to return to them. And while the Batman may have had mental issues, a break down due to paranoia like that shown by Chill wouldn't be likely to see as such jumpiness would have affected his ability as a vigilante.
I cannot agree with the theory that Joseph Chill was Batman. There are plenty of factors which may point towards him being able to fit into the role, but there is nothing concrete. Chill most likely was just a man weary of travelling the world, who came home and had a past that caught up with him. He was most likely a figure who had little to no involvement with the vents that took place in Gotham during this period. Without anything to give Chill any links to the Batman, I can only give my opinion that he was not involved with the Dark Knight in any fashion.
Bruce Wayne:
The final and most noteworthy suspect of being the Batman. Those who study the subject, even if they believe someone else was Batman, admit that Bruce Wayne is a likely suspect to have been a backer to the Dark Knight at the very least. With his wealth, he had the means and the murder of his parents certainly provided a motivation for him to wear the cowl.
Personality wise though, Wayne was infamous for his playboy ways and, to those who knew him, had the reputation of being quite clueless in some respects. Internal politics in the city bored him and he had nothing to say in regards to law and order aside from some put downs about the Batman himself. Wayne Enterprises was itself more run by the board of directors than Wayne himself, who was happy to take a more relaxed approach to running things. While he had the final say towards the business and stepped in from time to time, he kept the day to day affairs of Wayne Enterprises in the hands of others.
Outside of work, Wayne was involved mostly in two things, social causes and chasing skirts. The latter is what kept his name in the press more than the former, as he became notorious for running around with any socialite that he could find. With his wealth and charm, it wasn't hard for anyone to fall for him words and Frank Sinatra commented that a lot of what he learned about women came from Bruce Wayne. It wasn't until 1947 when he started to date Selina Kyle that he settled down, marrying her in 1949.
His social causes did him much more credit, using the Wayne Foundation to help battle poverty and crime in the city, using its resources to fund businesses and rehabilitation that helped thousands over the years. It was a major cause behind Gotham City's eventual rise from the ashes and prosperity in later years. The Wayne Enterprise continues to this day, being a major cause for good in the city and the most enduring part of Bruce Wayne's legacy.
Wayne would soften his image in later years, his marriage having had a stabilising effect on him and his daughter, Helena, went on to become Wayne Enterprises' most successful CEO, sending the company to new heights. Bruce Wayne's passing in 1990 due to heart complications was felt keenly in Gotham. There still may have been jokes about his lurid past from time to time, but his role in helping Gotham get on its feet was well acknowledged and he is missed to this day.
Whether Wayne was Batman or not is a matter of debate throughout Gotham. Even during the time of the Dark Knight's activities, a large portion of the population considered him a likely suspect. He would always deny such claims, his reputation of being a layabout, skirt-chasing socialite made others think him incredibly unlikely to be the Batman as well. But, such things can be faked and, if one were to be the Batman, such a facade would be an easy one to maintain as well less strenuous and more enjoyable than something like the personality of Gomez Addams.
What is interesting to note is the fact that from January to July of 1946, Bruce Wayne wasn't seen in Gotham City at all. He apparently went on a tour through Europe, gathering information on how to extend Wayne Enterprises into the continent. There were witnesses in locations like Monaco and Switzerland that provided him for an alibi, but it wasn't as if Wayne didn't have the resources to bribe people to speak up for him. The time it would have taken to recover from an injury that Bane inflicted upon the Batman would have taken months at least and Wayne vanishing from Gotham certainly strikes as more than mere coincidence. Other little factoids, such as the Black Bat making her first appearance when Wayne was being held hostage, are also seen as evidence by some.
Wayne's resources were certainly capable of providing him the equipment to be the Batman and the gap in his early years would also allow him the time period to train for the crusade ahead. Enough factors are on display to certainly make Wayne a likely suspect, even if there are alibis to his whereabouts at certain points, his wealth could have easily secured them. With Wayne Manor isolated from the rest of Gotham, he also would have had a good place to act as a base away from prying eyes.
No links can be found as to who might be identified as either Azrael or the Black Bat though. While I personally believe the Black Bat to have been David Cain's daughter, there is no real idea behind who Azrael might have been. His own identity remains a mystery and investigations actually taken by the Baltimore police have always turned up empty. There can't be a way to connect Bruce Wayne with any others who might have filled in these roles.
When confronted with any accusations of being Batman, Wayne himself was prone to laugh them off, as would others who knew him. Commissioner Gordon did investigate him as a suspect, but called it off once he was happy with the alibi provided. Whether or not Gordon was truly satisfied, or he just didn't want to look too hard at the main suspect is unknown. No official links were ever made in regards to Wayne being Batman, although rumours among Gotham's population were common and remain so up to this day.
Once again, I will have to say that the identity of the Batman is going to be a long running mystery. Bruce Wayne, I will admit, remains the most likely suspect out of all of them. He was loyal to the city, had the motive, means and there are enough gaps in his life to make a reasonable assessment that he was either training or recovering due to his activities as the Dark Knight. Despite the lack of a connection to anyone who could have been Azrael, the fact that he was gone after the Batman's defeat by Bane would have allowed him to recover and for Azrael to wear the cowl of the Batman in the meantime.
All this is speculation however. It is perhaps too easy to claim that Bruce Wayne is Batman when, like Joseph Chill, there is nothing concrete to link him as being the Dark Knight. While it would be good to have an open and shut case, to say with certainty that we know who the Batman is, it would be irresponsible of me to state such a thing when I know it to be a lie. The identity of the Batman, barring any new evidence, is most likely to be an unsolved mystery.
Almost done with this fic now, about two chapters left I believe and they shouldn't be long ones. Hope everyone's been enjoying it so far and to those who reviewed:
6tailedninja: It has been fun to develop the various hints to real life and other fictional characters, glad you enjoyed it as well.
DrAveBat007: I did think that there would be long term effects after some of these people died. And Nygma did wind up collapsing mentally due to his own problems.
Once again, thanks to all those who've read, reviews and favourited. Hope you continue to enjoy.