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"If Batman's not around--"
"I've got it covered. Always.
"
Bruce Wayne
— Terry McGinnis[2]

Terrence[1] "Terry" McGinnis Wayne[2] adopted the identity of Batman in the future following Bruce Wayne's retirement from the role. Like his predecessor and mentor, he fought crime and injustice in Gotham City and elsewhere for many years.

History[]

Genetic origins[]

Baby Terry McGinnis

Terry McGinnis was born to Warren and Mary McGinnis but was the biological son of Bruce Wayne.

During her encounters with the Justice League, Amanda Waller particularly developed an admiration for Batman and came to believe that someone like the Dark Knight would always be needed. While watching Batman age, Waller realized he wouldn't be around forever, and the Dark Knight would either have to retire or be killed at some point. Drawing on her old Cadmus contacts, Waller began Project Batman Beyond: A scheme to give Batman a genetic "son" who would likewise be compelled to take up a life as his successor. After obtaining a sample of Batman's DNA, a young couple was later found that were almost identical psychological matches to Batman's father and mother: Warren and Mary McGinnis. During an apparent routine flu inoculation, Warren was actually administered a nanotech solution that overwrote his reproductive DNA with Bruce Wayne's. A year later, Terry McGinnis was born, the genetic son of Mary and Bruce.

As genetics were not enough a factor in creating another Batman, Waller later hired an assassin to murder McGinnis's parents at the same age and under very similar circumstances as his predecessor to try to recreate these conditions. The hired assassin, Wayne's former romance Andrea Beaumont, recognized what the murders had done to Wayne and subjecting another child to the same horrors would be hypocritical for their cause. Beaumont heavily argued with Waller, with the latter realizing she had crossed a line, so she cancelled the project.[2]

Rough youth[]

Sometime after his brother was born and his parents divorced, McGinnis turned to be a juvenile delinquent with Charlie "Big Time" Bigelow and then became a member of a street gang run by Bigelow and had his fair share of run-ins with the Gotham Police Department in his early teens, even serving a three-month stint in juvenile hall.[5][4]

Terry McGinnis

Terry McGinnis before he became the new Batman.

As he returned to high school, however, he shed some of his worst habits and acquired Dana Tan as a girlfriend. McGinnis still had trouble relating to his father Warren accusing him of being irresponsible. On what proved to be the last night of Warren's life, McGinnis stormed out of the house after an argument.

While defending Dana from another street gang, McGinnis found himself being chased by them to the outskirts of Gotham City. He fled onto the grounds of Wayne Manor, where an aged Bruce Wayne appeared and assisted him in defeating the Jokerz. The strain of the fight placed substantial stress on Wayne's heart, and he collapsed. Terry helped Wayne into the mansion and then stumbled upon the entrance to the Batcave.

Bruce kicked Terry out, but Terry returned home to find it covered in Jokerz graffiti and discovered his father had been murdered. Grief-stricken, Terry looked through his father's belongings and found a disk that Warren had taken from his employer, Derek Powers, the new head of Wayne-Powers. Realizing there was more to his father's death than first appeared, Terry rushed back to Wayne Manor and demanded to be let in.

As Bruce examined the disk in the Batcave, Terry noticed the latest generation Batsuit Wayne had used before retiring. The disk revealed that Powers was making a deadly nerve gas to sell to the government of Kaznia, but Bruce refused to get involved and ordered Terry to go to the police. On the way, Terry encountered Powers himself who knew the disk had to be somewhere and it was taken. Terry managed to escape from him, however and ran off.[6]

Returning to Wayne Manor, he tied up Ace and stole the Batsuit. When Bruce discovered the theft, he admonished Terry through the suit's communicator, but Terry was adamant on confronting Powers. Bruce retaliated by shutting the suit down, in the middle of a confrontation with Powers's security guards. Terry pleaded with Bruce for a chance to prove himself and persuaded Wayne to re-activate the suit and let him carry on as Batman for the time being. Bruce's decision resulted in Terry sabotaging Powers's operation; the stores of the chemical weapon were lost in the Gotham River, along with Mr. Fixx (Powers's henchman and Warren's murderer) while Powers himself was inadvertently exposed to his own weapon.

A Legend is Reborn

A Legend is Reborn.

Convinced that there was still a need for a Batman, Bruce visited Terry early one morning at his mother's home and under the pretext of paying back a previous act of kindness hired Terry as his personal assistant. Terry would run various errands and took care of various tasks for Bruce in his civilian identity. In part, this was a cover for secretly training him as Gotham's new Dark Knight. Terry's job also allowed him to earn much needed money to help support his family since his father's death.[1]

Crime fighting career[]

Terry McGinnis quickly found himself walking in the footsteps of his mentor in many ways. Like his predecessor, Batman amassed his own rogue's gallery of villains, including Blight (Derek Powers's mutated form after radiation therapy),[1] the shape-changing Inque,[7] the telekinetic high school nerd, Willie Watt,[8] sound engineer, Shriek,[9] the Royal Flush Gang,[10] former psychologist, Spellbinder[11] and the assassin, Curaré.[12] At one time, Terry also found himself taking after his mentor in getting entangled without meaning to with a woman who was in reality a criminal—Melanie Walker. After this encounter, Bruce related by telling Terry of his own complicated relationship with Selina Kyle.[10]

Terry with Bruce

Terry with his mentor.

Terry also gained a collection of allies. These included Barbara Gordon,[7][13] the Commissioner of the Gotham Police Department, despite initially facing a hostile reception from her due to her old resentment towards Bruce, eventually proving his capabilities to her. Terry's most valuable ally by far was school friend, Maxine "Max" Gibson stumbling on his secret identity when they were both threatened by a rogue student and turned her considerable brains and energy to his aid.[14] Max had first-class skills with research, data retrieval and computer hacking. More than that, she helped Terry maintain his "normal" life as a high-school student and was always there with a sympathetic ear (as Terry jokingly called her his "Alfred" after she ordered him never to address her as Robin).[14]

However, Terry was different from Bruce in many ways. Unlike his mentor, he had a childhood (of sorts) and also faced the demands of a normal youth his age: a school career, his girlfriend, Dana Tan and the responsibilities of an eldest son in a family which included his mother, Mary McGinnis and his kid brother, Matt McGinnis. Although it was often a greater strain for him to maintain his secret life with Mary, Matt and Dana, Terry was able to find a source of solace with Bruce, Barbara, Max and Ace.

Batman occasionally faced some of his predecessor's old enemies, including Mr. Freeze now in a new body and suit equipped with freeze gun gauntlets;[15] a group of super-strong teenagers using Slappers made from Bane's venom;[16] the longevous, Ra's al Ghul;[17] and somewhat inevitably, the reborn Joker himself, who was his mentor's greatest enemy and who would also prove to be Batman's greatest challenge. Having cheated death by transferring his consciousness into a microchip implanted on Tim Drake, Joker returned to menace the new Batman by combining all his old cunning and dangerous unpredictability with a much-stronger genetically engineered body, Tim's wealth of technical knowledge and martial training as Robin. At first, the young Dark Knight and the old Clown Prince of Crime both made the mistake of underestimating each other; Batman dismissed the "clown" as an ineffective prankster, while Joker dismissed the "Bat-Fake" as a "rank amateur" dependent on advice from his elderly predecessor. Both were proven incorrect, but Batman turned the former into a truism to win the day, putting a final end to Joker; this earned him the heartfelt respect not only of Bruce, but also of Barbara and Tim.[18]

Although he came to prefer operating alone like his predecessor, Batman was once offered membership in the Justice League Unlimited by Superman. Though he may have been more tempted than his predecessor was at the time, Batman would decline, put off by the other Leaguers' willingness to endanger his life. In the process, however, Batman almost single-handedly saved Superman and in turn the world, from an alien invasion, likewise earning the respect of the JLU.[19] Batman eventually later joined their ranks.

True lineage[]

Future Batman (Terry McGinnis)

Batman 15 years in the future.

He continued to don the cowl for the next fifteen years after finishing high school. Bruce eventually trusted him enough to continue Batman's crusade against crime on his own. Dana also learned of his secret, and their relationship persevered despite his concerns that her being with him put her in danger. He also became a respected member of the JLU, appearing to lead the group in Superman's absence.

Future Terry McGinnis

Terry McGinnis 15 years in the future.

When he was 31 years old, Terry discovered a shocking truth: When Bruce's failing health required a tissue donor so kidneys could be cloned for transplant, Terry was checked for compatibility and was told he was a perfect match. This led Terry to investigate, discovering that he was Batman's genetic son all along. Disillusioned, he believed that his whole life had been a lie, that Bruce had planned everything from the beginning and "trapped" him into becoming Batman. He even imagined leaving Bruce for good, breaking up with Dana, and eventually resigning as Batman. However, Amanda Waller told him the truth about Project Batman Beyond.

Waller would go on to tell Terry that his life was still his to choose, but he was worthy of being Batman. Waller emphasized he was not Batman's mere clone, but his son. While Waller admitted Terry's intelligence is not on par with Bruce's, he was every bit as compassionate and devoted to justice. She advised Terry that should he want to live a better life than his predecessor, to do so by taking care of his loved ones, reiterating that it was and always would be his choice.

With renewed purpose and perspective, Terry accepted his lineage, prepared to propose to Dana, and resumed the role of Batman.[2]

Batman's secret identity[]

Main article: List of people who know Batman's secret identity

While Batman kept his identity a closely guarded secret, there were a number of individuals to whom he had either revealed his identity or had discovered it. Among the most prominent ones were Barbara Gordon,[11] Tim Drake,[18] Max Gibson[14] and The Joker.[18]

Love interests[]

Dana Tan[]

Terry and Dana

Terry and Dana.

Before Terry became the new Batman, he was in a relationship with his long-time girlfriend, Dana Tan. However, their relationship started to become strained as becoming the new Batman took up a lot of Terry's time, which led to him repeatedly having to cancel plans at the last minute, spend less time together and sometimes not even arrive for planned dates, which led to them breaking up more than once.[10] Dana had a short patience for Terry's job, despite knowing that it was also a way for Terry to help his family since his father's death. Dana has sometimes even felt that Terry seems to care more about his job than their relationship. However, Terry and Dana would always work out their issues and get back together. Eventually, Dana came to accept this as she believed that Terry has now started to see Bruce Wayne as a father figure after his own had passed away.[20]

Terry and Dana Kiss

Dana and Terry share a sweet and tender kiss.

Terry and Dana are shown to care a great deal for each other, as Terry became greatly worried when Dana was kidnapped by a disfigured Ratboy[21] and when the Jokerz had attacked them at a night club.[18] Terry is shown to care such a great deal about Dana that he even admitted to her that while his job is important, he reveals that she is more important to him, which leads to the two to share a sweet-tender moment together. Dana is also shown to worry for Terry in return, as when she first dropped him off near Wayne Manner alone and when Terry was absent from school after spending time with him the previous night. She's also been shown to worry for Terry's well-being as when Charlie Bigelow had returned.[4]

Terry's engagement ring

Terry plans to propose to Dana.

The two continued to date for fifteen years after finishing high school and eventually Dana would learn of Terry's secret as Batman. However, when Terry had discovered that he was actually Bruce's biological son, Terry started to believe that his whole life had been a lie and imagined himself breaking up with Dana due to him being cursed to live the life of his predecessor. Eventually, after a talk with Amanda Waller and learning the truth, Terry gained a new perspective and took Waller's advice to look after the people he loved and cared for. He thus planned to propose to Dana on the next date they had previously arranged.[2]

Melanie Walker[]

Melanie and Terry

Terry and Melanie.

Shortly after one of his and Dana's breakups, Terry soon met Melanie Walker at a night club. Terry and Melanie soon started to bond as they both expressed their problems in life. Melanie and Terry then promised to meet the next night at the same spot, before shortly leaving. However, like Terry, Melanie also had a criminal secret identity as she and her entire family were the new Royal Flush Gang.

Due to one of the gang's next attacks, both Terry and Melanie were one hour late meeting each other at the spot they promised. However, they shortly met each other and spent the whole night together becoming even more closer. Later, Melanie had sadly informed Terry that her parents were planning on "moving" again. Wanting to spend as much time together as they could, both promised to meet again the next night. However, while Terry had showed up, Melanie was persuaded by her family to stay with them and leave Terry. She called, telling him she couldn't see him anymore. Figuring something was wrong, Batman went to investigate and had shockingly discovered the truth about Melanie and her family. The next morning, Terry watched as Melanie and her family were arrested, leaving him heartbroken.[10]

Terry Ten Kiss

Melanie and Terry rekindle a lost love.

Since then, Terry was deeply hurt from Melanie's betrayal and wouldn't face her again until she had returned to Gotham as she had plans to rob a Derby in order to rescue her kidnapped family. Before the heist, Melanie had sought out Terry, where the two had briefly reconnected as despite what happened in the past, both Melanie and Terry proved to still have deep feelings for each other. Later, while Batman and Ten attempted to rescue her family, Ten gave Batman a letter to Terry and asked him to deliver it to him once this was over. However, Terry had decided to move on from Melanie and continued his relationship with Dana, without ever reading the letter Melanie gave to Batman.[22]

Abilities[]

Though he did not possess anything close to Bruce Wayne's years of training in martial arts and the science of detection, Terry McGinnis was an able street fighter and an agile gymnast before taking up the Batman mantle. He is also a skilled wrestler and was once part of his school's wrestling team until he was kicked out for using a cheating move on his bully Nelson Nash after the latter spat on him.

Initially the Batsuit gave him several advantages in battle, including flight, enhanced strength, and protection from attacks. However, he engaged in regular and rigorous training to ensure he did not become completely dependent on it, and soon developed an Olympic-level physique and lightning-quick reflexes. Terry was also somewhat less dependent on the formal fighting styles Bruce had employed in his day, and quite willing to use dirty tricks whenever necessary: a fact mentioned by the Joker after literally being hit below the belt.[18]

Terry received further training from Kairi Tanaga, who commented that one of his weaknesses was a tendency to lower his guard on the left side much like his mentor before him.[23]

Terry also extensively studied Bruce's crimefighting archives to develop his skills at medicine, mechanics, and investigation. Though he was not formally trained as a detective and as per Amanda Waller, did not have Bruce's high intellect, he had above-average intelligence and often made intuitive leaps that surprised his mentor. Due to his past as a delinquent, Terry was also very street-smart, which enabled him to go undercover in many situations and often talk his way out of a tight fix.

Probably his most important strength was the realization that he did not have to be just like the old Batman, but had talents the other didn't possess. The most shining example of this was shown during his confrontation with the Joker, when Terry who as Batman often quipped, unsettled the villain through mind games instead of physical combat, taunting the Joker with biting wit and finally laughing at the Joker—something that was beyond the old Batman, enraging the latter and creating an opening for him to finally defeat and destroy him once and for all.[18]

Equipment and vehicles[]

Terry's wings

Batman in the Batsuit.

Main article: Terry McGinnis' Batsuit

"Synaptic controls, neuro-muscular amplification, flight capability. This thing may be old, but it’s still cutting edge."

Terry McGinnis donned the last Batsuit ever built. Initially developed presumably to compensate for Bruce Wayne's advancing age, Terry inherited the suit when he assumed the mantle of the Dark Knight.[1] The suit incorporated most of the features and gadgets of previous costumes, such as batarangs, grappling guns, bolas, smoke pellets, tracers, and retractable claws, among other things. It also had new features such as a cloaking device and flight capability. But for long range flights, Terry generally used a severely upgraded version of the Batmobile.

Background information[]

Original BB concept art

Original concept art for Terry McGinnis' Batsuit.

BB original concept art 2

Original concept art for Terry McGinnis' Batsuit.

Terry McGinnis early concept art

Terry McGinnis early concept design, which Bruce Timm remarked looked "a little too Peter Parker."

  • When developing Batman Beyond, the production crew decided they "didn't want to repeat Bruce Wayne and bring in a rich kid who had lacked for nothing in his life and yet became a vigilante." This led them to the creation of Terry. The character was "always envisioned as a hothead", and initially was conceived as much more of a fist-fighter, but as development continued and the crew held further discussions around the character, they found they "liked the idea of a character who had sort of a chip on his shoulder, who could be very action-driven, and yet very smart and canny in a way." This approach greatly interested Alan Burnett who was a fan of what the flawed, troubled hothead nature of Terry McGinnis could bring to the relationship with Bruce Wayne. "It's that relationship of the mentor," Burnett stated. "The old samurai warrior who has a young charge who wants to be given direction. The idea that student and master don't get along was also intriguing for us."[24]
  • Will Friedle developed a subtle voice change between Terry McGinnis and Batman much like Kevin Conroy does with Bruce Wayne and Batman. "Terry McGinnis has a very genuine, honest, straight-ahead sound," noted Andrea Romano. "When he performs the voice of Batman, his voice is pitched down slightly. He adds a little bit of air to it and pushes it out a little bit harder, so that it is a more forceful voice."[24]
  • In early stages when creating the character, Terry's last name was originally going to be McGavin.[25]
  • When it came time to make the series second season, the producers realized they had hit a roadblock. "Theoretically, he's avenged his father's death and brought to justice the people who did it; why should he go on being Batman?" This question led to the crew tweaking the character further by giving him an "ongoing mission and responsibility," which led to the plotline revolving around Terry's time in juvenile hall. "He's been a bad kid before, and the idea that, somewhere in his past, he's done a few really bad things and he's had to atone for them. He was in juvenile hall at one point in the last few years before he became Batman, and he's trying to atone for that." Specifically, Paul Dini noted that a Batman who'd been on both sides of the law would bring an even more compassionate relationship with the criminals that had to be balanced with "a sense of responsibility to society as a whole."[24]
  • According to Dwayne McDuffie, Bruce Wayne became aware that the McGinnis boys (Terry and Matt) were his genetic offspring at some point after Terry assumed the role of Batman. But Bruce chose not to tell Terry as he wanted Terry to be his own man and out of respect for the man who had raised him from birth.[26]
  • In 2012, DC Comics began publishing three Terry-related comic books: Batman Beyond and Justice League Beyond most prominently, though the character also appears in Superman Beyond. Terry officially entered mainstream DC continuity in the 2014 New 52 maxiseries, The New 52: Futures End. It has since then produced two separate comic book series, the first in 2015, where Tim Drake replaced Terry as Batman; and the second one in 2016, as part of DC Rebirth, where Terry has become Batman once again.

Appearances[]

Batman Beyond

Feature film[]

The Zeta Project

Static Shock

Justice League Unlimited

See also[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Berkowitz, Stan (writer) & Geda, Curt (director) (January 10, 1999). "Rebirth, Part II". Batman Beyond. Season 1. Episode 2 (airdate). Episode 2 (production). Kids WB!.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Timm, Bruce, McDuffie, Dwayne (story) & McDuffie, Dwayne (teleplay) & Riba, Dan (director) (July 23, 2005). "Epilogue". Justice League Unlimited. Season 1. Episode 26 (airdate). Episode 26 (production). Cartoon Network.
  3. Batman Beyond: The Animated Series Guide
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Goodman, Robert (writer) & Tucker, James (director) (October 7, 2000). "Big Time". Batman Beyond. Season 3. Episode 4 (airdate). Episode 38 (production). Kids WB!.
  5. Fogel, Rich (story) & Bader, Hilary J. (telepay) & Lukic, Butch (director) (January 22, 2000). "Eyewitness". Batman Beyond. Season 2. Episode 14 (airdate). Episode 27 (production). Kids WB!.
  6. Burnett, Alan, Dini, Paul (writers) & Geda, Curt (director) (January 10, 1999). "Rebirth, Part I". Batman Beyond. Season 1. Episode 1 (airdate). Episode 1 (production). Kids WB!.
  7. 7.0 7.1 Goodman, Robert (writer) & Riba, Dan (director) (January 31, 1999). "Black Out". Batman Beyond. Season 1. Episode 3 (airdate). Episode 3 (production). Kids WB!.
  8. Bader, Hilary J. (writer) & Lukic, Butch (director) (February 7, 1999). "Golem". Batman Beyond. Season 1. Episode 4 (airdate). Episode 4 (production). Kids WB!.
  9. Berkowitz, Stan (writer) & Geda, Curt (director) (March 14, 1999). "Shriek". Batman Beyond. Season 1. Episode 7 (airdate). Episode 10 (production). Kids WB!.
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Berkowitz, Stan (writer) & Riba, Dan (director) (March 21, 1999). "Dead Man's Hand". Batman Beyond. Season 1. Episode 8 (airdate). Episode 6 (production). Kids WB!.
  11. 11.0 11.1 Goodman, Robert (writer) & Lukic, Butch (director) (May 1, 1999). "Spellbound". Batman Beyond. Season 1. Episode 10 (airdate). Episode 9 (production). Kids WB!.
  12. Bader, Hilary J. (writer) & Riba, Dan (director) (May 15, 1999). "A Touch of Curaré". Batman Beyond. Season 1. Episode 12 (airdate). Episode 11 (production). Kids WB!.
  13. Fogel, Rich (writer) & Lukic, Butch (director) (February 21, 1999). "Heroes". Batman Beyond. Season 1. Episode 6 (airdate). Episode 8 (production). Kids WB!.
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 Bader, Hilary J. (writer) & Bader, Hilary J., McLaughlin, Shaun (story) & Geda, Curt (director) (October 16, 1999). "Hidden Agenda". Batman Beyond. Season 2. Episode 5 (airdate). Episode 19 (production). Kids WB!.
  15. Bader, Hilary J., Burnett, Alan (writers) & Geda, Curt (director) (February 14, 1999). "Meltdown". Batman Beyond. Season 1. Episode 5 (airdate). Episode 7 (production). Kids WB!.
  16. Fogel, Rich (writer) & Suzuki, Yukio (director) (April 11, 1999). "The Winning Edge". Batman Beyond. Season 1. Episode 9 (airdate). Episode 5 (production). Kids WB!.
  17. Dini, Paul (writer) & Tucker, James (director) (October 21, 2000). "Out of the Past". Batman Beyond. Season 3. Episode 5 (airdate). Episode 44 (production). Kids WB!.
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 18.5 Burnett, A., Dini, P., Timm, B., Murakami, G. (Producers), & Geda, C. (Director). (2000). Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. United States: Warner Bros. Animation.
  19. Dini, Paul, Burnett, Alan (story) & Berkowitz, Stan (teleplay) & Lukic, Butch (director) (November 18, 2000). "The Call, Part II". Batman Beyond. Season 3. Episode 8 (airdate). Episode 51 (production). Kids WB!.
  20. Bader, Hilary J. (writer) & Lukic, Butch (director) (September 30, 2000). "Inqueling". Batman Beyond. Season 3. Episode 3 (airdate). Episode 46 (production). Kids WB!.
  21. Fogel, Rich (writer) & Geda, Curt (director) (November 20, 1999). "Rats". Batman Beyond. Season 2. Episode 9 (airdate). Episode 22 (production). Kids WB!.
  22. Berkowitz, Stan (writer) & Lukic, Butch (director) (November 6, 1999). "Once Burned". Batman Beyond. Season 2. Episode 7 (airdate). Episode 20 (production). Kids WB!.
  23. Fogel, Rich (writer) & Tucker, James (director) (February 3, 2001). "Curse of the Kobra, Part I". Batman Beyond. Season 3. Episode 10 (airdate). Episode 48 (production). Kids WB!.
  24. 24.0 24.1 24.2 "Batman Beyond" by Dennis Fischer - AnimeFantastique vol. 1 No. 4 (Winter 1999)
  25. Modern Masters Volume 3: Bruce Timm
  26. [1]


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