Batman (Terry McGinnis)
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Terrence "Terry" McGinnis is a fictional character and the protagonist of the DC Animated Universe television series Batman Beyond. Terry has succeeded Bruce Wayne as Batman, the protector of Gotham City. He is voiced by Will Friedle.
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[edit] Fictional character biography
Terry was born in Gotham City on June 27, 2023, to Warren and Mary McGinnis. By his own admission, he was once a "bad kid." A member of a street gang run by youthful racketeer Charlie "Big Time" Bigelow, Terry had his fair share of run-ins with the Gotham City Police while in his early teens, even serving a three-month stint in juvenile hall. Years after Batman was last seen, he found himself on the run from another street gang, the Jokerz, who had modeled themselves after the deceased Clown Prince of Crime. Terry fled onto the grounds of Wayne Manor, where an aged Bruce Wayne came to his defense. The strain of the fight placed substantial stress on Bruce's heart, and he collapsed. Terry helped Bruce into the mansion and in the process, stumbled upon the entrance to the Batcave.
After Bruce kicked him out, Terry returned home to find his father murdered, and later discovered that Derek Powers — who had assumed leadership of a merged Wayne-Powers — was responsible. He sought Bruce's assistance to bringing Powers down, but despite Terry's insistence, Bruce, still shaken from the ordeal of having relied on a gun for self-defense, maintained that he had given up the cowl. However, that did not deter Terry in the slightest. As soon as Bruce's back was turned, Terry took matters into his own hands and stole the latest incarnation of the Batsuit. Bruce admonished him through the suit's communicator (their mentor-pupil banter would become a staple of subsequent Batman Beyond episodes), but Terry was adamant on confronting Powers, who had ordered Warren's death after the latter discovered Powers' plan to mass-produce biological weapons.
The high-tech Batsuit turned Terry into a powerhouse; he disrupted Powers' covert operation, laying a beating on the security personnel, only to have Bruce shut the suit down midway at the touch of a button. Terry pleaded with Bruce for a chance to prove himself, and appealed to the murder of Bruce's parents, as the man who killed Terry's father was on the bio-weapon hover-transport and that it was his only chance to avenge his father, which persuaded Bruce to reactivate the Batsuit and let him carry on as Batman for the time being. Bruce's decision resulted in the moratorium of Powers' operation; in the end, Powers, who had been exposed to his own hazardous chemicals, experienced the onset of his mutation into Blight.
Convinced that there was still a need for a Batman, Bruce hired Terry as his personal assistant and began secretly training him for his new role as Batman. In addition, Bruce assisted Terry in the field primarily by keeping in continual contact with the boy at the Batcave.
After Powers' criminal identity was revealed to the public and he finally brought retribution to his father's killers, Terry decided to continue his role as Batman to make up for his past sins, in hope that his heroic role is his chance at redemption. Even though Bruce decided to fight crime after his parents were murdered, Terry has a different reason to continue since his father's killers paid for their crime toward his family. Before Warren was murdered, Terry always felt guilty about letting his family and friends down because of his past as a juvenile delinquent. Because of this, he always tries to find a way to make up for what he's done – trying his best at school, joining athletic teams, and helping others, in the hope that someday people will see him differently. Terry originally assumed the role of Batman for his father, but eventually sees it as a chance to help people and to look like a worthwhile human being again, in his eyes if in no one else's.
[edit] Relationships
[edit] Bruce Wayne
Despite his role as the new Batman, Terry and Bruce lead very different lives. In addition to coping with his father's death, Terry struggles to keep his secret identity from his mother and younger brother, much like Tim Drake did during his tenure as Robin in the comics. Because of his responsibilities as Batman, he was not afforded the same licenses the Robins enjoyed and was expected to be on the call whenever he was needed. As a result, Terry was just barely successful at balancing out his dual life, and the issue of him sacrificing his civilian life for his costumed one or neglecting his duties as Batman due to personal commitments became a source of tension between mentor and pupil, on several occasions prompting both men to reconsider Terry's reliability.
Terry and Bruce developed a respect for each other, with Terry regarding Bruce as a surrogate father. This was demonstrated in the episode "Sneak Peek" where Terry pays reporter Ian Peek a visit to plead on Bruce's behalf:
- Peek: "He was the original Batman, wasn't he? Wasn't he?"
- Terry: "I don't care what you do to me, but he doesn't deserve this. He's done too much for this city to wind up in the middle of a media circus."
- Peek: "He means a lot to you, doesn't he?"
- Terry: "Yes...he does."
In turn, Bruce treated Terry the same way he treated Dick Grayson and Tim Drake, possibly because of Terry's youth and inexperience. In time, Terry grew into the cowl, and Bruce grew to accept him as his heir. The Justice League Unlimited episode "Epilogue" reveals that Terry is Bruce's biological son, though it is unknown if Bruce is aware of this fact.
[edit] With his family
Terry valued his mother, Mary McGinnis, and his younger brother, Matt, as the closest family he had left. At the time of his death, Warren was divorced from his wife and their sons split between them: Terry with his father, Matt with his mother. After the divorce, Terry's relationship with his father was shown in the episode "Rebirth" to be strained. After Warren's death, Terry moved back in with his mother.
Even though there existed the obligatory spark of sibling rivalry and tough love between him and Matt, Terry would be there to raise his brother's spirits when he was feeling down, notably on one occasion in the episode "Revenant" when Matt was reminiscing about their father.
As far as Mary and Matt were concerned, Terry was simply employed by Bruce Wayne to run errands. They found the idea of Terry being Batman to be absurd, and ridiculed him when he once attempted to reveal his secret in the episode "Sneek Peek".
[edit] Max Gibson
Maxine "Max" Gibson was Terry's classmate and closest friend. Exceptionally capable when it came to computers and electronics, Max created a program that succeeded in uncovering Batman's secret identity. After unmasking Terry, she insisted on being a part of his secret life and helped him with everything from computer hacking to babysitting to detective work to coming up with excuses for him to give his girlfriend, Dana. Terry and Max remained close, but their relationship was never shown to exceed the boundaries of friendship. Max is, essentially, Terry's version of Alfred Pennyworth, and Terry even jokingly referred to her as such on one occasion.
The show has been revisited several times since its cancellation, in Justice League and in the movie Return of the Joker, but Max has not been seen nor mentioned in any of these.
[edit] Dana Tan
Although Terry flirted with several girls throughout the show, his true love has always been Dana, whom he met while attending Hamilton Hill High School. In the episode "Big Time", she recognized Charlie Bigelow by sight, suggesting that Dana and Terry were already together at age 14. Despite their commitment to each other, their relationship was strained as Terry struggled early on as Batman to balance his dual obligations. The two verged on the possibility of breaking up multiple times, especially when Terry met Melanie Walker, AKA Ten of the Royal Flush Gang.
However, as the Justice League Unlimited episode "Epilogue" reveals, Terry ultimately grows into full acceptance of his role as Batman, and somewhere along the line disclosed his secret to Dana. Although it takes him some time to get over his fears for her safety in the event that his identity is ever compromised, Terry eventually proposes to Dana.
[edit] Melanie Walker/Ten
In the midst of a breakup with Dana, Terry met Melanie Walker and the two became attracted to one another. However, Terry was crushed when he learned she too led a double life—as Ten, the youngest member of the latest incarnation of the Royal Flush Gang. In a burst of clarity, he discarded a note Melanie had left him before he apprehended her as Batman, choosing instead not to read it, and went back to Dana, while Melanie remained in the dark about her enemy and her love being the same person.
Terry would have future encounters with Ten and the Royal Flush Gang, and each time, he advised her to turn straight, showing that he still cared deeply about her. Their relationship is somewhat reminiscent of the one the original Batman had with Catwoman, and Bruce even notes it.
[edit] Commissioner Barbara Gordon
Terry upheld tradition by forging an alliance with Gotham City's Police Commissioner, Barbara Gordon, the daughter of James Gordon and formerly Batgirl, the original Batman's trusted ally. The alliance started out a rocky one, as Barbara never failed to take Terry's juvenile record into account and believed he was too reckless for the role of Batman. The fact that Terry occasionally ruined police stakeout operations by intervening without fully assessing the situation sometimes bore that belief out.
Barbara was reluctant to assist the new Batman and to have a teenager as Gotham's new protector. The direct-to-video movie Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker revealed that Barbara remains haunted by the torture and humiliation Tim Drake long ago suffered at the hands of the the Joker. She advised Terry to give up being Batman, and once tried to arrest him after he was framed for murder of criminal Mad Stan by Spellbinder. However, realizing that she couldn't deter him anymore than she could've been deterred from being Batgirl, Barbara relented.
Barbara eventually warmed up to Terry, assisting him when Bruce was put out of action by a revived Joker. She stated that she hoped Terry would avoid the lonely existence that Bruce eventually led. However, Barbara's attitude was different from James Gordon's, and she noted once that she was "not my(her) father", never working as closely with Terry as her father did with Bruce. (i.e. using a Bat-signal, directly giving him cases, etc.)
[edit] Charlie Bigelow
One of the characters to have the most influence on Terry's childhood was Charlie Bigelow, a young swindler who dragged Terry into a life of crime. In the episode "Big Time", Terry states that "Charlie was 18 and I was 14. Then Charlie decided to prove himself to this big gang and he dragged me along on a heist. I didn't even know what we were doing until he was climbing in the window. Next thing I knew, the cops were shouting 'Freeze' and I was doing 90 days in juvie. That was a slap on the wrist next to Charlie. He was in prison for three years." After this, Terry carried a guilty feeling toward Charlie; he would e-mail Charlie periodically while he was in prison.
Despite Terry's friendship with Bigelow and the regret that his time in jail didn't reform him, subsequent events in the episode "Betrayal" make clear that this friendship was never truly reciprocated by Bigelow who viewed Terry as hired muscle and a pawn while he unseated a crime lord known as the Major. Terry finally lets go of his guilt toward Charlie and sees the monster he really is.
[edit] With other superheroes
Terry grew up admiring other superheroes of his day, the Justice League Unlimited. Eventually, he was recruited by Superman to root out a traitor in the team...who turned out to be Superman himself, under the control of an extraterrestrial creature. Though initially the rest of the team distrusted him due to his perceived inexperience, Terry gained their trust by saving their lives.
While Terry apparently departed the team after freeing Superman from the alien's mind control, he seems to have rejoined, as later episodes of Justice League Unlimited show him as a regular member (and possibly leader).
[edit] Project Batman Beyond
In the Justice League Unlimited episode "Epilogue", which transpires 15 years after Batman Beyond, Terry discovers the shocking truth about his parentage. When the elderly Bruce Wayne requires tissue for the cloning of a kidney to transplant, Terry is checked for compatibility, and to his surprise, his DNA is similar to Bruce's.
Decades earlier, government agent Amanda Waller launched a program using her old Project Cadmus connections, codenaming it Project Batman Beyond. Despite the often antagonistic relationship she had with Batman, Waller had surmised Bruce's secret identity, and, as years passed, she came to believe that the world would always need a Batman. Retrieving genetic samples from injuries Batman sustained while fighting crime, she obtained the necessary DNA for the next phase of her project.
Tests run found a compatible couple with psychological profiles nearly identical to Thomas and Martha Wayne in Warren and Mary McGinnis. When Warren went in for an flu shot, he was secretly administered a dose of nanites that rewrote the genetic code of his reproductive material into an exact copy of Bruce Wayne's. Thus, Bruce is Terry's biological father, and Matt's by proxy. Upon learning this, Terry contemplates giving up being Batman, believing that Bruce machinated this from the very beginning. However, after meeting with Waller, he discovers that Bruce knew nothing about Project Batman Beyond, and he became Batman by pure chance.
Waller hired The Phantasm, Andrea Beaumont (the love interest and villain from Mask of the Phantasm) to assassinate Warren and Mary, to simulate the circumstances that propelled Bruce to become Batman. But Andrea abandoned her mission at the last minute; knowing first hand what losing his parents had done to Bruce, she refused to force another innocent child to suffer, also believing that continuing the Batman legacy by such methods would betray everything Bruce stood for. Andrea managed to convince Waller of her viewpoint, and Waller never again tried to have Warren and Mary killed. In spite of this, Warren was murdered years later by Derek Powers, and Project Batman Beyond ended up succeeding.
Once he leaves Waller's home with this knowledge, Terry comes to terms with the reality that Bruce is technically his biological father, prepares to propose to Dana (who now knows his secret identity), and returns to the role of Batman.
According to episode writer Dwayne McDuffie, Bruce, as the world's greatest detective, became aware that Terry and Matt are his genetic offspring at some point after Terry assumed the role of Batman, and figured out the machinations of Waller and Project Cadmus. However, he never brought it up as he wanted Terry to be his own man, and out of respect for Warren McGinnis. [1]
[edit] Abilities and equipment
In addition to the training he received from Bruce Wayne, Terry appeared at least to be an able street-fighter. In the first part of the pilot episode, "Rebirth," he participated in his high school's wrestling team, and he fended off several Jokerz alone, displaying uncommon agility and tenacity for a civilian. Under Bruce's tutelage, Terry has honed his body to at least Olympic levels. As expected of Batman, he engages in regular, rigorous training to minimize his reliance on the Batsuit.
Terry has engaged in combat outside of the Batsuit at various instances, at one time going up against the Batsuit itself when it was possessed by a cyberpathic entity. His training has granted him exceptional reflexes, enabling him to evade gunfire and make impressive leaping attempts whether in or out of the Batsuit. In one instance, without the suit's aid, Terry survived a fall from several stories high by bounding off a pillar that was about to crush him, and landed on his feet.
In "Epilogue," Amanda Waller comments that Terry has inherited all of Bruce's qualities, though she does note that "You don't quite have his magnificent brain." Though he possesses a remarkably above-average intellect and has been trained by Bruce as a detective, Terry is by no means a genius. He seems to be a capable actor, having successfully conned his way in and out of many sticky situations.
As Batman, Terry emulates Bruce's deep, harsh tone. He does this of his own accord, to separate the entities of Terry and Batman (Terry can be heard using his "Batman voice" outside of the Batsuit in the episode "Shriek").
[edit] Terry's Batsuit
The Batsuit currently utilized by Terry was actually almost 18 years old at the time of the series' inception. However, its technology is so advanced that the Batsuit is still considered state-of-the-art. One of the most notable features of the suit is that it now covers the entire face, a departure from previous costumes (though Batman's mouth is still left exposed, a possible design flaw, especially when faced with opponents like Inque). The cape has been eliminated, being replaced by glider wings along the armpits. Thrusters built into the boots allow Batman to fly in the absence of wind. However, for long range flight, he has an aerial version of the Batmobile to use.
The Batsuit conforms to the size and physique of its wearer, as seen by how it was able to fit both Terry and Bruce, who had different physical statures at the time. It is very durable, being able to withstand massive concussive forces (it was able to sustain blows from Superman), fire, lasers, electric shocks, underwater pressure, and wind force.
The Batsuit grants Batman the following abilities:
- Enhanced strength by a factor of ten.
- Minimal reduction (or increase) in flexibility.
- Enhanced visual assistance that allows him to see in the dark (visual from the Batsuit can be fed back to the main computer in the Batcave; it can also receive visual from the main computer, allowing for superior tactical planning). The visor can also serve as digital binoculars and an infra-red filter.
- Personal communicator allows Terry to keep in constant contact with Bruce at the Batcave.
- Enhanced ballistic protection.
- Significantly resistant to heat, electricity, water, and vibrations, but only slightly resistant to radiation.
- Built-in rebreather for underwater combat/exploration.
- Dispensable Batarangs with a range of auxiliary functions, such as producing electric shocks. However, there is a limit to the amount of Batarangs the Batsuit can dispense; Batman has run out on at least one occasion.
- Electrical discharges throughout the suit that can be activated by pushing the button on the belt.
- Grappling guns built into the forearms.
- Flashbang grenades.
- Smoke pellets.
- Flexicuffs. Also he seems to have gained a mother-box as seen in The Once and Future Thing Part 2 as he calls one up.
- Launchable tracers.
- A retractable PIN or password decipherer in the form of a key on the right index finger.
- Retractable wings under the arms to glide on.
- Rocket boots enabling limited flight.
- Electromagnetic pads in the soles of the boots.
- Sensitive touch microphone on index and middle fingers that permits eavesdropping through solid surfaces.
- Drug identifier, utilized by dipping fingers into the substance.
- Built-in cloaking device that enables almost complete camouflage (this function possibly consumes a good deal of the Batsuit's power, as Batman minimizes its usage). It allows camouflage extending into the visible light and infra-red frequencies of the electromagnetic spectrum. A countermeasure used by Commissioner Barbara Gordon to this in one incident where she was hunting Batman down was through tracking him using an ultraviolet light to illuminate him. The origin of the cloaking device could be based on the failed light refractive polymer developed in the Batman: The Animated Series episode "See No Evil." The reason the invisibility plastic failed in the B:TAS episode was that sending electrical current through the material caused it to become toxic, affecting the mind as well as the body. This did not cause concern for an ex-con who made a suit and covered his car in the plastic, going on a crime spree and kidnapping his daughter. Regardless, the original Batman may have saved samples of the plastic and/or the research notes and resolved the toxicity issues, incorporating them into the Beyond Batsuit.
- Retractable claws which can be used to slice or facilitate climbing.
- Can uplink with the Batmobile for remote piloting.
- A remote kill function that can externally deactivate the suit from the Batcave.
- The belt buckle also serves as a buzz saw to get out of a room quickly or to cut through denser material.
[edit] Weaknesses
The Batsuit augments Terry's physical prowess considerably, and thus he is sometimes prone to complacency in the midst of danger. Terry favors jibing his opponents, even when defusing volatile situations, though this trait may be productive depending on the opponent he is facing. When he faced the Joker, he was able to get under the villain's skin and gain the upper hand by mocking his opponent and laughing out loud – something Bruce Wayne never did. His initial brashness has also landed him in trouble, though this is a limitation he has grown to overcome.
[edit] The Exosuit
Seen only twice in the series, it was donned by Bruce Wayne in an encounter with Inque, who had kidnapped Terry and was holding him hostage. This was despite the fact that Bruce was having heart problems at the time. It was a suit of heavy armor with retractable plates that enhanced the survivability of the wearer, enhancing their physical strength and resilience to superhuman levels, at a level greater than that of the Batsuit.
Its full capabilities are unknown, but it was visually confirmed that the protection it offered to its wearer, as well as its strength, were well above the level of the Batsuit.
[edit] Other appearances
In addition to having his own ongoing comic book, the Tomorrow Knight made an appearance in Superman Adventures #64, chasing a futuristic version of Brainiac.
The Batman Beyond concept became DC Comics canon in the pages of Superman/Batman issues 22 and 23, wherein Bizarro is transported to an alternate reality somewhere in Hypertime which resembled the Batman Beyond-era Gotham City with Batman Beyond in action with the 1992 animated Batplane. This version of the character is in radio contact with Bruce Wayne, but was referred to as "Tim," something the creators later admitted was a mistake[citation needed] to be corrected with the eventual collected edition; however, it remained unchanged upon publication (the "Tim" name could have confused some readers, making them believe that the future Batman was Tim Drake). Regardless, "Terry's" cameo was enough to garner a DC Direct action figure, the character's first in years. However, Bizarro may have just gone into a parallel universe, such as when Batzarro went into the alternate reality of Superman: Red Son, and considering that, Bizarro may have gone into the same universe as Batzarro.
On March 3, 2007 at WonderCon Dan DiDio announced that Terry McGinnis may be showing up in the DCU sometime this year. link
Terry also made appearances in two episodes of Justice League Unlimited, "The Once and Future Thing, Part 2: Time, Warped," where he was apparently killed, though the damage was undone later as the episode's plot involved time travel, and the episode "Epilogue," which was centered on him and took place in his timeline, serving as the series finale to Batman Beyond.
Terry also made a guest appearance on the Batman Beyond spin-off series, The Zeta Project. He also appeared on Static Shock, in the episode "Future Shock," which involved time travel and a future Static.
[edit] References
- DK Publishing. Batman Beyond: The Animated Series Guide
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
Categories: Articles with unsourced statements since February 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | DC Comics supporting characters | Fictional Americans in DC Comics | Fictional martial artists | DC Comics characters who can fly | Fictional vigilantes | Comic book characters created from television
