Rupert Thorne
Back to Villains Main > Rupert Thorne
Real Identity: Rupert Thorne
Appearances (BTAC Comics): The Muscle, Muscle Out, and The Offer Part Three
Skills: Underworld Activity
Rupert Thorne is the reigning gangland mob boss in present day Gotham City. Through Thorne Enterprises, he operates in illegal activity that deal in racketeering, gambling, extorion, smuggling and drug dealing. After months of being pursued by Montoya, Rupert Thorne had enough and hired underworld fixer The Muscle to assassinate her and send a message to the police. With her out of the way, Thorne planned to continue with taking his drug operations national. Montoya led a raid and took down his lab at the old Gotham Steel Yard. Thorne was enraged she was to receive a commendation for the raid and yelled at the Muscle remotely. The Muscle assured him he always closed his contracts. Thorne threatened him not to cross him or he would be finished. After Batman and Montoya defeated the Muscle, Thorne was named in the assassination attempt and arrested. He gave a no comment to reporters and advised them to speak to his lawyer.
Thorne was one of several underworld figures who pooled their money to hire assassins to take out the Muscle before he testified against them. On the evening of March 27, Black Mask, Penguin, and Rupert Thorne gathered at Esther Valestra's home to discuss the Muscle. Valestra presented pasta with her late father's secret sauce. Thorne could not believe the size of the meatballs. Valestra teased he better be talking about dinner. Mask had enough of the pleasantries and blamed her for making their collective problem even worse. Thorne agreed if the Muscle testified, they would be screwed. Valestra revealed she knew when Muscle would be taken to a safe house and she knew everything that went on in Stonegate Penitentiary then hinted she already had the perfect person in mind to silence Muscle once and for all. Lock-Up failed to kill Muscle. Despite having no deal, Muscle still testified against them. Rupert Thorne was later one of the criminals kidnapped by Ra's al Ghul's Talons and imprisoned for months until he was released by Catwoman. He wanted a shot at Ra's but Two-Face pointed out it was Batman's mess to deal with. Black Mask left it to Two-Face to lead them out. They were arrested by police.