Alfred Pennyworth
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Real Identity: Alfred Pennyworth
Appearances: Son of Batman, Batman vs Robin, and Batman: Bad Blood
Powers/Skills: Caretaker and Medic
Voiced By: David McCallum and James Garrett (Batman: Bad Blood)
In his youth, Alfred Pennyworth was a stage actor and performed in the role of Falstaff, a character from Shakespeare's works. He also had some training in boxing and using a gun. Pennyworth became the sole butler at stately Wayne Manor and one of Bruce Wayne's closest friends. After Wayne's parents were murdered, Pennyworth stepped up from his job as butler and helped raise him. Bruce suspected the Court of Owls was real and tried to prove they ordered the deaths of his parents. But his investigation turned up nothin. Pennyworth comforted Bruce and convinced him to accept sometimes tragedy has meaning and sometimes it just happens. Over time, he garnered the rare accolade of being the only person who could make Bruce laugh and also made sure he would eat healthy. Decades later, Pennyworth was less than amused to learn Batman was bringing home a guest. Even he was surprised to meet Damian, who according to him, was a splitting image of Bruce Wayne at that age. Pennyworth introduced Damian to his room and didn't care much if Damian detected his sarcasm. When Damian unexpectedly showed up at Wayne Enterprises, Pennyworth took him straight home. In the evening, he stitched up Nightwing after a battle against Damian.
After Batman was ambushed and nearly killed by three zombie Talons, he sent out a distress signal. Pennyworth messaged Dick Grayson and asked for his help in recovering Batman. In regards to Damian Wayne, Pennyworth decided to shut down the outgoing security system intended to keep him from unsanctioned departures as a sign of good faith and prove his father trusted him. Bruce Wayne was not pleased. Pennyworth wondered if he would get over the decision but Nightwing remembered Wayne didn't get over anything. Some time later, Pennyworth observed Batman's search in an abandoned section of sewers from the Batcave. Pennyworth remained concerned for Damian but Batman was adamant about shutting the Court of Owls down. After discovering an entrance to the Court of Owls, Batman's transmission was lost. Pennyworth wished Batman the best of luck. After being out for seven hours, Batman regained consciousness and found himself back at Wayne Manor but restrained in a strait jacket. Nightwing and Pennyworth tried to keep him stable and urged him to rest.
When Wayne Manor was invaded by the Talons, Pennyworth raced down to the Batcave and activated the Panic Room Protocol. He went to Sub-Level 3, entered the Armory and began work on finishing the Bat Armor. Robin contacted Pennyworth and told him about the Talons' weakness to subzero cold. With time running out, Pennyworth helped Batman activate the Bat Armor. As Batman, in the suit, cleared Talons, Pennyworth followed behind with a shotgun and took down stragglers. He directed Batman to the utility core a few levels down and climbed onto the armor's back. Together, they descended to the core. Pennyworth passed the core's biometric security measures, entered, and flooded the Batcave with freon gas. Soon enough, all zombie Talons froze in place. Some time later, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, and Alfred Pennyworth packed up the books in what was left of the study. Despite Grayson and Pennyworth's concern over Damian returning or not, Wayne invoked the former's advise about having a little faith.
A little over two weeks after Batman went missing after a battle against Heretic's gang, Alfred Pennyworth became concerned. Batman would have usually notified him somehow at this point. He sent an emergency alert to Nightwing and used technology in the Batcave to impersonate Bruce Wayne during a Wayne Enterprises board meeting. A cover story was fabricated that Wayne personally led a medical research team into a rainforest to study rare herbs. By the end of the meeting, Pennyworth let a little of his British slip out in the form of a "bloody hell" and deferred any further concerns to the co-chair, Lucius Fox. Nightwing sneaked up and teased him giving for himself away. Pennyworth noted Batman was gone for two weeks, one day, and 15 hours but hadn't made contact. He was concerned the police and criminals knew he was gone and noted there's was already a sharp uptick in underworld activity. Nightwing made the decision to suit up as Batman temporarily. After a battle at the docks with Black Mask's gang, he and the newly returned Robin got into a heated discussion.
Alfred Pennyworth interrupted their squabble in the Batmobile and informed them he found Batman's file on Batwoman then played the video. Both Pennyworth and Grayson were astonished to learn Batwoman as Kate Kane. Imprisoned by Talia and subjected to brainwashing by the Mad Hatter, Batman endured a hallucination where several figures in his life pulled him deep underwater including Pennyworth. Following the Heretic's raid on the secret Wayne Tech vault, Pennyworth alerted Grayson of a new development while he paid a visit to the injured Lucius Fox. Pennyworth bandaged up Damian Wayne despite his insistence he didn't suffer a concussion during the raid. He reminded Wayne that Grayson ordered 24 hours of observation. Wayne exclaimed Grayson nor Pennyworth was his father. Pennyworth retorted he should be profoundly grateful for that fact then left his room. Some time later, he alerted Grayson of Wayne's sudden disappearance. Luckily, he had the foresight to put a tracker in his Robin suit. Grayson and Batwoman drove to the Sisters of Perpetual Grace convent.
A week after the attack on the convent and rescue of Bruce Wayne, Pennyworth noted he was in surprisingly good condition all things considered. Wayne and Grayson soon got into a heated discussion about including Batwoman and Batwing in their affairs as well as revealing their secret to the former. After Wayne left the Batcave, Pennyworth reiterated he went through an extraordinary ordeal. Grayson stated they did, too. The next day, Pennyworth drove Wayne to the World Tech Summit. Talia made her move and Calculator and Mad Hatter started brainwashing the attendees during Wayne's keynote speech. Pennyworth looked around in confusion and was clocked by Wayne, who was already brainwashed. He awoke a couple minutes later and made his way to the control room. He aimed a handgun at Calculator and ordered him to shut down the program. Calculator pretended to comply, knocked the gun away then took a roundhouse kick from Pennyworth. Calculator pulled a knife but Pennyworth resorted to his boxing and decked Calculator into some electrical panels. A power surge fried Calculator and overwhelmed Mad Hatter, blowed his head off. Pennyworth could only remark with a "bloody hell."
Following Talia's defeat, the team returned to Wayne Manor. Pennyworth made Grayson lunch then observed Bruce and Damian Wayne having a heart-to-heart outside. Pennyworth noted despite her madness, Talia was still his mother. Grayson thanked Pennyworth for the lunch and departed for "the Tower."