Summary
- Joe Chill is the most common figure behind Wayne murders, sparking Batman's crusade in comics.
- Jack Napier, later Joker, is responsible for Wayne murders in Tim Burton's Batman 1989.
- Matches Malone, not just a mobster alias, is revealed as the Wayne murderer in Gotham series.
The driving force behind Bruce Wayne's crusade as Batman was the tragic murder of his parents, Thomas and Martha, leading to a range of adaptations of the iconic moment in Batman movies and TV.
While the name Joe Chill is more often than not assigned to the Wayne murders, there have been different shooters over the years. While some were nameless and had no motivation worth mentioning, others were key players in what Bruce would later become. Whether future foes or guns for hire, the history of the Wayne murders is just as interesting as Batman himself.
Joe Chill Is The Most Common Figure Behind Thomas & Martha Wayne's Deaths General Canon Close The most common name attached to the Wayne murders is Joe Chill. Joe Chill is usually depicted as a common criminal down on his luck. He sees the Wayne family leaving a theatre and decides to strike. Sometimes Chill knows exactly who they are, while other times it is nothing more than being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The random nature of the crime found in the general canon was enough to drive Bruce Wayne to later don the cape and cowl, as that fateful night showed him how ruthless the city is. Joe Chill and his murder of the Waynes is one of the most brutal moments in the Batman comics, and also one of the most iconic.
A Dastardly Criminal Created Adam West's Batman Batman '66 Close The 1960s Batman series leaned more into a campier tone. Because of this, the stakes were low and lives were rarely in danger. However, Batman can't really exist without his parents dying, and this series is no exception. The Wayne's aren't shown in a flashback which is a staple in most other forms of Batman media, and the killer isn't even properly identified.
When discussing his past, Bruce simply states that his parents were taken out by a "dastardly criminal" and leaves it at that. While a motive was never given, it can be assumed the Wayne's were victims of a random mugging. The series had many good episodes and some bad, and this speech in the first episode is one of the few instances of dark subject matter.
Jack Napier's Murders Made Michael Keaton's Batman Batman 1989 Close Tim Burton's first Batman film released in 1989 contained the shocking revelation that a young Jack Napier killed the Waynes. Fans of the film know that Jack Napier would later become The Joker, adding a whole new layer to the infamous Batman/Joker rivalry.
Napier was a deadly criminal who would even kill a police officer in front of Commissioner Gordon for wronging him, so the random killing of members of Gotham's high society was child's play to him. This version of the killing is also responsible for a hidden detail, which the Burton-Schumacher films are full of. When Batman faces the Joker in the climax of the film, it is a personal battle for the Caped Crusader, adding a rare time when Bruce faces his parents' killer in live-action.
Robin Accidentally Made Bruce Wayne Batman Teen Titans Go! To The Movies Close While not the one to pull the trigger, Teen Titans Go! To The Movies shows that the Boy Wonder is directly responsible for the death of Thomas and Martha Wayne. The plot of the film revolves around the Titans traveling through time to stop the creation of the world's best superheroes.
When they realize they have to reverse this decision, they end up in Crime Alley. Robin takes it upon himself to push the Waynes into the alley, where they are instantly killed off-screen while Bruce watches in horror. This is one of the only times the family's death was played for laughs, yet it is somewhat of a dark scene for a kid's film.
Matches Malone Has Also Been Responsible For Bruce Wayne's Origin Story Gotham Close When Batman fans hear Matches Malone, they think of a deceased mobster who Bruce Wayne uses as an alias to get information from Gotham's underworld. In the prequel series Gotham however, he played a much more serious role. As the show progresses, it is revealed that Matches Malone is actually the man who killed Thomas and Martha Wayne. The show treats Matches less as a mobster and more as a gun for hire as it is revealed the Wayne murders were simply a job to him.
Malone was hired by The Lady acting under the instructions of Hugo Strange to do the deed and even pleaded with Bruce to kill him when he faced him. Bruce backs down, showing the seeds of the no-kill rule he would later adopt as Batman. As much of an impact as he had on Bruce, Matches doesn't compare to the other major villains featured on Gotham
A Clown Rioter Was Responsible For The Newest Version Of The Wayne Murders Joker Close Burton's Batman wasn't the last time filmmakers attempted to tie The Joker with Batman's dark night. In 2019's Joker, the titular Clown Prince of Crime kills a respected Gotham citizen on live television, sparking a series of riots across the city. One rioter happens to see the Wayne family sneak down an alley to escape the chaos. Inspired by Arthur Fleck's act of violence, the man shoots the elder Waynes in front of their young son. He didn't rob them, or even give any demands. He simply quoted Joker and killed them where they stood.
This is debatably the most tragic version of the killings, as they are shown on screen in full, and they were killed just because the man wanted to make a statement. This was as random of a killing as it gets, and one can be sure this version of Bruce will grow into a brutal Batman because of it.