Batman (Terry McGinnis) - Fictional Character Biography

Fictional Character Biography

Terry was born in Gotham City on Earth-12, an alternate universe, on August 18, 2022, to Warren and Mary McGinnis, a research scientist at Wayne-Powers and an astronomer at Astro-Tech respectively. By his own admission, he was once a "bad kid." As a former 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 at age fourteen while his parents were going through a divorce, even serving a three-month stint in juvenile hall (having been underage, he is spared Charlie's three-year sentence).

Years after Batman is last seen, Terry finds himself on the run from the Jokerz, another street gang, who have modelled themselves after the long-dead Gotham city legend, the Joker. Terry flees onto the grounds of Wayne Manor, where an aged Bruce Wayne comes to his defense. The strain of the fight places substantial stress on Bruce's weak heart, so Terry helps Bruce into the mansion and gets him his medication; Bruce proceeds to fall asleep afterward. Before leaving, Terry notices a bat stuck inside a grandfather clock. As he tries to free it, he stumbles upon the entrance to the Batcave and realizes that the elder man was the city's heroic Dark Knight. He is then forced to leave by an enraged Bruce.

Terry returns home to find his father murdered, ostensibly by Jokerz. He later discovers that Derek Powers—who has assumed leadership of a merged Wayne-Powers—ordered Warren's death after the latter discovered Powers' plan to mass-produce biological weapons. Powers right hand man actually leads the raid and the great grand nephew of Joe Chill is the one who shot Warren McGinnis. He seeks Bruce's assistance in bringing Powers down, but cannot convince the old man to take up the cowl once more; Bruce is still shaken from an ordeal 20 years earlier of having relied on a gun for self-defense as well as the events portrayed in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. Terry takes matters into his own hands and steals the latest incarnation of the Batsuit. Despite some initial mistrust, their similar backgrounds convince Bruce to aid Terry. Terry successfully derails Powers' plan, in the process exposing Powers to his own hazardous chemicals, resulting in his mutation into Blight.

Convinced that there is still a need for a Batman, Bruce hires Terry as his "personal assistant" and begins secretly training him for his new role as Gotham's Dark Knight. In addition, Bruce assists Terry in the field primarily by keeping in continual contact with the boy at the Batcave. Beyond the vigilante duties as Batman, Terry is also Bruce's chauffeur as well as assisting Bruce's daily business and personal tasks at his home and office.

After Powers' criminal identity is revealed to the public and he finally brings retribution to his father's killer, Terry decides to continue his role as Batman to make up for his past sins, in the hope that his heroic role is his chance at redemption.