Follow

Batman

Character » Batman appears in 9898 issues.

Bruce Wayne witnessed the murder of his billionaire parents as a child, swearing to avenge them. He trained extensively to achieve both mental and physical perfection, mastering detective skills, martial arts, and criminal psychology. Costumed as a bat to prey on criminals' fear and utilizing a high-tech arsenal in his crusade to rid Gotham City of crime, the legendary Batman was born.

Is Bruce Wayne's heritage English??

#1 Posted by FiguredOut95 (366 posts) - 5 months, 16 days ago - Show Bio

The Wayne family goes back many generations, around 200 years ago many English moved to America to claim their own independence and start fresh, may of these people where very rich, could the Wayne's have orientated from England? Is their any evidence to prove where they came from? Just wondering :D

#2 Posted by Selinaky (666 posts) - 5 months, 16 days ago - Show Bio

Not sure. I'd be cool with that though (maybe because I'm English myself haha). 'Wayne' is originally an English name, but I don't think it was chosen in relation to his heritage.

#3 Posted by FatihBATMAN (1355 posts) - 5 months, 16 days ago - Show Bio

english yeah...or american...

#4 Posted by FiguredOut95 (366 posts) - 5 months, 15 days ago - Show Bio

@Selinaky: Yeah I am English to and when I was re-reading the "Night of the Owls" story arc all Bruce talks about is his family heritage and how many generations the Wayne family goes back, but America is only 200 years old so if his family goes back even further he would have had to come from somewhere else, England seems logical especially with Alfred being English. Anyway thanks for your reply.

#5 Posted by FiguredOut95 (366 posts) - 5 months, 15 days ago - Show Bio

Anyone else??

#6 Edited by JakeN7 (777 posts) - 5 months, 15 days ago - Show Bio

@FiguredOut95 said:

@Selinaky: Yeah I am English to and when I was re-reading the "Night of the Owls" story arc all Bruce talks about is his family heritage and how many generations the Wayne family goes back, but America is only 200 years old so if his family goes back even further he would have had to come from somewhere else, England seems logical especially with Alfred being English. Anyway thanks for your reply.

Well sure, America as an official country has only been around for 236 years. However, Europeans and Englishman have been in America for longer than that. The first English colony was in Jamestown in 1607 and Puritans (Pilgrims) had huge colonies all the way up until the revolution. It's entirely possible that Bruce's heritage is Colonial American or English. Also, remember generations can last as little as 20 years or so. The next generation of a family starts when the current one has had a child. Since it's physically possible for an 11 year old female to birth a child (I know disgusting), when Bruce says the Wayne family goes back countless generations or whatever...who knows how that translates into an actual chronological timeline.

I couldn't care less actually but according to Bill Finger, this is how it went down: "Bruce Wayne's first name came from Robert Bruce, the Scottish patriot. Bruce, being a playboy, was a man of gentry. I searched for a name that would suggest colonialism. I tried Adams, Hancock ... then I thought of Mad Anthony Wayne." Mad Anthony Wayne was indeed a Colonial American whose ethnicity was actually Irish because his father immigrated from Ireland.

So that brings up the question though, if the person who Bruce's family name is derived from is Irish...does that make Bruce and his family Irish? Or do we need an actual fictional origin for Gotham's Wayne family?

#7 Posted by theTimeStreamer (1297 posts) - 5 months, 15 days ago - Show Bio

hes from afganistan.

#8 Posted by FiguredOut95 (366 posts) - 5 months, 15 days ago - Show Bio

@JakeN7: Thanks for this long, informative reply :D

#9 Posted by FiguredOut95 (366 posts) - 5 months, 14 days ago - Show Bio

Anyone else??

#10 Posted by batshrine (689 posts) - 5 months, 12 days ago - Show Bio

why does it matter? And reason why I ask is cause any of the Wayne legacy that has any importance is tied to Gotham. In fact anything important is tied more to Gotham than his actual heritage.

#11 Posted by FatihBATMAN (1355 posts) - 5 months, 12 days ago - Show Bio

pretty sure hes american though

#12 Posted by Brazen_Intellect (1089 posts) - 5 months, 12 days ago - Show Bio

I think it was stated his ancestry is Scottish but I cannot recall the source, i am by no means a Batman expert so I very well may be in error.

#13 Posted by FiguredOut95 (366 posts) - 5 months, 10 days ago - Show Bio

@batshrine: I am just trying to start an original idea, not just the regular "Batman VS ....." dribble we have seen 10000000 times before.

#14 Posted by batshrine (689 posts) - 5 months, 10 days ago - Show Bio

@FiguredOut95: amen dude. i respect that

#15 Posted by tupiaz (695 posts) - 5 months, 10 days ago - Show Bio

A little google searching gave me the answer that Batman origin is Scottish. It is touch upon a little in a few stories. Read more here: http://www.comicsreview.co.uk/nowreadthis/2008/02/20/batman-the-scottish-connection/

#16 Posted by FiguredOut95 (366 posts) - 5 months, 10 days ago - Show Bio

@tupiaz: Sweet thanks.

#17 Posted by batshrine (689 posts) - 5 months, 10 days ago - Show Bio

I read that actually! and there is nothing that doesnt make it cannon, so its good!

#18 Posted by tupiaz (695 posts) - 5 months, 10 days ago - Show Bio

It should also be in the trade Batman: International http://www.comicvine.com/batman-international-batman-international/37-259321/

#19 Posted by VampireSelektor (716 posts) - 5 months, 10 days ago - Show Bio

@FiguredOut95: According to the DC Encyclopedia of Batman, Bruce Wayne is half-French, half-English. Although to be honest, I haven't read that book in a while. Please someone correct me if I'm wrong.

#20 Posted by KnightRise (3616 posts) - 5 months, 10 days ago - Show Bio

I always thought of him as Dutch...because all my white friends that aren't Italian, Irish, or German, are Dutch. If the last name isn't O'-, Mc', Von, Van, Schl_, -a, -i, or-o, they're Dutch

./flawless system

#21 Edited by tupiaz (695 posts) - 5 months, 10 days ago - Show Bio

Van is ´pretty normal for a Dutch. Some ensamples: http://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_van_Bommel http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_der_sar http://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruud_van_Nistelrooy So I guess you thin the ending -sen is Dutch as well? That is Danish. According to this page: http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Wayne Wayne is an old english name as has nothing to do with a dutch name. A system full of flaws.

#22 Posted by FiguredOut95 (366 posts) - 5 months, 4 days ago - Show Bio

Anyone else?

Please Log In

This edit will also create new pages on Comic Vine for:

Beware, you are proposing to add brand new pages to the wiki along with your edits. Make sure this is what you intended. This will likely increase the time it takes for your changes to go live.

Comment and Save

Until you earn 1000 points all your submissions need to be vetted by other Comic Vine users. This process takes no more than a few hours and we'll send you an email once approved.

Use your keyboard!

  • ESC