The Batman's Keeper

It must be hard being Batman, fighting dangerously insane criminals, walking among gods and aliens, raising troubled youths into vigilantes, but you know what's harder than being Batman? Being his butler. Today in Favorite's Week I'm introducing my favorite supporting character, Alfred Pennyworth.

In most versions of this character, Alfred is a former military doctor and professional actor who started working for the Wayne Family after his father Jarvis died. Originally he felt this job wasn't fit for him, but after bonding with the Wayne's son Bruce, Alfred decided to stay. After Bruce's parents were murdered, Alfred became his legal guardian and did all he could to raise Bruce properly. Alfred's first reaction to Bruce beginning his career as Batman was met with fear and failure as a guardian, even when he accepted Bruce's vigilante activities he attempted to sway Bruce's attention towards social and business settings. Ultimately though, Alfred joined Bruce's cause and became his right-hand man in protecting Gotham City from the Batcave.

Alfred's abilities span far beyond making sandwiches and serving lemonade. Alfred may not be as young or spry as any of the Batgirls or Robins, but he is still trained in military self-defense. Because of his age, Bruce allows Alfred to use firearms in case of emergency. Alfred has even saved himself from twenty-seven kidnapping attempts. With a background in acting, Alfred has often crafted disguises to help Batman on the field as a civilian, he has also portrayed both Bruce Wayne and Batman in an attempt to protect Bruce's secret. He's also an expert in fields such as mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, chemical engineering, computer programming & engineering, nanotechnology, biotechnology, tactical support, and rose breeding. With these skills, he helps produce many of Batman's tools including the infamous Bat-Computer. His real talents are his medical expertise, acting as the Bat-Family's personal medical professional, removing bullets and sewing wounds and such. However, Alfred's medical talents have their limits as he can't repair something like a skull fracture or a back injury. Also, although he has no superpowers, I believe Alfred may have superhuman patience. Imagine how long it must take to clean The Batcave!

The reason why I think Alfred is the perfect supporting character is because of his dedication to the main character. In the Batman animated series, a sort of dream sequence shows that Alfred is willing to get himself arrested to protect Bruce. In the Injustice comic book, Alfred actually beats down an evil and weakened Superman in order to get Batman out of harm's way. After Bruce had "died" Alfred was tasked with serving the replacement Batman, Dick Grayson. When you consider just how emotionally broken and cynically paranoid Batman must be, you have to imagine how difficult it must be from Alfred's perspective to watch Bruce constantly risk his life. It's like watching your own child attempt to fly over and over when all they do is fall. For his dedication and commitment in helping Bruce fight an endless war on crime, Alfred Pennyworth is truly the greatest ally any superhero can hope to have. Thanks for reading!

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