Before there was Batman, there was Alfred Pennyworth. And trust us when we say this – this guy just might be even more of a badass than Batman himself!!
When He Beat The Sh*t Out Of Superman
The Injustice Universe has a lot of surprises in store for people who are not aware of it. In this universe, Superman has become a tyrant. he now heads the regime, a fascist global dictatorship that controls the Earth. Batman leads the Insurgency, the superhero resistance movement against the Regime. After being fed up of Batman’s attempts to undermine him, Superman enters the Bat Cave and snaps his back. Alfred Pennyworth, disgusted by this act, pops a special pill that temporarily grants him the same level of power as a Kryptonian and beats the living daylights out of Kal-El. But it is the words he says after he beats Superman that feel like the ultimate burn.
Took Down Bane During A Prison Riot
Before we tell you this story, let us just remind you Bane is the same guy who outsmarted Batman. Bane was the one who finally broke the Dark Knight. And to manage to outsmart bane is truly an incredible feat. When Alfred and Bane forge an uneasy alliance while trying to escape Arkham Asylum together, the former knows there will come a time when he has to fo the unthinkable – take down Bane. The duo finally reach a dead end and that’s when Alfred Pennyworth utters a code word that releases a gas that knocks out the mammoth Bane. He then proceeds to call up for extraction. Alfred always knew he could never let Bane escape Arkham. He took a page right out of batman’s playbook and did it better!!
Shot At Batman Who Laughs
Pennyworth has fought many villains. he holds an exceptionally strong grudge against the Joker, who targets him frequently for his schemes. But it is always special when you get to meet an alternate reality being who is a blend of two people he loves and hates the most. the Batman Who Laughs #7 shows the grisly parallel reality Dark Knight try to goad Alfred into submission. Alfred just keeps firing at him with inhuman rage. This is a vengeful act that would have made Frank castle proud.
Singlehandedly Killed A Horde Of Vampires
A series of unfortunate events lead to Alfred Pennyworth becoming an inmate of the Arkham Asylum. The asylum is soon blown to smithereens. Alfred manages to escape after forging an alliance with Bane. A short while later, the duo encounter a horde of blood suckers. Bane watches in awe as the former butler makes short work of the entire horde. With swift and clean strikes, an entire vampire horde is taken down by one single man. Bane couldn’t help but wonder whether its Alfred Bruce inherits his combat prowess from.
You May Also Like: 4 ways HBO Max Can Revive Batman The Animated Series
Showed A Young Bruce Wayne Who’s Boss
In the alternate reality version of Batman: Earth One, the story of Bruce Wayne takes a grittier turn. Bruce is only starting to learn the physical and mental strain it takes to keep up playing vigilante every night in Gotham City. Alfred Pennyworth of this universe is not exactly his butler. He was an old war buddy of Thomas Wayne’s who visits the orphaned son after the Waynes are gunned down. This version of Alfred has a prosthetic leg and does not mind speaking harshly to Bruce. When Bruce and Alfred enter into a violent altercation, Alfred proves Bruce knows nothing about real life combat and shows him how its done. An older Alfred Pennyworth takes down a younger Bruce Wayne in his mental and physical prime. It does not get more badass than this.
Destroyed The Predator
The earlier decades gave us some pretty unique crossover events. DC teamed up with the Predator universe to give us Batman vs Predator. And the story went exactly how you thought it might. The galaxy’s greatest hunter sets his sights on the Caped Crusader. the final showdown happens in the Bat Cave. Batman is finally pinned down under a giant penny. it looks like game over for the Dark Knight. That is when Alfred Pennyworth jumps in with a blunderbuss musket to level the playing field. The Blunderbuss does not exactly kill the Predator but it buys enough time for Batman to get back on his feet and take down the Predator with a baseball bat.
Impersonated Batman To Fight a Superman Knockoff
Bruce Wayne is not the only Batman of Gotham City. Many other people have also taken up the mantle. From Jim Gordon to Dick Grayson, the list goes on and on. But how would you react to the statement that Alfred Pennyworth has also donned the suit on numerous occasions. One such moment came when Gotham, a meta human with the same powers of Superman, was going on a rampage. Alfred first tried subduing the rogue meta human with the Batmobile. When that plan failed, he donned the Bat Suit in an attempt to heroically distract Gotham long enough for the people to be evacuated. The real Batman came soon after to save the day but Alfred’s actions did not go unnoticed.
Dropped A Giant Penny On The Court Of owls
And we do not for a second mean that metaphorically. Let us paint you a clearer picture. Batman had just discovered the existence of a secret society that has been running Gotham for centuries, way before Batman existed. This organization was the Court of Owls. The moment they realized that Batman was unto them, the Court sent its greatest assassin, the immortal Talon, after Bruce Wayne. Talon was ruthless, to the extent that he infiltrated the Bat Cave and almost defeated batman in his own home. That was when Alfred jumped in. The clever use of an axe allowed him to set up a trap for Talon. The guy was literally squished under a giant penny, one of the many ornaments that once adorned the Bat Cave.
Fought Dirty Against Ra’s Al Ghul
Many times, the enemies of Batman think that the quickest way to get the better of the Dark Knight is by striking where it hurts. And by that, we mean his loved ones. To do so, they make a fatal error. The bat-Family rogues have a tendency to target Alfred because they think he is a soft target. They could not be more wrong. That was the same mistake Ra’s Al Ghul, leader of the League of Assassins did in Detective Comics #838. He takes Alfred as hostage o keep Nightwing from capturing him. The mistake Ra’s Al Ghul makes is leaving Alfred’s hands free. Pennyworth is not one to not consider playing dirty. He quickly makes a fist and strikes at Ra’s Al Ghul’s groin, knocking him cold in one punch.
Also Read: REVIEW: Batman – Soul Of The Dragon
His Military Tales
Alfred Pennyworth has had a myriad of origin stories within the DC Universe. But no matter how the story is spun, Alfred always comes out as a war hero. He has been a World war II veteran. He was also a part of the special forces. He even worked as an undercover spy for the west against the Germans in World War II and then against the soviets during the Cold war. Most of the action this guy saw was even before Bruce Wayne was even born. Clearly, with no parents to look up to and Alfred being his only mentor and role model, Bruce inherited his butler pal’s warrior spirit. Many of these stories come to light during Untold Legend of the Batman #2.
