Batman Beyond

Terry was born in Gotham City to Warren and Mary McGinnis, a research scientist at Wayne-Powers and an astronomer at Astro-Tech. As a former member of a street gang run by youthful racketeer Charlie "Big Time" Bigelow, Terry as a small-time criminal had numerous 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.

A 16-year-old Terry McGinnis; from the animated series Batman Beyond.

Twenty years after Batman's disappearance from Gotham, due to Bruce Wayne's retirement on account of a cardiovascular disease, Terry finds himself on the run from the Jokerz, another street gang, who have modelled themselves after the long-dead legendary criminal, the Joker. Terry flees onto the grounds of Wayne Manor, where an aged Bruce comes to his defense and together they subdue and ward off the Jokerz. 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. Terry attempts to leave, but Bruce's dog Ace stops him with hostility. He then tries to call his father but then 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 Bruce was the city's heroic Dark Knight. He is then forced out by an enraged Bruce. Later, Terry conduct research on Bruce's past and learn why he became Batman.

Terry returns home to find his father murdered, ostensibly by the 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, Mr. Fixx, leads a raid on the McGinnis home and shoots Warren McGinnis. (In the comic books, he orders one of his henchmen, Jake Chill, who is a great grand-nephew of Joe Chill, the one who murdered Bruce's parents, to shoot Warren).^[2] Terry then seeks Bruce's assistance in bringing Powers down, but cannot convince the old man to inflict swift justice - Bruce is still shaken from an ordeal 20 years earlier of having relied on a handgun for self-defense (the event that forced him to retire as Batman for good), as well as the traumatic event of the Joker's death and Tim Drake's psychological torture in the flashbacks of Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker and the limitations of his age. Bruce suggests that Terry take the evidence against Powers to the current commissioner of police, his former partner Barbara Gordon, the retired Batgirl, but after a scuffle with Powers, during which Derek can reclaim the evidence, Terry takes matters into his own hands and steals the Batsuit. Despite some initial mistrust, their similar backgrounds convince Bruce to aid Terry. Terry successfully derails Powers' plan, exposing him to his viral weapons in the process, resulting in his mutation into Blight.

Reminded by Terry of why he started crime-fighting, Bruce accepts Terry as his protégé and successor, training him as Gotham's new Dark Knight under the cover of being a hired personal assistant. In addition, Bruce assists Terry in the field, primarily by keeping in continual contact with him from the Batcave, while also helping him out in the field occasionally and if necessary. Beyond the vigilante duties as Batman, Terry is also Bruce's chauffeur and assists with Bruce's daily business and personal tasks at his home and office, which also allows him to earn money to support his family. In time, the pair develops a bond of trust and respect, and confide in each other not only just their mutual missions but also for life issues as well, similar to a father and son. Bruce would even trust Terry over Barbara Gordon's words when the villain Spellbinder frames Terry for murder with another one of his illusions. While getting his own unique rogues' gallery, in addition to contending with some of his mentor's former foes including the resurrected Joker, Terry also makes allies, such as high school student Maxine Gibson, and despite initial hostility between them, even Commissioner Gordon herself (in the comics, he also eventually meets and works with Bruce's other ex-partner, the former Robin/Nightwing, Dick Grayson). He also meets Wayne's old allies Superman and the Justice League, even being offered full-time membership after he saves them from Starro's nefarious plot. However, he turns it down, preferring to remain a reserved member and work alone as his mentor did.

After Powers' criminal identity is exposed 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 it is his chance at redemption. Later in his career as Batman, after Bruce began suffering from kidney failure, he ran a DNA test for suitable donors and discovered that not only was he a suitable match, but the perfect one. He then learns that he is the biological son of his mentor, who had discovered the truth himself sometime before but kept quiet out of respect for Warren, who raised Terry. Seeking answers, Terry then has a confrontation with an elderly Amanda Waller, Bruce's acquaintance from his days with the Justice League, who reveals that she engineered his origin to create a replacement Batman for Bruce Wayne. Terry learns that Bruce is his biological father; Waller used nanotechnology to ensure that Bruce Wayne's DNA overwrote the DNA in Warren McGinnis' reproductive cells. She had intended to take things one step forward and recreate the tragic circumstances that drove Bruce into becoming Batman (by hiring the Phantasm to murder the young boy's parents in front of him), but her hired assassin refused at the last minute, forcing Waller to cancel the project, although Warren's eventual death at the hands of a criminal ironically cemented Terry's destiny to become the next Batman. In conclusion, Waller tells Terry that while he does not possess Bruce's level of deduction and analytical skills, he does possess the same heart. Initially disillusioned with who he was, Terry eventually reconciles with the truth and continues to have a relationship with Bruce, while also planning on proposing to his longtime girlfriend, Dana Tan. He is also revealed to have joined the Justice League, but like Bruce before him, he is only a part-timer.

Project Batman Beyond

In the Justice League Unlimited episode "Epilogue", which takes place 15 years after Batman Beyond, in which Terry has become a remarkable superhero in his own right, and discovers the shocking truth about his paternity. When Bruce requires tissue for the cloning of a kidney to transplant, Terry is checked for compatibility. To his surprise, his DNA is similar to Bruce's. After hesitating for a time, he runs a DNA test and finds out that Bruce is his biological father. Terry seeks Amanda Waller, the only person in the world he believes can answer his questions, before confronting Bruce. As he does so, he imagines scenarios where he leaves the people vital to himself because he believes his life was a lie.

Terry vents some of his frustration about Bruce and his plans to Waller, only to be surprised when Waller reveals that it was not Bruce responsible for Terry's genetic makeup – it was her doing, without Bruce's consent or even his express knowledge.

Decades earlier, Waller was the government liaison to the Justice League, and she saw that Batman was the most capable person in the League; despite not having any powers, his willpower, body strength, and acute intelligence made him the most balanced and reliable fighter in the entire League. In addition, his compassion and morality makes him the League's conscience. Because of this, Waller slowly began to respect and trust Bruce Wayne. However, Waller noticed Batman was getting older and increasingly unable to handle the day-to-day intensities of crimefighting. She knew that one day Batman would have to retire or he'd be killed on duty. Fearing a world without someone like Batman, she decided to create a new one.

Waller, with old connections to Project Cadmus, gathered the technology necessary for her movement, codenamed "Project Batman Beyond." Bruce's DNA was obtained from a mission in Gotham City where he got injured—a small blood sample on a piece of gauze left at the scene of it. Years later in Neo Gotham, after Bruce retired, she found a couple that was psychologically identical to his parents. Warren McGinnis was called in to get a routine flu shot that actually was a nanotech solution to replace the DNA in his reproductive system with that of Bruce Wayne's, turning Warren into Bruce's surrogate. A year later, Mary McGinnis gave birth to Terry, who was a combination of her and Bruce.

Waller executed the final phase of her plan when Terry was eight years old: hiring an assassin — Andrea Beaumont, Bruce Wayne's former fiancée and the enigmatic Phantasm — to kill Terry's parents so that the trauma of seeing his parents murdered in front of him might motivate Terry to someday become a hero equivalent to Batman, during which Mary was again pregnant. However, Beaumont got cold feet at the last minute and realized that murdering in Batman's name would dishonor his legacy. Reluctantly realizing that Beaumont was right, Waller cancelled the project, resulting in Terry's brother (and potential successor) Matt being born later: it is implied that these events were what caused Terry's parents' later separation after Warren discovered that the children are not his and accused Mary of infidelity. Nevertheless, eight years later, by chance, Terry's father was murdered, and the young teen encountered Bruce, sealing Terry's fate forever. Waller's admission of guilt and affirmation of Terry's destiny allowed him to overcome his anger and bitterness. Terry then decided to propose to his longtime girlfriend, Dana and fully accepts his role as Batman. Terry decides to hide what he discovered from Bruce but privately acknowledges him as his father alongside Warren.

According to episode co-writer Dwayne McDuffie, Bruce, as a master detective, despite having no involvement with Waller's plan, becomes aware that Terry and Matt are his biogenetic offspring at some point after Terry assumes the role of Batman as he has been treating Terry's injuries by then, and figures out the machinations of Waller and Project Cadmus due to the fact that they are the only people with such means; however, he never brings it up out of respect for Warren McGinnis, and because he wants Terry to be his own man. He also comes to love Terry and Matt as his sons.

This project was used in the Batman Beyond original comic book miniseries, with the Beyond version of Hush being a twisted clone of Dick Grayson, created after the original Grayson was badly injured in a fight; Waller had reasoned that a clone of Grayson would be easier to control than one of Bruce, but the new Grayson went insane, killing most of Batman's survived-but-retired villains and nearly triggering a new earthquake before he was defeated by Terry, the original Grayson, and the new Catwoman.

DC Main Universe

The Batman Beyond concept became DC Comics canon in the pages of Superman/Batman issues 22 and 23, wherein Bizarro is transported to an alternate reality somewhere in Hypertime, which resembled the Batman Beyond-era Gotham City, with Batman Beyond in action with the 1999 animated black-and-red costume and the 1992 Batplane from the original animated series. This version of the character is in radio contact with Bruce Wayne, but was referred to as "Tim". The Batman Beyond cameo was enough to garner a DC Direct action figure, the character's first in years, listed as "Tim Drake".

Also, in Countdown to Final Crisis, former Robin Jason Todd, former Wonder Girl Donna Troy, Green Lantern Kyle Rayner, and Bob the Monitor travel to "Earth-12," which resembles the DCAU's future. They witness from the rooftops someone in a Batman Beyond costume defeating members of the Jokerz gang (although they do not know who is under the mask of the future Batman), to which Jason Todd says, "Huh. The more things change, the more they stay the same." The group speculates that either Tim Drake or Dick Grayson is under the mask. However, The Monitor confirms it is indeed McGinnis.^[3]

Dan DiDio announced in a July 2009 questions segment with Newsarama that Terry McGinnis would be appearing within DC Comics again in the future.^[4]

The Batman Beyond miniseries began its run on 16 June 2010, set in 2039 Neo-Gotham, revolving around the assassination of anyone who had anything to do with Bruce Wayne's Batman, foe or friend. Dan DiDio stated that this "Terry McGinnis mini-series" is in response to the interest expressed by the "fans of the character."^[5] It was penned by Adam Beechen, a non-DCAU Batman television writer. According to Beechen before the comic was completed, the comic book arc as to open the door for the "legendary" DCAU to enter into the mainstream DC Universe (comics), tying into both continuities. The series took place after McGinnis defeated the reborn Joker and picked up where Bruce Timm initially left off, but years before Terry learns that Bruce Wayne is his biological father.^[6][7][8]

In 2010, Terry appeared alongside Superman in the oversized issue Superman/Batman Annual 2010, which picks up after their first meeting together taking place in the DCAU, and also jibing with the DCU.

Terry became officially part of the DCU canon in Superman/Batman Annual #4. In "The New 52" reboot, following the 2011 Flashpoint comic book crossover, Terry made his debut in DC Comics' latest continuity in 2014.^[1]

On October 6, 2010, it was announced at New York Comic-Con that Batman Beyond would start as an ongoing series in January 2011.^[9] The series ended with only eight issues in August. However, a new series, Batman Beyond Unlimited, will serve as a return to the Beyond universe. The title will feature Superman Beyond, Justice League Beyond, and Batman Beyond, starring McGinnis.

Terry McGinnis officially entered mainstream DC continuity in the 2014 New 52 maxiseries, The New 52: Futures End.^[1]

Bruce Wayne

Despite his role as the second Batman, Terry leads a very different, far less privileged life than Bruce. In addition to coping with his father's death, Terry struggles to keep his double life secret from his mother and younger brother. Because of his responsibilities as Batman and personal assistant to Bruce, he is not afforded the same licenses the Robins enjoyed and is expected to be on the call whenever he is needed. As a result, Terry is just barely successful at balancing out his dual life, on several occasions prompting both men to reconsider Terry's reliability. This is evidenced by him being perpetually sleepy during the day, struggling to stay awake for school or to have time for his family and girlfriend, who gets frustrated with his constant "leaving" their dates early to the point of multiple break-ups.

Terry and Bruce develop unspoken respect for each other, with Terry regarding Bruce as a surrogate father, not knowing his biological connection to Bruce at first. This is demonstrated in the episode "Sneak Peek" where Terry pays reporter Ian Peek a visit to plead on Bruce's behalf.

Even though the stern attitude of Bruce with Terry is meant to ensure that he pushes Terry both emotionally and physically, and even though Bruce can at times be very emotionally distant to the young Batman, there are occasions where he also shows genuine concern and love for Terry. In one instance he defended Terry to Commissioner Barbara Gordon when Shriek held Gotham hostage in exchange for Batman's life.

In the Justice League Unlimited episode "The Once and The Future Thing: Time Warped", set in an altered timeline by Chronos, Bruce is shocked and saddened after Terry is killed by the Jokerz.

In turn, Bruce initially treats Terry the same way he treated his wards Dick Grayson and Tim Drake. In time, Terry grows into the cowl, and Bruce grows to accept him as his heir to the Batman legacy, demonstrating a great deal of faith in him despite his criminal past; in the episode "Eyewitness", when Spellbinder framed Terry for murder, Bruce trusted Terry's claims of innocence even after Barbara Gordon told Bruce that she had seen Terry kill a man. Over time, the generally private Bruce Wayne even told Terry about some of his old enemies and adventures as Batman, such as his old relationship with Selina Kyle, with Terry also doing his independent research into individuals such as Talia al Ghul, although Bruce never discussed the Joker due to the intensely personal nature of his confrontations with the villain and the traumatic final fight they had. Because of their relationship, Terry occasionally brings out Bruce's sense of humor.

The twist about Bruce and Terry's hidden genetic relationship to each other seems to be foreshadowed in a number of episodes: at the end of "The Call", Superman implied he knew of Terry's true heritage.

Family members

Terry values his mother, Mary McGinnis, and his younger brother, Matt, are the closest family he has left. At the time of his death, Warren McGinnis was divorced from his wife and their sons split between them; Terry with his father, Matt with his mother. After the divorce, Terry's relationship with his father is shown in the episode "Rebirth" to be strained. The last time they spoke Terry and his father had a heated argument, something Terry is never completely able to forgive himself for (despite discovering Warren was never his real father to begin with). Like Thomas Wayne, Warren's death inspired Terry to fight crime as Batman. After Warren's death, Terry moves back in with his mother and brother.

Even though there exists an obligatory spark of sibling rivalry and tough love between himself and Matt, Terry would be there to raise his brother's spirits when he was feeling down, notably in the episode "Revenant" when Matt reminisces about their father. The Justice League Unlimited episode "Epilogue" shows that an eight-year-old Terry bears a strong resemblance to Matt. Matt is also an obsessive Batman fan, which is ironic considering that he never realizes his brother and the hero he idolizes are the same and is oblivious of his biological relationship to the original Dark Knight.

As far as Mary and Matt are concerned, Terry is simply employed by Bruce Wayne to run errands during the series, finding the idea of Terry being Batman to be absurd, ridiculing him when he once attempts to reveal his secret in the episode "Sneak Peek".

In the Justice League Unlimited episode "Epilogue", Terry tells Bruce Wayne that he never once doubted that Warren McGinnis loved him with all his heart, and would have taught Terry right from wrong if the young man had been willing to listen.

In September 2011, The New 52 rebooted DC's continuity. In this new timeline, Matt McGinnis is aware of his brother's secret identity after Terry revealed it to him when he rescued Matt from a crumbling bridge. He becomes more active in assisting both Tim and Terry when they take on the mantle of Batman and possibly hopes to inherit the mantle himself one day. However, in Rebirth, Matt became the new Robin instead. Their mother is also deceased as a result of Futures End.^[10]

Friends and colleagues

With other superheroes

Terry grew up admiring other superheroes of his day, the Justice League Unlimited. Eventually, he is recruited by Superman to root out a traitor in the team, which turns out to be Superman himself, under the control of the extraterrestrial creature Starro. Though the rest of the team at first distrusts him due to his perceived inexperience, Terry gains their trust by saving their lives and freeing Superman from the alien's mind control. However, he says that he would prefer to be like his mentor and only partially serve on the Justice League.

When Static is sent 40 years into the future from the time of the Static Shock series, he is forced to work with Terry to rescue Static's future self from Kobra. While Terry doubts his abilities at first, he eventually develops respect for him.

Terry seems to have rejoined, as later episodes of Justice League Unlimited show him as a regular member. In the JLU episode "The Once and Future Thing, Part 2: Time Warped", Terry fights alongside Static (of that era) and Warhawk, with Bruce being leader, along with the time traveling members from the past include Bruce's counterpart as Batman. He is killed in the episode, though his death is undone due to actions of the original Batman. The encounter between the succeeding and the original Batman has slightly altered the future, since the elderly Bruce mentioned that he had no memories of meeting the former during time travels during his tenure as Batman prior to the timeline's alteration, as the latter becomes aware that he will have a successor. However, the original Batman still not knowing about Terry and how they would meet, because Terry was masked, and the original Batman had avoided learning details about his future, thereby preserving much of the Batman Beyond continuity with minor exception.

Terry McGinnis' Batsuit

Terry McGinnis' Batsuit.

The Batsuit worn by Terry is the last incarnation created by Bruce before his retirement. Though it is at least 20 years old, it is still considered cutting-edge. In addition, after Terry becomes Batman, the suit is updated numerous times, and after it is damaged, he and Wayne are seen rebuilding and modifying it. The cowl in this suit covers the face completely, with the mouth being the only opening. The traditional cape has been eliminated in favor of retractable glider wings under the arms. Thrusters built into the boots allow flight in the absence of wind, although for prolonged long-range flight Terry typically uses the Batmobile. In case the suit is stolen, its circuitry can be paralyzed remotely.

This Batsuit conforms to the size and physique of its wearer, being able to fit both the physically imposing Bruce and the significantly slimmer Terry. The material in the suit is resistant to massive concussive force, fire, lasers, electricity, bullets and low levels of radiation. After an incident where Terry nearly drowns, a built-in rebreather is added to allow him to remain underwater for long periods or breathe in other inhospitable areas.

The suit possesses a two-way audio-visual link with the Batcomputer, allowing Terry to keep in contact with Bruce for superior tactical planning. The same applies to the Batmobile, which will automatically fly to the user's location when summoned. Directional microphones in the fingertips allow the user to hear and record audio through walls or at a distance - this data can then be transferred to a separate microchip as evidence. Lenses in the cowl's eyepieces transmit visual data to the wearer, allow for various scanning abilities and allow Wayne to monitor Terry's activities from the Batcave, seeing and hearing what he sees and hears and advising him. The cowl's lenses can also scan a number of frequencies in the electromagnetic spectrum allowing night vision among other things. However, as the suit's visual capabilities are entirely electronic, the user is effectively rendered blind if they are disrupted. The cowl also apparently includes some sort of targeting computer for calculating ballistic trajectories, as Terry tends to miss his target when throwing projectiles while not wearing the suit.

The suit has several defensive capabilities. A device on the belt can electrically charge the suit to repel close attackers, added after Terry's encounters with the shapeshifting supervillain Inque; this same feature can be limited to just the hands, turning the defensive technology into an offensive one if necessary. The suit (and the Batmobile) also possesses a cloaking device that can render Terry invisible to the naked eye - although it cannot, however, filter ultraviolet light. Pads on hands and feet can be magnetically charged, allowing the user to cling to metal surfaces even when upside-down, similar to a bat.

The suit's offensive capabilities are also significant. It carries a large number of dispensable Batarangs which, when inactive, are compact enough to be invisible to the naked eye. These Batarangs come with a range of auxiliary functions, such as producing electric shocks or explosions. The Batarangs are usually thrown by hand, but can be fired from wrist-mounted launchers. However, there is a limit to the amount of Batarangs the Batsuit can dispense; Batman has run out on at least one occasion. The utility belt is integrated into the suit and carries tracers, flash and smoke pellets, extinguisher capsules, flexicuffs and a detachable buzz saw on the buckle. Retractable claws on the fingers can be used to cut through objects and grip solid surfaces and the forearms are equipped with grappling hooks that can act as bolas.

Finally, the Batsuit possesses a number of other devices to aid in detective work. The right index finger possesses a retractable decoding device for electronic locks, the palms possess polygraph sensors, and the fingers can analyze most substances they are dipped into. Other, less-used devices, such as frequency scanners, also make appearances.

Prototype Batsuit

In the later comics, when Terry's suit was heavily damaged Bruce gave him a spare prototype Batsuit to join the Justice League on a mission. The most notable feature was a cape, and while the suit gave him identical physical abilities, its sensors and communication capabilities were less advanced.^[11]

Lord Batman's Synthetic Kryptonite Batsuit

While on a mission into the parallel universe where the Justice Lords reside, Terry found an alternate version of his Batsuit (hidden in the compartment where Bruce kept the prototype suit) built by Lord Batman before his death to counter Lord Superman's powers and abilities, the extra enhancements included force fields, holographic projections, and it featured synthetic kryptonite as a weapon. After defeating Lord Superman, he and Dick Grayson started upgrading his own suit with the enhancements. The upgrades include a new pair of wings on Terry's Batsuit to help him gain better capability in flight, but Bruce rejects the new wings.

The Bat Armor

Seen only twice in the series, the Bat Armor is donned by Bruce in an encounter with Inque, who had kidnapped Terry and was holding him hostage. It is a retractable powered exoskeleton composed of heavy plate armor that enhances the survivability of the wearer, boosting their physical strength and resilience to superhuman levels greater than that of the Batsuit. When retracted, Bruce was able to wear a trench coat over it and not look like he had any considerable increase in body mass, although activating the armor shredded the trench coat in the process.

Bruce created the Bat Armor years earlier in light of his increasing heart problems as a possible replacement for the Batsuit; however, during testing, using the armor nearly gave him a heart attack and he was forced to abandon that option. Understandably, Bruce only uses the Bat Armor in dire circumstances.

DCAU tie-in comics

In addition to having his own ongoing comic book, the Tomorrow Knight made an appearance in Superman Adventures #64, chasing a futuristic version of Brainiac.

Television

• Terry McGinnis makes guest appearances in The Zeta Project episode "Shadows" and the Static Shock episode "Future Shock", as well as the Justice League Unlimited episodes "The Once and Future Thing" and "Epilogue". "Epilogue" is centered on him 15 years in the future as he learns of his origins, and serves as the de facto series finale to Batman Beyond.
• Terry makes a cameo appearance in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "Night of the Batmen!", among the alternate versions of Batman recruited to help Gotham.
• Terry made his return to television since "Epilogue" to the DC Nation Shorts adaptation of Batman Beyond during the 75th-anniversary celebration for Batman.

Video games

• Batman/Terry McGinnis made his video game debut in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker for Game Boy Color, PlayStation and Nintendo 64, based on the film of the same name.
• Terry's advanced outfit appears as downloadable or pre-order bonus content in Batman: Arkham City and in Batman: Arkham Knight as a secondary variant outfit. It is also available in Injustice: Gods Among Us. The costume is also available for avatar use on Xbox Live. Terry's outfit also appears as a customization for Bruce's Batman in Injustice 2.
• Terry McGinnis appears as a playable DLC character in Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, voiced by Troy Baker.^[15]
• Terry McGinnis appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.