.gif)
Hush (comics)
Encyclopedia
Hush is a fictional comic book
supervillain
appearing in books published by DC Comics
, usually as an enemy of Batman
. Created by writer Jeph Loeb
and artist Jim Lee
, the character first appeared in Batman
#609 (January 2003), as part of the 12-issue storyline, Batman: Hush
. Hush resurfaced in Batman: Gotham Knights
, and later in Detective Comics
and Batman: Streets of Gotham
.
, and was also born into a wealthy family. The two boys often would play a stratego
-like game together, and Elliot would teach Bruce to think like his opponents and to use their abilities against them in order to win, which would prove useful when Wayne becomes Batman. Unlike Wayne, Elliot hated his parents, despising both his drunk and abusive father and his frail mother, who came from a background of poverty and willingly endured every abuse dealt to her and her son to keep her lavish lifestyle. Instead of defending Thomas, she forced him to memorize Aristotle
, as a way to deal in a subtle, passive way with his father, something he never forgave her for.
Driven by his desire for independence and wealth, he cut the brakes on his parents' car, causing a crash that killed his father. His mother was saved in an emergency operation by Dr. Thomas Wayne
, which enraged young Elliot. While at a summer camp with Bruce, Tommy attacked a boy and ended up in a psych ward. He irrationally blamed Bruce and his mom for his outburst, but he was soon released by an intern named Jonathan Crane
.
During the next few years, Elliot tended to his mother and, while at first relishing the irony that Bruce had lost his parents, his anger grew when hearing about Bruce Wayne living a life of (apparent) leisure and travel, just the situation Elliot had hoped to create for himself. Shortly before Bruce returned to Gotham to take Batman's mantle, Elliot befriended, over the common ground of their unwillingly sheltered lives, a young woman named Peyton Riley (who would later become the second Ventriloquist) - a relationship of which his mother never approved.
Elliot's mother herself unwittingly completed their transition to true villains: when she fully recovered from her cancer, she disowned Tommy and cut him off from the Elliot fortune in retaliation for his continuing relationship with Peyton. While denying Thomas what he had sacrificed everything to get, she continued to berate him and compare him to Bruce Wayne. Thomas killed her, while Peyton killed their lawyer and destroyed Mrs. Elliot's new will. As far as the rest of the world was concerned, his mother had died of a mere household accident, spurred by her weakened physical condition. Now the recipient of the Elliot fortune, Tommy abandoned Riley and began traveling the world, as his nemesis Bruce had. Although he went on to Harvard and became a successful surgeon
, Elliot continued to hold an irrational grudge towards his childhood friend.
At some point in his career, Edward Nigma (also known as the Riddler
) was diagnosed with terminal cancer
, eventually hijacked one of Ra's al Ghul
's Lazarus Pits to regain his health. During this mystical treatment, which renders the participant temporarily insane, the highly intelligent Nigma experienced an unexpected epiphany, realizing that Bruce Wayne is Batman. Soon afterwards, the Riddler attempted to sell Elliot the secrets of the Lazarus Pit in exchange for a large cash sum. Elliot, by this time having discovered Nigma's criminal background, instead offered to pay the Riddler to kill his childhood enemy Bruce Wayne. Realizing that they shared a common hatred for Wayne, Elliot and the Riddler decided to pool resources to bring him down.
To this end, Elliot created for himself the persona of "Hush" (The name is said to have been coined by the Scarecrow, referencing the lullaby "Hush Little Baby" due to its subject being a child who could never be satisfied with what he had).
The name fits for Elliot, who prefers to employ guile and manipulation in place of noisier tactics such as gunplay. Hush also appears to be somewhat of a misogynist; he disparages both Zatanna
and Catwoman
, calling the former a "filthy gypsy" and the latter a "common gutterslut". This is possibly related to his resentment and hatred of his mother, whom he strangled to death in a fit of rage after she cut off his access to the family fortune, threatening his dream of going to medical school.
, Harley Quinn
, Two-Face
, Poison Ivy, Scarecrow
, Killer Croc
and Clayface
. They even manipulated some of Batman's closest allies (Superman
, Huntress
, and Catwoman
) against the Dark Knight, using such methods as Poison Ivy using her pheromone
s to control the Man of Steel and Catwoman and Hush's seemingly benevolent funding of Huntress's vigilante activities. Part of their plot included fooling Bruce to believe that Tommy was the latest victim of the Joker. This seemingly tragic event brought Batman to the brink of murdering the Joker; he was only stopped when former GCPD commissioner Jim Gordon
talked him down by reminding him that by killing the Joker, Batman would become just another killer, and Gordon refused to let the Joker ruin Batman's life like that.
With these villains as their pawns, Hush and the Riddler set up an elaborate plot against Batman. Using the shape-shifting abilities of Clayface, they created a decoy
of Jason Todd
, Wayne's former ward killed by the Joker years ago. Hush collaborated with the Riddler and Clayface to use the Dark Knight's guilt over his ward's death against him at Jason Todd's gravesite.
Around this time, Hush cured the disfigured Harold Allnut
, a longtime Batman associate. In return, Harold 'bugged' the Batcave
with several devices that altered Batman's mind, but nevertheless remained loyal to Batman as he was certain Batman would triumph over whatever happened. Hush then killed Harold in front of Batman, immediately engaging him in battle. Batman was at first disoriented with Hush's constant quoting of Aristotle
- prompting him to briefly wonder if Hush was Maxie Zeus
- and was suspicious of him being Deadshot
or being trained by him, using roughly the same two-gun fighting style as he.
When Elliot finally revealed himself to a worn-out Batman, the Dark Knight was saved only by the intervention of Harvey Dent, whose destructive Two-Face
persona had been unwittingly wiped out by Elliot when he repaired Dent's disfigured face. Once again on the side of the law, Dent shoots Hush twice, throwing him off a bridge.
Although Batman was sure that Hush indeed was Thomas Elliot, he was not able to unmask him.
Following a short-lived alliance with JLA
nemesis Prometheus
, Hush then begins to torment Bruce Wayne with the aid of an all-new Clayface. Exploiting the latter's shape-shifting abilities, Hush is briefly able to shed doubt on his true identity and has Wayne's butler Alfred Pennyworth
framed for murder
. Alfred's name is later cleared, albeit through trickery.
with an army of trained pigeons and retaliates (in Batman: Gotham Knights
#73-74). He captures Hush and keeps him sedated
for three weeks, during which time he implants a pacemaker
into his body, effectively gaining control of his heart. At the Joker's mercy and unable to remove the device himself, Hush turns to the one man he feels he can trust (or rather, predict): Bruce Wayne.
Wayne consents to help Hush on the condition that he allow himself to be treated in, and confined to, Arkham Asylum
. Hush agrees, and then immediately escapes after being told that the surgery had been a success. He is intercepted by Batman before he can confront the Joker, and the two men debate the merits of a code against killing such vile criminals. Hush demands that Batman allow him to do what Bruce will not and finish off the Joker once and for all. Batman seems to agree and begins to leave, but then reveals that he has tricked Hush; the pacemaker is still in his body, and he had been allowed to escape the asylum. At that moment the Joker arrives, and Hush begs Batman not to leave him.
The issue (and the Batman: Gotham Knights series) ended unresolved. Hush returned in the later Man-Bat
miniseries, and is later shown remembering how painful removing the pacemaker alone was, and how the time between Gotham Knights and "Heart of Hush" was mostly spent recovering from the damage suffered, confirming that Batman did desert Hush at the conclusion of "Payback".
". In this arc, set a few nights before the events depicted in "R.I.P.," Hush is portrayed in a slightly different thematic fashion than in his prior appearances. Beyond being merely a manipulative sociopath, his past as a surgeon is made into a major aspect of his modus operandi
. In the first issue, Hush reveals that his return was hastened when he began to hear whispers of the Black Glove's upcoming attack on Batman. Believing that it is his right and his right alone to kill Batman, Elliot seeks to beat the Black Glove to the punch. In the second part, Hush has teamed up with the Scarecrow
, who had contact with Elliot as a child. Hush performs routine plastic surgery
on his own face, only later revealing the result is nearly identical to Bruce Wayne.
Hush then ambushes and subdues Catwoman
after she scratches off a portion of his facial bandages, recoiling in horror at what she sees. He then cuts out her heart, putting her on life support
supplied by Mr. Freeze
and delivering her to Gotham General Hospital. Hush comments to himself that it was Batman's desertion of him during the pacemaker incident that inspired this current plan.
While Catwoman is left in Doctor Mid-Nite's care, Batman squeezes the location of Hush's headquarters from Scarecrow. Hush ambushes Batman by showing him the room containing Selina's heart, alive and pumping, at which time he pumps Batman with a paralyzing gas. He then confesses to Bruce his plan: using his newfound resemblance to Bruce, he will kill and disfigure him to steal his identity, then he will retire with the Wayne fortune.
Batman is able to stave off the effects of the paralysis gas, recover Selina's heart, and warn Alfred Pennyworth
of Thomas' deception. Hush manages to get into the Batcave where he nearly kills Batman, but Alfred's continuing interference and the arrival of Nightwing
and Robin
turn the tide. Hush retreats on the Whirly-Bat (a one man helicopter), but his bandages become tangled in the rotor and it explodes.
Batman, Nightwing, and Robin can find no trace of Hush save some bloody bandages, and conclude he is dead. Catwoman, not taking chances and seeking some form of closure for her predicament and her current condition (Doctor Mid-Nite made clear that it is unlikely she'll be ever able to regain her physical prowess), has Oracle
, Holly Robinson, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn
and Slam Bradley
track down Hush's secret bank accounts and stashes of cash and cut them off. Hush, wounded but alive, limps off to plot his next move.
Later, posing as Bruce Wayne, Hush travels to Australia and Vietnam looting Wayne's cash accounts in the companies he owns there. He is captured by Catwoman
who knows perfectly well he is not the real Wayne. He's then given in custody to Nightwing
and Robin
, who realizing that turning him over to the authorities would mean the end of their secret identities, keep him contained in a secret safe house. Elliot, still wearing Bruce's appearance, decides to fake his surrender, waiting for the right moment to escape.
visits Elliot in his cell as the new Robin and they play chess as the villain and the boy's father had during their childhood. When Elliot asked why Damian is visiting him behind the Bat-family's back, Damian shrugs it off as a desire to keep Elliot company. Elliot surmises that Damian is rather using the resemblance to Bruce to "spend time with [his] old man." When Damian leaves to deal with a new crisis, Elliot surmises that Firefly is the villain behind the attack, notes how Gotham has fallen apart in Bruce's absence, and ponders how to use this to his advantage. Elliot fakes experiencing the spontaneous combustion being caused on the public by Firefly, and when Alfred arrives at his cell to assist, overpowers him and escapes. But he then re-emerges as Bruce Wayne to the shock of the city saying that he will donate a billion dollars a month until their financial crisis is over. By posing as Bruce Wayne, Elliot initially believes himself to be untouchable by Wayne's children, as he can now claim control of Wayne Enterprises, as well as knowing the true identities of the Bat-Clan. Elliot soon discovers he has underestimated them, as Dick and Damian along with the Outsiders
and assorted other super-heroes explain to Elliot that he will forever be watched and controlled by them, and should he step out of line, that there will always be someone ready to take him down. With no other option available to him, Elliot reluctantly agrees to play Dick Grayson's puppet, posing as Bruce Wayne, and thus keeping the public from realizing that he is dead Though this has prevented Elliot's original plan of sapping the Wayne fortune, he has not allowed it to halt his scheming altogether. Hush has appeared, notably as a member of the Gotham Shield Committee, around Gotham quite frequently, often attempting to make connections. When Ra's al Ghul
arrived in Gotham, promising to ruin the Wayne family in retribution for Red Robin's actions against him, he immediately sought out Hush. Faced with the prospect of Elliot using Ra's al Ghul's support to turn on the Bat-family again, Tim Drake activated a contingency plan set in place by Wayne himself to transfer controlling interest in Wayne Enterprises to Drake "if something should happen," leaving Elliot with no official standing in the company.
A short time later during the events of Batman: Gates of Gotham
, Hush is freed from Arkham by a new villain named the Architect. As this is happening, Red Robin, Dick Grayson
, and Blackbat
come to the realization that the Elliot family is connected to a series of bombings that destroyed three historical Gotham bridges.
Hush is an expert marksman, able to shoot two batarangs out of the air and set off C4 using twin M1911.45 caliber pistols, his weapons of choice (his skill has been compared to that of Deadshot
). While not possessing the kind of training that Bruce Wayne acquired, Hush has proven his ability to fight hand-to-hand. He shows expertise and competence, being able to fight almost on par with Batman.
Despite his advanced marksmanship, his demeanor far distant from the one of the gimmicked villains usually rampaging through Gotham, and original reliance solely on his strategic abilities, Thomas Elliot's medical background has recently been shown in his arsenal of choice, as he's shown using scalpel
s as throwing or slicing knives, and employing a large array of drugs, muscle relaxant
s and other surgical appliances as weapons along with his handguns.
Hush is a brilliant surgeon and has been able to perform breakthrough medical operations, thought impossible by many, like granting Harold Allnut
a fully functional body, removing his hunchback and giving him the ability to speak, repairing Harvey Dent's face (with only a small scar to show for it), inventing a virus which accelerated Killer Croc
's devolution, and tearing out Selina Kyle's
heart without any lasting damage (though he had help from the criminal Mr. Freeze on the last endeavor).
Hush is also able to perform plastic surgery on himself, no matter how painful it may be, using minimal anesthetic and sheer force of will. He's implied to have removed the pacemaker installed on his own heart by himself, and has shown the ability to grant himself the appearance of someone else, such as Bruce Wayne, without using masks but only a long series of planned surgeries on his own face, with the aid of a simple mirror.
Thomas Elliot previously had access to the vast resources of the Elliot household, putting him on par with Bruce Wayne, and so he's fully able to fund his more expensive plans, and get the cooperation of the main villains in Gotham, like Mister Freeze. However since the Heart of Hush storyline Catwoman
tapped his resources, reducing him to poverty
. He then put in motion several plans, the earlier ones foiled by Selina herself, to use his newfound resemblance to Bruce Wayne to leech off the vast resources of the Wayne household, cutting off the Bat-Family from it as well (although this plan was thwarted when he underestimated his foes, finding himself merely a puppet of the Bat-Family and their allies as he serves to create the impression that Bruce Wayne is still alive after his 'death' during Final Crisis
).
Some time after the events of Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
, Terry McGinnis
discovers the former Signalman
murdered in a manner reminiscent of Two-Face
's M.O., subsequently tracking the murderer to a hospital where an aged Jervis Tetch
is being held, and finds a bandaged man standing over a badly injured nurse. The man flees as Terry rushes over to the frightened young woman, who then claims that just before he was about to stab her to death, the killer uttered a single word, "Hush". The issue ends with the story arc title "Hush Beyond: Part 1".
Returning to the cave, Terry learns what happened in Bruce's last fight with Hush before going on patrol again. After a brief encounter and chase with a new Catwoman, Terry discovers that the reformed villain Armory has been killed with sharpened umbrellas, in the style of the Penguin. Attempting to stay ahead of their foe, Terry and Bruce search out the Calendar Man, Julian Day. Upon confronting Day, Terry is suddenly ambushed by "Hush," who has broken in through the window.
During Terry's fight with the new Hush, it is revealed that this Hush is not only capable of matching the current Batman in a fight, but is also aware of Bruce Wayne's identity as Batman, regarding Terry as an 'imposter' with no understanding of what it means to be Batman, and regarding his murders of Batman's rogue's gallery as 'orphaning' Batman all over again by killing his enemies as the only 'loving' family he has had. With Hush having escaped the office after throwing the Calendar Man out the window, Terry is left to recuperate before continuing his investigation. Having confirmed that Tim Drake has been under constant physical and psychological observation since his time as the Joker
- thus eliminating the possibility that the residual elements of the Joker are 'manipulating' him to act as the new Hush-, Terry proceeds to confront and question Dick Grayson. Meanwhile, Hush hires the new Catwoman to plant a tracking device on Batman so that he can monitor his whereabouts, before proceeding to strangle Catwoman as part of his 'vendetta'. A brief scene with Amanda Waller
and a woman identified as Doctor Reid suggests a connection between Project Cadmus
and Hush, but Waller insists that they keep their knowledge of Hush quiet.
Using the new 'Bat-Wraith'- a robot designed to 'replace' Terry as Batman-, Bruce intervenes in Hush's attempt to kill Catwoman, but despite Catwoman demonstrating the ability to create duplicates of herself to increase the number of combatants, Hush- demonstrating a knowledge of Bruce's old methods, including his trials of old equipment with Alfred and his habit of making the logo on his chest heavily armoured - manages to shut down the robot, forcing Bruce to use the self-destruct. Terry subsequently attempts to trap Hush by posing as Mad Stan, only to be defeated and immobilised by Hush's use of technology acquired from Shriek, Hush unmasking to reveal himself to be apparently a bitter and enraged Dick Grayson
.
After Hush spares Bruce and Terry so that they can witness him surpassing them both in 'saving' Gotham- Bruce directing the new Catwoman on how to treat Terry's injuries over the Batsuit's radio - it is revealed that the new Hush is a clone of Grayson, due to Amanda Waller's determination to provide the world with a Batman, having cloned Grayson based on DNA and memory readings taken from after his last fight with the Joker in the belief that he was more stable than Bruce. One of Cadmus's staff members, Doctor Reid, reveals herself to be the granddaughter of the villain, Nora Elliot before her marriage, seeking to atone her grandfather's sins.
In the final confrontation with Hush - the villain having taken control of the 'Bat-Wraiths' and now threatening to destroy Gotham to 'save' it by setting off bombs on a fault line to trigger a new earthquake
, the wounded Terry is aided by Dick Grayson - despite Bruce and Terry's concerns about his old injuries - and Catwoman- seeking revenge for Hush's attack on her-, the three tracking Hush to his location. With Grayson unable to convince Hush that he is merely a clone, the group are only able to defeat Hush when Bruce temporarily overrides Hush's control of the Bat-wraiths, Hush being subsequently accidentally impaled on a Bat-Wraith when Terry throws him off Grayson.
event, Hush is subsequently killed by Batman
.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
appearing in books published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
, usually as an enemy of Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
. Created by writer Jeph Loeb
Jeph Loeb
Joseph "Jeph" Loeb III is an American film and television writer, producer and award-winning comic book writer. Loeb was a producer/writer on the TV series Smallville and Lost, writer for the films Commando and Teen Wolf and was a writer and Co-Executive Producer on the NBC TV show Heroes from its...
and artist Jim Lee
Jim Lee
Jim Lee is a Korean-American comic book artist, writer, editor and publisher. He first broke into the industry in 1987 as an artist for Marvel Comics, illustrating titles such as Alpha Flight and Punisher War Journal, before gaining a great deal of popularity on The Uncanny X-Men...
, the character first appeared in Batman
Batman (comic book)
Batman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27, published in May 1939. Batman proved to be so popular that a self-titled ongoing comic book series began publication in the spring of 1940...
#609 (January 2003), as part of the 12-issue storyline, Batman: Hush
Batman: Hush
Hush is a 2002-2003 comic book story arc that ran through the Batman monthly series. It was written by Jeph Loeb, penciled by Jim Lee, inked by Scott Williams and colored by Alex Sinclair. The story depicts a mysterious stalker called Hush, who seems intent on sabotaging Batman from afar, and it...
. Hush resurfaced in Batman: Gotham Knights
Batman: Gotham Knights
Batman: Gotham Knights was a monthly, fictional comic book series published by DC Comics. The original intent of this book was to feature the exploits of Batman and his extended family - Alfred Pennyworth, Batgirl, Nightwing, Robin, Oracle, Catwoman, etc...
, and later in Detective Comics
Detective Comics
Detective Comics is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics since 1937, best known for introducing the iconic superhero Batman in Detective Comics #27 . It is, along with Action Comics, the book that launched with the debut of Superman, one of the medium's signature series, and...
and Batman: Streets of Gotham
Batman: Streets of Gotham
Batman: Streets of Gotham is an American comic book ongoing series written by Paul Dini, with art by Dustin Nguyen. The series stars Dick Grayson as the new Batman and ties into Grant Morrison's overarching "Batman: Reborn" story and the new Gotham City Sirens monthly...
.
Origin
Dr. Thomas "Tommy" Elliot is a childhood friend of Bruce WayneBatman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
, and was also born into a wealthy family. The two boys often would play a stratego
Stratego
Stratego is a board game featuring a 10×10 square board and two players with 40 pieces each. Pieces represent individual officers and soldiers in an army. The objective of the game is to either find and capture the opponent's Flag or to capture so many of the opponent's pieces that he/she cannot...
-like game together, and Elliot would teach Bruce to think like his opponents and to use their abilities against them in order to win, which would prove useful when Wayne becomes Batman. Unlike Wayne, Elliot hated his parents, despising both his drunk and abusive father and his frail mother, who came from a background of poverty and willingly endured every abuse dealt to her and her son to keep her lavish lifestyle. Instead of defending Thomas, she forced him to memorize Aristotle
Aristotle
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...
, as a way to deal in a subtle, passive way with his father, something he never forgave her for.
Driven by his desire for independence and wealth, he cut the brakes on his parents' car, causing a crash that killed his father. His mother was saved in an emergency operation by Dr. Thomas Wayne
Thomas Wayne
Thomas Wayne is a fictional character in the Batman series of comic books. Dr. Thomas Wayne was the father of Bruce Wayne, and husband of Martha Wayne, as well as a gifted surgeon and philanthropist...
, which enraged young Elliot. While at a summer camp with Bruce, Tommy attacked a boy and ended up in a psych ward. He irrationally blamed Bruce and his mom for his outburst, but he was soon released by an intern named Jonathan Crane
Scarecrow (comics)
The Scarecrow is a fictional character, a supervillain, that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in World's Finest Comics #3 and was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane...
.
During the next few years, Elliot tended to his mother and, while at first relishing the irony that Bruce had lost his parents, his anger grew when hearing about Bruce Wayne living a life of (apparent) leisure and travel, just the situation Elliot had hoped to create for himself. Shortly before Bruce returned to Gotham to take Batman's mantle, Elliot befriended, over the common ground of their unwillingly sheltered lives, a young woman named Peyton Riley (who would later become the second Ventriloquist) - a relationship of which his mother never approved.
Elliot's mother herself unwittingly completed their transition to true villains: when she fully recovered from her cancer, she disowned Tommy and cut him off from the Elliot fortune in retaliation for his continuing relationship with Peyton. While denying Thomas what he had sacrificed everything to get, she continued to berate him and compare him to Bruce Wayne. Thomas killed her, while Peyton killed their lawyer and destroyed Mrs. Elliot's new will. As far as the rest of the world was concerned, his mother had died of a mere household accident, spurred by her weakened physical condition. Now the recipient of the Elliot fortune, Tommy abandoned Riley and began traveling the world, as his nemesis Bruce had. Although he went on to Harvard and became a successful surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
, Elliot continued to hold an irrational grudge towards his childhood friend.
At some point in his career, Edward Nigma (also known as the Riddler
Riddler
The Riddler is a fictional character, a comic book character and supervillain published by DC Comics, and an enemy of Batman. Created by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #140 ....
) was diagnosed with terminal cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, eventually hijacked one of Ra's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul is a DC Comics supervillain and is one of Batman's greatest enemies. His name in Arabic has been translated in the comics as "The Demon's Head" and references the name of the star Algol. Created by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams, he was introduced in Batman #232's...
's Lazarus Pits to regain his health. During this mystical treatment, which renders the participant temporarily insane, the highly intelligent Nigma experienced an unexpected epiphany, realizing that Bruce Wayne is Batman. Soon afterwards, the Riddler attempted to sell Elliot the secrets of the Lazarus Pit in exchange for a large cash sum. Elliot, by this time having discovered Nigma's criminal background, instead offered to pay the Riddler to kill his childhood enemy Bruce Wayne. Realizing that they shared a common hatred for Wayne, Elliot and the Riddler decided to pool resources to bring him down.
To this end, Elliot created for himself the persona of "Hush" (The name is said to have been coined by the Scarecrow, referencing the lullaby "Hush Little Baby" due to its subject being a child who could never be satisfied with what he had).
The name fits for Elliot, who prefers to employ guile and manipulation in place of noisier tactics such as gunplay. Hush also appears to be somewhat of a misogynist; he disparages both Zatanna
Zatanna
Zatanna Zatara is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Murphy Anderson, Zatanna first appeared in Hawkman vol. 1 #4...
and Catwoman
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, partially inspired by Kane's cousin, Ruth Steel...
, calling the former a "filthy gypsy" and the latter a "common gutterslut". This is possibly related to his resentment and hatred of his mother, whom he strangled to death in a fit of rage after she cut off his access to the family fortune, threatening his dream of going to medical school.
Hush begins
In their attempt to destroy Batman, Hush and the Riddler convinced and manipulated several other villains to help. These included the JokerJoker (comics)
The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
, Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn was first introduced as a villain on September 11, 1992, in the animated series Batman: The Animated Series, later adapted into DC Comics' Batman comic books. As suggested by her name , she is clad in the manner of a traditional harlequin jester...
, Two-Face
Two-Face
Two-Face is a fictional comic book supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. and is an enemy of Batman. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #66 , and was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger....
, Poison Ivy, Scarecrow
Scarecrow (comics)
The Scarecrow is a fictional character, a supervillain, that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in World's Finest Comics #3 and was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane...
, Killer Croc
Killer Croc
Killer Croc is a comic book supervillain in the DC Universe, an enemy of Batman. Created by writer Gerry Conway and artist Gene Colan, while there was a shadowy cameo in Detective Comics #523 , his actual first appearance is credited to Batman #357 , which is also the first appearance of Jason...
and Clayface
Clayface
Clayface is an alias used by several DC Comics fictional characters, most of them possessing claylike bodies and shape-shifting abilities. All of them have been enemies of Batman.-Publication history:...
. They even manipulated some of Batman's closest allies (Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
, Huntress
Huntress (Helena Bertinelli)
Huntress is a fictional character in the DC Universe. Based upon the Earth-Two character Helena Wayne, she is one of several DC characters to bear the Huntress name...
, and Catwoman
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, partially inspired by Kane's cousin, Ruth Steel...
) against the Dark Knight, using such methods as Poison Ivy using her pheromone
Pheromone
A pheromone is a secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social response in members of the same species. Pheromones are chemicals capable of acting outside the body of the secreting individual to impact the behavior of the receiving individual...
s to control the Man of Steel and Catwoman and Hush's seemingly benevolent funding of Huntress's vigilante activities. Part of their plot included fooling Bruce to believe that Tommy was the latest victim of the Joker. This seemingly tragic event brought Batman to the brink of murdering the Joker; he was only stopped when former GCPD commissioner Jim Gordon
James Gordon (comics)
James Worthington Gordon, Sr. is a fictional character, an ally of Batman that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane...
talked him down by reminding him that by killing the Joker, Batman would become just another killer, and Gordon refused to let the Joker ruin Batman's life like that.
Decoy
A decoy is usually a person, device or event meant as a distraction, to conceal what an individual or a group might be looking for. Decoys have been used for centuries most notably in game hunting, but also in wartime and in the committing or resolving of crimes.-Duck decoy:The term duck decoy may...
of Jason Todd
Jason Todd
Jason Peter Todd is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Jason first appeared in Batman #357 and became the second Robin, sidekick to the superhero Batman, when the previous Robin went on to star in The New Teen Titans under the moniker of Nightwing.Though...
, Wayne's former ward killed by the Joker years ago. Hush collaborated with the Riddler and Clayface to use the Dark Knight's guilt over his ward's death against him at Jason Todd's gravesite.
Around this time, Hush cured the disfigured Harold Allnut
Harold Allnut
Harold Allnut is a fictional character in DC Comics, an aide of Batman. He helped to design, build, and repair Batman's equipment.-Character appearance and disabilities:...
, a longtime Batman associate. In return, Harold 'bugged' the Batcave
Batcave
The Batcave is the secret headquarters of fictional DC Comics superhero Batman, the alternate identity of playboy Bruce Wayne, consisting of a series of subterranean caves beneath his residence, Wayne Manor.-Publication history:...
with several devices that altered Batman's mind, but nevertheless remained loyal to Batman as he was certain Batman would triumph over whatever happened. Hush then killed Harold in front of Batman, immediately engaging him in battle. Batman was at first disoriented with Hush's constant quoting of Aristotle
Aristotle
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...
- prompting him to briefly wonder if Hush was Maxie Zeus
Maxie Zeus
Maximillian "Maxie" Zeus is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. He is a criminal mastermind who believes that he is the god Zeus from Greek mythology. He is an occasional enemy of Batman...
- and was suspicious of him being Deadshot
Deadshot
Deadshot is a fictional character, a supervillain/assassin in the DC Universe and an enemy of Batman. He first appears in Batman #59 and was created by Bob Kane, David Vern Reed and Lew Schwartz....
or being trained by him, using roughly the same two-gun fighting style as he.
When Elliot finally revealed himself to a worn-out Batman, the Dark Knight was saved only by the intervention of Harvey Dent, whose destructive Two-Face
Two-Face
Two-Face is a fictional comic book supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. and is an enemy of Batman. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #66 , and was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger....
persona had been unwittingly wiped out by Elliot when he repaired Dent's disfigured face. Once again on the side of the law, Dent shoots Hush twice, throwing him off a bridge.
Although Batman was sure that Hush indeed was Thomas Elliot, he was not able to unmask him.
Hush returns
Still out to destroy Batman and determined not to let the rest of the villains get in his way, Hush quickly carves out a niche for himself, beating his former accomplice the Riddler to within an inch of his life, and even driving the Joker out of town. Hush also ends up temporarily killing Poison Ivy in a fruitless attempt to recruit her.Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
nemesis Prometheus
Prometheus (comics)
Prometheus is the name of three fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics.The first Prometheus debuted in New Teen Titans vol. 2, #24 and was created by Marv Wolfman and Eduardo Barreto . The second version debuted in New Year's Evil: Prometheus Prometheus is the name...
, Hush then begins to torment Bruce Wayne with the aid of an all-new Clayface. Exploiting the latter's shape-shifting abilities, Hush is briefly able to shed doubt on his true identity and has Wayne's butler Alfred Pennyworth
Alfred Pennyworth
Alfred Pennyworth is a fictional character that appears throughout the DC Comics franchise. The character first appears in Batman #16 , and was created by writer Bob Kane and artist Jerry Robinson. Alfred serves as Batman’s tireless butler, assistant, confidant, and surrogate father figure...
framed for murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
. Alfred's name is later cleared, albeit through trickery.
Payback
The Joker eventually returns to Gotham CityGotham City
Gotham City is a fictional U.S. city appearing in DC Comics, best known as the home of Batman. Batman's place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4 . Gotham City is strongly inspired by Trenton, Ontario's history, location, atmosphere, and various architectural styles...
with an army of trained pigeons and retaliates (in Batman: Gotham Knights
Batman: Gotham Knights
Batman: Gotham Knights was a monthly, fictional comic book series published by DC Comics. The original intent of this book was to feature the exploits of Batman and his extended family - Alfred Pennyworth, Batgirl, Nightwing, Robin, Oracle, Catwoman, etc...
#73-74). He captures Hush and keeps him sedated
Sedation
Sedation is the reduction of irritability or agitation by administration of sedative drugs, generally to facilitate a medical procedure or diagnostic procedure...
for three weeks, during which time he implants a pacemaker
Artificial pacemaker
A pacemaker is a medical device that uses electrical impulses, delivered by electrodes contacting the heart muscles, to regulate the beating of the heart...
into his body, effectively gaining control of his heart. At the Joker's mercy and unable to remove the device himself, Hush turns to the one man he feels he can trust (or rather, predict): Bruce Wayne.
Wayne consents to help Hush on the condition that he allow himself to be treated in, and confined to, Arkham Asylum
Arkham Asylum
The Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane, commonly referred to simply as Arkham Asylum, is a fictional psychiatric hospital in the DC Comics Universe, usually appearing in stories featuring Batman...
. Hush agrees, and then immediately escapes after being told that the surgery had been a success. He is intercepted by Batman before he can confront the Joker, and the two men debate the merits of a code against killing such vile criminals. Hush demands that Batman allow him to do what Bruce will not and finish off the Joker once and for all. Batman seems to agree and begins to leave, but then reveals that he has tricked Hush; the pacemaker is still in his body, and he had been allowed to escape the asylum. At that moment the Joker arrives, and Hush begs Batman not to leave him.
The issue (and the Batman: Gotham Knights series) ended unresolved. Hush returned in the later Man-Bat
Man-Bat
Man-Bat is a fictional comic book character appearing in books published by DC Comics, usually as a supervillain and adversary of Batman, though occasionally depicted as a heroic character. He first appeared in Detective Comics #400 and was created by Frank Robbins and Neal Adams...
miniseries, and is later shown remembering how painful removing the pacemaker alone was, and how the time between Gotham Knights and "Heart of Hush" was mostly spent recovering from the damage suffered, confirming that Batman did desert Hush at the conclusion of "Payback".
"Heart of Hush"
Hush returns in Detective Comics #846-#850, in the story "The Heart of Hush", which ties together with "Batman R.I.P.Batman R.I.P.
Batman R.I.P. is a comic book story arc published in Batman #676-681 by DC Comics. Written by Grant Morrison, penciled by Tony Daniel, and with covers by Alex Ross, the story pits the superhero Batman against the Black Glove organization as they attempt to destroy everything for which he stands...
". In this arc, set a few nights before the events depicted in "R.I.P.," Hush is portrayed in a slightly different thematic fashion than in his prior appearances. Beyond being merely a manipulative sociopath, his past as a surgeon is made into a major aspect of his modus operandi
Modus operandi
Modus operandi is a Latin phrase, approximately translated as "mode of operation". The term is used to describe someone's habits or manner of working, their method of operating or functioning...
. In the first issue, Hush reveals that his return was hastened when he began to hear whispers of the Black Glove's upcoming attack on Batman. Believing that it is his right and his right alone to kill Batman, Elliot seeks to beat the Black Glove to the punch. In the second part, Hush has teamed up with the Scarecrow
Scarecrow (comics)
The Scarecrow is a fictional character, a supervillain, that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in World's Finest Comics #3 and was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane...
, who had contact with Elliot as a child. Hush performs routine plastic surgery
Plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. Though cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the best-known kind of plastic surgery, most plastic surgery is not cosmetic: plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, hand...
on his own face, only later revealing the result is nearly identical to Bruce Wayne.
Hush then ambushes and subdues Catwoman
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, partially inspired by Kane's cousin, Ruth Steel...
after she scratches off a portion of his facial bandages, recoiling in horror at what she sees. He then cuts out her heart, putting her on life support
Life support
Life support, in medicine is a broad term that applies to any therapy used to sustain a patient's life while they are critically ill or injured. There are many therapies and techniques that may be used by clinicians to achieve the goal of sustaining life...
supplied by Mr. Freeze
Mr. Freeze
Mr. Freeze, real name Dr. Victor Fries , is a DC Comics supervillain, an enemy of Batman. Created by Bob Kane, he first appeared in Batman #121 ....
and delivering her to Gotham General Hospital. Hush comments to himself that it was Batman's desertion of him during the pacemaker incident that inspired this current plan.
While Catwoman is left in Doctor Mid-Nite's care, Batman squeezes the location of Hush's headquarters from Scarecrow. Hush ambushes Batman by showing him the room containing Selina's heart, alive and pumping, at which time he pumps Batman with a paralyzing gas. He then confesses to Bruce his plan: using his newfound resemblance to Bruce, he will kill and disfigure him to steal his identity, then he will retire with the Wayne fortune.
Batman is able to stave off the effects of the paralysis gas, recover Selina's heart, and warn Alfred Pennyworth
Alfred Pennyworth
Alfred Pennyworth is a fictional character that appears throughout the DC Comics franchise. The character first appears in Batman #16 , and was created by writer Bob Kane and artist Jerry Robinson. Alfred serves as Batman’s tireless butler, assistant, confidant, and surrogate father figure...
of Thomas' deception. Hush manages to get into the Batcave where he nearly kills Batman, but Alfred's continuing interference and the arrival of Nightwing
Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrator Jerry Robinson, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940....
and Robin
Tim Drake
Timothy "Tim" Drake is a superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics and in related media. The character was created by Marv Wolfman and Pat Broderick. From 1989 to 2009, he was known as Robin in the Batman comics, becoming the third character to take up the identity...
turn the tide. Hush retreats on the Whirly-Bat (a one man helicopter), but his bandages become tangled in the rotor and it explodes.
Batman, Nightwing, and Robin can find no trace of Hush save some bloody bandages, and conclude he is dead. Catwoman, not taking chances and seeking some form of closure for her predicament and her current condition (Doctor Mid-Nite made clear that it is unlikely she'll be ever able to regain her physical prowess), has Oracle
Barbara Gordon
Barbara Gordon is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and in related media, created by Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino...
, Holly Robinson, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn was first introduced as a villain on September 11, 1992, in the animated series Batman: The Animated Series, later adapted into DC Comics' Batman comic books. As suggested by her name , she is clad in the manner of a traditional harlequin jester...
and Slam Bradley
Slam Bradley
Samuel Emerson "Slam" Bradley is a fictional character that has appeared in various comic book series published by DC Comics. He is a private detective who exists in DC's main shared universe, known as the DC Universe...
track down Hush's secret bank accounts and stashes of cash and cut them off. Hush, wounded but alive, limps off to plot his next move.
Later, posing as Bruce Wayne, Hush travels to Australia and Vietnam looting Wayne's cash accounts in the companies he owns there. He is captured by Catwoman
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, partially inspired by Kane's cousin, Ruth Steel...
who knows perfectly well he is not the real Wayne. He's then given in custody to Nightwing
Nightwing
Nightwing is a name that has been used by several fictional characters in the DC Comics Universe. It was conceived as a Kryptonian analogue to the character of Batman, with Nightwing's frequent partner Flamebird based on Robin...
and Robin
Tim Drake
Timothy "Tim" Drake is a superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics and in related media. The character was created by Marv Wolfman and Pat Broderick. From 1989 to 2009, he was known as Robin in the Batman comics, becoming the third character to take up the identity...
, who realizing that turning him over to the authorities would mean the end of their secret identities, keep him contained in a secret safe house. Elliot, still wearing Bruce's appearance, decides to fake his surrender, waiting for the right moment to escape.
Batman reborn
In Streets of Gotham, Batman's biological son Damian WayneDamian Wayne
Damian Wayne is a fictional character in the . Damian is the child of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul, and thus the grandson of Batman villain Ra's al Ghul....
visits Elliot in his cell as the new Robin and they play chess as the villain and the boy's father had during their childhood. When Elliot asked why Damian is visiting him behind the Bat-family's back, Damian shrugs it off as a desire to keep Elliot company. Elliot surmises that Damian is rather using the resemblance to Bruce to "spend time with [his] old man." When Damian leaves to deal with a new crisis, Elliot surmises that Firefly is the villain behind the attack, notes how Gotham has fallen apart in Bruce's absence, and ponders how to use this to his advantage. Elliot fakes experiencing the spontaneous combustion being caused on the public by Firefly, and when Alfred arrives at his cell to assist, overpowers him and escapes. But he then re-emerges as Bruce Wayne to the shock of the city saying that he will donate a billion dollars a month until their financial crisis is over. By posing as Bruce Wayne, Elliot initially believes himself to be untouchable by Wayne's children, as he can now claim control of Wayne Enterprises, as well as knowing the true identities of the Bat-Clan. Elliot soon discovers he has underestimated them, as Dick and Damian along with the Outsiders
Outsiders (comics)
The Outsiders are a fictional DC Comics superhero team. As its name suggests, the team consists of superheroes who allegedly do not fit the norms of the mainstream superhero community, namely the Justice League....
and assorted other super-heroes explain to Elliot that he will forever be watched and controlled by them, and should he step out of line, that there will always be someone ready to take him down. With no other option available to him, Elliot reluctantly agrees to play Dick Grayson's puppet, posing as Bruce Wayne, and thus keeping the public from realizing that he is dead Though this has prevented Elliot's original plan of sapping the Wayne fortune, he has not allowed it to halt his scheming altogether. Hush has appeared, notably as a member of the Gotham Shield Committee, around Gotham quite frequently, often attempting to make connections. When Ra's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul is a DC Comics supervillain and is one of Batman's greatest enemies. His name in Arabic has been translated in the comics as "The Demon's Head" and references the name of the star Algol. Created by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams, he was introduced in Batman #232's...
arrived in Gotham, promising to ruin the Wayne family in retribution for Red Robin's actions against him, he immediately sought out Hush. Faced with the prospect of Elliot using Ra's al Ghul's support to turn on the Bat-family again, Tim Drake activated a contingency plan set in place by Wayne himself to transfer controlling interest in Wayne Enterprises to Drake "if something should happen," leaving Elliot with no official standing in the company.
"House of Hush"
Hush reappears in Streets of Gotham for the story arc "House of Hush" beginning in #14, continually attempting to push the boundaries of his new role as Bruce Wayne- such as recommending that convicted criminals be allowed back on the streets- while confident in the knowledge that, even if he eventually pushes the Bat-Family to the point where their only option is to kill him, he can die with the knowledge that he has left them with a permanent mark. However, this plan backfires when the criminal Jane Doe- a woman who lost her face in an accident- becomes obsessed with 'Bruce Wayne' after his role in her release, to the point that she infiltrates his life by taking the face of his new assistant, and subsequently cuts off Elliot's new face with the intention of becoming Bruce Wayne herself, only for this effort to be undone when Batman catches her and Hush. With Bruce Wayne's recent public revelation that he has been Batman's financial backer for years rendering Hush's knowledge of Batman's identity irrelevant, he is sent to Arkham Asylum.A short time later during the events of Batman: Gates of Gotham
Batman: Gates of Gotham
Batman: Gates of Gotham is a five-issue, monthly comic book limited series published by DC Comics involving the various characters of the Batman franchise. It is written by Scott Snyder and Kyle Higgins, and illustrated by Trevor McCarthy...
, Hush is freed from Arkham by a new villain named the Architect. As this is happening, Red Robin, Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrator Jerry Robinson, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940....
, and Blackbat
Cassandra Cain
Cassandra Cain is a fictional character in the , one of several who has served as Batgirl, an important character in the Batman comic book franchise. Cassandra's backstory presents her as the daughter of assassins David Cain and Lady Shiva, she was deprived of speech and human contact during her...
come to the realization that the Elliot family is connected to a series of bombings that destroyed three historical Gotham bridges.
Powers and abilities
Thomas "Hush" Elliot has no superpowers on his own. He has spent a vast portion of his life honing his skills enough to be a match for the Dark Knight. Formerly known as one of the finest surgeons of his time, Thomas Elliot has an incredible intellect and is also a master planner, with tactical skills equaling those possessed by the Caped Crusader. Indeed, Hush's greatest skill is his talent for thinking like his opponents and for using their abilities against them. Ironically, Bruce Wayne received his strategic skills from Elliot during their childhood before their parents' deaths.Hush is an expert marksman, able to shoot two batarangs out of the air and set off C4 using twin M1911.45 caliber pistols, his weapons of choice (his skill has been compared to that of Deadshot
Deadshot
Deadshot is a fictional character, a supervillain/assassin in the DC Universe and an enemy of Batman. He first appears in Batman #59 and was created by Bob Kane, David Vern Reed and Lew Schwartz....
). While not possessing the kind of training that Bruce Wayne acquired, Hush has proven his ability to fight hand-to-hand. He shows expertise and competence, being able to fight almost on par with Batman.
Despite his advanced marksmanship, his demeanor far distant from the one of the gimmicked villains usually rampaging through Gotham, and original reliance solely on his strategic abilities, Thomas Elliot's medical background has recently been shown in his arsenal of choice, as he's shown using scalpel
Scalpel
A scalpel, or lancet, is a small and extremely sharp bladed instrument used for surgery, anatomical dissection, and various arts and crafts . Scalpels may be single-use disposable or re-usable. Re-usable scalpels can have attached, resharpenable blades or, more commonly, non-attached, replaceable...
s as throwing or slicing knives, and employing a large array of drugs, muscle relaxant
Muscle relaxant
A muscle relaxant is a drug which affects skeletal muscle function and decreases the muscle tone. It may be used to alleviate symptoms such as muscle spasms, pain, and hyperreflexia. The term "muscle relaxant" is used to refer to two major therapeutic groups: neuromuscular blockers and spasmolytics...
s and other surgical appliances as weapons along with his handguns.
Hush is a brilliant surgeon and has been able to perform breakthrough medical operations, thought impossible by many, like granting Harold Allnut
Harold Allnut
Harold Allnut is a fictional character in DC Comics, an aide of Batman. He helped to design, build, and repair Batman's equipment.-Character appearance and disabilities:...
a fully functional body, removing his hunchback and giving him the ability to speak, repairing Harvey Dent's face (with only a small scar to show for it), inventing a virus which accelerated Killer Croc
Killer Croc
Killer Croc is a comic book supervillain in the DC Universe, an enemy of Batman. Created by writer Gerry Conway and artist Gene Colan, while there was a shadowy cameo in Detective Comics #523 , his actual first appearance is credited to Batman #357 , which is also the first appearance of Jason...
's devolution, and tearing out Selina Kyle's
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, partially inspired by Kane's cousin, Ruth Steel...
heart without any lasting damage (though he had help from the criminal Mr. Freeze on the last endeavor).
Hush is also able to perform plastic surgery on himself, no matter how painful it may be, using minimal anesthetic and sheer force of will. He's implied to have removed the pacemaker installed on his own heart by himself, and has shown the ability to grant himself the appearance of someone else, such as Bruce Wayne, without using masks but only a long series of planned surgeries on his own face, with the aid of a simple mirror.
Thomas Elliot previously had access to the vast resources of the Elliot household, putting him on par with Bruce Wayne, and so he's fully able to fund his more expensive plans, and get the cooperation of the main villains in Gotham, like Mister Freeze. However since the Heart of Hush storyline Catwoman
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, partially inspired by Kane's cousin, Ruth Steel...
tapped his resources, reducing him to poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
. He then put in motion several plans, the earlier ones foiled by Selina herself, to use his newfound resemblance to Bruce Wayne to leech off the vast resources of the Wayne household, cutting off the Bat-Family from it as well (although this plan was thwarted when he underestimated his foes, finding himself merely a puppet of the Bat-Family and their allies as he serves to create the impression that Bruce Wayne is still alive after his 'death' during Final Crisis
Final Crisis
Final Crisis is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely by J. G. Jones; artists Carlos Pacheco, Marco Rudy and...
).
Batman Beyond
In the 2010 Batman Beyond limited series, it is revealed that Bruce Wayne's last fight with Hush occurred on a rainy night, consisting primarily of a rooftop chase. As a last-minute means of escape, Elliot dove into an open window, only to be shot by the homeowner who mistook him for an invader. With Batman currently severely injured, and not being on the best terms with the police, he left the body without ever examining it himself. Bruce was apparently initially satisfied with the official police identification of the body as Thomas Elliot for a while, but he later admits that he has always acknowledged that Hush's skill for strategy and plastic surgery meant that he could have planned the entire scenario.Some time after the events of Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker is a 2000 direct-to-video animated film featuring the comic book superhero Batman and his archenemy, the Joker...
, Terry McGinnis
Terry McGinnis
Batman is a fictional superhero in comics published by DC Comics as well as the main protagonist of the animated television series Batman Beyond , in which he has succeeded Bruce Wayne as the protector of Gotham City. He was voiced by Will Friedle...
discovers the former Signalman
Signalman (comics)
Signalman is a fictional supervillain published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Batman vol. 1 #112 , and was created by Bill Finger and Sheldon Moldoff.- Fictional character biography :Phillip "Phil" Cobb was a gangster with big ideas...
murdered in a manner reminiscent of Two-Face
Two-Face
Two-Face is a fictional comic book supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. and is an enemy of Batman. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #66 , and was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger....
's M.O., subsequently tracking the murderer to a hospital where an aged Jervis Tetch
Mad Hatter (comics)
The Mad Hatter is a fictional supervillain and enemy of Batman in the DC Universe. He is modeled after the Hatter from Lewis Carroll's novel, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, a character often called the "Mad Hatter" in adaptations of Carroll. He made his first appearance in Batman #49 in October...
is being held, and finds a bandaged man standing over a badly injured nurse. The man flees as Terry rushes over to the frightened young woman, who then claims that just before he was about to stab her to death, the killer uttered a single word, "Hush". The issue ends with the story arc title "Hush Beyond: Part 1".
Returning to the cave, Terry learns what happened in Bruce's last fight with Hush before going on patrol again. After a brief encounter and chase with a new Catwoman, Terry discovers that the reformed villain Armory has been killed with sharpened umbrellas, in the style of the Penguin. Attempting to stay ahead of their foe, Terry and Bruce search out the Calendar Man, Julian Day. Upon confronting Day, Terry is suddenly ambushed by "Hush," who has broken in through the window.
During Terry's fight with the new Hush, it is revealed that this Hush is not only capable of matching the current Batman in a fight, but is also aware of Bruce Wayne's identity as Batman, regarding Terry as an 'imposter' with no understanding of what it means to be Batman, and regarding his murders of Batman's rogue's gallery as 'orphaning' Batman all over again by killing his enemies as the only 'loving' family he has had. With Hush having escaped the office after throwing the Calendar Man out the window, Terry is left to recuperate before continuing his investigation. Having confirmed that Tim Drake has been under constant physical and psychological observation since his time as the Joker
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker is a 2000 direct-to-video animated film featuring the comic book superhero Batman and his archenemy, the Joker...
- thus eliminating the possibility that the residual elements of the Joker are 'manipulating' him to act as the new Hush-, Terry proceeds to confront and question Dick Grayson. Meanwhile, Hush hires the new Catwoman to plant a tracking device on Batman so that he can monitor his whereabouts, before proceeding to strangle Catwoman as part of his 'vendetta'. A brief scene with Amanda Waller
Amanda Waller
Dr. Amanda Blake Waller is a character published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Legends #1 in 1986, and was created by John Ostrander, Len Wein, and John Byrne...
and a woman identified as Doctor Reid suggests a connection between Project Cadmus
Project Cadmus
Project Cadmus is a fictional genetic engineering project in the DC Comics Universe. It was created by Jack Kirby as the DNA Project in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #133 , and was run by the former Newsboy Legion...
and Hush, but Waller insists that they keep their knowledge of Hush quiet.
Using the new 'Bat-Wraith'- a robot designed to 'replace' Terry as Batman-, Bruce intervenes in Hush's attempt to kill Catwoman, but despite Catwoman demonstrating the ability to create duplicates of herself to increase the number of combatants, Hush- demonstrating a knowledge of Bruce's old methods, including his trials of old equipment with Alfred and his habit of making the logo on his chest heavily armoured - manages to shut down the robot, forcing Bruce to use the self-destruct. Terry subsequently attempts to trap Hush by posing as Mad Stan, only to be defeated and immobilised by Hush's use of technology acquired from Shriek, Hush unmasking to reveal himself to be apparently a bitter and enraged Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrator Jerry Robinson, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940....
.
After Hush spares Bruce and Terry so that they can witness him surpassing them both in 'saving' Gotham- Bruce directing the new Catwoman on how to treat Terry's injuries over the Batsuit's radio - it is revealed that the new Hush is a clone of Grayson, due to Amanda Waller's determination to provide the world with a Batman, having cloned Grayson based on DNA and memory readings taken from after his last fight with the Joker in the belief that he was more stable than Bruce. One of Cadmus's staff members, Doctor Reid, reveals herself to be the granddaughter of the villain, Nora Elliot before her marriage, seeking to atone her grandfather's sins.
In the final confrontation with Hush - the villain having taken control of the 'Bat-Wraiths' and now threatening to destroy Gotham to 'save' it by setting off bombs on a fault line to trigger a new earthquake
Batman: Cataclysm
"Cataclysm" is an 18 chapter DC Comics crossover story arc that ran through the various Batman family comics from March to May, 1998. The plot of the storyline centers around Gotham City being hit by a massive earthquake, the epicenter of the which is less than a mile from Wayne Manor...
, the wounded Terry is aided by Dick Grayson - despite Bruce and Terry's concerns about his old injuries - and Catwoman- seeking revenge for Hush's attack on her-, the three tracking Hush to his location. With Grayson unable to convince Hush that he is merely a clone, the group are only able to defeat Hush when Bruce temporarily overrides Hush's control of the Bat-wraiths, Hush being subsequently accidentally impaled on a Bat-Wraith when Terry throws him off Grayson.
Flashpoint
In the alternate timeline of the FlashpointFlashpoint (comics)
Flashpoint is an American comic book crossover story arc published by DC Comics. Consisting of an eponymous core limited series and a number of tie-in titles, the storyline premiered in May 2011...
event, Hush is subsequently killed by Batman
Thomas Wayne
Thomas Wayne is a fictional character in the Batman series of comic books. Dr. Thomas Wayne was the father of Bruce Wayne, and husband of Martha Wayne, as well as a gifted surgeon and philanthropist...
.
Television
- Hush was originally going to be featured in a planned DTV set on the animated series The BatmanThe Batman (TV series)The Batman is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation based on the DC Comics superhero Batman. It ran from 2004 to 2008, on the Saturday morning television block Kids' WB...
, along with that universeFictional universeA fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
's versions of RiddlerRiddlerThe Riddler is a fictional character, a comic book character and supervillain published by DC Comics, and an enemy of Batman. Created by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #140 ....
, CatwomanCatwomanCatwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, partially inspired by Kane's cousin, Ruth Steel...
, JokerJoker (comics)The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
, ClayfaceClayfaceClayface is an alias used by several DC Comics fictional characters, most of them possessing claylike bodies and shape-shifting abilities. All of them have been enemies of Batman.-Publication history:...
, Mr. FreezeMr. FreezeMr. Freeze, real name Dr. Victor Fries , is a DC Comics supervillain, an enemy of Batman. Created by Bob Kane, he first appeared in Batman #121 ....
and PenguinPenguin (comics)Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot III is a DC Comics supervillain and one of Batman's oldest, most persistent enemies. The Penguin was introduced by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, making his debut in Detective Comics #58 .The Penguin is a short, rotund man known for his love of birds and his...
. The project was later scrapped by DC and WB. There is some sketch art of Hush in Legions of Gotham. Hush was also going to be introduced in the episode "Rumors", written by Joseph Kuhr. DC didn't like the idea, and the villain Rumor (voiced by Ron PerlmanRon PerlmanRonald N. "Ron" Perlman is an American television, film and voice over actor. He is known for having played Vincent in the TV series Beauty and the Beast , a Deathstroke figure known as Slade in the animated series Teen Titans, Clarence "Clay" Morrow in Sons of Anarchy, the comic book character...
) was created in his place.
Video games
- Hush is a playable character that can be unlocked in Lego Batman: The Videogame after rescuing all the civilian hostages throughout the game. He uses two handguns as weapons, and can build objects and shoot faster than other characters. When left idle, he raises his hand to his mouth and makes a "hush" expression. He is also unlockable through the "Villain Hunt" minigame in the Nintendo DS version.
- Hush's biography is an unlockable extra in the video game Batman: Arkham AsylumBatman: Arkham AsylumBatman: Arkham Asylum is a 2009 action-adventure stealth video game based on DC Comics' Batman developed for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows. It was developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Eidos Interactive in conjunction with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment...
. The player must solve a riddleRiddlerThe Riddler is a fictional character, a comic book character and supervillain published by DC Comics, and an enemy of Batman. Created by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #140 ....
stating "Shhhhh! Rumors persist that Tommy Elliott operates in Arkham. Can it be true?" The answer is hidden on a schedule in the Medical Facility's Surgery Room, where the name "Dr. Tommy Elliott" is written as being on a double shift thereby confirming that Hush is indeed working at Arkham.
- Hush appears in DC Universe OnlineDC Universe OnlineDC Universe Online or DCUO is an MMORPG by Sony Online Entertainment – Austin. Jim Lee serves as the game's Executive Creative Director, along with Carlos D'Anda, JJ Kirby, Oliver Nome, Eddie Nuñez, Livio Ramondelli, and Michael Lopez...
, voiced by Shanon Weaver.
- Hush makes an appearance in Batman: Arkham City , voiced by Kevin ConroyKevin ConroyKevin Conroy is an American stage, screen, and voice actor, best known for his acclaimed voice role as Batman in numerous animated television series, feature films, and video games that make up the DC Animated Universe.-Early life:...
. Initially working as part of a medical team inside Arkham City's chaotic prison districts, Elliott was apparently pilfering aid supplies from his colleagues. When confronted, he graphically removed his face. Over the course of the game's storyline, Hush resurfaces as a mysterious killer who dissects his victims' faces before murdering them. Although these actions were observed by Arkham's Tyger security forces, they were glossed over as the product of gang disputes. Batman proved more diligent in his investigation, and was eventually able to deduce that his quarry was a trained doctor. He tracks Hush to a crude surgery theater, where it is revealed that the character is now imitating Bruce Wayne down to the smallest detail--features, body, walk, fingerprints, and voice; he had been using Arkham City inmates as "donors" for conducting a full facial transplant. Elliott, apparently ignorant of Wayne's identity as Batman, escapes and remains at large, warning that he will continue seeking revenge on his childhood acquaintance.