Rupert Thorne
Encyclopedia
Rupert Thorne is a fictional character
, a crime boss and enemy of Batman
in the DC Comics
universe
. Created by Steve Englehart
and Walter Simonson, the character first appeared in Detective Comics
#469.
ed by Doctor Phosphorus
into turning the city against Batman. After Phosphorus is defeated, Thorne persuades his fellow city councilors to declare Batman an outlaw. He attempts to gain complete control of Gotham City
by becoming Mayor
.
Thorne is one of three criminals who makes a bid at a secret auction for Batman's identity held by Professor Hugo Strange
. He captures and torture
s Strange to make him divulge it. Strange resists, however, and apparently dies in the process. Even though he has the body disposed of, Thorne is literally haunted by strange visions and sounds of Strange.
After failing in his campaign against Batman and spending some time in hiding, he secretly returns to Gotham. (Detective Comics #507, October 1981) He gets the corrupt Hamilton Hill elected as Mayor, and then has his puppet fire Police Commissioner James Gordon
in favor of Peter Pauling, who is on Thorne's payroll. Thorne finally identifies Bruce Wayne as Batman after acquiring photos of him changing costume from reporter Vicki Vale
. Thorne then hires Deadshot
to kill Wayne. Deadshot is unsuccessful, however. Meanwhile, Thorne is still haunted by the ghost of Hugo Strange, who is revealed to have faked his death and tormented Thorne with experiments designed to simulate ghostly experiences. Thorne becomes convinced that Hill and Pauling are plotting against him and trying to drive him insane. Thorne kills Pauling but is eventually apprehended by Batman.
Thorne makes a return appearance in Detective Comics #825 (cover-dated January 2007, released November 2006). This was his first major comics appearance in decades, and his first appearance in the Post-Crisis
DC universe
. He is shown incarcerated in Blackgate Penitentiary
when Doctor Phosphorus makes an attempt on his life, one that Batman prevents.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, a crime boss and 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...
in the 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...
universe
Fictional universe
A 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 ....
. Created by Steve Englehart
Steve Englehart
Steve Englehart is an American novelist. In his earlier career he was a comic book writer best known for his work at Marvel Comics and DC Comics, particularly in the 1970s...
and Walter Simonson, the character first appeared 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...
#469.
Fictional character biography
Thorne is introduced as a corrupt politician being blackmailBlackmail
In common usage, blackmail is a crime involving threats to reveal substantially true or false information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand is met. It may be defined as coercion involving threats of physical harm, threat of criminal prosecution, or threats...
ed by Doctor Phosphorus
Doctor Phosphorus
Doctor Phosphorus is a fictional character who has appeared in various comic book series published by DC Comics. Primarily an enemy of Batman, the supervillain exists in DC's main shared universe, known as the DC Universe...
into turning the city against Batman. After Phosphorus is defeated, Thorne persuades his fellow city councilors to declare Batman an outlaw. He attempts to gain complete control of Gotham City
Gotham 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...
by becoming Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
.
Thorne is one of three criminals who makes a bid at a secret auction for Batman's identity held by Professor Hugo Strange
Hugo Strange
Professor Hugo Strange is a fictional comic book supervillain appearing in books published by DC Comics, as an adversary of Batman. He first appeared in Detective Comics #36 , and is one of Batman's first recurring villains, preceding the Joker and Catwoman by several months...
. He captures and torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
s Strange to make him divulge it. Strange resists, however, and apparently dies in the process. Even though he has the body disposed of, Thorne is literally haunted by strange visions and sounds of Strange.
After failing in his campaign against Batman and spending some time in hiding, he secretly returns to Gotham. (Detective Comics #507, October 1981) He gets the corrupt Hamilton Hill elected as Mayor, and then has his puppet fire Police Commissioner James 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...
in favor of Peter Pauling, who is on Thorne's payroll. Thorne finally identifies Bruce Wayne as Batman after acquiring photos of him changing costume from reporter Vicki Vale
Vicki Vale
Victoria Vale is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Batman #49 , and was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger.-1940s-1960s:...
. Thorne then hires 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....
to kill Wayne. Deadshot is unsuccessful, however. Meanwhile, Thorne is still haunted by the ghost of Hugo Strange, who is revealed to have faked his death and tormented Thorne with experiments designed to simulate ghostly experiences. Thorne becomes convinced that Hill and Pauling are plotting against him and trying to drive him insane. Thorne kills Pauling but is eventually apprehended by Batman.
Thorne makes a return appearance in Detective Comics #825 (cover-dated January 2007, released November 2006). This was his first major comics appearance in decades, and his first appearance in the Post-Crisis
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
DC universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
. He is shown incarcerated in Blackgate Penitentiary
Blackgate Penitentiary
Blackgate Penitentiary is a fictional prison depicted in the DC Universe, traditionally located on a small island in the Gotham Bay, Gotham City...
when Doctor Phosphorus makes an attempt on his life, one that Batman prevents.
Television
- Rupert Thorne appear as a recurring villain in Batman: The Animated SeriesBatman: The Animated SeriesBatman: The Animated Series is an American animated series based on the DC Comics character Batman. The series featured an ensemble cast of many voice-actors including Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Arleen Sorkin, and Loren Lester. The series won four Emmy Awards and was nominated...
voiced by the late John VernonJohn VernonJohn Keith Vernon was a Canadian actor. He made a career in Hollywood after achieving initial television stardom in Canada.-Early life:...
. He appears at several points throughout the series to virtually control Gotham's criminal underworld. Thorne first appears in the episode "Two-FaceTwo-Face (Batman: The Animated Series)Two-Face is a two-part episode of the first season of Batman: The Animated Series. Academy Award-winner Al Pacino turned down an offer to voice Two-Face, and Richard Moll took up the role.- Part 1 :...
", in which he was responsible for district attorneyDistrict attorneyIn many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
Harvey Dent's transformation into the arch-criminal Two-FaceTwo-FaceTwo-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....
. Thorne blackmailBlackmailIn common usage, blackmail is a crime involving threats to reveal substantially true or false information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand is met. It may be defined as coercion involving threats of physical harm, threat of criminal prosecution, or threats...
s Dent with his psychological records, threatening to tell the press that the young DA suffers from multiple personality disorderDissociative identity disorderDissociative identity disorder is a psychiatric diagnosis and describes a condition in which a person displays multiple distinct identities , each with its own pattern of perceiving and interacting with the environment....
unless he stops prosecuting his henchmen (who keep escaping punishment thanks to bribes paid by Thorne). Enraged, Dent "switches" into his alternate, violent personality and chases Thorne into a nearby chemical processing plant, where an explosion permanently disfigures the left side of Dent's body and leaves his evil personality in permanent control. Dent (now calling himself "Two-Face") later seeks revenge on Thorne. With the help of a reluctant Batman, Two-Face succeeds in capturing him. Although both Thorne and Two-Face are arrested as the former DA was just barely stopped from killing Thorne. In this story, Thorne replaces mafia boss Sal MaroniSal MaroniSalvatore "The Boss" Maroni is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, usually as one of Batman's first enemies, and among the toughest gangsters in Gotham City...
as the mechanism for Dent's disfigurement and transformation into a criminal. Thorne's next appearance is in the episode "It's Never Too Late", where he is at war with a rival mob boss, Arnold Stromwell, whom he plots to ambush and kill. Batman saves Stromwell in time, and after persuading Stromwell to give up his life of crime, they work together to bring Thorne down. Thorne corners Stromwell and his estranged brother, Michael, and almost machine-guns them to death before being knocked out by Batman and left for the police. In "Vendetta", Batman suspected Rupert Thorne for abducting "Spider" Conway and interrogated Rupert in his greenhouse. He had no knowledge of "Spider" Conway's abduction and had his men eliminate Batman who managed to escape. In the episode "The Man who Killed Batman", the titular character Sidney DuPris begs Thorne to smuggle him out of Gotham to escape from many people on both sides of the law. Sidney recounts his story, which started with his role in Thorne's failed drug racket and ended with a near-lethal encounter with 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...
. Thorne refuses to believe that Sidney is a victim of mere circumstance, and prepares to kill him when Batman (who survived all along) appears and knocks him out. The episode "Paging The Crime Doctor" reveals that Rupert Thorne's younger brother, Dr. Matthew Thorne, lost his license when he failed to file a police report on a gunshot wound he treated, probably working for Rupert. While reluctantly performing medicine on gangsters without a license as "The Crime Doctor," he surgically removes a benign tumor with the help of his colleague Dr. Leslie ThompkinsLeslie ThompkinsDr. Leslie Thompkins is a fictional character from the Batman mythos. Created by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Dick Giordano, she first appeared in Detective Comics #457...
from Rupert's heart on the promise that his brother would use his connections to reinstate Matthew's medical license. After the surgery, however, Matthew turns on Rupert, when Thorne's men plot to kill Thompkins, and turns himself in to the police in the aftermath, leaving Thorne's fate in the episode unknown. In the episode "Bane", Thorne hires BaneBane (comics)Bane is a fictional character who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1 , and was created by Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench, and Graham Nolan. Bane has been one of Batman's more physically and intellectually powerful foes...
to assassinateAssassinationTo carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
the Dark Knight. Unbeknownst to Thorne however, his moll Candice is conspiring with Bane to kill him as well as Batman so they can both run the city's underworld. After Batman defeats Bane by severing the tubing that pumps the Venom steroidSteroidA steroid is a type of organic compound that contains a characteristic arrangement of four cycloalkane rings that are joined to each other. Examples of steroids include the dietary fat cholesterol, the sex hormones estradiol and testosterone, and the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone.The core...
s into his body, he sends the hired killer to Thorne, trussed-up and noticeably shrunken, complete with an audio recording of his treasonous conversations with Candice. It is not revealed what Rupert does to Candice after that as she is not seen again in the series. This, however, changes nothing between him and Batman, despite Batman having saved Thorne's life as well as his own. His final appearance in the TV series is the episode "Second Chance" where he is one of the primary suspects for kidnapping Two-Face just before his operation to restore his face. RobinRobin (comics)Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...
is sent to interrogate him, but is captured by Thorne's men and brought to the mob boss himself. While Thorne denies any involvement, he sends his men to take Robin somewhere and kill him, unaware that Robin had escaped with his life. That was Rupert Thorne's final appearance in the DC Animated UniverseDC animated universeThe DC Animated Universe is a fan term that refers to a series of popular animated television series and related spin-offs produced by Warner Bros. Animation which share the same continuity. Most of these series are adapted from DC Comics properties...
.
- Rupert Thorne is featured in 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...
voiced by Victor BrandtVictor BrandtVictor Brandt is an American actor mostly known for his voice-over performances.Brandt was born in Los Angeles, California. He has appeared as an actor in several classic shows such as Star Trek, Mission Impossible and T.J Hooker...
. He is shown having become aware of Batman's appearances. Following his henchmen being defeated, he flees to the roof and nearly falls only to be saved by Batman. Thorne and his henchmen were left for the police. In "The Bat in the Belfry," his criminal empire falls apart before supervillains like 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...
appear in Gotham. He also makes a cameo in the episode "A Matter of Family". In "Rumors", he is shown to be one of the titular character's captives.
Film
- In the original script for the 1989 film BatmanBatman (1989 film)Batman is a 1989 superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name, directed by Tim Burton. The film stars Michael Keaton in the title role, as well as Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl and Jack Palance...
, written by Tom MankiewiczTom MankiewiczThomas Frank Mankiewicz was a screenwriter/director/producer of motion pictures and television, perhaps best known for his work on the James Bond films and his contributions to Superman: The Movie and the television series, Hart to Hart.-Early life and career:Mankiewicz was born in Los Angeles on...
, Rupert Thorne hires Joe ChillJoe ChillJoe Chill is a fictional character in the DC Comics Batman series. He is best known for murdering young Bruce Wayne's parents , thus making him indirectly responsible for Batman's existence....
to murder Bruce Wayne's father, ThomasThomas WayneThomas 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...
, who is running against Thorne for city council. He was replaced by Carl Grissom. - Thorne's final major appearance in the DC Animated Universe continuity is the direct-to-DVDDVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
movie, Batman: Mystery of the BatwomanBatman: Mystery of the BatwomanBatman: Mystery of the Batwoman is a 2003 direct-to-video animated film based on the animated series The New Batman Adventures. It was released in the U.S. in October 2003 and was produced by Warner Bros...
(based on The New Batman AdventuresThe New Batman AdventuresThe New Batman Adventures is the successor to Batman: The Animated Series produced by Warner Bros. Animation. Although bearing different character designs and animation styles, both shows take place in the same continuity, with TNBA set two years after BTAS. The series aired on The WB from...
) with John VernonJohn VernonJohn Keith Vernon was a Canadian actor. He made a career in Hollywood after achieving initial television stardom in Canada.-Early life:...
reprising his role. He works with The 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...
and Carlton Duquesne in an illegal arms deal with the President of KasniaKasniaKasnia or Kaznia is a fictional country which appears in the DC animated universe. It appears to be located in the Balkans, and to alternated between peace and a civil war between Northern and Southern factions.-Superman:Kaznia first appears in the premiere episode of Superman: The Animated Series,...
. The three are also allied with Bane, although there is no mention of Bane's previous allegiance with Thorne in "Bane". Of the three Batwomen, Thorne shares a personal history with Sonia Alcana, whose life he ruined when he ordered her parents' shop burned down when she was still a child. Thorne had escaped punishment due to lack of evidence, although everyone knew he was the one behind it. In the end, Thorne is proven guilty for his role in the arms deal, and sent to prison.
Video games
- Rupert Thorne appears in the video game The Adventures of Batman & RobinAdventures of Batman & RobinThe Adventures of Batman and Robin is a and video game based on the popular DC Comics characters Batman and Robin and specifically the hit animated series Batman: The Animated Series...
for the Sega CD voiced by John VernonJohn VernonJohn Keith Vernon was a Canadian actor. He made a career in Hollywood after achieving initial television stardom in Canada.-Early life:...
. 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:...
takes on Thorne's shape while the real Thorne is on vacation using the gangster's money to hire other supervillainSupervillainA 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...
s in a plot to kill Batman.
Miscellaneous
- Thorne plays a larger role in The Batman Strikes!, a comic book based in the continuity of the show. In one issue, he works with Bruno Mannheim to create an army of super-villains based on Bane, Man-BatMan-BatMan-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...
, and Firefly.