Wayne Enterprises
Encyclopedia
Wayne Enterprises is a company in the DC Universe
, owned by Bruce Wayne
and run by his business manager, Lucius Fox
. It was founded by merchant ancestors of the Wayne family in the 17th century as a merchant house, although the company changed when the heir of Judge Solomon Wayne, Alan, utilized his father's wealth and erected the Wayne Shipping company and also the Wayne Chemical company into the city. Thus it was officially erected in the 19th century. In addition to providing an income for Wayne, the various activities of the organization help facilitate his Batman activities.
, WayneCorp was founded in the 17th century but officially became a company in the 19th century under Alan Wayne. It has grown to become one of the world's top ten multinational conglomerates. Today, WayneCorp continues to achieve excellence across a wide range of industry sectors and markets, employing some 170,000 people in 170 countries. The current CEO and Chairman, Bruce Wayne, is a keen modernizer and continues to grow the business in the financial sector and in high end technologies.
before its assets were liquidated and Wayne bought them out. The subsidiary is sometimes used by Batman as a means to acquire new technologies, or to use the medical facilities.
Other subsidiaries of WayneTech include: Holt Holdings Inc. (the company formerly owned by Michael Holt
(Mister Terrific), Wayne Biotech, Wayne Pharmaceuticals, and Wayne Healthcare, which runs Gotham City's healthcare system.
Recently, Talia al Ghul
secretly purchased enough shares to own this division and Kord Industries
.
The current research at Wayne Biotech is focused on finding a cure for cancer. Because the human
genome
has already been unlocked, Wayne Biotech is studying cloning
to produce organs for future transplants. The company is also involved in research into brain surgery methods, the fight against AIDS
and HIV
, and reconstructive plastic surgery
. Batman uses Wayne Biotech as a research tool for finding medical information, patient histories, and information on illnesses.
in 1914 severely impacted trade lines from Ireland
to Gotham. At the end of the war in 1918, Toole & Sons Food Merchants was near bankruptcy. Thomas, unable to carry on his father’s legacy, committed suicide in 1922 at age 43. The second youngest Toole brother, Rory, took over the business and immediately set about selling all company assets in favor of entering liquidation.
The business was bought in 1925 by the Wayne family, who were keen to preserve an important part of Gotham’s retail history. The business returned to profit in less than a year, and by the end of the second World War, Toole & Sons stores controlled over 60% of all food retail across the city. This was achieved by diversifying the product range and opening up stock to new markets outside of Ireland and within the US. The company changed its name to Wayne Foods in 1956.
Today, Wayne Foods focuses on the high end market and specialty goods. Although it no longer has the dominance across Gotham as it did from the late 1950s to the mid 1980s, Wayne Foods continues to generate significant revenue for Wayne Enterprises.
in 1988. The Wayne Family currently owns 57% of the company, with Milanic's second son, Dragoslav, owning 20% (and the remaining 23% is in public ownership). Despite a lack of investment in Wayne Shipping since the merger took place, the company still remains an important player in world ocean transportation.
s and metal refineries in Gotham and supplies steel for shipbuilding. It also studies and replicates alien technology. This has led to Batman getting priority on technology and alloys for him to study. Wayne Steel's alliance with the US Navy and the government has produced numerous contracts for Wayne Enterprises.
in Gotham. Wayne Steel and Wayne Yards facilities repair a large number of cruiser
s and destroyer
s, and also have contacts within the upper echelons of the Navy and the global maritime
business.
government and NASA
. The military aviation branch designs and manufactures jet fighters and helicopters for the US military. The most notable models of these are the W-4 Wraith fighter and the Kestrel attack helicopter. Wayne Aerospace maintains competition with other aerospace corporations like Ferris Air
and LexAir.
. Wayne Chemicals and Wayne Pharmaceuticals are primarily research and development firms. Wayne Oil researches petrochemical
s and alternative fuel sources. Wayne Chemicals was the first company to create a power generator that uses algae
.
Monarchs. Furthermore, Wayne Entertainment has working partnerships with several modeling agencies and multimedia houses, and provides a large number of contacts and information. The Daily Planet
newspaper, where Clark Kent
and his wife, Lois Lane
, work, is operated by Wayne Entertainment. Wayne Entertainment is in direct competition with WGBS (run by Galaxy Communications) and LexCom (run by LexCorp). Those companies, along with other television and movie companies, provide the same services as Wayne Entertainment. Through Wayne Entertainment, Batman has contacts in the media and entertainment industries.
for the Thomas Wayne Foundation and the Martha Wayne Foundation. The Wayne Foundation funds scientific research and helps people with research by providing facilities and training.
The foundation has its own building, called the Wayne Foundation Building, which includes a penthouse
where Batman lived for a period of time. It also has a secret elevator that leads to a matching Batcave
in a secret sub-basement under the building.
Through the Wayne Foundation and the organizations underneath, Wayne not only addresses social problems discouraging crime and assisting victims in a way that his Batman persona cannot, but the arrangement also provides a large network of connections in the world of charities. He finds out about the newest trends and newest arts, and at the same time maintains connections to the streets through the soup kitchens and social services groups, which augments his crime fighting efforts.
. The Thomas Wayne Foundation is also responsible for funding the Thomas Wayne Memorial Clinic in Park Row, Gotham's infamous Crime Alley. The foundation funds and runs dozens of other free clinic
s all over the city and in other trouble cities, such as Blüdhaven
. Bruce Wayne's surrogate mother, Dr. Leslie Thompkins
, runs the Memorial Clinic in Crime Alley and governed the other clinics until she left Gotham.
and The New Batman Adventures
, Wayne Enterprises was run both by Bruce Wayne and Lucius Fox. Attempts at taking over the company were made by rival companies, including Roland Daggett
of Dagget Industries. After GothCorp's CEO Ferris Boyle was arrested, Wayne Enterprises helped keep GothCorp running without firing any employees. It once partnered with LexCorp for the development of cybernetic scouting drones, the Waynelexes, but Bruce terminated their contract after Lex Luthor
created several large-scale military prototypes, violating the joint approval clause stipulated in their agreement, as well as his involvement in the Joker
's rampage on Metropolis. Wayne Enterprises also hired Arnold Wesker
after his release from Arkham Asylum
.
In Batman Beyond
, the elder Bruce Wayne defended against numerous hostile takeovers by shrewd industrialist Derek Powers
of Powers Technology. However, sometime after Bruce retired as Batman, Powers succeeding in merging the two companies, creating Wayne-Powers Enterprises. Powers has used the company's resources for many illegal business transactions, including making biological weapons for rogue nations. After Powers' criminal identity as Blight was revealed, his son Paxton took over as CEO. Paxton was soon arrested after attempting to murder Bruce and for several major art theft
s. Bruce then finally reclaimed the company as both Chairman and CEO and renamed the company again Wayne Enterprises.
animated series, when Robin
defected to Slade
, the remaining four Titans fought against Robin on top of Wayne Enterprises, destroying the letters "A" and "Y" in the process.
In the 1989 film Batman
, no mention is made of any family company owned by Bruce Wayne. In the beginning of the film at the Harvey Dent
Press Dinner, there is a seat for Bruce Wayne, which is empty (because he is busy working as Batman), suggesting that he funded Dent's campaign. In the casino scene in Wayne Manor
, Vicki Vale
asks him what he does for a living, and he is about to answer, but is interrupted by Alfred
.
In the 1992 sequel, Batman Returns
, still no mention is made of Wayne Enterprises in any capacity. However, Bruce is shown attending a meeting with Max Shreck, suggesting that he is known as a stockholder with holdings in various companies.
In the 1995 film Batman Forever
, Wayne Enterprises was briefly shown, with Bruce Wayne serving as head of the entire company (CEO), while Fred Stickley was head of the research department until being murdered by Edward Nygma, an employee in that department. Bruce also has a transport tunnel behind his desk in the main office that transports him back to Wayne Manor.
In the 2005 film Batman Begins
, board member William Earle takes over the company after the death of Thomas and Martha Wayne. He assures Bruce that the company will be in good hands until he is old enough to claim it. However, after Bruce's disappearance for many years, Earle has Wayne declared legally dead so he can carry on his plan of turning Wayne Enterprises into an open capital company.
When Bruce finally returns to Gotham, he does not show obvious interest in reclaiming the family business. He is given a generous trust fund to live off of. Instead, he chooses to work in the Applied Sciences division, using it and his coworker, Lucius Fox, to provide him with high-tech equipment. He takes gear originally made for the US military, including body armor and a prototype armored vehicle, and uses them to create equipment for his war on crime. At the film's end, when Wayne Enterprises becomes a public corporation, Bruce reveals he has become majority shareholder by means of a number of shell companies
he established using his trust fund. He then installs Fox as the active CEO.
According to Forbes
' 25 Largest Fictional Companies, Wayne Enterprises had estimated sales of $31.3 billion in 2007.
In the 2008 sequel, The Dark Knight
, Lucius Fox remains as the CEO of Wayne Enterprises. The company's research and development department has produced specialized fabrics and materials, electromagnetic gyroscopic navigational satellite systems (as shown on Batman: Gotham Knight
), antihemorrhagic agent, radiation stamping technology
, and rotor blades made of metal composites that have low radar signature and special acoustic design. As in Batman Begins, Bruce Wayne continues to utilize the resources of his company to aid his vigilante work as Batman. For example, he has Fox arrange a business meeting with a Chinese mogul named Lau in order to "get a closer look" at Lau's business practices and confirm his own suspicions that Lau and his company, LSI Holdings, had been cooperating with the mob in money laundering
schemes. He also had Fox build components for his new Batsuit
. Batman also used the company's radiation stamping technology to lightly irradiate a large quantity of dollar bills for Gotham Police Department's Major Crimes Unit detectives to use to track the mobs' money and identify which banks in the city are aiding them. Later on, Batman uses a sonar
technology developed by Fox in order to track down and capture the Joker.
In addition, a subplot of the film involves a Wayne Enterprises' fiduciary named Coleman Reese, who accidentally discovers Bruce Wayne's identity as Batman while reviewing the company's budget, and attempts to blackmail Wayne and Fox. The latter questions Reese as to his decision to blackmail a man he believes to be a violent vigilante. Later, Wayne "accidentally" saves Reese from the Joker's attention. Ultimately, Reese does not reveal his discovery.
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...
, owned by Bruce Wayne
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...
and run by his business manager, Lucius Fox
Lucius Fox
Lucius Fox is a fictional character appearing in Batman comic books by DC Comics. He was created by Len Wein and John Calnan, and first appeared in Batman #307 . As a supporting character, he acts as Bruce Wayne's business manager who supposedly unknowingly runs the business interests that supply...
. It was founded by merchant ancestors of the Wayne family in the 17th century as a merchant house, although the company changed when the heir of Judge Solomon Wayne, Alan, utilized his father's wealth and erected the Wayne Shipping company and also the Wayne Chemical company into the city. Thus it was officially erected in the 19th century. In addition to providing an income for Wayne, the various activities of the organization help facilitate his Batman activities.
Fictional company history
Based in 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...
, WayneCorp was founded in the 17th century but officially became a company in the 19th century under Alan Wayne. It has grown to become one of the world's top ten multinational conglomerates. Today, WayneCorp continues to achieve excellence across a wide range of industry sectors and markets, employing some 170,000 people in 170 countries. The current CEO and Chairman, Bruce Wayne, is a keen modernizer and continues to grow the business in the financial sector and in high end technologies.
Wayne Technologies
Wayne Technologies, also known as WayneTech, is the biggest division of Wayne Enterprises. It is involved in the retrieval and research of alien technology. Its main rival was LexCorpLexCorp
LexCorp is the fictional company founded by Lex Luthor in the popular DC Comics Superman series. It made its first proper appearance in John Byrne's The Man of Steel miniseries, which established the post-Crisis Superman setting...
before its assets were liquidated and Wayne bought them out. The subsidiary is sometimes used by Batman as a means to acquire new technologies, or to use the medical facilities.
Other subsidiaries of WayneTech include: Holt Holdings Inc. (the company formerly owned by Michael Holt
Mister Terrific (Michael Holt)
Michael Holt is a fictional character, a comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics. First appearing in Spectre #54 , he is the second character to take up the Mister Terrific mantle....
(Mister Terrific), Wayne Biotech, Wayne Pharmaceuticals, and Wayne Healthcare, which runs Gotham City's healthcare system.
Recently, Talia al Ghul
Talia al Ghul
Talia al Ghul is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe, the now-estranged daughter of the supervillain Ra's al Ghul, a love interest of Batman, and the mother of his son Damian Wayne, the fifth Robin...
secretly purchased enough shares to own this division and Kord Industries
Kord Industries
Kord Enterprises is a fictional company that exists in the DC Universe and is run by Ted Kord, the superhero Blue Beetle. Founded by his father, Ted Kord eventually takes over Kord Industries...
.
Wayne Biotech
Wayne Biotech is the company mostly responsible for the Gotham healthcare system. The company itself is a facility for researching and developing new medical procedures and systems, and also trains a large number of people annually. Wayne Chemicals and Wayne Pharmaceuticals work closely with Wayne Biotech to develop medicines for different diseases.The current research at Wayne Biotech is focused on finding a cure for cancer. Because the human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
genome
Genome
In modern molecular biology and genetics, the genome is the entirety of an organism's hereditary information. It is encoded either in DNA or, for many types of virus, in RNA. The genome includes both the genes and the non-coding sequences of the DNA/RNA....
has already been unlocked, Wayne Biotech is studying cloning
Cloning
Cloning in biology is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments , cells , or...
to produce organs for future transplants. The company is also involved in research into brain surgery methods, the fight against AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
and HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
, and reconstructive 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...
. Batman uses Wayne Biotech as a research tool for finding medical information, patient histories, and information on illnesses.
Wayne Foods
Wayne Foods is a little known subsidiary of Wayne Enterprises with its headquarters based in downtown Gotham City. The firm was started in 1872 by an Irish immigrant, Patrick Toole, under the name, Toole & Sons Food Merchants. The business was successful in importing Irish products that could be sold at a higher cost in the US economy. By 1905, there were five Toole & Sons stores throughout Gotham City. Patrick Toole died at the age of 72 in 1919, leaving the business to his eldest son, Thomas Toole. Thomas was keen to expand across the US; however, the outbreak of war in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in 1914 severely impacted trade lines from Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
to Gotham. At the end of the war in 1918, Toole & Sons Food Merchants was near bankruptcy. Thomas, unable to carry on his father’s legacy, committed suicide in 1922 at age 43. The second youngest Toole brother, Rory, took over the business and immediately set about selling all company assets in favor of entering liquidation.
The business was bought in 1925 by the Wayne family, who were keen to preserve an important part of Gotham’s retail history. The business returned to profit in less than a year, and by the end of the second World War, Toole & Sons stores controlled over 60% of all food retail across the city. This was achieved by diversifying the product range and opening up stock to new markets outside of Ireland and within the US. The company changed its name to Wayne Foods in 1956.
Today, Wayne Foods focuses on the high end market and specialty goods. Although it no longer has the dominance across Gotham as it did from the late 1950s to the mid 1980s, Wayne Foods continues to generate significant revenue for Wayne Enterprises.
Wayne Shipping
Wayne Shipping owns dozens of freighters and handles three-and-a-half billion tons of freight each month. It is used by Batman to gain an inside view on smuggling and drug trafficking. In 1986, Wayne Shipping merged with PAAL Ship Corporation, creating the world's largest commercial shipping operation for precious metals. The former PAAL CEO, Andreas Milanic, successfully floated Wayne Shipping on the New York Stock ExchangeNew York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at 13.39 trillion as of Dec 2010...
in 1988. The Wayne Family currently owns 57% of the company, with Milanic's second son, Dragoslav, owning 20% (and the remaining 23% is in public ownership). Despite a lack of investment in Wayne Shipping since the merger took place, the company still remains an important player in world ocean transportation.
Wayne Steel
Wayne Steel is one of the oldest steel millSteel mill
A steel mill or steelworks is an industrial plant for the manufacture of steel.Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon. It is produced in a two-stage process. First, iron ore is reduced or smelted with coke and limestone in a blast furnace, producing molten iron which is either cast into pig iron or...
s and metal refineries in Gotham and supplies steel for shipbuilding. It also studies and replicates alien technology. This has led to Batman getting priority on technology and alloys for him to study. Wayne Steel's alliance with the US Navy and the government has produced numerous contracts for Wayne Enterprises.
Wayne Yards
Wayne Yards is responsible for the building of a large number of naval warships, commercial and private ships, and is currently building a Nimitz class aircraft carrierNimitz class aircraft carrier
The Nimitz-class supercarriers are a class of ten nuclear-powered aircraft carriers in service with the United States Navy. With an overall length of and full-load displacements of over 100,000 long tons, they are the largest capital ships in the world...
in Gotham. Wayne Steel and Wayne Yards facilities repair a large number of cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
s and destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s, and also have contacts within the upper echelons of the Navy and the global maritime
Sea
A sea generally refers to a large body of salt water, but the term is used in other contexts as well. Most commonly, it means a large expanse of saline water connected with an ocean, and is commonly used as a synonym for ocean...
business.
Wayne Aerospace
Wayne Aerospace builds luxurious and exclusive corporate and private jets and airliners. Its experimental aviation branch produces experimental and research planes for the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
government and NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
. The military aviation branch designs and manufactures jet fighters and helicopters for the US military. The most notable models of these are the W-4 Wraith fighter and the Kestrel attack helicopter. Wayne Aerospace maintains competition with other aerospace corporations like Ferris Air
Carol Ferris
Caroline "Carol" Ferris is a character in the . She is one of many characters who has used the name Star Sapphire, and is a long-time love interest of Hal Jordan, the Silver Age Green Lantern. Her original design was based on Elizabeth Taylor...
and LexAir.
Wayne Chemicals
Wayne Chemicals controls Wayne Oil, Wayne Pharmaceuticals, and Wayne Botanical; and also has a small percentage of ownership in Tyler Chemicals, based in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Wayne Chemicals and Wayne Pharmaceuticals are primarily research and development firms. Wayne Oil researches petrochemical
Petrochemical
Petrochemicals are chemical products derived from petroleum. Some chemical compounds made from petroleum are also obtained from other fossil fuels, such as coal or natural gas, or renewable sources such as corn or sugar cane....
s and alternative fuel sources. Wayne Chemicals was the first company to create a power generator that uses algae
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
.
Wayne Industries
Wayne Industries is a research and development company used for industrial purposes. The company studies, researches, and develops cleaner, mechanical fission and fusion power plants; and also owns many factories and normal labor units. The company is heavily involved in the industrial circuit, developing industrial machinery such as, manufacturing heavy engines, motors, pneumatic systems and large scale systems. Additionally, Wayne Industries is also involved in cloth making. Wayne Mining is also a part of Wayne Industries, along with the few power stations the company owns. Wayne Mining mostly mines and produces gold and some precious stones in Africa.Wayne Medical
Wayne Medical is Wayne Biotech’s sister company, but each has different fields of study and work. Wayne Medical handles most of the healthcare system in Gotham and also studies cancer and AIDS with Wayne Biotech. Wayne Medical is focused more on researching illnesses than treating them. It maintains and runs many hospitals in Gotham City and helps the Wayne Foundation with the orphanages.Wayne Electronics
Wayne Electronics is a large consortium that manufactures portable radios, stereo and Hi-Fi systems, movie cameras, cameras, measuring devices, scanners, surveillance equipment, and other electronics devices. Its other branches of business include information technology, wired and wireless networks, and space exploration systems and satellites. It also has contracts with the aerospace, nautical, and military industries.Wayne Entertainment
Wayne Entertainment owns many arenas and stadiums in Gotham and has leased out the Sommerset Stadium to the MetropolisMetropolis (comics)
Metropolis is a fictional city that appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and is the home of Superman. Metropolis first appeared by name in Action Comics #16 ....
Monarchs. Furthermore, Wayne Entertainment has working partnerships with several modeling agencies and multimedia houses, and provides a large number of contacts and information. The Daily Planet
Daily Planet
The Daily Planet is a fictional broadsheet newspaper in the , appearing mostly in the stories of Superman. The building's original features were based upon the AT&T Huron Road Building in Cleveland, Ohio...
newspaper, where Clark Kent
Clark Kent
Clark Kent is a fictional character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Appearing regularly in stories published by DC Comics, he debuted in Action Comics #1 and serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman....
and his wife, Lois Lane
Lois Lane
Lois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 ....
, work, is operated by Wayne Entertainment. Wayne Entertainment is in direct competition with WGBS (run by Galaxy Communications) and LexCom (run by LexCorp). Those companies, along with other television and movie companies, provide the same services as Wayne Entertainment. Through Wayne Entertainment, Batman has contacts in the media and entertainment industries.
Wayne Foundation
The Wayne Foundation is the holding companyHolding company
A holding company is a company or firm that owns other companies' outstanding stock. It usually refers to a company which does not produce goods or services itself; rather, its purpose is to own shares of other companies. Holding companies allow the reduction of risk for the owners and can allow...
for the Thomas Wayne Foundation and the Martha Wayne Foundation. The Wayne Foundation funds scientific research and helps people with research by providing facilities and training.
The foundation has its own building, called the Wayne Foundation Building, which includes a penthouse
Penthouse apartment
A penthouse apartment or penthouse is an apartment that is on one of the highest floors of an apartment building. Penthouses are typically differentiated from other apartments by luxury features.-History:...
where Batman lived for a period of time. It also has a secret elevator that leads to a matching 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:...
in a secret sub-basement under the building.
Through the Wayne Foundation and the organizations underneath, Wayne not only addresses social problems discouraging crime and assisting victims in a way that his Batman persona cannot, but the arrangement also provides a large network of connections in the world of charities. He finds out about the newest trends and newest arts, and at the same time maintains connections to the streets through the soup kitchens and social services groups, which augments his crime fighting efforts.
Thomas Wayne Foundation
The Thomas Wayne Foundation is a foundation for medicine and medical help. This foundation gives annual awards for medical breakthroughs and lifelong commitment, similar to the Nobel FoundationNobel Foundation
The Nobel Foundation is a private institution founded on 29 June 1900 to manage the finances and administration of the Nobel Prizes. The Foundation is based on the last will of Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite....
. The Thomas Wayne Foundation is also responsible for funding the Thomas Wayne Memorial Clinic in Park Row, Gotham's infamous Crime Alley. The foundation funds and runs dozens of other free clinic
Free clinic
A free clinic is a medical facility offering community healthcare on a free or very low-cost basis in countries with marginal or no universal health care. Care is generally provided in these clinics to persons who have lower or limited income and no health insurance, including persons who are not...
s all over the city and in other trouble cities, such as Blüdhaven
Blüdhaven
Blüdhaven is a fictional city in the . Created by Chuck Dixon and Scott McDaniel in 1996, it was originally intended to serve as a backdrop for the Nightwing comics series.-Fictional geography:...
. Bruce Wayne's surrogate mother, Dr. Leslie Thompkins
Leslie Thompkins
Dr. 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...
, runs the Memorial Clinic in Crime Alley and governed the other clinics until she left Gotham.
Martha Wayne Foundation
The Martha Wayne Foundation is a patron and supporter of arts, families, education, and tolerance. The foundation supports and helps to run a number of orphanages and free schools, and provides teachers for those who have learning difficulties. Artists can apply for grants from the foundation to help support them in furthering the arts. The foundation sponsors companies like Family Finders Inc. in Gotham. Family Finders is an organization directed at finding lost people and uniting families. The Martha Wayne Foundation also sponsors and runs dozens of soup kitchens within the city.DC animated universe
In Batman: The Animated SeriesBatman: The Animated Series
Batman: 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...
and The New Batman Adventures
The New Batman Adventures
The 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...
, Wayne Enterprises was run both by Bruce Wayne and Lucius Fox. Attempts at taking over the company were made by rival companies, including Roland Daggett
Roland Daggett
Roland Daggett is a fictional character and an adversary of Batman. He made his debut in Batman: The Animated Series as a corrupt and powerful businessman, voiced by Golden Globe-winner Edward Asner...
of Dagget Industries. After GothCorp's CEO Ferris Boyle was arrested, Wayne Enterprises helped keep GothCorp running without firing any employees. It once partnered with LexCorp for the development of cybernetic scouting drones, the Waynelexes, but Bruce terminated their contract after Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
created several large-scale military prototypes, violating the joint approval clause stipulated in their agreement, as well as his involvement in the Joker
Joker (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...
's rampage on Metropolis. Wayne Enterprises also hired Arnold Wesker
Ventriloquist (comics)
The Ventriloquist is a fictional character, a supervillain and enemy of Batman in the . The Ventriloquist first appeared in Detective Comics #583 and was created by Alan Grant, John Wagner and Norm Breyfogle...
after his release from 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...
.
In Batman Beyond
Batman Beyond
Batman Beyond is an American animated television series created by Warner Bros. Animation in collaboration with DC Comics as a continuation of the Batman legacy...
, the elder Bruce Wayne defended against numerous hostile takeovers by shrewd industrialist Derek Powers
Derek Powers
Derek Powers, also called Blight, is a fictional character that appears in the Batman Beyond animated series, voiced by Sherman Howard...
of Powers Technology. However, sometime after Bruce retired as Batman, Powers succeeding in merging the two companies, creating Wayne-Powers Enterprises. Powers has used the company's resources for many illegal business transactions, including making biological weapons for rogue nations. After Powers' criminal identity as Blight was revealed, his son Paxton took over as CEO. Paxton was soon arrested after attempting to murder Bruce and for several major art theft
Art theft
Art theft is usually for the purpose of resale or for ransom . Stolen art is sometimes used by criminals to secure loans.. One must realize that only a small percentage of stolen art is recovered. Estimates range from 5 to 10%. This means that little is known about the scope and characteristics of...
s. Bruce then finally reclaimed the company as both Chairman and CEO and renamed the company again Wayne Enterprises.
Teen Titans
In an episode of the Teen TitansTeen Titans (TV series)
Teen Titans is an American animated television series based on the DC Comics characters of the same name. The show was created by Glen Murakami, developed by David Slack, and produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It premiered on Cartoon Network on July 19, 2003, and the final episode "Things Change"...
animated series, when Robin
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....
defected to Slade
Deathstroke
Deathstroke the Terminator , originally simply the Terminator, and known by the Teen Titans as Slade, is a fictional character, a supervillain and sometimes antihero in the DC Comics Universe. He is a mercenary and assassin who first appeared in The New Teen Titans #2...
, the remaining four Titans fought against Robin on top of Wayne Enterprises, destroying the letters "A" and "Y" in the process.
Batman
In the 1989 film Batman
Batman (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...
, no mention is made of any family company owned by Bruce Wayne. In the beginning of the film at the Harvey Dent
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....
Press Dinner, there is a seat for Bruce Wayne, which is empty (because he is busy working as Batman), suggesting that he funded Dent's campaign. In the casino scene in Wayne Manor
Wayne Manor
In DC Comics, Wayne Manor is a fictional setting, the personal residence of Bruce Wayne, who is also Batman. The residence is typically depicted as a huge stately mansion on grounds outside Gotham City, maintained by the Wayne family's servant, Alfred Pennyworth...
, 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:...
asks him what he does for a living, and he is about to answer, but is interrupted by Alfred
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...
.
Batman Returns
In the 1992 sequel, Batman Returns
Batman Returns
Batman Returns is a 1992 American superhero film directed by Tim Burton. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is the sequel to Burton's Batman , and features Michael Keaton reprising the title role, with Danny DeVito as the Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman.Burton originally did not...
, still no mention is made of Wayne Enterprises in any capacity. However, Bruce is shown attending a meeting with Max Shreck, suggesting that he is known as a stockholder with holdings in various companies.
Batman Forever
In the 1995 film Batman Forever
Batman Forever
Batman Forever is a 1995 American superhero film directed by Joel Schumacher and produced by Tim Burton. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is a sequel to Batman Returns , with Val Kilmer replacing Michael Keaton as Batman...
, Wayne Enterprises was briefly shown, with Bruce Wayne serving as head of the entire company (CEO), while Fred Stickley was head of the research department until being murdered by Edward Nygma, an employee in that department. Bruce also has a transport tunnel behind his desk in the main office that transports him back to Wayne Manor.
Batman Begins
In the 2005 film Batman Begins
Batman Begins
Batman Begins is a 2005 American superhero action film based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman, directed by Christopher Nolan. It stars Christian Bale as Batman, along with Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Ken Watanabe, Tom Wilkinson,...
, board member William Earle takes over the company after the death of Thomas and Martha Wayne. He assures Bruce that the company will be in good hands until he is old enough to claim it. However, after Bruce's disappearance for many years, Earle has Wayne declared legally dead so he can carry on his plan of turning Wayne Enterprises into an open capital company.
When Bruce finally returns to Gotham, he does not show obvious interest in reclaiming the family business. He is given a generous trust fund to live off of. Instead, he chooses to work in the Applied Sciences division, using it and his coworker, Lucius Fox, to provide him with high-tech equipment. He takes gear originally made for the US military, including body armor and a prototype armored vehicle, and uses them to create equipment for his war on crime. At the film's end, when Wayne Enterprises becomes a public corporation, Bruce reveals he has become majority shareholder by means of a number of shell companies
Shell (corporation)
A shell corporation is a company which serves as a vehicle for business transactions without itself having any significant assets or operations. Shell corporations are not in themselves illegal and have legitimate business purposes. However, they are a main component of the underground economy,...
he established using his trust fund. He then installs Fox as the active CEO.
According to Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
The Dark Knight
In the 2008 sequel, The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight (film)
The Dark Knight is a 2008 superhero film directed, produced and co-written by Christopher Nolan. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is part of Nolan's Batman film series and a sequel to 2005's Batman Begins...
, Lucius Fox remains as the CEO of Wayne Enterprises. The company's research and development department has produced specialized fabrics and materials, electromagnetic gyroscopic navigational satellite systems (as shown on Batman: Gotham Knight
Batman: Gotham Knight
is a 2008 direct-to-DVD animated superhero anthology film of six animated short films set in-between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. It depicts Batman battling against the mob of Gotham City, as well as other villains...
), antihemorrhagic agent, radiation stamping technology
Photoluminescence
Photoluminescence is a process in which a substance absorbs photons and then re-radiates photons. Quantum mechanically, this can be described as an excitation to a higher energy state and then a return to a lower energy state accompanied by the emission of a photon...
, and rotor blades made of metal composites that have low radar signature and special acoustic design. As in Batman Begins, Bruce Wayne continues to utilize the resources of his company to aid his vigilante work as Batman. For example, he has Fox arrange a business meeting with a Chinese mogul named Lau in order to "get a closer look" at Lau's business practices and confirm his own suspicions that Lau and his company, LSI Holdings, had been cooperating with the mob in money laundering
Money laundering
Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...
schemes. He also had Fox build components for his new Batsuit
Batsuit
The Batsuit is the costume of the fictional character Batman, a superhero appearing in DC Comics. Though the suit has been drawn many different ways by different artists, and the stories themselves have described Batman as modifying the details of his costume from time to time, it is most often...
. Batman also used the company's radiation stamping technology to lightly irradiate a large quantity of dollar bills for Gotham Police Department's Major Crimes Unit detectives to use to track the mobs' money and identify which banks in the city are aiding them. Later on, Batman uses a sonar
Sonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
technology developed by Fox in order to track down and capture the Joker.
In addition, a subplot of the film involves a Wayne Enterprises' fiduciary named Coleman Reese, who accidentally discovers Bruce Wayne's identity as Batman while reviewing the company's budget, and attempts to blackmail Wayne and Fox. The latter questions Reese as to his decision to blackmail a man he believes to be a violent vigilante. Later, Wayne "accidentally" saves Reese from the Joker's attention. Ultimately, Reese does not reveal his discovery.
External links
- Batman Begins at Warner Bros.Warner Bros.Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
- The Dark Knight at Warner Bros.