An Obscure Batman Villain is About to Ruin Bruce Wayne’s Life
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The following article contains spoilers from “The Murder Club – Part 2” in Batman: Urban Legends #21, on sale now from DC Comics.
When Thomas and Martha Wayne seemingly returned from the dead, Batman was launched on a quest to discover how it was possible for them to be back. “The Murder Club – Part 2” from Batman: Urban Legends #21 (by Joey Esposito, Vasco Georgiev, Alex Guimaraes, and Carlos M. Mangual) wasted no time exposing the culprit. Having learned that his parents were brought forward in time, Batman found out the perpetrator was an old foe — the Time Commander (John Starr).
A relatively obscure villain, Time Commander has significant control over the flow of time. This isn’t even the first time he’s attempted to do something like this. However, the effects of his powers are not permanent, and by bringing Thomas and Martha into the present, he unwittingly is forcing Batman to relive his worst trauma and lose his parents all over again.
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Who Is Batman’s Classic Foe, Time Commander?
Debuting in The Brave and the Bold #59 (by Bob Haney and Ramona Fradon), John Starr was a gifted scientist who was forced into a life of crime after a project he was working on went horribly wrong. While incarcerated, John developed a specialized hourglass that would give him control over time itself. His ensuing schemes were later foiled by Batman and Green Lantern, making Batman one of the first heroes he ever faced.
Later on, Time Commander’s deeds would become more spectacular. He began using his powers to restore people’s youth, and even bring back the dead. His goal was to create a literal Eden on Earth, but it was foiled by a collection of heroes. Unfortunately for the people he helped, the changes he made were undone with his defeat. The last anyone saw of him was when he was killed by Skeets, Booster Gold’s robotic assistant, who was under the control of Mister Mind. Since then, there has been no activity from him until now.
While it’s doubtful that Time Commander knows Batman’s true identity, his actions have certainly caused a disruption in Batman’s life. His immediate response to learning that his parents were back was to try and find proof that it wasn’t them. However, now that he knows for certain, he has a choice to make — allow Time Commander to continue whatever it is he’s doing, or stop him, and lose his parents all over again.
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Batman Will Inevitably Lose His Parents All Over Again
The great tragedy of this is that Batman doesn’t really have a choice. He knows that he has to stop Time Commander’s plans. People have already been killed, not to mention the possible repercussions of altering such a life-changing moment by keeping his parents with him. If they stay, Bruce’s life could take a huge turn as the timeline readjusts to Thomas and Martha vanishing rather than dying. That could result in Bruce never becoming Batman at all.
Therefore, he really can’t let them stay, even though he knows he’s condemning them to die once again. As terrible as it is though, it also provides Batman a gift — the opportunity to brace himself and say goodbye. His parents can also see what a good man their son has become, and Bruce can finally get closure in knowing that he has honored their legacy as Batman. That alone might be worth the pain of losing them twice.