Who killed Batman's parents?

Answer 1

In the beginning, the hoodlum was not named. In later years (the fifties, I think) it was revealed that it was Joe Chill. When Batman tracked him down, Joe Chill had amnesia from a head injury and had no memory of having shot the Waynes. He even beat a polygraph test! But Batman recognized him. It seemed almost impossible to bring him to justice, however. Batman finally decided that even if it cost him his secret identity and ended his career, he had to confront the man who killed his parents.

So Batman burst in on Chill and unmasked himself. Chill then recognized the eyes of the boy who he had seen in the alley, the dreadful, accusing eyes, staring at him, and he was terrified! Chill fled out to another room in the building, and babbled to his frightened mobsters that he was the one responsible for the existence of Batman! Enraged, they shot him to death before they thought of asking what Batman's identity was. Batman then captured them.

Later (late fifites or sixties) it was learned that Joe Chill was not just a random stick-up man, but had been sent to kill Thomas Wayne for testifying against a mobster boss! The Wayne murder case was re-opened. (Talk about a cold case!) But Batman managed to track down the guy who had given the order to kill.

In the process, Batman's costumed was ruined, and he had to use the old bat costume worn by his father to a masquerade ball, where he had interfered with a holdup of the weathy host, which the mobster had planned. (So Thomas Wayne was actually the first crime-fighting Batman!)

When Batman wore the old costume, the elderly mob boss thought it was Thomas Wayne come back, and panicked and fled outside, only to run into the path of a truck. He was struck and killed.

Now, in the movies, they made it out that the guy who shot the Waynes became the Joker, but the Joker's real name has never been revealed in the comics. The comic books and the movies are not exactly the same.

Anyhow, I hope this explains things enough so you can understand it.

Answer 2

Well in Tim Burton it was the Joker which was the wrong way to do it. I batman begins it was Joe Chill. But I like the idea that Batman never knows who killed his parents, and he will be looking for their killer forever.

Answer 3

If you're strictly going by the comic, it was just some average run-of-the-mill thug.
Part of the allure and danger of the Joker character is that he could be anybody, and his origins are never completely explained in the comics. In the Tim Burton movie, Jack Napier killed Bruce Wayne's parents before he became the Joker, but that just added more drama to the final confrontation.

Answer 4

An evil, horrible man killed Batman's beautiful parents.

Answer 5

It depends.

In the Tim Burton film, it was Jack Nicholson's character long before he became the Joker.

In Batman Begins, the comic Batman: Year One and Batman comics after Infinite Crisis, it was Joe Chill.

In comics between Crisis on Infinite Earths and Infinite Crisis, it was an unknown criminal who was never caught.

Which one's right? All of them. DC Comics has always had a sort of fluid continuity that resulted in numerous retroactive continuity changes, and the movies are different continuities than the comics. None of them are wrong, but they are all dependant on what sense you mean.

Answer 6

Depends on which movie you watch. In Batman Begins its some guy named Joe Chill. In the original its Jack Nicholsons character before he becomes the Joker. In the comic its unknown.

Answer 7

There are three answers:

Some common thug, never caught.
Joe Chill, hired by some crime boss (whose name eludes me) to get revenge on Doctor Thomas Wayne.
Jack Napier, aka The Joker

All three have been used at one point or another during the Batman's 60+ years.

Answer 8

The Joker

Answer 9

The Joker.

Answer 10

It was a run-of-the-mill thug or thief. The thief did it just to get jewelry from Bruce's mom, but Bruce's dad would not have it, so the thief shot them.