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This page lists the characters appearing in the Batman: Earth One line of comic books. All spoilers from the first two books will be unmarked below.

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Protagonists

    Batman 

Batman / Bruce Wayne

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/page_72.jpg

The son of the murdered Thomas and Martha Wayne. He has become a vigilante in Gotham City.


  • Adaptational Nice Guy: He isn't the jaded Vigilante Man just yet.
  • Adaptational Wimp: This Bruce Wayne never traveled the world to become a martial arts master, having learned everything from Alfred. He is also far from a master detective.
  • Badass Normal: As to be expected from Batman.
  • Composite Character: He's the last living heir of the Arkham family in this universe, not unlike the character of Dr. Jeremiah Arkham.
  • Crimefighting with Cash: Played for Laughs in Volume 3 when he simply gets The Cat on his side by simply giving her a roll of money. Lampshaded by Croc.
    Killer Croc: You're paying her?
  • Decon-Recon Switch: This Batman is far less effective than the usual version, having a more realistic skill level rather than an expert martial artist/detective/inventor. However he is still a force for good, partly due to placing a greater emphasis on one of Batman's less flashy skills: his ability to gather allies.
  • Heroic Wannabe: He starts out as this, but starts to grow out of it.
  • Hero with Bad Publicity: He even has this as Bruce Wayne, at least in the eyes of Harvey Dent.
  • Honor Before Reason: He won't wear body armor because of this, reasoning that using body armor would clash with the ability to intimidate.
  • Irisless Eye Mask Of Mystery: Averted. Bruce's eyes and pupils are clearly drawn and are visible when he's in his cowl.
  • You Killed My Father: His motivation in the first volume.

    Alfred Pennyworth 

Alfred Pennyworth

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/page_78.jpg

A friend of the Wayne family who is Bruce's ally.


Criminals

    Mayor Cobblepot 

Oswald Cobblepot

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/page_124.jpg

The corrupt mayor of Gotham.


    Riddler 

The Riddler

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/page_120.jpg

A Mad Bomber who leaves riddles around Gotham City after the fall of Mayor Cobblepot.


  • Adaptational Villainy: He's a Mad Bomber who wants to take control of the late Mayor Cobblepot's crime network, and in terms of riddles, he has none of his main counterpart's Honor Before Reason, lying about being willing to not kill a train full of people when Batman successfully solves one of his riddles.
  • Big Bad: The main antagonist of Volume 2.
  • Mad Bomber: His way of villainy is the use of bombs at locations of choice.
  • Morton's Fork: Riddler tells Batman that he has to solve a riddle. If he doesn't, he'll blow up a train full of people, if he solves it, they live. He was lying, even when Batman answers correctly, he blew up the train anyway because he never expected Batman to answer correctly.
  • No Shirt, Long Jacket: His attire of choice.
  • Only Known by Their Nickname: Unlike his classic version, his name is never given, and the news reports state that it isn't known.
  • Villainous Breakdown: In the final parts of Volume 2, Riddler undergoes a rather quick one, going from calm and confident as he kills people with his various tactics to screaming at Batman and trying to shoot him as soon as he finally catches up with him.

    Birthday Boy 

Birthday Boy / Ray Salinger

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/birthday_boy_earth_one.jpg
A crazy serial killer under the control of Mayor Cobblepot.
  • Expy: Birthday Boy is a combination of Bane (big well-muscled Implacable Man who wears a full head-mask, but without the Venom) and Victor Zsasz (Serial Killer brandishing a knife with a thing for young ladies). The idea of a birthday-themed serial killer might also be a take on Holiday.
  • Implacable Man: The Birthday Boy during his battle against Batman, Gordon, and Bullock. Nothing will keep him down, and his massive strength lets him overpower all three of them for most of the fight.
  • Psycho for Hire: The Birthday Boy is this for Mayor Cobblepot.
  • Serial Killer: The Birthday Boy, who kidnaps young girls, is implied to cut their throats and then keep their corpses rotting in Arkham Manor's basement.

    Impersonator (Spoilers

Clayface

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/clayface_earth_1.jpg

A shapeshifting impersonator who takes his roles very seriously.


  • Ax-Crazy: He is violently insane, attacking those around him and being a danger to himself and others. However, how much of this is due to him impersonating Adrian Arkham is unclear.
  • Bald of Evil: In his true form.
  • Canon Character All Along: He's introduced as Bruce Wayne's maternal grandfather Adrian Arkham, but turns out to actually be this continuity's Clayface impersonating him.
  • Comic-Book Movies Don't Use Codenames: While he is clearly this continuity's version of Clayface, he is never named as such.
  • Criminal Doppelgänger: His modus operandi, with his most recent identity being Adrian Arkham.
  • Decomposite Character: While he has had the identities of Basil Karlo, Matt Hagen, and Preston Payne, it is heavily implied that none of them are his real name. As such, none of the others seem to have ever been Clayface.
  • The Dragon: To Jessica's "Harvey" personality.
  • Lost in Character: He has had so many roles that it seems he doesn’t even know who he is anymore.

    Rising Criminal (Spoilers

The Joker

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/joker_earth_1.jpg
"I'm nobody."

A criminal dressed as a clown.


  • Adaptational Late Appearance: The Joker is only introduced at the very end of volume 3, as a Sequel Hook, long after the appearance of Killer Croc, the Penguin, Riddler, Clayface, Two-Face, and Catwoman, when in most media (including the mainline comics) he appears long before any of them.
  • Adaptational Origin Connection: It is heavily implied that he is part of the origin of Dick Grayson, the first Robin, as a clown was seen to have caused the death of the Flying Graysons.
  • Monster Clown: His appearance harkens to it.
  • Villainous Widow's Peak: Even for a character that's part of the page image, this version of the Joker has an incredibly pronounced one.
  • Walking Spoiler: Only actually shows up at the end of Volume 3.

The Outsiders

    Killer Croc 

Killer Croc / Waylon Jones

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/page_74.jpg

A vagrant living in the sewers who has a rather severe skin condition.


  • Adaptational Heroism: Killer Croc is a pretty decent guy here, if misunderstood. After being rejected and attacked by a world that judged him for his disfiguring illness, he retreated into the sewers. Chased there by hunters, he pre-emptively attacked any people he encountered. He eventually ends up saving Bruce from the Riddler, and joins Team Batman.
  • Adaptational Wimp: Killer Croc applies to this, in the sense that he doesnt have a three-digit killing record like his original self. This version is basically just a normal human who's been put under extreme circumstances and sought out isolation rather than lashing out with murder.
  • Artistic License – Biology: Killer Croc tells Batman he suffers from ichthyosis, which is a family of genetic disorders that do cause scaly skin; Croc's condition, though, is not like any known cases— in particular, he appears to have bony plates on his brow, which doesn't happen.
  • Body Horror: He's specifically played up as having a horrible skin disease rather than some bizarre mutation.
  • My Greatest Second Chance: Killer Croc helps take down the Riddler after he realizes he could have saved countless lives if he stopped him early on.
  • Team Member in the Adaptation: Volume 3 ends with him joining the Outsiders, when no prior incarnation of Killer Croc was ever affiliated with that team.

    The Cat 

The Cat

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/catwoman_earth_one.jpg
Click here to see her as a civilian 


  • Action Girl: A skilled female fighter, with her fighting style involving a lot of She-Fu.
  • Advertised Extra: She was the focus of The Stinger in volume 2, and marketing for volume 3 makes a big deal about her, but she ultimately plays a very minor role in the plot.
  • Animal-Themed Superbeing: A cat-themed burglar.
  • Cheap Costume: Compared to other versions of Catwoman, her costume was clearly homemade by her.
  • Color Motif: All of the clothes she wears have a lot of pink and purple.
  • Dynamic Entry: The first time we see her in her costume, she's giving a dramatic flying kick to a Mook who's about to attack Batman.
  • Flirting Under Fire: Flirts with Batman even while they're busy fighting off Mooks.
  • Friend to All Living Things: She seems to be fond of animals, owning a black cat she's seen petting often and immediately takes a liking to Bat-Dog when meeting Batman's crew.
  • Hyper-Awareness: After she sews up Bruce's wounds, she correctly guesses that he isn't Mayor Cobblepot's killer after inspecting his utility belt while he's out cold, noting that Penguin was shot and Bruce only carries Batarangs as weapons.
  • Karmic Thief: She only steals from criminals or rich people who are guilty of unethical actions.
  • Kick Chick: Her fighting style seems to mostly involve kicks.
  • Meet Cute: Her first encounter with Batman is filled with sexual tension, giving she had to undress him and patching up his wounds in her first meeting, and they were flirting with each other right after.
  • Only in It for the Money: When Batman asks for her help in tracking down the illegal weapons entering Gotham she refuses, citing she "doesn't do non-profit". So Batman decides to simply pay her to do it. It works.
  • Ms. Fanservice: She's a Head-Turning Beauty whose outfits often bare her stomach and a lot of panels give a lot of focus on her toned legs that are covered with thigh-highs. Her civilian outfit emphasizes her stomach and feet.
  • No Name Given: While it's obvious she's meant to be the Earth-One version of Catwoman, the name Selina Kyle is never mentioned, nor does she ever call herself Catwoman. When Batman asks who she is, she jokingly replies "if you're the Bat, then I'm The Cat" and everyone simply refers to her as "Cat" after that.
  • Roofhopping: She's able to travel around the rooftops in Gotham without any equipment.
  • Sexy Cat Person: A alluring woman with a cat theme.
  • She-Fu: She uses this a lot in her fighting style.
  • Stripperiffic: Her burglar outfit exposes a lot of skin.

    Ragman 

Rory Regan / Ragman


Other Characters

    James Gordon 

James Gordon

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A detective who is forced onto criminal payroll after the death of his wife.


    Harvey Bullock 

Harvey Bullock

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A former television detective who comes to Gotham for a second chance at fame.


  • Adaptational Attractiveness: Bullock has the looks of a Hollywood star, as opposed to the overweight disheveled mainstream version. By the time of Volume 2, he's beginning to look like his usual counterpart.
  • Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: He might look and act like a smug celebrity whose time has passed, but he makes damn sure that you remember he's still a trained cop.
  • I Need a Freaking Drink: Seeing the dozens of bodies in Arkham Manor's basement has scarred Harvey deep, leaving him to seek refuge in the bottle.
  • Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: His attempts to reopen cases by using Gordon's name leads to the latter's daughter being kidnapped as punishment.
  • Token Good Cop: Played with. In a universe where Jim Gordon is just as corrupt and ineffectual as every other cop in the GCPD (because his wife was murdered and he's terrified his daughter will be next if he actively opposes corruption), it's Bullock who takes this role. Whilst an out-of-touch, smug outsider who comes to Gotham in order to boost his profile, Bullock is a genuinely honest and dedicated cop, who starts up proper investigations, even into the cases Gordon tells him to drop. His influence and support actually help Gordon regain his former backbone and allows him to grow into his more familiar role in the franchise as the series goes on, with his rise in the ranks seeing him able to bring about some real improvements to the GCPD.

    Harvey Dent 

Harvey Dent

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/harvey_dent_earth_one.jpg

The District Attorney of Gotham.


  • Adaptational Jerkass: Zigzagged with Harvey Dent. In most adaptations, he's portrayed as a troubled but nice guy before he becomes Two-Face but here Harvey is a major Jerkass from the beginning and dies before he even becomes Two-Face.
  • Body Horror: His corpse is badly decayed by the time he is dug up in Volume 3. The shadows on his face make it look as though he is scarred similarly to his The Dark Knight incarnation, but in truth it is his whole body.
  • Dead All Along: In Volume 3. It appears that he was not really dead, but in actuality, Jessica had dug him up and was keeping him around to justify her Harvey personality.
  • Death by Adaptation: Harvey Dent is not merely scarred by the burns he receives from Sal Maroni, but dies from them.
  • Decomposite Character/Gender Flip: Two-Face. Jessica Dent, not Harvey, is the one who becomes Two-Faced and crazy.
  • Demoted to Extra: Harvey Dent. He is still D.A., but his sister plays more of a role than he does. Harvey does show up in a flashback to deliver some exposition and get punched in the face by an angry Bruce.
  • Dropped a Bridge on Him: The spin on Harvey Dent's tale in Volume 2: he gets hit in the face with a molotov cocktail by Sal Maroni, and though he does receive his trademark Two-Faced appearance, he quickly dies of the burn wounds due to their severity.
  • Jerkass: Even though he's still on the right side of the law and he's not corrupt, this is the Harvey Dent most prone to jackassery in a long time; he's an insufferable prick towards others such as Bruce Wayne or any underling that doesn't show any awe towards him.
  • Jumping Off the Slippery Slope: In Volume 3, he revolves into claiming all of Gotham is guilty of his death and wants to destroy it. A Subverted Trope, as he is actually dead, and it is Jessica's personality of him that is like that.
  • Of Corpse He's Alive: Played for Drama. In Volume 3, Jessica digs up his corpse and speaks to it to justify her own split personality.

    Jessica Dent 

Jessica Dent / Two-Face

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jessica_dent_earth_one_1.jpg
Click here to see her in volume 3 

The childhood sweetheart of Bruce Wayne, twin sister of Harvey Dent and Mayor of Gotham.


  • Angsty Surviving Twin: Surviving Sal Maroni killing her brother drives her insane, resulting in her split personality.
  • Big Bad: Of Volume 3.
  • Childhood Friend Romance: Jessica and Bruce have known each other since they were kids and eventually come to form a relationship as adults.
  • Composite Character: Is one of Rachel Dawes from The Dark Knight Trilogy and Two-Face.
  • Dating Catwoman: Even though the Jessica personality loves Bruce and wants to help him save Gotham City, her violent "Harvey" personality seeks to kill him and burn Gotham to the ground.
  • Decomposite Character: Jessica Dent, not Harvey, is the one who becomes Two-Faced and crazy.
  • Enemy Within: Deep down, Jessica in Volume 3 is sick, and it is her personality of her brother who is the villain, so hostile she herself fights against him.
  • Face–Heel Turn: After her twin brother dies Jessica is driven insane and develops a split personality who tries to destroy Gotham and murder hundreds of innocent people.
  • Fighting from the Inside: At the end of Volume 3, this is how she tries to confront Harvey, telling Bruce his plans.
  • Forceful Kiss: Gives one to Bruce while having him tied to a chair in Volume 3 in a brief Moment of Lucidity.
  • Gender Flip: She becomes Two-Face, not Harvey.
  • Good Scars, Evil Scars: She gets a second-degree burn on the left side of her face after pressing her cheek to her twin brother's flaming corpse. Shortly afterwards she becomes an insane crime lord.
  • Insane Equals Violent: The "Harvey" personality that develops becomes a major villain.
  • Love Interest: For Bruce across the Earth One trilogy.
  • The Mentally Disturbed: In Volume 3, she becomes increasingly mentally ill, her "Harvey" personality becoming increasingly hostile to Gotham and even herself.
  • My Sibling Will Live Through Me: Played for Horror. Her split personality version of her twin brother is intensely hostile to anyone and everyone, out of revenge against his murder. It seems to disturb her as much as anyone else.
  • Split Personality: On the one hand you have Jessica Dent, kindhearted Love Interest of Bruce Wayne and devoted Mayor of Gotham. On the other hand you have "Harvey" the violent and psychopathic personality based on her dead twin who wants to burn Gotham to the ground for his murder.
  • Split-Personality Takeover: By the end of Volume 3, "Harvey" is in charge, with Jessica's original personality as the secondary, nearly completely subsumed one.
  • Star-Crossed Lovers: With Bruce. It's made very clear that the two of them love each other, but her decaying mental state puts them at odds.
  • Tragic Villain: Jessica is a good person who genuinely wants to help save Gotham City, however the death of her brother and her physical scarring give way to mental illness and a violent split personality that she can't control.


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