Martha Wayne
| Martha Wayne | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Detective Comics #33 (November 1939) |
| Created by |
Bob Kane Bill Finger Gardner Fox |
| In-story information | |
| Full name | Martha Kane |
| Supporting character of | Batman |
Martha Wayne (born: Martha Kane) is a fictional character of the Batman series of comic books, published by DC Comics. She is Bruce Wayne's mother and Dr. Thomas Wayne's wife. When she and her husband are murdered during a holdup, her son swears to avenge their deaths by fighting crime and fulfills this as Batman.
Martha Wayne first appeared in Detective Comics #33 (November 1939) in a story by Bob Kane and Bill Finger which detailed the origin of Batman. Initially little more than a cipher whose death inspired her heroic son, later comics would expand upon her history.
Born Martha Kane (a maiden name given in homage to co-creator Bob Kane), Martha was the heir to the Kane Chemical fortune and a member of one of Gotham City's wealthiest families. It has been revealed she is related to Kate Kane (Batwoman) in Detective Comics Rebirth issue #934, but no other connection to the other prominent Kanes of Gotham, such as Bette Kane (Flamebird). Despite her Irish-Catholic background, in her youth, Martha had a reputation as a notorious party girl, socialite, and debutante, frequenting all the most prestigious country clubs, night clubs, and soirees. She also had a developed social conscience and often used her family's wealth and status to champion causes and charities.
As revealed in the miniseries Batman: Family by John Francis Moore, Martha's closest friend in those days was the woman Celia Kazantkakis. Both were renowned for their beauty, which caught the attention of a gangster named Denholm. Martha dated Denholm for a time prior to meeting Thomas Wayne, though she was unaware of his true nature at the time. Celia, who had had previous dealings with Denholm, became very protective of her friend and conspired to get this thug out of her life. In the process it came to light just why Celia was familiar with him. Celia, it turned out, was a criminal herself and had been embezzling money from an orphanage that was one of Martha's charities. She attempted to hide the evidence of this by setting fire to the building but Martha discovered her duplicity. Before Celia departed for her family's home in Greece, Martha threatened to expose her should she ever return to Gotham. Celia would return to Gotham many years later as "Athena", the leader of a criminal cartel. In this guise, she attempted to stage a coup of Wayne Enterprises, until Batman discovered the true nature of his mother's history with Celia and defeated her.
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