The Boomerang Killer AKA Thomas Willowood and born Thomas Wayne, Jr. is an enemy of Batman who is Bruce Wayne's secret older-brother that uses weaponized boomerangs to commit murders. The Boomerang Killer is an inspiration behind Lincoln March in New 52 continuity and is a likely influence for the Thomas Wayne, Jr. Owlman.
History[]
Earth One[]
Thomas Wayne, Jr. was the oldest known child of Dr. Thomas and Martha Wayne. When he was young, the Waynes got in a car-accident which caused Thomas Wayne, Jr. a head injury. After this, Thomas Jr. began showing traits of mental-illness, leading to the Waynes institutionalizing him within the Willowood Asylum. Outside of the asylum, the Waynes covered up Thomas Jr.'s existence and never told their second son, Bruce, about his existence.
In adulthood, Thomas Jr. took up the new name of, "Thomas Willowood" and began using the crafting skills which he learned in the asylum to create weaponized boomerangs. Thomas either began using these boomerangs to commit murders or was forced to sell them to actual murderers that used Thomas as a fall-man. When Batman, Superman and Deadman began investigating the Gotham boomerang murders, they found out about Thomas and Batman tried protecting him. During this incident, Deadman possessed Thomas' body to temporarily cure his insanity for an interrogation.
After this, Deadman stole Thomas' body and tried escaping Batman and Superman to Switzerland. Deadman used Thomas' body to become a trapeze-artist until he was confronted by Batman and Superman. The two would track down Deadman while investigating a criminal gold smuggling ring. This criminal group attempted to open fire on Batman, only for Thomas Jr. to take control of the body and take a bullet for Bruce, dying shortly after.
Notes[]
- The story of mainstream continuity's Owlman counterpart, "Lincoln March" has a backstory which parallels Thomas Willowood's. This villain is an orphanage of the Willowwood Home for Children where he believed himself to be Bruce Wayne's younger brother Thomas Wayne Jr. who was believed to have died in a car-crash.
- Writer Grant Morrison would incorporate elements of the Thomas Willowood story into their portrayal of the Batman mythos. Morrison revealed the evil alternate-universe Batman, "Owlman" to be Bruce Wayne's insane older brother Thomas Wayne, Jr.. Morrison also featured the Willowood Asylum as an amoral sanitarium run by the Wayne Family which was headquarters for the evil Dr. Simon Hurt and his cult, the Black Glove.