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Martha Wayne was the wife of Dr. Thomas Wayne and the mother of his son, Bruce. Their murder at the hands of Joe Chill inspired her son to pursue a life of crime fighting. During the twentieth anniversary of the event, it was revealed that she and Thomas had ties to crime lord Carmine Falcone and corrupt mayor Hamilton Hill.

Biography[]

At some point, Martha met and married Thomas Wayne, a prominent doctor in Gotham City and humanitarian. However, in reality, he was a partner in crime and ally of criminal Carmine Falcone and corrupt mayor Hamilton Hill, who ran most organized crime within the city. During their marriage, Martha gave birth to a son, whom they called Bruce. Martha is said to have been aware that Thomas was a partner in crime and ally of both Carmine Falcone and Hamilton Hill. However, it is unclear how much she was involved in their operations and whether she herself was linked with their activities.

After learning of the trio's usage of Arkham Asylum to get rid of opposition, Martha became disgusted at her husband and the people he worked with. Upon learning this, she set out to expose him and his allies. It is unclear whether there was any other factors that motivated her to do so. It's possible Martha also asked the family's butler, Alfred Pennyworth, to help her expose Thomas.

Death[]

However, Hill learnt about Martha's plans and set out to silence her. He hired Joe Chill, one of Falcone's hitmen, to assassinate them and make it look like a botched robbery. As the family returned from a showing of the Mark of Zorro at the Monarch Theater, Chill ambushed them in a nearby alley and held them at gunpoint.

Martha Wayne's death (Telltale)

Martha Wayne's death

As Thomas begged for their lives, Chill shot him twice in the torso, claiming it was nothing personal. He then shot him once through the eye, killing him. As Martha scream her husband' name, Chill shot her in the chest. As she bled to death, she called out for Bruce and tried to hold his hand. After Martha died, Chill took her pearls and set the gun on Bruce, but either fled before the police could arrive or chose not to murder the child.

Legacy[]

Following Thomas and Martha's deaths, Gotham's elite began banding together to prevent them from suffering a similar fate. Chill was later caught by the police and sentenced to Blackgate, but was later murdered by someone on either Falcone or Hill's payroll. Bruce would later become the vigilante known as "Batman", hoping to avenge their deaths and right the wrongs in Gotham.

When allegations of his father's dealings became public, Bruce found himself unable to see either of his parents in a positive light. However, after learning about his mother's wishes to stop his father's crimes, it's possible he was able to forgive her.

Personality[]

According to Falcone, Martha had the "human touch" about her. This implies that she was very caring and considerate of other people. This may have also been the reason why Thomas married her. Unlike her husband, Martha was unwilling to turn a blind eye to the people who suffered and was willing to lower her reputation and social standing to help others. It was ultimately this that lead to both and her husband's deaths.

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