Alfred Pennyworth
| Character | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Alfred Beagle; Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth; Alfred J(arvis) Pennyworth; Penny-One |
| Occupation: | Butler |
| Relationships: | Martha Wayne and Thomas Wayne (friends and employers); Bruce Wayne (employer, emotional dependent, former ward); Batfamily; Leslie Thompkins (friend); Julia Remarque / Julia Pennyworth (daughter) |
| Fandom: | Batman, DC Comics, Gotham |
| Other: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Alfred is a supporting character in Batman media. He is the faithful butler of Bruce Wayne AKA Batman.
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Background
Pennyworth is depicted as Bruce Wayne's loyal and tireless butler, legal guardian, best friend, aide-de-camp, and surrogate father figure following the murders of Thomas and Martha Wayne. As a classically trained British actor and an ex-Special Operations Executive operative of honor and ethics with connections within the intelligence community, he has been called "Batman's batman". He serves as Bruce's moral anchor while providing comic relief with his sarcastic and cynical attitude. A vital part of the Batman mythos, Alfred was nominated for the Wizard Fan Award for Favorite Supporting Male Character in 1994.[1]
Probably the most famous butler in existence (even though he's often closer to being a valet), in current continuity Alfred and his ancestors have served the Waynes for generations; when Thomas & Martha Wayne were shot, he was the one who raised Bruce. (In the Golden and Silver Ages, Alfred joined the Wayne household shortly after Bruce had started his Batman career.) It seemed natural, then, that Bruce trusted him the most. From the start, Alfred knew that Bruce was Batman - in fact, he has often assisted his master with his latest experiments/inventions, even though he sometimes wishes that his master will settle down and live a normal life.
During several critical junctures in Batman's career, Alfred was the key factor in his survival. A master surgeon, Alfred was almost always the one to patch him back up after particularly gruesome battles, since Batman couldn't very well simply go to the hospital. Alfred can be said to be the closest thing to a father figure that Bruce has - his advice is often the only one that Bruce gives a second thought about.[2]
Alfred can and will shoot people with his shotgun, and he'll be perfectly posh about it because he's a classy badass like that. He gets killed himself quite a bit, actually. He could be dead right now, even. I haven't checked recently.
As of 2021, he's appeared in more Batman adaptations than Robin has.
Comics
Pre-Crisis
Post-Crisis
New 52
Rebirth
Elseworlds and alternate continuities
Other media
Fan community
Reception and popularity
As of 19 June 2021, Alfred is the sixth most frequently tagged character in Batman (all media types) works on Archive of Our Own (AO3), following Bruce Wayne and his sons.[3]
Fanon and tropes
Alfred is an ubiquitous supporting character in fan works. If you need a supporting character to conveniently interrupt a tense situation involving one or more melodramatic Batfamily members, or remind them to perform necessary functions like eating and sleeping (sometimes by drugging their food or drink), Alfred is your man.
The entire Wayne household has a soft spot for Alfred as a father or grandfather figure. The Batfamily may scream at each other, they may violently attack each other, they may call Bruce Wayne a spineless bitch right to his fucking face, but the Batfamily will always treat Alfred with respect, even if they're bleeding to death on the floor of the Batcave. One off-the-cuff speech from Alfred is enough to rally a downtrodden spirit, one eloquent remark can shame the crabbiest of assholes. Alfred may act as a proxy or messenger between estranged Batfamily members.
Shipping
Alfred is old and often mustachioed, which makes him an unlikely subject of shipping. He is sometimes romantically linked with Dr. Leslie Thompkins, his friend and colleague in sewing up the Batfamily, literally and metaphorically.
Notable Pairings
- Alfred Pennyworth & Bruce Wayne
- Alfred Pennyworth & The Batfamily
- Alfred Pennyworth/Leslie Thompkins
Fan works
Fan fiction
- "Love like Cats" https://archiveofourown.org/works/9064150 by Laroyena (2017)
- "my heart put on a face and walked into the world" https://archiveofourown.org/works/40543806 by Goldmonger (2022)
Fan art
dedicated to Alfred Pennyworth by formerlysunflorals (2011)
- Alfred Pennyworth by ElvisPresleyFan3577
- Alfred Pennyworth commission by phil-cho
- FATHER FIGURE by ArtFrenzyBoris
- TNBA - Alfred Pennyworth by DCAUniverse
- Gentleman Alfred wants to battle! by DragonlordRynn
- DSC 012813 - Alfred Pennyworth by GilTriana
- D.J. ALFRED PENNYWORTH by Manthomex
Meta
External links
Fan communities and archives
- FanFiction.Net (FFN)
- Batman (comics) stories and crossovers featuring Alfred P.
- Batman: The Animated Series stories and crossovers featuring Alfred P.
- Tumblr:
- Archive of Our Own (AO3): Alfred Pennyworth tag