Batman Makes Alfred His Killer A.I. ‘Father

NOTE: This article contains SPOILERS for Batman: The Murder Machine

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There’s no doubt that Alfred Pennyworth has always loved Bruce Wayne as his son… but in BATMAN: THE MURDER MACHINE, that love makes DC’s hero into one of its most disturbing villains. It’s all part of the larger drama of Dark Nights: METAL, the ongoing summer event using Batman to spin every other aspect of DC Comics into new territory, all in the name of unforgettable spectacle and fun. That’s fun for the readers, obviously, since the origin stories of the seven evil Batmen brought forth from alternate worlds too evil for the Multiverse to allow are the stuff of nightmares. Even, as this comic shows, when the story is all about the love between Bruce Wayne and his trusted butler, Alfred.
Alfred Pennyworth has always been Bruce Wayne’s faithful servant and friend, but modern adaptations have emphasized their father/son bond, leaving no doubt that Alfred has loved Bruce like a son, and become more of a father than the one Batman fights to avenge. It’s that love that fuels the nightmarish drama of THE MURDER MACHINE… and the loss of it that turns Batman and Alfred into a murderous, obsessive, truly evil spirit of technological vengeance.
There’s nothing stronger than a father’s love, after all.