If you didn't expect these two to be #1 on the list, you can't call yourself a true Batman fan. The deaths of Thomas and Martha Wayne not only traumatized Bruce Wayne as a child, but set into motion the events of the entire Batman mythos. To recap, Thomas and Martha were wealthy socialites living in Gotham City with their son Bruce. Thomas was a gifted surgeon and Martha used her family's wealth and name to champion various social causes and charities. Though they may have been rich, they cared deeply about the city and did their best to give back to it, while at the same time taking good care of Bruce. One night after seeing a Zorro movie, Bruce and his parents take a shortcut down an alley and are confronted by a gunman. Attempting to steal the pearl necklace Martha is wearing, the gunman gets into a struggle with Thomas and Martha, shoots them and runs away, leaving Bruce kneeling next to his parents' bodies. Thomas and Martha's deaths pushed young Bruce to avenge their deaths and begin the path towards what would culminate in Batman. Their deaths continue to be the primary force driving his fight against crime and injustice. Recently, Bruce was able to hear from his father one last time during the events of the mini-series Flashpoint. In the story, Barry Allen, a.k.a. the Flash, wakes up on a war-torn Earth radically different from his. Hoping to track down Bruce to understand what is going on, he finds Wayne Manor and discovers that this Earth's Batman is Thomas Wayne. In the changed timeline, Bruce was the one killed, leading Thomas to become Batman and Martha being driven insane and becoming this world's Joker. After being critically wounded from saving Flash's life in the final battle, Thomas gives Barry a note to give to Bruce once Barry fixes the timeline and gets back to his own Earth. When Barry gets back, he goes to see Bruce to give him the letter. After reading the message, Bruce starts to cry and thanks Barry for delivering these final words from his father.
Adam Holmes is a writer who loves a good story whether it's fact or fiction. When he's not day-dreaming about time travel, he's usually immersing himself in all things film, television and comic books. He hopes to one day break into the entertainment journalism industry. Yes, he is aware of his resemblance to Clark Kent and McLovin. Keep up on the latest geek news by following his articles at Unleash The Fanboy: http://www.unleashthefanboy.com/author/adam-holmes
