If there is one thing that everyone knows about Batman, it's that his parents were murdered in front of him when he was a little kid. If you're a pretty big Batman fan, then you know his dad was the wealthy Dr. Thomas Wayne, from whom Bruce Wayne inherited his fortune. But who is Batman's mother? The oft-forgotten about character's profile is on the rise thanks to the important role she plays in Batman v Superman , but not many people seem to know much about her, so who was she?
Batman's mother was named Martha Wayne. In the comics, her maiden name was Martha Kane, and she inherited a fortune from the Kane family, meaning that not all of Batman's great wealth comes from the Wayne side (and also meaning that her name sounded pretty much the same after she got married). Like her husband, her murder is generally considered to be the most significant thing that ever happened to her as it relates to Batman, but in Batman v Superman, the character, played by The Walking Dead 's Lauren Cohan, is given some added importance (spoilers ahead). In the beginning of the film, the murder of Batman's parents plays out to the audience as it has numerous times before. Except in this version, the last thing Thomas says before dying is, "Martha."
That ends up being important, because Batman is continually haunted by nightmares of this event, and his mother's name, throughout the film. Then, when he and Superman have their climactic fight and Batman is about to kill Supes, the only reason he stops is because Superman yells out "Martha!". This confuses Batman, who demands to know why he said that name. Lois Lane then shows up and tells the Caped Crusader that Martha is Superman's mother's name, and that she's in danger. Batman then decides that he and Superman should be best friends because their moms have the same name, and he goes on to save Martha Kent (yes, this is what actually happens).
So Batman's mom is given a higher profile in Batman v Superman because she happens to have the same name as Superman's mom. You can't make this stuff up, folks. What they perhaps should have focused on, however, was a story from the comics that established Martha Wayne as a hero in her own right. In the graphic novel Batman: Death and the Maidens, Martha was reinvented as a crusader for the children of Gotham. In that story, she forms an organization with Commissioner Gordon and Alfred Pennyworth to stop child abuse, and the knowledge of this is a big part of what fuels Batman to protect the innocent — not just the fact that she was murdered.
So there is more to Martha Wayne than just her being the murdered mother of Batman... and I'm not talking about the coincidental fact that she has the same name as Superman's mom, either.
Images: giphy.com
