Wrath (DC)
Wrath is a male comic supervillain who features in DC Comics.
Contents |
Biography
Origin
Wrath was the son of criminals shot and killed by a young Gotham City Police Department officer called James Gordon. After the tragic event, the boy was sent to correctional facilities and eventually started learning every skill he needed to become a nemesis of the law and order. After a lifetime dedicated to this purpose, the man adopted the identity of Wrath, a hired killer of law enforcers and police officers. After traveling around the world killing authorities, Wrath returned to Gotham City, where he started a relationship with Grayle Hudson, daughter of a deceased gang boss, and they started plotting the murder of Commissioner Gordon. Wrath's attempts to murder Gordon were thwarted by Batman, and upon investigating the background of the vigilante, Wrath learned that Batman was Bruce Wayne. A series of personal attacks on Bruce Wayne — which included vandalizing Thomas Wayne and Martha Wayne's tombstone — were executed by Wrath in order to force Batman to give Gordon to him. His plan succeeded and Batman was forced to surrender Gordon to the criminal. However, this was all part of a plan between Gordon and Batman, who worked together to deceive Wrath. In the ensuing confrontation, Wrath was killed when he caught on fire by his own hand and fell off the rooftop of a building down to the street in Crime Alley. (Batman Special v1 #1)
However, another account claimed that the Wrath's father was a corrupt cop who was robbing a warehouse with his wife and so acting as a lookout. Gordon confronted them and, in a gunfight, killed the parents in self-defense. Additionally, the Wrath is now depicted as having copied Batman, whereas in his original appearance, this is never suggested and it is implied that they both developed nearly identical personas independently. When Batman hears the story of the Wrath's origins from the original's successor, the young Wrath II claims that only his predecessor's father was armed and Gordon shot to kill first but, in reality, his father fired first, and then his mother took up his father's gun, with Gordon's shots only being fatal because his aim was off due to his injuries. Abandoned by the cops to conceal the corruption - Gordon going along with the plan because then-Captain Gillian B. Loeb threatened to kill the boy as he was the only witness if he talked - the Wrath became a contract killer in the hopes of "avenging his parents again and again". While preparing to assassinate Gordon, the Wrath studied Batman and initially planned to dress just like him to needle Gordon. However, he concluded that they were kindred spirits inspired by a similar disaster in their lives and duplicated Batman's costume and equipment as an homage - to the extent that he began training his own "Robin", who went on to become the Wrath II. (Batman Confidential v1 #15)
Elliot Caldwell
Sporting an all-purple costume, this Wrath, who Batman deduces is a copycat from his first appearance owing to the differences in age, physical build, and training, begins murdering police officers visiting Gotham for a convention and breaks into Gayle Hudson's apartment. (Batman Confidential v1 #13) After a fight with Batman - during which he confirms that he is not the original Wrath and is unaware of Batman's true identity - he tells the Dark Knight to investigate Commissioner Gordon's actions on June 26, 25 years ago, the same night that Bruce Wayne's parents died. (Batman Confidential v1 #14) Upon another meeting with Batman, the Wrath II tells a distorted version of the events that happened, saying Gordon killed the Wrath's parents in cold blood, though Batman saw through this and realized that Gordon shot them in self-defense. (Batman Confidential v1 #15)
Post-Flashpoint
Following the Flashpoint, a new history was created with a different timeline of events.
Seeking an aide, he took in a young man who was three time convict to serve as his partner Scorn where he decided to test his ability by making him target G.C.P.D. officers. (Detective Comics v1 #22)
Seeking to buy out Wayne Enterprises, he arranged for a meeting with its head who was billionaire Bruce Wayne who refused the offer. (Detective Comics v1 #22)
The Wrath then went after Batman as he chased him in his plane through the streets of Gotham, forcing Batman to abandon his Batplane to gain more time and cause it to self destruct and him to escape on his Bat-Glider. Alfred, after having hacked Caldwell's files, revealed to Bruce that Elliot's father had been killed by corrupt Gotham police officers. Elliot later used his tank to bomb Gotham City Station; he then got out of his tank, expecting to find a mass of dead police officers. Instead, he found only Batman, as Bruce had convinced James Gordon to evacuate the building where Batman, in a modified suit similar in style to the Wrath's, proceeded to beat down Elliot; however, he did not deliver the finishing blow. He instead allowed the Gotham Police Department to open fire on him and revealed to him that it was James Gordon who brought down the police officers who killed his father and proceeded to knock him out. Helped by the Gotham City Police Department, the Batman finally defeats the Wrath. While in Blackgate Penitentiary, the Wrath is greeted by Gordon, after which the Wrath meets with Emperor Blackgate, where they both begin a partnership. (Detective Comics v2 #24)
Overview
Personality and attributes
He went by the name of E.D. Caldwell. (Detective Comics v1 #22)
Wrath took out police officers with headshots and intended to leave none alive from his attacks. (Detective Comics v1 #22)
He believed that one got ahead in this world not through patience or kindness or words but rather with wrath. (Detective Comics v1 #957)
Caldwell took an apprentice to serve as his sidekick who was normally someone who had spent time in prison. This person was outfitted with their own armour and provided equipment where they took the name Scorn. However, those that disappointed him were known to be murdered by Wrath who simply sought out a replacement for them. (Detective Comics v1 #22)
Powers and abilities
Wrath had an armoured and armed small airship that could fly across the landscape where it served as a transport for him. (Detective Comics v1 #22)
He was the founder and CEO of his own company which was Caldwell Technologies. It was known to produced a variety of weapons and killing machines. (Detective Comics v1 #22)
Notes
- Wrath was created by Mike W. Barr and Michael Golden where he made his first appearance in Batman Special v1 #1 (June, 1984).
In other media
Television
- In The Batman, Wrath appeared in the animated television series in the episode "The End of the Batman" where he was voiced by actor Christopher Gorham. This incarnation was William Mallory where he along with his younger brother Andrew Mallory voiced by actor Daryl Sabara. They were shown as being the children of jewel thieves whose parents imprisonment motivated them to become Wrath and Scorn to help criminals under the belief that they have a right to make a living as much as innocents do. While helping Gotham's criminals, the Mallories come into conflict with Batman and Robin, but befriend their civilian identities of Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson. Ultimately, the four deduce each other's identities, with the Mallories planning to reveal those of Batman and Robin. Batman is willing to accept this, but the Joker, not wanting to lose his greatest source of fun, incapacitates the Mallories with his Joker venom.
Appearances
- Batman Special v1: (1984)
- Batman Confidential v1:
- Detective Comics v2:
External Links
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