Terry McGinnis was created for the television series Batman Beyond. In the DC Animated Universe Terry has succeeded Bruce Wayne as Batman, the protector of Gotham City. Later, Terry was confirmed to take over as Batman on Earth-12 and Earth-992. As of Batman #700, Terry had been established as part of the DC Universe and will take up the mantle of Batman after an elderly Bruce Wayne, who is his mentor in this continuity.
History
Terry McGinnis unmasked.
Terry McGinnis is Batman several decades into the future, also known as Batman Beyond. He is the successor of Bruce Wayne and protector of Neo-Gotham. After his father, Warren McGinnis, was murdered, Terry took up the mantle of Batman from Bruce Wayne. After avenging his father's death, Terry continued to fight crime as Batman in Neo Gotham. The history of this Terry McGinnis follows the same history as that of the DCAU with the addition that this universe had a Batman Incorporated.
Hush Beyond
After chasing down and stopping the villain known as Spellbinder, Terry drops him on a bus which goes by Neo-Gotham's ninth precinct. He is then greeted by Micron who asked Terry if he would like to join up with the Justice League, only to be turned down by Terry once again. After returning to the Batcave, Terry mentions to Bruce about Micron, whom Bruce says to say no to if he ask about joining the League, saying that he never felt at home when he was serving as Batman on the team.
Just as Terry is heading off for the night, he is sent back off into the city to investigate the sudden murder of a Phillip Cobb, also known as Signalman, one of Bruce's old rogues who managed to turn from crime. Upon overhearing the GCPD reports, Bruce's begins to worry that from how they keep say the number "two" the killer might be a resurfacing Two-Face. After learning of a disturbance Terry heads over to St. James Hospital to ensure the Mad Hatter, who was moved there after Arkham dispersed, isn't the killers next victim. After verifying the Mad Hatter's safety, Terry finds the killer attacking a nurse and manages to scare the killer off, but is soon shocked when asking the nurse what the killer said to hear, and learning that he was telling her to " Hush."
Terry and Bruce begin checking up on old Batman villains since they are the ones this possible Hush is targeting. Terry is unable to stop the murder of Calendar Man by Hush. A new Catwoman appears in Gotham and is shown to be working with this Hush. Eventually, Bruce and Terry's partnership begins to become strained, as Bruce is trying to strive for perfection out of Terry. When Terry decides to search for Hush on his own, Bruce activates the Bat-Wraiths. The Bat-Wraiths were for a backup plan if Terry died, or if Bruce takes the suit from him, when a wraith finds Hush, Bruce quickly sends it towards Hush. While Hush escapes, Terry meets up with a retired and old Dick Grayson.
Dick tells Terry the reason why he quit as Nightwing and the reason why Bruce removed the cape from the batsuit; The cape was worn for two reasons: it helped instill fear and a tactical reason: it caused misdirection. Years ago, the Joker had kidnapped Alfred and when Dick and Bruce showed up, Joker attempted to shoot them. The bullets penetrated the cape, saving Bruce but critically wounding Dick in multiple shots, who was behind him. Bruce later delivered Dick to a hospital and rescued Alfred, allowing him to remove the bullets from Dick's body. Dick lost an eye during this and quit because he blamed Bruce for being too cold to care. Bruce later removed the cape, rather having himself get shot instead of someone else.
After his talk with Dick, Terry leaves. He poses as Mad Stan as Hush appears from an alleyway with Stalker's spear. A quick fight between the two ensues and Hush stabs Terry in the stomach, and he stands over Terry ripping the Gauze from his face revealing as Dick Grayson. Hush decides to leave Terry alive for what he has in store for Gotham. Catwoman appears and finds Terry unconscious. With Bruce speaking through comm link, she patches Terry up with some med supplies in the suit's belt. Meanwhile Hush hacks the Bat-Wraiths and they attack Bruce but leave soon to meet with Hush who is revealed to be a psychotic clone of Dick Grayson. As Terry regains consciousness and he makes his way to the Bat-cave where Bruce stitches him up. Hush is then seen hacking a monitor and he reveals his plans to destroy Gotham.
Upon hearing this Terry begins to head out to stop Hush. As he does so, the real Dick Grayson shows up in the Batcave to get equipment. Terry joins him and Catwoman to stop Hush from destroying the city with an armory of explosives in Mad Stan's hideout. Dick tells them to stay behind so he can deal with Hush, and he holds his own against Hush and the Bat-Wraiths but they soon gain the upper hand. Terry and Catwoman interfere in the fight and begin battling the Wraiths and Hush along with Dick. Terry grapples with Hush as he accidentally shoves him down a large hole in the ground as a Bat-Wraith is flying out, it spears Hush and they both fall down the hole where an explosion occurs killing Hush. Catwoman leaves the team while Dick destroys the rest of the Wraiths and he himself leaves. Terry returns to the Batcave where he talks with Bruce as a new understanding between them is laid out.
DCnU
Terry McGinnis was sent back in time to stop Brother Eye from taking over the world.
Powers and Abilities
- Hand to Hand Combat
- Martial Artist - Watching Batman Beyond: Return of The Joker in the prologue he shows his fighting capability and takes down 6 enemies, and even has such a good kick that he makes the muscular one fly right into the two clown girls. In the television series, he has been shown to be able to defeat crowds similar or bigger than previously stated, even before being trained by Bruce.
- Good at Throwing Batarangs
- Good With His Gadgets
- High Amount of Strength
- Acrobat
Paraphernalia
Notes
Comparison to Other Characters
Though Terry was a largely original character, he had many qualities that draw allusion to others that existed at the time, and even a few that have come about since his creation. He was somewhat reliant on a suit that was heavily laden with technology, which is similar to the first Azrael Jean-Paul Valley, during his time filling in for Bruce Wayne after Bane broke his back. The costume is also very similar to later versions of that worn by Dick Grayson, during his time as Nightwing. Both lack the cape typically worn by members of the Batman Family, instead possessing wings under the arms for gliding, and are primarily black, save for a coloured symbol on the chest. (A blue bird for Dick, and a red bat for Terry. Also of note, following the DCNU relaunch, the accents on Grayson costume changed to red.)
Terry's fighting style is far more acrobatic than his predecessor's which further compares to Grayson, or for that matter most of the Robins. His history of juvenile delinquency, albeit unwitting, draws comparisons to Jason Todd, as do the anger issues he displayed early in the series.
Perhaps the greatest similarities are those with the mainstream Tim Drake who, like Terry, had to convince Bruce, who was reluctant due to how things turned out with his previous partner, to allow them to take their respective role. Both also had a civilian life he had to balance with his with his super hero activities. Both for example had families when they met Bruce Wayne. Ironically while Tim lost his mother shortly after he began his time as Robin, leaving him with only his Father, Terry lost his father prior to becoming Batman, leaving him to support his mother and brother.
Each also had two love interests, which held personal conflicts. Tim held a personal relationship with a girl named Ariana, but had conflicting feelings for Stephanie Brown, with whom he, as Robin, would frequently interact with during her activity as Spoiler, while Terry had an occasionally strained relationship with Dana Tan, but also had feelings for, later reformed criminal, Melanie Walker, also known as Ten of the Royal Flush Gang.
Also of note, Terry is later revealed to be Bruce's illegitimate son, much like the later introduced Damian Wayne.
In Other Media
DC Animated Universe
Batman: Arkham City
Batman Beyond skin for Batman: Arkham City.
A Batman Beyond skin is available to unlock in the video game Batman: Arkham City.