Six Times Joe Chill’s Origin Changed In DC Comics

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Batman is arguably the most popular comic book character of the modern era, thanks in large part to his many successful outings in live-action, animation, and video games. The Dark Knight’s rogues’ gallery ranks among the most iconic in fiction, yet perhaps his most impactful foe is Joe Chill, the gunman who killed Thomas and Martha Wayne.

Given the ever-changing nature of comics and fiction as a whole, it’s no surprise that Joe Chill’s backstory has been reimagined almost as many times as Batman’s, with the two characters locked in an endless dance of retroactive continuity. Recently, in Detective Comics #1090, Joe Chill’s backstory was altered again. From the Golden Age to the New 52, the story of Joe Chill and his connection to Bruce Wayne is anything but straightforward.

6

Joe Chill Was Originally a Hitman Turned Crime Boss

His Original Origin Was Simple Enough

Batman’s origin was first depicted in Detective Comics #33, published in 1939, just six months after the Dark Knight’s debut. In that story, the gunman who kills the Waynes is unnamed and otherwise unmentioned until the concept is revisited in Batman #47 in 1948. In this issue, Batman uncovers that Joe Chill, a small-time mob boss he’s been investigating, is the man who murdered his parents. Pursuing the man who has escaped justice for so long, Batman corners the crook and reveals his identity, causing Chill to flee in terror before being gunned down by his own men, furious at their boss for being responsible for the Batman’s creation.

Detective Comics #235, published in 1956, expands on Batman’s origin by revealing that Joe Chill was not just a random criminal but a hitman hired by crime boss Lew Moxon, who sought revenge against Thomas Wayne. Together with earlier stories, these events established the foundation of Batman’s original relationship with Chill: Chill evaded capture after the crime. Batman only confronted him well into his career, and the murders may have been motivated by more than simple robbery. These elements were later masterfully adapted into the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode “Chill of the Night,” which brought together talent from across Batman’s storied history.

He Was Connected to Bruce Wayne’s Caretaker

With the demon of his parents’ killer finally laid to rest, it’s no surprise that Joe Chill’s legacy was revisited over a decade later in Batman #206, published in 1969. This issue introduced an often-overlooked piece of Bat-Trivia. In the continuity before DC’s universe-altering Crisis On Infinite Earths, Alfred Pennyworth did not begin working at Wayne Manor until after Dick Grayson became Robin. Before that, Bruce Wayne was raised by his maternal uncle, Phillip Kane. Kane, a wealthy and influential man, was frequently away on business trips, leaving Bruce in the care of his housekeeper, Mrs. Chilton. Mrs. Chilton had a son, Joe, who eventually changed his last name to Chill.

Bruce never seemed to realize that the woman he saw as a mother figure was actually the mother of the man who had destroyed his life. Even as an adult, he continued to visit Mama Chilton, unaware of her connection to Joe Chill. For her part, Mama Chilton never forgot the pain her son caused Bruce. Knowing Bruce Wayne was Batman, she appeared to take some solace in the fact that his good deeds helped atone for the wrong her son had done. However, with the near-total erasure of Uncle Phillip in the post-Crisis continuity, it’s safe to assume that Mama Chilton and the unique bond she and Bruce once shared have been lost to the sands of time.

4

Batman and Joe Chill Were Once Forced to Team-Up

1985’s Crisis on Infinite Earths changed everything in DC Comics, allowing for bold, new stories to be told using their most iconic characters. One of the most popular tales told at the time was Batman: Year One, written by comic legend Frank Miller and drawn by David Mazzuccheli, which chronicled the early days of Batman’s career alongside showcasing Jim Gordon’s struggle against the municipal corruption of Gotham City. The story was a critical and commercial success, leading to a follow-up just months later: Batman: Year Two, written by Mike W. Barr and illustrated by the underrated Alan Davis.

Joe Chill reappears in 1987’s Batman: Year Two, once again depicted as a hitman who has evaded justice, much like his Silver Age incarnation. In this story, Gotham’s mobsters find themselves under siege by the Reaper, a lethal vigilante who terrorized the city during Bruce Wayne’s childhood. Desperate, the mob winds up seeking protection from both Batman and Chill, which means the Dark Knight must work alongside the man who destroyed his life. Though this story changes nothing about the origin or context of Joe Chill or his crimes, it’s still fascinating to see Batman and Joe Chill working together.

3

Joe Chill’s Origin Changed Again In Batman: The Animated Series

The DCAU Had Its Own Twist on This Chilling Dynamic

In 1992, Batman: The Animated Series debuted on FoxKids, forever altering the world and mythology of the Dark Knight. While not part of comic book continuity, BTAS had a profound impact on how Batman was perceived in pop culture. This series drew heavily from the 1989 Batman film directed by Tim Burton, which introduced a controversial twist to Batman lore: Jack Napier, the man who would become the Joker, was revealed as the Waynes’ killer, while Joe Chill was just an unnamed accomplice. However, this interpretation didn’t find its way to other adaptations, with Joe Chill typically being the lone gunman responsible.

In the DC Animated Universe itself, the Waynes’ killer is rarely mentioned, and the name Joe Chill is never uttered, implying Batman never caught him. However, in the tie-in comic Batman Adventures, Joseph Chiblonski, nicknamed “the Iceman,” is introduced as a paranoid wreck. Haunted by the fear that Bruce Wayne will one day seek revenge, he sees Wayne’s face everywhere he goes. When Batman tracks down Chill after he attempts to kill a detective, he manages to unmask Batman but runs from the Dark Knight in a panic, eventually falling to his death. Batman, never once recognizing Chill’s face, wonders who the man was and why he would rather die than be saved by him.

A New Chill From a New Crisis

Joe Chill’s story evolved through the interplay of comics and films, with each influencing the other. In Detective Comics #678, part of 1994’s Zero Hour event, Batman encounters an alternate timeline where he was killed instead of his parents, and Chill is not the killer, leaving Bruce doubting whether Chill was the true culprit in his own timeline. In 2005’s Batman Begins Chill is a random mugger driven to crime by Gotham’s economic depression. For the first time in any Batman medium, Chill is caught the night of the murders and imprisoned, only to be killed by a mob hitman before he can testify.

This idea appeared in the comics in Infinite Crisis #6 (2006), where Chill is arrested for killing the Waynes. Shortly after, in Grant Morrison’s Batman #673 story “Joe Chill in Hell,” Chill is depicted as a mid-level mob boss who evades justice but is stalked by Batman for a month. When Batman gives him the gun used in the murders, Chill realizes the Dark Knight’s identity and appears to commit suicide. However, these events are questionable due to hallucinations caused by mind-altering drugs Batman is ingesting at the time.

1

The New 52 Brought Us a Chilling Reunion Between Batman and His Parent’s Killer

In This Version, Joe Chill Didn’t Actually Know the Waynes

Until recently, the last real update to Joe Chill’s story came during the New 52 era, specifically in the Batman: The Dark Knight series, which was later expanded upon during the Darkseid War event. In this storyline, Batman becomes the New God of Knowledge, gaining omniscience. Across the various interpretations of Joe Chill and the Waynes, it’s always been implied that Chill knew who the Waynes were or at least recognized them as a wealthy couple in a rich part of Gotham. From the DCAU flashbacks to Batman Begins, Chill’s dialogue consistently suggests his awareness of their wealth and status, providing a clear motive for targeting them as mugging victims.

In the pages of Batman: The Dark Knight, the New 52 revealed a new take on Joe Chill’s backstory. In this version, an 18-year-old Bruce Wayne tracks Chill down, discovering him as a broken alcoholic who wanted Martha’s pearls simply to buy booze. Chill didn’t even realize who the Waynes were until the next day when he read about their murders in the news. Heartbroken but resolute, Bruce uses this encounter to fuel his determination to train himself as a warrior capable of stopping the kind of crime that took his parents. This portrayal of Chill, with less malice and more desperation than previous versions, also marks the first time in the comics that Bruce confronts his parents’ killer before becoming Batman. This plot point would later be mirrored in the Fox TV series Gotham.

“}]] Joe Chill famously killed Batman’s parents, but it seems like his origin is constantly changing.  Read More