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Rupert Thorne

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Rupert Thorne
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Rupert Thorne is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The character is a crooked politician, a crime boss, and an enemy of Batman.

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Thorne has made several appearances in animated DC media, such as Batman: The Animated Series, in which he is voiced by John Vernon, and the DC Universe animated series Creature Commandos, voiced by Benjamin Byron Davis.

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Publication history

Created by Steve Englehart and Walter Simonson, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #469.[1]

Fictional character biography

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Rupert Thorne is introduced as a corrupt politician with extensive ties to organized crime and ambitions of becoming a crime boss in his own right. Doctor Phosphorus blackmails him with evidence of his crimes into turning Gotham City against Batman. After Phosphorus is defeated, Thorne decides not to waste the opportunity and persuades his fellow city councilors to declare Batman an outlaw. He attempts to gain complete control of Gotham by running for mayor, but fails. Rupert Thorne is one of three criminals (the other two being Penguin and Joker) who make a bid at Hugo Strange's secret auction for Batman's secret identity. He kidnaps and tortures Strange to force him to divulge it rather than risk losing the auction. Strange resists, however, and apparently dies in the process. After disposing of his body, Thorne is haunted by eerie sounds and visions of Strange.[2]

After failing in his campaign against Batman and spending some time in hiding, he secretly returns to Gotham City.[3] He gets the corrupt Hamilton Hill elected as the mayor of Gotham and orders him to fire Police Commissioner James Gordon in favor of Peter Pauling, who is on Thorne's payroll. Thorne finally identifies Bruce Wayne as Batman after acquiring photos of him changing into his costume from reporter Vicki Vale. Thorne then hires Deadshot to kill Wayne.[4] Deadshot is unsuccessful, but before Thorne can deal with the problem, he begins to succumb to Strange's manipulations; the professor is revealed to have faked his death while using elaborate special-effects devices to simulate ghostly encounters. Thorne becomes paranoid, convinced that Hill and Pauling are plotting against him and trying to drive him insane. He shoots Pauling dead, but is eventually apprehended by Batman and brought to justice.[5]

Decades later, Thorne returns in Detective Comics #825. He is serving a lengthy prison sentence in Blackgate Penitentiary when a vengeful Doctor Phosphorus unsuccessfully attempts to kill him.[6]

In 2016, DC Comics implemented another relaunch of its books called "DC Rebirth" which restored its continuity to a form much as it was prior to "The New 52". While Rupert Thorne's role as a corrupt politician remains intact, he and the city councilors in his payroll established the Oceangate Nuclear Power Plant on the outskirts of Gotham City following the destruction of the plant that Alex Sartorius worked at. Thorne is investigated by the police following the murder of councilwoman Ann Vinton, who was killed with a radioactive bullet. Batman reasons that Thorne and Sartorius were involved in the murder, as the bullet was coated with Sartorius' blood.[7]

In Batman: Three Jokers, Thorne is shown to be incarcerated at Blackgate when Batman visits Joe Chill.[8]

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Other versions

An alternate universe variant of Rupert Thorne appears in Gotham by Gaslight. This version is a respected member of Gotham's city council who later becomes interim mayor in the aftermath of Jack the Ripper's killing spree.

In other media

Television

  • Rupert Thorne appears in Batman: The Animated Series, voiced by John Vernon.[9] This version is Gotham's most powerful crime boss who contributed to Two-Face's creation and has elements of Carmine Falcone and Sal Maroni.
  • Rupert Thorne appears in the first episode of The Batman, "The Bat in the Belfry", voiced by Victor Brandt.[9]
  • Rupert Thorne appears in Batman: Caped Crusader, voiced by Cedric Yarbrough.[9] This version is a politician, crime boss, and rival of the Penguin who, like the Batman: The Animated Series incarnation, contributed to Two-Face's creation.
  • Rupert Thorne appears in flashbacks in the Creature Commandos episode "Priyatel Skelet", voiced by Benjamin Byron Davis.[10][9] This version is an industrialist who financed Alex Sartorius' efforts to create a cure for cancer via nuclear fusion in exchange for access to the latter's findings so he can sell it to the country of Bialya. Upon discovering Sartorius gave him falsified data, Thorne has Sartorius' family killed, frames him for it, and attempts to kill him with his nuclear equipment. However, Sartorius transforms into Doctor Phosphorous, kills Thorne and his family, and takes over his criminal empire.

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Miscellaneous

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See also

References

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