Warning! Contains spoilers for Detective Comics 2022 Annual!The murders of Thomas and Martha Wayne have taken on a dark new meaning in the DC Universe, transforming the meaning of Batman's origin. Detective Comics 2022 Annual #1 posits the 'Chaos Trigger' theory, and possibly reveals the true purpose behind the deaths of the Dark Knight's mother and father.
Few comic book origins are as known or are as tragic as the death of the Waynes. What started as a fun night out to see a Zorro movie ended in bloodshed. After ducking through the alley behind the Monarch Theatre, the Waynes were killed in cold blood by a man named Joe Chill, who changed a young Bruce Wayne's life forever. The death of the Waynes remains one of the most notable killings in Gotham's past. The death also served as the springboard for Bruce to begin a lifetime mission dedicated to eradicating crime in Gotham for good.
However, it seems that what happened to the Waynes has happened in Gotham before and may very well happen again and again. In Detective Comics 2022 Annual by Ram V. and Rafael Albuquerque, the early days of Gotham are shown, back when the city was still Gothame in the year 1776. Tim and Moira Wainwight, a couple much like Thomas and Martha Wayne, are killed, leaving their only child an orphan and in the care of a man named Aldridge Pearce. Though the death shocks the small town, a small group of powerful men in the community are personally benefiting from the tragedy. In fact, the crew have an order that are dedicated to steering Gothame's future. By dispatching the Wainwrights, the group can use their deaths as a "chaos trigger", and use the panic and fear plaguing the community to bolster the power they already have in the town.
Are Thomas And Martha's Death Also A Chaos Trigger?
While the Wainwrights’ deaths appear to be a carefully orchestrated event, the murder of Batman’s parents are more often than not presented as a stroke of bad luck. Granted, some storylines have played with the idea that Joe Chill was a hired gun who specifically targeted Thomas and Martha. But the usual take was that Chill was simple criminal and the Waynes were in the wrong place at the wrong time. But that doesn’t mean that their deaths don’t in some ways act like a chaos trigger like the Wainwrights.
While the Wainwrights were killed in order for a small faction of men to secure more power in their community, the Wayne murders were a mark on Gotham’s dark history. After their deaths, organized crime grew worse, corruption ran rampant. And though it would take roughly twenty years, villains such as the Joker and Scarecrow began terrorizing the city. While it’d be hard to pin these events solely on the deaths of Martha and Thomas, it’s not a reach to suggest it was the beginning of a new period of darkness in Gotham. The historical context of the Wayne murders does posit the idea that the ‘Chaos Trigger’ theory could be quite sound in the DC Universe, transforming Batman from a single, extraordinary man into a universal necessity.
