View Poll Results: Most important civilian human Batverse character ever?

Voters
66. You may not vote on this poll
  • Jim Gordon

    30 45.45%
  • Alfred Pennyworth

    34 51.52%
  • Someone else (please specify)

    2 3.03%
Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 42
  1. #1
    Legendary Member daBronzeBomma's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Usually at the End of Time
    Posts
    4,586

    Default Jim Gordon vs Alfred Pennyworth

    Which one gets the title of

    Most Important Civilian Human Character in the 80 Year History of the Batverse

    and why?

    Civilian = no superhuman abilities and no alter ego

    (Poll forthcoming)

  2. #2
    Legendary Member daBronzeBomma's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Usually at the End of Time
    Posts
    4,586

    Default

    My take:

    Alfred is indispensable to Bruce Wayne.

    Batman can't survive in Gotham without Jim Gordon.

    Gordon has continuous YODO (Year One Day One) status since Detective Comics #27 in 1939.

    He wins the title, imo.

  3. #3
    Ultimate Member Jackalope89's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Posts
    10,388

    Default

    Martha and Thomas Wayne.

    Without them, there is no "I am the Vengeance!"

  4. #4
    Astonishing Member KangMiRae's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2019
    Posts
    2,050

    Default

    I wanted to give it to Alfred, but going back to the older comics Gordon was far more essential in those stories than Alfred was. I feel like Alfred's importance grew as the years went by.

  5. #5
    Astonishing Member
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Posts
    4,386

    Default

    Today, they're both equally important IMO. But historically, Gordon has been far more important.

  6. #6
    Extraordinary Member Restingvoice's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Posts
    9,574

    Default

    80 years means Gordon. He's been there from the first panel. On topic, he's a crucial help from the legal side, uprooting GCPD corruption, providing info on crime, letting Batfam do their job, pretending not knowing their identity and withstanding heart attack every time Batman appear suddenly

  7. #7
    Ultimate Member SiegePerilous02's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Posts
    15,234

    Default

    It's extremely close, but I lead towards Gordon since he was there from the very beginning. Alfred's prominence grew, but he didn't start out that way and he even appeared AFTER Robin.

  8. #8
    Astonishing Member Pohzee's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    tOSU
    Posts
    3,066

    Default

    Went with Gordon because Alfred is overrated as hell these days
    It's the Dynamic Duo! Batman and Robin!... and Red Robin and Red Hood and Nightwing and Batwoman and Batgirl and Orphan and Spoiler and Bluebird and Lark and Gotham Girl and Talon and Batwing and Huntress and Azreal and Flamebird and Batcow?

    Since when could just anybody do what we trained to do? It makes it all dumb instead of special. Like it doesn't matter anymore.
    -Dick Grayson (Batman Inc.)


  9. #9
    Extraordinary Member adrikito's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2016
    Location
    Gotham City
    Posts
    8,091

    Default

    I vote for Alfred.. In his early days if Batman needed help, Alfred was his only option..

    He is here since the begin as ally.

  10. #10
    Ultimate Member SiegePerilous02's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Posts
    15,234

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by adrikito View Post
    I vote for Alfred.. In his early days if Batman needed help, Alfred was his only option..

    He is here since the begin as ally.
    Dick begs to differ (he came first)

  11. #11
    Incredible Member regg215's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Posts
    567

    Default

    They are both essential but slight edge to Alfred in my opinion. Bruce does not remain a somewhat stable heroic person without Alfred. Alfred seems to be the only one who can at times check Bruce and make him reconsider things. Also Alfred being there as a father figure and person who raised Bruce after the death of the Waynes is pretty much the only reason Bruce still had a sense of family or love in his heart. Gordon is essential to him functioning as Batman but the upbringing and stability that Alfred provided to him as a kid is a huge part of the reason that Batman is a hero who Gordon is willing to work with. That and Alfred being excellent at treating injuries is huge key to how Bruce survives and maintains his dual identity. I would say the whole reason Bruce has a batfamily and they stay somewhat functional is because of Alfred being there.

    What really broke the tie for me was that brilliant scene in Arkham Knight where Bruce says "it's what you taught me, do the right thing, that's all that matters" to Alfred. Really shows how essential Alfred is to the existence, conscience and morals that Batman has.
    Last edited by regg215; 07-27-2019 at 12:59 PM.
    "You know, there are some words I've known since I was a schoolboy: "With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably.. The first time any man's freedom is trodden on, we're all damaged"- CAPT. Picard

  12. #12
    Ultimate Member SiegePerilous02's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Posts
    15,234

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by regg215 View Post
    They are both essential but slight edge to Alfred in my opinion. Bruce does not remain a somewhat stable heroic person without Alfred. Alfred seems to be the only one who can at times check Bruce and make him reconsider things. Also Alfred being there as a father figure and person who raised Bruce after the death of the Waynes is pretty much the only reason Bruce still had a sense of family or love in his heart. Gordon is essential to him functioning as Batman but the upbringing and stability that Alfred provided to him as a kid is a huge part of the reason that Batman is a hero who Gordon is willing to work with. That and Alfred being excellent at treating injuries is huge key to how Bruce survives and maintains his dual identity. I would say the whole reason Bruce has a batfamily and they stay somewhat functional is because of Alfred being there.

    What really broke the tie for me was that brilliant scene in Arkham Knight where Bruce says "it's what you taught me, do the right thing, that's all that matters" to Alfred. Really shows how essential Alfred is to the existence, conscience and morals that Batman has.
    IDK, Alfred being present to help raise him seems at odds with post-Crisis Bruce somehow being less emotionally stable than the pre-Crisis one who wasn't raised by Alfred and didn't meet him until well into adulthood.

    Alfred kind of comes up short in the rearing department compared to Uncle Phillip I guess.

  13. #13
    The Superior One Celgress's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Posts
    11,766

    Default

    OP Question - Alfred is more important to the character of Batman, IMO.
    "So you've come to the end now alive but dead inside."

  14. #14
    Astonishing Member Johnny Thunders!'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    WGBS
    Posts
    2,535

    Default

    I originally went with Jim Gordon, but what a question! I love that one Morrison moment, where Jim Gordon asks Batman why he chose an indestructible and immortal enemy to fight against and Batman answers, same reason you did, I thought I could take him! Then I chose Alfred because Michael Caine and young Bruce were so perfect together in the Nolan films. So yeah Alfred, especially when they say he was some sort of theater nerd and super spy back in the day. Isn't that Batman in the end?

  15. #15
    Extraordinary Member kjn's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Posts
    4,875

    Default

    Easy for me. For me, the most compelling creation in the Batman mythos is the city of Gotham, and Gordon has been integral to that from the beginning.
    «Speaking generally, it is because of the desire of the tragic poets for the marvellous that so varied and inconsistent an account of Medea has been given out» (Diodorus Siculus, The Library of History [4.56.1])

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •