Alfred Pennyworth is an ever-present character in DC Comics and the Batman mythos. No other member of the Batman family is as loyal and dedicated to the Dark Knight's mission as his faithful father figure and butler. Time after time, Alfred has proven why he is the second most dangerous man in Gotham, having dealt with every supervillain in Batman's rogue's gallery from Bane to The Joker.
Alfred walks the streets of Gotham alone, not because he knows Batman can save him, but because he can take care of himself. Alfred is Batman's right-hand man, and that comes with a particular set of skills that no one in Gotham's criminal underbelly wants to challenge. On rare occasions, the brilliant butler gets the chance to demonstrate his abilities in the comics, and each time is more spectacular than the last. Here are some of Alfred's moments in the Batman comics.
8 Alfred Headbutts Superman
Alfred is not just some old chap that brings master Bruce tea and sandwiches; he is also a proud protector of his family against any threat that would be foolish enough to step foot in Wayne Manor. In the DC ComicsInjustice Year 1 storyline by Tom Taylor, Superman has become increasingly more brutal and power-hungry, prompting a split between the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight.
The situation eventually comes to a head inside the Batcave, with Superman beating Bruce to a pulp, trying to prevent him from creating a superpower pill so that regular people can fight back against him. While Superman has Bruce on the ropes, Alfred takes the pill and clocks Superman right in the nose with his forehead and proceeds to pulverize him into the ground.
7 Alfred And His Shotgun
On several occasions, Alfred has been the sole defense between ill will and the Batman family. He protects each member with his life no matter what, as they are the most precious thing to him. Anyone who visits Wayne manor with mischief on their mind is in for a rude awakening as Alfred dons his trusty shotgun.
Alfred, being an ex-military soldier in the British army, is the only member of the Bat-family allowed to wield firearms, and he does so with extreme lethality, even dreaming of the day he can blow the Joker's head off for good.
6 Alfred Punches Deathstroke
Few have had as much disregard for supervillains as Alfred Pennyworth. He has no time nor the inclination to indulge the eccentricities of dastardly individuals who seek to harm the common man. More times than one can count, Alfred has stood his ground before the mightiest of villains, one of which was Deathstroke.
In Outsiders issue #18, Alfred comes across Slade Wilson in full garb, fresh from a kill. Enraged by Slade's disrespect for human life, he approaches the world's greatest assassin and smacks him right in the chin. No other character, hero, or villain would have the nerve, but Alfred isn't just anyone.
5 Alfred Becomes Batman For A Night
There have been many characters to don the cape and cowl of Batman over the years. Some rose to the challenge, while others tried their best but could not measure up. In DC’s RebirthBatman line, Batman encounters a pair of super-powered siblings, Gotham and Gotham Girl, that moved into Gotham to aid him in his fight against the criminal underworld.
Due to side effects from their powers, both siblings were mentally unstable, which sparked a conflict between the caped crusader and their brother, Gotham. Gotham scavenged downtown in search of the Batman, while Bruce, unable to act, requested that Alfred pretend to be Batman to buy him some time. Alfred did not hesitate and stood face to face with a meta-human with strength comparable to Superman.
4 Alfred escapes from Arkham Asylum
In a year-long storyline revolving around the world's greatest detective, DC Comics put together a star-studded team of artists and writers for an extensive piece of work, Batman Eternal. Batman Eternal follows the Batman and his allies after the events of Forever Evil as a gang war erupts in the middle of Gotham City.
During this story, Alfred is a much more active member of Batman’s family and is given a treacherous mission to accomplish in Batman Eternal #31. Alfred is sent into Arkham Asylum and must make it through waves of psychotic criminals, vampires, and even Bane himself. Alfred takes on the mission with great courage and confidence and makes taking on Gotham City criminals look like a cakewalk.
3 Shooting The Batman Who Laughs
Alfred is not afraid to take on any super-being by his lonesome if it means protecting his family. The world's greatest butler has made a vow of his own never to allow what happened to his dear friends Martha and Thomas Wayne to ever happen again.
During DC Comic’s run involving the terrifying new character, The Batman Who Laughs, Alfred comes face to face with the monstrosity that has been wreaking havoc all across the DC multiverse. When looking the demon in the eye, Alfred unloads all cylinders of his shotgun into the monster trying to send him back to where he came from.
2 Alfred Shoots A Predator Alien
In its early days, DC Comics was known for its crossovers. Many times, the DC heroes appeared in or with other heroes from other universes such as Power Rangers, Marvel, and even He-man. In one such crossover, the DC universe was invaded by the Predator race of aliens.
Several Predators began hunting heroes of DC, one of which being Batman. In a fight to the death inside the Batcave, Batman struggles to take down the extraterrestrial menace. Luckily, Alfred arrives with his trusty shotgun and fills the alien full of buckshot.
1 Alfred Disarms Hush
Hush is one of the most dangerous villains in Batman's rogue's gallery. The childhood friend of Bruce Wayne, Thomas Elliot, is the other half of the same coin that both men reside on. While Bruce ventured down the path of Justice to become Batman, Thomas gave into the abyss and became Hush.
Hush attempts to manipulate his way into Bruce's life by infiltrating his home using Alfred, the coy butler, who he thought would be an easy hostage to take advantage of. Unfortunately, the well-tailored gentleman saw through the villain's guise and struck Hush and stole his weapon from him in one swift moment, catching the former surgeon completely off guard.