Hush (Thomas Elliot) is a
supervillain
A supervillain, supervillainess or supercriminal is a major antagonist and variant of the villainous stock character who possesses Superpower (ability), superpowers. The character type is sometimes found in comic books and is often the primary ...
appearing in
American comic book
An American comic book is a thin periodical literature originating in the United States, commonly between 24 and 64 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publ ...
s published by
DC Comics
DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
. Created by
Jeph Loeb
Joseph "Jeph" Loeb III () is an American film and television writer, producer and comic book writer. Loeb was a producer/writer on the TV series ''Smallville (TV series), Smallville'' and ''Lost (2004 TV series), Lost'', writer for the films ''C ...
and
Jim Lee
Jim Lee (; born August 11, 1964) is a Korean-born American comic book artist, writer, editor, and publisher. As of 2023, he is the President, Publisher, and Chief creative officer, Chief Creative Officer of DC Comics. In recognition of his work ...
, the character first appeared in ''
Batman
Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
'' #609 in January 2003 as part of the twelve-issue storyline ''
Batman: Hush''. Hush's background is parallel to the superhero
Batman
Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
, and he serves as a criminal
foil
Foil may refer to:
Materials
* Foil (metal), a quite thin sheet of metal, usually manufactured with a rolling mill machine
* Metal leaf, a very thin sheet of decorative metal
* Aluminium foil, a type of wrapping for food
* Tin foil, metal foil ma ...
to him, as an example of what Batman could have been if he came from an abusive family and had used his abilities and resources for malice. He belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up his
rogues gallery
A rogues' gallery (or rogues gallery) is a police collection of mug shots or other images of criminal suspects kept for identification purposes.
History
In 1855, Allan Pinkerton, founder of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, established ...
.
Thomas "Tommy" Elliot was a childhood friend of Bruce Wayne who attempts to murder his own parents and inherit their massive fortune. His plan fails when Bruce's father, Dr.
Thomas Wayne
Dr. Thomas Wayne, Doctor of Medicine, M.D. is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the father of Bruce Wayne (Batman), and husband of Martha Wayne as well as the paternal grandfather of Damian Wayn ...
, saves his mother's life, beginning his grudge against the Waynes. Tommy grows up to become a gifted
neurosurgeon
Neurosurgery or neurological surgery, known in common parlance as brain surgery, is the medical specialty that focuses on the surgical treatment or rehabilitation of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, ...
and, out of jealous resentment, allies with the
Riddler
The Riddler (Edward Nigma, later Edward Nygma or Edward Nashton) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang, and debuted in ''Detective Comics'' #140 in O ...
to ruin Bruce's life upon discovering that he is Batman. Wrapping his face in bandages to conceal his identity, Tommy becomes a manipulative criminal mastermind called "Hush" to seek revenge against his former friend.
The character has been adapted from the comics into numerous forms of media, having been portrayed in
live-action
Live action is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live action with animation to create a live-action animated feature film. Live action is used to define film, video games or ...
television by Cole Vallis and Gordon Winarick in ''
Gotham'', and by
Gabriel Mann
Gabriel Mann (born Gabriel Wilhoit Amis Mick; May 14, 1972) is an American actor and model, known for his role as Nolan Ross on the ABC drama series ''Revenge''. He has co-starred in several films, including ''The Life of David Gale'', '' The B ...
and
Warren Christie
Hans Warren Christie (born 4 November 1975) is a Canadian television and film actor known for his roles as Ray Cataldo on the ABC drama '' October Road'' and as Aidan "Greggy" Stiviletto on the ABC series '' Happy Town''. More recently, Chri ...
in ''
Batwoman
Batwoman is a name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, depicted as female counterparts and allies of Batman similarly to Batgirl. The original version of the character, Kathy Kane (eventually given t ...
''.
Kevin Conroy
Kevin Conroy (November 30, 1955 – November 10, 2022) was an American actor. He appeared in a variety of stage performances, television series, and television films. Conroy earned fame for voicing the DC Comics superhero Batman in various anim ...
voiced Hush in the ''
Batman: Arkham'' video game series.
Publication history
Hush resurfaced in ''
Batman: Gotham Knights'', and later in ''
Detective Comics
''Detective Comics'' (later retitled as ''Batman Detective Comics'') is an American comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened to DC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011 (and later continued in 2016), is ...
'' and ''
Batman: Streets of Gotham''. He was also the architect behind several of the events of ''
Batman Eternal
''Batman Eternal'' is a year-long weekly limited series published by DC Comics, that began in April 2014. The series featured Batman, his allies, and Gotham City, with a writing team led by Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Ray Fawkes, Kyle Higgins ...
''.
Fictional character biography
Origin
Thomas "Tommy" Elliot was a childhood friend of
Bruce Wayne
Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. In t ...
, and was also born into a wealthy family. The two boys often played a
Stratego
''Stratego'' ( ) is a Strategy game, strategy board game for two players on a board of 10×10 squares. Each player controls 40 pieces representing individual Army officer ranks, officer and soldier ranks in an army. The pieces have Napoleonic W ...
-esque
minifigure
A Lego minifigure, often simply referred to as a Lego figure or a minifig, is a small plastic articulated figurine made of special Lego bricks produced by Danish building toy manufacturer The Lego Group. They were first produced in 1978 and ha ...
game together, and Tommy taught Bruce to think like his opponents and to use their abilities against them to win, which proved useful years later when he became Batman. Thus, as a child, Tommy exhibits a genius level intellect due to his capability to think and plan strategically. Tommy despised both his abusive father and his frail, submissive mother, who came from poverty and willingly endured every abuse dealt to her and her son to keep her lavish lifestyle. For all their failings, however, Tommy's parents made sure he was well-educated. In particular, his mother taught him about the philosophy of
Aristotle
Aristotle (; 384–322 BC) was an Ancient Greek philosophy, Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath. His writings cover a broad range of subjects spanning the natural sciences, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, psychology, a ...
, attempting to use it as a way to passively deal with his father's abuse without accepting it. Tommy would often quote Aristotle as an adult.
Driven by his desire for independence and wealth, Tommy severed the brake line of his parents' car, causing a crash that killed his father and injured his mother; his mother, however, was saved in an emergency operation by Thomas Wayne, which enraged young Elliot. While at a summer camp with Bruce, Tommy attacked a boy and ended up in a psychiatric ward; he blamed Bruce and his mother for his outburst. He is released by an intern named
Jonathan Crane, who becomes the villain Scarecrow.
During the next few years, Tommy tended to his mother. When Bruce's parents were murdered, Tommy resented him for inheriting the Wayne family fortune, just as he had hoped to do with his parents' money. Shortly before Bruce returned to
Gotham City
Gotham City ( ), or simply Gotham, is a fictional city in the Northeastern United States that serves as the primary city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is best known as the home of the superhero Batman and his List ...
, Tommy befriended a young woman named Peyton Riley (who would later become the
second Ventriloquist) – a relationship of which his mother never approved. When Tommy's mother recovered from cancer, she disowned him, subsequently cutting him off from the Elliot family fortune in retaliation for his continuing relationship with Peyton. As a result, Tommy murdered her by smothering her with a pillow, while Peyton killed their lawyer and destroyed Mrs. Elliot's new will. As far as the rest of the world was concerned, his mother had died of a household accident.
Finally the sole recipient of his family's fortune, Tommy abandoned Peyton and began traveling the world, as Bruce had. Although he went on to
Harvard University
Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
and became a successful
surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a medical doctor who performs surgery. Even though there are different traditions in different times and places, a modern surgeon is a licensed physician and received the same medical training as physicians before spec ...
, Tommy continued to harbor an irrational grudge towards his childhood friend.
At some point in his career, Edward Nygma, also known as the
Riddler
The Riddler (Edward Nigma, later Edward Nygma or Edward Nashton) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang, and debuted in ''Detective Comics'' #140 in O ...
, was diagnosed with terminal cancer and eventually hijacked one of
Ra's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. Created by editor Julius Schwartz, writer Dennis O'Neil, and artist Neal Adams, the character first appeared ...
's Lazarus Pits to regain his health. During this mystical treatment, which renders the participant temporarily insane, the Riddler experienced an unexpected epiphany: he realized that Bruce Wayne was Batman. Soon afterwards, the Riddler attempted to sell Tommy the secrets of his newfound revelation in exchange for a large cash sum. Tommy, by this time having discovered Nygma's criminal background, instead offered to pay him to kill Bruce. Realizing that they shared a common hatred for Wayne, Tommy and the Riddler decided to pool resources to bring him down.
To this end, Elliot created for himself the persona of "Hush", becoming an antithesis to Batman. Riddler said that the name started out as a joking reference to the need to keep Tommy's identity secret, but became a more permanent alias when Scarecrow started to sing the lullaby "
Hush, Little Baby
"Hush, Little Baby" is a traditional lullaby, thought to have been written in the Southern United States. The lyrics are from the point of view of a parent trying to appease an upset child by promising to give them a gift. Sensing the child's appr ...
".
''Hush'' character arc
In their attempt to destroy Batman, Hush and the Riddler manipulated several other villains into unwillingly helping them. These included the
Joker,
Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn (Dr. Harleen Frances Quinzel, PhD) is a fictional American character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm for ''Batman: The Animated Series'' as a henchwoman for the ...
,
Two-Face
Two-Face is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bob Kane, and first appeared in ''Detective Comics'' #66 (August 1942). He has become one of the superhero Batman's most enduring e ...
,
Poison Ivy
Poison ivy is a type of allergenic plant in the genus '' Toxicodendron'' native to Asia and North America. Formerly considered a single species, '' Toxicodendron radicans'', poison ivies are now generally treated as a complex of three separate s ...
,
Scarecrow
A scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin that is often in the shape of a human. Humanoid scarecrows are usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops. ...
,
Killer Croc
Killer Croc (Waylon Jones) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Gerry Conway, Don Newton and Gene Colan, the character was introduced in ''Detective Comics'' #523 (February 1983). He has become on ...
and
Clayface
Clayface is an alias used by several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Most incarnations of the character possess clay-like bodies and shapeshifting abilities, and all of them are List of Batman family enemies ...
. They even manipulated some of Batman's closest allies (
Superman
Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
,
Huntress, and
Catwoman
Catwoman is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, she debuted as "the Cat" in ''Batman (comic book), Batman'' #1 (spring 1940). She has become one of the superhero Batman' ...
) against the Dark Knight, utilizing such methods as Poison Ivy using her
pheromone
A pheromone () is a secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social response in members of the same species. Pheromones are chemicals capable of acting like hormones outside the body of the secreting individual, to affect the behavio ...
s to control the Man of Steel and Catwoman and Hush's seemingly benevolent funding of Huntress's vigilante activities. Part of their plot included fooling Bruce into believing the Joker had murdered Tommy; Clayface
shapeshifted into Tommy's corpse to create this illusion.
With these villains as their pawns, Hush and the Riddler set up an elaborate plot against Batman.
Jason Todd
Jason Peter Todd is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in ''Batman (comic book), Batman'' #357 in March 1983, he was created to succeed Dick Grayson as Robin (character), Robin, Batman's partner ...
, who was believed to be dead for years, entered the pact with the villains and gave them insights on how Batman thought. Using the shapeshifting abilities of Clayface, they created a
decoy
A decoy (derived from the Dutch ''de'' ''kooi'', literally "the cage" or possibly ''eenden kooi'', " duck cage") is usually a person, device, or event which resembles what an individual or a group might be looking for, but it is only meant to ...
of the former
Robin
Robin most commonly refers to several species of passerine birds.
Robin may also refer to:
Animals
* Australasian robins, red-breasted songbirds of the family Petroicidae
* Many members of the subfamily Saxicolinae (Old World chats), inclu ...
; Hush collaborated with Riddler, Todd, and Clayface to use the Dark Knight's guilt over his ward's apparent death against him at Todd's gravesite.
Around this time, Hush cured the disfigured
Harold Allnut
While smith
Whisper A'Daire is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She was created by Greg Rucka and Shawn Martinbrough, and first appeared in ''Detective Comics'' #743 (April 2000).
Whisper is an ope ...
, a longtime associate of Batman. In return, Harold 'bugged' the
Batcave
The Batcave is a subterranean location appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is the headquarters of the superhero Batman, whose secret identity is Bruce Wayne and his partners, consisting of caves beneath his personal r ...
with several devices that altered Batman's mind, but nevertheless remained loyal to the Caped Crusader; he was certain that Batman would triumph over whatever followed. Hush then killed Harold in front of Batman, and immediately engaged the Dark Knight in battle. Batman was at first disoriented by Hush's quoting of
Aristotle
Aristotle (; 384–322 BC) was an Ancient Greek philosophy, Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath. His writings cover a broad range of subjects spanning the natural sciences, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, psychology, a ...
, prompting him to briefly wonder if Hush is
Maxie Zeus
Maximilian "Maxie" Zeus is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, primarily as a minor enemy of Batman. He is depicted as a mentally ill former history professor who is obsessed with Greek mythology and believes ...
. He noticed that Hush used
Deadshot
Deadshot is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer David Vern Reed and artist Lew Sayre Schwartz based on a concept from Bob Kane, the character first appeared in ''Batman (comic book), Batman ...
's two-gun fighting style, and theorized that he was either the assassin himself or one of his protégés.
When Tommy finally revealed himself to a worn-out Batman, the Dark Knight was saved only by the intervention of Harvey Dent, whose Two-Face persona had been unwittingly wiped out by Tommy when he repaired Dent's disfigured face. Once again on the side of the law, Dent shot Hush twice, throwing him off a bridge. Although Batman was sure that Hush was his childhood friend Thomas Elliot, he was not able to unmask him.
In 2022, a 20th anniversary edition
trade paperback of the original ''Hush'' storyline contained a newly produced epilogue. Written and drawn by the original authors
Jeph Loeb
Joseph "Jeph" Loeb III () is an American film and television writer, producer and comic book writer. Loeb was a producer/writer on the TV series ''Smallville (TV series), Smallville'' and ''Lost (2004 TV series), Lost'', writer for the films ''C ...
and
Jim Lee
Jim Lee (; born August 11, 1964) is a Korean-born American comic book artist, writer, editor, and publisher. As of 2023, he is the President, Publisher, and Chief creative officer, Chief Creative Officer of DC Comics. In recognition of his work ...
, it detailed how Hush escaped to an air pocket in a sunken boat at the bottom of the Gotham river after his defeat on the bridge. After performing surgery on himself to remove the two bullets from Harvey Dent's gun, Hush is shown to crawl ashore only to run into
Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn (Dr. Harleen Frances Quinzel, PhD) is a fictional American character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm for ''Batman: The Animated Series'' as a henchwoman for the ...
and the
Joker, who puts a gun to his head. The epilogue then ends with a To Be Continued.
Hush returns
Still out to destroy Batman and determined not to let the rest of the villains get in his way, Hush quickly carved out a niche for himself, beating his former accomplice the Riddler to within an inch of his life. Hush even drives the Joker out of the city, thus proving to the Clown Prince that Hush can be a threat to him. He also temporarily killed Poison Ivy during a failed attempt to recruit her.
Following a short-lived alliance with
JLA JLA may refer to:
* '' JLA'', a comic book series 1997–2006
* The Justice League of America, a fictional DC Comics superhero team
* JLA (company), a laundry equipment provider
* Yugoslav People's Army
The Yugoslav People's Army (JNA/; Mac ...
nemesis
Prometheus
In Greek mythology, Prometheus (; , , possibly meaning "forethought")Smith"Prometheus". is a Titans, Titan. He is best known for defying the Olympian gods by taking theft of fire, fire from them and giving it to humanity in the form of technol ...
, Hush began to torment Bruce Wayne with help from Clayface. Exploiting the latter's shapeshifting abilities, Hush was briefly able to shed doubt on his true identity and had
Alfred Pennyworth
Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth, originally Alfred Beagle and commonly known simply as Alfred, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, most commonly in association with the superhero Batman.
Alfred is ...
framed for murder, using samples taken from the new Clayface to infect Alfred with a virus that would allow Elliot to control him. Hush also attempted to analyse samples taken from Clayface with the goal of duplicating Clayface's shape-shifting abilities for himself without the usual side-effects such as loss of a default human form, eventually attempting to perfect this analysis by releasing Cassius Payne from prison, reasoning that samples from Cassius would be more useful as he is the only 'pure' Clayface... the only one who was never human in the first place. After Clayface realised that he was being manipulated, he provided Batman with a sample of himself to find a cure for Alfred's condition despite knowing that this would not leave Batman with time to cure him, and also ensured that Alfred's name would be cleared by ensuring that his final appearance after death would be a form whose fingerprints so closely resembled Alfred's that the detectives would assume that they had made a mistake (The aforementioned events occur in issue #50–55 and #61–72).
Payback
The Joker eventually returned to
Gotham City
Gotham City ( ), or simply Gotham, is a fictional city in the Northeastern United States that serves as the primary city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is best known as the home of the superhero Batman and his List ...
with an army of trained pigeons and retaliated (in ''
Batman: Gotham Knights'' #73–74). He captured Hush and kept him
sedated for three weeks, during which time he implanted a
pacemaker
A pacemaker, also known as an artificial cardiac pacemaker, is an implanted medical device that generates electrical pulses delivered by electrodes to one or more of the chambers of the heart. Each pulse causes the targeted chamber(s) to co ...
into his body, effectively gaining control of his heart. At the Joker's mercy and unable to remove the device himself, Hush turned to the one man he felt he could trust (or rather, predict): Bruce Wayne.
Bruce consented to help Hush on the condition that he allow himself to be treated in, and confined to,
Arkham Asylum
Arkham Asylum () is a fictional psychiatric hospital appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in stories featuring Batman. It first appeared in ''Batman'' #258 (October 1974), written by Dennis O'Neil with art by Irv N ...
. Hush agreed, and then immediately escaped after being told that the surgery had been a success. He was intercepted by Batman before he could confront the Joker and demanded that Batman allow him to kill the Joker. Batman seemed to agree and began to leave, but then revealed that he had tricked Hush – the pacemaker was still in his body, and he had been allowed to escape from Arkham. At that moment, the Joker arrived, and Hush begged Batman not to leave him.
The issue (and the ''Batman: Gotham Knights'' series) ended unresolved. Hush returned in the later ''
Man-Bat
Man-Bat (Dr. Robert Kirkland "Kirk" Langstrom) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Introduced in ''Detective Comics'' #400 (June 1970) as an enemy of the superhero Batman, the character belongs to t ...
'' miniseries, and is later shown remembering how painful it was to remove the pacemaker alone, and how the time between ''Gotham Knights'' and ''Heart of Hush'' was mostly spent recovering from the damage suffered, confirming that Batman did desert Hush at the conclusion of "Payback".
Heart of Hush
Hush returns in ''Detective Comics'' #846-#850, in the story "Heart of Hush", which ties together with "
Batman R.I.P.
Batman R.I.P. is an American comic book story arc published in ''Batman (comic book), Batman'' #676–681 by DC Comics. Written by Grant Morrison, penciled by Tony Daniel, and with covers by Alex Ross, the story pits the superhero Batman against t ...
". In this arc, set a few nights before the events depicted in "R.I.P.", Hush is portrayed in a slightly different thematic fashion than in his prior appearances. His past as a surgeon serves as an important thematic aspect of his
modus operandi
A (often shortened to M.O. or MO) is an individual's habits of working, particularly in the context of business or criminal investigations, but also generally. It is a Latin phrase, approximately translated as .
Term
The term is often used in ...
. In the first issue, Hush reveals that his return was hastened when he began to hear whispers of the
Black Glove
''Black Glove'' is a Ugandan mystery-thriller-fashion noir film created and produced by Douglas Dubois Sebamala and directed by Angella Emurwon. The film follows three friends who go on a vacation on Independence Day and they meet a beautiful wom ...
's upcoming attack on Batman. Hush seeks to prevent Black Glove from killing Batman, which Hush sees as his right alone. In the second part, Hush teams up with
the Scarecrow. He performs routine
plastic surgery on his own face, which is later revealed to be nearly identical to Bruce Wayne's.
Hush then ambushes and subdues
Catwoman
Catwoman is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, she debuted as "the Cat" in ''Batman (comic book), Batman'' #1 (spring 1940). She has become one of the superhero Batman' ...
after she scratches off a portion of his facial bandages, recoiling in horror at what she sees. He then cuts out her heart, places her on
life support
Life support comprises the treatments and techniques performed in an emergency in order to support life after the failure of one or more vital organs. Healthcare providers and emergency medical technicians are generally certified to perform bas ...
supplied by
Mr. Freeze
Mr. Freeze is the name of two supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Dave Wood and artists Sheldon Moldoff and Bob Kane, the character initially debuted in ''Batman'' #121 (February 1959) as Mr. ...
, and delivers her to Gotham General Hospital. Hush ponders the formulation his plan in the wake of Batman's abandonment of him.
While Catwoman is left in
Doctor Mid-Nite
Doctor Mid-Nite (or Doctor Midnight) is the name of multiple superheroes published in American comic books by DC Comics. The original version of the character was first created by writer Charles Reizenstein and artist Stanley Josephs Aschmeier in ...
's care, Batman learns the location of Hush's headquarters from Scarecrow. Hush attacks Batman with a paralytic gas, and shows him the room containing Catwoman's heart, which is being kept alive through artificial means. He then confesses to Batman his plan: using his newfound resemblance to Bruce, he will kill and disfigure him to steal his identity, eliminating those who know him best and regularly interact with him, after which he will retire with the Wayne fortune, reasoning that Batman's fellow superheroes will accept that Batman has earned the right to end his career.
However, Batman is able to stave off the effects of the paralytic gas, recover Catwoman's heart, and warn Alfred of Hush's deception. Although Alfred disarms Elliot, Hush manages to get the Batcave, where he nearly kills Batman, but Alfred's continued interference and the arrival of
Nightwing
Nightwing is a superhero alias used by multiple characters in American comic books published by DC Comics. The most prominent bearer is Dick Grayson, the original Robin, who adopts the Nightwing identity to assert his independence from Batman. ...
and
Robin
Robin most commonly refers to several species of passerine birds.
Robin may also refer to:
Animals
* Australasian robins, red-breasted songbirds of the family Petroicidae
* Many members of the subfamily Saxicolinae (Old World chats), inclu ...
turned the tide. Hush retreats on the Whirly-Bat, a one-man helicopter, but his bandages become tangled in the rotor, causing the vehicle to explode.
In searching for traces of Hush, Batman, Nightwing, and Robin find only some bloody bandages, and conclude that he is dead. Doctor Mid-Nite surgically restores Catwoman's heart, but notes that she is unlikely to ever regain her physical prowess. While convalescing, she and her allies find all of Hush's secret bank accounts, and loots those funds for themselves, which she documents in a video that she ultimately leaves for Hush to find, in the event that he survived. Hush, revealed to be indeed alive but wounded and crutch-bound, sees this video, before limping off into locations unknown.
Later, posing as Bruce Wayne, Hush travels to
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
and
Vietnam
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
to loot the cash accounts of
Wayne Enterprises
Wayne Enterprises, also known as Wayne Corporation, Waynecorp, Wayne Industries, Wayne Technologies and Waynetech, is a fictional company appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batm ...
' subsidiaries. He is captured by Catwoman, and along with Nightwing and Robin, incarcerates him in a secret safe house. Hush, still wearing Bruce's appearance, decides to fake his surrender, waiting for the right moment to escape.
Batman reborn
In ''Streets of Gotham'', Batman's biological son
Damian Wayne
Damian Thomas Wayne is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Batman. He was created by Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert. Damian Wayne is the biological son of Bruce Wayne/Batman. His mo ...
visited Hush in his cell as the new Robin, and they played chess. When Damian left to deal with a new crisis, Hush surmised that
Firefly
The Lampyridae are a family of elateroid beetles with more than 2,000 described species, many of which are light-emitting. They are soft-bodied beetles commonly called fireflies, lightning bugs, or glowworms for their conspicuous production ...
was behind the attack. He noted how Gotham City had fallen apart in Batman's absence, and pondered how to use the current situation to his advantage. Hush faked experiencing spontaneous combustion, and when Alfred arrived at his cell to assist, Hush overpowered him and escaped. He then re-emerged as Bruce Wayne, claiming that he would donate a billion dollars a month to Gotham City until the financial crisis was over. Dick and Damian, along with the
Outsiders and assorted other superheroes, explained to Hush that they would always watch and control him- with the other heroes acting as a 'board of directors' intended to 'supervise' his financial dealings- and that someone will always be ready to take him down if he steps out of line. With no other option available to him, Hush reluctantly agreed to play Dick Grayson's puppet, posing as Bruce Wayne, and thus keeping the public from realizing that Bruce was dead. Though this ruined his original plan to sap the Wayne fortune, Hush did not allow it to halt his scheming altogether. Hush had appeared, notably as a member of the Gotham Shield Committee, around Gotham quite frequently, often attempting to make connections. When
Ra's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. Created by editor Julius Schwartz, writer Dennis O'Neil, and artist Neal Adams, the character first appeared ...
arrived in Gotham, promising to ruin the Wayne family in retaliation against
Red Robin
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc., more commonly known as Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews or simply Red Robin, is an American chain of casual dining restaurants founded in September 1969 in Seattle, Washington. In 1979, the first franchised R ...
, he immediately sought out Hush. Faced with the prospect of Hush using Ra's al Ghul's support to turn on the Bat-family again, Tim Drake activated a contingency plan set in place by Wayne himself to transfer controlling interest in Wayne Enterprises to Drake "if something should happen". This left Hush with no official standing in the company.
"House of Hush"
Hush reappeared in ''Streets of Gotham'' for the story arc "House of Hush" beginning in #14. He attempted to push the boundaries of his new role as Bruce Wayne, such as recommending that convicted criminals be allowed back on the streets. However, this plan backfired when the criminal Jane Doe—a woman who lost her face in an accident and had resorted to cutting off the faces of others—became obsessed with 'Bruce Wayne' after he had her released. She infiltrated his life by taking the face of his new assistant, and subsequently cut off Elliot's new face with the intention of becoming Bruce Wayne herself. The returned Bruce Wayne, once again acting as Batman, caught her and Hush, and they were both sent to Arkham, Bruce declaring that he was Batman's financial backer to make any attempt Hush might make to expose his identity basically irrelevant.
During the events of ''
Batman: Gates of Gotham'', Hush was freed from Arkham by a new villain named the Architect. As this happened,
Red Robin
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc., more commonly known as Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews or simply Red Robin, is an American chain of casual dining restaurants founded in September 1969 in Seattle, Washington. In 1979, the first franchised R ...
,
Batman
Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
, and
Blackbat realized that the Elliot family was connected to a series of bombings that destroyed three historical Gotham bridges. Batman found Hush, who had been betrayed by the Architect and strapped to a bomb, but was forced to sacrifice Wayne Tower to save his life.
The New 52: "Batman Eternal"
In September 2011,
The New 52
The New 52 was the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire Line (comics), line of ongoing monthly superhero American comic books, comic books. Following the conclusion of the "Flashpoint (comics), Flashpoint" Fictional crossover, cros ...
rebooted DC's continuity. In this new timeline, Hush first appears in issue twenty-one of ''
Batman Eternal
''Batman Eternal'' is a year-long weekly limited series published by DC Comics, that began in April 2014. The series featured Batman, his allies, and Gotham City, with a writing team led by Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Ray Fawkes, Kyle Higgins ...
'' as the apparent mastermind behind
Commissioner Gordon
James W. "Jim" Gordon Sr. is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, most commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane as an ally of Batman, the character debuted in the fir ...
's downfall and
Carmine Falcone
Carmine Falcone is a villain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, portrayed as a powerful Italian-American mob boss, an List of Batman family enemies, enemy of Batman, and an acquaintance of the Wayne family. He has also been ...
's return. After injecting
Alfred
Alfred may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
*''Alfred J. Kwak'', Dutch-German-Japanese anime television series
* ''Alfred'' (Arne opera), a 1740 masque by Thomas Arne
* ''Alfred'' (Dvořák), an 1870 opera by Antonín Dvořák
*"Alfred (Interlu ...
with
fear toxin, Hush was seen communicating with
Jason Bard
Jason Bard is a fictional character in the DC Universe. He first appeared in ''Detective Comics'' #392, which was published in 1969. He appeared in several back-up stories throughout the 1970s and 1980s in ''Detective Comics''..
Fictional charact ...
about taking control of Gotham.
In issue twenty-six, a slightly revised origin for Hush was revealed; he was still Tommy Elliot, a childhood friend of
Bruce Wayne
Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. In t ...
, but in this version, his parricide is explicitly described as a way for him to get closer to Bruce (who had started distancing himself from Tommy after the death of his own parents) rather than as a way for him to receive his inheritance or escape abuse and neglect.
Hush turned public opinion against
Wayne Enterprises
Wayne Enterprises, also known as Wayne Corporation, Waynecorp, Wayne Industries, Wayne Technologies and Waynetech, is a fictional company appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batm ...
by blowing up one of
Batman
Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
's hidden weapon caches (known to be connected to Wayne Enterprises after the events of
Batman Incorporated
''Batman Incorporated'' (''Batman, Inc.'') is an ongoing American comic book series published by DC Comics, featuring the superhero Batman. Written by Grant Morrison, the series debuted following the events of '' Batman R.I.P'', ''Final Crisis'', ...
) below Gotham, killing an unknown number of civilians, policemen and military personnel. He was able to enter the cache with DNA taken from Alfred Pennyworth.
After having blown up another weapon cache and having been shot through the shoulder with a
grappling hook
A grappling hook or grapnel is a device that typically has multiple hooks (known as ''claws'' or ''flukes'') attached to a rope or cable; it is thrown, dropped, sunk, projected, or fastened directly by hand to where at least one hook may cat ...
by Julia Pennyworth, Hush gave up his location to Batman to face him in a final showdown. They met and fought in a weapon cache below the
Martha Wayne
Martha Wayne ( Kane) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She is the mother of Bruce Wayne (Batman), and wife of Dr. Thomas Wayne as well as the paternal grandmother of Damian Wayne, the fifth Robin ...
Foundation hospital, which Hush had rigged to explode as a backup plan. Batman defeated Hush, but was then informed that the government had seized control of Wayne Enterprises and its holdings due to its involvement in the catastrophic explosions around Gotham. Hush then taunted Batman, stating, "Maybe you're right Bruce, maybe I'm not you. But right now, who would want to be?"
Hush was then kept as prisoner in the
Batcave
The Batcave is a subterranean location appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is the headquarters of the superhero Batman, whose secret identity is Bruce Wayne and his partners, consisting of caves beneath his personal r ...
, but broke out with the help of the then unknown mastermind behind the current threat. Hush proceeded to sabotage the equipment of several members of the
Batman Family
''Batman Family'' is an American comic book anthology series published by DC Comics which ran from 1975 to 1978, primarily featuring stories starring supporting characters to the superhero Batman. An eight-issue miniseries called ''Batman: Famil ...
via the
Batcomputer
The Batcave is a subterranean location appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is the headquarters of the superhero Batman, whose secret identity is Bruce Wayne and his partners, consisting of caves beneath his personal r ...
as they fought various villains, including crashing the
Batwing with Batman still in it. He was then returned to captivity after having been ambushed by Alfred Pennyworth, Alfred harshly informing Hush that he was hardly going to be locked up in his own home.
All-Star Batman
In ''All-Star Batman'' #10, Hush secretly allies himself with
Penguin
Penguins are a group of aquatic flightless birds from the family Spheniscidae () of the order Sphenisciformes (). They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere. Only one species, the Galápagos penguin, is equatorial, with a sm ...
,
Black Mask, and
Great White Shark
The great white shark (''Carcharodon carcharias''), also known as the white shark, white pointer, or simply great white, is a species of large Lamniformes, mackerel shark which can be found in the coastal surface waters of all the major ocea ...
to trick Batman into procuring a
MacGuffin
In fiction, a MacGuffin (sometimes McGuffin) is an object, device, or event that is necessary to the plot and the motivation of the characters, but insignificant, unimportant, or irrelevant in itself. The term was originated by Angus MacPhail fo ...
called the Genesis engine for them. The ruse succeeds, but Hush and his allies are then ambushed and nearly murdered by the new villain Nemesis.
DC Rebirth
After DC Comics' new line-wide relaunch
Rebirth
Rebirth may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Film
* ''Rebirth'' (2011 film), a 2011 Japanese drama film
* ''Rebirth'' (2016 film), a 2016 American thriller film
* ''Rebirth'', a 2011 documentary film produced by Project Rebirth
* '' ...
, Hush first appeared in a single-panel cameo in issue 19 of ''
Batman
Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
'' (vol. 3), wherein he is an inmate at
Arkham Asylum
Arkham Asylum () is a fictional psychiatric hospital appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in stories featuring Batman. It first appeared in ''Batman'' #258 (October 1974), written by Dennis O'Neil with art by Irv N ...
and beaten up by
Bane
Bane may refer to:
Fictional characters
* Bane (DC Comics), an adversary of Batman
* Bane (''Harry Potter''), a centaur in the ''Harry Potter'' series
* Bane (''The Matrix''), a character in the ''Matrix'' film trilogy
* Bane the Druid, a Gua ...
.
Then, in the
one-shot
One shot may refer to:
Film and television
* One-shot film, a feature film shot in one long take with no edits, or manufactured to look like so
* ''One Shot'' (2005 film), a Sri Lankan action film directed by Ranjan Ramanayake
* ''One Shot'', a ...
''Batman: Prelude to the Wedding: Nightwing vs. Hush'' #1, Hush is tipped off to Batman's upcoming wedding by the
Joker. Hush attempts to attack Batman's bachelor party, causing an explosion to distract
Superman
Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
and then attacking Batman and
Nightwing
Nightwing is a superhero alias used by multiple characters in American comic books published by DC Comics. The most prominent bearer is Dick Grayson, the original Robin, who adopts the Nightwing identity to assert his independence from Batman. ...
. In the course of the confrontation, Hush's attack disrupts a dimensional gate Superman had provided that was intended to take Batman to a peaceful pocket universe, resulting in Hush and Nightwing being trapped in an in-between place for individuals who have lost all sense of individual identity. As Hush's rants affirm his inability to forge a life for himself outside of an obsession with Bruce Wayne, he reveals that he has given himself plastic surgery to look like
Dick Grayson
Richard John "Dick" Grayson is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Batman, Teen Titans and Justice League. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane, he first appeared in ' ...
to try and recapture his old friendship with Bruce. Ultimately, Hush is left behind in the pocket dimension despite Nightwing's attempts to help him.
However, in ''Batman'' (vol. 3) #70, Hush is apparently back in
Arkham Asylum
Arkham Asylum () is a fictional psychiatric hospital appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in stories featuring Batman. It first appeared in ''Batman'' #258 (October 1974), written by Dennis O'Neil with art by Irv N ...
as he is one of several villains Batman beats up during his escape after having been captured and subjected to mental torture by
Scarecrow
A scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin that is often in the shape of a human. Humanoid scarecrows are usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops. ...
,
The Flashpoint Batman and
Bane
Bane may refer to:
Fictional characters
* Bane (DC Comics), an adversary of Batman
* Bane (''Harry Potter''), a centaur in the ''Harry Potter'' series
* Bane (''The Matrix''), a character in the ''Matrix'' film trilogy
* Bane the Druid, a Gua ...
. Later, Hush is shown to be a member of
Bane's police force after he had taken control over the institutions of
Gotham. Hush duels with Batman, but loses. He was likely kept obedient through hypnosis by the
Psycho Pirate
The Psycho-Pirate is the name of two supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.
Bob Frazer portrayed the character for his live action debut during The CW's 2018 Arrowverse crossover "Elseworlds". Additionally, Armin ...
.
Hush resurfaces in ''Detective Comics'' #1031, where he takes advantage of the confusion during an anti-vigilante riot to drug and kidnap several members of the
Bat Family
The Batman supporting characters are fictional characters that appear in the American comic books published by DC Comics featuring the superhero Batman as the main protagonist.
"Batman family" or "Bat-Family" is the informal term for Batman's clo ...
:
Batwoman
Batwoman is a name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, depicted as female counterparts and allies of Batman similarly to Batgirl. The original version of the character, Kathy Kane (eventually given t ...
,
Nightwing
Nightwing is a superhero alias used by multiple characters in American comic books published by DC Comics. The most prominent bearer is Dick Grayson, the original Robin, who adopts the Nightwing identity to assert his independence from Batman. ...
,
Red Hood
Ra's al Ghul
Nyssa Raatko
Rag Doll
Rag Doll is the name of several supervillains appearing in American comic book, American comic books published by DC Comics. The first, Peter Merkel, is a villain of the Flash (Jay Garrick), original Flash, ...
,
Signal
A signal is both the process and the result of transmission of data over some media accomplished by embedding some variation. Signals are important in multiple subject fields including signal processing, information theory and biology.
In ...
, and two Batgirls (
Barbara Gordon
Barbara Joan Gordon is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. The character was created by television producer William Dozier, editor Julius Schwartz, writer Ga ...
and
Cassandra Cain
Cassandra Cain (also known as Cassandra Wayne and Cassandra Wu-San) is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Created by Kelley Puckett and Damion Scott, Cassandr ...
). Hush plans to harvest their organs to sell on the black market, but is stopped by
Batman
Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
and
Damian Wayne
Damian Thomas Wayne is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Batman. He was created by Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert. Damian Wayne is the biological son of Bruce Wayne/Batman. His mo ...
. It also comes to light that Hush tried to have Bruce Wayne murdered as a boy, using his father's half-sister Catherine (who worked as a
GCPD
Gotham City ( ), or simply Gotham, is a fictional city in the Northeastern United States that serves as the primary city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is best known as the home of the superhero Batman and his List ...
detective) to cover up the attempts by botching the investigations.
Other versions
''Batman Beyond''
Two incarnations of Hush, Tommy Elliot and a clone of
Dick Grayson
Richard John "Dick" Grayson is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Batman, Teen Titans and Justice League. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane, he first appeared in ' ...
, appear in ''
Batman Beyond
''Batman Beyond'' (also known as ''Batman of the Future'' in Europe) is an American superhero animated television series based on the DC Comics superhero Batman, and serving as the sequel to both '' Batman: The Animated Series'' and '' The New Ba ...
'' (vol. 3). Years prior, Elliot attempted to escape Bruce Wayne, only to be shot by a homeowner whose house he had broken into. Due to injuries he sustained prior to the chase and his poor reputation with the Gotham City Police Department (GCPD) at the time, Bruce was unable to examine Elliot's body. While he felt satisfied when the GCPD seemed to have confirmed Elliot had died for him, he feared that Elliot could have fabricated the scenario.
In the present, the clone emerges as a masked vigilante out to kill Bruce's rogues' gallery under the belief that doing so will orphan Bruce again. Despite resistance from
Terry McGinnis
Terrence "Terry" McGinnis Wayne, also known as Batman Beyond or Batman of the Future after his Batman Beyond, animated television series to distinguish him from his predecessor Batman, Bruce Wayne, is a superhero appearing in media (communicati ...
, Grayson's memories allow the clone to outmaneuver him. In time, Bruce and Terry would learn the clone's identity and that he had been created by
Amanda Waller
Amanda Belle Waller (née Blake), also known as "the Wall", is a fictional character featured in some American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in '' Legends'' #1 in 1986 and was created by John Ostrander, Len We ...
via the original Grayson's DNA and memory readings taken from his last outing as
Nightwing
Nightwing is a superhero alias used by multiple characters in American comic books published by DC Comics. The most prominent bearer is Dick Grayson, the original Robin, who adopts the Nightwing identity to assert his independence from Batman. ...
in the hopes of having someone she could control more easily. Additionally, Waller's associate and the clone's co-creator Doctor Nora Reid reveals she is Elliot's granddaughter who seeks to atone for his sins. When the clone attempts to cause an earthquake to destroy Gotham, Terry and Grayson join forces with the clone's former associate
Catwoman
Catwoman is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, she debuted as "the Cat" in ''Batman (comic book), Batman'' #1 (spring 1940). She has become one of the superhero Batman' ...
to stop him. In the ensuing fight, Terry accidentally kills the clone before the latter's body disappears into a pit. Afterward, Waller forces Reid to claim responsibility for the clone's actions so the former can continue her work.
Flashpoint
An alternate timeline variant of Hush makes a cameo appearance in ''
Flashpoint'' as one of several criminals who were killed by
Batman
Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
.
''Superman/Batman''
An alternate timeline variant of Tommy Elliot appears in ''
Superman/Batman
''Superman/Batman'' is a monthly American comic book series published by DC Comics that features the publisher's two most popular superheroes: Superman and Batman. ''Superman/Batman'' premiered in August 2003, an update of the previous series, ' ...
'' #17. After using the
Legion of Super-Villains
The Legion of Super-Villains is a team of supervillains who appear in comic books published by DC Comics, primarily as enemies of the Legion of Super-Heroes. They first appeared in ''Superman'' #147 (Aug 1961).
The team originated at a time when ...
' time-travel technology to avert his parents' deaths, Batman creates a timeline where he and Elliot remained friends as adults.
''Tales From The Dark Multiverse''
An alternate universe variant of Tommy Elliot and a variant of Bruce Wayne / Batman partially based on Hush called Batman the Silenced appear in ''
Tales from the Dark Multiverse
''Tales from the Dark Multiverse'' is an American superhero/anthology comic book limited series published by DC Comics, beginning on October 16, 2019. The series takes some of the most famous events in the DC Universe and puts a twist on them.
Pl ...
: Batman - Hush''. After the driver Elliot hired to kill his parents killed
Thomas
Thomas may refer to:
People
* List of people with given name Thomas
* Thomas (name)
* Thomas (surname)
* Saint Thomas (disambiguation)
* Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church
* Thomas the A ...
and
Martha Wayne
Martha Wayne ( Kane) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She is the mother of Bruce Wayne (Batman), and wife of Dr. Thomas Wayne as well as the paternal grandmother of Damian Wayne, the fifth Robin ...
by mistake, Elliot's family adopted the orphaned Bruce Wayne, who seemingly succumbed to
psychosis
In psychopathology, psychosis is a condition in which a person is unable to distinguish, in their experience of life, between what is and is not real. Examples of psychotic symptoms are delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized or inco ...
and was remanded to
Arkham Asylum
Arkham Asylum () is a fictional psychiatric hospital appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in stories featuring Batman. It first appeared in ''Batman'' #258 (October 1974), written by Dennis O'Neil with art by Irv N ...
. After inheriting
Wayne Industries
Wayne Enterprises, also known as Wayne Corporation, Waynecorp, Wayne Industries, Wayne Technologies and Waynetech, is a Fictional company, fictional company appearing in American comic book, American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly ...
, Elliot goes on to become a senator in the independent yet oppressive city-state of Gotham. However, he is deposed by Bruce, who had faked his psychosis and used his time in Arkham to train himself into a vigilante.
In other media
Television
* Hush was originally intended to appear in a cancelled DTV set for ''
The Batman''. He was later set to be introduced in the episode "Rumors", but was ultimately replaced by series original character
Rumor
A rumor (American English), or rumour (British English; American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, see spelling differences; derived from Latin 'noise'), is an unverified piece of information circulating among people, especial ...
(voiced by
Ron Perlman
Ronald N. Perlman (born April 13, 1950) is an American actor. His credits include the roles of Amoukar in ''Quest for Fire (film), Quest for Fire'' (1981), Salvatore in ''The Name of the Rose (film), The Name of the Rose'' (1986), Vincent in th ...
).
* Tommy Elliot appears in ''
Gotham'', portrayed by Cole Vallis in the
first season and Gordon Winarick in the
fourth. This version is a student at Anders Preparatory Academy who initially bullies Bruce Wayne, but later apologizes and becomes his friend.
*
Tommy Elliot / Hush appears in ''
Batwoman
Batwoman is a name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, depicted as female counterparts and allies of Batman similarly to Batgirl. The original version of the character, Kathy Kane (eventually given t ...
'', portrayed primarily by
Gabriel Mann
Gabriel Mann (born Gabriel Wilhoit Amis Mick; May 14, 1972) is an American actor and model, known for his role as Nolan Ross on the ABC drama series ''Revenge''. He has co-starred in several films, including ''The Life of David Gale'', '' The B ...
and by
Warren Christie
Hans Warren Christie (born 4 November 1975) is a Canadian television and film actor known for his roles as Ray Cataldo on the ABC drama '' October Road'' and as Aidan "Greggy" Stiviletto on the ABC series '' Happy Town''. More recently, Chri ...
while disguised as Bruce Wayne. This version is a real estate mogul with a grudge against
Wayne Enterprises
Wayne Enterprises, also known as Wayne Corporation, Waynecorp, Wayne Industries, Wayne Technologies and Waynetech, is a fictional company appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batm ...
who indirectly contributed to killing
Lucius Fox
Lucius Fox is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Bruce Wayne / Batman. He is Wayne's business manager at Wayne Enterprises who runs the business interests that supply ...
.
Film
* Hush makes a cameo appearance in ''
Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants'', voiced by
Dave B. Mitchell
David Benjamin Mitchell (born July 25, 1969) is an American voice actor, who is best known as the voice of Knuckles the Echidna in the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' franchise, since 2019.
Career
Since beginning his professional voiceover career in 19 ...
.
* Tommy Elliot and an original incarnation of Hush,
Edward Nygma, appear in ''
Batman: Hush'' (2019), voiced by
Maury Sterling
Charles Maury Wallace Sterling (born September 1, 1971) is an American actor. He is known for playing Max Piotrowski in '' Homeland'', Rafferty in the comedy film '' Beverly Hills Chihuahua'', and Lester Tremor in the action film '' Smokin' Ace ...
and
Geoffrey Arend
Geoffrey Rashid Arend, Jr. (born February 28, 1978) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Ethan Gross on the ABC drama series ''Body of Proof'', Matt Mahoney on the CBS political drama series '' Madam Secretary'', and a young ...
, respectively.
* An original incarnation of Hush,
Jason Todd
Jason Peter Todd is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in ''Batman (comic book), Batman'' #357 in March 1983, he was created to succeed Dick Grayson as Robin (character), Robin, Batman's partner ...
, appears in ''
Batman: Death in the Family'' (2020), voiced by
Vincent Martella
Vincent Michael Martella (born October 15, 1992) is an American actor. He is best known for providing the voice of Phineas Flynn on the Disney Channel animated series ''Phineas and Ferb'' (2007–2015; 2025–present). Martella is also known for ...
.
Video games
* Hush appears in ''
DC Universe Online
''DC Universe Online'' (''DCUO'') is a free-to-play massively multiplayer online game set in the fictional universe of DC Comics. Developed by Dimensional Ink Games and co-published by Daybreak Game Company and WB Games, the game was initiall ...
'', voiced by J. Shannon Weaver.
* Hush appears as a character summon in ''
Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure''.
* Tommy Elliot / Hush appears in ''
Batman: Arkham City'', voiced by
Kevin Conroy
Kevin Conroy (November 30, 1955 – November 10, 2022) was an American actor. He appeared in a variety of stage performances, television series, and television films. Conroy earned fame for voicing the DC Comics superhero Batman in various anim ...
. This version became a serial killer nicknamed the "Identity Thief" who dissects his victims' faces so he can reconstruct and graft Bruce Wayne's face onto himself to impersonate him and seek revenge. In pursuit of his goal, Elliot infiltrates the eponymous super-prison as part of a medical team so he can steal anesthetics before cutting his face off. After killing several inmates to complete his artificial face, Batman discovers his work. Nonetheless, Elliot successfully escapes Arkham City.
* Tommy Elliot / Hush appears in ''
Batman: Arkham Knight'', voiced again by Kevin Conroy. Amidst the
Scarecrow
A scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin that is often in the shape of a human. Humanoid scarecrows are usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops. ...
and
Arkham Knight
While smith
Whisper A'Daire is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She was created by Greg Rucka and Shawn Martinbrough, and first appeared in ''Detective Comics'' #743 (April 2000).
Whisper is an op ...
's takeover of Gotham City, he infiltrates
Wayne Tower
Wayne Enterprises, also known as Wayne Corporation, Waynecorp, Wayne Industries, Wayne Technologies and Waynetech, is a fictional company appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman ...
by impersonating Bruce and holds
Lucius Fox
Lucius Fox is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Bruce Wayne / Batman. He is Wayne's business manager at Wayne Enterprises who runs the business interests that supply ...
hostage in an attempt to steal Bruce's fortune. While rescuing Lucius, Batman unmasks himself before disarming Elliot, knocking him out with Lucius' help, and detaining him in the tower's vault.
* Hush appears as a playable character in the mobile version of ''
Injustice 2
''Injustice 2'' is a 2017 fighting video game. It is the sequel to 2013's '' Injustice: Gods Among Us'' and the second installment in the ''Injustice'' series which is based on the DC Universe. It is developed by NetherRealm Studios and publish ...
''.
''Lego Batman''
* Hush appears as an unlockable playable character in ''
Lego Batman: The Videogame''.
* Hush appears as an optional boss and unlockable playable character in ''
Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes'', voiced by
Cam Clarke
Cam Clarke is an American voice actor, known for his work in animation, video games, and commercials. Among his notable roles are Leonardo and Rocksteady in the 1987 ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' animated series, Shotaro Kaneda in the 1989 ...
.
* Hush appears as an unlockable playable character in ''
Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham''.
Miscellaneous
The ''
Batman: Arkham'' incarnation of Tommy Elliot / Hush appears in the ''
Batman: Arkham Knight'' prequel comic. Sometime after escaping Batman and Arkham City, he receives a sample of
Clayface
Clayface is an alias used by several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Most incarnations of the character possess clay-like bodies and shapeshifting abilities, and all of them are List of Batman family enemies ...
's body from the
Arkham Knight
While smith
Whisper A'Daire is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She was created by Greg Rucka and Shawn Martinbrough, and first appeared in ''Detective Comics'' #743 (April 2000).
Whisper is an op ...
, which he uses to quickly heal his surgery scars, in exchange for an alliance.
See also
*
List of Batman family enemies
The Batman family enemies are a collection of supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. These characters are depicted as adversaries of the superhero Batman and his allies.
Since Batman first appeared in ''Detectiv ...
* ''
Batman: Hush''
References
{{Jim Lee
Batman characters
Characters created by Jeph Loeb
Characters created by Jim Lee
Comics characters introduced in 2003
DC Comics male supervillains
DC Comics martial artists
DC Comics orphans
Fictional gunfighters in comics
Fictional impostors
Fictional matricides
Fictional patricides
Fictional serial killers
Fictional socialites
Fictional surgeons