Batman has one of the most well-known origins of any superhero. The death of the hero's parents was the starting off point that pushed him into an endless battle against the criminals of Gotham.

Amassing a vast fortune, Thomas and Martha Wayne did their best to help make Gotham a better place. Other than that, there's not much that comic fans know about Bruce Wayne's parents. Without further ado, here are the top ten things you didn't know about Bruce Wayne's parents.

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10 Flashpoint Batman

Thomas Wayne wears a new Batsuit as Batman

When the Flash traveled back in time and accidentally created an alternate timeline, many of DC's greatest heroes had their lives changed significantly. The biggest change was that Batman was no longer Bruce Wayne. In this reality, he was Thomas Wayne.

It turns out in this alternate reality Bruce was the one killed while Thomas and Martha had to live with the pain of having lost their son. The sheer guilt pushed Thomas into becoming the vigilante Batman, and notably a much more violent Batman then we are used to.

9 Flashpoint Joker

Flashpoint Joker Martha Wayne confronted by Batman

In this alternate reality, Thomas wasn't the only one who's life was drastically altered. Due to the trauma of watching her son get murdered, Martha went insane and became this world's version of the Joker.

Upon learning that Thomas found a way to reset reality so that their son can be alive, she decides to give up. After learning he will then become Batman, just like his father, she becomes so shocked that she commits suicide.

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8 Thomas Wayne Saved Carmine Falcone

An image of Carmine Falcone holding a gun in Batman Begins

During a gang war several years prior to Batman's existence, Carmine Falcone was shot by a rival gangster and nearly died. Desperate to save his son, Vincent Falcone brought Carmine to Wayne Manor to be cared for by acclaimed surgeon Thomas Wayne.

At first apprehensive to be associated with gangsters, Thomas eventually agreed to operate. Saving Falcone's life, the Falcones were forever indebted to Thomas, although he would never dare to cash in such a favor.

7 Martha Dated A Gangster

Martha Wayne meeting Batman

Much like Thomas, Martha also came from a very wealthy background. She actually inherited a Kane Chemical from her family. Although coming from such a high-class, she was known as a bit of a party girl that didn't make the best of decisions.

During her early years, she even dated a gangster named Denholm. It turned out her best friend, Celia Kazantkakis, was also a criminal trying to take advantage of Martha and her vast fortune. Although she eventually broke off these associations, they would later come back to affect her son.

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6 Thomas Was The First Batman

In the earlier, Silver Age incarnation of Batman, it was revealed that Thomas Wayne was actually the first one to wear a Batman costume and fight criminals.

Although he wasn't actually a vigilante, Thomas was attending a masquerade ball as a "Bat-Man" when he came across some criminals causing trouble. Being the upstanding citizen that he was, Wayne intervened and managed to dispatch of the criminals, all the while still wearing his costume.

5 Martha Helped Found a Detective Agency

Martha Wayne Gary Frank

Traditionally, Batman is depicted as the world's greatest detective. His skill for detection and investigation are rivaled by none. Its no surprise then, to learn that his mother was also something of a detective.

In Batman: The Ultimate Evil, Martha Wayne headed the founding of a detective agency that was made to prevent child abuse. With the help of Gordon and Alfred, this agency was able to do a lot of good for the city of Gotham.

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4 Their Deaths Caused Gotham To Crumble

When Thomas and Martha Wayne were killed, Bruce's life began to crumble. As would be the case for any child that was forced to watch both parents being murdered. It turns out that Gotham began to crumble as well.

In many interpretations of the Batman lore, it's stated that the murder of the Wayne's is what plunged Gotham into high crime chaos. When the citizens of Gotham saw that even the wealthy/successful Waynes could be attacked, all faith in Gotham's institutions was destroyed. It emboldened criminals and disillusioned cops.

3 Batwoman is Martha's Niece

Batwoman New 52

A name quite often heard within the Batman mythos is Kane. Several different characters share it, although it seems as though the majority of them are not related to each other.

Kane is also the maiden name of Bruce's mother. It turns out that in this case, there is one other notable Kane that Marth is related to. That would be Kate Kane, also known as Batwoman. This means that Kate Kane and Bruce Wayne are actually cousins. A whole new meaning behind "Bat Family."

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2 Dark Rumors

During the Batman R.I.P. storyline, it's revealed that Thomas and Martha Wayne might have had many more secrets than anyone could have guessed. These rumors include criminal activity, drugs, and even orgies. It was also suggested. that Thomas was abusive towards his wife who was suggested to be sleeping with Alfred.

In the end, it turned out that all of these rumors were straight-up lies. Doctor Simon Hurt, head of The Black Glove, had concocted these lies in order to try and destroy both Waynes' legacies.

1 Thomas Wayne Met Jor-El

Although Kal-El's spaceship eventually found his way to Kansas where he was adopted by Jonathon and Martha Kent, the two Kansas farmers were not the first to meet a member of the House of El.

In order to scout out possible planets to send his son, Jor-El sent probes to several different ones within the known universe. One of these probes happened to land in Gotham City, where it was come across by none other than Thomas Wayne himself. Thomas' consciousness is then transported all the way to Krypton, where Jor-El questions him about Earth. Thomas eventually convinces Jor-El that while humans on Earth aren't perfect, they definitely strive to do right. Jor-El then decides to send his son to Earth, and the rest is history.

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