The defining moment in the life of Bruce Wayne was the instant he witnessed his beloved parents Thomas and Martha Wayne gunned down by a murderous thief in Gotham City's "Park Row" (later nicknamed "Crime Alley"). As the Waynes' bodies lay still on the cold pavement, young Bruce - then just ten years old - vowed to seek justice and apprehend his parents' vicious killer.Funded by the Wayne fortune and enabled by the family's loyal valet Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce circumvented the restraints of foster care and embarked on a decade-long worldwide trek to learn all he needed to fulfill his promise. Teachers and mentors on both sides of the law taught Bruce the skills - from little-known martial arts to the latest detective processes - that he would use to hone his body and mind into a living weapon in what would eventually become an unrelenting war on crime.After returning to Gotham, a disastrous first outing as a plainclothes urban vigilante left Bruce broken and bleeding. He realized then that criminals were a superstitious and cowardly lot, and only a fearsome creature of the night could strike fear in their hearts. As if by fate, a wayward bat crashed through a window and provided Bruce the inspiration he so desperately needed: He would become as a bat himself, clad in a daunting costume that would make him a fearsome urban legend amid the crime-ridden streets of Gotham City.To date, Bruce has never caught the mugger who murdered his parents. Batman's vigil continues, an ongoing onslaught against crime and corruption.
