Wrath's debut story was titled "The Player on the Other Side", published in Batman Special #1 (1984). The title was based on the essay "A Liberal Education and Where to Find It" by Thomas Henry Huxley (although mistakenly attributed to Aldous Huxley by Bruce Wayne). It is also a reference to the Ellery Queen novel of the same name, as the story's author, Mike W. Barr, is a renowned Queen enthusiast.
A Post-Infinite Crisis legacy version of the Wrath debuted in the pages of Batman Confidential #13 in a story arc written by Tony Bedard, with Elliott Caldwell, the 'student' of the original Wrath, taking on his mentor's mantle.
Fictional character biography
The original Wrath
The original Wrath as depicted in Batman Special #1 (June 1984). Art by Michael Golden.
The first Wrath is the son of burglars who Jim Gordon killed on the same day as Batman's parents, leading him to dedicate himself to revenge against the law.[2][3] Wrath attacks Alfred Pennyworth and kidnaps Leslie Thompkins before being killed in battle with Batman.[4]
Elliot Caldwell is an orphan who Wrath trained to be his successor, serving a role akin to Robin.[5] He battles Batman before being defeated and sent to Blackgate Penitentiary.
The New 52
The New 52 introduces a new incarnation of Wrath who merges elements of the previous two Wraths, having the origin of the first and the name of the second. This version is the CEO of Caldwell Tech and a sociopathic killer who is served by Scorn soldiers. Batman defeats Wrath and has him imprisoned in Blackgate Penitentiary, where he allies with Emperor Blackgate.[6]
In other media
Wrath and Scorn appear in The Batman episode "The End of the Batman", voiced by Christopher Gorham and Daryl Sabara respectively.[7][8] This version of the duo are respectively William and Andrew Mallory, the children of thieves whose imprisonment motivated them to become Wrath and Scorn to help criminals under the belief that they have a right to make a living as much as innocents do. They discover and intend to expose Batman and Robin's secret identities before the Joker incapacitates them with his venom.
^Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 328. ISBN978-1-4654-5357-0.
^Greenberger, Robert (2008). The Essential Batman Encyclopedia. Del Rey. p. 378. ISBN9780345501066.
^Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Manning, Matthew K.; McAvennie, Michael; Wallace, Daniel (2019). DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle. DK Publishing. p. 199. ISBN978-1-4654-8578-6.
^"Wrath / William Mallory Voice - The Batman (TV Show)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved July 27, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
^"Scorn / Andy Mallory Voice - The Batman (TV Show)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved July 27, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
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