Silas Wayne was one of Bruce Wayne's forefathers.
History
Earth-Two
Silas Wayne was a Philadelphia silversmith and allegedly a highwayman. He was victim of a conspiracy to frame him as part of a band of highwaymen in order to get him exiled from town. His name was cleared during his lifetime by Benjamin Franklin, but the document was lost because Silas died from pneumonia at the age of 30. He was married to a woman called Martha and he was supposed to reveal the document to her after her mother died, but unfortunately he died first, never being able to clear his name publicly. His latest descendant, Bruce Wayne found the document written by Franklin which exonerated Silas and cleared his name. He gave the document to a museum for all the public to learn the truth about Silas Wayne.[1]
Earth-One
Silas Wayne was Bruce Wayne's great-uncle and would often berate him over the bored playboy lifestyle he had chosen in contrast to the achievements of his ancestors. Silas wanted Bruce to achieve any important merit in order to continue the family's tradition and Bruce attempted a number of brave feats in order to impress Silas, but he finally conceived a plan that involved both Bruce Wayne and Batman without revealing his identity to the public. Moments before Silas died, Bruce privately confided that he actually was Batman, and Silas was at peace.[2]
New Earth
As part of the Wayne Family tradition, there is a portrait of Silas Wayne in Wayne Manor along with other portraits of deceased family members. When the Manor was infiltrated by the Black Glove, El Sombrero tampered with Silas's portrait and used it as a communicator in one of his traps.[3] When Alfred later arranged the portraits in chronological order, he put Silas beside Patrick Wayne (Bruce's grandfather), indicating that Silas's New Earth history is probably closer to the Earth-One Silas than the Earth-Two Silas.[4]
Related
- 5 Appearances of Silas Wayne (New Earth)
- 8 Images featuring Silas Wayne (New Earth)
- 1 Quotations by or about Silas Wayne (New Earth)
- Character Gallery: Silas Wayne (New Earth)
Footnotes