Lucius Fox

Lucius Fox is a fictional character appearing American comic books published by DC Comics, most commonly in association with Batman. As a supporting character, he acts as Bruce Wayne's business manager at Wayne Enterprises who unknowingly runs the business interests that supply Batman's equipment needs as well as financing his operations.^[1] The character is traditionally depicted as being unaware that Bruce Wayne is Batman.

Lucius Fox has been featured in various media adaptions, most notably portrayed by Morgan Freeman in the Christopher Nolan's Batman: The Dark Knight Trilogy films, and portrayed by Chris Chalk as a younger Lucius Fox in Gotham.

Publication history

Lucius Fox was created by John Calnan and first appeared in Batman #307 (January 1979).^[2]

Fictional character biography

As CEO and President of Wayne Enterprises and the Wayne Foundation, Lucius Fox is one of Bruce Wayne's closest allies. He is an experienced businessman, entrepreneur, and inventor who unknowingly runs the business interests that supply weapons, gadgets, vehicles, and armor for Bruce Wayne to use when he fights crime as the vigilante Batman. The character is depicted as being unaware that Bruce Wayne is Batman.

Business career

Lucius Fox is regarded as having the "Midas Touch", an ability to turn failing businesses into successful conglomerates, and is consequently a highly sought-after businessman throughout the corporate world. Fox is called in to the failing Wayne Enterprises and brings a balance to both Bruce Wayne's private and business finances.^[1] In Batman Confidential, he is shown heading the project that produced the prototype that would become the Batwing. He also manages the particulars of the Wayne Foundation while Bruce dictates the organization's general policies. Since then, Fox has been approached time and time again by other companies seeking his expertise. After overcoming the original challenge of returning Wayne Enterprises to its former glory, Fox has elected to stay, having been given an unparalleled freedom in the company.

In Batman: Haunted Knight, it is explained that a young Bruce Wayne rescued Lucius Fox from muggers in Paris. Later, Fox asked him if he wants to start a foundation for charity, to which Bruce agrees many years later, deciding that not all of his money has to go to crime fighting.

Bruce Wayne, as Batman, originally forms the Outsiders in order to rescue Fox from Baron Bedlam.^[3] When Fox later suffers a stroke, Bruce makes sure that Fox gets the best care possible and supports him and his family.

Family life

With his wife Tanya, Lucius has several children, all introduced in the comics at different stages over the years. Fox's daughter Tam is introduced in Red Robin.^[4] Her father sends her to personally locate Tim Drake, only to discover his secret identity as Red Robin and become involved in his conflicts with the League of Assassins. For a time it was believed Fox was dead, but this was a ruse to help combat his enemies.^[5] It is believed that learning Drake's secrets has led Tam Fox to realize that Bruce Wayne is Batman. However, she apparently did not report her findings to her father.

Fox's youngest daughter, Tiffany, was first shown in Batman (vol.1) #308 (1979), but was not substantially explored until The New 52 reboot, which reintroduced her along with her siblings in Batwing #22. The alternative future story shown in Batgirl: Futures End (2014) shows Tiffany grows up to be a gifted protege of Barbara Gordon, becoming one of several women to use the Batgirl moniker, with a pink-accented Batsuit.

Prior to The New 52, Lucius had a son named Timothy whose occasional delinquency embarrassed his father. In the New 52 continuity, his son is named Lucas "Luke" Fox, an intellectual prodigy and mixed martial artist who, unbeknownst to his father, was selected and trained by Bruce Wayne to become the vigilante known as Batwing using a high-tech Batsuit designed by his father. Both Luke and his predecessor as Batwing, David Zavimbe, are agents of the international crime-fighting organization Batman Incorporated.

After Bruce Wayne announces his public support for Batman Inc., Fox becomes active supplying him with the company's resources and research prototypes.^[6]

Alternative versions

Anti-Matter Universe

An alternate version of Fox is shown in the Antimatter universe (which resides with the Crime Syndicate). In this universe, Fox is a white gang boss who has the backing of the CSA, in return for spreading fear in Gotham City and snitching for Owlman.^[7]

Batman Beyond

In the comic book series Batman Beyond, Lucius' son, Lucius Fox Jr. serves as a supporting character. He merged his company, Foxteca, with Wayne Enterprises as Wayne Incorporated, and becomes Wayne's business partner.^[8]

Batman: Earth One

In the graphic novel Batman: Earth One, by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank, Fox is a 22-year-old intern at Wayne Medical, hoping to develop an advance prosthetic for his 5-year-old niece. After repairing Bruce Wayne's grapnel, he deduces that Batman is the billionaire after seeing the vigilante using the same climbing gear on the news. Believing that Wayne's crusade is for noble intentions, Fox accepts his role as an equipment developer for Batman and begins making some batarangs for him afterwards.^[9] As of Volume Two, Fox is promoted as head of Wayne Enterprises's Research and Development; he provides Wayne an armored Batsuit and is tasked to build the Batmobile.^[10]

Convergence

During the Convergence storyline, Pre-Crisis Gotham City is trapped under a mysterious dome. Fox allies himself with the visiting Superman and Supergirl, who had been depowered. With assistance from S.T.A.R. Labs, the trio rebuild the Phantom Zone projector in a somewhat successful effort to break through the dome and help the trapped citizens of Gotham. Their efforts are threatened by the Phantom Zone criminals and an invading homicidal simian army.^[11]

In other media

Animated Television

Lucius Fox in The Batman.

• Lucius Fox appeared in the two-part The Batman episode "The Joining" voiced by Louis Gossett, Jr. This version of the character is based on the version from Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, being an old friend of Bruce Wayne's father, and knows Bruce's secret identity as Batman. Lucius Fox helps design most of his arsenal along with the construction of the Batcave beneath Wayne Manor. He, along with Robin, Batgirl, and J'onn J'onzz, play a part in helping Batman defeat the alien robots known as the Joining after one Joining operative poses as Lucius Fox. Lucius returns in "The Batman/Superman Story", where he gives Batman a new version of the Bat-bot, which he later uses against a brainwashed Superman, and provides Robin with a jetpack.
• Lucius Fox appears as a teacher at Super Hero High in DC Super Hero Girls, voiced by Phil LaMarr.

DC Animated Universe

• Lucius Fox was voiced by Brock Peters in Batman: The Animated Series and then by Mel Winkler in The New Batman Adventures. His appearances are consistent with Fox as Bruce Wayne's friend and business manager. Fox appears not to know about Bruce's alter ego throughout the series. His largest role is seen in the two-part episode "Feat of Clay," where Matt Hagen attempts to kill him under the guise of Bruce Wayne and under orders of Roland Daggett. Fox, who survives with severe injuries, implicates Bruce in the attempt, and he is brought in to be interrogated. By the end of the episode, Bruce's name is cleared, and Fox claims to be delighted with the knowledge that Bruce was not his attacker. Fox also served as Bruce's best man during his ill-fated wedding in "Chemistry". In the episode "Old Wounds", he is seen with Alfred and Barbara Gordon attending Dick Grayson's college graduation, along with Fox's own son, Joseph.
• In early episode of Batman Beyond called "Black Out", Lucius Fox was mentioned to have a son named Lucius Fox Jr. who doesn't appear in the TV series. In a conversation between Bruce Wayne and the villainous Derek Powers, it is revealed that Derek Powers fired the company's vice president Lucius Fox Jr. during his takeover of Wayne Enterprises. This causes Lucius Fox Jr. to form his own technology company called Foxteca which soon becomes a target of corporate sabotage when Derek Powers sends Inque to do the job.

Live-action Television

Gotham

• A younger Lucius Fox appears in Gotham, portrayed by Chris Chalk.^[12] He first appears in "The Anvil or the Hammer" where he is introduced to a young Bruce Wayne by corrupt Wayne Enterprises executive Sid Bunderslaw. He tells Bruce about his father being "a very guarded man" and "a true Stoic" before sending him on his way.^[13] This clue helps Bruce discover his father's secret life. Fox later reappeared in the show's second season and is asked by Bruce to fix the computer Alfred destroyed with Wayne Enterprises' secrets and research. Fox confirmed that the computer can be fixed but it will take a while.^[14] In "Rise of the Villains: Worse Than a Crime," Lucius Fox emerges from the secret room to tell Bruce and Alfred that he fixed the computer only to find them not there and that there were signs of a struggle. Lucius reports them missing to Captain Nathaniel Barnes who makes an exception to the "file a missing persons report in 24 hours" part. When it was revealed that Alfred had been brought in by the police, Lucius was present when Alfred mentioned that he was attacked by Tabitha Galavan while voicing his suspicion that Theo Galavan is responsible. Edward Nygma later tipped off Lucius Fox, Alfred Pennyworth, and Harvey Bullock on where James Gordon is recuperating. While Gordon, Bullock, Pennyworth, Oswald Cobblepot's gang, and Selina Kyle went to rescue Bruce Wayne from Theo Galavan and the Order of St. Dumas, Lucius tipped off Nathaniel Barnes on where Bruce Wayne can be found. In "Wrath of the Villains: Mr. Freeze," James Gordon and Harvey Bullock meet with Lucius Fox at a diner and ask him about any cryogenic research done by Wayne Enterprises. He tells them that Wayne Enterprises did some cryogenic research until Thomas Wayne shut it down for reasons that Lucius was not informed about. In "Mad City: Better to Reign in Hell...," Lucius Fox has left Wayne Enterprises and has become a science expert at the Gotham City Police Department.

Animated film

DC Universe Animated Original Movies

Lucius Fox in the Batman: Gotham Knight segment Field Test.

• Kevin Michael Richardson voices Lucius Fox in Batman: Gotham Knight (which takes place between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight) within the segment "Field Test". The segment confirms that Lucius knows Batman's secret identity. An accident involving a new WayneCom satellite's gyroscopic electromagnetic guidance system gives Fox an idea to create a device with the satellite's gyro with an advanced sound sensor that will electromagnetically deflect small-arms fire. Bruce Wayne takes the device and attends a charity golf tournament being held by developer Ronald Marshall. After breaking up a fight between Sal Maroni's mob and the Russian Mafia which resulted in one of the operatives being injured by the device, Batman returns the device to Fox, stating, "... it works too well. I'm willing to put my life on the line to do what I have to. But it has to be mine, no one else's."
• Fox appears in the film Batman: Bad Blood, voiced by Ernie Hudson.^[15] There, his son suspects that Wayne Enterprises might be connected to Batman where it was most likely that they build tech for him. When he confronts his father, the two are interrupted by Damian Wayne's clone Heretic and his gang. Lucius is forced to let them into the vault containing Bat Tech with Luke held hostage and is stabbed by Heretic afterwards. He spends the rest of the movie in a hospital only waking up during the final scenes of the movie.

Live-action film

The Dark Knight Trilogy

Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox in Batman Begins (2005)

• In Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy, Fox is played by Morgan Freeman.

• In Batman Begins, Fox is a research head and friend of Bruce Wayne's late father Thomas Wayne who is demoted by Wayne Enterprises CEO William Earle to the Applied Sciences division, which involves overseeing the supplies of Wayne Enterprises' aborted research projects and prototypes. Upon returning to the business, Bruce Wayne strikes up a fast friendship which allows him to all but recruit Fox as his armorer for his Batman activities. Fox proves valuable in this role, even when he is fired by Earle. Regarding Bruce's identity as Batman, he tells Bruce, "[If] you don't want to tell me exactly what you're doing— when I'm asked, I don't have to lie. But don't think of me as an idiot." Fox later discovers Bruce's real identity through Alfred Pennyworth, who calls upon Fox to Bruce's rescue after he is assaulted by Scarecrow's fear toxin. At the end of the film, Bruce, having gained majority control of Wayne Enterprises' shares, fires Earle and makes Fox the company's CEO.
• In The Dark Knight, it is acknowledged that Fox is fully aware of Bruce's secret identity as Batman, though it is never openly stated by either of them, so that he can retain plausible deniability if an outsider puts two and two together. Fox actively participates in a support capacity as Bruce's armorer, designing a new Batsuit designed for more efficient mobility and which can withstand against dogs, though also makes Bruce vulnerable to knives and gunfire. When Wayne Enterprises negotiates a deal with Lau, an investment holdings owner who also is an accountant for the Gotham mafia, both Bruce and Fox look at the books and decide that Lau's business is illegal based on their profits. With Harvey Dent and Lt. James Gordon needing Lau alive in order to find where he has hidden the mob's money, Bruce makes a trip to Hong Kong and Fox accompanies him to make it look like they've only gone there to cancel the negotiations with Lau's investment company. When Batman uses Fox's cell phone sonar technology to create a computer system that can spy on the whole city in order to find the Joker, Fox says that he will help just this once, but will resign immediately afterward. After the police arrest the Joker, Fox types his name into the system as instructed by Batman and the computer self-destructs. Fox walks away smiling, evidently having withdrawn his threat to resign.
• In The Dark Knight Rises, Fox is the President of a nearly bankrupt Wayne Enterprises, with Wayne Enterprises board member Miranda Tate taking over the role of Chairman and CEO. He brings the reclusive Bruce up to speed on the poor state of the company's finances, which have all but evaporated after heavy investment in an aborted fusion reactor project failed to pay off thanks to John Daggett. Fox shows Bruce around the Applied Sciences division once again, "for old time's sake," introducing him to the new airborne vehicle he has nicknamed "The Bat", in addition to other new gadgets he has developed. After Bane takes over Gotham City, Fox spends much of the intervening three-month period hiding in Wayne Enterprises property with fellow employees. Bane and his men raid Wayne Enterprises and kill the special forces soldiers that infiltrated Gotham City while rounding up the Wayne Enterprises employees to await judgement at Scarecrow's show trial. When Batman returns, he lets himself get captured as Bruce Wayne so that Selina Kyle can sneak in, knock out the guards and break Fox out. Fox attempts to help him disarm the newly weaponized fusion core, waiting in the reactor chamber for it to be returned by Batman. Miranda Tate, who was responsible for the project in the first place, reveals herself to be Talia al Ghul as she floods the chamber to make re-installment of the core impossible. Fox manages to escape. After Batman tows the core away from Gotham and it detonates at sea, Bruce Wayne is thought by Fox to be dead and his estate is divided to cover his debts, with the remainder being given to Alfred Pennyworth, except for Wayne Manor. While researching ways he could have fixed the "The Bat"'s autopilot, Fox learns that Bruce fixed it himself six months earlier. He then realizes that Bruce is still alive.

Video games

• Morgan Freeman reprised his role as Lucius Fox in the Batman Begins video game.
• Lucius Fox appears in DC Universe Online, voiced by Leif Anders.
• Lucius Fox appears in Batman: The Telltale Series, voiced by Dave Fennoy. In episode 3, he is present at the time when chairwoman Regina Zellerbach has Bruce Wayne step down as CEO of Wayne Enterprises and hand the role to Oswald Cobblepot following the allegations that Thomas Wayne and Martha Wayne had people driven insane enough to be placed in Arkham Asylum. Regardless to whether Lucius works for Bruce or becomes his inside person, Lucius will help Bruce out. In episode 4, Batman is informed by Lucius Fox that Penguin has a Black Box that's allowing him to hack into all of Batman's technology. In a follow-up to the player's decision to stop Mayor Harvey Dent, Lucius Fox and Alfred Pennyworth meet with Batman in the Batcave where Penguin is starting to hack Batman's technology. Both of them witness Batman's difficult choice to cut the power to the Batcave.

Lego Batman

• Lucius Fox is a playable character in the Nintendo DS version of Lego Batman and his pieces can be found in the character creation feature in the others consoles version of the game.

Batman: Arkham

• Lucius Fox is referenced in Batman: Arkham Asylum. He is mentioned as the respected inventor of the donated Wayne Tech security gates located around Arkham Island in order to protect the security team and other inmates.
• Fox is again referenced in Batman: Arkham City. Alfred Pennyworth claims Fox has manufactured a cure for the Titan illness, but this was revealed as a hallucination created by Mad Hatter. It is also mentioned that he knows about the prototype grapnel boost as he claims that it is not ready yet.
• Fox made his first Arkham appearance in Batman: Arkham Knight, voiced by Dave Fennoy. He appears throughout different times of the story assisting with Batman's technical needs. Batman can even visit him at Wayne Tower. He also appears in the "Friend in Need" side-quest where he is captured by Hush (disguised as Bruce Wayne) before being saved by Batman, in the DLC content it is revealed that following the alleged death of Bruce Wayne. Nightwing states during a conversation with Fox that Lucius now owns all of Wayne Enterprises.

References