Hush (Thomas Elliot) is a
supervillain appearing in
American comic books published by
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
. Created by
Jeph Loeb
Joseph "Jeph" Loeb III () is an American film and television writer, producer and comic book writer. Loeb was a producer/writer on the TV series ''Smallville'' and ''Lost'', writer for the films '' Commando'' and ''Teen Wolf'', and a writer and ...
and
Jim Lee
Jim Lee (Korean 이용철; born August 11, 1964) is a Korean American comic-book artist, writer, editor, and publisher. He is currently the Publisher and Chief Creative Officer of DC Comics. In recognition of his work, Lee has received a Harvey ...
, the character first appeared in ''
Batman'' #609 in January 2003 as part of the twelve-issue storyline ''
Batman: Hush''. Hush serves as a criminal
foil
Foil may refer to:
Materials
* Foil (metal), a quite thin sheet of metal, usually manufactured with a rolling mill machine
* Metal leaf, a very thin sheet of decorative metal
* Aluminium foil, a type of wrapping for food
* Tin foil, metal foil ...
to the superhero
Batman and belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up his
rogues gallery
A rogues' gallery (or rogues gallery) is a police collection of mug shots or other images of criminal suspects kept for identification purposes.
History
In 1855, Allan Pinkerton, founder of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, established a ...
.
Thomas "Tommy" Elliot is a childhood friend of Bruce Wayne who attempts to murder his parents and inherit their massive fortune. His plan fails when Bruce's father, Dr.
Thomas Wayne
Thomas Alan Wayne, M.D. is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the father of Bruce Wayne ( Batman), and husband of Martha Wayne as well as the paternal grandfather of Damian Wayne. Wayne was int ...
, saves his mother's life, beginning his grudge against the Waynes. Tommy grows up to become a gifted
surgeon and, out of jealous resentment, allies with the
Riddler to ruin Bruce's life upon discovering that he is Batman. Wrapping his face in bandages to conceal his identity, Tommy becomes a manipulative criminal mastermind called "Hush" to seek revenge against his former friend.
The character has been adapted from the comics into numerous forms of media, having been portrayed in
live-action
Live action (or live-action) is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live-action with animation to create a live-action animated film. Live-action is used to define film, video ...
by Cole Vallis and Gordon Winarick as a child in
FOX crime drama ''
Gotham'', and by
Gabriel Mann and
Warren Christie
Hans Warren Christie (born 4 November 1975) is a British-Canadian television and film actor known for his roles as Ray Cataldo on the ABC drama '' October Road'' and as Aidan "Greggy" Stiviletto on the ABC series '' Happy Town''. More recent ...
as Hush in the
Arrowverse
The Arrowverse is an American superhero media franchise and a shared universe that is centered on various interconnected television series based on DC Comics superhero characters, primarily airing on The CW as well as web series on CW See ...
television series ''
Batwoman''.
Kevin Conroy has voiced Hush in the ''
Batman: Arkham'' video game series.
Publication history
Hush resurfaced in ''
Batman: Gotham Knights'', and later in ''
Detective Comics'' and ''
Batman: Streets of Gotham''. He was also the architect behind several of the events of ''
Batman Eternal
''Batman Eternal'' is a year-long weekly limited series published by DC Comics, that began in April 2014. The series featured Batman, his allies, and Gotham City, and was written by Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Ray Fawkes, Kyle Higgins, and ...
''.
Fictional character biography
Origin
Thomas "Tommy" Elliot was a childhood friend of
Bruce Wayne
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
, and was also born into a wealthy family. The two boys often played a
Stratego-esque
minifigure
A Lego minifigure, commonly referred to as a minifig, is a small plastic articulated figurine produced by Danish toy manufacturer The Lego Group. They were first produced in 1978 and have been a success, with over 4 billion produced worldwide a ...
game together, and Tommy taught Bruce to think like his opponents and to use their abilities against them in order to win, which proved useful years later when he became Batman. Thus, as a child, Tommy exhibits a genius level intellect due to his capability to think and plan strategically. Tommy despised both his abusive father and his frail, submissive mother, who came from poverty and willingly endured every abuse dealt to her and her son to keep her lavish lifestyle. For all their failings, however, Tommy's parents made sure he was well-educated, in particular teaching him about the philosophy of
Aristotle
Aristotle (; grc-gre, Ἀριστοτέλης ''Aristotélēs'', ; 384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught by Plato, he was the founder of the Peripatetic school of ph ...
, which he often quotes.
Driven by his desire for independence and wealth, Tommy severed the brake line of his parents' car, causing a crash that killed his father and injured his mother; his mother, however, was saved in an emergency operation by
Dr. Thomas Wayne, which enraged young Elliot. While at a summer camp with Bruce, Tommy attacked a boy and ended up in a psychiatric ward; he blamed Bruce and his mother for his outburst. He is released by an intern named
Jonathan Crane, who becomes the villain Scarecrow.
During the next few years, Tommy tended to his mother. When Bruce's parents were murdered, Tommy resented him for inheriting the Wayne family fortune, just as he had hoped to do with his parents' money. Shortly before Bruce returned to
Gotham City
Gotham City ( ), or simply Gotham, is a fictional city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, best known as the home of the superhero Batman and his List of Batman supporting characters#Bat-Family, allies and List of Batman fa ...
, Tommy befriended a young woman named Peyton Riley (who would later become the
second Ventriloquist) – a relationship of which his mother never approved. When Tommy's mother recovered from cancer, she disowned him, subsequently cutting him off from the Elliot family fortune in retaliation for his continuing relationship with Peyton. As a result, Tommy murdered her by smothering her with a pillow, while Peyton killed their lawyer and destroyed Mrs. Elliot's new will. As far as the rest of the world was concerned, his mother had died of a household accident.
Finally the sole recipient of his family's fortune, Tommy abandoned Peyton and began traveling the world, as Bruce had. Although he went on to
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...
and became a successful
surgeon, Tommy continued to harbor an irrational grudge towards his childhood friend.
At some point in his career, Edward Nygma, also known as the
Riddler, was diagnosed with terminal cancer and eventually hijacked one of
Ra's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul, commonly pronounced correctly as ''Re'sh'', hence or ; "The Head of the Demon" or, in a rougher translation, "The Chief Demon". is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary o ...
's Lazarus Pits to regain his health. During this mystical treatment, which renders the participant temporarily insane, the Riddler experienced an unexpected epiphany: he realized that Bruce Wayne was Batman. Soon afterwards, the Riddler attempted to sell Tommy the secrets of his newfound revelation in exchange for a large cash sum. Tommy, by this time having discovered Nygma's criminal background, instead offered to pay him to kill Bruce. Realizing that they shared a common hatred for Wayne, Tommy and the Riddler decided to pool resources to bring him down.
To this end, Elliot created for himself the persona of "Hush". Riddler said that the name started out as a joking reference to the need to keep Tommy's identity secret, but became a more permanent alias when Scarecrow started to sing the lullaby "
Hush, Little Baby".
''Hush'' character arc
In their attempt to destroy Batman, Hush and the Riddler manipulated several other villains into unwillingly helping them. These included the
Joker,
Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Quinn was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm as a comic relief henchwoman for the supervillain Joker in '' Batman: The Animated Series'', and debuted in i ...
,
Two-Face
Two-Face is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. The character was created by Bob Kane and first appeared in ''Detective Comics'' #66 (August 1942). As one of Batman's ...
,
Poison Ivy,
Scarecrow
A scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin, often in the shape of a human. Humanoid scarecrows are usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.Lesley ...
,
Killer Croc and
Clayface. They even manipulated some of Batman's closest allies (
Superman,
Huntress, and
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Debuting as "the Cat" in ''Batman'' #1 (spring 1940), she is ...
) against the Dark Knight, utilizing such methods as Poison Ivy using her
pheromone
A pheromone () is a secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social response in members of the same species. Pheromones are chemicals capable of acting like hormones outside the body of the secreting individual, to affect the behavio ...
s to control the Man of Steel and Catwoman and Hush's seemingly benevolent funding of Huntress's vigilante activities. Part of their plot included fooling Bruce into believing the Joker had murdered Tommy; Clayface
shapeshifted into Tommy's corpse in order to create this illusion.
With these villains as their pawns, Hush and the Riddler set up an elaborate plot against Batman.
Jason Todd
Jason Peter Todd is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in ''Batman (comic book), Batman'' #357 in March 1983, Todd was created to succeed Dick Grayson as Robin (chara ...
, who was believed to be dead for years, entered the pact with the villains and gave them insights on how Batman thought. Using the shapeshifting abilities of Clayface, they created a
decoy
A decoy (derived from the Dutch ''de'' ''kooi'', literally "the cage" or possibly ''ende kooi'', " duck cage") is usually a person, device, or event which resembles what an individual or a group might be looking for, but it is only meant to lu ...
of the former
Robin; Hush collaborated with Riddler, Todd, and Clayface to use the Dark Knight's guilt over his ward's apparent death against him at Todd's gravesite.
Around this time, Hush cured the disfigured
Harold Allnut
A collective of fictional characters appear in American comic books published by DC Comics featuring the superhero Batman as the main protagonist.
Since Batman's introduction in 1939, the character has accumulated a number of recognizable suppor ...
, a longtime associate of Batman. In return, Harold 'bugged' the
Batcave
The Batcave is a subterranean location appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is the headquarters of the superhero Batman, whose secret identity is Bruce Wayne and his partners, consisting of caves beneath his personal r ...
with several devices that altered Batman's mind, but nevertheless remained loyal to the Caped Crusader; he was certain that Batman would triumph over whatever followed. Hush then killed Harold in front of Batman, and immediately engaged the Dark Knight in battle. Batman was at first disoriented by Hush's quoting of
Aristotle
Aristotle (; grc-gre, Ἀριστοτέλης ''Aristotélēs'', ; 384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught by Plato, he was the founder of the Peripatetic school of ph ...
, prompting him to briefly wonder if Hush is
Maxie Zeus. He noticed that Hush used
Deadshot
Deadshot (Floyd Lawton) is a supervillain and antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by David Vern Reed, Lew Schwartz and Bob Kane, the character made his first appearance in '' Batman'' #59 (June–July 1950). ...
's two-gun fighting style, and theorized that he was either the assassin himself or one of his protégés.
When Tommy finally revealed himself to a worn-out Batman, the Dark Knight was saved only by the intervention of Harvey Dent, whose Two-Face persona had been unwittingly wiped out by Tommy when he repaired Dent's disfigured face. Once again on the side of the law, Dent shot Hush twice, throwing him off a bridge. Although Batman was sure that Hush was his childhood friend Thomas Elliot, he was not able to unmask him.
In 2022, a 20th anniversary edition
trade paperback of the original ''Hush'' storyline contained a newly produced epilogue. Written and drawn by the original authors
Jeph Loeb
Joseph "Jeph" Loeb III () is an American film and television writer, producer and comic book writer. Loeb was a producer/writer on the TV series ''Smallville'' and ''Lost'', writer for the films '' Commando'' and ''Teen Wolf'', and a writer and ...
and
Jim Lee
Jim Lee (Korean 이용철; born August 11, 1964) is a Korean American comic-book artist, writer, editor, and publisher. He is currently the Publisher and Chief Creative Officer of DC Comics. In recognition of his work, Lee has received a Harvey ...
, it detailed how Hush escaped to an air pocket in a sunken boat at the bottom of the Gotham river after his defeat on the bridge. After performing surgery on himself to remove the two bullets from Harvey Dent's gun, Hush is shown to crawl ashore only to run into
Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Quinn was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm as a comic relief henchwoman for the supervillain Joker in '' Batman: The Animated Series'', and debuted in i ...
and the
Joker, who puts a gun to his head. The epilogue then ends with a To Be Continued.
Hush returns
Still out to destroy Batman and determined not to let the rest of the villains get in his way, Hush quickly carved out a niche for himself, beating his former accomplice the Riddler to within an inch of his life. Hush even drives the Joker out of the city, thus proving to the Clown Prince that Hush can be a threat to him. He also temporarily killed Poison Ivy during a failed attempt to recruit her.
Following a short-lived alliance with
JLA nemesis
Prometheus
In Greek mythology, Prometheus (; , , possibly meaning " forethought")Smith"Prometheus". is a Titan god of fire. Prometheus is best known for defying the gods by stealing fire from them and giving it to humanity in the form of technology, kn ...
, Hush began to torment Bruce Wayne with help from Clayface. Exploiting the latter's shapeshifting abilities, Hush was briefly able to shed doubt on his true identity and had
Alfred Pennyworth
Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, most commonly in association with the superhero Batman.
Pennyworth is depicted as Bruce Wayne's loyal and tire ...
framed for murder, using samples taken from the new Clayface to infect Alfred with a virus that would allow Elliot to control him. Hush also attempted to analyse samples taken from Clayface with the goal of duplicating Clayface's shape-shifting abilities for himself without the usual side-effects such as loss of a default human form, eventually attempting to perfect this analysis by releasing Cassius Payne from prison, reasoning that samples from Cassius would be more useful as he is the only 'pure' Clayface... the only one who was never human in the first place. After Clayface realised that he was being manipulated, he provided Batman with a sample of himself to find a cure for Alfred's condition despite knowing that this would not leave Batman with time to cure him, and also ensured that Alfred's name would be cleared by ensuring that his final appearance after death would be a form whose fingerprints so closely resembled Alfred's that the detectives would assume that they had made a mistake (The aforementioned events occur in issue #50–55 and #61–72).
Payback
The Joker eventually returned to
Gotham City
Gotham City ( ), or simply Gotham, is a fictional city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, best known as the home of the superhero Batman and his List of Batman supporting characters#Bat-Family, allies and List of Batman fa ...
with an army of trained pigeons and retaliated (in ''
Batman: Gotham Knights'' #73–74). He captured Hush and kept him
sedated for three weeks, during which time he implanted a
pacemaker into his body, effectively gaining control of his heart. At the Joker's mercy and unable to remove the device himself, Hush turned to the one man he felt he could trust (or rather, predict): Bruce Wayne.
Bruce consented to help Hush on the condition that he allow himself to be treated in, and confined to,
Arkham Asylum. Hush agreed, and then immediately escaped after being told that the surgery had been a success. He was intercepted by Batman before he could confront the Joker and demanded that Batman allow him to kill the Joker. Batman seemed to agree and began to leave, but then revealed that he had tricked Hush – the pacemaker was still in his body, and he had been allowed to escape from Arkham. At that moment, the Joker arrived, and Hush begged Batman not to leave him.
The issue (and the ''Batman: Gotham Knights'' series) ended unresolved. Hush returned in the later ''
Man-Bat
Man-Bat (Dr. Robert Kirkland "Kirk" Langstrom) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Introduced in ''Detective Comics'' #400 (June 1970) as an enemy of the superhero Batman, the character belongs to t ...
'' miniseries, and is later shown remembering how painful it was to remove the pacemaker alone, and how the time between ''Gotham Knights'' and ''Heart of Hush'' was mostly spent recovering from the damage suffered, confirming that Batman did desert Hush at the conclusion of "Payback".
Heart of Hush
Hush returns in ''Detective Comics'' #846-#850, in the story "Heart of Hush", which ties together with "
Batman R.I.P.". In this arc, set a few nights before the events depicted in "R.I.P.", Hush is portrayed in a slightly different thematic fashion than in his prior appearances. His past as a surgeon serves as an important thematic aspect of his
modus operandi. In the first issue, Hush reveals that his return was hastened when he began to hear whispers of the
Black Glove's upcoming attack on Batman. Hush seeks to prevent Black Glove from killing Batman, which Hush sees as his right alone. In the second part, Hush teams up with
the Scarecrow. He performs routine
plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty involving the restoration, reconstruction or alteration of the human body. It can be divided into two main categories: reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery. Reconstructive surgery includes cranio ...
on his own face, which is later revealed to be nearly identical to Bruce Wayne's.
Hush then ambushes and subdues
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Debuting as "the Cat" in ''Batman'' #1 (spring 1940), she is ...
after she scratches off a portion of his facial bandages, recoiling in horror at what she sees. He then cuts out her heart, places her on
life support supplied by
Mr. Freeze
Mr. Freeze is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Dave Wood, Sheldon Moldoff and Bob Kane, and first appeared in ''Batman'' #121 in February 1959 as the ice-based criminal Mr. Ze ...
, and delivers her to Gotham General Hospital. Hush ponders the formulation his plan in the wake of Batman’s abandonment of him.
While Catwoman is left in
Doctor Mid-Nite
Doctor Mid-Nite or Doctor Midnight is the name of multiple fictional superheroes in DC Comics. The figure has been represented in the comics by three different individuals, Charles McNider, Beth Chapel, and Pieter Anton Cross. Dr. Mid-Nite was ...
's care, Batman learns the location of Hush's headquarters from Scarecrow. Hush attacks Batman with a paralytic gas, and shows him the room containing Catwoman's heart, which is being kept alive through artificial means. He then confesses to Batman his plan: using his newfound resemblance to Bruce, he will kill and disfigure him to steal his identity, eliminating those who know him best and regularly interact with him, after which he will retire with the Wayne fortune, reasoning that Batman's fellow superheroes will accept that Batman has earned the right to end his career.
However, Batman is able to stave off the effects of the paralytic gas, recover Catwoman's heart, and warn Alfred of Hush's deception. Although Alfred disarms Elliot, Hush manages to get the Batcave, where he nearly kills Batman, but Alfred's continued interference and the arrival of
Nightwing and
Robin turned the tide. Hush retreats on the Whirly-Bat, a one-man helicopter, but his bandages become tangled in the rotor, causing the vehicle to explode.
In searching for traces of Hush, Batman, Nightwing, and Robin find only some bloody bandages, and conclude that he is dead. Doctor Mid-Nite surgically restores Catwoman's heart, but notes that she is unlikely to ever regain her physical prowess. While convalescing, she and her allies find all of Hush's secret bank accounts, and loots those funds for themselves, which she documents in a video that she ultimately leaves for Hush to find, in the event that he survived. Hush, revealed to be indeed alive but wounded and crutch-bound, sees this video, before limping off into locations unknown.
Later, posing as Bruce Wayne, Hush travels to
Australia and
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
to loot the cash accounts of
Wayne Enterprises
Wayne Enterprises, Inc., also known as WayneCorp and Wayne Industries, is a wealthy fictional company appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Wayne Enterprises is a large, gr ...
' subsidiaries. He is captured by Catwoman, and along with Nightwing and Robin, incarcerates him in a secret safe house. Hush, still wearing Bruce's appearance, decides to fake his surrender, waiting for the right moment to escape.
Batman reborn
In ''Streets of Gotham'', Batman's biological son
Damian Wayne visited Hush in his cell as the new Robin, and they played chess. When Damian left to deal with a new crisis, Hush surmised that
Firefly was behind the attack. He noted how Gotham City had fallen apart in Batman's absence, and pondered how to use the current situation to his advantage. Hush faked experiencing spontaneous combustion, and when Alfred arrived at his cell to assist, Hush overpowered him and escaped. He then re-emerged as Bruce Wayne, claiming that he would donate a billion dollars a month to Gotham City until the financial crisis was over. Dick and Damian, along with the
Outsiders and assorted other superheroes, explained to Hush that they would always watch and control him- with the other heroes acting as a 'board of directors' intended to 'supervise' his financial dealings- and that someone will always be ready to take him down if he steps out of line. With no other option available to him, Hush reluctantly agreed to play Dick Grayson's puppet, posing as Bruce Wayne, and thus keeping the public from realizing that Bruce was dead. Though this ruined his original plan to sap the Wayne fortune, Hush did not allow it to halt his scheming altogether. Hush had appeared, notably as a member of the Gotham Shield Committee, around Gotham quite frequently, often attempting to make connections. When
Ra's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul, commonly pronounced correctly as ''Re'sh'', hence or ; "The Head of the Demon" or, in a rougher translation, "The Chief Demon". is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary o ...
arrived in Gotham, promising to ruin the Wayne family in retaliation against
Red Robin
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc., more commonly known as Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews or simply Red Robin, is an American chain of casual dining restaurants founded in September 1969 in Seattle, Washington. In 1979, the first franchised ...
, he immediately sought out Hush. Faced with the prospect of Hush using Ra's al Ghul's support to turn on the Bat-family again, Tim Drake activated a contingency plan set in place by Wayne himself to transfer controlling interest in Wayne Enterprises to Drake "if something should happen". This left Hush with no official standing in the company.
"House of Hush"
Hush reappeared in ''Streets of Gotham'' for the story arc "House of Hush" beginning in #14. He attempted to push the boundaries of his new role as Bruce Wayne, such as recommending that convicted criminals be allowed back on the streets. However, this plan backfired when the criminal Jane Doe—a woman who lost her face in an accident and had resorted to cutting off the faces of others—became obsessed with 'Bruce Wayne' after he had her released. She infiltrated his life by taking the face of his new assistant, and subsequently cut off Elliot's new face with the intention of becoming Bruce Wayne herself. The returned Bruce Wayne, once again acting as Batman, caught her and Hush, and they were both sent to Arkham, Bruce declaring that he was Batman's financial backer to make any attempt Hush might make to expose his identity basically irrelevant.
During the events of ''
Batman: Gates of Gotham'', Hush was freed from Arkham by a new villain named the Architect. As this happened,
Red Robin
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc., more commonly known as Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews or simply Red Robin, is an American chain of casual dining restaurants founded in September 1969 in Seattle, Washington. In 1979, the first franchised ...
,
Batman, and
Blackbat realized that the Elliot family was connected to a series of bombings that destroyed three historical Gotham bridges. Batman found Hush, who had been betrayed by the Architect and strapped to a bomb, but was forced to sacrifice Wayne Tower to save his life.
The New 52: "Batman Eternal"
In September 2011,
The New 52
The New 52 is the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic books. Following the conclusion of the " Flashpoint" crossover storyline, DC canceled all its existing titles and debuted 52 new serie ...
rebooted DC's continuity. In this new timeline, Hush first appears in issue twenty-one of ''
Batman Eternal
''Batman Eternal'' is a year-long weekly limited series published by DC Comics, that began in April 2014. The series featured Batman, his allies, and Gotham City, and was written by Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Ray Fawkes, Kyle Higgins, and ...
'' as the apparent mastermind behind
Commissioner Gordon's downfall and
Carmine Falcone's return. After injecting
Alfred
Alfred may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
*''Alfred J. Kwak'', Dutch-German-Japanese anime television series
* ''Alfred'' (Arne opera), a 1740 masque by Thomas Arne
* ''Alfred'' (Dvořák), an 1870 opera by Antonín Dvořák
*"Alfred (Interlu ...
with
fear toxin, Hush was seen communicating with
Jason Bard
Jason Bard is a fictional character in the DC Universe. He first appeared in ''Detective Comics'' #392, which was published in 1969. He appeared in several back-up stories throughout the 1970s and 1980s in ''Detective Comics''..
Fictional charact ...
about taking control of Gotham.
In issue twenty-six, a slightly revised origin for Hush was revealed; he was still Tommy Elliott, a childhood friend of
Bruce Wayne
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
, but in this version, his parricide is explicitly described as a way for him to get closer to Bruce (who had started distancing himself from Tommy after the death of his own parents) rather than as a way for him to receive his inheritance or escape abuse and neglect.
Hush turned public opinion against
Wayne Enterprises
Wayne Enterprises, Inc., also known as WayneCorp and Wayne Industries, is a wealthy fictional company appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Wayne Enterprises is a large, gr ...
by blowing up one of
Batman's hidden weapon caches (known to be connected to Wayne Enterprises after the events of
Batman Incorporated
Batman Incorporated (also known as Batman, Inc.) was an ongoing American comic book series published by DC Comics, featuring the superhero Batman. Written by Grant Morrison, the series debuted following the events of '' Batman R.I.P'', ''Final Cr ...
) below Gotham, killing an unknown number of civilians, policemen and military personnel. He was able to enter the cache with DNA taken from Alfred Pennyworth.
After having blown up another weapon cache and having been shot through the shoulder with a
grappling hook by Julia Pennyworth, Hush gave up his location to Batman to face him in a final showdown. They met and fought in a weapon cache below the
Martha Wayne
Martha Wayne ( Kane) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. She is the mother of Bruce Wayne (Batman), and wife of Dr. Thomas Wayne as well as the pate ...
Foundation hospital, which Hush had rigged to explode as a backup plan. Batman defeated Hush, but was then informed that the government had seized control of Wayne Enterprises and its holdings due to its involvement in the catastrophic explosions around Gotham. Hush then taunted Batman, stating, "Maybe you're right Bruce, maybe I'm not you. But right now, who would want to be?"
Hush was then kept as prisoner in the
Batcave
The Batcave is a subterranean location appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is the headquarters of the superhero Batman, whose secret identity is Bruce Wayne and his partners, consisting of caves beneath his personal r ...
, but broke out with the help of the then unknown mastermind behind the current threat. Hush proceeded to sabotage the equipment of several members of the
Batman Family via the
Batcomputer as they fought various villains, including crashing the
Batwing with Batman still in it. He was then returned to captivity after having been ambushed by Alfred Pennyworth, Alfred harshly informing Hush that he was hardly going to be locked up in his own home.
All-Star Batman
In ''All-Star Batman'' #10, Hush secretly allies himself with
Penguin,
Black Mask, and
Great White Shark
The great white shark (''Carcharodon carcharias''), also known as the white shark, white pointer, or simply great white, is a species of large Lamniformes, mackerel shark which can be found in the coastal surface waters of all the major ocean ...
in order to trick Batman into procuring a
MacGuffin
In fiction, a MacGuffin (sometimes McGuffin) is an object, device, or event that is necessary to the plot and the motivation of the characters, but insignificant, unimportant, or irrelevant in itself. The term was originated by Angus MacPhail for ...
called the Genesis engine for them. The ruse succeeds, but Hush and his allies are then ambushed and nearly murdered by the new villain Nemesis.
DC Rebirth
After DC Comics' new line-wide relaunch
Rebirth
Rebirth may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Film
* ''Rebirth'' (2011 film), a 2011 Japanese drama film
* ''Rebirth'' (2016 film), a 2016 American thriller film
* ''Rebirth'', a documentary film produced by Project Rebirth
* ''The Re ...
, Hush first appeared in a single-panel cameo in issue 19 of ''
Batman'' (vol. 3), wherein he is an inmate at
Arkham Asylum and beaten up by
Bane
Bane may refer to:
Fictional characters
* Bane (DC Comics), an adversary of Batman
* Bane (''Harry Potter''), a centaur in the ''Harry Potter'' series
* Bane (''The Matrix''), a character in the ''Matrix'' film trilogy
* Bane the Druid, a Gu ...
.
Then, in the
one-shot ''Batman: Prelude to the Wedding: Nightwing vs. Hush'' #1, Hush is tipped off to Batman's upcoming wedding by the
Joker. Hush attempts to attack Batman's bachelor party, causing an explosion to distract
Superman and then attacking Batman and
Nightwing. In the course of the confrontation, Hush's attack disrupts a dimensional gate Superman had provided that was intended to take Batman to a peaceful pocket universe, resulting in Hush and Nightwing being trapped in an in-between place for individuals who have lost all sense of individual identity. As Hush's rants affirm his inability to forge a life for himself outside of an obsession with Bruce Wayne, he reveals that he has given himself plastic surgery to look like
Dick Grayson
Richard John "Dick" Grayson is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Batman and Teen Titans. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane, he first appeared in ''Detective Comics ...
to try and recapture his old friendship with Bruce. Ultimately, Hush is left behind in the pocket dimension despite Nightwing's attempts to help him.
However, in ''Batman'' (vol. 3) #70, Hush is apparently back in
Arkham Asylum as he is one of several villains Batman beats up during his escape after having been captured and subjected to mental torture by
Scarecrow
A scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin, often in the shape of a human. Humanoid scarecrows are usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.Lesley ...
,
The Flashpoint Batman and
Bane
Bane may refer to:
Fictional characters
* Bane (DC Comics), an adversary of Batman
* Bane (''Harry Potter''), a centaur in the ''Harry Potter'' series
* Bane (''The Matrix''), a character in the ''Matrix'' film trilogy
* Bane the Druid, a Gu ...
. Later, Hush is shown to be a member of
Bane's police force after he had taken control over the institutions of
Gotham. Hush duels with Batman, but loses. He was likely kept obedient through hypnosis by the
Psycho Pirate
The Psycho-Pirate is the name of two supervillains appearin in American comic books published by DC Comics.
Bob Frazer portrayed the character for his live action debut during The CW's 2018 Arrowverse crossover "Elseworlds (Arrowverse), Elseworld ...
.
Hush resurfaces in ''Detective Comics'' #1031, where he takes advantage of the confusion during an anti-vigilante riot to drug and kidnap several members of the
Bat Family
A collective of fictional characters appear in American comic books published by DC Comics featuring the superhero Batman as the main protagonist.
Since Batman's introduction in 1939, the character has accumulated a number of recognizable sup ...
:
Batwoman,
Nightwing,
Red Hood
The Red Hood is an alias used by multiple characters appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The identity was first used in the 1951 storyline "The Man Behind the Red Hood!", which provides the earliest origin story for the Joke ...
,
Signal
In signal processing, a signal is a function that conveys information about a phenomenon. Any quantity that can vary over space or time can be used as a signal to share messages between observers. The '' IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing' ...
, and two Batgirls (
Barbara Gordon and
Cassandra Cain). Hush plans to harvest their organs to sell on the black market, but is stopped by
Batman and
Damian Wayne. It also comes to light that Hush tried to have Bruce Wayne murdered as a boy, using his father's half-sister Catherine (who worked as a
GCPD detective) to cover up the attempts by botching the investigations.
Characterization
Personality
Being a victim of abuse and a neglectful, submissive mother rendered Thomas Elliot sociopathic. Before even his teenage years, he was already operating on a high level of sociopathy, going so far as severing the brake line of his parents' car to gain independence from them and inherit the Elliot family fortune. When Bruce Wayne's parents died and he inherited the Wayne family fortune, as well as independence, from them - the very two things Tommy sought to gain from his parents' death - Tommy developed an irrational hatred for his childhood friend, spawned from the fact Bruce's father
Thomas Wayne
Thomas Alan Wayne, M.D. is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the father of Bruce Wayne ( Batman), and husband of Martha Wayne as well as the paternal grandfather of Damian Wayne. Wayne was int ...
was the one who operated on and saved his mother, foiling the young Elliot's plan of patricide, and that via the death of his parents, Bruce had gained everything he wanted. This deep-rooted hatred would then carry on into Tommy's adulthood, resulting in him adopting his Hush persona. Elliot also seems to be obsessed with mystery and subterfuge, preferring to operate from the shadows and having cast doubts over his own identity and motivations several times. This obsession seems somewhat linked to Elliot's own arrogance, seeking to prove his superiority over his opponents. In ''Heart of Hush'', he also displays misogynistic and classist leanings, apparently the result of life under his controlling mother. Elliot frequently quotes Aristotle.
Skills and abilities
Thomas "Tommy" Elliot has spent most of his life honing his skills enough to be a match for the Dark Knight. One of the world's finest surgeons, Thomas Elliot has an incredible, genius-level intellect and is also a master planner, with tactical skills rivaling those of the Caped Crusader. Hush's greatest asset is his talent for thinking like his opponents and for using their abilities against them. Ironically, Bruce Wayne learned his strategic skills from Elliot in childhood before their respective parents' deaths.
Hush is an expert marksman, able to shoot two
batarangs out of the air and set off
C4 explosive
C-4 or Composition C-4 is a common variety of the plastic explosive family known as Composition C, which uses RDX as its explosive agent. C-4 is composed of explosives, plastic binder, plasticizer to make it malleable, and usually a marker or o ...
using twin
M1911 .45 caliber pistols, his weapons of choice. While not possessing the kind of
martial arts training that Bruce Wayne acquired, Hush has proven his ability to fight hand-to-hand; he shows expertise and competence, being able to fight almost on par with Batman.
He has performed breakthrough medical operations, such as removing
Harold Allnut
A collective of fictional characters appear in American comic books published by DC Comics featuring the superhero Batman as the main protagonist.
Since Batman's introduction in 1939, the character has accumulated a number of recognizable suppor ...
's hunchback and giving him the ability to speak, repairing Harvey Dent's face, inventing a virus which accelerates
Killer Croc's devolution, and tearing out
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Debuting as "the Cat" in ''Batman'' #1 (spring 1940), she is ...
's heart without doing any lasting damage.
Hush is also able to perform plastic surgery on himself, using minimal anesthetic and sheer force of will. He's implied to have removed the pacemaker installed on his own heart by himself, and has shown the ability to grant himself the appearance of someone else, such as Bruce Wayne, using only a long series of planned surgeries on his own face, with the aid of a simple mirror.
Thomas Elliot previously had access to the vast resources of his family fortune, putting him on par with Bruce Wayne in wealth, and so he is able to fund his more expensive plans. He is also able to buy the cooperation of the main villains in Gotham, like
Mr. Freeze
Mr. Freeze is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Dave Wood, Sheldon Moldoff and Bob Kane, and first appeared in ''Batman'' #121 in February 1959 as the ice-based criminal Mr. Ze ...
. However, since the "Heart of Hush" storyline, Catwoman has tapped his resources, reducing him to poverty. He then put in motion a plan to use his newfound resemblance to Bruce Wayne to leech off the Wayne fortune, cutting off the Batman Family from it as well. This plan was thwarted when he underestimated his foes, finding himself merely a puppet of the Batman Family and their allies as he serves to create the impression that Bruce Wayne is still alive.
Other versions
''Batman Beyond''
The 2010 ''
Batman Beyond
''Batman Beyond'' (known as ''Batman of the Future'' outside the United States) is an American superhero animated television series developed by Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, and Alan Burnett. It was produced by Warner Bros. Animation in collaborati ...
'' miniseries revealed that Bruce Wayne's last fight with Hush occurred on a rainy night and consisted primarily of a rooftop chase. As a last-minute means of escape, Elliot dove into an open window, only to be shot by the homeowner who mistook him for an invader. With Batman severely injured and not on good terms with the police, he left Hush's body without examining it himself. Bruce seemed initially satisfied with the official police identification of the body as Elliot's. However, he later admits suspecting that Hush's skill for strategy and plastic surgery could have fabricated the entire scenario.
Some time after the events of ''
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker'',
Terry McGinnis discovers the former
Signalman murdered in a manner reminiscent of
Two-Face
Two-Face is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. The character was created by Bob Kane and first appeared in ''Detective Comics'' #66 (August 1942). As one of Batman's ...
's M.O. He subsequently tracks the murderer to a hospital where an aged
Jervis Tetch is being held and finds a bandaged man standing over a badly injured nurse. The man flees as Terry rushes over to the nurse, who says the man uttered a single word, "Hush".
Returning to the cave, Terry learns what happened in Bruce's last fight with Hush. Terry soon discovers that the reformed villain, Armory, has been killed with sharpened umbrellas (the
Penguin's weapon of choice). Attempting to stay ahead of their foe, Terry and Bruce search out the Calendar Man (Julian Gregory Day). Upon confronting Day, Terry is suddenly ambushed by Hush, who broke in beforehand.
During Terry's fight with the new Hush, it is revealed that this Hush is not only capable of matching the current Batman in a fight, but is also aware of Bruce Wayne's identity as Batman. He regards Terry as an impostor with no understanding of what it means to be Batman. He also regards his murders of Batman's rogues gallery as orphaning Batman all over again by killing his enemies as the only ''loving'' family he has had.
Hush escapes by throwing the Calendar Man out the window with a bomb attached to Day's chest. Terry chooses to try and save Day, but fails. Confirming that Tim Drake was under constant physical and psychological observation since
his time as the Joker, Terry eliminates Drake as a suspect and proceeds to confront
Dick Grayson
Richard John "Dick" Grayson is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Batman and Teen Titans. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane, he first appeared in ''Detective Comics ...
.
Meanwhile, Hush is revealed to have hired the new
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Debuting as "the Cat" in ''Batman'' #1 (spring 1940), she is ...
to plant a tracking device on Batman, before proceeding to strangle her as part of his vendetta. A brief scene with
Amanda Waller
Amanda Blake Waller (née White), also known as "the Wall", is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''Legends'' #1 in 1986 and was created by John Ostrander, Len Wein, and ...
and a woman identified as Doctor Reid suggests a connection between
Project Cadmus and Hush. However, Waller insists that they keep their knowledge of this Hush quiet.
Using the new ''Bat-Wraith'' (a robot designed to replace Terry as Batman), Bruce intervenes in Hush's attempt to kill Catwoman. Hush demonstrates a knowledge of Bruce's old methods—including his equipment trials with Alfred and his habit of making the logo on his chest heavily armoured—and manages to shut down the robot. Hush then proceeds to attempt to hack the Bat-Wraith, which forces Bruce to use the self-destruct.
Terry subsequently attempts to trap Hush by posing as current Bat-foe Mad Stan, only to be defeated and exposed by Hush's use of Shriek's technology. Hush unmasks himself, appearing to be a bitter and enraged Dick Grayson. He spares Bruce and Terry so that they can witness him in action ''saving'' Gotham. Bruce then directs the new Catwoman on how to treat Terry's injuries.
The new Hush is subsequently revealed as a clone of Grayson. Waller, determined to
provide the world with a Batman, cloned Grayson based on DNA and memory readings taken after Grayson's last fight as Nightwing. Waller believed that Grayson was more stable than Bruce and would therefore be easier to control. Doctor Reid also reveals herself to be the granddaughter of the original Hush (Nora Elliot before her marriage), seeking to atone for her grandfather's sins.
Hush sends a transmission to the Batcave, revealing that he has taken control of the Bat-Wraiths. He threatens to destroy Gotham in order to save it by setting off bombs along a fault line and triggering a
new earthquake. The wounded Terry is aided by Dick Grayson despite Bruce and Terry's concerns about his old injuries. They are joined by Catwoman who is seeking revenge for Hush's attack on her.
The three track down Hush, but are unable to convince him that he is merely a clone. The group is only able to defeat him when Bruce temporarily overrides Hush's control of the Bat-Wraiths. Hush is then accidentally impaled and killed on a Bat-Wraith when Terry throws him off of the real Grayson, the clone being impaled by a Bat-Wraith coming out of a pit that it had previously fallen into before both fall back into the pit. Terry grimly notes that the lack of a body means they can only ''think'' the clone is dead rather than being sure of it. Waller later had Reid taking the blames for Hush's actions in order to continue her work.
''Absolute Power''
In an alternate timeline where Batman saved his parents while travelling back in time, Bruce Wayne and Tommy Elliott were still friends as adults.
"Flashpoint"
In the alternate timeline of the 2011 "
Flashpoint" storyline, Hush is killed by
Batman.
''Batman: Arkham Knight''
Hush appears in the ''
Batman: Arkham Knight'' prequel comic. As it turns out, Hush impersonating Bruce Wayne was part of a plan that had taken the
Arkham Knight years to put into action. Thinking that he was truly Bruce,
Ratcatcher tried to kill Hush but was disappointed when Hush's bandages came off and his scars were revealed. Two police officers tried to help Hush also believing that he was Wayne, but were overwhelmed by Ratcatcher's rats. Arkham Knight, who had been following Hush, saved him from Ratcatcher and they both escaped before Batman arrived at the scene. Later, the Arkham Knight gave Hush a sample of
Clayface's mud to healy his surgery scars on the proviso that he would not reveal his new face again until their plan was ready.
''Tales From The Dark Multiverse''
''Tales from the Dark Multiverse: Batman - Hush'' is a one-shot
spin-off from the event series ''
Dark Nights: Metal''. It reveals a universe where young Tommy Elliott hires the family driver to assassinate his parents, only for the driver to kill
Thomas
Thomas may refer to:
People
* List of people with given name Thomas
* Thomas (name)
* Thomas (surname)
* Saint Thomas (disambiguation)
* Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church
* Thomas the A ...
and
Martha Wayne
Martha Wayne ( Kane) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. She is the mother of Bruce Wayne (Batman), and wife of Dr. Thomas Wayne as well as the pate ...
by mistake. The Elliott family takes the orphaned
Bruce Wayne
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
into their care, but he succumbs to
psychosis
Psychosis is a condition of the mind that results in difficulties determining what is real and what is not real. Symptoms may include delusions and hallucinations, among other features. Additional symptoms are incoherent speech and behavior ...
and is tucked away in
Arkham Asylum, with Elliot in line to inherit
Wayne Industries. Elliott later becomes a senator in
Gotham, which in this universe is an independent, oppressive city state. He is taken down together with versions of
Harvey Dent
Two-Face is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. The character was created by Bob Kane and first appeared in '' Detective Comics'' #66 (August 1942). As one of Batma ...
,
Jason Todd
Jason Peter Todd is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in ''Batman (comic book), Batman'' #357 in March 1983, Todd was created to succeed Dick Grayson as Robin (chara ...
,
Jonathan Crane and
Dick Grayson
Richard John "Dick" Grayson is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Batman and Teen Titans. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane, he first appeared in ''Detective Comics ...
, an operation carried out by
Bruce Wayne
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
. Wayne faked his psychosis and spent his time in
Arkham
Arkham () is a fictional city situated in Massachusetts. An integral part of the Lovecraft Country setting created by H. P. Lovecraft, Arkham is featured in many of his stories and those of other Cthulhu Mythos writers.
Arkham House, a publi ...
training himself into the lethal avenger Batman The Silenced, an amalgamation of Batman and Hush.
In other media
Television
Animation
* Hush was originally intended to appear in a cancelled DTV set for ''
The Batman
Batman is a fictional superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics.
Batman or The Batman may also refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media
Characters
* Batman (Terry McGinnis)
* Batman (Thomas Wayne)
* Batman (Earth-Two)
* Batma ...
''. He was later set to be introduced in the episode "Rumors" but was ultimately replaced by the original villain Rumor (voiced by
Ron Perlman).
Live-action
* Tommy Elliot makes his live-action debut in ''
Gotham'', portrayed by Cole Vallis in
season one and by Gordon Winarick in
season four. He is a student at Anders Preparatory Academy who initially bullies Bruce Wayne. Tommy later apologises to Bruce and becomes his friend.
* Hush appears in ''
Batwoman'', portrayed by
Gabriel Mann.
Warren Christie
Hans Warren Christie (born 4 November 1975) is a British-Canadian television and film actor known for his roles as Ray Cataldo on the ABC drama '' October Road'' and as Aidan "Greggy" Stiviletto on the ABC series '' Happy Town''. More recent ...
plays the character when he is disguised as Bruce Wayne. Debuting in season one episode "Down Down Down", he retains his childhood friendship with Bruce Wayne, but is depicted as a real estate mogul with a grudge against
Wayne Enterprises
Wayne Enterprises, Inc., also known as WayneCorp and Wayne Industries, is a wealthy fictional company appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Wayne Enterprises is a large, gr ...
, learning Bruce's identity as Batman and intends to seek revenge via a rail gun stolen from Bruce's company. Kate Kane as Batwoman foils his plans, but the latter is knocked out by
Alice after the former breaks off to save civilians. In "A Narrow Escape", in Arkham Asylum, he attacks Dr. Butler's therapy session, but Alice provokes him in attacking her to acquire a shank and Elliot is placed in solitary confinement. Batwoman and
Luke Fox
Luke Foxe (or Fox) (20 October 1586 – c. 15 July 1635) was an English explorer, born in Kingston-upon-Hull, Yorkshire, who searched for the Northwest Passage across North America. In 1631, he sailed much of the western Hudson Bay before ...
discover that Elliot hired an accomplice to steal
Lucius Fox
Lucius Fox is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Bruce Wayne / Batman. He is Bruce Wayne's business manager at Wayne Enterprises who runs the business interests that s ...
's journal, which led to the latter's accidental death. In "If You Believe in Me, I'll Believe in You", Alice and her partner Mouse disguised as Dr. Butler visit Elliot and cut a deal with him to obtain Lucius' journal in exchange for disguising him as anyone he wants. After his escape from Arkham, they remove his face, but leave it wrapped in bandages until they can properly translate the journal, written in code created specifically by Lucius. After cracking it, Alice gives him Bruce Wayne's face. In the season two premiere "Whatever Happened to Kate Kane?", Elliot infiltrates the
Batcave
The Batcave is a subterranean location appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is the headquarters of the superhero Batman, whose secret identity is Bruce Wayne and his partners, consisting of caves beneath his personal r ...
and steals
Kryptonite
Kryptonite is a fictional material that appears primarily in Superman stories published by DC Comics. In its best-known form, it is a green, crystalline material originating from Superman's home world of Krypton that emits a unique, poisonous r ...
. Luke and Julia Pennyworth quickly discover his identity. He attempts to escape, but encounters a new
Batwoman. His Kryptonite fails to work and is defeated and sent back to Arkham.
Film
* Hush makes a
cameo appearance
A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly ei ...
in ''
Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants'' (2016), voiced by
Dave B. Mitchell.
* Tommy Elliot appears in ''
Batman: Hush'' (2019), voiced by
Maury Sterling
Charles Maury Wallace Sterling (born September 1, 1971) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Max Piotrowski in ''Homeland'', Rafferty in the comedy film '' Beverly Hills Chihuahua'' and Lester Tremor in the action film ''Smokin' Ace ...
. This verison is the surgeon who attempts to remove Nygma's brain tumor and is ultimately killed by Hush in order to emotionally hurt Bruce Wayne.
** A variation of Hush is the alternate alter ego of
Edward Nygma / Riddler, voiced by
Geoffrey Arend
Geoffrey Rashid Arend (born February 28, 1978) is an American film, television, voice and theater actor. He is best known for his role as Ethan Gross on the ABC drama series ''Body of Proof'', Matt Mahoney on the CBS political drama series '' M ...
.
* A variation of Hush appears in ''
Batman: Death in the Family'' (2020), voiced by
Vincent Martella
Vincent Michael Martella (born October 15, 1992) is an American actor best known for providing the voice of Phineas Flynn in the Disney Channel original animated show ''Phineas and Ferb'', which ran from 2007 to 2015. He is also known for his ro ...
.
Jason Todd
Jason Peter Todd is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in ''Batman (comic book), Batman'' #357 in March 1983, Todd was created to succeed Dick Grayson as Robin (chara ...
takes on the Hush identity in one of the possible storylines if the viewer chooses to have him cheat death.
Video games
''Lego Batman''
* Hush appears as an unlockable playable character in ''
Lego Batman: The Videogame''. He wields two handguns and can build objects and shoot faster than other characters. He is unlocked by saving every Citizen in Peril in all the Hero and Villain campaign levels.
* Hush appears as an optional boss and an unlockable playable character in ''
Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes'', voiced by
Nolan North
Nolan North (born October 31, 1970) is an American actor best known for his voice acting roles.
After his breakthrough role as Dr. Chris Ramsey on the ABC soap opera '' Port Charles'' in 1997, North moved into voice acting when the show ended ...
.
* Hush appears as an unlockable playable character in ''Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham'', voiced again by Nolan North.
''Batman: Arkham''
Tommy Elliot / Hush appears in the ''Batman: Arkham'' series of video games, voiced by
Kevin Conroy.
*He first appears in ''Batman: Arkham City''. Elliot was a member of a medical team inside the eponymous super-prison sent to service the prisoners who was implicated in the theft of aid supplies. After removing his face, he emerges as a serial killer who dissects his victim's faces before murdering them. After stumbling upon one of his victims, Batman investigates the other murder scenes and eventually finds Elliot's hideout, where he discovers Elliot has been using Arkham City inmates as "donors" to facially reconstruct and graft Bruce Wayne's face to himself in order to impersonate and get revenge. Elliot then escapes Arkham City, with Batman vowing to find him again and stop him.
*Elliot returns in ''
Batman: Arkham Knight'' as the focus of the side mission "Friend in Need". During the
Scarecrow
A scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin, often in the shape of a human. Humanoid scarecrows are usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.Lesley ...
's takeover of Gotham City, Elliot infiltrates Wayne Tower by impersonating Bruce and holds
Lucius Fox
Lucius Fox is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Bruce Wayne / Batman. He is Bruce Wayne's business manager at Wayne Enterprises who runs the business interests that s ...
hostage in an attempt steal his former friend's fortune. He again encounters Batman who unmasks himself before disarming Elliot and knocking him out with Lucius' help. Bruce then has Lucius detain Elliott in the tower's vault.
Other video games
* Hush appears in ''DC Universe Online'', voiced by J. Shannon Weaver.
* Hush appears in ''Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure''.
See also
* List of Batman Family adversaries
* ''
Batman: Hush''
References
{{Jim Lee
Batman characters
Characters created by Jeph Loeb
Characters created by Jim Lee
Comics characters introduced in 2003
DC Comics male supervillains
DC Comics martial artists
DC Comics orphans
Fictional characters with disfigurements
Fictional gunfighters
Fictional impostors
Fictional matricides
Fictional patricides
Fictional serial killers
Fictional socialites
Fictional surgeons