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Terrence “Terry” McGinnis is the protagonist of the DCAU Animated Series '' Batman Beyond .'' He has succeeded Bruce Wayne as ''' Batman ''', protector of Gotham City . He is voiced by Will Friedle . BECOMING BATMAN By his own admission, Terry was once a "bad kid." A member of a street gang run by youthful racketeer Charlie "Big Time" Bigelow, Terry had his fair share of run-ins with the GCPD while in his early teens, even serving a three-month stint in Juvenile Hall . Years after Batman was last seen, McGinnis found himself on the run from another street gang named the Jokerz , who had modeled themselves after the deceased Clown Prince Of Crime . He fled onto the grounds of the Wayne Manor , where an aged Bruce Wayne assisted him in defeating the Jokerz. The strain of the fight placed substantial stress on Wayne's heart and he collapsed. McGinnis helped Wayne into the mansion and in the process stumbled upon the entrance to the Batcave . Wayne kicked McGinnis out, but when the boy showed up later, declaring his father, Warren McGinnis, had been murdered and that Derek Powers —who had assumed leadership of a merged Wayne-Powers—was responsible, Wayne softened his demeanor. Despite McGinnis’ insistence, Wayne, still shaken from the ordeal of having relied on a Gun for self-defense, maintained that he had given up the cowl. As soon as Wayne’s back was turned, McGinnis took matters into his own hands and stole the latest incarnation of the Batsuit. Wayne admonished him through the Suit’s Communicator (their mentor-pupil banter would become a staple of subsequent ''Batman Beyond'' episodes), but McGinnis was adamant on confronting Powers. Powers had ordered Warren McGinnis’ death after the latter discovered Powers’ plan to mass-produce biological weapons. The Suit turned McGinnis into a powerhouse; he disrupted Powers’ operation, laying a beating on the security personnel, only to have Wayne shut the Suit down midway at the touch of a button. McGinnis pleaded with Wayne for a chance to prove himself and persuaded Wayne to reactivate the Suit and let him carry on as Batman for the time being. Wayne’s decision resulted in the suspension of Powers’ operation; at the end, Powers, who had been exposed to his own hazardous chemicals, experienced the onset of his mutation into Blight . Convinced that there was still a need for a Batman, Wayne made Terry his personal assistant and began secretly training the boy for his new role as Batman. RELATIONSHIPS Relationship with Bruce Wayne Despite being the new Batman, McGinnis and Wayne led very different lives. In addition to coping with his father’s death, McGinnis struggled to keep his secret from his remaining family, his mother and younger brother, much like Tim Drake did during his tenure as Robin . Because of McGinnis’ responsibilities as Batman, he was not afforded the same licenses the Robins enjoyed and was expected to be on the call whenever he was needed. As a result, McGinnis was just barely successful at balancing out his dual life, and the issue of him sacrificing his civilian life for his costumed one, or neglecting his duties as Batman due to personal commitments, became a source of tension between mentor and pupil, on several occasions prompting both men to reconsider McGinnis’ reliability. McGinnis and Wayne developed a respect for each other, with McGinnis regarding Wayne as a surrogate father. Despite that McGinnis was not a sidekick but his replacement, Wayne treated McGinnis the same way he treated Dick Grayson and Tim Drake, possibly because of Terry's youth and inexperience. In time, McGinnis grew into the cowl, and Wayne grew to accept him as his heir. Other relationships With his family Terry valued his mother, Mary McGinnis, and his younger brother Matt as the closest family he had left. Even though there existed the obligatory spark of sibling rivalry and tough love between Matt and him, Terry would be there to raise his brother’s spirits when he was feeling down, notably on one occasion when Matt was reminiscing about their father. Mary and Matt found the idea of Terry being Batman to be absurd, and ridiculed him when he once attempted to reveal his secret. With Max Maxine "Max" Gibson was Terry’s classmate and closest friend. Exceptionally capable when it came to computers and electronics, she devised a program that succeeded in uncovering Batman's alter ego. After unmasking Terry, she insisted on being a part of his secret life, and helped him with everything from computer hacking to babysitting and detective work to coming up with excuses for him to give Dana. Terry and Max remained close, but their relationship was never shown to exceed the boundaries of friendship. With Dana Although Terry flirted with several girls throughout the show, his true love has always been Dana Tan, whom he met while going to Hamilton Hill High School. Despite their commitment to each other, their relationship was strained as Terry struggled early on as Batman to balance his dual obligations. The two verged on the possibility of breaking up multiple times, especially when Terry met Ten. However, as “ Epilogue ” reveals, Terry ultimately grows into full acceptance of his role as Batman, and somewhere along the line disclosed his secret to Dana. Although it takes him some time to get over his fears for her safety in the event that his identity is ever compromised, Terry eventually proposes to Dana. With Ten In the midst of a breakup with Dana, Terry met Melanie Walker and the two became attracted to one another. Terry consummated his feelings with Melanie, and was crushed when he learned she too led a double life as “Ten”, the youngest member of the new Royal Flush Gang . In a burst of clarity, Terry discarded a note Melanie had left him before he apprehended her as Batman, choosing instead not to read it, and went back to Dana. (Melanie remained in the dark about her enemy and her love being the same person.) Terry would have future encounters with Ten and the Gang, and each time he advised her to turn straight, showing that he still cared deeply about her. With Barbara Gordon Terry upheld tradition by forging an alliance with Gotham’s Police Commissioner , Barbara Gordon , the daughter of James Gordon and the first Batgirl . The alliance started out a rocky one, as Barbara never failed to take Terry’s juvenile record into account and believed he was too reckless for the role. Barbara’s hesitation to assist the new Batman was also exacerbated by her reluctance at having a teenager as the new Batman. '' Return Of The Joker '' reveals that she remains haunted by the Joker 's torture and mutilation of Tim Drake. She advised Terry to give up being Batman, at one time coming close to arresting him when he was framed for murder. However, realizing that she couldn’t deter Terry anymore than she could’ve been deterred from being Batgirl, she relented, likely out of respect for Bruce, as well. Barbara eventually warmed up to Terry, assisting him when Wayne was put out of action by The Joker When He Returned . She stated that she hoped Terry would avoid the lonely existence that Bruce eventually led. TRUE LINEAGE In the '' Justice League Unlimited '' episode “ Epilogue ”, which transpires fifteen years after ''Batman Beyond'', Terry discovers the truth about his parentage. When the elderly Bruce Wayne requires a kidney transplant, Terry is checked for compatibility. To his surprise, Terry and Bruce's DNA are similar. Decades earlier, government agent Amanda Waller launched a program using her old Project Cadmus connections and codenamed it Project Batman Beyond. Waller had become acquainted with the original Batman, Bruce Wayne, and as years passed, upon seeing him slowly decline with age, she came to realize that the world needed a Batman. Waller decided that Batman was an extraordinary individual, irreplaceable unless she intervened. Retrieving genetic samples from injuries Batman sustained while fighting crime, Waller obtained the necessary DNA for the next phase of Project Batman Beyond. Tests run found a compatible couple similar to Thomas and Martha Wayne in Warren and Mary McGinnis. When Warren McGinnis arrived for an immunization injection, he was secretly administered a dose of Nanite s that rewrote his genetic code. Thus, Terry and Matt McGinnis both share their DNA with Bruce Wayne and Mary McGinnis. Upon learning of this, Terry briefly gives up being Batman, believing Wayne to have machinated this from the beginning. However, after meeting with Waller, McGinnis discovers that Wayne had no knowledge of Project Batman Beyond, and he became Batman by pure chance. Waller had hired the Phantasm to assassinate Warren and Mary McGinnis, to simulate the circumstances that propelled Wayne to become Batman. But the Phantasm abandoned her mission at the last minute. In spite of this, Warren McGinnis was murdered years later by Derek Powers, and Project Batman Beyond ended up succeeding. Once he leaves Waller's home with this knowledge, Terry comes to terms with the reality that Bruce is technically his biological father and returns to the role of Batman. ABILITIES AND EQUIPMENT In addition to the training he received from Bruce Wayne, McGinnis appeared at least to be an able street fighter. In the pilot episode, “Rebirth”, he fended off several biker Jokerz alone and displayed uncommon agility and tenacity for a civilian. Under Wayne’s tutelage, McGinnis has honed his body to at least Olympic levels. As expected of Batman, he engages in regular, rigorous training to minimize his reliance on the Batsuit. He has engaged in combat outside of the Suit at various instances, at one time going up against the Suit itself when it was commandeered by a Cyberpathic entity. His training has granted him exceptional reflexes, enabling him to evade gunfire and make impressive leaping attempts whether in or out of the Suit. In one instance, without the Suit’s aid, he survived a fall from several stories high by bounding off a pillar that was about to crush him, and landed on his feet. In “Epilogue”, Amanda Waller comments that Terry has inherited all of Bruce’s qualities, with the exception of his intellect. McGinnis possesses an above-average intellect and has been trained by Wayne as a detective, but he is by no means a genius. He seems to be a capable actor, having successfully conned his way in and out of sticky situations. As Batman, McGinnis emulates Wayne’s deep, harsh tone. Whether this is a product of the Suit’s engineering or McGinnis’ own is unclear. The Batsuit The Batsuit currently utilized by Terry McGinnis was actually almost twenty years old at the time of the show’s inception. However, its technology is so advanced that the Suit is still considered state of the art. One of the most notable features of the Suit is that it now covers the entire face, a departure from previous costumes (though Batman’s mouth is still left exposed, a possible design flaw, especially when faced with opponents like Inque ). The cape has been eliminated, being replaced by Glider s under the armpits. Thruster s built into the boots allow Batman to fly in the absence of wind. The Suit conforms to the size of its wearer, as seen by how it was able to fit both Wayne and McGinnis, who had different physical statures at the time. The Suit is very durable, being able to withstand massive concussive forces (it was able to sustain blows from Superman ), fire, lasers, electric shocks, underwater pressure, and wind force. The Suit grants Batman the following abilities:
Weaknesses The Suit augments McGinnis’ physical prowess considerably, and thus he is sometimes prone to complacency in the midst of danger. He favors jibing his opponents, even when defusing volatile situations, though this trait may be productive depending on the opponent he is facing. (When he Faced The Joker , he was able to get under the Joker’s skin and gain the upper hand by cracking wise.) McGinnis’ initial brashness has also landed him in hot soup, though this is a limitation he has grown to overcome. OTHER APPEARANCES
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