Bane warned Batman and his Bat Family that if any of them dared to enter Gotham City, he would kill Alfred. Well, Damian Wayne chooses to ignore that in
Batman #77 today and ends up squaring off with his "grandfather," the Flashpoint Batman.
The fight ends whith Thomas Wayne taking Robin down, and when the young hero wakes up, he's been tied to a chair and is forced to watch as Bane breaks Alfred Pennyworth's neck, seemingly killing him on the spot. It's a brutal moment and one which leaves little room for doubt: Batman's loyal butler is dead, and it's going to be hard to come back from this.
However, this wouldn't be the first time Tom King has trolled us; Batman, Tim Drake, Jason Todd, and Dick Grayson have all seemingly "died" at one point or another during this series, but later recovered and are now all alive and well.
It's also worth noting that Alfred remains alive in a number of other comics, including
Doomsday Clock.
For now, though, it appears as if he really is gone, and this could be a game-changer for Batman's status quo and something fans will obviously have plenty to say about.
If you don't already own a copy, you may want to hurry, because the issue is already selling for upwards of $30 with some sellers on eBay!
Check out a scan of this shocking moment courtesy of
Bleeding Cool: