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BruTerr is the family ship between Bruce Wayne and Terry McGinnis from the DC Animated Universe fandom.
Canon[]
Batman Beyond[]
Years after Bruce Wayne's mission as Batman came to an end when he could no longer serve as the Dark Knight without getting himself killed or resulting to pick up a gun, fate brought him Terry McGinnis. Who had found himself at the gates of Wayne manor while trying to escape a group of Joker thugs, and then watches the old man known as Bruce Wayne fighting them off on his own. Terry then helps the man who saved him back into the manor, so he could get his meds. Once Bruce's dog, Ace saw the stranger with his owner, Bruce reassures Ace that Terry is a friend. While Bruce was resting Terry found a bat trapped in a grandfather clock and discovered the Batcave when he tried to let it out. Terry was surprised to learn that the old was the Dark Knight he had heard stories about, before Bruce discovered him in his old underground cave and ordered the teen to leave.
Terry didn't tell anyone what he discovered and after he uncovered why his father was killed, Terry turned to Bruce for help. Knowing that as the former Batman and owner of Wayne tech, he'll want to stop the illegal activities that were happening behind his back. Even though Bruce was indeed angry by what was on the disc Terry showed him, but his crime fighting days were a thing of the past and advised Terry to hand it over to Commissioner Barbara Gordon, knowing that she can be trusted and will be able to help Terry. When the evidence was taken from Terry, however, he broke into the Batcave and stole the Batman Beyond suit. So he could get justice for his father. Bruce had tried to stop Terry through the link that the suit has to the Bat-computer, that allows him to shut the suit down and to keep the wearer from moving. Until Terry tells Bruce that he had heard what happened to his parents and that he should understand why he wants to do this. Bruce thinking it over, along with a look from Ace while a defenceless Terry was being beaten up, Bruce caves in and decides to help Terry instead.
Seeing how well Terry had performed as Batman through his guidance and knowing that Gotham still needs it's protector, despite Terry's past record, Bruce decided to let Terry become the new Dark Knight in his place. Along with him offering Terry a job, so no one would question him being seen with Bruce in public or when he is running errands for him. It also gave Terry an excuse to explain why he is out most of the time, is tired or has to cut things short with his friends.
Having a former hero to train the next one helped in the long run, along with Bruce having files of Terry's rogues gallery and how he can fight them without trouble. Terry talking to Bruce about their cases have also helped him to piece things together. As time passed Bruce became what Alfred was to him for Terry. A guiding voice and father-like figure when things get taught from the mission, along with Bruce patching Terry up when he gets injured. Terry has also helped Bruce reconnect with the surviving members of his Batfamily, who had enough of the mission and Bruce back when he refused to let it go.
There have been a few occasions when Terry nearly blows their shared secret to their enemies or the world and tries to fix the situation. When Bruce isn't doing it for Terry and himself. One time when Terry had unknowingly brought one of his rogues back to the cave, Bruce puts on a makeshift mask to aid his young successor, while wielding a weapon that he collected from one of his rogues.
To show Bruce his thanks for all he has done for him, Terry used the money he earned to give the old man a birthday gift. Tickets to a musical about the original Batman, even though Terry was the only one of the two who enjoyed the show. While Bruce left early. Meeting Talia al Ghul got Terry to see that a small part of his mentor still wishes to serve as the Dark Knight, and was worried that he might be fired if Bruce becomes young again. Despite those thoughts, Terry joins Bruce to Talia's island. Terry and a young woman nearly getting killed right in front of him, was what got Bruce to go along with it. Bruce was also surprised that Terry had been reading his files he had on the people that the original Batman knew from is past. After it was revealed to all be a trap for Bruce, Terry used the old man's training to save him.
When a new Joker showed up Terry didn't understand why Bruce refused to tell him what had happened between him and the old Joker. Along with him being angry that Bruce told him to give the suit back, and then fired him in order to keep Terry from going anywhere near Joker. Knowing that Terry would just keep trying to ask him the same question that is connected to a long held secret. After was Bruce attacked by Joker in the cave and is found by Terry, who saves him just in time, Terry is finally told what that secret is from Barbara, while Bruce was recovering. This got Terry to realise that Bruce was only trying to protect Tim after he failed him in the past, and that is why he didn't what Terry to be caught up in it. Helping Bruce to save Tim is one of the things that inspired Terry to become the best Batman he can be. As Bruce gave Terry his job back and continued to help from the Batcave.
Justice League Unlimited[]
In the episode, "Epilogue" it revealed that Bruce and Terry are related by blood in the future events of the Batman Beyond universe. Where an adult Terry is still serving as Batman and a much older Bruce is still alive and kicking. When Terry was found to be a match for the cloning of a kidney Bruce needed replaced, it got Terry to run his DNA with Bruce's and was enraged by the results. Believing that Bruce had been lying to him from the start and never bothered to tell Terry that he is Bruce's son. Bruce had his own suspicions about it as well, but him putting the mission first kept him silent and didn't have the answers when Terry confronted him. This got Terry to face Amanda Waller, who wanted to ensure that the world would still have a Batman after Bruce was gone. She reassured Terry that he isn't a clone and that she had replaced Warren McGinnis's reproductive DNA, so any child he had with his wife would be born a child of Bruce Wayne. Making Terry Bruce's son. Waller had even arranged Terry to have the same traumatic experience that befell Bruce as a child, but the assassin she hired being an ex love of Bruce kept her from doing so. Knowing that Bruce wouldn't want anyone to die for the sake of the mission.
Even though Terry never got Bruce's brains he did get his heart from him, and Waller tells Terry that he doesn't have to cut people off like Bruce had before him. When Terry returned to the manor to apologise, Bruce had prepared Terry a plate of soup and had began to act like a father towards him. Bruce even gave Terry a ring, so he can give it to his long time love who knows his secret. This gets Terry to call Bruce his "old man" and that he gets his stubbornness from.
Fanon[]
Long before Terry was revealed to be Bruce's genetic son, from when Amanda Waller "granted" Batman a successor behind his back, there were moments where Terry had saw his retired mentor as a father figure. Like Alfred was to Bruce. Along with there being moments that have Bruce caring about Terry. Because Terry and the bond he formed with Bruce were only seen in the DCAU series or continuum comics, it gets over shadowed by BWDG, BruTim and other family ships between Bruce and his Batkids. Terry McGinnis has also been seen as a Batfamily member of tomorrow, from how Batman Beyond takes place in the far future than the common present day timelines.
Inspired by what nearly happened to Terry and his parents on the night history was originally set to repeat itself, a few fanfics and art have Bruce taking Terry and his little brother in as kids. Having Terry become part of Bruce's life long before they met in the series, and have Terry become Bruce's partner in Terry!Robin AU's. Some other versions of this idea have Damian being shocked and angry, from how Damian does appear in the continuum elseworld comics of the Beyond universe, and meets his half brother before Terry learned the truth.
Fandom[]
- FAN FICTION
- Terry & Bruce tag on AO3
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- While Bruce is known as the Dark Knight, Terry has been dubbed as the Tomorrow Knight.
- In the rebooted comic of the Batman Beyond universe in Batman Urban Legends, Bruce gets killed and Terry has to continue on as Batman without Bruce by his side.
