Post by Alfred on Sept 17, 2010 18:11:07 GMT
Full Name: Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth
Alias (if applicable): Alfred
Birthday: December 14th
Age: 84
Hometown: Gotham City, New Jersey (Originally from Lambeth in South London)
Appearance: Alfred Pennyworth is lean and trim, and in excellent health for a man his age. He is of average height, but his excellent posture makes him appear somehow taller than he is. His short grey hair is always neatly combed, his blue eyes only slightly faded by age. As befits the butler to one of America's oldest and wealthiest families, he is always neatly dressed and impeccably well-groomed.
Alfred's natural reserve, as well as his professional demeanour mean he does not readily show emotion on his face but his eyes are warm and friendly.
When on duty, Alfred dresses in British tailoring in sober colours, with suits of a conservative cut. Off duty he is often found in comfortable, warm wool and tweed. He feels the cold, and often wears a thick cardigan when in his quarters in the evening.
Personality: To the outside world, Alfred Pennyworth is the perfect butler – unflappable, unobtrusive, inhumanly well-organised, and able to anticipate his employer's every need.
It is fair to say that Alfred is the rock and foundation on which Bruce has built the Batcave. Without him it is doubtful that Batman could lead his double life. For Bruce Wayne, Alfred is his house keeper, valet, social secretary and PA, offering a calm and wise counsel in times of darkness and despair. To Batman himself, Alfred is an emergency medic and technician as well as being invaluable in preventing the secret of Batman's true identity from becoming public knowledge, engineering alibis for Bruce's the sudden disappearance from social events and covering up all traces of the Batman's activities where they could leave a trail back to his employer.
Practical, sensible and capable of great feats of ingenuity and quick thinking, Alfred is calm in a crisis and resourceful beyond measure, with a dry British wit that seems to lighten even the most hopeless situations
Alfred's great weakness is his reserve. He is somewhat uncomfortable showing his emotions and always conscious, no matter how close he may have grown to Bruce over the years, that his position in Wayne Manor is ostensibly that of a servant. Consequently he feels he can never be the friend and father that Bruce has lacked, and that Bruce's isolation is in part due to him.
Special Abilities: Alfred is quick thinking and highly resourceful, but he has no special or meta-human abilities beyond an ability to make the best shepherd's pie in all creation.
History: Alfred Pennyworth was born in a modest but comfortable home in 1925. His father Jarvis already enjoyed a reputation as one of the foremost gentlemen's gentlemen in the capital. At first Alfred had no thought of entering his father's profession, and sought a very different lifestyle to that of the butler he would become.
As a child Alfred was fascinated by the theatricality and glitter of the music hall. Whenever the family had money to spare they would spend their Saturday nights in the stalls at the local Palace of Varieties, watching the acrobats, singers and dancers of a bygone theatrical age. Alfred nursed childhood dreams of becoming like the performers he saw on stage - the strongmen and magicians in their ornate costumes. Alfred was to never entirely lose his love of the theatrical world, and actively encourages the dramatic nature of the Batman's appearances in Gotham.
Alfred was 15 when World War Two was declared. Spurred by a sense of fundamental decency rather than any real patriotism, he lied about his age in order to join up in the armed forces, and began training as a field medic, later seeing active service in North Africa. His superiors soon noted Alfred's dedication to duty, his unflappable nature and resourcefulness and recommended him as the ideal candidate for a new tactic in the fight against the Nazis – membership of a military black ops group and forerunner of today's SAS. After a gruelling period of training, Alfred and his team mates were dropped behind enemy lines in France, where they liaised with the French resistance.
During his time in France, Alfred learned the powerful thrill of fighting for a just cause and taking a stand against evil, but also grew to learn the seriousness of such a fight as he watched friends die and witnessed first hand the hideous side of human nature. He and his fellow soldiers saved many lives and played an invaluable part in the war effort, but always knew they could never gain the recognition they deserved. Without bitterness or rancour, Alfred learned that often, the greatest heroes remain in the shadows and are unsung by history.
After the war Alfred remained in military intelligence and served mission across the British Empire as it slowly dismantled, including time in Burma, Kenya and South Africa. Eventually retiring from active service on medical grounds in the late 1950s, he went to work at a desk job at the Ministry of Defence in London but found it offered little challenge or inspiration. After a several months in his new role, Alfred regretfully tendered his resignation from the services and retired on a small but comfortable pension.
Alfred used his new leisure time to reconnect with his family and his old friends in Lambeth. His father Jarvis had long since retired from his position as butler to a minor royal, and was overjoyed to have the opportunity to spend time with his son in the last years of his life.
Alfred put his medical skills to good use, helping nurse his ailing father and learning more about the life of a London butler. He grew to see that life below stairs may not have the glamour of his youth in the armed and intelligence services but that it was steady, reliable job that demanded the highest levels of professionalism and skill. Soon after his father died, Alfred began training with one of the more foremost academies in the country and soon found work as a butler to a member of the House of Lords and his family at their country estate.
Alfred was later recruited as butler by the prosperous Wayne family of Gotham, New Jersey and soon became a central point of life in the manor. After the tragic death of Thomas and Martha Wayne, Alfred became legal guardian of the grieving young scion of the family. His unceasing professionalism often caused him to keep at one emotional remove from his intense young charge, unwittingly taking him further away from the happy family life the young boy lost one night in Crime Alley. Nevertheless, Alfred helped to instil in the young Bruce the many of the qualities he himself held dear, not the least of which was that of old-fashioned British fair play.
Alias (if applicable): Alfred
Birthday: December 14th
Age: 84
Hometown: Gotham City, New Jersey (Originally from Lambeth in South London)
Appearance: Alfred Pennyworth is lean and trim, and in excellent health for a man his age. He is of average height, but his excellent posture makes him appear somehow taller than he is. His short grey hair is always neatly combed, his blue eyes only slightly faded by age. As befits the butler to one of America's oldest and wealthiest families, he is always neatly dressed and impeccably well-groomed.
Alfred's natural reserve, as well as his professional demeanour mean he does not readily show emotion on his face but his eyes are warm and friendly.
When on duty, Alfred dresses in British tailoring in sober colours, with suits of a conservative cut. Off duty he is often found in comfortable, warm wool and tweed. He feels the cold, and often wears a thick cardigan when in his quarters in the evening.
Personality: To the outside world, Alfred Pennyworth is the perfect butler – unflappable, unobtrusive, inhumanly well-organised, and able to anticipate his employer's every need.
It is fair to say that Alfred is the rock and foundation on which Bruce has built the Batcave. Without him it is doubtful that Batman could lead his double life. For Bruce Wayne, Alfred is his house keeper, valet, social secretary and PA, offering a calm and wise counsel in times of darkness and despair. To Batman himself, Alfred is an emergency medic and technician as well as being invaluable in preventing the secret of Batman's true identity from becoming public knowledge, engineering alibis for Bruce's the sudden disappearance from social events and covering up all traces of the Batman's activities where they could leave a trail back to his employer.
Practical, sensible and capable of great feats of ingenuity and quick thinking, Alfred is calm in a crisis and resourceful beyond measure, with a dry British wit that seems to lighten even the most hopeless situations
Alfred's great weakness is his reserve. He is somewhat uncomfortable showing his emotions and always conscious, no matter how close he may have grown to Bruce over the years, that his position in Wayne Manor is ostensibly that of a servant. Consequently he feels he can never be the friend and father that Bruce has lacked, and that Bruce's isolation is in part due to him.
Special Abilities: Alfred is quick thinking and highly resourceful, but he has no special or meta-human abilities beyond an ability to make the best shepherd's pie in all creation.
History: Alfred Pennyworth was born in a modest but comfortable home in 1925. His father Jarvis already enjoyed a reputation as one of the foremost gentlemen's gentlemen in the capital. At first Alfred had no thought of entering his father's profession, and sought a very different lifestyle to that of the butler he would become.
As a child Alfred was fascinated by the theatricality and glitter of the music hall. Whenever the family had money to spare they would spend their Saturday nights in the stalls at the local Palace of Varieties, watching the acrobats, singers and dancers of a bygone theatrical age. Alfred nursed childhood dreams of becoming like the performers he saw on stage - the strongmen and magicians in their ornate costumes. Alfred was to never entirely lose his love of the theatrical world, and actively encourages the dramatic nature of the Batman's appearances in Gotham.
Alfred was 15 when World War Two was declared. Spurred by a sense of fundamental decency rather than any real patriotism, he lied about his age in order to join up in the armed forces, and began training as a field medic, later seeing active service in North Africa. His superiors soon noted Alfred's dedication to duty, his unflappable nature and resourcefulness and recommended him as the ideal candidate for a new tactic in the fight against the Nazis – membership of a military black ops group and forerunner of today's SAS. After a gruelling period of training, Alfred and his team mates were dropped behind enemy lines in France, where they liaised with the French resistance.
During his time in France, Alfred learned the powerful thrill of fighting for a just cause and taking a stand against evil, but also grew to learn the seriousness of such a fight as he watched friends die and witnessed first hand the hideous side of human nature. He and his fellow soldiers saved many lives and played an invaluable part in the war effort, but always knew they could never gain the recognition they deserved. Without bitterness or rancour, Alfred learned that often, the greatest heroes remain in the shadows and are unsung by history.
After the war Alfred remained in military intelligence and served mission across the British Empire as it slowly dismantled, including time in Burma, Kenya and South Africa. Eventually retiring from active service on medical grounds in the late 1950s, he went to work at a desk job at the Ministry of Defence in London but found it offered little challenge or inspiration. After a several months in his new role, Alfred regretfully tendered his resignation from the services and retired on a small but comfortable pension.
Alfred used his new leisure time to reconnect with his family and his old friends in Lambeth. His father Jarvis had long since retired from his position as butler to a minor royal, and was overjoyed to have the opportunity to spend time with his son in the last years of his life.
Alfred put his medical skills to good use, helping nurse his ailing father and learning more about the life of a London butler. He grew to see that life below stairs may not have the glamour of his youth in the armed and intelligence services but that it was steady, reliable job that demanded the highest levels of professionalism and skill. Soon after his father died, Alfred began training with one of the more foremost academies in the country and soon found work as a butler to a member of the House of Lords and his family at their country estate.
Alfred was later recruited as butler by the prosperous Wayne family of Gotham, New Jersey and soon became a central point of life in the manor. After the tragic death of Thomas and Martha Wayne, Alfred became legal guardian of the grieving young scion of the family. His unceasing professionalism often caused him to keep at one emotional remove from his intense young charge, unwittingly taking him further away from the happy family life the young boy lost one night in Crime Alley. Nevertheless, Alfred helped to instil in the young Bruce the many of the qualities he himself held dear, not the least of which was that of old-fashioned British fair play.