The Confusing History Of Batman's Butler | Alfred

Alfred Pennyworth is a key part of Batman's history but he is not actually the first Alfred. Uncover the largely forgotten history of Bruce Wayne's first butler Alfred Beagle. Witness his origins in the golden age and transformation into the more familiar Alfred in the Silver. Just how did DC Comics move from Beagle to Pennyworth and why? Find out as we discuss some classic comic book history here on Casually Comics!

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[CasuallyComics]

Lol so I misspoke and said tv instead of movie/theatre serials. Feel free to join in roasting me down below...along with all the other Youtube things plz 😂

[WhiteRaven]

My favorite thing about Alfred is that he has a niece named Daphne, and the Scooby-Doo franchise used that to make THEIR Daphne his niece.

[raq]

I think Alfred's transition from Beagle to the modern Pennyworth we know today is one of the best examples of how comic book "canon" works. It's kind of like a stew you make out of whatever you have left over in the fridge, with a few new spices added here and there.

Also, am I alone in thinking that Alfred kind of still is comedic relief? Certainly not solely or chiefly, but being funny has always been one of Alfred's defining characteristics to me. Just in a dry, sarcastic, dialogue-based comedy way, rather than in a bumbling, slap-stick way. Whenever he's not playing the deeply dedicated father figure, he's giving Bruce some sarcastic quip from the peanut gallery.

[jameszetterman]

It's crazy how every Batman movie includes Alfred but very few include Robin despite Robin coming first.

[blackphoenix]

I have that Zero Hour tie-in issue; Alfred had left Batman and Robin a few months earlier and they really missed him, so it was heartbreaking when the alternate reality Alfred vanished from existence.

[alnu]

My favorite Batman character was always Alfred, just his sheer determination on taking care of Bruce and the rest of the bat family is admirable

[calvinkatt]

I've always assumed that the reason for the name change from Beagle to Pennyworth was because the writers in the 1960's didn't know what Alfred's last name was. It had been many years since the name Beagle actually appeared in a comic, so they came up with the new name Pennyworth.

[ravenwilder]

Alfred's a character who just seems to get more and more important with time - especially in adaptations, where Alfred give Batman someone to talk to who doesn't also have to be a costumed crimefighter with their own backstory of being recruited by Batman.

Like, perhaps the most daring change a modern Batman movie could make is to just not include Alfred at all.

[dannyorange]

Stage name "Alfred Beagle" is a damn good retcon imo. Retcons get a bad wrap but when one is done well I absolutely love it.

[ramblingRJ]

Alfred was cast in the mold of the staunchly loyal, helpful, overly polite fictional butlers who used to be so popular...like "Ruggles of Red Gap, " and Jeeves from the P.G. Wodehouse "Jeeves & Wooster" stories.

[christopherulichney]

Alfred has such a rich and diverse history filled with retcons, deaths, resurrection, and superpowers. I would love for you to take a look at Alfred's time as "The Outsider".

Alan Napier from the 66 campy Batman TV series will always be my Alfred.

The serial in which Alfred first appeared were not on TV. They were shown in theaters, one episode per week, in conjunction with newsreels and feature films.

Can you do a video on Alfred's daughter? I think she was removed from continuity at some point.

[MatthiasPendragon]

I'd love a modern miniseries featuring a multiversal Alfred Team-Up. I feel like their energies would clash and bounce in interesting ways. "Beagle and Pennyworth: Butler Detectives."

[TetsuShima]

Loved how the original Alfred and other previous versions of popular characters (like Silver Age's Batgirl) re-appeared during the "Zero Hour" event, being the awkward interactions with the modern heries funny AF. My favorites are the wholesome "Robin" special-issue story in which Tim Drake meets 10-year old Dick Grayson and the two resolve a crime together and the "Man of Steel" comic where Superman met and worked with the Batmen from Neal Adams's works, TDKR and the Golden Age

[GamerSlyRatchet]

I liked how the Beware the Batman tie-in comic paid tribute to him by having Alfred briefly take the "Beagle" surname for part of a disguise and remarking it "felt right".

[TetsuShima]

Damn, the original Alfred was also an absolute menace, but in a even more sophisticated way. Wish that Alfred was the one who appeared in "The Brave and the Bold Show"

[rdr]

Alfred’s brother “Wilfred” has an appearance as late as 1997.

In the oft maligned 1997 classic “Batman and Robin, ” (with George Clooney ) Alfred is dying and crafts a message to his brother “Wilfred” to take up his job should he pass.

Its fun to know that this version of batman and robin who were heavily inspired by silver age tomfoolery’s also included tie ins to such obscure silver age lore as alfreds brother wilfred

That movie is awesome I watch it at least once a year it gives me life.

[euansmith]

Can we be sure that the "Alfred" who returned from the Health Farm, was the same one who went there? That seems like a great opportunity for a villain to slip a sleeper agent in to the Bat Family 🤔🦇

[DCMarvelMultiverse]

The 66 series actually implied he raised Bruce in a minor line. And the Intel agent was as far back as the 70s before Untold Legend.

[Dryoshidude]

I think the reason alfred is so popular in adaptations, especially more 21st century versions is the aversion to Robin. batman still needs somebody to talk to, so Alfred works perfectly.

[bingus]

I had no clue there were two Alfreds. I'd love to hear you cover a video on Alfred's daughter!