Batman: 10 Things About Lucius Fox You Never Knew

Lucius Fox is a wild card within Batman’s circle. Neither truly friend nor foe, Fox enjoys a shaky relationship with Batman’s alter-go Bruce Wayne, though neither will fully admit the entire truth. Fox is a shrewd businessman who plays his cards close to his chest, making him as difficult to read as he is open with friends.

Here’s 10 things you may not have known about Lucius Fox, from his early days, to his calling as CEO of Wayne Enterprises.

10 MORGAN FREEMAN ALMOST LOST THE ROLE

Morgan Freeman knocked the silver screen role of Lucius Fox out of the park, but he may never have gotten it if Christopher Nolan had decided to go with his other consideration, Laurence Fishburne. While both actors would have done a marvelous job, it was Freeman who was a lifelong Batman fan.

Ironically, Freeman admitted that he never knew anything about the character of Lucius Fox, despite reading the Batman comics since he was nine years old.

9 HE WAS AN OSS OPERATIVE

Just as Alfred Pennyworth had a storied career as a member of Britain’s MI5 intelligence agency, Lucius Fox also served as a member of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) which would later evolve into the CIA. His engagements during WWII found him working alongside the French resistance, which may have kicked off his relationship with Bruce Wayne.

Following an incident in Paris where a young Bruce Wayne saved Fox from a mugging, the former invited him to head up the Wayne Foundation, and the rest is history.

8 HE WAS A FINANCIAL GENIUS

Lucius was highly sought-after by many large corporations and firms around the world for his uncanny ability to turn a failing business away from the precipice. He was even approached by Gregorian Falstaff, an operative for Ra’s al Ghul who wanted to gain control over Wayne Enterprises.

Fox refused a job offer, which angered Falstaff enough to kidnap the daughter of Wayne’s personal secretary. This led to Fox being forced to divulge Wayne Enterprises intel to Falstaff, who used it to seize most of its assets. Batman uncovered the scheme, and Falstaff was executed by Talia al Ghul after he had served his purpose.

7 HE CLIMBED THE CORPORATE LADDER TO THE TOP

Even though Lucius had suffered terribly at the hands of Falstaff, it wasn’t enough for Bruce Wayne to lose faith in him. In fact, he gave Fox the position of CEO after stepping down, which came as a major surprise. This, after botching a deal between Wayne Enterprises and Selina Kyle, and taking a leave of absence following the Falstaff incident.

If nothing else, it proved that Bruce Wayne had the capacity to see beyond a person’s failings, and identify their true inherent character.

6 HE BECAME A CRIMINAL TARGET

Due to his public profile as CEO of Wayne Enterprises, Fox became the target of several criminals including the Mad Hatter, who attempted to strong-arm a ransom, and the Ku Klux Klan under the control of Dr. and Madame Zodiac. Other villains like Harley Quinn, Black Mask and Poison Ivy also took a shot at Lucius, but were foiled by the arrival of Batman.

Perhaps the most telling moment involved Fox being kidnapped by Baron Bedlam. After the Justice League turned down Batman’s request for a rescue mission on international grounds, he quit the League altogether and formed the prototype for The Outsiders, allowing Fox to escape.

5 HE STARTED A SUPERHERO BUSINESS

In an ironic twist, Fox was able to create a loophole by which Wayne Enterprises could officially help fund and support Batman’s anti-crime campaign. This partnership began when Fox divulged plans for new suits of armor that enhanced Batman’s strength and aerial capabilities.

Both Batman and Robin were able to use Fox’s jet-suit concepts to travel to Yemen on a new mission. It was a clever way of dispelling any potential theories that Bruce Wayne was, in fact, the Dark Knight.

4 HE HAD A FAMILY

Fox was primarily seen running affairs at Wayne Enterprises, but he still had time for a family. He was married to Tanya Fox, and had three children named Timothy, Tiffany and Tamara.

It was not easy for him to maintain his family, however. Heavy strain was put on Tanya while Fox ran Wayne Enterprises, especially after Tiffany and Tamara were kidnapped. Nevertheless, Fox has remained devoted to his family through the worst of times.

3 HE IS AN AUTHORITY FIGURE

The comic book source material on Fox is a far cry from the reluctant leader seen in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. The latter was seemingly a gifted project lead who had trouble sticking up for himself, but the former would have had none of it.

Actually, Fox was quite authoritative, to the point where he demanded the best from those under him. He played a significant role not only in turning around Wayne Enterprise’s business misfortunes, but continuing to drive its newfound success.

2 HE MANAGED TO SHAKE OFF VICKI VALE

Intrepid, determined journalist Vicki Vale is hard to lose on a good day, but she’s nowhere near as skilled at the art of deflection as Lucius Fox. While attempting to track the whereabouts of Bruce Wayne after his disappearance in the Gotham Gazette: Batman Dead? one shot, she decides to go straight to Wayne Enterprises for answers.

The comic doesn’t allude to the actual conversation, but Vale appears to show surprise at just how easily Fox manages to throw her off track, proving that his shrewd business skills are always at the cutting edge.

1 THE CATWOMAN REFERENCE EVERYONE MISSED

During a scene in The Dark Knight when Lucius Fox reveals a new suit armor for Batman to wear, he references a separation of plates that will leave him more vulnerable to knives and gunfire. Bruce Wayne asks how it will fare against dogs, to which Fox asks “Are we talking Rottweilers or Chihuahuas?”

However, the next quip was missed by virtually everyone. Fox comically says, “Should do fine against cats,” which is a direct reference to a scene from Tim Burton’s 1992 film Batman Returns, when Catwoman jabs one of her claws through Batman’s armor after finding a weak spot.

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