The Secret Reason Lucius Fox Really Helps Batman’s Mission

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Detective Comics #1037, “3 Minutes”

In the latest issue of DC’s Batman: Detective Comics, the real reason Lucius Fox agreed to be Batman’s armorer is revealed. Serving as one of Bruce Wayne’s trusted confidants, Lucius Fox has helped run Wayne Enterprises for years (while also knowing that he’s Batman). He’s also served as the Dark Knight’s armorer, equipping him with the latest gadgets, tech, and vehicles Wayne Industries has to offer from their R/D department. However, a new backup story has revealed that Fox didn’t actually agree to join Batman’s crusade for Bruce Wayne’s sake.

Without a doubt, Lucius Fox and his family have played significant roles in the Batman mythos, contributing quite a bit of support and expertise to both Bruce with his company, as well as to Batman by providing the tools needed to fight crime. Not only has Lucius long been Batman’s armorer, but his sons are also quite involved, with Luke Fox eventually becoming Batwing, while Lucius’ estranged son Tim (also known as Jace) becomes the Next Batman in DC’s Future State event. After the supposed death of Bruce Wayne, Tim took over as an informal successor who was eventually accepted by the majority of the Bat-Family in their war against the Magistrate.

However, Detective Comics #1037 features a backup story from writer John Ridley and artist Dustin Nguyen entitled “3 Minutes,” which reveals the complex nature of Lucius’ involvement in Batman’s crusade. The short story sees one of Lucius’ first days in the Batcave, running support with Alfred to Batman and Robin who are battling a large force of arms dealers. While a very overwhelmed Lucius comes up with an idea to create an EMP to buy the Dynamic Duo some time, it creates a 3-minute blackout for their comms, leaving no way for him nor Alfred to contact Batman. During these uncertain minutes, Fox voices his concerns about Batman’s crusade with Alfred, particularly his involving Dick Grayson and putting him in harm’s way at such a young age. While Alfred assures Fox that Batman knows what he’s doing and would give his life to protect Robin, Lucius still has his doubts. However, he decides to stick around as Batman’s armorer because of his reservations, revealing that he never stayed for Bruce.

Clearly, this new story provides an interesting dynamic that very much changes how Lucius has viewed Batman and his mission in Gotham City. While he’s undoubtedly been a trusted friend and ally to the Dark Knight over the years, having his motivation stem from an opposition to Batman’s decisions to expand his circle of vigilantes is certainly intriguing. Especially when considering the roles both of his sons play in the present and future.

All in all, this story shows that Fox’s chief motivation was not to keep Batman armored and protected (though he certainly did), but to instead make sure that others were protected from becoming collateral damage in his wake. As a result, it’s certainly put Batman and Lucius Fox’s relationship in a very different light, though one that better explains Fox’s inaction and compliance with the Magistrate during Future State when vigilantes were made illegal and banned from operating in Gotham.

About The Author

Kevin Erdmann
(2534 Articles Published)

Kevin Erdmann is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers. With a major in Cinema Studies and a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin is pretty sure he’s writing for the right site. While Kevin is a huge Marvel fan, he also loves Batman because he’s Batman and is a firm believer that Han shot first. Disney also shares a big part of his fan patronage. Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise.

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