"Is there a six-foot bat in Gotham City? If so, is he on the police payroll? If so, what's he pulling down — after taxes?" ―Alexander Knox[src]

Alexander Knox was a reporter at the Gotham Globe.

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Biography

Early Batman rumors

Alexander Knox believed in Batman and was very positive about him as well. Knox would often pester the notorious Lieutenant Eckhardt at crime scenes with witnesses claiming they saw a giant bat. Knox seemed to be on a first name basis with patrolman Dwight, who would give him reliable tips.

Meeting Vicki Vale

One day after walking into his office with the usual mocking chatter, he found a-list photographer Vicki Vale sitting at his desk reading the latest Gotham Globe. Knox was enthusiastic about her proposition to partner with him on his Batman stories, finally finding a supporter with credibility. Knox was impressed with her work in Corto Maltese, documenting the devastation during the revolution.

Save the Festival party

When Knox and Vicki Vale were at Wayne Manor (where Bruce Wayne hosted a charity ball to raise $250,000 for Gotham’s 200th Anniversary), Bruce and Vicki hit it off. Knox appeared jealous, but was also a little intrigued by seeing how they got together. Bruce told Knox that he had read his work and liked it “a lot.”

Knox was present with the rest of the press when Boss Ricorso emerged from the City Hall building on Gotham Square. Knox questioned Ricorso's claim that Carl Grissom asked him to watch over his businesses. Suddenly Joker appeared shouting about witnessing Grissom's death, culminating in throwing a poison quill pen into Ricorso's neck. After this Joker's goons opened fire on the crowd and Knox ducked to the ground. Bruce Wayne calmly walked toward Joker, which Knox took note of and shouted "Wayne, get down! Get down!" but Bruce ignored Knox.

Continued activity at the Globe

With the help of both Vicki and Batman, Knox's article was the first paper in Gotham to to warn people of the deadly product combinations that contained components Joker's poison. Knox also inadvertently helped Vicki figure out Bruce Wayne's true identity as Batman, by showing her a newspaper clipping of the murder scene where his parents were gunned down.

Knox was present at Gotham City's 200th Anniversary Parade, he motioned for Vale to snap pictures, already envisioning the headline: Gotham's Greed. When Vicki shouted realizing the balloons were filled with Smylex gas, Knox immediately went into action without hesitation. He opened the trunk of his car and karate chopped a compartment to open it, taking out a rag and baseball bat. Rather than flee to safety, Knox risked being poisoned in order to fight off the Joker Goons. Knox preserved himself without the aid of Batman and used a makeshift mask from a handkerchief, then swung at the Joker's goons with a wooden bat in a bold attempt to defend his crush and save the crowd. The goons avoided Knox and fled, gripping the wires of the balloons as they rose above the crowd.

Though Knox held his own, he was injured when he jumped on the hood of Vicki's car and was hurled into a pile of garbage.

Batsignal unveiling

Knox ultimately survived from his minor injuries. After Batman's battle with the Joker, Knox attended a press conference of DA Harvey Dent and Commissioner Gordon, with whom they announced the end of the Joker's reign of terror and that they had received the gift of a signal from Batman, to call him in case of need. Knox was then impressed by the lighting of the Batsignal.

Crisis on Infinite Earths

He made a brief crossover with the CW-verse crossover making Arrowverse and Burtonverse same shared Multiverse. He hopes Batman is in on the case when the sky suddenly turns crimson red.

Appearances

Batman Steal the Batmobile MTV Contest Ad 1 (1989) (windowboxed)

Behind the Scenes

Writing

In the Sam Hamm drafts, it was Knox who realized Bruce Wayne's secret through research and tried to blackmail him into staying away from Vicki. Knox was also supposed to die during the Joker's attack, but Jon Peters liked Robert Wuhl so much that they decided to let him live in Warren Skaaren's revised shooting script. Knox and Vicki also created the first makeshift Batsignal projected against a ballon, to show the Batwing that they were a danger. In the shooting script there is no explanation for Bruce's inspiration for the Batsignal, and the signal is projected against the sky in the final film, rather than against the front of the cathedral.

Deleted scene

Knox was part of a deleted scene which had Bruce cover Knox with his cape and cowl while he lay unconscious near the cathedral steps. Bruce then made a stealthy exit with his Utility Belt draped over his shoulder, as seen the comic adaptation. This footage has yet to be released on home video.

Trivia

The lines " What a dick " (muttered after the newspaper artist showed Knox his rendering of Batman) and " He must've been King of the Wicker People " were ad-libbed by Wuhl.

" (muttered after the newspaper artist showed Knox his rendering of Batman) and " " were ad-libbed by Wuhl. At the beginning of the film, Knox entered the press room and was handed a cartoon sketch of a "Bat Man", which was a bat in pin stripe suit. It was signed by Bob Kane, who was supposed to play the cartoonist as a cameo.

In Daniel Waters' first draft for the sequel, Knox's body was found crucified on the Batsignal early in the story.[1] That was later used with Carmine Falcone in Batman Begins.

Gallery

Screen Captures

Production Photos

References