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"I kill all kind of folks. Just about every way you can. Rich, poor, guilty, innocent. By hand, by blade, by gun. Burned just one guy to death, they call you Matches for the rest of your life. Life's funny, isn't it?"
—Matches Malone to Bruce Wayne[src]

Patrick "Matches" Malone was a criminal in Gotham City who was responsible for the murder of Bruce Wayne's parents Thomas and Martha Wayne.

Biography

Early life

Malone committed his first murder at the age of 15.[1] At some point in his "career" he burned a man to death, which helped earn him the nickname "Matches".[2]

Hired to the kill the Waynes

Malone was contracted by The Lady, who put out the hit for Thomas and Martha Wayne when asked to by Hugo Strange under the alias "The Philosopher."[3]

While the Waynes were leaving a movie, a masked Malone murdered them after taking Thomas' wallet and Martha's pearl necklace; however, he left Bruce alive.[4]

Arriving at Patrick's apartment, Bruce knocks on the door of Apartment 9B where he meets Patrick claiming that he wants to hire him to kill someone. When Bruce inquires about Malone's proficiency in killing, Patrick states that he's killed several people in just about every way you can kill someone, be they rich, poor, guilty, or innocent. He also states that he doesn't kill babies. Bruce then introduces himself to Patrick and claims that he was the one who killed his parents, brandishing the gun he brought with him and aiming it at Patrick. Patrick doesn't remember the murder of the Waynes at first, at last remembering the murder when Bruce mentions Martha's necklace. At this point, Patrick starts calling Bruce 'son,' which Bruce takes issue with. Patrick justifies it by stating that he made Bruce into who he is, saying he might as well call him son. Bruce then asks him who hired him to kill his parents, to which Malone replies that maybe no one did, but if someone did, Bruce would never know their name. As Bruce prepares to kill Patrick, Patrick proposes a toast to his 'son,' saying his death has been a long time coming. He even instructs Bruce where to aim. However, Bruce backs down. Patrick demands that Bruce end his life, saying he's a monster and that he needs to die. He also states that he's tired with his life, of doing wrong and going unpunished. Bruce decides to spare Patrick, stating that he wishes he were a monster. However, he is just a man. Bruce then takes his leave. Using the gun that Bruce left behind, Patrick committed suicide by the time Jim Gordon caught up with Bruce.[2]

Personality

Matches Malone is the textbook example of a cold-blooded killer. A notorious assassin with a high employment rate and deadly kill rate, Malone states nonchalantly of how many people he kills per year, at times having difficulty even remembering when he kills an individual. As such, Malone is a complete sociopath but states he only became this way because Gotham moulded him to be like this and had to adapt to survive in the cutthroat city by becoming a hitman. Even though Malone displays an utter lack of conscience or thereof, he is not enitrely without morality. For example he doubles his income for when the job is women or children and utterly refuses to kill babies. He also adjourns to a code of honour, or more specifically a killer's code in which he refuses to segregate his employer's identity even at the risk of death or torture. Finally when confronted by Bruce Wayne at gunpoint, Malone, tired of doing wicked deed and being unpunished, begs to be killed and when Bruce refuses, shoots himself in the head. This shows that despite having killed a young man's parents before his eyes, Malone did not do such act out of enjoyment, but only to get by as he was only another victim made out of Gotham.

Physical appearance

During his murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne, Malone appeared to be heavy built and full faced. When Bruce confronted him he was thinner in appearance, middle-aged with grey hair and brown eyes.

Appearances

Season 1

Season 2

Trivia

  • Matches Malone was a New Jersey gangster and arsonist whose identity was taken by Batman after his death where Batman uses it to infiltrate Gotham City's criminal underworld. His first appearance in the comics was Detective Comics #242 in 1972. Some stories have suggested that Batman does enough in morally gray areas to maintain Malone's rep in the underworld, so as to keep the persona viable.
  • In the DC Comics Universe Joe Chill is responsible for the murder of Bruce Wayne's parents.
  • He was initially credited as Masked Man in the "Pilot".

References

  1. Boston, Seth (writer) & Egilsson, Eagle (director) (March 7, 2016). "Wrath of the Villains: A Dead Man Feels No Cold". Gotham. Season 2. Episode 13. FOX.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Behring, John (writer) & Harper, Jordan (director) (March 14, 2016). "Wrath of the Villains: This Ball of Mud and Meanness". Gotham. Season 2. Episode 14. FOX.
  3. Hull, Robert & Brown-Mostyn, Megan (writers) & Stephens, John (director) (April 18, 2016). "Wrath of the Villains: Pinewood". Gotham. Season 2. Episode 18. FOX.
  4. Heller, Bruno (writer) & Cannon, Danny (director) ( September 22, 2014). "Pilot". Gotham. Season 1. Episode 1. FOX.
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