List of mayors of Gotham City

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Main article: Gotham City

[edit] Mayors in the comic books

Several mayors of Gotham City have appeared in the comic book series that collectively form the "Batman Family" of titles:

  • The first Mayor of Gotham seen in the comics was unnamed, but drawn to look like New York Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia (Batman #12 and Detective Comics #68).[citation needed]
  • Mayor Hayes was introduced in Batman #207 (Dec. 1968).
  • Hamilton Hill — A corrupt politician elected mayor thanks to the machinations of Rupert Thorne. He became mayor in Detective Comics #511 (February 1982). During his early time in office he assisted Thorne's attempts to identify and defeat Batman, principally by firing Police Commissioner (and Batman ally) James Gordon and replacing him with one of Thorne's cronies, Pater Pauling. After Thorne was defeated Hill re-instated Gordon but spent the rest of his time in office trying to shift the blame for the state of Gotham onto Gordon's shoulders. Hill last appeared in Batman #381 (March 1985), in the Pre-Crisis DC universe.
  • Mayor Lieberman, plays a significant role in in Batman vs. Predator #1 (1991) and also appears in Batman: Run, Riddler, Run #1-3 and Justice Society of America vol. 2, #1.
  • Armand Krol — Krol first appeared in Detective Comics #647 (August 1992). Like Hamilton Hill, he did not like Commissioner Gordon. Krol also disliked Batman until the "Knightfall" series, during which Batman saved his life. After this he turned increasingly to Batman, rather than Gotham's Police, to tackle crime in the city. He demoting James Gordon and replaced him as Commissioner with Gordon's wife, Sarah Essen Gordon. After years of self-serving incompetence, Krol lost election against Marion Grange. (Shadow of the Bat #46, January 1996). During the "lame duck" period of his Mayoralty, Gotham finally descended into complete anarchy after Ra's al Ghul unleashed the "Clench" virus, during the "Contagion" series. Krol himself died of the virus during its second release, in the "Legacy" series. (Detective Comics #699, July 1996)
  • Marion Grange — Formerly a District Attorney, Grange was elected after winning Batman's endorsement. Grange was sworn-in early by the state Governor, in the midst of the crisis caused by the Clench virus and Krol's inept handling of matters. Her first act as mayor was to forcibly eject Krol from the mayor's office, and her second was to re-appoint James Gordon as Police Commissioner. (Robin #28, April 1996) She remained mayor until Gotham was devastated by an earthquake in the "No Man's Land" series, during which she failed to prevent the federal government from cutting off Gotham. Agents of Nick Scratch assassinated her shortly afterwards.
  • Daniel Danforth Dickerson III — His term ran from the end of "No Man’s Land" through the early 2000s. A corrupt mayor, his term ended with his assassination at the hands of the Joker.
  • David Hull — His term ran through the mid-2000s.

While Thomas Wayne (the father of Bruce Wayne) was still living the mayor of Gotham City is named Aubrey James — he is mentioned in Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #204 (June 2006).

A year after the Infinite Crisis, a telephone conversation between Commissioner Gordon and the current mayor indicates a change in the mayoral office. Beyond a reference to the mayor as "she", the identity of the new mayor is unknown.

[edit] Mayors in other media

  • Batman (1960s live-action TV series)
  • Mayor Linseed, played by Byron Keith. His name was a play on the name of New York City's then-mayor, John Lindsay. The governor of "Gotham State" was Stonefeller (as opposed to Nelson Rockefeller, who was governor of New York State during the same period). There was also a West River (as opposed to New York's East River), and "Bernie Park's Gallery", compared to the real Park Bernet Gallery.
  • Hamilton Hill — Lloyd Bochner provides his voice in this television show. In Batman Beyond, there is a high school named after him. He resigns in the Gotham Girls webtoon. No replacement was ever shown.
  • Marion Grange — In a divergence from the comics, the Grange is a male, not a female, character. Adam West, who played Batman in the first television series, provides his voice.
  • Hamilton Hill - Hill is the new mayor of Gotham City at the start of Season 5.

[edit] References

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