- "Mister Wayne, if you don't want to tell me exactly what you're doing, when I'm asked, I don't have to lie. But don't think of me as an idiot."
- ―Lucius Fox[src]
Lucius Fox ran Wayne Enterprises. Fox knew Bruce Wayne was Batman and provided him with vehicles and gadgets.
Biography
Batman Begins
- "Didn't you get the memo?"
- ―William Earle to Lucius Fox[src]
Lucius Fox was a research head and a friend of Dr. Thomas Wayne who was demoted by Wayne Enterprises CEO, William Earle to overseeing the supplies of Wayne Enterprises' aborted research projects and prototypes in the Applied Sciences Division. Upon returning to the business, Bruce Wayne struck up a fast friendship which allowed him to all but recruit Fox as his armorer for Batman's activities. Fox proved invaluable in that role, even when he was fired by Earle. Among other things, he supplied Bruce with the materials that became the Nomex Batsuit and the Tumbler. In addition, Fox saving his boss Bruce Wayne's life by creating the cure for Scarecrow's Fear Toxin .
Regarding Bruce's identity as Batman, Fox told Wayne: "If you don't want to tell me exactly what you're doing, when I'm asked, I don't have to lie. But don't think of me as an idiot." At the end of the film, Bruce gained majority control of Wayne Enterprises' shares, and made Fox CEO.
The Dark Knight
- "Spying on 30 million people is not part of my job description."
- ―Lucius to Batman[src]
In The Dark Knight, Fox was obviously aware that Bruce was Batman- at one point conversing with Bruce in the Batsuit- and actively participated in a support capacity as Bruce's armorer, and provided him with additional equipment such as the Batpod and a new Batsuit that was designed for more efficient mobility. In addition, Fox participated in his employer's vigilante activities both in the Batcave and in the field as his technical assistant and reconnaissance expert, and used his professional duties as cover. Fox eventually learned that Bruce had expanded on sonar technology and developed an advanced surveillance system that could listen in and track the movement of any of the thousands of cell phones in Gotham, but, to ensure that the system was not misused, Bruce designed it so that only Fox could control it. Since that essentially contradicted everything that Bruce believed in, Fox agreed to help but said that he would resign if the machine was not destroyed after The Joker was defeated and captured. After the Joker was apprehended, Fox entered a code (his own name) as instructed by Bruce, which activated a self-destruct function for the system, and Fox continued to work under Bruce.
The Dark Knight Rises
Lucius showing Bruce The Bat Prototype.
- Lucius Fox: “These conversations used to end with an unusual request.”
- Bruce Wayne: “I'm retired.”
- Lucius Fox: “Let me show you some stuff anyway, just for old times' sake.”
- — Lucius Fox and Bruce Wayne[src]
Fox was surprised to hear of Bruce's emergence from hiding, offered to take him on a guided tour of the Applied Sciences Division, revealed the new vehicle, The Bat, and possibly dropped a hint to Bruce that Batman may still be needed.
After Bruce lost his fortune and seat on the Board of Directors of Wayne Enterprises, Miranda Tate) became the new CEO and chair of the board and replaced Fox. Fox's role became Company President.
Following Bane's takeover of Gotham, Fox was coerced into unlocking Wayne Enterprises nuclear Fusion Reactor with his fingerprints by Bane who held fellow board member Douglas Fredericks at gunpoint, which thereby enabled kidnapped nuclear physicist Dr. Leonid Pavel to prime the reactor and turned it into a functioning weapon. Fox later attempted to deactivate the Nuclear Bomb, but Talia activated the flooding mechanism and he was forced to leave the chamber. After Bruce's "death", Fox attended his funeral service alongside Alfred J. Pennyworth, Commissioner James Gordon, and John Blake. Sometime later, Fox learned about the software patch that Bruce used to fix the auto pilot in the Bat. Fox was once again head of Wayne Enterprises and began the process of rebuilding it back in a thriving company.
Friendship with Bruce Wayne
Lucius and Bruce became friends almost immediately after Bruce returned to the family business. At first, Bruce "worked" with Lucius in the Applied Sciences Division. But, this job was an excuse to gather the equipment Bruce needed to become Batman. Lucius caught onto the fact that Bruce was up to something else entirely and told Bruce that much and not to treat Lucius like an idiot. This impressed Bruce greatly and Lucius allowed Bruce free access to necessary equipment. Lucius's subsequent assistance in dealing with the League of Shadows attack on Gotham City cemented the trust and friendship between them as Bruce appointed Lucius Fox the company CEO and trusted him with day to day business matters.
Subsequent adventures saw Lucius going in the field to support Bruce as Batman. It is implied that while Lucius saw the value of Batman's work, he also enjoyed the excitement that came with assisting Batman. Lucius, did however, disagree with Bruce's building of a large scale version of a sonar device to stop the Joker and while agreeing to help because of the situation, he said he could not stay in Bruce's employee if the device where still there. In the end, the device was destroyed and he remained as company CEO.
Lucius stood by Bruce's side when the company began to crumble due to financial problems and was demoted to company President after Miranda Tate became company head. Lucius helped Bruce Wayne return as Batman by providing necessary equipment and counseled Bruce when he could. Lucius also played a considerable part in Batman's final plan to stop Talia. After the supposed death of Bruce, Lucius attended his friend's funeral service at Wayne Manor and subsequently went back to running Wayne Enterprises. He will be repairing Wayne Enterprise the way it was. He also learned The Bat's autopilot was fixed by Bruce Wayne before Bane's attack, suggesting he may have figured out Bruce Wayne was alive.
Appearances
In Other Media
Batman: Gotham Knight
Kevin Michael Richardson voiced Lucius Fox in Batman: Gotham Knight, within the segment, Field Test. As an extension of the Nolan Films, the segment confirmed that Fox knew Bruce's identity, as Bruce gave him the line: "I'm willing to put my life on the line to do what I have to. But it has to be mine, no one else's".
Gallery
