| Hamilton Hill | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Detective Comics #503 (1981) |
| Created by | Gerry Conway Don Newton |
| In-story information | |
| Full name | Hamilton Hill |
Hamilton Hill is a DC Comics character. He is a known mayor of Gotham City and an adversary of Batman.
Publication history[]
Hamilton Hill first appeared in Detective Comics #503 and was created by Gerry Conway and Don Newton.
Fictional character biography[]
Hamilton Hill is a corrupt politician who ran against Arthur Reeves in Gotham City's mayoral election.[1] Hill defeats Reeves when Reeves’ "Batman identity" photos turn out to be faked and becomes the new Mayor of Gotham City. Unbeknownst to the citizens, Hill is in league with crime lord Rupert Thorne, who helps him become Mayor. During his early time in office, he assists Thorne's attempts to identify and defeat Batman.[2]
Hill hires an assassin to take out Harvey Bullock.[3] When Bullock confronts Hill, he shoots Bullock who survives.[4]
Hill fires Police Commissioner James Gordon and replaces him with one of Thorne's cronies, Peter Pauling. After Thorne is defeated and Pauling killed, Hill re-instates Gordon, but spends the rest of his time in office trying to shift the blame for Gotham's problems onto Gordon's shoulders.[5]
Hill tries to get rid of Batman by accusing him of a crime that was actually committed by the Night Slayer. When Batman defeats Night Slayer and exposes Hill's plot, Hill is removed from office.[6]
In other media[]
Television[]
- Mayor Hamilton Hill appears in Batman: The Animated Series voiced by Lloyd Bochner. While originally hostile to the Batman and somewhat comical at times, this version of Hill showed absolutely no trace of the corruption that the comics version demonstrated. He first appeared in the episode "On Leather Wings" where he allows Detective Harvey Bullock to pursue Batman (along with his own task force), who is framed for the robberies of pharmacies throughout Gotham City. In the episode "Pretty Poison," Mayor Hill supported the establishment of Stonegate Penitentiary. In the episode "Be a Clown," his son Jordan is kidnapped by Joker after he runs away because he thinks his dad does not care about him. As seen in "The Clock King," Temple Fugate had a grudge against Hill because he believed that he made him late for a court date on purpose (Fugate was appealing against a $20 million judgement against his company, and subsequently lost). Hill had been a lawyer at the time, which also caused Fugate to believe Hill did it on purpose because the lawyers who had worked on the case were represented by Hill's law firm. Taking on the mantle of Clock King, Temple tried to dispose of Mayor Hill at a clock tower only for Batman to intervene. In the episode "Heart of Steel" Pt. 2, Mayor Hill was almost replaced with a robot duplicate made by HARDAC. In the episode "Blind as a Bat," Commissioner Gordon meets with Mayor Hill and Harvey Bullock about the Penguin's theft of the Raven X1-11 at the time when Bruce Wayne was temporarily blinded. In the episode "Harlequinade," Mayor Hill refuses to take Commissioner Gordon's suggestion to have Gotham City evacuated when the Joker steals a bomb that would "dent" Gotham City due to lack of proof (though it is revealed that the Joker had forced him to do so). In the episode "Time Out of Joint," Mayor Hill is once again targeted by Clock King who is now using Dr. Wakati's time device. Batman and Robin rescue Mayor Hill and defeat Clock King. In the episode "Lock-Up," Mayor Hill is among those who are abducted by Lock-Up. He is later rescued by Batman and Robin.
- Lloyd Bochner reprises his role of Mayor Hamilton Hill in The New Batman Adventures.
- In Batman Beyond, the high school Terry McGinnis attends is named Hamilton Hill High School (or "Hill High"), presumably after the now-deceased Hamilton Hill.
- In The Batman episode "The Batman/Superman Story" Pt. 1, Hamilton Hill (voiced by an uncredited Lex Lang) is identified as the newly elected mayor of Gotham in the season premiere and is portrayed as African-American. He is elected after Marion Grange resigns from office following an invasion by The Joining.
- Mayor Hamilton Hill is seen in the Young Justice episode "Alpha Male" voiced by Corey Burton. He is involved in a tiger-poaching ring that is attacked by Monsieur Mallah. A headline in a Gotham newspaper later reveals that Hill survived, albeit with serious injuries.
Film[]
- In the movie Batman Returns, the unpopular mayor Roscoe Jenkins (unnamed in the film and portrayed by Michael Murphy) has similar traits to Mayor Hamilton Hill.
- In the movie Batman: Under the Red Hood, a newspaper clip revealed that Jason Todd (during his time as Robin) saved Mayor Hamilton Hill's life.
Video games[]
- Mayor Hamilton Hill appeared in the video game Batman Vengeance, voiced again by Lloyd Bochner. He was blackmailed by Poison Ivy along with other politicians and wealthy socialites.
- In Batman: Arkham Origins, there is a sign that reads "Hamilton Hill." During the credits for the story-based campaign expansion "A Cold, Cold Heart", a report can be heard saying that Hill was mayor, but was resigning following protests caused by the events of the game which saw Commissioner Gillian B. Loeb exposed as a corrupt officer working for Black Mask.
Mayor Hamilton Hill as seen in Batman: The Telltale Series.
- Mayor Hamilton Hill appears in Batman: The Telltale Series, voiced by Robert Pescovitz. This version has connections with Carmine Falcone and campaigning to keep his position against Harvey Dent, whom Bruce Wayne is supporting. After information about Thomas Wayne's ties to Falcone are released, Hill authorizes a search of Wayne Manor, hoping that this would help cut off funding for Dent's campaign. When Batman confronts Falcone, he learns that both he and Hill worked with the Waynes. After he is revealed to have been working with Penguin and the Children of Arkham to protect himself from their wrath, Hill is confronted by either Bruce Wayne or Batman, with Hill revealing information about the trio's use of Arkham Asylum to gain control of Gotham. During an attack by the Children of Arkham, Hill is murdered by the Penguin after it is revealed he was partially responsible for committing his mother to Arkham. Before he dies, Hill reveals that he was the person hired Joe Chill to kill the Waynes. Following his death, Dent is sworn in as Mayor. Penguin later claims that Hill arranged the Wayne's murders to prevent Bruce's mother from revealing the group's activities to the public, with Alfred confirming some of this information during the final episode.
Web series[]
- In Gotham Girls, Poison Ivy gives him a toxin that makes him grow a root out of his forehead. This makes him resign from office.
Miscellaneous[]
- In The Batman Adventures, a comic book spinoff of Batman: The Animated Series, the Penguin replaces Hamilton Hill as mayor thanks to Temple Fugate rigging the votes. Batman foils Fugate and Penguin's plan and Hill is reinstated.
- Mayor Hamilton Hill appears in an issue of The Batman Strikes. He is taken hostage at one of Bruce Wayne's parties by Black Mask.
References[]
External links[]
- Hamilton Hill at DC Comics Wiki
- Hamilton Hill at Comic Vine