During the Batman R.I.P. storyline, accusations are levied against Thomas Wayne. Claims arise that Martha's parents, always unconvinced about Thomas' intentions, hired a detective to prowl around his life. Much later a man claiming to be the detective returns, giving Commissioner Gordon a dossier in which Thomas Wayne is described as living a dual life: a respected and honest doctor in public, a drunk and abusive husband in private, indulging in orgies and drugs, and addicting Martha herself to heroin to get their marriage going, thus becoming able to embezzle her part of the Kane household. The hired detective then formulates a new theory about Thomas' death: when Thomas discovered that his wife, becoming accustomed to a life of excesses, betrayed him with his butler, no more certain about Bruce Wayne's real parentage, and willing to get revenge over his wife and further hide the secret of his dual life, he used an hired gun to kill her and fake his own death in front of the little Bruce. Gordon dismisses the final theories, and keeps the dossier private. While speaking to Alfred Pennyworth, Dr. Simon Hurt claims to be Thomas Wayne, even wearing the original Batman costume worn by Thomas Wayne, and accuses Alfred of fathering Bruce, although Alfred dismisses Dr. Hurt's purported identity. In the final issue of Batman R.I.P., Dr Hurt still claims to be Thomas Wayne, the black glove, but Batman refutes Hurt's identity, identifying Hurt as Mangrove Pierce, who has been behind the missing piece of every crime Batman has ever investigated. As he escapes in a helicopter, Hurt tries to blackmail Batman into serving him by threatening to release pictures and documents showing his parents and Alfred to be perverts and criminals to the worldwide media, but Batman rejects this offer, instead jumping onto the helicopter, bringing it down in an explosion, with neither Hurt or Batman being seen for at least six months after the crash.