Batman an occasional ally and romantic interest), the Penguin, Ra's al Ghul, Two-Face, the Riddler, the Scarecrow, Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, Bane, Clayface, and Killer Croc among others. Many of Batman's adversaries are often psychiatric patients at Arkham Asylum. Batman's butler, Alfred Pennyworth, first appeared in "Batman" #16 (1943). He serves as Bruce Wayne's loyal father figure and is one of the few persons to know his secret identity. Alfred raised Bruce after his parents' death and knows him on a very personal level. He is sometimes portrayed as a sidekick to Batman and the only other resident of
Alan Napier Sherlock Holmes, in an adaptation of "The Adventure of the Speckled Band". In the 1950s, he appeared on TV in four episodes of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" and guest starred on Dale Robertson's NBC western series "Tales of Wells Fargo". In 1965, he was the first to be cast in the "Batman" TV series, as Bruce Wayne's faithful butler Alfred, a role he played until the series' cancellation in 1968. I had never read comics before [I was hired for "Batman"]. My agent rang up and said, 'I think you are going to play on "Batman,"' I said 'What is "Batman"?'