Alton Carver - Batman: The Dark Knight

A former performer at Haly's Circus, Alton Carver, showed exceptional talent as a knife thrower, gymnast, and acrobat—qualities that drew the attention of the Court of Owls. To test his ability to overcome fear, his ringmaster and handler locked him in a trailer and set it ablaze. Carver survived, badly burned but alive, and proved himself worthy of the Court’s interest.

He was inducted into the Court’s service and, for the next 26 years, operated as one of their most loyal and enduring Talons, holding one of the longest records in the role’s history.

After several professional missteps and a confrontation with Batman, the Court deemed him obsolete and placed him in cryogenic stasis—until his reawakening during the Night of the Owls in 2012.

Before the deaths of the Flying Graysons, the Court intended for his successor to be Dick Grayson.