It's really rather amazing just how badass Alfred continues to be, when you consider that normally he'd be considered the Mary Sue of all Mary Sues. I mean, has there EVER been a scene in modern continuity where Alfred did not get the upper hand? Well, yes, a few, but VERY few - the only one I can think of offhand is back in 'Knightfall' where he got clonked over the head by Bane. Since then - well, very few. Alfred comes off smelling like roses almost every single time. He ought to be insufferable, and yet, somehow, he's not. Why? Well, I have a few theories about that. First, there's the fact that he generally stays in the background, instead of being a main part of the action. If he was constantly in the foreground, he'd get pretty annoying, but as it is, he stays more or less out of sight until he's actually needed. This allows him to save his awesomeness for the appropriate time. Second, there's the fact that he seems to be the one character in the Batverse so far that HASN'T been tarnished by bad writing or characterization. For some reason, everyone writes Alfred well - or, at least, all the writers in my experience who've tackled the character have. Even back when he was comic relief, he had his moments. Just why this is, I don't know - perhaps he baked them all a batch of his special chocolate chip cookies. Third, there's the fact that he's automatically sympathetic due to his age. I mean, let's face it, Alfred is no doddering ancient, but he's fairly old compared to the rest of the cast. Bruce is in his early forties or so, Dick's in his mid-twenties, as is Babs, Tim, Cass and Steph are teenagers, Damien's a horrible little brat of a nine-year-old - they're all fairly young and fit. Alfred, in comparison, is in late middle age, fit for a man his age but nowhere near the level of insane fitness that those he serve tend to keep up. By all accounts, this is the guy who ought to be a helpless victim whenever bad guys show up, and yet he overcomes them every time through sheer chutzpah. This, I think, is the main factor - we cheer Alfred's victories not simply because he's awesome, but because by the general standards of comics, he should have lost. A man who wins despite overwhelming odds is automatically an interesting fellow, and a man with as much style as Alfred rises beyond 'interesting' to 'hell yeah!'