The character was created by Bruce Timm and Paul Dini and first appeared in the pilot episode of Batman Beyond (1999–2001) set in the DC Animated Universe, voiced by Will Friedle.

As a former member of a street gang run by youthful racketeer Charlie "Big Time" Bigelow, Terry as a small-time criminal had numerous run-ins with the Gotham City Police at age fourteen, while his parents were going through a divorce, even serving a three-month stint in juvenile hall.

Twenty years after Batman's disappearance from Gotham, due to Bruce Wayne's retirement on account of a cardiovascular disease, Terry finds himself on the run from the Jokerz, another street gang, who have modelled themselves after the long-dead legendary criminal, the Joker.

[2] Terry then seeks Bruce's assistance in bringing Powers down, but cannot convince the old man to inflict swift justice - Bruce is still shaken from an ordeal 20 years earlier of having relied on a handgun for self-defense (the event that forced him to retire as Batman for good), as well as the traumatic event of the Joker's death and Tim Drake's psychological torture in the flashbacks of Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker and the limitations of his age.

While getting his own unique rogues' gallery, in addition to contending with some of his mentor's former foes including the resurrected Joker, Terry also makes allies, such as high school student Maxine Gibson, and despite initial hostility between them, even Commissioner Gordon herself (in the comics, he also eventually meets and works with Bruce's other ex-partner, the former Robin/Nightwing, Dick Grayson).

After Powers' criminal identity is exposed and he finally brings retribution to his father's killer, Terry decides to continue his role as Batman, aware of the differences he makes and to atone for his past sins, in the hope that it is his chance at redemption.

She had intended to take things one step forward and recreate the tragic circumstances that drove Bruce into becoming Batman (by hiring the Phantasm to murder the young boy's parents in front of him), but her hired assassin refused at the last minute, forcing Waller to cancel the project, although Warren's eventual murder by criminals ironically cemented Terry's destiny to become the next Batman.

Initially disillusioned with who he was, Terry eventually reconciles with the truth and continues to have a relationship with Bruce, while also planning on proposing to his longtime girlfriend, Dana Tan.

Bruce's DNA was obtained in Gotham City where his arm got grazed after intercepting a gang war—a small blood sample on a piece of gauze left at the scene of it.

Also, in Countdown to Final Crisis, former Robin Jason Todd, former Wonder Girl Donna Troy, Green Lantern Kyle Rayner, and Bob the Monitor travel to "Earth-12," which resembles the DCAU's future.

This is evidenced by him being perpetually sleepy during the day, struggling to stay awake for school or to have time for his family and girlfriend, who gets frustrated with his constant "leaving" their dates early to the point of multiple break-ups.

In the Justice League Unlimited episode "The Once and The Future Thing: Time Warped", set in an altered timeline by Chronos, Bruce is shocked and saddened after Terry is killed by the Jokerz.

Matt is also an obsessive Batman fan, which is ironic considering that he never realizes his brother and the hero he idolizes are the same and is oblivious of his biological relationship to the original Dark Knight.

However, as the Justice League Unlimited episode "Epilogue" reveals, Terry ultimately grows into full acceptance of his role as Batman, and somewhere along the line discloses his secret to Dana.

Dana requests Terry and Bruce's help in finding him, but Doug manages to kill thousands of people by sending a large group of Jokerz as suicide bombers around the city.

Terry has additional encounters with Ten and the Royal Flush Gang; each time, he advises her to turn straight, showing that he still cares deeply about her.

In the 2016 DC Rebirth series of Batman Beyond, Melanie, at that time under rehab supervision by Jack Ryder, burgles Wayne Manor for a picture of Terry, who had moved there with Matt after his mother's death.

In the course of the latter fight, Terry is forced to unmask himself to calm his mind-controlled brother, thus revealing his secret identity to Melanie, and she is subsequently introduced to the Bat Family.

The alliance starts out on an uneasy and sour note, as Barbara never fails to take Terry's juvenile record into account and believes he is too reckless for the role of Batman.

In addition to this, Barbara, actually the last of the Bat-Family to retire from vigilantism, revealed she and Bruce were romantically involved at one point after her ex-boyfriend Dick Grayson left Gotham, but his unwavering focus on his mission strained their relationship and put it to an end, thus having a new Batman appears to have opened up old wounds for her.

They work together to bring down Hush (who was a failed clone of Grayson), and Dick helped Terry with handling the Jokerz bombing Gotham and Undercloud.

Though Dick was uninvolved in the superhero community for quite some time after losing his eye during a fight between Batman and the Joker, Terry has inspired him to return to the spotlight.

Charlie "Big Time" Bigelow is a con artist and former friend of Terry who is mutated into a monstrous grey form after being exposed to an experimental growth compound.

Though the rest of the team at first distrusts him due to his perceived inexperience, Terry gains their trust by saving their lives and freeing Superman from the alien's mind control.

In the pilot episode "Rebirth", he is able to fend off a number of Jokerz without aid, and appears to have been a member of his high school's wrestling team before being kicked out because of his feud with obnoxious teammate Nelson Nash.

As expected of Batman, he engages in regular, rigorous training to minimize his reliance on the Batsuit: under Bruce's tutelage, Terry has honed his body to at least Olympic levels.

Terry even defeats his suit in single combat when it is controlled by the computerized consciousness of a deceased business mogul, armed only with the equipment in Bruce's vintage utility belt.

Fifteen years after the last episode of Batman Beyond, as Terry reaches his thirties, he is able to get through Amanda Waller's security systems and overpower her guards without the aid of his suit, suggesting that his skills are rivaling his mentor's when he was in his prime.

It possesses retractable glider wings under the arms and jet thrusters in the boot heels, a built-in rebreather, and a two-way audio-visual link with the Batcomputer, allowing Terry to keep in contact with Bruce for superior tactical planning.

It is a retractable powered exoskeleton composed of heavy plate armor that enhances the survivability of the wearer, boosting their physical strength and resilience to superhuman levels greater than that of the Batsuit.