The Van Dahl family was one of the wealthiest families in Gotham City, with a history of darkness.
History
When Elijah was just a boy, he fell in love with a young cook named Gertrud Kapelput. Elijah's parents both forbade their son's relationship with one of the servants. Elijah tried to stand up to his parents in order to be with Gertrude, but she was already gone. Elijah's parents claimed that they've came to an "arrangement", that Gertrude would be taken care of as long as Elijah didn't try to find her. Little did Elijah know, Gertrude was pregnant with his son, and raised the boy herself, telling him his father died when he was still an infant, to keep him from the truth that Elijah was a coward.
Thirty-one years later, Elijah hears that Gertrude is dead and goes to her grave. There he meets a young man named Oswald Cobblepot. After Elijah finds out that Gertrude was Oswald's Mother, he realizes that his own son is standing before him. Elijah allows Oswald to live with him in his mansion, but his wife, Grace Van Dahl and her children, Sasha and Charles are trying to kill Elijah to obtain his fortune, but they're plans are now complicated since Elijah has a biological relative, who would be more next of kin than them. When they attempt to kill Oswald with poison, Elijah drinks the poison instead, giving the Van Dahls the fortune they wanted. Despite obtaining Elijah's fortune, Grace knows there could still be problems with Oswald if he finds out how his father died, so she lets him be their servant for the time being. Oswald eventually works out Elijah's death was at Grace's hand and kills Sasha, Charles and finally Grace.
Known family members
- Elijah Van Dahl (deceased)
- Grace Van Dahl (deceased)
- Charles Van Dahl (deceased)
- Sasha Van Dahl (deceased)
- Oswald Cobblepot
Trivia
- It appears that many family members in the Van Dahl family die in the family mansion.
- Elijah's grandfather's wife, two sisters and the grandfather himself died in the mansion. Elijah's father shot himself in his room following his mother's death. Grace murders Elijah and Oswald murders both Grace and her children.
- Elijah also mentions to Oswald that his father and many of his ancestors have been plagued with thoughts of violence, which implies that Oswald got all of his violent tendencies from his father's side of the family.