Contrary to popular belief, Alfred was not always the guardian of young Bruce Wayne after the assassination of his parents. It was even different for 42 years!
In recent Batman comics and movies, following the death of the Wayne couple, young Bruce is raised by Alfred in the family mansion. But it has not been so for 42 years!
Indeed, it was only four years AFTER the creation of Batman that Alfred made his appearance, in the n°16 of the Batman comics, in 1943. He arrived one fine day at Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson’s to offer his services as butler and does not look AT ALL like the image that we usually have of the character:
DC Comics Batman #16
Alfred is often shown as an elderly man, butler to Thomas and Martha Wayne, and having raised young Bruce after the death of his parents. However, we see that in the original story, Bruce Wayne is already an accomplished adult already wearing his bat costume.
When Alfred comes looking for work, he mentions that his father Jarvis used to work for the Waynes and Bruce replies that he hasn’t needed a butler for years. That being said, he keeps it for the night and Alfred, in addition to being useful in repelling burglars, discovers the access to the batcave.
DC Comics
Alfred used as a humorous gimmick
Proving he knows how to keep a secret, Bruce and Dick accept him into their little gang. He will remain for years a clumsy and fearful sidekick who helps Batman especially by staying in the batcave. We learn that he was an actor, that he has some investigative skills and that his mother was a war heroine.
He only becomes young Bruce’s tutor from the episode of the Superfriends series entitled The Fear, which serves as the origin story for Jonathan Crane / The Scarecrow and Batman. We hear for the first time the mention of the fact that Alfred raised the heir to the Waynes following the assassination of his parents.
ABC
Alfred and Bruce mourning
We are then in 1985, and this origin story will be taken up in the comics, then the films and series which will be derived from it. And that’s why today’s mainstream thinks Alfred always raised Bruce Wayne.