If that’s the story I think it was, the character in question was the Nth Man (one of two characters by that name), not the Grey Man.
I don’t know if I should admit this, but I’m an Nth Man fan. I vaguely recall that issue of EXALIBUR, and it sounds like that’s the correct plot.
By “Nth Man” are you referring to the former Doctor Lightner, who became some interdimensional hole during the Project Pegasus story in Marvel Two-In-One and later menaced the Squadron Supreme’s home dimension in a graphic novel?
Uh, yeah! That guy!
If this site is any indication, Batman returned to Gotham “after a 12-year absence”. Not having read the comic books, but assuming that that absence would have included his college career, he would have left town at eighteenish, and returned to Gotham at the age of thirty. then realized he wasn’t ready to start fighting crime yet.
“After eighteen years of training and planning…” This would have put him at age thirty-six when he began his crime fighting career, which, if the ten-year timeline holds true, would put him in his mid- to late- forties, with a bit of bend. Still, if a man takes really, really good care of himself, which Bruce Wayne more than has the wherewithal to do, he could probably fight fit until well into his fifties, maybe even early sixties, given good genes.
The Dark Knight Returns has Batman coming out of retirement probably at age 54- he “dies” at 55, and, while not exactly fighting fit, he still does a pretty good job of kicking criminal ass, and that’s after presumably letting himself rust for a decade. So in a non-Elseworld timeline, I could see him hanging up his cape at sixty-five and only being a bit past his prime.
Asbestos: The “He has trained and planned and waited eighteen years”, refers, I believe to the amount of time since his parents were murdered in front of him, which occurred when he was around six to eight, which has him starting his career at about 24-26. The “twelve year absense” according to the same site, started when he was 14, and left to study in Europe (this comes from Year One, which is official continuity), which has him starting his career at about 26. The same site also says that Batman is perpetually 34.
It is, however badly out of date. It lists Barbara Gordon as Batgirl, while Cassandra Cain has held that title for close to ten years (roughly since the 2-year long “No Man’s Land” crossover).
I think the 34 is a bit too young due to Nightwing’s being in his 20’s. However, it is indisputable that Batman’s not yet 40. There are few iron-clad rules in comics regarding the age of it’s characters, but grey temples on men in their 40’s is one that cannot under any circumstances be violated (the other being that no major character other than Bucky and Uncle Ben is permanently dead).
No. The guy I’m thinking of had long grey hair, a samurai sword, and a plotline that kept him out of the Marvel U. proper (except for the one X-Men story). He had his own title for about six issues. The X-Men issue with him in it was inked by Bill Sienkiewiecz. Lightner, by contrast, was a villain who showed up once or twice, and was drawn as a silhouette.
Nth Man, the Ultimate Ninja was created by Larry Hama and actually lasted for 16 issues. Pretty obscure. Last appeared in 1990.
Uncle Ben visited Spider-Man on his birthday as a present from Dr. Strange. 
Barry Allen (Flash II) and Jason Todd (Robin II) have also, thus far, remained successfully in the hereafter. Save for some flashbacks and appearances due to time travel.
Hmm. Characters that have actually stayed dead. That’s a whole thread in itself, innit? Anyways, a small expansion off the top of my head -
Marvel
Bucky
Uncle Ben
Proudstar (the original)
Doug Ramsey (Douglock notwithstanding)
DC
Barry Allen
Jason Todd
Icemaiden (the original)
Wesley Dodds
Al Pratt
Nth Man lived in the same sort of pre-Epic renaissance (early 90s that is) post-New Universe non-MU continuity that GI Joe did. Still technically a Marvel imprint, but never interefering with the MU proper (except that one EXCALIBUR issue, which, BTW was the only collaboration I know of between Barry Windsor-Smith and Seinkewicz. What a great team, what a goofy idea). They were about 12 good issues then someone pulled the plug and he had to condense howeverlong the series was going to last into 4 more issues, making such a complete mess that the end was merciful.
Man, you all sent me on a nostalgia trip with that one. If anyone wants more-than-you-ever wanted to know about John Doe, Alphie O’Megan and the ninja dentist Doc Yagau, let me know.
‘From a certain point of view’ Marvel’s Blink has stayed dead for nearly 10 years. The current Blink is her counterpart from a parallel universe.
Hmmm. Well, I guess I didn’t look at the site as thoroughly as I should have. I just sort of figured that the actual training and planning part would have started in early adulthood, when he could more easily get out from under Alfred’s hairy eyeball.
But really, I’m actually more comfortable with the idea of a forty-something Batman. I mean really, he’s on his third Robin now (leaving Carrie Kelly out because Dark Knight is an Elseworld series), plus I figure he should have well over a decade of street-level crime-fighting experience in DC-verse time.
Maybe I should get a grey pencil and hit some comic-book stores…
I could’a sworn Nth Man only ran for twelve issues, with the last four being that wacked-out Road Warrior rip-off condensation, but I’ll defer to your expertise here.
Yeah, can you explain that “time loop” revelation from the last issue? I don’t have my copy with me, but while I understood what Larry Hama was trying to say there, the way it was written in the comic book didn’t make a lick o’ sense.
John and Alphie have no parents, so where the heck did they come from?
Great premise, interesting ideas, lousy ending.
Yep, that’s where we get 16. There was a year break (story time) between post-WWIII and RW-era (I’m pretty sure that occurred between 12 and 13).
Yeah, can you explain that “time loop” revelation from the last issue? I don’t have my copy with me, but while I understood what Larry Hama was trying to say there, the way it was written in the comic book didn’t make a lick o’ sense.
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To figure what they were going for here in grand Frank Miller style (although brought about by a massive truncation of the series length), one has to go back to the letters column where even the editor doesn’t know what’s going on. I recall someone sent a letter praising them for the significance of Alphie O’Megan’s name and the editor asks, “what significance?” I thought that was great, I was in 6th grade at the time and I figured it out.
He can’t have parents because he’s both the beginning and the end. Or, if you want to get technical, John’s the End and Alphie’s the beginning. But since Alphie’s chaos and John’s order, inyo/yin yang, &c.
What I liked about the series the best though was that people kept writing in to praise how “realistic” it was, perhaps ignoring the ninja anti-gravity tricks in light of there being no thought balloons or sound effects. John and the Russian Chick were sent into a video game ferchrisssakes!
I really gotta pick all my old comics up from my mom’s house. The late '80s/early '90s really turned out to be the best time for comics.
Hah! I know of not one, but two exceptions to this one! Neither Charles Xavier nor Lex Luthor has grey hair!
gloats
Word has it that Barry Allen may be coming back, although that could just be fan rumor.
And nobody mentioned Gwen Stacy? Still dead, at last report, although there was a clone running around, somewhere.
Have you ever seen their armpit hair?
Well that was sure descent of you! I definitely would have same something else.