The Top 25 Batman Villains (#1)

The Top 25 Batman Villains (#1)
My pick (and probably everybody's pick) for Batman's greatest foe is finally announced.


1. The Joker
Real Name: Unknown
First Appearance: Batman #1 (Spring 1940)

The Joker

Was there really any doubt that he wasn't going to be #1.  No villain that Batman has ever faced (or any character in fiction) is crazier and more sadistic than the Joker.  His origin story is shrouded in mystery as the Joker can barely remember it and what parts he can often have been mixed around to result in several possible origins.  As the Joker said himself, "Sometimes I remember it one way, sometimes another...if I'm going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice!".  The most widely accepted origin by the fans is the one detailed by Alan Moore (Writer of Watchmen and V for Vendetta)  in the graphic novel The Killing Joke.  In this origin, the Joker started out as a chemical plant engineer who decided to quit his job and follow his dream of being a stand-up comedian.  Unfortunately for him, he failed miserably at comedy and could not make anyone even crack a smile.  With a pregnant wife t home, he became desperate for money and agreed to help two criminal break into the chemical plant where he used to work.  As part of the job, he was given the Red Hood persona as the inside man of each of the jobs wore a red hood in order to appear as the leader and distract the police should they be caught while the two ring leaders escaped.  As the heist approached he began to consider backing out which prompted the two crooks to kill his wife and unborn child in order to intimidate him.  During the heist they are quickly caught by security and a shoot-out ensues in which the two crooks are both killed.  Fleeing the scene he finds himself face to face with Batman who was investigating the disturbance.  The two had a struggle and in which the Red Hood fell over the side of the rail and landed in one of the chemical vats.  Resurfacing in a nearby reservoir, he see his reflection and finds that the chemicals caused his skin to be bleached white, his lips a bright red, and his hair green.  The chemicals as well as the days events was enough to drive him totally insane and the Joker was born.

The Four Famous Jokers

Over the years, no villain has ever put Batman through as much grief and pain as the Joker has while testing the limits on his mind and sanity.  The Joker murdered the second Robin, Jason Todd; shot and paralyzed Commissioner Gordon's daughter, Barbara (Batgirl); and murdered Commissioner Gordon's second wife.  The Joker has been Batman's arch-enemy in every form of media the two have been portrayed in .  The most well-know portrayals of the Joker have been Caesar Romero in the 1960's television series, Jack Nicholson in the 1989 film, Mark Hamill's voice acting in the animated series, animated movies, and Arkham games, and Heath Ledger in the 2008 movie, The Dark Knight.   The Joker will always continue to plaque Gotham City, committing horrible and sadistic crimes all for a laugh.

Recommended Reading:

• The Killing Joke
• The Man Who Laughs
• A Death in the Family
• Arkham Asylum: a Serious House on a Serious Earth
• The Last Laugh
• Emperor Joker
• Batman: Under The Red Hood
• Joker: Devil's Advocate
• The Dark Knight Returns
• Joker by Brian Azzarello
• Batman #663 (2007)
• Mad Love
• Going Sane
• The Greatest Joker Stories Ever Told
• Batman: Death of the Family

And that's the list.  Remember to keep checking back her at Talking About Tights to see what other superhero articles I write up next.

The Top 25 Batman Villains (5-2)

The Top 25 Batman Villains (5-2)
We countdown the members of the top five as we reach the home stretch.


5. Bane
Real Name: Unknown
First Appearance: Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1 (January 1993)

Bane

Doomed to serve out the life sentence of his father behind the prison walls of Peña Duro, located in Santa Prisca.  Locked up with the most infamous prisoners as a child, Bane learned that if he were to survive he must better himself.  He began reading every book he could, vigorously working out in the prison gymnasium, and training in combat among the prisoners.  Rising up among the prisoners, by the time he was a young adult, Bane had become the undisputed "king" of the prison.  The prison guards realized this and forced Bane to participate as a test subject for an experimental steroid called "venom" that had killed all the other test subjects.  However, Bane found that he not only survived the experiment, but that his strength had been enhanced by the drug.  Using his newly acquired power to escape from the prison, Bane traveled to Gotham City as he had heard legends of the Batman, who struck fear into all the criminals, and was curious to test his skills against him.  Knowing the direct approach would be foolish, Bane freed several of the Arkham Asylum inmates forcing Batman to hunt them down while Bane followed and observed him, deducing his secret identity in the process.  When Batman was at the point of exhaustion from fighting these criminals, Bane took the opportunity to strike, breaking in to Wayne Manor and defeating Batman in combat before striking the final blow of breaking the Batman's back over his knee.  After this Bane began to take control of Gotham's criminal underground before he was defeated by Bruce Wayne's temporary replacement, Azrael.  Though Bane's major weakness is his dependence on the venom steroid, of which he has tubes pumping it into his body, he will still be known as the only villain to break the Bat.

Recommended Reading:

Prelude to Bane's Appearance:

• Batman: Venom

Featuring Bane:

• Batman: Vengeance of Bane
• Batman: Knightfall

4. Two-Face

Real Name: Harvey Dent

First Appearance: Detective Comics #66 (August 1942)

Two-Face

Harvey Dent was once Gotham City's white knight; a handsome and driven District Attorney whose alliance with Police Commissioner James Gordon and the Batman would bring the law to all criminals of Gotham City who thought they were above it.  However, Harvey harbored a dark side; a repressed alternate personality with a short temper who was alway pushing Harvey to act out.  With Batman's help Harvey had convicted the crime boss Sal Maroni, but during the trial Maroni splashed acid, that he had hidden in a cough syrup bottle, across the left side of Harvey's face.  This left him horribly scarred and the trauma caused his repressed personality to manifest itself.  Harvey went insane and escaped from his hospital room.  Believing that there was no true justice but chance, he began to commit crimes under the identity of Two-Face.  He would leave these up to chance by making decisions by the flip of his lucky silver dollar coin which had been scarred on one side by the acid as well.  If the clean side came up, Harvey would do the right thing such as leaving the stolen objects, releasing hostages, or donating stolen money to charity.  But if the scarred side came up, Harvey's darker half would make the decision such as taking precious goods, killing hostages, or keeping stolen money for himself.  A tragic character, this duality obsessed villain will always be Batman's biggest failure personified.

Recommended Reading:

• Batman Annual #14 (1990)
• Batman: The Long Halloween
• Batman: Dark Victory
• Joker's Asylum vol.1: Two-Face
• Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on a Serious Earth

Recommended Viewing:

• Batman TAS: 215, Second Chance

3. Catwoman

Real Name: Selina Kyle

First Appearance: Batman #1 (Spring 1940)

Catwoman

While many would consider Catwoman to be an anti-hero (a reluctant ally to Batman) it's as a villain where she really shines as she is one of the only villains to cause Batman to question his moral code of dealing with criminals.  Orphaned and forced to grow up in the streets of Gotham, Selina Kyle turn to thievery to survive.  Perfecting her cat-burglary skills, Selina also mastered martial arts and gymnastics in order to pull off more stylized heists.  This has caused her to come in to conflict with Batman and the two have formed a complicated and flirtatious relationship.  As pointed out by Robin, on several occasions Batman has appeared to let Catwoman get away.  As their relationship began to grow, Catwoman often found herself allying Batman and soon began to try to prove to him that she could put her thieving behind her.  This proved not to be the case, however, she would only steal from the criminals and corrupt and donate the riches to the poor and needy.  An on-again off-again flame for Batman, she has begun to prove herself as an anti-hero and a trusted ally of Batman, though her true motives are still questionable.

Recommended Reading:

• Batman: Year 1
• Catwoman: When In Rome
• Catwoman: Nine Lives of the Feline Fatale
• Batman: Hush
• Batman: Heart of Hush
• Catwoman by Ed Brubaker, Vol.1-Vol.4
• Selina's Big Score

2. Ra's Al Ghul

Pronunciation: Ray-sh Al Ghoul

Translation: Arabic-"head of the demon"

First Appearance: Batman #232 (June 1971)

Ra's Al Ghul

This villain is over 700 years old.  Originally a nomad in Arabia, Ra's abandoned his tribe to move to the city where he can conduct scientific research and become a physician and marries.  Ra's is then tasked with healing a dying prince which he does so with the discovery of the mysterious Lazarus Pit which contained magical healing qualities and is even able to raise the dead.  However, the healing comes at the cost of a temporary bout of insanity as Ra's learned as the prince emerged and strangled Ra's wife.  Unwilling to acknowledge that his son had committed the crime, the king blamed Ra's for framing him and sentenced him to be buried alive in a cage with his wife's corpse.  Ra's is saved by the a child of his former tribe who takes him back to the nomads.  Ra's then convinces them to follow him to seek vengeance and true justice by killing the prince and his father as well as the inhabitants of the city.  Ra's believes that human kind has been too corrupted and plans to wipe out most of the population to start anew as well as preserve what is left of Earth's ecology believing that he can create a paradise.  Keeping himself alive with the Lazarus pit for centuries, Ra's eventually sets his sights on the corrupted city of Gotham leading him to come into conflict with Batman.  Though Ra's sees Batman as a worthy adversary, he also sees him as a possible successor to his legacy and has even attempted to have hi daughter Talia seduce him.  One of Batman's most dangerous foe for his many years of training and studying as well as schemes on a global scale, Ra's will always be a thorn in the heroes side for centuries to come.

Recommended Reading:

• Batman: Birth of the Demon
• Death and the Maidens
• Son of the Demon
• Tales of the Demon
• JLA: Tower of Babel

Check back tomorrow as I reveal my #1 pick (as if you didn't already know).

The Top 25 Batman Villains (10-6)

The Top 25 Batman Villains (10-6)
For those of you not familiar with Batman villains, I'm sure you'll begin to recognize some as we reach the major villains.


10. Black Mask
Real Name: Roman Sionis
First Appearance: Batman #386 (August 1985)

Black Mask

Roman Sionis was the son of multi-millionaire parents, however, he resented them for the way they would drag him to parties and put on social masks in order to seem like friendlier people to other high class Gotham members such as the Waynes.  After his parents suspicious death, Roman gained control of the family business and proceed ed to drive it to bankruptcy prompting a buyout by Wayne Industries and causing a hatred by Roman for Bruce Wayne for taking away his legacy.  He then dawned a "Black Mask" carved from his fathers coffin and began murdering Wayne Industries employees.  This Prompted Batman's intervention and in the their confrontation a fire broke out and permanently fused his mask to his face.  Returning as the leader of the gang known as The False Face Society, Black Mask began to slowly take over Gotham's underworld and became infamous for sadistically torturing his enemies.  Eventually becoming the undisputed leader of Gotham's criminal underworld, Black Mask met his end when he targeted Catwoman's friends and family leading her to eventually kill him.

Recommended Reading:

• Catwoman: Relentless

9.  Hugo Strange

First Appearance: Detective Comics #36 (February 1940)

Hugo Strange

Predating the Joker as Batman's oldest recurring foe, Prof. Hugo Strange is a brilliant psychologist and chemist, and one of the only foes to deduce the dark knight's true identity.  Claiming to have psychologically analyzed the dark knight from afar, he soon developed an obsession of the caped crusader and lusted after the identity for himself.  Strange first scheme involved mutating test subjects into large hulking monsters to aid him in committing his crimes.  One of his most famous schemes though is the systematic destruction of Bruce Wayne's life after deducing his secret identity.  A deranged scientist, Strange continues his plots to defeat the dark knight and take the Batman identity as his own.

Recommended Reading:

• Batman and the Monster Men
• Batman Annual #10

Recommended Gaming:

• Batman: Arkham City

8. The Penguin

Real Name: Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot

First Appearance: Detective Comics #58 (December 1941)

The Penguin

As a child, Oswald Cobblepot suffered much abuse from his peers for his for his short height, long nose, and obesity.  His constant torment led him to being rejected by his high class family as well due to their need to keep up their appearance.  Oswald's mother was also very protective of after his father died of pneumonia, and made him carry an umbrella wherever he went.  His only friends as a child were birds that he had befriended and trained as he had a fondness for aviary life.  Feeling resentment for everyone who had treated him as an outcast, Oswald went on to become a member of Gotham's high society in order to show everyone that he could be somebody.  Establishing The Iceberg Lounge as a front for illegal activity, he took on the criminal alias of The Penguin as it had been a nickname used to taunt him as a child for his short and stalky build.  The penguin also has stocked up on trick umbrellas outfitted with weapons or tools needed to commit his crimes.  Fancying himself as a gentleman of crime, he and Catwoman are the only exceptions of criminals Batman is willing to tolerate as he acts as an underworld informant to Batman.

Recommended Reading:

• The Penguin: Pain and Prejudice
• Joker's Asylum vol. 1: The Penguin

Recommended Viewing:

• Batman TAS: 147, Birds of a Feather

7. The Riddler

Real Name: Edward Nigma

First Appearance: Detective Comics #140 (October 1948)

The Riddler

From a young age, Edward Nigma was obsessed with puzzles and riddles.   As Edward got high grades in school his father physically beat him as he was unable to comprehend that his son was brilliant and believed that he had cheated.  Regular beatings for any dishonesty left Edward with a deep-rooted desire to always tell the truth as well as try to prove his intellectual superiority.  As a young adult Edward began to put his obsession with riddles to criminal use.  Taking on the identity of The Riddler, he began a crime wave across Gotham City while leaving behind a cleverly worded riddle as to where and when he would strike next to baffle and taunt the police.  This eventually caught the attention of Batman who used his strong intellect to foil Nygma's plans and finally give Riddler the mental challenge he so strongly desired.  Riddler has tried to stop leaving riddles at his crime scenes but the compulsion has become to strong for him to resist.  Edward has also discovered the answer to the ultimate riddle, the true identity of Batman.

Recommended Reading:

• Batman #179 (March 1966)
• Batman: Hush
• Dark Night, Dark City
• Joker's Asylum vol. 2: The Riddler

6. Scarecrow

Real Name: Jonathan Crane

First Appearance: World's Finest Comics #3 (Fall 1941)

Scarecrow

From a young age Jonathan Crane learned the power of fear.  Being born by a teenage mother, he was sent to live with his religiously-fanatical great-grandmother.  His great-grandmother would often punish him by locking him for days on end in a decrepit church where he would often be attacked by the crows that taken up residence there.  He was also bullied constantly by his peers for lanky build.  After murdering his great-grandmother (and leaving her remains in the old church as food for the crows) he went on to become an accomplished psychology professor, specializing in the study of fear.  After being dismissed as a professor from Gotham University for his questionable teaching methods, he went on to become a psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum.  He then began testing experimental fear toxins on his patients until he had perfected a toxin that can be administered in liquid or aerosol form that will induce fear in the victims.  he then used this as a weapon to begin a crime spree across Gotham that soon caught the attention of the Batman.  Over-exposure to his fear chemicals have left Crane not only unable to feel fear but any emotion whatsoever.  Scarecrow is one of the only villains that can induce fear in the dark knight.

Recommended Reading:

• Scarecrow: Year One
• Batman #455-457: Identity Crisis
• Batman: Terror
• Heart of Hush

Recommended Viewing:

• Batman TAS: 128, Dreams in Darkness

Recommended Listening:

• Arkham Asylum Patient Interview Tapes: Scarecrow

Be sure to check back Saturday for picks 5-2.

The Top 25 Batman Villains (15-11)

The Top 25 Batman Villains (15-11)

We start to get to some of the big names in Batman's rogue gallery as we continue the countdown.

15. Man-Bat

Real Name: Kirk Langstrom

First Appearance: Batman #400 (June 1970)

Man-Bat

Dr. Kirk Langstrom was a scientist who specialized in studying bats.  Due to his increasing deafness, he developed a serum from some of his lab bats that would give humans sonar abilities similar to bats.  After testing the serum on himself he realized that his formula was successful but at the cost that he began to slowly mutate into a large humanoid-like bat.  With the animalistic instincts taking over in Kirk's mind, Man-Bat went on a rampage that caused him to clash with Batman.  Although Batman was able to administer formulate and administer an antidote, Langstrom suspects that an element was missed as this transformation has reoccured.  Batman's worst fear personified, Man-Bat is especially well known for being the first villain to appear the well received Batman the Animated Series.

Recommended Viewing:

• Batman TAS: 101, On Leather Wings

14. Hush

Real Name: Thomas Elliot

First Appearance: Batman #609 (January 2003)

Hush

A successful surgeon and childhood friend of Bruce Wayne, Hush has created some of the most elaborate plans the defeat Batman.  A child-sociopath, Thomas attempted to kill his parents in order to inherit their vast fortune as his father was an abusive drunk and his mother ,who was formerly a prostitute, would only put up with him for his money so that she would not have to return to her old lifestyle.  Thomas's plan backfired as his father was killed but his mother survived and gained control of the fortune and forced him to care for her well into his adulthood.  Because of his distain for his parents and craving for his fortune he envied Bruce Wayne's "luck".  Hush began to try to work his way up in the criminal underworld by teaming up with other villains and planning schemes to take down Batman who he had learned the true identity of.  The most recent villain on the list, Hush is known for always being one step a head of the dark knight and attacking him where it hurts most, his heart.

Recommended Reading:

• Batman: Hush
• Hush Returns
• Heart of Hush

13. Harley Quinn

Real Name: Harleen Francis Quinzel

First Appearance: Batman the Animated Series: Season 1, Episode 22, "Joker's Favor"

First Appearance in Comics: The Batman Adventures #12 (September 1993)

Harley Quinn

Debuting in the cartoon rather than the comics, Harley Quinn was introduced as a comical sidekick and love-interst for the Joker.  Originally a doctor at Arkham Asylum, Dr. Quinzel had become a psychiatrist to discover why her own father had been a con-man.  While working at Arkham she found herself becoming fascinated with the inmate known as the Joker.  She leapt at the opportunity to interview the patient and found that he had had issues with his father as well.  As the Joker opened up to her she found herself become smitten with him and would eventually create the Harley Quinn persona in order to break out the Joker and aid him in his fight against Batman.  Soon after though, she found that everything the Joker had told her was a lie and found herself regularly abused by him.  Though she stills retains feelings for the Joker she has also used her impressive acrobatic and combat skill to to take on solo heists or with her sister-like figure, Poison Ivy, however she always seems to come crawling back to the Joker.

Recommended Viewing:

• TNBA: 121, Mad Love

Recommended Reading:

• Batman Adventures: Mad Love

12. Mr Freeze

Real Name: Victor Fries

First Appearance: Batman #121 (February 1959)

Mr. Freeze

Dr. Fries was an accomplished cryogenic scientist whose wife, Nora, had contracted a rare and fatal disease.  In order to save her Victor had her placed in suspended animation using his cryogenics in order to preserve her while searched for a cure.  However, when the corporation found out that Fries was using their equipment and resources for personal use they tried to shut it down and in the struggle Victor was exposed to his cryogenic chemicals.  His body now requiring sub-zero temperatures in order to stay alive, Victor created a suit that would constantly keep is body at freezing temperatures.  Taking on the name Mr. Freeze, Victor developed a freeze gun and his strength was augmented with his suit.  A tragic villain he know commits crimes in order to gain the money and resources needed to continue researching a cure for Nora.

Recommended Viewing:

• Batman TAS: 114, Heart of Ice

11. Poison Ivy

Real Name: Pamela Lilian Isley

First Appearance: Batman #181 (June 1966)

Poison Ivy

Originally a shy and timid botany student, Pamela Isley was seduced by her professor into what she thought would be assisting him with lab work.  His real plan was to inject her with various altered poisons and toxins from plants in order to study the effect on humans.  The result caused her to go through a transformation that caused her body to be able to secrete toxins derived from plants.  In addition she can also communicate and control plants as well as give off pheromones that can put men under her control.  A prominent eco-terrorist, Poison Ivy's criminal schemes are often aimed at protecting plants and the environment.  She has also been known to team up with as well as give advice to Harley Quinn.

Recommended Viewing

• Batman TAS: 205, House & Garden

Check back tomorrow for picks 10-6.

The Top 25 Batman Villains (20-16)

The Top 25 Batman Villains (20-16)
In addition to a character description, starting today I will add recommended reading for each villain and an occasional episode of "Batman the Animated Series" that showcases the villain.


20. Zsasz
Real Name: Victor Zsasz

Zsasz

First Appearance: Batman: Shadow of the Bat #1 (June 1992)

A man who inherited everything from his wealthy parents after their untimely death, Victor Zsasz soon lost his fortune due to his gambling addiction.  Left completely broke and on the verge of suicide Zsasz realized just how pointless life truly is.  Because of this realization, he took it upon himself to free everyone from that meaninglessness of their lives.  He views himself as a savior to the living and cuts a tally mark into his skin for everyone he kills.  A deranged serial killer, Zsasz is one of the most frighteningly realistic Batman villains.

Recommended Reading:

• Batman: The Last Arkham
• Batman #493 (May 1993)

19. The Ventriloquist and Scarface

The Ventriloquist & Scarface

Real Name: Arnold Wesker

First Appearance: Detective Comics #583 (February 1988)

Arnold Wesker is a timid and soft spoken man with multiple personality disorder.  His second personality, the tough and ruthless Scarface, manifests himself through Arnold's ventriloquist dummy.  This allows both personalities to be active at the same time.  The Scarface personality is often in control and pushing Arnold around.  Scarface has also worked his way up in Gotham's underworld due to his criminal genius for planning heists and leading his gang.  Because of the success of their criminal schemes, his gang members tend not to ask questions about taking orders from a puppet.

Recommended Viewing:

• Batman TAS: 164, Read My Lips

Clayface

18. Clayface

Real Name: Basil Karlo

First Appearance: Detective Comics #40 (June 1940)

Originally an actor who was driven mad by the remake of his most famous movie, Basil Karlo originally became a serial killer in an attempt to halt production.  When more villains under the "Clayface" persona arrived in Gotham, each with clay like bodies that gave them different abilities, Karlo took samples of each's blood in order to give himself all their abilities and become the most powerful and well-known Clayface.  With a malleable body of clay and the ability to shape-shift Basil Karlo only acting roles now are as the people he uses his abilities to impersonate.

Recommended Viewing:

• TNBA: 108, Growing Pains
  

17. The Mad Hatter

The Mad Hatter

Real Name: Jervis Tetch

First Appearance: Batman #49 (October 1948)

A skilled scientist with an obsession for Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, Jervis Tetch discovered a way to create mind control chips that amplify that could be used to place victims under his hypnotic control. Originally using his technology to make his secretary Alice fall in love with him (as he had developed an infatuation for her over the years) although his plan feel apart when Batman freed her from his control.  This caused him to go insane and turn to a life of crime under the persona of the Mad Hatter and implant his chips in different forms of headgear that keep his victims under his control. The most coveted piece of head gear he wants is Batman's distinct cowl.

Recommended Viewing:

• Batman TAS: 127, Mad as a Hatter

16. Killer Croc

Real Name: Waylon Jones

Killer Croc

First Appearance: Batman #358 (April 1983)

Born with an extremely rare medical condition known as Epedermolytic hyperkeratosis that causes his skin to become progressively scaly and his body more reptilian like, Waylon Jones often found himself as the target of ridicule.  Becoming a juvenile delinquent, Waylon eventually found a home as a circus sideshow act wrestling alligators under the name the Killer Croc.  Eventually growing sick of being thought of as a freak, Croc traveled to Gotham City and returned to a life of crime.  It was later revealed that as Croc could recover from severe wounds, more reptilian genes would take over to due so thus causing him to grow more crocodile like.  After being mutated further by the villain Hush, Killer Croc has almost lost all ties to his humanity.

Recommended Viewing:

• Batman TAS: 201, Sideshow

Be sure to check back tomorrow for picks 15-11.

The Top 25 Batman Villains (25-21)

The Top 25 Batman Villains (25-21)
Batman has the best set of villains of any superhero by far...but who are the best of the best.   I'll be counting down my picks for the top 25 in these daily installments.


25. Calendar Man
Real Name: Julian Gregory Day
First Appearance: Detective Comics #259 (September 1958)

Calendar Man

Often considered to be a joke of the villains that plague Gotham City, Julian Day's obsession with dates and holidayrives him to commit crimes that correspond with significant dates.  This also drives him to leave clues that can be used to predict his next crime (similar to the Riddler, but with a gimmick).  He's a brilliant inventor who can build the gadgets he needs to pull off his crimes, however, his crimes are usually petty and absurd he is often regarded as a joke among other criminals of Gotham.  His most famous appearance would most likely be in Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's The Long Halloween and it's sequel Dark Victory.




24. Killer Moth

Killer Moth

Real Name: Drury Walker
First Appearance: Batman #63 (February 1951)

Another criminal regarded as a joke among Batman villains, he is best known for being the villain that triggered the Barbara Gordon's (Commissioner Gordon's daughter) career as Batgirl.  With bizarre bug themed weapons such as a gun that can fire silk strings to incapacitate a foe in a cocoon, or razor-sonar waves projected from his flight suit he commits his crimes while keeping up a persona of a member of Gotham's high society under the alias of Cameron Van Cleer.  He even took on another insect themed villain known as Firefly as an apprentice.

23. Solomon Grundy

Solomon Grundy

Real Name: Cyrus Gold
First Appearance: All-American Comics #61 (October 1944)

Originally starting out as a villain to the original Green Lantern (Alan Scott) this hulking zombie has done battle with several DC superheroes.  Able to match Superman in strength and withstand Green Arrows entire arsenal, Solomon Grundy's most notable battles have often been against the caped crusader, Batman.  Posing a threat that Batman can't hold back against (as if he had a choice) it takes the dark knight to rely on his strongest fighting abilities and gadgets if he has a chance of taking down Grundy.  Solomon Grundy has been enjoying more mainstream popularity after his appearance in the Arkham City video game.

Firefly

22. Firefly
Real Name: Garfield Lynns
 First Appearance:  Detective Comics #184 (June 1952)


A deranged pyromaniac, Garfield Lynns originally became a pyrotechnic in order to hide his sick obsession until the desire became to strong and he began resorting to arson.  After a fire at a chemical plant left him horribly scarred he developed a protective suit of armor, equipped with a flamethrower and jet pack.  Taken under the wing (no pun intended) of the Killer Moth he was trained until Killer Moth realized just how sick Lynns was and began to fear for his health.  Recently, Firefly has been making a name for himself as a henchman of Black Mask.

Deadshot

21. Deadshot
Real Name: Floyd Lawton
First Appearance: Batman #59 (June 1950)

The world's greatest assassin, Deadshot never misses his target.  Originally posing as a new crime-fighter who stopped crooks with elaborate trick shots, he attempted to replace the dynamic duo in Gotham before taking control of Gotham's underworld.  When this plan failed Deadshot began taking jobs as a hit-man for hire.  Though he is a master marksman with virtually any firearm, he prefers to use his twin wrist-mounted silencers to perform his kills as well as the infra-red scope mounted on the right of his mask.  He is currently acting as a member of the Suicide Squad.


Make sure to check back tomorrow for picks 20-16.

Welcome to Talking About Tights

If you know me than you know that I am pretty much obsessive over stuff like comic books and superheroes.  This blog is where I will share my thoughts and ideas on superheroes in the media such as movies or comics.  Essentially these will just be editorials about my hobby and I hope they will get others interested in superhero comics as well.