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.