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.