List of villains in The Batman

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Various villains who have appeared on The Batman. From left to right are: The Riddler, Bane, Poison Ivy, a Riddleman, Black Mask, Man-Bat, Mr. Freeze, Temblor, Spellbinder, Firefly, Ragdoll, Killer Croc, Joker, Harley Quinn, Penguin, the Kabuki Twins, and Cluemaster as seen in Rumors.

The following is a list of the villains who have appeared in the Batman animated series, The Batman , their background in the show and their likely inspirations.


Table of contents

Bane • Black Mask • Catwoman • Clayface I • Clayface II • Cluemaster • D.A.V.E. • Dracula • Everywhere Man • Firefly • Francis Grey • Gearhead • Harley Quinn • Hideto Katsu • Hugo Strange • Joker • The Joker (Vampire) • Kabuki Twins • Killer Croc • Killer Moth • Man-Bat • Maxie Zeus • Mr. Freeze • Number One • Penguin • Poison Ivy • Prank • Punch and Judy • Ragdoll • Rhino & Mugsy • Riddlemen • Riddler • Rumor • Rupert Thorne • Solomon Grundy • Spellbinder • Temblor • Ventriloquist & Scarface • Tony Zucco • Toymaker

See also       References

Bane

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Bane towering over The Batman

Biography

Real name: Unknown

Bane is a South American mercenary. He is said to have undergone experiments in the Amazon. Bane is a match for Batman at first, even breaking a few of his bones and fracturing his arm. Unlike the comics version, he doesn't break Batman's back. Bane was stopped at a bank, where Batman constructed a Bat-Bot that could defeat him. However, before Bane totally destroys Batman and the Bat-Bot, Batman electrocutes the tubes of venom on his body, turning him back to normal.

In Brawn, Bane is mentioned, but not seen when Joker steals his venom. He appears in the Main Title Sequence for seasons 1 and 2 in his Venom-altered "super-form". He also appears, in both his normal form and his Venom-altered "super-form" in the opening credits for the third season. Bane appeared in Team Penguin, offering to take up the invitation to join Penguin's Injustice Gang. However, he was taken down by Batman and his new partner, Robin while robbing a bank.

In Rumors, Bane was captured by Rumor. At the end of the episode, he was set free, only to have his venom system destroyed by Batman and Robin. He is currently locked up in Arkham Asylum.

He also makes a cameo appearance in The Joining: Part Two, helping Gotham PD to take down the alien threat.

Appearances

Powers

Bane's venom gives him enhanced strength and durability. He is an excellent gymnast and is highly intelligent.

Black Mask

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Black Mask

Biography

Real Name: Roman Sionis

Black Mask is a powerful crime boss, who has a vast organization of henchmen (including Number One) working for him. He has managed to steal a powerful shock wave generator, and hold the city ransom. However, Batman stops him from triggering the device, and captures him. Black Mask is held for questioning in Gotham PD, to find out where is the generator, and stop his organization from triggering it again. However, his henchmen manage to break him free from jail. However, Robin and Batgirl managed to battle him and lock him in another jail cell when Batman was captured by the henchmen. Black Mask eventually managed to escape and got on a helicopter to active the generator and destroy Gotham, but was ultimately beaten by the sidekicks, and was once again arrested.

Black Mask made a re-appearance in Rumors. He was knocked unconscious by Robin and was locked up in Arkham.

Influences

His appearance in this episode is similar to the portrayal of The Joker in the 1989 Batman film. Both villains have disfigured faces and are not alone, but have an organization to back them up. In one scene, he stuns his second-in-command for allowing children to slow down his rescue and gives the title of second-in-command to a random grunt, similar to Jack Nicholson's Joker killing Bob the Goon and then instating a henchmen as his "number one guy" because Batman annoyed him. Also, towards the end of the episode he escapes when his henchmen pilot a helicopter towards him, as the Joker's men did.

Appearances

Catwoman

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Catwoman

Biography

Real name: Selina Kyle

Catwoman is a masked thief. Agile, smart, charming and tough. In The Cat and the Bat, she attempts to steal from a yakuza boss named Hideto Katsu, but is caught on security cameras and flees the scene. In a later chase, she is shown to be a rival in hand to hand combat and athletic skills with Batman. The cat thief proved to be skillful enough to beat down the Dark Knight with Agility. She uses this to steal his utility belt. She attempts to steal from the Hideto Katsu again, but is nearly killed by the ninjas he calls over to assist him. However, she and Batman team up to defeat them. In the end, she reluctantly agrees to give back the remote control but escapes the law.

She also reappeared in The Cat, The Bat and the Very Ugly when she teams up with Penguin (reminiscent of Batman Returns). However, the bird boy betrays her with his deadly geishas. Catwoman is cuffed with Batman to stop the infamous criminal Penguin in destroying the Gotham's children Hospital. Despite a good partnership, Catwoman kicks the Dark Knight to steal the feline statue she sought since the beginning.

Ragdolls to Riches, when she and Batman are pitted against Ragdoll and The Laughing Cats, in which she fights Joker. In the end, she didn't manage to steal the emeralds but escapes the law once again leaving Ragdoll to either going to jail or fleeing...

In Rumors, she is captured by Rumor. She was not apprehended, and is still at large.

She is hinted to have a romantic interest with Batman.

Influences

Catwoman, in The Batman, appears to be based on Selina's costume in the comics from 2001 onwards, with a few edits, including a new mask design and new claws. (See the article on Catwoman for more details.]

Appearances

Clayface I Ethan Bennett

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Ethan Bennett
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Clayface

Biography

Real name: Ethan Bennett

Clayface is a shape-shifting villain. His human form, Ethan Bennett, appeared a handful of times in Season One. In The Rubberface of Comedy, the Joker kidnaps Ethan and attempts to drive him insane. However, instead of becoming like the Joker, Bennett appears to be able to retain his sanity, but during a fight with the police, Batman accidentally causes Joker to drop a 'Joker Putty'-squirting gun, whose storage compartment breaks, liberating dark fumes which are inhaled accidentally by Ethan. Later at his apartment, the transformation begins. The following episode shows Ethan attempting to kill Chief Rojas, but during a fight at the gym, he melts away. He is seen at the end of the episode, before disappearing again.

In Meltdown, he is finally captured. At his trial, Ellen Yin, Bruce Wayne and even Dr. Hugo Strange decide to give Ethan therapy. However, when Joker pops up, he continues to turn into Clayface. At the end of the episode, he is defeated again, but before he tells Yin that she will never see Ethan Bennett again. He also appeared in Grundy's Night, where he poses as Solomon Grundy to steal money, but during a fight at the wax museum, he is encased in wax. He finally gives up his criminal ways in Clayfaces, and he is cured from his Clayface condition.

In Artifacts, it revealed that he would rejoin the force and becomes the chief of police, with Yin as the commissioner on the year 2027.

Influences

The decision to make Clayface in this continuity a friend of Bruce Wayne could be based on the character Two-Face, who was originally an ally of Batman before half of his face was scarred, driving him insane. It is also noteworthy that this incarnation of Clayface actually sports powers vastly superior to the anterior version, even capable of forming a crossbow and shooting bolts made of its own clay body, or to transform its arms into wings and fly, in addition to its mass regeneration powers and increased liquidity. Additionally, his clay body does not absorb water, allowing him to resist the impact of rain or small amounts of the liquid, provided it is not delivered at an extremely high pressure, and even then he shall not melt nor lose stability, allowing him to reconstruct himself if blasted down by water.

Appearances

As Ethan Bennett:

As Clayface:

Clayface II

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Clayface II

Biography

Real Name: Basil Karlo

Basil Karlo was originally an amateur, ugly actor with poor acting skills. He was only in one low-budget B-movie, Revenge of the Atomic Clone. When he was turned down from a dog food commercial, Karlo stole a concentrated Clayface formula from the laboratory where the anti-Clayface formula was being developed, and drank it, thinking it would enhance his acting skills. When he gained shapeshifting abilities, he tried to audition again for the commercial as a tall, strong male lead, but failed. Angrily, Karlo attacked the auditioners, nearly killing them in the form of a wolf. When he was identified as a new Clayface, he became addicted to his new fame, and went on a criminal rampage, always hoping to get more and more of the media's attention, even trying to kill Batman to infuse his name with permanent fame. It finally took Batman, Robin, and the original Clayface, Ethan Bennett, to defeat him.

Karlo and Bennett took a dose from a Clayface cure. However, while Bennett was "cured", Karlo discovered in Arkham that he still has his Clayface abilities. It is noteworthy to mention, aside from that, that Karlo has even greater powers than the first Clayface, effectively marking him as the most powerful Clayface to ever be depicted in animation. His powers are so advanced, he can tear bank vaults off of their hinges by sheer brutal force with a sole clay hook, his constructs are far more perfect than Bennett's (though his poor acting skills tend to give him away), can generate massive waves of weapons from his body, can grow in size to become a behemoth threat, and his weapons are more advanced than Bennett's, allowing him to create weapons so advanced as massive rotating drills and other deadly and destructive weapons.

He was one of the few villains not captured by Rumor. Despite being locked up in Arkham, Clayface II still has his shape-shifting powers

Appearances

Cluemaster

Cluemaster

Biography

Real name: Arthur 'Artie' Brown

Cluemaster is a question-themed villain. This version of Cluemaster, instead of being a children's game show host, is one of the contestants. Apparently living with his mother, for twelve weeks he was the champion on 'Think, Thank, Thunk'. However, he was beaten and claimed that the host and the producer had rigged his defeat. He kidnapped them and staged a version of 'Think, Thank, Thunk' in which the losers would be dunked in acid. However, he was defeated by Batman when he caused his over-weight body to collapse onto the floor, knocking him out.

He also makes a cameo in Rumors. He was finally arrested at the end of the episode.

Influences

Cluemaster here is similar to Oogie Boogie, the main villain in The Nightmare Before Christmas. Glenn Shadix appeared in that film in another role, the Mayor of Halloween Town.

Appearances

D.A.V.E.

Biography

D.A.V.E., an acronym for "Digitally Advanced Villain Emulator" was created by Professor Hugo Strange. It is an artificial intelligence program with the brain patterns of several Gotham villains, including Strange himself. Bennett previously voiced H.A.R.D.A.C., the insane HAL-inspired computer villain from Batman: The Animated Series. The idea behind D.A.V.E. was likely inspired by the 1995 film Virtuosity, which featured a computerized villain whose mind was created from the personalities of criminals and murderers.

D.A.V.E. was crushed at the end of the episode listed below-though a new D.A.V.E. has surfaced in the series' comic book conunterpart, The Batman: Strikes!

Appearances

Dracula

Biography

Real name: N/A (possibly Vlad III the Impaler).

A murderous immortal creature who resided in Transylvania. After causing a series of mayhems on London in a failed plot of spreading a plague thoughout the city, Professor Abraham Van Helsing led a group of vampire hunters made up of one of Dracula's victims Lucy Westenra's friends: Jonathan Harker, Wilhelmina "Mina" Murray, Arthur Holmwood, Quincey Morris, and Van Helsing's own student Dr. John Seward. They chased the vampire from England to his native land. Count Dracula was killed while sleeping in his coffin one night by the villagers led by the professor in the town. Driving a stake through his heart, Dracula perished.

His body was shipped far away from Transylvania and buried in Gotham Cemetery. His legends live on through Irish writer Bram Stoker, who wrote a book based of the accounts of Lucy's friends and the vampire's victims, which would leads to a series of theatrical and film interpretations throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. His corpse and heart shriveled up, but the ability for him to come back was always there, if someone gave him just a single drop of blood.

The blood that revived Dracula came from The Penguin. Accidentally cutting himself on his umbrella knife, Penguin dripped his blood onto Dracula’s shriveled corpse. The blood hit the heart and Dracula’s body immediately began to regenerate. After sucking the blood from a nearby cemetery guard, Dracula recruited Penguin to be his “tomb keeper” while he slept during the day. Penguin resisted at first, but after being put under Dracula’s mind control, he was forced to accept.

Dracula became infatuated with the man known as ‘The Batman.’ Thinking that his legacy had gone on long after his death, Dracula eventually confronted The Batman and asked him to join his side to take over Gotham City. The Batman refused and Dracula had nearly killed The Batman before the sun came up and started to burn Dracula’s skin.

Dracula also became obsessed with bringing his dead wife back from the dead. Using the body and life force from Gotham City star reporter Vicki Vale, Dracula nearly succeeded in bringing back his dead wife with her cremated remains. The Batman intervened after defeating Dracula’s minions, known as the “Lost Ones” by injecting them with a serum that counteract the vampiric virus in their system that turned them back to normal, and interrupted the process by throwing his garlic bombs, bringing the life back into Vicki and allowing her to escape from Dracula’s clutches.

Dracula had a final showdown with The Batman, which eventually led them to the Batcave. After being nearly killed and Alfred knocked out, The Batman was able to turn on his prototype device that stored energy from the sun. Dracula had seen the device before at Bruce Wayne's corporate party, and realized that his enemy and the young billionaire are the same man, and Wayne was leading him to a trap. Dracula was caught in the beam of light and his flesh and blood was burned. The Batman delivered a final blow to Dracula that sent his bones scattering around the Batcave, ending Dracula once and for all. Alfred has swept his remains to a dustbin.

Influences

While Dracula is a character of the classic horror genre and not usually associated with Batman, the idea of the two fighting has been explored in two unofficial films before The Batman vs. Dracula, "Batman Fights Dracula" and Andy Warhol's "Batman Dracula", as well as DC Comics' Elseworlds graphic novel trilogy Batman & Dracula: Red Rain, Batman: Bloodstorm, and Batman: Crimson Mist.

Appearances

Everywhere Man

Biography

Real name: John Marlowe

John Marlowe, a rich friend of Bruce Wayne's, has spent years in his lab. Suddenly, he bursts onto the scene as a social person, throwing a lavish party to show off his art collection. A man in an orange white-striped suit, calling himself the Everywhere Man, comes and tries to steal Marlowe's art, but is chased by Marlowe and Batman into a closet, where he disappears. The next day there is a robbery at the Gotham Art Museum, but again nothing is stolen and Everywhere Man disappears. Finding Marlowe's DNA, Batman begins to suspect his friend and heads to his penthouse to check it out, and discovers several men wearing the Everywhere Man outfit, all looking like Marlowe. It is discovered while Marlowe was studying quantum physics, he developed a product called a "quantex," which could make copies of a person or object. Marlowe made a copy of himself to aid his research, but the copy rebelled and kept him captive, while the copy took over Marlowe's life. It is revealed all the copies can make copies of themselves, and each copy is more rebellious than the one that created it. Robin frees the real Marlowe, and with his help, they defeat the Everywhere Men and delete the fake Marlowe.

Influence

Everywhere Man shares several similarities with the original comic interpretation of Spellbinder. Both villains have a keen interest in art and wear predominantly orange costumes (in the comics Spellbinder's costume was orange and yellow as well as having some strange optical design meant to hypnotize). Both villains also used a type of illusions (Everywhere Man had quantum clones, Spellbinder could hypnotize Batman to see what was not there).

Appearances

Firefly

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Firefly

Biography

Real name: Garfield Lynns

Firefly is a work for hire arsonist who uses laser technology to commit his crimes. He was hired to take down the companies of the enemies of Gothcorps so Gothcorps could fund the children's hospital, but was discovered and defeated by Batman.

In Fire and Ice, he teamed up with Mr. Freeze to ice over Gotham, but their rivalry led to them being defeated by each other.

Firefly reappeared in Team Penguin, as a member of Team Penguin, but, like the other members, was defeated.

In Rumors, Firefly was captured by Rumor. He was frozen and arrested.

Appearances

Francis Grey

Biography

Francis Grey was once a man who had a terrible life. He couldn't pay his bills and he felt that his family was slipping away. He decided to try to steal a valuable clock at his job, but ended up activating the alarm and through a series of unfortunate events which he bumped into a nearby policeman, caused the hot dog stand to roll out into the street resulting in a massive car crash, a power outage, and a tanker truck exploding. It was the one mistake he wished he could change. As he spent his time in prison, he fixed clocks for the guards. Fed up with it, he went into an outburst that stopped all of the clocks. He realized he could change time, but only for a few seconds. His release allowed him to try and make a machine that would allow him to travel back 20 years, but he ended up running into the Batman. He revealed that he would rather let all of Gotham pay, and released a deadly gas bomb that killed everyone in Gotham...Batman had known that this would occur because of the déjà vu he was getting. Batgirl managed to bring Francis's son along, only for Francis to watch him die. As he cradled his body in his arms, time went back to twenty years. He ended up not stealing the clock, and ended up living a happy life as a clock repair man with his son.

Appearances

Gearhead

Gearhead

Biography

Real name: Nathan Finch

This show's version of Gearhead is able to convert any kind of vehicle (motorcycle, car, anything with wheels) into a high-speed machine for his personal use. His gear is made up of nanotechnology which allows him to convert and move the matter around him, forming the shape and style of vehicle he wants.

Gearhead was stopped by Batman and Batgirl after he tried to jack Batman’s new Batmobile. Unfortunately for Gearhead, the new Batmobile came with nano-defense technology, electrocuting Gearhead and shorting him out.

It is unknown where he got his powers or if he has the same name as the comics version.

Gearhead later made a brief appearance in the episode "Rumors" inside one of Rumor's cell while the cells were opening up.

Appearances

Harley Quinn

File:Harley Quinn (The Batman).jpg
Harley Quinn

Biography

Real name: Dr. Harleen Quinzel

Harleen Quinzel was a famous phone-in psychiatrist who hosted the show "Heart-to-Heart with Harley". She would talk to people about their love life, but was threatened by a mother when she told her daughter to go against her wishes. The company threatened to pull the plug on Harley's show, but she had other plans. When Bruce Wayne arrived to talk about his charity, Harley attempted to humiliate him by bringing in one of his dates. All while the Joker, who was a fan of the show because of Harley's quirkyness and obvious fraudulence, called up under the name Mr. J, and got to voice his opinion. The company cut Harley's show, and she resigned to her apartment. The Joker, whose henchmen had recently been arrested, decided to make her his new assistant. He visited her house and she willingly followed him to his lair. She revealed that a nutcase like the Joker would be a perfect chance to restart her career and write a book. Joker didn't like the idea, but when he sicked his hyenas on Harley, she just yelled at them to sit. After a little "therapy time", Joker gave Harley a new outfit representing a harlequin. They spent a romantic bombing spree together, but were almost stopped by the Batman. In the morning, Harley was furious when she found out that another psychiatrist was planning a special show that would air at the time and channel when her valentine special would have. She was even angrier when she found out that the analysis was on her descent from fraudulent program into criminal madness. She and Joker crashed the show and Harley attempted to take revenge. Batman showed up and the building began to burn. Joker ran off with the hyenas, leaving Harley to her fate. She was saved, but realized that perhaps it wasn't a good idea to be with the Joker. But as she got into the police car, the officer sat on a whoopie cushion. He pulled it out to reveal that Mr. J had made his mark on Harley. She began laughing hysterically, perhaps destroying any possibility of her becoming sane ever again.

In Rumors, she was captured by Rumor and was arrested as well along with Joker.

Influences

Harley did not appear in the comic book to begin with, but the animated series. This version of Harley hasn't changed much from the original, and she even sports the same Queens accent. The hyenas also make a return from the original, and she drops a few lines from the original series, such as "puddin". Also, Hynden Walch, Harley Quinn's voice actress, has a similar voice to Arleen Sorkin's, who was the first woman to voice Harley in Batman: The Animated Series. She also remains an excellent gymnast and has proven herself to be quite skilled in close combat situations.

Appearances

Hideto Katsu

Biography

Hideto Katsu moved from the Orient to Gotham in order to make a living. He was known for being the owner of a valuable Oriental Palace. After Catwoman stole from him, Katsu wanted to have his Yakuza gang kill her the next time she stole from him. Catwoman then came back for another theft. Batman arrived as well and the two took out Katsu's gang as well as Katsu.

It is unknown if Katsu will ever return to the series.

Appearances

Hugo Strange

Biography

Real name: Hugo Strange

The morally ambiguous head chief of Psychiatry at Arkham Asylum, who is driven by his keen interest of the criminal mind.

A psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum, Professor Hugo Strange has an interest in the minds of the psychopaths that fill the cells in Arkham. Strange testified at Ethan Bennett's, aka Clayface, court date, giving Ethan a clean bill of health for his mental stasis. The mad psychiatrist intended to "test" Bennett's mental affliction.

Although he claims to want to help the inmates at Arkham Asylum, Hugo Strange seems more bent on finding out how the criminal mind works, rather than simply curing it.

When the Joker kidnapped Ellen Yin and was then shortly arrested after by the Batman, the GCPD had to locate where the detective was abducted. The police authorized Professor Strange to use his brain machine to infiltrate the Joker's mind in order to find the location. It was clear by the end Strange never wanted to rescue "Yin" but to explore the psychotic clown's past and tumors. In the end of the episode, Strange records that he got what he wanted with Joker.

After being "cured" of his affliction by Professor Hugo Strange, Arnold Wesker was able to resume his life in the real world. Despite being successful in his new life, Professor Hugo Strange wished to "test" his criminal therapy and gave the Scarface puppet back to Wesker, causing him to fold and resume being Wesker and Scarface.

In Gotham's Ultimate Criminal Mastermind, Prof. Strange creates D.A.V.E., an A.I. program made with the brain patterns of several Gotham villains, including himself. When D.A.V.E. proceeded to escape and Strange was discovered to have preprogrammed and allowed it, he was determined to be insane and was incarcerated in Arkham. He said at the end of that episode that Batman may thinks that he has defeated the Gotham's Ultimate Criminal Mastermind but he must think again, stating that he thinks himself as the Ultimate Criminal Mastermind.

In Strange New World, he made plans to turn all of Gotham, bar himself, into zombies who obey his every command. He was barely stopped in time and moved to maximal security if not he had escaped Arkham Asylum.

In Rumors, Hugo Strange is abducted by the hateful Rumor who wants to get rid of crime by executing them all. The mad psychiatrist requested a dead man favor in asking Rumor why is he seeking to punish criminals. The sinister self vigilante retorked that his boss Paul Karen is a good man but was wounded critically by the Joker. Batman had a chance to eliminate villains but was following his code of ethics so he couldn't do what was necessary. Strange easily mocked Mario in saying that the bodyguard was not vigilante of justicer but only an emotionnal man who tried to undo his failure of protecting his boss from his accident at the hands of the Joker. By the end of the episode, only Professor Strange and Catwoman remained at large.

Appearances

Joker

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Joker

Biography

Real name: Unknown

The arch nemesis of The Batman, Joker is a maniacal harlequin whose bizarre appearance and unnerving instinct for the absurd have earned him a reputation as "the most dangerous criminal in the annals of crime." For Joker, each transgression he commits is an elaborate joke in which he tries to leave his victims dying with laughter - literally. More than any other enemy, Joker becomes inextricably linked to The Batman, as the crazed clown's plots begin to take increasingly more personal tolls on the crime fighter. The Joker is the most inhumane of Batman's foes.

"All it takes is one rotten day to transform a normal man into a monster! ...Well, in my case, a rotten day and a chemical bath."

Wanting nothing more than to make people laugh while he was still sane, Joker was born when he fell into a vat of chemicals. Rising out of the vat, he was transformed into the insane, laughing and white-skinned clown that's a constant thorn in Batman's side. Joker's weapons include a set of razor-sharp playing cards, smilex a laughing gas that infects his victims with a ghastly grin similar to his, and an exploding jack-in-the-box. He is highly agile, extremely intelligent and inhumanly cruel, and was often accompanied by his two goons, Punch and Judy. After their arrest, he got a new partner-the maniacally happy Harley Quinn.

The origin of the Joker in this series seems to be the same as the The Killing Joke, (The joker was even wearing red clothes in the flashback possibly referencing the Red Hood) though it is unknown however if Batman was present.


Appearances

Kabuki Twins

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The Kabuki twins
  • Voice Actor: The Kabuki Twins have no lines.

Biography

Real names: Unknown

The Kabuki Twins are the Penguin's assistants. Not much is known about them besides they do not speak and that they are talented as fighters. They use their blade-fingers to attack and block, as well as to climb etc. When they are not fighting, they cloak their red skin-tight costumes with green ceremonial robes similar to that of a kabuki fashion, along with black wigs. Their faces are always hidden behind two white masks. Their origin, like them, is a mystery.

Appearances

Killer Croc

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Killer Croc

Biography

Real name: Waylon Jones

Half-man, half-crocodile, his true origin is that he is an ex-military man changed by genetic experiments, Killer Croc is a virtual powerhouse. With the strength of a crocodile (and a tail to boot), Croc is able to chomp and swim his way around Gotham.

Killer Croc wants to submerge all of Gotham in water in order to facilitate his plundering of the city. He recruited three robbers as his henchmen.

After flooding the city so it's banks were easy to pillage, Croc was eventually taken down by The Batman. Though the battle was lengthy, The Batman exploited Killer Croc's weakness for air underwater and half-drowned him, depriving him of oxygen and putting him in an unconscious state enough to get him and his henchmen arrested.

In Team Penguin, he joined Team Penguin, but was defeated along with the other members. He was arrested in Rumors.

Appearances

Killer Moth

Killer Moth

Biography

Real name: Drury Walker

Killer Moth started out as a wimpy wannabe. He first joined Penguin's Injustice Gang, in order to prove himself worthy of being a villain, and to serve his idol, Penguin. However, because of his geeky, wimpy and gullible nature, he was usually picked on, teased, and even only being accepted to the gang only to serve as a "Coffee Boy." However, when he and his pet moths were exposed to an unstable chemical the gang had stolen, he mutated into a cocoon, and eventually, was turned into a powerful, gigantic moth monster. However, even if terrorizing the rest of the gang, he still had his wimpy personality, and was still bossed around by Penguin. Killer Moth was taken down by Batgirl and Robin.

In Rumors, Batman mentions Rumor kidnapped him along with Firefly, but he never actually appears.

Appearances

Man-Bat

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Man-Bat

Biography

Real name: Dr. Kirk Langstrom

In an effort to become the ultimate "Bat" in Gotham, Dr. Langstrom began working on a mutative serum that would transform him into the extremely powerful and evil Man-Bat. The Man-Bat wreaked havoc throughout Gotham, but was eventually apprehended when his serum wore off. He was left serving time in Arkham. Later, the Penguin stole a sonic device to control birds, which in fact turned out to control bats. Activating it, the remnans of Langstrom's serum within his system kicked in, again forcing him into Man-Bat. Langstrom worked unwillingly with Penguin until Batman managed to duplicate Penguin's sonic control. As of the Rumor incident, he was seen again as Man-Bat, hinting at the probability he might have finished his work and become Man-Bat permanently.

When transformed into Man-Bat, Langstrom has increased strength, a sticky mucus that binds specific areas on the victim, razor-sharp claws, a thirst for blood (his first foray into Man-Bat led him to the Gotham Zoo, where he sucked the blood out of a goat), and sees via the means of echolocation. While the world looks solely black-and-white to him, objects emitting heat will show up as solid white.

Appearances

Maxie Zeus

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The two looks of Maxie Zeus as seen on The Batman.

Biography

Real name: Maximillion Zeus

Despite it looking like Maximillian Zeus would defeat Mayor Grange in the next election, after Zeus unveiled some questionable tactics that he would employ should he become mayor of Gotham (gladiator style police force and other Roman inspired politics), Grange won in a landslide vote. Not wanting to see his metropolis of a city "fall", Zeus overtook Gotham with his aerial fortress, The New Olympus. Batgirl intervened along with Batman and together they took out Zeus and his fortress.

Appearances

Mr. Freeze

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Mr. Freeze
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The future Mr. Freeze as seen in "Artifacts".

Biography

Real Name: Victor Fries

Mr. Freeze is a villain who uses his ice technology as a means of stealing the objects of his passion: the rarest, most valuable diamonds. Formerly Victor Fries, Mr. Freeze is a ruthless criminal who The Batman thought had met his demise in a cryogenics accident which instead left him in some sort of undead state in which he freezes everything he comes into contact with. Batman required a special Arctic batsuit to defeat him in his debut episode The Big Chill.

Mr. Freeze reappeared in an alliance with Firefly in Fire and Ice, but their rivalry caused both Freeze and Firefly to be defeated.

Freeze appeared in an attempt to steal valuable diamonds in The Icy Depths, but like Penguin, he was defeated.

In Artifacts, he is the only future villain the audience sees, now inside a larger suit, the "Deep Freeze 2.0", which is bigger, has more ice creating abilities, and a larger dome, with glass only penetrable by his love - diamonds. The new suit is also equipped with flame-proof cybernetics and a shatter-proof internal liquid nitrogen supply. He is also seen with spider-like legs for a lower torso when he crawled outside of his suit after his defeat, and froze himself (again) in the hopes someone would revive him in the "Bat-free future".

In "Rumors," he is among the villains captured by Rumor. In the battle against Batman, he accidentally froze some of the other villains.

In "The Joining: Part Two," he is seen helping Gotham PD defend the city against the alien race, saving Commissioner Gordon's life in the process.

Appearances

Number One

Biography

Number One was second-in-command of Black Mask's crime organization. After Black Mask was locked up, Number One managed to capture the Batman and take away his utility belt. Number One led Black Mask's henchmen during an attempt to free him. After breaking Black Mask free, Black Mask congratulated Number One and later took out a gun from Number One's coat and shocked him. Black Mask later chose one of his henchmen at random and decided to make him the new Number One.

Influences

The character seems to be an animated version of Bob the Goon from the 1989 Batman film, similar to the new interpretation of his boss. Aside form a similar role in the story, both have long hair and are seen with some sort of eyewear (sunglasses for Bob, hi-tech goggles for Number One).

Appearances

Penguin

File:TBPenguin.jpg
Penguin

Biography

Real name: Oswald Cobblepot

Oswald Cobblepot, like Bruce, is an ostensible billionaire in his 20s – but the similarities stop there. Unlike Bruce, "Ozzy" is rude, selfish, arrogant and homely as well as being a grotesque penguin-bodied character. While Gotham’s other villains may have it out for the Batman, the Penguin is unique in that his scorn is often directed at Bruce Wayne, who serves as a constant reminder of everything he is not. Employing the use of highly trained birds and an arsenal of deadly umbrellas, as well as two faithful Kabuki assistants, he is determined to rebuild the Cobblepot fortune by criminal means.

On top of attempting to kill Alfred after their first meeting, Penguin declared revenge on both The Batman and Bruce Wayne. Despising Wayne's pretty boy image, Penguin went to the manor in an effort to get rid of Wayne once and for all. The Batman interfered with Penguin's plans ("How'd you find me this time?!" "It's what I do") and eventually returned Penguin to jail once again.

Upon escaping, Penguin teamed up with Catwoman in an effort to steal two powerful, ancient Egyptian statues that give the holder the ability to expel and use the power of light. Double-crossing Catwoman, Penguin stole both statues, hand-cuffed The Batman and Catwoman, and fled. Though he attempted to destroy Gotham, Penguin was unsuccessful, as the team he created was too deadly for both his Kabuki Twins and Penguin to fight.

In Team Penguin, Penguin gets the idea to form a team of super-villains from a movie in order to "clip the Bat-jerk's wings". However, this only resulted in him sitting back while ordering his "team-mates" around, and snapping at them whenever they suggested a different name.

Influences

The appearance of the Penguin in this continuity is a younger version of the deformed look created in Tim Burton's Batman Returns. His irritable, rude personality is in direct contrast to his personality in the previous Batman animated series.

Appearances

Poison Ivy

File:PoisonI.jpg
Poison Ivy with her new hairstyle

Biography

Real name: Pamela Lillian Isley

Pamela Isley is a charming, clever and quick-tempered schemer, known to go to extreme measures to get her environmental messages heard. After a tragic accident transforms her into the evil half-human/half-plant that she names Poison Ivy, she is able to control anyone who gets a whiff of her plant pheromone 'spores.'

Pamela Isley is still a high school student and obsessed with plants. Anything or anyone that harms Mother Nature is an enemy to Pamela.

In order to carry out her plans against the industries that are harming plants in Gotham City, Isley hires Temblor to do her dirty work (since Isley running around with her friend, Barbara Gordon, would certainly turn too many heads). After Temblor’s payment for his jobs doesn’t come through and he learns his “boss” is really a teenage girl using a voice scrambler, he attempts to get rid of the annoyance in his life.

During the fight, The Batman shows up to detain Temblor, but before he can completely save her, Isley is exposed to a powerful dosage of plant growth accelerator (“Chloro-Mulch”) and her transformation to Poison Ivy begins.

For her first act, Ivy captures Commissioner Gordon and attempts to take his life; before she can, The Batman shows up. She quickly puts him under her control with a mind-controlling dust. Batgirl shows up to help free Gordon but finds herself overpowered by The Batman and Poison Ivy; despite this, Batgirl's able to snap The Batman out of the mind control and together they take down Ivy. She had a cameo appearance in"Rumours".

Appearances

Prank

Biography

Real name: Donnie

Prank was once known as Donnie, a prankster and a classmate of Barbara Gordon, A.K.A. Batgirl. He was unhappy that people didn't like his jokes and pranks. One day, he saw the Joker at a comedy club, where he was offered the chance to join the archcriminal's crew (Joker at the time was jealous at Batman for having a sidekick during his attack on Mayor Grange during a city cookout). He thought it over and, after he and Joker pranked the school principal (by putting him to a flag pole), decided to take the Joker's offer. He was put in a costume and renamed "Prank". After refusing to kill Batgirl after a confrontation with Batman, Donnie was taken by the disappointed Joker to the chemical plant where the latter was disfigured by falling into a vat of chemicals. Joker tried to put him in the vat, but he was saved by Batman. Donnie took Joker out with Joker's own popping fist gun. It is yet to be seen as to if he will return to the series.

Inspirations

Prank might have been inspired by a villainous sidekick of the same name from the Flash television series of the early 1990s. This Prank was female and sidekick to the Trickster, played by Mark Hamill. Hamill portrayed the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series.

Prank also may have been inspired by Jordan Hill, a boy who befriended the Joker in the episode Be A Clown from Batman: The Animated Series.

Prank may have been put in the show to make people comfortable with the idea of Harley Quinn coming into the show in Season 4.

Appearances

Punch and Judy

  • Voice Actor: Punch and Judy have no lines

Biography

Joker's two henchmen, Punch and Judy are oversized versions of their nursery rhyme counterparts. Though tough, the two were no much for The Batman, who quickly outsmarted them both into hitting each other with pieces of wood. When Punch and Judy were taken into custody, Joker got Harley Quinn as his partner.

Appearances

  • The Rubberface of Comedy
  • JTV
  • Night and the City
  • The Laughing Cats
  • The Apprentice
  • Clayfaces (they were really Clayface in disguise)
  • Two of a Kind
  • Rumors

Ragdoll

File:TB-RD.JPG
Ragdoll

Biography

Real name: Peter Merkel

A master thief and triple-jointed contortionist, capable of bending his body in all sorts of impossible ways.

Able to bend himself in every imaginable (and even some unimaginable) positions, Ragdoll is a formidable opponent for The Batman, but an even bigger adversary of Catwoman. While Catwoman's interests are merely in cat-related fare, Ragdoll's interests lay wherever the money is. To Catwoman's dismay, this is also in rare cat-items: vintage animation cells, priceless artifacts and the main jewel of their battle, two 'Cat's Eyes' emeralds, hidden in a Gotham Clock Tower by a mobster in the 1930s. Though never found, it was enough to pique the interest of Ragdoll and Catwoman, falling into a trap set by The Batman.

After a lengthy and spectacular battle, Ragdoll went to Arkham empty handed, Catwoman back home and The Batman (and Bruce Wayne) with two newly found emeralds. Ragdoll later turned up in Team Penguin, as a member of Penguin's Injustice Gang, but was defeated like the other members.

Appearances

Rhino & Mugsy

Biography

Rhino & Mugsy are two thugs who work as henchmen for the Ventriloquist & Scarface.

Appearances

  • The Big Dummy
  • A Fistful of Felt

Riddlemen

Biography

The Riddlemen are the henchmen of the Riddler.

Appearances

  • Riddled
  • Night and the City
  • Riddler's Revenge
  • Rumors

Riddler

The Riddler

Biography

Real name: Edward Nigma

Edward Nigma was fond of puzzles ever since he was a boy, but his father teased him and wanted him to go out for sports.

Eventually Edward grew tired of this life and got a job at a university. Together with another scientist, Julie, they created a memory module device that enabled the user to remember things they may otherwise forget. When enabled, the device would allow the wearer to read books at superspeed and not forget a single bit of information--when they needed to recall what it was they read, a remote could enable the device to recall what the user had just read.

The demonstration to the dean of the University was a rousing success, but Gorman, a man who kept attempting to steal the fruits of Edward Nygma's labour, constantly pitching a partnership between the two of them in order to capitalise on Nygma's genius and get himself in on the profits sabotaged it, or so Edward thought. After getting Eddie fired from the university which was funding him research, Nygma broke into Gorman's house and tried to play a deadly game of Q&A before The Batman rushed to Gorman's rescue. It was in this encounter with The Batman that Edward knew he needed more of a challenge and he found it in The Batman.

Donning The Riddler persona in his debut episode, Riddler is able to stump and confound almost everyone in Gotham--everyone except The Batman. Knowing that he would be helping Detective Ellen Yin to discover his riddles, Riddler moved them across the city, stopping his containers of "explosives." The explosives, in reality, turned out to be nothing more than gelatin dessert. Upon discovering this, The Batman and Ellen discovered that inside Riddler's clues he left other riddles to his real plans; to steal the information in the city's archive and use it to wreak havoc on Gotham. Chasing Riddler down, they found him at the site of where the original clue was given.

Later, the Riddler participated in a three-way turf war between himself, Joker, and Penguin. Riddler made his mark with giant green lights on several buildings that were placed in a pattern resembling question marks, much like Joker had covered the buildings with a bleach-white powder called "Joker White" and the Penguin had spray-painted trails of jet-black paint.

All three villains agreed that the title to be "king of Gotham" would go to the one who could capture and unmask the Batman, and Riddler threw off the Gotham police (who were also hunting for Batman) by turning out all the lights in the warehouse that Batman was in, then sending a train (under his control) to cut off the police cars from chasing the Batmobile.

Riddler managed to stop Joker & Penguins' minions by opening a drawbridge that the Batmobile barely crossed, but the two themselves were not deterred. Meanwhile, Riddler created a false signal via a transmitter to lure Batman and detective Yin into another warehouse, with hopes of capturing them in a small rocket pod and delivering them to his hideout-an oil drilling platform in Gotham bay.

However, Riddler accidentally captured Joker & Penguin instead, and the two proceeded to beat Riddler's minions to a pulp. Meanwhile, Batman arrived and managed to defeat all three.

Sometime later, Riddler's latest attempt on Gorman's life as he attempted to blow up a boat full of his inventions that Gorman 'stole' from him, hoping to finally exact his revenge on the executive failed once again due to The Batman and the two were trapped in the explosion of Gorman's shipping boat. Gorman escaped the boat in time before setting off the charges himself with Riddler's stolen cane. It is unknown if Gorman survived afterwards, however, as when Riddler's henchmen The Riddlemen come to pick Riddler up from his location in Gotham Harbor, they give Riddler his cane--whether this is the same one that Gorman took is unknown. If it is, however, it seems Riddler's henchmen may have exacted his revenge for him.

Riddler later found out, with the help of Batman, that the real saboteur the day of the demonstration with the memory module was really Julie and not Gorman. Riddler's own desire to be with Julie had clouded his judgment on this matter and he attempted to kill Julie as well before Batman and Robin intervened.

Though brilliant, Riddler is also sick and twisted. With his inability to not give riddles about everything he does, he always leaves that as a weak spot for The Batman to exploit.

Appearances

Rumor

File:Rumor.jpg
Rumor

Biography

Real Name: Mario

When villains were disappearing all over Gotham, Batman decided to investigate. He found out that an inventor named Paul Karon had broken his legs after an attack by Joker, and was using an exoskeleton to support himself. The person who had captured the villains was reported as being metallic, so Batman suspected him. It turned out that it was actually Paul's bodyguard, Mario. The latter wanted to kill all of Gotham's villains so that he could erase his failure of saving his employer. Rumor was obsessed by that failure that he wanted all criminals to be punished. Just as he was about to execute them all, Batman and Robin showed up, and battled and defeated Rumor, only for every imprisoned villain to be released to exact their revenge on Rumor. Batman and Robin fought against almost every villain they ever faced, until they were all rounded up and jailed, along with Rumor.

Appearances

Rupert Thorne

Biography

Rupert Thorne, a Gotham Mob boss, was a major threat to the city. However, The Batman tracked down Thorne and then took out his henchmen, before capturing Thorne and handing him over to the police.

However, he recently has appeared to have got out of prison since he made a cameo appearance at the Ice Pick Club when Batman was looking for Tony Zucco's location.

He made a cameo is "Rumors" where he was one of Rumors victims and was later put in jail after the villains were defeated.

Appearances

Solomon Grundy

Solomon Grundy

Biography

A 150 year old zombie who haunts the architects of Gotham. It was later found out that Grundy was just being impersonated by Clayface. However, at the end of the episode, a loud growl is heard from within Gotham Swamp. This leads to the assumption that the real Solomon Grundy is still there, although he is not seen.

Appearances

Spellbinder

File:TB-SP.JPG
Spellbinder

Biography

Real name: Delbert Billings

In this show, Spellbinder is a three-eyed mystic with the ability to induce hypnotic visions in whomever he chooses.

Able to induce realistic, in both sight and feeling, hallucinations into his victims, Spellbinder is capable of doing this because he possesses a "third eye." Bruce Wayne explained it to Alfred...

"During my studies in the Far East, I learned of a remote temple, whose monks performed a particularly intense form of meditation, believed to lead to that which only a few could achieve--the mystic power of the third eye. A state of awareness so pure or potent, one could project ones visions into reality."

Possessing the power of the third eye and a criminal mind, Spellbinder controlled Gotham's wealthy into giving up their prized possessions. When he attempted to steal a rare gem that would strengthen his spells, Spellbinder was stopped by The Batman. Despite a difficult fight against Spellbinder's tricks, The Batman was able to escape them with his mind. With a well placed punch, The Batman knocked Spellbinder out cold.

Appearances

Temblor

Biography

Real name: Unknown

Temblor is large and tough and combined with his gloves which emit high powered blasts that can rip, tear and take down anything, he’s a force to be reckoned with.

In order to carry out her plans against the industries that are harming plants in Gotham City, Pamela Isely hires Temblor to do her dirty work. After Temblor’s payment for his jobs doesn’t come through and he learns his “boss” is really a teenage girl using a voice scrambler, he attempts to get rid of the annoyance in his life.

Temblor is taken down by The Batman after a long and destructive fight.

Appearances

Ventriloquist & Scarface

Scarface Robot holding the Ventriloquist

Biography

Real name: Arnold Wesker

When ventriloquist Arnold Wesker and his friend "Scarface" were booed off-stage one night, Wesker returned with Scarface later that night to rob the entire audience. Turning to a life of crime ever since, everyone knew that without Arnold Wesker there was no Scarface...the only problem was, Arnold didn't know that. Believing that Scarface was the true "puppet master", Arnold did whatever Scarface "told" him to do; this ranged from jewel heists to big-time robberies.

Scarface was upgraded with a giant, metal version of himself, in which Wesker was the "Dummy." Scarface "died" when a train hit him and shattered him into shards of metal. Wesker was locked up in Arkham shortly after.

After being "cured" of his affliction by Professor Hugo Strange after he and Scarface were defeated by the Batman again, Arnold Wesker was able to resume his life in the real world. Before Scarface warped his mind, Wesker was a famous voice actor for a children's TV show. Once the show ended, Wesker did shows with a new set of puppets, but was unsuccessful. One of these puppets was Scarface and together they became a formidable villain for The Batman. Despite being successful in his new life, Professor Hugo Strange wished to "test" his criminal therapy and gave the Scarface puppet back to Wesker, causing him to fold and resume being Wesker and Scarface.

Wesker was eventually separated from Scarface a third time when he and another one of Wesker's puppets, Mr. Snoots, were ran over by the train on Wesker's old TV show. Wesker was taken back to Arkham.

Influences

In this continuity, the Scarface dummy bears a resemblance to Al Pacino's character Tony Montana from the 1983 film Scarface, rathen an Al Capone style gangster.

Appearances

Tony Zucco

Biography

Real name: Antonio Zucco

Tony Zucco was part of a knife throwing act in the circus. However, during of his acts, Zucco missed and cost his fathers life. Later on in life, Zucco became a Gotham mob boss and he and his brothers used their intimidation tactics on all traveling acts and new businesses that came to Gotham. Zucco attempted to coerce the Grayson family to pay him protection money, but John Grayson would not stand for it. John's son, Dick Grayson, had called the police minutes after Zucco first appeared in their big top tent and the call was intercepted by The Batman who quickly took down Zucco and his brothers, even managing to knock one of his brothers out, allowing the police to take him away.

Swearing revenge on The Batman and the Graysons for the loss of his brother, Zucco planned the death of the Graysons by removing two nuts from the railings of the Graysons trapeze act. While swinging back and forth, Mary Grayson noticed the loose bolts and looked at her husband who quickly knew what would happen. The trapeze fell apart before young Dick Grayson's part of the act started and Dick watched his mother and father fall to their death.

The Batman attempted to take down Zucco himself for killing Dick's parents, but he was knocked out and then tied to a knife throwing board. Luckily for Batman, Dick arrived in the guise of Robin and freed Batman. After a fierce battle, Zucco and his brothers were eventually taken down by The Batman and his new partner, Robin, and delivered over to the police.

Appearances

Toymaker

File:ToyMaker.jpg
The Toymaker

Biography

Real name: Cosmo Krank

Once the owner of the successful Krank Co., Cosmo Krank was riding high on a wave of successful, but dangerous, toys. Not comfortable with standing by, Bruce Wayne and his board at Wayne Company decided to do something about it and had Krank Co. shut down. Angry, Krank sent his violent toys after Wayne and attempted to kill him, obviously not knowing that he was The Batman.

Krank was stopped in the end by The Batman, with some aid by Cash Tankinson. On an interesting note, he is just referred as Cosmo Krank, and not Toymaker during the episode.

This villain can be confused with Toyman, a Superman villain, who uses more old-fashioned looking toys. However, Krank's spiky blue hair is very similar to Sonic the Hedgehog's and the designs of his toys are similar to Pokémon, which is Kids WB's most popular shows. He also resembles the joker in his hair, hands and frame, and often acts like him.

He made a cameo in Rumors as one of Rumor's victims.

Appearances

See also

External links

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