ShadowHalo's Top 20 Batman Villains

This is a revised version of Halo's top Batman villains, this time with 20. This was started in December of 2009 and finished at the end of March, 2010. Yay procrastination. This list involves all kinds of spoilers for all things Batman.

20. Man-Bat

http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/1112/manbat.jpg

Real name: Kirk Langstrom.

A Scientist that created a serum to turn himself into a powerful creature, in the shape of a bat. He can beat people up, he can fly, and he can screech your ears off. The most interesting thing about this character is that, while partially a villain, he actually has a family. Something uncommon for a mainstream criminal. Kirk Langstrom is just another scientist in pursuit of discovery though. It's just that his biggest achievement turns him into a beast, one that he can't control. So obviously, he's gonna be causing trouble rather than patrolling the night stopping crime.

I don't know much about Langstrom's past or origin, since I don't care. He created a serum, it turns him into a winged beast, he starts his terrorizing streak. That's all I need to know. He also has a wife, who has turned into the Woman-Bat or something after she took the serum once or twice before. I think she did it to save Kirk or her bat-child, I can't remember exactly, who cares.

Even though the guy is all the way down at the very bottom of the list, I still actually like him. He's a decent character, one that struggles between his two selves. He's recently shown the ability to change into Man-Bat without using his serum, yet he still can't control himself too well. Or at all. He's trying though, that's what matters. He once helped Huntress out, after the ***** tried to kill him. Man-Bat should have killed her instead, then he'd be higher on this list. I hate Huntress.

Best thing I've ever seen Man-Bat do: Uh... He created a way to change a normal person into something that can fly. I can't really recall any scenes where Man-Bat did anything impressive.

19. Catwoman

http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/4734/catwomand.jpg

Real name: Selina Kyle.

I really like Catwoman, I do. She's really only this low because, as far as criminals go, she's the nicest one. In fact she's turned to heroism more times than I can count. She's still a thief though, and part of Batman's rogue gallery, so she counts, and she earns a spot on this list. Albeit a low one.

She never kills, except once (as far as I know), and she wasn't happy about it. The death still haunts her to this day. It's this attribute about her right here that separates her from all the other villains. All of them kill people, because they're real bad guys. Selina Kyle isn't, she's just an expert thief, and while she doesn't care much for others at times, she still occasionally finds herself feeling too sentimental for her own good. And lately, she's not even trying to be apathetic anymore. At least not as much. She finally started a real relationship with Batman, learned who the man behind the mask was, and they were steady for a bit. Then of course Batman got paranoid and broke it off, whatever, the feelings are still there for both of them.

When it comes to Batman romance, I'm actually hoping for Catwoman. Who cares if Talia has a son with him, and she's hotter than Selina too.... I still think Batman and Catwoman are a better match. They just are.

It seems that whenever Catwoman is on the verge of becoming a full fledged hero, she does something to throw herself back down into the cesspool. Or she becomes a victim of circumstance. Either way, she still hasn't ascended completely. You'd think with a whore like Huntress allowed to stomp scoundrels into the gutter that Catwoman would at least get some respect. I mean damn, all she does is steal stuff on occasion, and most of the time it's for a good cause. Or just to satisfy herself, which is more or less the same thing. Maybe.

Oh yeah, I guess teaming up with two other renowned villains isn't exactly good for Catwoman's reputation. At least it makes for some fun stories.

Best thing I've ever seen Catwoman do: Well, she kicked Huntress before, and as should be clear by now, I hate that slut. So her getting kicked is always good. Is that the best Catwoman moment? Probably not.


 * cough*

18. Killer Croc

http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/7296/killercroc.jpg

Real name: Waylon Jones

As a character, Killer Croc is a bit stale. He doesn't really have any defining moments, and his past as a child suffering abuse for his skin condition may tug at some sensitive heartstrings out there, but ultimately it's nothing we haven't heard already. Save for the whole reptilian skin part.

As a villain though, Killer Croc is a beast. Literally and figuratively. He's a giant man with absurd strength and some nasty teeth with which to chomp on his victims. He's what a villain should be: evil, relentless, and menacing. As said before though, he doesn't really have any moments to himself, no storylines directly focus on him only. He steals some of the light from other big names in Batman's rogue gallery, and he's often shafted rather quickly after appearing. For someone that's shown the tenacity to devour people, you'd think they'd take him more seriously. Alas, he's forevermore destined to spend the rest of his days in the background, feeding off the shadows of those more popular evildoers.

His appearance seems to change from time to time, or maybe that's just his condition getting worse over the years, I can't really tell. He used to be of somewhat normal size, but with a hide of scales. And fearsome teeth of course. Lately though, he's been depicted with more of a snout, so I guess as his humanity fades away, his exterior accentuates his descent into the mind of an animal. At least that's how I choose to see it. Only way to explain a guy gladly willing to eat another human being. Almost makes me want to shudder. Almost.

Honestly, Killer Croc is a great villain, one with potential to be a big shot. He just needs to earn some bigger roles. There was a time when Croc tried to be an underworld boss, he had some lackeys and he was doing an alright job. Then of course he got beat by Robin. Which isn't such a shame, it just repeats the pattern of him getting knocked down before he even gets up. He needs to stop doing that.

http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/2505/killercrocpage0.jpg

Seriously.

Best thing I've ever seen Killer Croc do: He fought Bane. And even though Croc lost, he still managed to put up a decent fight. He also managed to save Robin, by accident of course. He would never willingly save a hero (because villains aren't supposed to do that).

17. Harley Quinn

http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/7193/harleyquinn.jpg

Real name: Harleen Quinzel.

Another identity confused chick, Harley Quinn doesn't know whether to be a cold-hearted villain or a stand-up citizen. Generally though, she still maintains her sadistic persona, even when trying to go straight. Her early years were spent idolizing the Joker and loving him unconditionally. That included doing everything she could for him, no matter how demented or twisted it was, Joker didn't hold back to use Harley to satisfy his darkest desires. Which usually probably didn't include sex. Go figure.

http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/4774/harleyquinn2.jpg

Harley's obsession with the Joker still holds true even today. She tries to convince herself that she's over him, but every time he's mentioned, she can't help but hope to be reunited with her one true love.

She's quite crazy, but Harley Quinn is attractive and everyone likes a naughty girl. I do at least. She's fun too, always eager to have a good time.

There's really not much I can say about Harley. She's an enjoyable character overall, and she does make a pretty good villain at times. I prefer her to be around the Joker though, because I enjoy the chemistry she invokes, it's just funny to see. It's also hilarious that she's technically a better combatant than him. She's got amazing acrobatics, and she can kick some serious ass.

http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/3234/harleyquinnpage1h.jpg

She's a slippery little minx.

I actually like Selina Kyle better than Harley Quinn, as characters. However, as villains, Harley Quinn is better, as she's actually killed before without remorse, and she still tends not to care about other people's lives. Plus, being a sidekick to one of the most diabolical and evil villains gives her some major points.

One last thing to mention, we just got a look at what Harley Quinn's family is like, and now you can't blame her for the line of work she ended up in. Her brother still lives at his mom's house at like age 30, along with two kids. Her mother is ashamed of her, and her father is in jail... At least she tried to be something at first, with her whole psychiatrist role.

Best thing I've ever seen Harley Quinn do: She was too lazy to take the stairs, so instead she jumped from balcony to balcony in order to reach her room on the top floor. At least that's how I remember it.

16. Red Hood

http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/6712/redhood.jpg

Real Name: Jason Todd

I'm well aware there was a Red Hood before Jason Todd stumbled into the position, but no one cares about the original. The new Red Hood is pretty cool though.

http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/2566/redhoodpage3.jpg

Pretty cool indeed. At least with his first appearance. He looks lame in his more recent days, because he's wearing a red penis, like the first Red Hood did. And that just doesn't look at all badass. I don't know why he didn't keep his first mask, it's way more happenin'.

Anyway, some people might complain that Jason Todd is a crappy character. Well, as Robin, yeah. He didn't fit in as a Robin, because he was too cynical and viewed life as a game, which distressed Batman, and ultimately led to Jason Todd's demise. Being beaten to death by a crowbar, and then blown the **** up. We all know what happened though, moving on.

Jason came back to life, and instead of going the hero route again, he chose a different path. Not technically a villain, I guess it'd be correct to classify him as an anti-hero. I still think he deserves a spot on this list though, since Catwoman does, and she's even less of a villain than Jason at this point. He's actually killed, AND he uses guns, as the picture above shows.

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/1175/redhoodpage1.jpg

He also has a sadistic looking knife, yeah? Look at him kicking Batman's ass, he's one of the few villains that can do that, because he was of course trained by Batman. Which is one of the things that makes Jason Todd a good villain/anti-hero, he used to be one of the good guys, but after dying and coming back to life, he became what he is now. Which is more awesome.

Oh, and let's not forget about him getting revenge on the Joker.

http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/2306/redhoodpage4.jpg

That scene is so deliciously ironic. Yummy.

Best thing I've ever seen Jason Todd do: Well besides getting even with the Joker, I'd have to say that his business man skills are quite exceptional, he managed to make a fool of Black Mask, even. By stealing a crate full of Kryptonite out from under the guy's ugly nose.

http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/9617/redhoodpage2.jpg

Hahaaaaa.

15. Firefly

http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/4176/fireflygarfieldlynns.jpg

Real name: Garfield Lynns

Remember how I was complaining about Killer Croc not getting enough screen time? Well, damn, Firefly. Just... damn. The only storyline that heavily features him is Batgirl: Year One. Which, coincidentally, is just as much Firefly's origin story as it is Barbara Gordon's. The pryo started out as a special effects coordinator, and I thought it was funny to see him blow up an actress. Then after he donned the spiffy lookin' suit and started burning everything in sight with his trusty flamethrower, he teamed up with Killer Moth.

Yeah. Killer Moth. Apparently Lynns felt sorry for the poor bloke, because Killer Moth fails. Really badly. So Firefly tried to help him get his criminal business going or whatever. And then they were both shut down by the new addition to the Bat Family (Babs/Batgirl for those wondering).

After that, Firefly really never did anything. He really is worse than Killer Croc, but Firefly is just more awesome. He's a pyromaniac, he burns **** up, he has a jetpack, and he's named after a cool insect. He's just a really cool villain that GOD DAMN NEEDS MORE EXPOSURE UGH.

http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/6739/fireflypage2.jpg

It would be spectacular if you showed up more often, jeez.

I'm trying not to get mad, but it's kind of difficult. Here we have a quality villain, and he's been in practically nothing. I can use one hand to count all the events he's taken place in. Let's see, posing as Batgirl's first real threat, setting everything around him ablaze and being stopped by a tired and nearly broken Batman, setting everything around him ablaze and being stopped by Nightwing before both getting shot by cops, and then his recent fiasco with the new Black Mask.

I honestly can't find many good pictures of him at all. He doesn't even have a cover to himself, the poor guy. The closest I could find was him standing with a bunch of high-profile villains. Which just makes it seem like he should be more popular. But he's NOT. And it ANGERS me. I feel like BURNING **** UP.

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/7752/fireflypage1.jpg

Mmyes. So to sum up, Firefly is awesome, but he's stuck at number 15 because he's only played a part in like four things, and maybe he's appeared a few more times than that, but he never really did anything. Highly annoying. I want more Firefly.

I DEMAND MORE FIREFLY!

Best thing I've ever seen Firefly do: Not that there's much to choose from (grr), but Lynns managed to burn Black Mask's chemical implant out of his own body, which was apparently excruciating to do so. However, this of course had to happen OFF SCREEN. So we don't even get any cool picture of Firefly torturing himself in order to regain his freedom.

I DEMAND MORE FIREFLY! HIS FLAMES WILL DANCE AND BURN EVERYTHING AWAY!

14. Mad Hatter

http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/967/madhatter1l.jpg

Real name: Jervis Tetch

I'll start by saying that Mad Hatter wouldn't even be on this list if it weren't for his portrayal in Secret Six. Where he came off as a total badass. Well a couple times anyway. Otherwise he was just a psychopath obsessed with his hat. A hat that you should never, ever mess with. That hat is his life and soul, no one but him is allowed to touch it.

http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/1131/madhatterpage3.jpg

He's very protective of his only friend.

Now, as far as I know, Mad Hatter has never really done anything important, yet Batman has referred to him as one of his most dangerous villains. I guess because of the mind control thing. That can be pretty devastating, I suppose. Except that Mad Hatter is generally only interested in Tea Parties with his captives. So very intimidating! Hooray Tea Parties!

So, I don't recall him doing anything big or having any storylines to himself. I know he was one of the first villains that Dick Grayson as Robin had to face. And beat pretty easily. As you can see, I don't have a cover for Mad Hatter either, because he didn't have any that appealed to me. He's better than Firefly when it comes to getting himself out there, but generally he's the same type of villain. Shows up, gets beat down. Luckily for Hatter, he's got one comic book series that actually focused on him quite well. And it wasn't even a Batman comic. But his exposure in Secret Six convinced me that he's a quality villain, and I'm expecting him to make later appearances that'll support my claim.

http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/3458/madhatterpage2.jpg

That was one of his badass moments. Dr. Psycho was trying to mind rape an ally, so Mad Hatter appears out of nowhere and disrupts the brain waves. I thought it was awesome because Mad Hatter doesn't seem all that intimidating, but then we get this. I just thought it was so cool.

I actually felt sorry for the poor guy at the end, he finally made some new friends and then of course, one of those friends felt the need to be a traitor. Of course there were reasons, and I'm not mad at Ragdoll for doing what he did (although I kind of am), I just thought it was a bit sad. At least Tetch still has his hat.

Best thing I've ever seen Mad Hatter do: Uh duh, his confrontation with Dr. Psycho.

http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/1975/madhatterpage1.jpg

Where it ended with Hatter cutting Psycho's face off. It was siiiiiiiiiiiiick. In a good way.

13. The Penguin

http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/7906/penguin2.jpg

Real name: Oswald Cobblepot.

I didn't know where the hell to put this guy at first, but after reading his issue in Joker's Asylum, my respect for the stout little guy rose dramatically. He may not be as notorious as other high profile villains, but the Penguin sure leaves his mark when he can. He even has his own club, appropriately named the Iceberg Lounge.

He's a business man that constantly competes for a piece of the underground, and he generally comes in last. Poor Penguin. At least he has his birds.

Speaking of birds, check out what he did to these girls...

http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/30/penguinpage2.jpg

Little baby Penguin (although I think he was actually in high school) asked one or more of them out to a school dance, and they turned him down and then they laughed at him.

So there's an important lesson to be learned there, and I'm gonna tell you what it is here in just a minute. I'm sure it's already a well known lesson, but it's not something to take lightly. It's imperative that you realize this is a lesson you should consider every day of your life, take it to heart and never forget it.

Don't ever, ever, ever laugh at Oswald Cobblepot, The Penguin. Don't even laugh in his direction. He won't pardon, and he won't let up until whoever let slip a little chuckle is dead.

That there is why The Penguin made it to this spot. He would've been lower otherwise. Oh, and he won't just kill you, he will torment the crap out of you, he takes his revenge seriously. He's a man to be revered, it's just a shame that people don't seem to understand that as much. I guess it's difficult though, since Penguin still has a sense of class, while other, more psychotic villains around him do not. At all.

I'd also like to comment on how cool birds are, especially penguins. I'm actually quite jealous that Cobblepot has such a kinship, I wish I could befriend birds the way he (for the most part) does. And then use them to kill people. That would be sweet. Twisted, yeah, but awesome nonetheless.

Best thing I've ever seen Penguin do: Remember how I said you should never laugh at him, or in his direction? And remember how I mentioned his issue in Joker's Asylum? Well, a chef across the room laughed, and Penguin knew that the laugh might not have been intended for him, but he still overreacted anyway, and well...

http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/2519/penguinpage1.jpg

Hell yeah.

12. Deadshot

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/1927/deadshot1.jpg

Real name: Floyd Lawton.

Deadshot is a man, not only is he a man, he's the man. Twisted sense of humor, likes to shoot things, is good at shooting things, likes to smoke and drink and have sex with hot girls, and he's badass.

Did I mention he likes to shoot things?

http://img704.imageshack.us/img704/1315/deadshotpage2.jpg

Most of the time he's shooting people.

http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/9184/deadshotpage5.jpg

He really likes to shoot people.

http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/9060/deadshotpage3.jpg

I mean damn, he's really good at shooting people.

http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/5060/deadshotpage4.jpg

Deadshot is another character that was drastically improved by Secret Six. All these pictures are from that comic book series, of course. Luckily, the Six aren't necessarily a hero group, because they often kill people. Deadshot is easily the most bloodthirsty of them all, he even had an issue dedicated to his desire to annihilate everyone around him. I guess he could technically be an anti-hero as well, but he's still got plenty of qualities that render him a straight up villain.

He's an assassin, which is a huge positive, because assassins are generally awesome. What's more, his aim is superb, and from what I can tell, downright perfect. He never seems to miss, which is another huge positive. I always enjoy when a character is deadly accurate. I wish he'd take up sniping more often though, as that would raise my admiration for him a great deal more. I love snipers.

Oh, a funny note to add, I didn't know what Lawton looked like for the longest time. In fact, I don't think I saw him without his mask on until I started reading Secret Six... I was kinda surprised by it, and I didn't realize it was him at first, which made me confused until I noticed it was Deadshot.

http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/3374/deadshotpage1.jpg

He's got a manly physique, all rugged and muscly, not to mention his badass addiction to smoking. Just look at him, what woman wouldn't want to jump into bed with that hunk?

I'm not gay, I swear.

Best thing I've ever seen Deadshot do: He shot people. Not good enough? He got into a scuffle with David Cain, who was being held captive by Batman. Cain had a bounty on his head, so naturally, Deadshot had to pursue it. I'm not sure if that was necessarily the best thing Deadshot has done, and I'm sure that he's had a better moment within Secret Six, but goddamn if I haven't already talked about that series enough in this write-up.

11. The Riddler

http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/8240/riddler1.jpg

Real name: Edward Nigma/Nashton/Whatever.

Poor Riddler. He's one of the big names out there, yet he typically fits in with the likes of Firefly or Penguin (whom he's great friends with). He just gets beat down way too much without even getting a chance to shine. Except once of course, but I'll get to that in a bit. The fact is though, he gets beat down so often that he actually became a good guy because of it.

Let's break him down here, he's very intelligent, his detective skills rival that of Batman himself. He's extremely narcissistic, which is a very enjoyable quality, and it's because of that character quirk that usually got him caught, because he would always leave riddles that, naturally, the greatest detective on earth would solve. Although those unfortunate souls that got caught in the middle without the proper knack for solving puzzles usually ended up dead. Which I personally don't think is such a travesty, Riddler was just trying to weed out stupidity, nothing wrong with that. Except that it would probably end up leaving human beings on the verge of extinction.

Ha! I made a joke at the expense of my own species.

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/314/riddlerpage1.jpg

The Riddler approves.

Anyway, after getting beat down yet again, this time by a fellow villain! Nigma chose to redeem himself, he kicked his psychotic addiction to riddles and chose to use his intelligence for a more noble cause. This of course does not help him in a villains ranking, so he's lucky enough to even be this high.

Question marks are still his gimmick though, his suit and hat are always tricked out in them, not to mention he has his trademark quizzical cane. One which has demonstrated a form of mind control in various forms of media, yet I don't recall that ever being the case within any comic books.

No matter the company he chooses to associate with, whether it be common thugs, attractive villains, or the Bat himself, Eddie Nigma's heart will always belong to the aforementioned question mark.

http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/3479/riddlerpage2.jpg

At least his comical stance will never waver.

Now how about you riddle me this... What the hell does a villain have to do to get a significant amount of screen time? Obviously if the villain has boobs, she'll get a considerable showing, but as for the guys, well I guess it's just a matter of what they're willing to do for it.

Best thing I've ever seen the Riddler do: That one instance I mentioned earlier where he actually got to shine. It involved a riddle, a large portion of Batman's rouge gallery, and a childhood friend of Bruce Wayne's, as well as a fantastic mystery to the whole event. Until it was revealed to be the Riddler tugging on the puppet strings, all in order to find out the Batman's secret identity. Which he succeeded in doing.

Honorable Mention #1: Ragdoll

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/5128/ragdoll1.jpg

Real name: Peter Merkel Jr.

Another fantastic member of the Secret Six. Ragdoll is classified as a villain, but he's the most unorthodox bad guy you'll ever damn know. Then again, he's probably one of the most oddest of oddballs out there, not just among villains. He's hilarious though, and worth the attention, even if you don't think so at first.

That's how I was, I didn't like him at first. He was a little too weird for me, but that was before I really got to know him. I figured he was just gonna be a member that I'd have to deal with, but he ended up being an irreplaceable character. With his misplaced lines, and his frequently disturbing comments, he's just always a stitch. His condition makes for some peculiar scenes, and some crazy fighting. That condition being his double jointed body, as well as a lack of balls. Literally.

He's a freak, but he's the lovable variety (unlike his sister.... ugh). Sometimes you wanna cringe, but most of the time you want to hug him, though he's a difficult little bugger to grasp, as he can pretty much slip out of anything thanks to how flexible he is.

http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/9126/ragdollpage3.jpg

Everything he says is perverse, it has even been pointed out, and Ragdoll realized it about himself. Then continued to spout random nonsense, mostly food items, and something about boobs. I don't have any pictures of it, because it persisted throughout the issue, but you get the idea. And if you don't, go read Secret Six, then you'll understand just how awesome Ragdoll truly is.

That was the part where Ragdoll dressed up as Robin, the He/She Wonder!

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/1054/ragdollpage1q.jpg

'Doll was just trying to live out his dream, who wouldn't want to be the Dark Knight's sidekick? Of course Ragdoll is not the sort of hero people want around, for some reason or another. They're stupid. Ragdoll is awesome, anyone should be honored to be saved by such a fantastic creature. What's more, 'Doll is a natural role model, all kids should strive to be just like him.

That is not true at all, because the world would go to hell. And castration is certainly nothing to be proud of, but Ragdoll pulls it off somehow.

Best thing I've ever seen Ragdoll do: Everything he's ever done, pretty much. Here's a few strips of him being classic.

http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/526/ragdollpage2l.jpg

10. Mr. Zsasz

http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/6122/mrzsasz.jpg

Real name: Victor... Zsasz.

I guess he was too lazy to think of a cool name for himself or something. Like Zombie Killer, or Tally Man, or Mr. Kill Everyone In Sight.

That's pretty much all this guy does. He kills, and when he's done killing, he kills some more. Murdering is his life, and jail isn't going to stop him from taking the life of anyone he can get his hands on. His weapon of choice is a knife, so he can stab stab stab, and then cut another tally mark onto his body after the deed is done. If he doesn't have his trusty knife, he'll use anything else at hand, from a rusty pipe to a gun. I don't know how he cuts another tally into his skin after killing with a gun though, I suppose he'd obsess over finding a sharp object before doing anything else.

http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/8066/mrzsaszpage1.jpg

Surprise! Time to get shanked.

Zsasz is just a straight up serial killer, he's got nothing else. No grand master plan, no gimmick other than the tally mark thing, and no big desire other than to stab and kill stuff. Although he does have a unique sense of motivation, one that stems from being a nihilist, in other words, he realizes life is meaningless, and so he liberates people from their lives, so they don't have to continue their pointless existence.

Honestly, I can relate. I, too, am a nihilist. Though I would never go out and start murdering people, I recognize the futility of life. Sure it's fun sometimes, but ultimately, it's probably not leading anywhere.

Er... Anyway, Zsasz is cool, no denying that. He's not as colorful as most of the other villains, and he's never gets to be the one pulling the strings, but I think that's more because of his unwillingness to do so. He has no interest in amassing a large plan involving a crap load of small time thugs and maybe some famous names, he would probably just end up killing them all himself anyway.

That would be awesome though.

I find it ridiculous that they could diagnose Zsasz as mentally unstable, he's in complete control of himself at all times! No way is the dude crazy.

http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/1381/mrzsaszpage3.jpg

See? Not crazy at all.

Best thing I've ever seen Mr. Zsasz do: Stabbity stab stab. No but seriously, something he recently did was pretty cool, he pit two kids against each other in a tournament of some kind, the winner of which would face Zsasz in the finale. Hasn't been concluded yet, but it was still pretty impressive.

On that note, Zsasz is dressed in a trench coat now. Sweet.

9. Black Mask

http://img682.imageshack.us/img682/5274/blackmask.jpg

Real name: Roman Sionis.

Of course there's also the new Black Mask, who's name we don't know yet. I'm counting him for this write-up as well, otherwise Black Mask would be lower. Especially since Sionis went out in the worst possible way. Well... I guess there's worse ways, but god damn if his death wasn't crap.

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/982/blackmaskpage4.jpg

And that was it.

Seriously now. What a punk way to go out, at least Ratcatcher got killed in one of the biggest events in the DC universe. Sionis didn't even get killed in a Batman comic, no, he got killed by Catwoman, in her own series. Which is, by all counts, lame. At least I consider it as such. So should everyone else. If they had treated the death a little more... I don't know, noticeable, then maybe it wouldn't have been as bad. As it stands though, his last words were a taunt, and then bam he's dead, end.

Bull. Crap.

I could go on, but I feel like that wouldn't be wise, I'm sure I have other things to say rather than ranting on about his unsatisfactory demise. Ugh but it just makes me angry I feel like throwing things because of it. 'Scuse me while I throw this vase here.

Okay I'm back. Now here we have the original Black Mask:

http://img682.imageshack.us/img682/8760/blackmaskpage3.jpg

Notice his appetite for torture and his craving of screams. He's a sadistic person, which is one of the best qualities a villain can have. Now let's look at the new Black Mask.

http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/2799/blackmaskpage2.jpg

...Pretty cool, yeah? I can't say I like him better than Sionis, but I can't really deny he's got something the original didn't have. I can't tell what that is, but... I mean, he's basking in the victory of setting the whole damn city aflame. Did Sionis ever manage to do that? I don't think so. He was more of an underground participant though, while this new one is more controlling, I believe. Considering how he forced a good portion of Batman's rogue gallery to work for him, yeah, controlling may be the right word for him. Dominating, manipulating, whatever, all the same.

It's sad, the only main storyline Sionis had going for him was War Games, and he only appeared in about half of the whole thing (though he was hiding from the camera a lot before revealing himself). I'm not familiar with much more of his exposure time, don't think any of it was too significant. I remember him having a part in Jason Todd's homecoming party, by which I mean Black Mask tried to kill Jason because the latter made the former look like a fool. Which was pretty funny.

But there we go again with villains not getting the god damn respect they deserve. Black Mask has a huge fanbase from what I can tell. And yet, he gets punked by the likes of Jason Todd, and then he.... gets.... killed... by.... god damn... Catwoman... losing control... must not... think about it... anymore.

Uh. I'm losing track. Yup. Train has derailed, crashed, and burned. I'm gone.

Oh yeah, I wanted to say that the new Black Mask should be Sionis again. He isn't, but he should be. Don't ask how they would've revived him, this is DC we're talking about, his death wasn't even that huge, they could easily bring him back. Although, I guess a Black Mask is better than none, even if it isn't the original.

Grr.

Best thing I've ever seen Black Mask do: For the new Black Mask, the image I posted earlier pretty much sums him up nicely. As for Sionis, I enjoy when he tortured Spoiler, and then she escaped, and he reacted like this:

http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/9306/blackmaskpage1.jpg

It was quite humorous to me.

8. Mr. Freeze

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/1779/mrfreeze1.jpg

Real name: Victor Fries.

This villain was introduced to me by a movie that doesn't exist. When I was a kid, I saw said movie, and Mr. Freeze was played by a pretty cool actor. But oh god the puns. And oh god the horrible piece of media that I have forced myself to forget, because like I said, it doesn't exist.

Within comics, Mr. Freeze is intelligent, witty, and he likes to freeze things. Much like how Firefly loves to burn things. Why have the two of them not had a storyline where they start a war of some kind? Holy crap that would be awesome. Make it happen, people. I don't know who I would cheer for though. Sure Fries is higher on this list than Lynns is, but I've already expressed my anger about the lack of attention Firefly gets, so no point in getting into it again. Although when it comes to hot and cold, I have a cold preference. I don't like heat. I hate summer, something Mr. Freeze can relate to. Winter is better, and snow is beautiful.

http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/8167/mrfreezepage1.jpg

I gotta say, Mr. Freeze is probably involved in some of the best artwork I've ever seen within comics. Just the different shades of blue, the reflections and glares on his helmet, I can't really explain it, I've never been much at identifying why artwork is good. That just is. That kind of art is so aesthetically pleasing to me.

http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/8113/mrfreezepage2.jpg

I think part of it might have to do with the fact that I like ice more than fire. Flames are pretty, sure, but ice just has more emotional value to me for reasons I don't care to concern anyone with right now. Or ever.

Pertaining to the character, we all know his story. He lost his wife, he was sad, he tried to resurrect her but failed, then he was sad again. He still tries to find a cure for her, but hey, life ain't that simple. He can't move on though, which is why he went from a renowned scientist to a cold, heartbroken villain who's only other goal is to share his anguish with everyone in Gotham. Since, y'know, misery loves company and such.

More awesome artwork:

http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/9233/mrfreeze2.jpg

While I have seen enough of Mr. Freeze to be content, I don't recall any storylines that focused on him solely. I'm wanting it, but that time could be better spent utilizing other villains that need more damn publicity. This could be solved by my whole Mr. Freeze vs Firefly idea though. If that happened, I don't think I'd have anything to complain about anymore. As it stands though, that has not happened, so you'll excuse me if I whine the **** away.

Best thing I've ever seen Mr. Freeze do: His fight with Jason Todd was pretty cool. I really enjoyed this page though, with his excellent little quip of his, so simple yet effective:

http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/2986/mrfreezepage3.jpg

Ice ice, baby. Let the puns commence.

7. Poison Ivy

http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/3420/poisonivy2.jpg

Real name: Pamela Isley.

Another character with fantastic artwork on frequent occasions. She's even got more than one splendid cover all to herself.

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/2214/poisonivyg.jpg

See? She's got the type of coverage that all villains need. Ivy has even managed to get a major part of a title. Gotham City Sirens, that is, which features a lot of her, and I enjoy it immensely. Although anything with Poison Ivy in it is usually quality reading. She's easily my favorite female villain, and I also consider her the most attractive. Even more so than Talia, which is saying something.

Of course, Ivy is meant to be hot, and all her ass shots attempt to cement this, and they do. She's got a nice butt, and artists realize this, otherwise they wouldn't spend time focusing on it so frequently, like whenever she's around. And no sorry, I didn't get any images of a closeup, too lazy.

I do have this though, a flashback of when she was discovering her powers.

http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/2503/poisonivypage2.jpg

Plenty of fanservice in there. As well as a point I feel needs to be picked on, those guys, seriously, are they gay or something? It's fine if they are, but no straight guy is going to insult and run over a naked chick that looks like that. They would've jumped out of their bulldozer and bowed down in front of her, worshiping her as a Goddess and begging for sex. Or something to that extent. Much like what a man would do nowadays when facing her. Her attractiveness is a deadly weapon, one that she uses with expert skill and definite potency.

http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/6029/poisonivypage3.jpg

Here you can see her using her sex appeal to get her own twisted sense of revenge. The dude cut up some plants or something, so Ivy decided to do the same to him. Yummy. Yet another villain you do not want to mess with, at all costs. Oh but jeez it's hard not to want a piece of that. Even if she was going to kill you, at least you get the satisfaction of knowing it was a hot girl that ended your life. Aww yeah.

I think it's the red hair and the green skin that really gets me. Oh, and her tendency to dress in leaves. Yeah, that's definitely a factor that adds to her overall allure.

Besides her obvious charm, she's a great villain as well. She kills people without remorse, she carries out revenge whenever necessary, and most importantly, she has a refined sense of purpose that comes off as a little psychotic to pretty much everyone that isn't her. That's something that pleases me, villains that don't have a drive or neurotic obsession just makes them boring and colorless. Well maybe not all the time, there might be a villain out there somewhere that I can't be bothered to think of right now, one that could pull off the whole dullness routine.

Ivy is also one of the only villains in Gotham that actually has a form of super power. Hell, she can control plants, how can that NOT be classified as a super power? Not only is she poison to the touch, but her overall capacity for the influence of plant life is just unfathomable. Many of her creations involve man-eating modifications, so they're often vicious and lethal. Ivy has even managed to defeat a Black Lantern, but I'm sure you all know about that.

Another thing that makes Ivy so supreme is her immunity to all forms of toxins and contaminants.

http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/5736/poisonivypage1.jpg

Delicious.

Best thing I've ever seen Poison Ivy do: There's a lot of great things she's done, I think I've already mentioned most of my favorite Ivy moments. Hmm, let's see... How about that time she killed a guy... or that time she was naked... or how about when she grew a big huge plant in order to carry out whatever motive she was trying to accomplish. Okay I can't really think of anything else, but I do feel I need to mention her helping Batman defeat Clayface, because the bastard imprisoned her in a cave, so of course she had to strike back any way she could, in this case it meant teaming up with the guy that constantly defeats her. Happens to the best of 'em.

6. Hush

http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/2980/husho.jpg

Real name: Thomas Elliot.

Hush little baby, don't say a word...

Momma's gonna buy you a mockingbird.

And if that mockingbird don't sing...

Momma's gonna **** everyone up with dual pistols while dressing as a mummy in a trench coat. The mommy in this case is a daddy though. Actually not, because Hush has no kids, so... he's just... a murderer I guess. An AWESOME murderer though. He wears a trench coat, he wraps his face up like a mummy, he shoots stuff with guns. Which as we know, Deadshot does better, but Deadshot's costume has nothing on this parent killer. Thomas is so bad that he actually killed his parents. Well one of them anyway, his mom persisted far too long. And out of that he developed some twisted accusation against Bruce Wayne that of course led to the need for revenge.

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/3918/hushpage1.jpg

He knows his philosophy too. Quoting Aristotle while shooting people. Sweet. He's got that sophisticated side to him that isn't present in many villains. I admire such a trait, he's the type of guy that realizes he's doing wrong, but can still justify his actions to the point where it actually makes sense. Not to most people of course, but to those with a warped sense of justice and reality, sure.

Hush hasn't been around too long, he was just recently introduced. So we haven't seen too much of him, I'm really hoping we do though. And not the Bruce Wayne look alike, but the mummy guy, he's more interesting. I actually don't like him as much when he's just being a copy of his arch nemesis, it was an intriguing twist at first, but now I kinda wish he'd change his face back and try to get his revenge the old-fashioned way.

Then again, maybe it's a refreshing turn of events to have a villain that thinks so far outside of the box that he'd even be willing to get extensive plastic surgery, just to get even with a man that never technically did anything other than be a friend.

And this is how he repays his friend!

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/5725/hushpage3.jpg

What a douche. (Disclaimer: The real Batman was not harmed in the capturing of this screen shot, just a guy dressed up as Batman that no one cares about.)

Oh and come on, dressing someone else up as your biggest enemy in order to gain some form of momentary satisfaction from an illusion? Pathetic. Although funny.

I'm trying to think of more to say about Hush, but I'm having some difficulties. He just hasn't had enough appearances to warrant an extravagant write-up, but apparently he's been around long enough to outrank several classic villains. Go figure. I guess I just really like the whole mummy with a trench coat guise. The pistols give him some points too, if he had arm guns, he'd probably be lower. Hand guns are better than arm guns, although Deadshot still pulls 'em off.

Also, who the hell wouldn't be a little freaked facing a guy like this?

http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/3347/hushpage2.jpg

Stick 'em up, punk. Or should I say *insert philosophical quip here*?

Best thing I've ever seen Hush do: He freakin' shot Harold, man! Harold! The little hunchback dude that always fixed stuff in the Batcave and never spoke. He was just having a heartfelt reunion with Bruce when BAM. Dead. Shot twice. By dual pistols. Wielded by a man... in a mummy mask. And it was after Harold was just finally able to speak (of course that was thanks to Thomas Elliot, heh). It was mean. That's what a villain does though, ruthlessly kills people, no hesitation, no remorse.

Seriously though what a dick.

Honorable Mention #2: Black Adam

http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/5198/blackadam2.jpg

Real name: Teth-Adam.

Another heroically-challenged super villain. He occasionally tries to enact justice, and once in a while he succeeds in being one of the good guys. Until his family was savagely ripped away from him, yeah... good luck trying to reason with him after that. I mean damn, he started the next world war just because he was mad about two people getting viciously slain by horrific monsters. Said war consisted of him versus practically every freakin' superhero in the world, and Black Adam managed to overcome them all, and even kill a good few of them. Shoot.

http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/596/blackadampage2.jpg

See that's why he's an awesome villain. There's only a few who have the ability to take on the whole earth and prevail, and one of them is a whiny little bastard that no one likes. So it's nice to have someone as impressive as Black Adam within that category.

He's not an American, which I usually don't enjoy, but I guess it's nice to have a super human that hails from some region of Egypt or whatever. A little ethnic variety. But hey, at least he's not.... never mind I'm not gonna say it.

I really did feel sorry for Black Adam though, he was trying to gain some respect by being an executioner at first, admittedly not the best way to try fitting in with the superheroes, but it was a good plan otherwise. Would've enticed the common people, getting rid of criminals permanently, he just had a more extreme version of justice. Nothing wrong with that.

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/9762/blackadampage1.jpg

This of course was the dude he made an example of. Ripping someone in half is always a good formula for victory. Just badass.

Now after that phase, he met Adrianna. We all know the story, he finally managed to gather a family. Which convinced him to forgo his killing tendencies, caused him to get soft. It was alright though, because he represented a side that general villains don't ever convey, and it was nice to see him happy for a change.

AND THEN STUPID MONSTERS HAD TO GO AND **** IT ALL UP.

Boy got eaten by a crocodile who was considered a friend, just tragic. As if that wasn't enough, death had to overtake Black Adam's one true love. Her last words were conveniently a request for Black Adam to forget all that junk about "being good" and "not killing", I'm under the impression that the monsters had corrupted her somehow before killing her. Appropriate last words would've been something like "live on as a good person, serve justice in my name, I love you and stuff." But no, she basically tells him to go on a killing spree. So what does the guy with immense super powers, who's overwhelmed with grief and anger, do?

Go's on a ****ing killing spree!

And thus ended Black Adam's short lived life of happiness, as well as his one chance for redemption.

http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/7134/blackadam1.jpg

He must just be destined for a life of domination and hatred, and especially tragedy. Poor guy. Just goes to show that you can have all the power in the world and still be helpless. A lesson that does not stop haunting us, apparently.

Best thing I've ever seen Black Adam done: I like it when he tears people in half or rips off their arms. I found it funny when he discovered what his new magic word was. I think my most favorite moment of his was when he killed Sobek though, forcing the crocodile's jaws back like that was an awesome brutal fatality.

5. Ra's al Ghul

http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/9372/salghul2.jpg

Real name: .....Ra's al Ghul.

"Whoever said a picture was worth a thousand words... is about to see just how badly he miscounted."

Honestly not sure what to do with this write-up. This isn't one of those visually impressive type of villains. Ra's works from the shadows, as such, you don't see him often, and when you do he just looks like some old guy that doesn't impose the impression of menace or marvel. He sure can be those things, just not upfront. Not usually.

The League of Assassins is at his disposal at all times, and he puts them to incredible use. World domination is his primary task, a desire which is exempt from pretty much every other Batman villain. Ra's is easily one of the Dark Knight's most dangerous enemies, part of the reason for that is they've got more of a rivalry than anything. They both respect each other immensely, and Ra's has attempted to persuade Batman to join him on several occasions. Once or twice actually succeeding, only for a temporary event though. One of those times led to Bruce gettin' it on with the Demon Head's beautiful daughter, which ended up producing a son. Who we all know by now.

http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/5110/salghulpage1.jpg

Ra's is among the few that can actually make Batman wield a deadly weapon. This is a frequent occurrence, these sword fights are usually their way of settling something, like if B-Man needs any sort of assistance from the Devil, or y'know, just not-so-friendly sparring. What's funny is, with all of Ra's al Ghul's training and skill, it seems he's always the one to lose in these sword duels. Of course, he is facing the goddamn Batman, so go figure.

He's got talent, he's got command over an infinite amount of ninjas, and he's pretty handsome, yeah? Yeah. For an old guy anyway. And he's really old, like really, really old. I'm not talkin' like 40-50 years old here, even though that is really old, no, the dude's immortal. Thanks to his many Lazarus Pits, which never seem to cease existing no matter how many times someone tries to destroy all of them.

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/8332/salghul.jpg

Since he's been around for so long, he's seen a lot of things most people can only read about in history books. His life has allowed him knowledge and plenty of experience. Yet he still gets bested by the Batman. Maybe he should think about retiring. Not really though, he's got a whole league of assassins to utilize, he's more of a strategist to be honest. However, he ain't shy, if he's challenged, you best believe he'll kick some ass, yes sir.

Oh but there was that one time when Ra's actually died for a while. Of course he was resurrected, with a story that seemed to drag on without making a lot of sense. I think it ended up with the soul of Ra's al Ghul taking over the other main guy who was in charge of the League at the time or something, I don't know nor do I really care all that much. Point is, Ra's al Ghul returned to life. And without the use of a Lazarus Pit for once. Although that would've been less confusing.

I really enjoy his whole dynamic with Batman, I really do. He's technically a sworn enemy, yet he's got a daughter who's still in love with his nemesis, and what's more, a grandson who'd rather adhere to said enemy's lifestyle rather than a grand position leading the League of Assassins. Not every kid gets a chance at ruling the world, and Damien squanders that by choosing to run around in tights instead. What a square.

Best thing I've ever seen Ra's al Ghul do: Pfft, I don't know. Getting stabbed by Batman was pretty awesome though.

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/8117/salghulpage2.jpg

Take that mother ****er!

4. Bane

http://img704.imageshack.us/img704/6374/baneqw.jpg

Real name: Señor Bane.

Can't think of something to say yet, so let's start out with some more pictures.

http://img693.imageshack.us/img693/2259/bane2.jpg

I enjoy that cover. It depicts Bane's signature move (his deadly BACK BREAKING ATTACK) being used on The Joker. It's both hilarious and menacing in a way. It shows you that you do not attempt to face Bane, because he will mess you the hell up. Don't believe me? Yes you do.

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/922/banepage4.jpg

Remade page of his momentous occasion, when he broke the bat. Something no one else has ever done, yet Bane has, because Bane is awesome. Even though he looks like a big dumb brute, he's most certainly not. And I resent that one movie that doesn't exist for making him out to be as such. He's incredibly strategic and intelligent, and as far as I know he's the only one who was able to effectively deduce who Batman was just by taking a single look at Bruce Wayne. From a distance, no less. Bane is quite literally a force to be reckoned with, and unlike most villains, he's actually got a strict set of morals.

http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/2226/banepage1.jpg

See? Instead of selling out his friends, Badass Bane decides to forfeit his own life rather than someone else, and he provokes his torturer in the process.

Of course Bane isn't as strong without his Venom, which is somewhat a shame. Especially when this can happen as a result:

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/4404/banepage3.jpg

He got pushed into a wall by a freakin' kitty cat. That should not be happening. It didn't even follow with Bane smashing that ho's head into the ground, either, or even humorously throwing her into the pool (y'know because cats don't like water). No, instead, the kitty cat just trounces the rest of the Secret Six until other crap happens and I forget the details, the point is that Bane should not be getting pushed around by human cat whores.

Bane isn't an absolute criminal. He actually knows sympathy, and refrains from killing when unnecessary -- although that doesn't stop him from mutilating people when he feels the need to. Ripping someone's head off and throwing it through a window as a warning is aaaaawwesome. But he also attempts to pose as a father figure to a certain mislead young woman, a role that he actually succeeds rather well at. He managed to help Scandal Savage in certain ways, and she's probably overall happier because of his presence. A certain scene of them in bed together (non-carnal way) would support that claim.

He doesn't terrorize the streets of Gotham, he doesn't create massive death traps in convoluted attempts to kill Batman, no, Bane has broken the man once before. It took one immense plan, one that Bane carried out professionally and without fault, but he managed to persevere. After that, he tried to be the ruler of Gotham, but after getting beaten by Jean Paul Dickhead, Bane retired from his short reign and instead resorted to a more low-profile life. And since he kicked his dreadful Venom addiction, he's much calmer and less motivated to carry out acts of evil. He also respects the Dark Knight a great deal now, which is shown in this next picture.

http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/9076/banepage2.jpg

I love that.

Best thing I've ever seen Bane do: I think I've already mentioned and shown most of them.... In fact, that last picture is probably my most favorite Bane moment, as is the torture scene. Figuring out Batman's identity within two seconds deserves another mention as well. He's done a lot of amazing things, hard to nail just one of them down. Oh yeah, beating Killer Croc too. Hunting down Ra's al Ghul's last Lazarus Pits. Teaming up with Batman once. Just so many to choose from, I'mma just leave it at that.

3. Two-Face

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/1271/twoface2.jpg

Real name: Harvey Dent.

"Justice has two sides. Innocent or guilty. Like this coin. One side clean. The other side scarred."

The cover and the quote I chose for him already cover the obsession with his coin. We have Dent flipping it to decide whether to let the poor old bloke slumber in peace, or for eternity. According to him, justice only has two sides, basically yes or no, right or wrong, live or die, ideas based on duality. A term that consumes the very essence of the former Defense Attorney, now known as Two-Face.

First things first, let's talk about Two-Face's game. He's one who likes to take chances. Betting is his main display, usually opposing a single player against their will. Creating extravagant games that revolve around the number 2, such as a gallows with two nooses, and 12 stairs instead of 13 stairs. Two-Face hates odd numbers.

Note: Something I'm adverse to, I like odd numbers more than even numbers.

Back to basics. These "games" of his are usually quite intricate and therefore extremely enjoyable to watch. However, you can't help but feel sympathetic for the victim(s), unless you're a cold emotionless bastard like myself. Either way though, Two-Face knows what he's doing, and his schemes have an air of genius to them, it's difficult to know what he's expecting or what the results are going to end in. One of Dick Grayson's first encounters was with Two-Face, and it didn't end too well for him. Dent outsmarted him, even though at first it seemed to be vice versa. The conclusion was Robin getting the crap kicked out of him, and barely avoiding death, after already inadvertently killing an innocent civilian.

I'm sorry I have no scans of it. It was a long endeavor that spanned several pages, as do most of Two-Face's operations.

I do have this though:

http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/1861/twofacepage2.jpg

Ahh scary!

I've also got this:

http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/1907/twofacepage1.jpg

Cunning, tactful, knows how **** goes down. Who wouldn't want him as a Defense Attorney?

There's no doubt that Two-Face is one of Batman's most infamous of enemies. He's creepy looking, and his neurotic obsession is so over the top that he's a perfect face in the Dark Knight's rouge gallery. We constantly get psychological mind trips from him, a trait very necessary for an effective villain, and Two-Face does it all perfectly.

He was also the first one to deduce (or at least tied with the Riddler) that the new Batman wasn't the original. In other words, after Dick Grayson had taken up the cape and cowl, Two-Face immersed himself in the pursuit of discovering who the new Batman was, correctly figuring out that it wasn't the original because of how different Dick performed. And then we were introduced to this:

http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/4269/twofacepage4.jpg

Of course that wasn't really what Two-Face was wearing, he shot Batman up with some tripped up drug and caused him to hallucinate. After the scuffle, Dick managed to convince Two-Face that he was the real Batman. In which case, the previous discovery was negated from Two-Face's cool points.

Best thing I've ever seen Two-Face do: Once again, I can not pinpoint only one shining moment. Robin's first tangle with him was amazing. Joker's Asylum had a splendid rendition of him, in which he kidnapped a man who also had one side of his face horribly scarred, pit him in a game to save his life as well as his wife's, all the guy had to do was shoot "Batman" -- a guy dressed up as Batman that is. Instead, the guy pointed the gun at Two-Face, only to reveal the gun was empty, and had he pulled the trigger, he would've killed no one and walked out with his life and his wife in tact. But that's not ever how it works out when dealing with Mr. Two-Face, who pulled out a loaded gun and almost killed both unwilling contestants. 'Course the real Batman had to show up and ruin it all. Was still awesome though.

2. The Joker

http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/5541/joker2e.jpg

Real name: George.

"I did it! I finally killed Batman! In front of a bunch of vulnerable, disabled kids!!!! Now get me Santa Claus!"

Oh snap, here we go. For all of you who thought the cornerstone of all Batman villains would be my number 1, I laugh at you! Since obviously, it is not true. The Joker is awesome, more than awesome, he's the pinnacle, the grand master, the Jesus of all Batman villains.

And yet here he is! Following a number resembling a hook on a platform, a number that, while very good, is not the best there is. Silver, not Gold. Although I like Silver better than Gold, but that's not the point. The point is, the Joker is only second to... Well we'll get to that.

Now I'm not sure if I'm adequate enough to produce a proper write-up for the Clown Prince of Crime, part of me just wants to post a whole bunch of scans featuring him and be done with it, because honestly, we all know who the Joker is. We all know how imperative he is to the Bat-verse. Words just don't seem efficient enough to describe him, but I'll be damned if that's gonna stop me from trying.

http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/2198/jokerm.jpg

Driving this dude crazy. Oh wait...

I have to mention his insanity. So here we go, the Joker is insane, and crazy, at the same time, even when the two words are synonyms and therefore the same thing, it isn't enough to express just how downright nuts he really is with just one term. In fact, we should make up a new word for him, crazytonic, insanerific, nutsolio, dementeroni, any and all versions of psychopathic.

Joker kills without remorse, he can make Zsasz look like a cub scout. Except that Joker doesn't kill to increase his own personal score, or he might, I don't know. I wouldn't put anything past the Joker. He kills for fun, when it's hilarious to do so, or when it's part of one of his diabolical plans, or when he just ****ing wants to. He's an amazing strategist, a genius, just a crazed one. He could do some good in the world if he didn't have the obsessive need to do wrong and terrorize the streets of Gotham. As well as torment Batman as much as humanly and heavenly possible. Something that the Joker excels at better than anyone else. He constantly forces Batman to have second thoughts about policies and rules against using guns or lethal force. Of course Batman has still persevered, but there have been instances where he almost snapped and would've put an end to the Joker once and for all, but alas, that is not, nor will it ever be our Batman.

Besides, who the hell would want the Joker to die? I mean, he has died apparently, but of course, like every good comic book character, he returned. That's a good thing though, we can't have a Bat-verse without a Joker, just wouldn't be right. It would be an injustice. Ironic maybe?

http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/1270/jokerpage4.jpg

One of those times the Joker pushed Batman too far. "Killing" Bruce Wayne's childhood friend, doing other things that immensely upset him, what have you.

http://img697.imageshack.us/img697/6796/jokerpage3.jpg

And AHH he actually killed the Joker!

No I kid, those are both from entirely separate storylines. I guess I'll take a minute to explain what happened for those few that don't know -- although you should know, because they're two of the best (imo) Batman stories. "Hush", Commissioner Gordon stops Batman from strangling a beaten and battered Joker, reminding the Dark Knight of their resolve to never kill. "Batman and Son", uh... Well Batman actually saved Joker, I think. The clown got shot in the face by another cop dressed up as Batman or something, I can't remember exactly. It was the beginning of the storyline though, so it didn't really matter, and it's also where the above quote comes from. Good issue, great storyline, go read it if you haven't already!

Now if you want a taste of Joker's sadistic side, here ya go:

http://img691.imageshack.us/img691/3414/jokerpage1.jpg

Here we have him trapping a bunch of people in a stadium after they were lured in by... something. He floods the place with Joker venom, which as we know causes you to convulse with SMILES and then die tragically, but while smiling! Then he adds insult to injury, classic Joker.

The Joker is also one of those villains that just knows Batman. He doesn't necessarily know Batman is Bruce Wayne, because he doesn't actually care anymore. As far as Joker's concerned, Batman is just Batman, no one else. And Joker is among the few that actually recognize just who the Dark Knight is, everything he does, his mannerisms, the way he acts, Joker sees it all. It's because of this that he can easily realize the difference between Batman, and someone dressed as Batman (usually). Like when Jean Paul Doucheface was posing as the Caped Crusader, Joker was the first to deduce it wasn't the real Batman. And I have no doubt that he'd be able to surmise, just like Two-Face did, that Dick Grayson is not the original. He should be able to anyway.

Another thing I feel obligated to mention is his part in Barbara Gordon's transformation into Oracle. That part being to shoot her in the spine, rendering her paralyzed from the waist down. Certainly wasn't a gentleman act, and Babs never wanted it to happen, but now she's Oracle! She still has a major role, even though she misses the rush of being out in the streets and on the rooftops fighting crime, but if she had never gotten shot, then we would never have been introduced to Cassandra Cain. And that, dear friends, would be worse than any transgression the Joker has ever committed.

Also, Heath Ledger, guys.

http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/9056/thejokerd.jpg

Best thing I've ever seen The Joker do: Psssssh, why must you force me to choose?! Screw that, I've already written enough, and I most likely haven't even covered half of all the amazingly awful things the Clown Prince of Crime has done, so I'm just gonna post one last scan and be done with it.

http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/3142/jokerpage2.jpg

The one time (or one of the few at least) that Joker actually did something "good".

Honorable Mention #3: Sinestro

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/56/sinestro2.jpg

Real name: Thaal (the hell?) Sinestro.  "As long as there is life there will be fear."

He doesn't need a first name, they should have just kept him as "Sinestro of Korugar", that's much better.

Whoever thought I would get to number 1 on my list right away, ha, I fooled you. Obviously I had to have one more honorable mention. Unfortunately it can only be one more, and I struggled with a few different big villains in the DCU, but ultimately I ended up with this dude. I will settle for an offhand acknowledgment of the other two though.

Darkseid, because he's my favorite Superman villain.

http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/6985/darkseid1.jpg

And Atrocitus, because come on.

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/3369/atrocitus1.jpg

I was this close to giving him the spot, but I decided Sinestro deserved it more. Sure, they're both the leader of their own corps, but Sinestro actually had the gall to name his after himself. Of course... Atrocitus corps sounds kind of weird, plus at that point he would seem like a copycat. And everyone would make fun of him for it.

http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/1012/sinestro1.jpg

Red is a better color than yellow, but fear is a more interesting emotion as opposed to anger. Blind rage can get you places, sure, but sometimes it's too much to control, whereas if you're a master of manipulating fear, well damn, go you.

The mainest of main reasons that I give this spot to Sinestro is because, while Atrocitus is big and bad and likes to rip people in half (which is awesooooooome) Sinestro is the foundation of Green Lantern villains. Then again, there's not a whole lot to choose from. I guess I should also give Larfleeze some attention, as people might twist my nipples off if I didn't say something about him...

http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/3838/larfleeze1.jpg

Anyway, back to Sinestro, check this dude out.

http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/2730/sinestropage2.jpg

What can you say about a guy who goes around smackin' some hos around? I don't know, but he's definitely to be respected. Maybe. Unless you don't like pimps, which would be a strange opinion. Who the hell doesn't admire pimps?

And if that isn't enough to convince, check out the Sinestro Corps oath, which is something he pretty much scratched up in contradiction to the Green Lanterns.

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/3637/sinestropage1.jpg

He's a cold hard badass.

Now let's take some time to actually discuss Sinestro. That means I have to delve into a few details about his past and yadda yadda, he used to be a Green Lantern, but he was a loose cannon, and he trained Hal Jordan after blowing up the latter's jet (what a jerk). Stuff happened, Sinestro was accused of doing bad things and was imprisoned in the Central Power Battery, where he was later released in order to fend off a Parallax possessed former student. Sinestro supposedly died, but actually didn't, and he somehow found a Yellow Power Ring and was there for Hal Jordan's rebirth for an epic struggle through space and an asteroid belt, it was super special awesome. And then after that, Sinestro was sort of banished to Qward where he found the Yellow Power Battery, and BAM. Sinestro Corps on the rise, following that, a galactic civil war between the Green Lantern Corps and the Sinestro Corps.

Phew, so, Sinestro went from being a top tier Space Cop to a tyrannical leader of sorts. He's cruel, sure, but he has his reasons. Also, he's awesome about it, so you can't really hate him for it.

Let's see... After the war, he was arrested, so that one bastard who most people know as Mongul was offered a Yellow ring, and from there decided to rule the corps while the original leader was M.I.A. From there, Arkillo (who is cool) challenged Mongul and got his tongue ripped out in the subsequent fight (which was not cool... okay yeah it was). After the humiliating defeat, Sinestro arrived (hells yeah) and totally kicked Mongul's ass.

http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/1425/sinestrovsmongul.jpg

And that was before or after revealing he was the long lost father of Soranik Natu, who is Kyle Rayner's booty call, or love interest I guess, same thing. That was a heartwarming family reunion though, they try to kill each other, then Sinestro demands Soranik to remain on Korugar in his name, and she's all like "no", and Sinestro is like "yes", so she had no choice but to oblige. I might be forgetting how it really turned out though, since it wasn't that important. I mean, Blackest Night was just around the corner, and then before anyone could comprehend what was going on, zombies started taking over the universe.

'''WARNING! WARNING! DANGER WILL ROBINSON!''' We have reached the Blackest Night section of this write-up. If you do not want to be spoiled, skip the next paragraph. I mean it, I will be divulging some huge ongoings that transpired. In other words: If you are not up to date with Blackest Night, do NOT read the following paragraph.

Honestly, Sinestro didn't do all too much after defeating Mongul. He smacked some girls around (Star Sapphires) in an attempt to get some of his group back, before they were all indiscriminately attacked by ZOMBIES. Or Black Lanterns, as they're officially called. After that, more stuff happened and Sinestro found himself teaming up with his arch enemies! I always enjoy seeing a villain who has enough class to know when to concede their evil ambitions for just a moment, in order to help the "greater good" as it were. Of course, it's within his best interest, especially since he got the ultimate reward out of it, he's now the greatest Lantern of them ALL! Sinestro of Korugar, Destiny Awaits! Hell yeah. This, this right here is the other main reason that Sinestro got the third Honorable Mention. And no, there's no scan of it, anyone who's reading this paragraph has already seen it, so there's no reason for me to post it now.

END BLACKEST NIGHT SPOILERS.

Hmm... I think I've covered just about everything. At least everything I specifically care to include. I do have one more scan though, so I might as well. Sinestro without any power in his ring engaging in fisticuffs with two other powerless Lanterns.

http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/8135/sinestropage3.jpg

You tell 'em, Sinestro (although I was and still am always supporting Hal Jordan).  Best thing I've ever seen Sinestro do: Oh come on now. Hint: Read above.

1. Clayface

http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/6827/clayface1.jpg  Real name: Basil Karlo.

Yeah, Clayface, I’m surprised no one suspected him at all. How could you not? He’s like, the most awesome of villains. He can change into any shape or size at will, which makes him a very effective villain. He could be acting as your mother, and you wouldn’t even know!

Like, seriously… Clayface, yeah, he’s awesome and stuff. Just look at him, all scary and menacing. He’s super strong too, which is cool, I think… Uh, and he can… do things that real villains do. What’s not to love?

http://img691.imageshack.us/img691/1734/clayfacepage1.jpg

Extreme puking. EXTREME!

And hmm… He likes to scare people, that’s always fun.

He even threatens the likes of Batman without hesitation!

http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/5899/clayfacepage2.jpg

Along with his buddy there, Clayface is planning on tearing down that whole building. That’s what all the cool villains are doing nowadays, blowing up buildings with people inside. Yeah, go Clayface and such.

There’s not enough words to express just how totally super awesome Clayface is, so… yeah.

Best thing I’ve ever seen Clayface do: Well there was that one time that he shifted into someone else, or that one time that he beat someone up, or that other time where he combined the two feats, he transformed into someone and then used the disguise to trick some dude and beat him up as well! It was cool.

And there was that time that Clayface turned into the original Batgirl to trick Supergirl and then make out with her. That was hot. Or wait, I think that was with Poison Ivy. Either way, it was hot.

I gotta say though, the most incredibly thing I’ve ever seen Clayface do… was use his shape shifting ability to pose as my number 1 Batman villain…

OH SNAP no I didn’t.

…

…

…

…

Of course I did, you really think this bozo could reach number one of any list? I can’t stand Clayface, he’s got potential, but he suffers from the same ailment as Killer Croc, and it’s even worse with Clayface. That’s just awful.

So who’s my real number 1 you ask? I’m sure it’s obvious, I wasn’t even really committed to this ruse, as you can probably tell. But if I fooled someone for even just a second, I will consider it a success.

…

…

Oh where, oh where has our Batman gone, oh where, oh where could he beeee….

Peek-a-boo.

'''True #1. The Scarecrow'''

http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/1950/scarecrow3.jpg

Real name: Jonathan Crane.

"There is no Crane, only Scarecrow!"

Prepare yourself, because this write-up will be overflowing with scans, as well as quotes.

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/9981/scarecrowa.jpg

There are some, or a lot, of people who don't agree with this placement, arguing that the Joker deserves number 1, as he is the main scary face of Batman villains. I offer you a retort though, sure, the Joker is awesome, and he's a terrifying badass, fine, but Scarecrow is the true face of fear. And that word right there, fear, is exactly why I place him as my first favorite. Okay well that's one of the main points anyway. The other word would be "psychology", those are the two words that appeal to me immensely.

Let me explain, I'm planning on majoring in Psychology, I just love the idea of studying human behavior, and how the mind works, and if possible, how to manipulate it. That's what Scarecrow does, he's a brilliant Psychologist (as well as Biologist, but bleh that subject sucks, and I'm not just saying that because I failed it... although I might be) and he uses that aptitude to dominate his victims. His fear gas isn't even the most significant part of his arsenal, granted it does help him considerably, but his most effective weapon would be his knowledge. With it, he knows how to get under a person's skin (sometimes literally, maybe) and I believe the reason his fear gas is so potent is because of Scarecrow's awareness of other people's anxieties. Sure, the fear gas is an incredible mix of chemicals that only Jonathan Crane has been able to produce apparently, and maybe someone else could use it to somewhat similar results, but I maintain that it's only as powerful when used by someone who knows how to horrify people without it.

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/6555/scarecrowpage1.jpg

Like that, for instance, depicting Scarecrow's innate ability to scare the living hell out of someone WITHOUT the use of fear toxins. He knows what people are afraid of, and he knows how to manipulate that fear to a devastating amount. Honestly, I wish I could do that, like seriously, it is one of my deepest and darkest desires, and most likely one of the deciding factors I want to study psychology. It would be so fun disarming a person with nothing but cleverly deceptive words. I'm positive that if I was equipped the way Scarecrow was, I'd probably try to become a real life version of him.

I promise I'm not crazy.

By the way, I'll take a second here to tell you about that previous scan. It's from my favorite Scarecrow storyline, and it's the supreme comic book adaptation of him. It's called Absolute Terror, and if you haven't read it, and you're looking for the best Scarecrow story out there, this is it. You won't get a better one, unless of course you venture outside of comic books and play Arkham Asylum, which has an amazing portrayal of Scarecrow that reaches mind blowing proportions. I'm sure you all know that already though. If not, remedy or jump off a cliff please.

http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/5637/scarecrowpage3.jpg

Yes, I think we're having fun, let's have some more, shall we?

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/4894/scarecrowpage7.jpg

Blowing up a bridge would sure as hell be fun. Not as fun as terrorizing the whole of Gotham City though, like he did in that one storyline called Absolute Terror. I feel like I've covered that already, but oh well, I'll cover it again. In the story Absolute Terror (commit it to memory) the Scarecrow breaks out of Arkham Asylum and has a compulsive need to prove that he doesn't need the use of his toxins to spread FEAR. In which case he proceeds to spread mass panic by being a straight up serial killer. Yeah, he sneaks around the city, killing people with a knife, thus succeeding in his task.

Another reason why I freakin' love Scarecrow can be clarified using the scan from Absolute Terror, yes again. He discusses the idea of one of human's most primal fears, darkness. He then continues to reveal that it is not the dark that people are afraid of, it's what may be lurking within. This is a truth I have known for a good portion of my life, it helped me face my fears once and for all. Analyzing what I was scared of greatly aided me when I was younger, as I spent most of my childhood in fear of practically everything. Eventually I started getting over all of those fears, until there were none left. Death was the one that took me the longest, but I even managed to conquer that, and now I can confidently say that I fear nothing.

Is it starting to click now? Can you see why I love Scarecrow so much to the point of actually idolizing him? He's the one villain I can relate to more than any other. In fact, I shouldn't even say "villain" when I can just say "character", one of the only fictional characters I can honestly relate to on such a tremendous level.

http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/985/scarecrowpage2.jpg

Usually I don't like when Scarecrow sings those children songs or nursery rhymes or whatever, but that one was actually very... efficacious. It did exactly what it was meant to do, which isn't normally the case. Most of the time, Scarecrow will just sing for the hell of it, or so it seems, but instead of sounding scary, he's just annoying. And I can't commend such a thing, I don't enjoy when writers tend to portray Scarecrow as a punching bag that badgers Batman with irritating songs. However, that above one is perfect, because it's exactly the type of song a criminal would sing (if one were so inclined) while looking for their victim, who would probably be hiding in a closet or something. The song has a perfect eerie sound to it, and when coupled with the right voice, it can be downright terrifying.

God, I can't ever get enough of the Scarecrow. It's unfortunate that his comic book counterpart really doesn't have that many memorable moments. They regard him as one of Batman's most threatening enemies, which is good, and they try to give him enough coverage, but still, he doesn't have that many storylines to himself, and while he does make several other appearances, they can often amount to Killer Croc like status. Which I do not like, but hey, at least he's starting to shine a bit more. And I do mean SHINE.

BLACKEST NIGHT SPOILERS, ALTHOUGH LET'S BE HONEST YOU PROBABLY ALREADY KNOW ABOUT THIS.

Starts with this:

http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/2963/scarecrowpage5.jpg

Yessssssssss.

Then, as a new member of the Sinestro Corps, he starts shining with the brilliant Yellow Light of Fright!

http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/2121/scarecrowpage6.jpg

Makes me so happy. Not only is Scarecrow getting more appraisal, but he's doing it to save the world for once. I don't want that trend to continue, no sir, but I always enjoy a villain teaming up with the good guys for a mutual gain type of condition.

BLACKEST NIGHT SPOILERS END I GUESS.

"Now madness takes you, forever!"

It just occurred to me that both quotes I've had so far (so much for overflowing) are taken from the Arkham Asylum video game. He had some great one-liners in that game, I'm sayin'. They're excellent quotes on their own, but when you're able to actually hear them along with that amazing voice, it's just so fantastically chilling. I'm getting an ache for more Scarecrow.

Oh this is great too, after Cassandra Cain had given up the role of Batgirl (sadly) and that Stephanie chick tried to take over, her first big encounter was with Scarecrow. Which was super delicious.

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/9770/scarecrowpage4.jpg

YEAH! GET SOME! Show her how it's done, Scarecrow! Smash that ho's face in!

Ahem, excuse me. That was just a very joyous occasion for me, it also involved some awesome mind ****ing, Steph was trippin' all over the place, and then Scarecrow killed her in a wonderfully scary way.... What? Don't tell me that's not what happened! Let me dream!

For the record though, I don't mind having Stephanie as the new Batgirl, I'm enjoying the book, even though I'd still much rather have Cassandra back. Oh well.

Anyway... I think that's all I got. Scarecrow may not appeal to others the way he so very much does to me, but I can't be blamed for that. The fact is, this is MY list, and Scarecrow is MY favorite Batman villain, even greater than that actually. The Scarecrow ties with Darth Vader as my utmost favorite villain of all time. The Joker should actually consider himself lucky for even reaching my number 2 spot, because my admiration for Scarecrow is so profound that I could fill a whole two spots with it. That isn't standard though, and I wouldn't really do that. I could though.

Best thing I've ever seen Scarecrow do: Oh man, where to start? Let's see, Absolute Terror, any time he scares the hell out of someone, that time when he became the God of Fear during the Knightfall saga. I don't remember exactly what happened, I just know that he prevailed for a minute before JeanBatdick and Anarky took him down.

OH OH OH! That reminds me, in that God of Fear storyline, Scarecrow acknowledged a slight obsession he had as a kid for scaring flocks of birds. That's when he realized his knack for fear, and there is another aspect of him that I relate to. Sure, I also enjoy scaring birds, but I also have an almost obsessive tendency to sneak up on people and startle them. I do this at work all the time when I'm not doing anything, if I see that someone has their back turned to me, I can't help but appear suddenly behind them and deliver unto them a fright. I succeed about 80% of the time. It's so fun. I once made someone jump five steps to the left, that was hilarious.

Now to continue my best Scarecrow moments. Let's see, I mentioned Absolute Terror, right? Okay, that time he totally kicked Steph-Batgirl's ass and totally did not go down after one kick. Oh yeah, I haven't let my irrational hate for the Huntress pierce this topic for a long time now, so it would just be perfect to do that now, one last time. During No Man's Land, Scarecrow and Huntress had a scuffle of sorts. It was among a bunch of refugees, they were in a church, Huntress was trying to protect them all, while Scarecrow was exploiting everyone's insecurities of the situation and causing them to turn against each other. He managed to subtly warp the people's minds, but for some reason he started coming off too obviously, but he still almost triumphed, and would have if it hadn't been for that damn priest guy who's all about the peace and harmony and blah blah blah. Like always, I will just convince myself that Scarecrow still won.

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/8593/scarecrowpage11.jpg

I have two more storylines to share. Scarecrow's Year One and his Joker's Asylum issue. I know his Year One doesn't technically coincide with continuity, but I still really enjoyed it. And I urge anyone who likes Scarecrow to read it as well if you haven't already. His Joker's Asylum issue was really good though, the art in it wasn't extraordinary, but that was the point. Artists tend to use hectic and chaotic artwork when dealing with Scarecrow, it makes his technique more effective in a way. Within the issue, he's helping a little girl terrorize some whores at a slumber party, all the while he's trying to teach the girl how to influence and control fear in herself and others.

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/9715/scarecrowpage8.jpg

He just covers various fears.

http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/4382/scarecrowpage9.jpg

And displays how to exploit those fears.

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/6368/scarecrowpage10.jpg

Just the way Scarecrow understands fear and psychology, more writers need to realize that and stop giving him crap he doesn't deserve and start portraying him correctly. He's supposed to mess with your mind, the ones in his world as well as the ones in ours. Arkham Asylum did it wonderfully, I want to see more of that in comic books.

Now take a gander at my signature. Fits right in.

--- ~Halo And at the end of fear... oblivion. http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/3739/scarecrowq.jpg