Scarletspeed7 Ranks The 100 Greatest Batman Villains

''"What splendid irony that man's testaments to his own ingenuity become the agents of his demise." ~ Ra's al Ghul''

The storied annals of Batman's history. What lurks in those dark, dusty tomes, filled with decades of the gothic, the noir, the grim and gritty? The very essence of the Batman concept is a battle to not just defeat or prevent evil, but to understand it, and for seventy years, the Dark Knight has been not only a crusader against villainy, but medium in and of himself, a forum to explore the amoral and immoral. Batman does battle with great characters, some allegories for more profound forms of social ills, some simply representations of the everyday criminal mindset, some psychotic, some maniacal. Whether it's a battle of wits or a match of fighting prowess, Batman is entangled in a world where the concept of evil is meant to play a starring role.

This thread will attempt to rank the one hundred enemies of the Bat that are truly the greatest of all. One a day. Creeping solely up the list from minor nuisance to arch nemesis, I want to try and introduce or reintroduce you to some of the greatest examples of villainy to ever be penciled and inked and sent to press. I'll try to include at least one story that showcases each character's unique brand of immorality as well as attempt to describe what exactly about them leaves an impact on me.

Villains #100-76
#100 - Lynx First Appearance: Robin #1 (Jan. 1991)

''"Next time, bird boy..." ~Lynx''

Lynx began her comics career as a talent member of an Asian gang in Gotham, but her role soon became important in the long-brewing story of the King Snake, a villain who put Lynx and her gang of Ghost Dragons in his employ. Lynx starts out as a low-level lieutenant in the gang, but over time she climbs to the right-hand of King Snake; her battles with Tim Drake and Batman also increased in intensity and ferocity during her ascent. Lynx was an interesting villain in that she had more animosity for Robin than Batman himself. In fact, she even helped Batman during No Man's Land, maintaining order with her Ghost Dragons and helping to bring a child killer to justice.

Lynx ended up being a sadly misused villain; during the War Crimes story arc, she was accidentally killed. When Infinite Crisis happened, Superboy-Prime's wall-punches erased this event and restored her to life, but sadly she was once again killed by Batgirl (Cassandra Cain, during her weird crazy Deathstroke acolyte phase). As a decent villain and one of the few Asian women characters in comics, Lynx could've been useful in helping to expand the diversity of DC, but alas, it was not meant to be.

Greatest Lynx Story Ever Told: Robin #2 - The issue where a lot of Lynx's origin takes place. King Snake puts Lynx in charge of one unit of the Ghost Dragons after her boyfriend is killed, pinning the blame on Robin in the process.

#99 - Zeiss First Appearance: Batman #582 (Oct. 2000)

''"Stop? Not while there are other opponents still standing." ~Zeiss''

Zeiss was created by one of the great writers of Gotham lit., Ed Brubaker, who is better known for writing what is considered the greatest run on Captain America of all time. Philo Zeiss was the son of a Mafia gardener, but after his father died, a mob boss took him in. To repay the debt he owed the boss, Zeiss is given an experimental surgery that replaces his eyes with cybernetic goggles which give him a level of sight that alters his perception of time and heightens his reflexes. Zeiss has since worked as a mob enforcer for various criminals and villains in Gotham.

What I love about Zeiss is that he's one of the few villains to actually fight Batman to a standstill. It's not a boastful exaggeration either; Zeiss' goggles give him just enough of an edge when it comes to combat. Zeiss' behavior is always very cold, very detached - he's not passionate about a hatred towards Batman, nor is he necessarily apathetic to the plight of innocent Gothamites, but rather, he simply does his job. He's the sort of threat you like to see thrown into a story because he doesn't steal the spotlight from his boss (usually another great supervillain), yet he still is a welcome sight thanks to the opportunity to watch a really good hand-to-hand fight go down.

Greatest Zeiss Story Ever Told: Batman #597 - After Batman's initial stalemate with Zeiss, his confidence is shaken. However, Batman turns the tables in a rematch using typical Batman resourcefulness. A great story that reminds people of why the Bat-Family is valuable to Batman, and how sometimes there are villains that can't be stopped without a little ingenuity.

'''#98 - Lady Vic First Appearance: Nightwing #4 (Jan. 1997)'''

''"Bad shot. I was aiming for the pupil and hit the cornea." ~Lady Vic''

Lady Vic began her comics career as a Nightwing villain, but she's since become a great all-purpose Gotham-based mercenary. Her backstory is relatively simple; a British aristocrat, her family comes from a long line of soldiers for hire, and she's no exception. Despite such a basic history, she's an intriguing character. Her attitude is always very blaise and carefree; she doesn't come at anyone with particular vengeance and would in fact always prefer to be relaxing somewhere nice with a glass of wine and a warm bed rather than fighting. Even so, her fighting skills are extremely impressive and she has an outfit that really helps... accentuate... her technique. Her weapon skills vary from marksmanship to hand-to-hand, and she's quick to do what it takes to get the job done... even jumping out of a plane without a parachute once while chasing Black Canary.

Several of her cases lead her into battle with a wide array of Batman-based characters. She tangled with Oracle's Birds of Prey several times, including once in Gorilla City as she was trying to procure a gorilla heart for Blockbuster; she's fought Nightwing while in the employ of both Blockbuster and his rival Torque; she's taken on Batman repeatedly, usually as a hired hand for a mob lieutenant but also as an assistant to Black Mask once. She's even fought both against and alongside the Secret Six, depending on the situation. Despite the constant change of allegiances, she always is quick with a sarcastic quip or a barbed insult at whoever gets in her way... or even those paying her. All in all, like Zeiss, she's the sort of great assisting villain you want to see give Batman and co. a decent challenge.

Greatest Lady Vic Story Ever Told: Secret Six #25-28: "The Reptilian Brain" - Lady Vic joins a temporary Secret Six led by Jeannette and Bane alongside Dwarfstar, Giganta and King Shark in order to invade the land of Skartaris. Not a Batman story (although it features a lot of Batman-baddies), but easily one of the great villain-centered storylines that we've come to expect from Secret Six. Vic handles herself well as the team proves entertainingly dysfunctional.

'''#97 - Scarlet First Appearance: Batman and Robin #1 (Aug 2009)'''

''"My name is Sasha. But not tonight. Tonight I am SCARLET." ~Scarlet''

One of Grant Morrison's creations while Dick Grayson was Batman, Scarlet was the Robin to Red Hood's Batman. After being disfigured by Professor Pyg when a mask was permanently affixed to her face. The Red Hood befriended her and took her under his wing, and for the remaining few months of the Old DCU, she was his sidekick. In a really interesting twist on the Batman and Robin concept, Scarlet was a nutty sort-of devil-may-care youth that brightened the darker life of her older partner in the same way Robin brightened Batman. However, it all was tinged with a twisted revengeful hatred for Batman and Robin, as well as other villains in Gotham. Prior to the New 52, Jason Todd was back to being an anti-anti hero, that being that he not only did his best to make other villains' lives hell, but heroes too. Scarlet fit perfectly into the role Grant Morrison created for her.

At the end of one of Judd Winick's stories in B&R, Scarlet's mask appears to come loose, and she drives off into the night, her fate unknown. Given what we know about the masks, it is likely that she is now quite deformed thanks to the manner of its attachment to her. She's yet to show up in the New 52, but I hope that some day someone brings back this intriguing spin on the sidekick archetype.

Greatest Scarlet Story Ever Told: Batman and Robin #4-6: "Revenge of the Red Hood": This is the story you want to see; Batman and Robin prove themselves as the true inheritors of the Batman and Robin mantle against some would-be usurpers that have a claim to the same throne. Scarlet is intriguing and an excellent supporting cast member in this story.

'''#96 - Guy Gardner First Appearance: Green Lantern #59 (Mar 1968)'''

''"One Punch!!" ~Blue Beetle''

This is a very different write-up because I'm actually going to give you not only the greatest story ever told, but also the write-up in the same set of images. But first, a little preface. In the first four issues of Keith Giffen's acclaimed Justice League run, Guy Gardner was the wannabe leader constantly at odds with true team leader Batman. Guy had proved himself to be nothing more than a pain in the ass and a troublemaker, and caused more problems for Batman than even the Justice League villains. And finally, enough was enough. Read the following comic panels in order to experience what is, in my mind, the third greatest Batman showdown ever written.

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One punch.

Guy Gardner went on to be a pain in Batman's side throughout this run, but this moment is widely recognized as one of the greatest Batman moments in history. It placed #16th in the greatest comic book battles of all-time on Comic Book Resources, and is constantly referenced in stuff like Grant Morrison's JLA run and even in Geoff Johns' Green Lantern run.

'''#95 - Magpie First Appearance: Man of Steel #3 (Nov 1986)'''

''"Look at all my shiny things. Bits and baubles that twinkle in the moonlight." ~Magpie''

Magpie is a minor villain to be sure, but for some reason she has endured for twenty years as something of a comic relief villain. Her plots are generally not terribly threatening, and she often comes up as a topic of conversation for superheroes. One of my favorite moments in Jeph Loeb's Superman/Batman run is when Superman and Batman are trying to crawl through the sewers after a fight, and they're talking about their various run-ins with her. It's kind of embarrassing how much they just thoroughly bash her exploits, and yet, without villains like this, I think you lose the realism of superheroics in DC. There are just some villains that fail at being villains, and that's the sort of flavor that makes DC's villains unique. You had characters like Catman go from Z-List failures to solid characters, and you had villains rise and fall and rise again like Dr. Light. There's no guarantee for success, and the failures keep things interesting.

Magpie herself debuted in the Man of Steel title, and she was the first villain captured by the team-up of Batman and Superman (post-Crisis, this was considered their first case together). After that, she primarily became a lesser version of Catwoman, stealing pretty things from jewelry stores and museums, although usually to a level of success much lower than the Feline Fatale's. Sadly for her, she ended up being killed off in the One Year Later story arc in Batman and Detective Comics, but thankfully she gained a brief reprieve in Blackest Night: Batman.

Greatest Magpie Story Ever Told: Batman #401 - Part of the Legends crossover story (the first crossover post-Crisis), Batman has his first solo fight with Magpie. Solid story with a nice bit of humor.

'''#94 - Brutale First Appearance: Nightwing #22 (Feb 1998)'''

Little heroes don't get far with blades in their spines." ~Brutale

One of the more frightening costumes in the Batman villain arsenal, Brutale's mask was originally an inspiration for the early designs of Christopher Nolan's Scarecrow mask. Brutale definitely lives into his name; he's a vicious, brutal, heartless killer-for-hire, and yet another one of Blockbuster's go-to henchmen. If nothing else, Nightwing's primary antagonist knew how to align himself with good help (unlike the Kingpin who was betrayed how many times by Elektra and Bullseye?). Brutale is one of those show-up-everywhere villains who is just the right amount of sick combined with just the right amount of capitalist to pretty much fit into any villainous gathering. He was part of Luthor's Society during the Infinite Crisis year as well as being sucked into various gatherings such as the big one in Superman/Batman's first arc, Salvation Run, some Birds of Prey run-ins and even the Suicide Squad.

What makes Brutale work is that there just aren't very many South American villains out there, so he fits in well with... erm... Bane, I guess. That's pretty much it. Honestly, there are some similarities between Bane and Brutale. They're both highly-skilled tacticians, they both seek out challenges, and they both are willing to work for the highest bidder. The difference is that Bane has a God complex while Brutale is just in it for the cash and the thrills. And frankly, when I need a good right-hand man, I want one that's in it for those two reasons and nothing else.

Greatest Brutale Story Ever Told: Blue Beetle #1-3 - "Metamorphosis": The first story arc of the sadly cancelled Blue Beetle series in the New 52, Brutale is given new life as a more Hispanic-oriented villain with a even creepier modus operandi. Great reinvention of a hidden gem from the Batman arsenal, and even more impressively inserted into another franchise without feeling out-of-place.

'''#93 - Penny Plunderer First Appearance: World's Finest #30 (Sep 1947)'''

''"It's a pay phone! I need a single nickle to be able to dial! BETRAYED by PENNIES!" ~Penny Plunderer''

In a world where comic villains are a dime a dozen, there's one villain that is quite literally 20% cooler than the average, and that's the Penny Plunderer. In fact, Batman really wouldn't be Batman without the Penny Plunderer. After all, the most memorable item in the Batcave, the giant penny, is a souvenir from the one of the cases against PP.

Wait... what? The object that's appeared over 200 times in comic books as well as in various animated series is from some two-bit no-name villain?

The answer is yes and no. Yes, it's the Penny Plunderer, but no, he's not two-bit. That would be a gross overestimation of his value. Okay, I'll stop the penny jokes. Anyways, the Penny Plunderer was a worthless owner of a Penny Arcade who attempted to rob banks. I mean, he's not all that original, but his Giant Penny has become a staple of the Batman mythos, whether you know it or not. Sadly, in the post-Crisis DCU (and thanks to Batman: The Animated Series), the giant penny has been retconned into a Two-Face weapon. Personally, it will always belong to the Penny Plunderer in my mind; I've always loved that such a minor villain could live such a major impact on Batman's life, even if it's in such an innocuous way as a prop in the Batcave. Batman doesn't have trophies from Catwoman cases, Scarecrow cases or Mr. Freeze cases, but he's got this giant-ass penny from some early case against a one-off Z-Lister. It's Batman having bouts of nostalgia, wistfully remembering the more innocent cases of days gone by... and I love thinking of a Batman that has such a deep and meaningful history behind the mask

Greatest Penny Plunderer Story Ever Told: World's Finest #30 - Sure, it's his first appearance, but for my money, this is one of the top five post-World War II, pre-Silver Age Batman stories. It's memorable, charming, a little bit goofy, and it highlights Batman's amazing resourcefulness.

'''#92 - Reaper First Appearance: Detective Comics #575 (Jun 1987)'''

"Tell the world that the Reaper has returned... and will save this city-- with its consent or without. " ~Reaper

The Reaper is probably the single-greatest villain created to be intentionally killed at the end of a story. Oh, um, spoilers. Actually, when the Batman: Year Two story was initially unveiled on the heels of Batman: Year One's success, writer Mike Barr said that this was a story about a "forgotten villain and his unusual death." Readers were partially drawn into this story to find out how this mysterious villain met his tragic end somewhere in Batman's past, and that was part of the magic that was Batman: Year Two.

Year Two was a very interesting story that revolved around the similarities between Batman and his ultra-violent counterpart, the Reaper. So driven to kill was the Reaper that it brought the mob into a temporary alliance with Batman. In fact, Batman was forced to work with Joe Chill, the man who killed his parents, in an effort to bring the Reaper down. The climax of the story, where Chill, Batman and the Reaper confront each other, is one of the better high points in Batman's history, and I really recommend this story to Batman fans, as the Reaper was a villain created specifically to dissect Batman's vigilante actions, and also to make the reader question where to draw the line between hero and villain.

And in the end, the Reaper may have kept Batman from walking down the same, ultra-violent path.

Greatest Reaper Story Ever Told: I already told you about the greatest story, but I'm going to mention Batman: Full Circle, in which Joe Chill's son takes up the mantle of the Reaper in order to avenge his father's death. An interesting story that ultimately helps Batman come to peace with his parents' deaths.

'''#91 - Phantasm First Appearance: Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (Dec 1993)'''

''"You're not smiling, Joker. I thought you found death amusing." ~Phantasm ''

In just the same way that Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is the hidden gem in the Batman film franchise, the Phantasm herself is a hidden gem in the Batman villain pantheon. Despite only two real appearances in Batman media, Phantasm has garnered a small fandom from her stellar debut in Mask of the Phantasm. The introduction of a tragic villain like Phantasm into a mainstream movie has left a major impression on the superhero film world, from Raimi's Doc Ock to Singer's Magneto. Mask of the Phantasm has a legacy in superhero films, not being afraid to bring mature themes and overtones to a franchise that up until that point did not really dive into the true brooding, deep concepts that Batman comic fans love.

I can't talk about the Phantasm too much. The entirety of Mask of the Phantasm is a giant freakin' spoiler tag waiting to happen, so all I can say is this: Phantasm, while not given much character development, is conceptually a great villain that follows a very archetypal arc of storytelling that is the sort of thing that propels Batman from entertainment to modern-day Greek hero status. Superheroes are meant to be conduits for storytelling on society and the human conditions, their allies and enemies reflecting a mirror image on facets of our own world that need to be shown. Phantasm is the star of a somewhat timeless tell, that, while told better with other characters (even on this list), is still a great story to be told.

But, given some of the truly amazing villains that are soon to appear on this list, I honestly can't rank Phantasm any higher than here.

Greatest Phantasm Story Ever Told: I like Mask of the Phantasm, but the original ending to Justice League Unlimited, entitled "Epilogue," is her best appearance. In an episode that echoes the creation of Batman as well as harkens back to Amanda Waller's lack of self-control, Phantasm must decide whether or not to murder Terry McGinnis' parents as they leave a movie theatre. Moving stuff.

'''#90 - Red Hood (Jason Todd) First Appearance: Batman #408 (Jun 1987)'''

''"Man, I gotta tell you... I really wish I could be watching this one ringside as well as fighting it... 'cause it's gonna be good." ~Jason Todd''

Jason Todd was, first and foremost, hated. Or at least he was. Back in the 80s, Jason was having a rough go of it as Dick Grayson's successor in the Robin mantle. So rough that, during a fan poll DC held to determine the ending of one of their storylines, fans overwhelmingly voted to kill him off.

That was the best thing to ever happen to him.

20 years later, writer Brian Azzarello teased fans with a returned Jason Todd, only to reveal it as a ruse. But the chord was struck in fans, and the mock return inspired Ed Brubaker to return Bucky as the Winter Soldier in Captain America. Judd Winick also decided to use this as inspiration, but this time the inspiration brought back Jason Todd as the villainous Red Hood. The rest of his story, however, blurred the line between hero, villain, anti-hero and just unlikable moron so often that it's tough to rank him.

Jason, at his best, was a great villain for Dick Grayson during his Batman run; he was a bitter, neglected, forgotten and angry castaway that just wanted what he thought he deserved. He was the petulant child grown up, and it truly was one of the best match-ups Grant Morrison ever conceived. Unfortunately, for every great use of Jason Todd, there are two bad ones. Like in Countdown, where Todd unexplainedly is accepted by Kyle Rayner and Jason Todd to help save the universe. Of course, he then turns around and murders a bunch of criminals a couple months later. The New 52 has turned him into as close to heroic as an anti-hero can get, but when he was a villain, he was something to see. Truly something to see.

Greatest VILLAINOUS Jason Todd Story Ever Told: Batman Annual #25 - The explanation for how Jason came back, this annual really gave some depth to Jason as he was on a villainous tear against Bruce Wayne. Great stuff also featuring Ra's al Ghul.

'''#89 - Professor Pyg First Appearance: Batman #666 (Jul 2007)'''

''"Pain is the beginning of perfection... I will make you perfect." ~Professor Pyg''

Hard to think of a villains as creepy as Professor Pyg. The guy is a schizophrenic scientist that permanently affixes creepy mind-altering masks to innocent victims, which he dubs Dollotrons. He also peddles a drug that mimics the effects of Alzheimer's disease under the guise of normal narcotics in an effort to "destroy the identity of every person in Gotham". His experiments are brutal, his motives frightening, and that makes him a great Batman villain.

Pyg has played a huge role in the Grant Morrison run on Batman that ran for the last 7 or so years. His solo work as well as his team of freaks and miscreants dubbed "the Circus of Strange" have become a new but welcome fixture that add some new flavor into the more macabre side of Batman villainy; Pyg is reminiscent of a cult leader like Jim Jones or David Koresh, but with (if you can believe it) even more of a brutal, psychotically-violent set of believes. He fits into so many motifs that play well into the Batman mythos and, despite being a relative newcomer to the Batman franchise, fits it like a black glove.

Greatest Professor Pyg Story Ever Told: Batman and Robin #1-3 - On Dick Grayson's first case as Batman, the stakes have never been higher; Pyg's modus operandi is shocking, dark and exactly what the doctor ordered.

'''#88 - Black Spider First Appearance: Detective Comics #463 (Feb 1976)'''

''"Greetings, my sweet, let's introduce ourselves. I'm Black Spider -- and you're dead!" ~Black Spider''

A minor villain with an interesting legacy, Black Spider had a tragic origin: as a teenager, the Spider was a heroin addict who attempted to rob a liquor store while on a particularly brutal drug binge. When he finally woke up from it, he realized that the store he had robbed was his father's, who was killed at his own hand. Sobered by the experience, Black Spider donned his costume in order to wage a one-mar war against the drug trade of Gotham. His particularly cruel and brutal tactics brought him at odds with Batman, a vigilante Spider thought should naturally be on his side. His work has been part of several interesting stories in the Batman mythos, and his particularly mercenary behavior has taken him all over the DCU.

I like Black Spider because he's one of those villains that has a rigid yet bizarre code of honor; he refuses to commit certain crimes, yet he has no qualms perpetrating others. He's for the most part a rational and meticulous individual, and this helps him find his way into various team-ups of villains as well as working with groups like the Suicide Squad. He's been part of the Society in Infinite Crisis, Calculator's group in Identity Crisis, and he even dated Dr. Fate's wife for a while. All in all, his story is a tragic one (I'll get to that in a minute), his character is fresh, and he's left a great legacy of three other Black Spiders who've followed in his footsteps. However, the original is always around, an irreplaceable C-Lister who deserves more attention.

Greatest Black Spider Story Ever Told: Batman: Shadow of the Bat #5 - A hidden gem in the great Batman treasury of works by Alan Grant, Black Spider reveals some of his origin as he his captured and nearly killed by a drug dealer. A quite explosive ending and a great piece of character development.

'''#87 - Firebug First Appearance: Batman #318 (Dec 1979)'''

''"To me, you're just easy kindling, Bug." ~Firefly''

Firebug... why the heck would such a D-list two-big arsonist make my list? Because, in the pantheon of rivalries, there's aren't many between two villains, and frankly, the rivalry between Firefly and Firebug is pretty damn funny. Two arsonists, one well-known and one utterly forgotten, one vying for supremacy and one already at the top of the game... there's really not such a heated rivalry in Gotham like this. Every time Firebug shows up, he's pretty much after one thing: proving himself to be the greater pyromaniac than Firefly. Also, every time he shows up anymore, he appears to die in a massive explosion... only to return later on and do the exact same thing.

Firebug is amazing because you really don't get enough interactions between villains in the Batman universe, and every time they happen it tends to be a really fresh and original experience. Having minor characters develop rivalries and relationships helps to really deepen the world of Gotham City, creating layers of context that flavor every interaction. After all, not everything can be about Batman and his group versus the Rogues Gallery. There needs to be some balance, some give and take, some dissension within the ranks that keeps the tale of Gotham unpredictable. It seems only reasonable that two villains with similar motifs would end up going at each other constantly, and throwing them in a powder keg with Batman at the center just makes it even better.

Greatest Firebug Story Ever Told: Detective Comics #690 - Chuck Dixon tells the quintessential FIrebug vs. Firefly story, with Batman, Robin and all of Gotham trapped in the crossfire. Fun stuff.

'''#86 - Batzarro First Appearance: Superman/Batman #20 (Jun 2005)'''

''"I'm not the only one, I guess." ~Superman''

Batzarro am World's Worst Detective. He am super-weak and super-smart, and he am just like Batman. Perfect duplicate am Batzarro. Batzarro first am not Batzarro in Crime Alley, not using two pistols to gun down couples. When Bizarro meet Batzarro for the last time, he offer to help solve murders Batzarro am not commit in Crime Alley. Batzarro am not created by the Joker, but Batman knew about him great long time before they met. Joker am not created Batzarro to have the great displeasure in finally killing Batman for once. However, Bizarro not save Batzarro and now Batzarro try to be completely unlike his idol Batman. Bizarro approve greatly of this and call him "Not-Bruce".

Batzarro is just a fun character because in the world of superhero doppelgangers, there always needs to be one or two "fun" ones. Batzarro is great comic relief and unlike Bizarro, he doesn't show up all the often, so it's always a breath of fresh air when he does. He's been featured in several story arcs in Superman/Batman as well as Action Comics and Justice League, but it's always when he's going toe-to-toe (but mostly not) with Batman, his idol. The reverse speak gets so confusing that you can't help but laugh, since Batman really doesn't want to put up with such ridiculous crap and get back to what he does best. Unfortunately, Batzarro won't let that happen. And I'm glad he doesn't.

Worst Batzarro Story Never Told: Infinite Hallween Special #1 - Bizarro pulls Batzarro out of the Negative Zone to help him fight the Riddler, and they get into a strange yet hilarious argument about what makes a good hero. It's Bizarro stuff at its finest.

'''#85 - Mad Monk First Appearance: Detective Comics #31 (Sep 1939)'''

''"Enjoy this, hero. Enjoy death." ~Mad Monk''

Batman's first supervillain, Mad Monk still remains one of the great ones; developed as a one-off villain, Mad Monk was conceptually similar to Dracula in design, but grew into his own very quickly. The Mad Monk's story was the first multi-part story in the Batman series, and therefore is really influential on what come later in the Batman mythos. Mad Monk, a vampire, uses his own powers as well of those of his supernatural assistant Dala, to kidnap Bruce Wayne's love interest Julie Madison, but is stopped by Batman who SHOOTS THEM WITH SILVER BULLETS, KILLING THEM.

Wait, what?

Yep. Batman killed Mad Monk. Killed him. Remember back in the day when Batman went around with a gun and shot criminals in the ******* face? Well, I bet Mad Monk has a pretty clear memory of it. Although death wasn't the end for the Mad Monk, as he would return time and again to menace the Dark Knight. And it's completely worth it. I love seeing the Mad Monk from time to time. He's the OG supervillain, with creepy henchwoman and macabre frightening yet entertaining abilities. Remind you of anyJoker?

Greatest Mad Monk Story Ever Told: Batman and the Mad Monk by Matt Wagner - A recent retelling of the original Mad Monk story, Matt Wagner (who is the most underrated comic writer ever) weaves an amazing supsenseful tale of classical horror featuring Batman in a truly Gothic tale. Great stuff.

'''#84 - Joe Chill First Appearance: Detective Comics #33 (Nov 1939)'''

''"I shoulda shot the kid right there. I shoulda done him first. Three for three." ~Joe Chill''

Let's get one thing straight. No one ever asked the Waynes if they danced with the devil in the pale moonlight. No one. That's hogwash. Crap. A travesty of epic proportions. Only one man got the shots off on Tom and Martha, and that was good ol' Joe Chill, useless thug and waste of human genetic material. Joe Chill was for many years Batman's arch-nemesis of a sorts (until he became Batman, so probably more of a Bruce Wayne nemesis), and his actions have had the hugest repercussions on the DC Universe possible. After all, he in essence created Batman. What if Bruce had been killed and Tom and Martha had lived? Well, Flashpoint for one thing. But the world would be completely different. Batman begat Robins, Batman begat Batgirls, Batman begat Justice Leagues and Outsiders and solutions for Final Crisis and an entire corporation of worldwide superheroes and etc., etc., etc... Joe Chill's 2 minutes in a dark alley with a rich family left an indelible impact on the DC Universe.

Joe Chill has been depicted in just about every Batman flashback ever, despite his relatively minor role in the actual goings-on of day-to-day DC Universe machinations. He got what he deserved; a life tormented by horror and cut short by the very monster he created: vigilantism. It's a fitting end to a scumbag like Chill, and another reason I love Batman villains. Here's a guy who had more impact on Bruce Wayne than anyone else, and in tragic Greek myth fashion, he's torn asunder and left to the crows.

Greatest Joe Chill Story Ever Told: Batman: Year Two - I've talked about this story when I discussed the Reaper, but I'm not going to put another story down that isn't the Greatest, right? Batman teams up with Joe Chill to track down the Reaper... what happens is a true Batman clash between three men with a variety of conflicts between them. A lot of great comparisons.

'''#83 - Clayface (Sondra Fuller) First Appearance: Outsiders #21 (Jul 1987)'''

''"How many of these things are there?" ~Halo''

Introduced originally as a villain to the Outsiders, Sondra Fuller, sometimes referred to as Lady Clay, is the only female Clayface of the now 8 (!) Clayfaces that menace Batman and his cronies. Fuller is the most interesting one for a variety of reasons; on the surface, she can not only change her shape but also can change color and even duplicate powers on a limited scale, making her a much bigger threat than any of the other Clayfaces, and I always love a good challenge. Lady Clay also has a very different modus operandi than her Mud Pack pals - she just wants to be left alone. Similar to Man-Bat in a lot of ways, Lady Clay is primarily concerned with keeping her child - Cassius Clay - safe. After somehow giving birth to a child between herself and another Clayface, she's mostly been seen doing the maternal thing. She even has teamed up with the Bat to help track down her child's kidnappers in one issue.

I really like Lady Clay (probably more than I should). I tend to have a soft spot for the gentle monsters and the unwilling freaks. Sondra is human at heart, but burdened with her abilities that keep her apart from society. I think this is a common feeling for people that's been exemplified with characters like Frankenstein's Monster and the X-Men, but Sondra Fuller is a character that also succeeds at building sympathy while menacing Batman and the gang, and that's a mission accomplished in my book.

The Greatest Lady Clay Story Ever Told: "The Mud Pack" (Detective Comics #604-607) - An interesting little story featuring all four Clayfaces at the time (including the deceased Matt Hagen), I think it does a great job differentiating each of them while still being true to their overall common thread.

'''#82 - Tally Man First Appearance: Batman: Shadow of the Bat #19 (Oct 1993)'''

''"Everyone has to pay the Tally Man." ~Tally Man''

Tally Man's origin is particularly dark. When he was a boy, his mother was being extorted for money by a tax collector; the boy used a fire poker to kill the collector, sending his mother into a spiral that resulted in her suicide. Ultimately, Tally Man would snap due to this and use the guise of an old-time tax collector to collect the debts owed him by Gotham and also Gotham's underworld.

Tally Man is one of those great, hardly ever utilized side villains with tons of potential. He's more murderous than the Joker and just as crazy, with a bizarre circus-like outfit and a penchant for gunplay. He's worked both solo and as a lead henchman (most memorably for Two-Face in No Man's Land), and in both types of situations, he's been a real asset to the storyteller, setting up real dangerous and interesting plots that make you want to just say "Damn, this guy is nuts... but I love him for it."

Greatest Tally Man Story Ever Told: Batman: Shadow of the Bat #34 - Nightwing's run-in with Tally Man during Dick's first tenure as Batman is a doozy. One thing I should mention about Tally Man; he's got this hilarious sideplot of not ever running into the same Batman and yet assuming they're all the same guy. He first fights the Azrael-Batman and is bested, seeks vengeance on the Nightwing-Batman and is bested, and when he faces Bruce Wayne for the first time, assumes he's the same guy as before and demands vengeance again. It's really quite humorous. Too bad we don't get more sly subplots like that.

'''#81 - Ventriloquist (Arnold Wesker) First Appearance: Detective Comics #583 (Feb 1988)'''

''"You should count yourselves lucky, working for me. I ain't no glock of wood -- I got the grains to take us places!" ~Ventriloquist, as Scarface''

Look, I'm not going to defend dropping a major villain at #81. Despite how important Ventriloquist has been to the Batman mythos (especially in No Man's Land), I'm not really a fan of the guy. He's a wimpy schizophrenic that hides behind a puppet with a gat and a speech impediment, ok? What's there to really like? I'll admit that he's been a part of several good storylines in Batman, and that gets him a pass to the 81st spot. I mean, if you make your way in to stuff like Face the Face and No Man's Land, you're bound to make it onto this list simply on the future of those being excellent stories. That said, Ventriloquist isn't my cup o' tea.

Arnold Wesker was a child when - and this is the ridiculous part - his parents were run over by a truck containing mannequins and dummies. You can't make this **** up. Oh wait, you can. Anyways, he used this traumatic moment to define him, assuming for no reason whatsoever that he was supposed to forgo all emotions, which essentially broke him into two personas: Scarface and the Ventriloquist. Anyways, that's all there is to it. Frankly, his best moment is in Blackest Night when a zombified Ventriloquist sporting a Black Lantern Scarface is running around Gotham wreaking havoc. Now THAT was funny.

Greatest Ventriloquist Story Ever Told:Batman: Cataclysm - The prelude to No Man's Land, an earthquake rocks Gotham and as heroes and villains alike try to deal with it, a mysterious new enemy called the Quakemaster steps forward to claim responsibility. Ventriloquist's best storyline.

'''#80 - Torque First Appearance: Nightwing #1 (Oct 1996)'''

''"Get your head on straight, Soames." ~Blockbuster''

I can't get this guy any higher, but I freakin' love Dudley Soames, despite his low placement. There's just so many great and important characters coming up. Soames was an enforcer for Roland Desmond (the smarter, stronger brother of the original Blockbuster), until a botched job left Blockbuster's hands around his neck. Blockbuster twisted his head around 180 degrees, but timely arrival of paramedics kept him alive, but facing backwards. Soames then became determined to not only take down Blockbuster but also the corrupt Bludhaven police force that betrayed him.

I love this guy's attitude. For several years in Nightwing, he was wreaking havoc on EVERYONE in Bludhaven. His unusual and frightening appearance was only further highlighted by his manic, brutal behavior that reminded me of Bronson in Death Wish mixed with an insane Dennis Hopper. He's just a guns-blazing killer with a revenge streak. You kind of want to root for him even while you're hoping Nightwing takes him down, and he becomes a major piece of Chuck Dixon's chess game of Bludhaven. I recommend reading the entire Chuck Dixon Nightwing run; characters like Soames become mainstays in the story, well-developed and constantly changing parts of an elaborate tale that took years to tell.

Greatest Torque Story Ever Told: Nightwing #65 - During the Bruce Wayne: Murderer storyline, Soames finally completed his long-running plan for revenge, prepared to finally deal his finishing blows. It was the culmination of years of storytelling for Torque, and it was pretty great.

'''#79 - Tarantula (Catalina Flores) First Appearance: Nightwing #71 (Sep 2002)'''

''"No killing? Where's the fun in that?" ~Tarantula''

Tarantula is all sorts of fun, and more importantly, she was pretty much Nightwing's Talia al Ghul for the second half of his series. I love her slow descent from a vigilante to extreme vigilante to out-and-out villain. Her mental state as an FBI profiler is a stable one, but slowly in the series she becomes more and more hard-edged and a loose cannon, and she eventually reaches a point of no return. There comes a moment for a lot of vigilantes where it's a "**** or get off the pot" fork in the road, and for some, they can find that arc of redemption like Jean-Paul Valley, while for Catalina Flores, it went the opposite direction.

Catalina's primary role is as a foil to Nightwing that didn't yet exist. Catalina is weak; I mean that she isn't made of the same moral fiber and willpower that Nightwing is. I really love Dick Grayson because he can dig himself out of any hole; he's not trapped in the darkness that consumes Bruce Wayne, nor is he willing to give up fighting the good fight like some vigilantes. Catalina, on the other hand, has become consumed by her new, mentally-dangerous lifestyle. I've always loved how being a vigilante burns through people very quickly, and the Tarantula descends slowly into madness over the course of Nightwing. Interesting character who met a fate that only a writer like Gail Simone could provide.

Greatest Catalina Flores Story Ever Told: Nightwing #93 - This is my second-favorite story in the entire Nightwing sub-franchise, and Tarantula is a major piece in it. I really don't want to spoil any of this story, but I will say that Tarantula and Blockbuster are at odds with one another, and their combined agendas force Nightwing to make the most difficult and surprisingly heartbreaking decision he ever made. A truly excellent issue from the amazing follow-up run by Devin Grayson to Chuck Dixon's Nightwing. Dixon and Grayson worked together on the Bat-family for a long time, so the change in writers was a planned event and it feels like the comic is written by the same person. Fantastic stuff.

'''#78 - Nyssa Raatko First Appearance: Detective Comics #783 (Aug 2003)'''

''"When the world gets a true taste of violent oppression, and their heroes lie dead and broken -- apathy will die." ~Nyssa Raatko''

At the turn of the millennium, there was an amazing story that no one seems to remember, written by Batman master-scribe Greg Rucka: Death and the Maidens. In this story, Rucka introduced Ra's al Ghul's OTHER daughter, Nyssa Raatko, a few hundred year-old angry ***** with a serious grudge. Nyssa cleverly manipulates Talia, Batman, and Ra's himself in order to get revenge on her father. However, by the end of the story it turns out not all is as it seems.

Nyssa came into the DCU with a bold, ambitious plan that involved world domination - not something that comes up much in Gotham City. Sure, maybe city domination, but full-blown global? That's a step up for Batman comics. However, Nyssa's character works well in this heightened stakes storyline. Blending a bit of Magneto into the Ra's al Ghul concept, Nyssa arrived in the DCU with huge potential, changing the status quo of the DCU forever - at least forever in comic book standards (so, like, a couple years). I loved Nyssa and Talia's blossoming partnership, and I wished that Nyssa had been kept around after Greg Rucka left DC Comics. She was a surefire success and a perfect replacement for Ra's al Ghul in the Batman mythos, had she been kept around.

Greatest Nyssa Raatko Story Ever Told: Batman: Death and the Maidens. Seriously. Just read it. It's fantastic; the best story from Batman in the time between No Man's Land and War Games. And that's really saying something; this is Batman facing a threat that actually is a truly equal competitor.

'''#77 - Nocturna First Appearance: Detective Comics #529 (Aug 1983)'''

''"They brave the night to welcome its dark embrace." ~Nocturna''

Nocturna... she's such an oddity among the Batman villains. One of the more macabre characters, I've always thought of her as a mad scientist slowly descending into an abyss of villainy. Her entire life bred her into crime: from her orphaned time on the streets to her unwitting work as an astronomer in the employ of a crime boss, she was led down a path of thievery from the outset. She not only became a thief, but she also developed a relationship with Bruce Wayne outside of their masked identities. Back in the early 80s, Catwoman's relationship with Batman didn't exist (at least, not on Pre-Crisis Earth-1), and the concept of a villain and a hero being in a romantic entanglement (even if it was unwitting) was fresh and original.

However, a jilted lover of Nocturna's ultimately returned and ruined the possible relationship before it had much time to take off, and sadly this very intriguing tale from decades ago came to an end. I see Nocturna as an exotic character, the sort of woman that COULD entrance Bruce Wayne because she is just so different from all the other women in Gotham; similarly to Catwoman, she stands out not only for Bruce, but for Batman, and that makes their fights both before and after the romance that much more interesting.

Greatest Nocturna Story Ever Told: Batman #398-390, Detective Comics #556 - A great story taking place during Crisis on Infinite Earths, a tale revolving around Nocturna and Catwoman and both of their relationships with Batman yields some unpleasant results for all of them as they take on each other. Great stuff.

'''#76 - Sensei First Appearance: Strange Adventures #215 (Dec 1968)'''

''"Our strength is in our arts. The crafts and sciences of murder." ~Sensei''

Whenever you get a villain that plays into the Eastern martial training and mindframe of Bruce Wayne, you know that the story is going to be of a very different breed than normal. Stories starring characters like Lady Shiva and Ra's al Ghul always have a unique feel to them, featuring organizations like the League of Assassins; you can bank on Batman not only having to match skills but also wits with these types of characters. The Sensei is definitely one of them.

The Sensei began as the leader of the League of Assassins after Ebeneezer Darrk was removed from power. For years, comic readers witnessed him become slowly more and more insane, attempting to hone the assassins' craft into a form of art. His dangerous behavior even led to one of Batman's closest allies being killed (and this was the 70s. Comics deaths were a huge deal then). Since then, it has been revealed that The Sensei is Ra's al Ghul's father, and that has brought about a major new dimension to the character. Sensei works well in this respect; his behavior is much more erratic than Ra's' at that often makes him more of an immediate threat. No matter who is in charge of the LoA, you're going to get good comics out of it; however, The Sensei's tenure as leader is easily one of the most interesting and readable parts of Batman lore.

Greatest Sensei Story Ever Told: Batman: The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul - A recent storyline that occurred in the midst of Grant Morrison's Batman run, The Sensei and Ra's have it out in what should be considered their ultimate battle. A great three-way match with Batman ensues. The Sensei proves that he's just as riveting and menacing as Ra's.

Villains #75-51
'''#75 - Baby Doll First Appearance: Batman: The Animated Series S03E04 (Sep1994)'''

''"You never let the way you look undermine your self-confidence." ~Baby Doll''

In a series chock full of "Best-of" episodes, "Baby-Doll" easily nears the top of that list, thanks to its unusual main antagonist. Mary Dahl is an adult who suffers from hypoplasia, that is, a disease which does not allow her to grow. Eternally bound to appear as a child, Dahl slowly loses her tether on reality when her hit TV show is cancelled and she begins to fade into obscurity. There's a lot of inspiration being drawn here from some interesting sources, most obviously the film "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?". However, the inclusion of Batman turns this into a dark morality play as a woman who has fallen prey to her celebrity must recognize and accept her inner demons.

I really loved this episode despite Baby Doll's superficially "Animaniacal" appearance. You would think such a disparate design from B:TAS would feel well out of place, but they use this fish-out-of-water look to really highlight how she lives in a TV world that is nothing like the real one. There are a lot of great uses of artistic work to help convey how her artificial world is twistedly farcical, the sort of into-the-rabbit-hole tragic character you've come to love in the Batman world, from Mad Hatter to Joker to the Riddler. The finale of "Baby-Doll" is truly a tragic moment that is perhaps the emotional highlight of the Batman series, which I'll include as my Greatest Baby Doll Story Ever Told:

A surprisingly layered and deep moment that I think plays differently watching it as an adult than it did when I was a kid seeing it for the first time. A tragedy of Wagnerian proportions.

'''#74 - The Hyperclan First Appearance: JLA #1 (Jan 1997)'''

''" 'Armek'; 'Zenturion'! They sound like a line of cheap toys! Why don't they get themselves regular names, like every other Joe in spandex?" ~Metamorpho''

When you list off Batman's Greatest fights, every list eventually ends with this one in the top 1, 2 or 3. It's one of the most well-known, game-changing moments for Batman, as it introduced the concept of Bat-God: Batman can beat anyone with a little prep time. And, from my point of view, this new conceptualization of Batman's resourcefulness has shaped the entire creative view of Batman ever since. Could Batman have been such a vital member of the JLA in events like World War III, Infinite Crisis, Golden Perfect and other cosmically-scaled instances of near-universal destruction? The odds are slim. And to imagine it all started in Antarctica with a lighter.

The Hyperclan themselves were a great threat, combining the threat of an unknown menace prevalent in most conspiracy films (they're us!) to the grand old sci-fi idea of the aliens landing on Earth. The Avengers film cribbed the idea somewhat be using the Chitauri as the first threat for the MCU Avengers team, and it works well because aliens are easy to root against, but not easy to stop. And the Hyperclan was a hyper-threat. Led by Protex, they're smart, manipulative, and all equally as powerful as the Martian Manhunter to boot. That's tough. But enough about them, let the fight speak for itself:

Batman first pulls the ultimate act of stealth on an individual with heightened senses: http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a193/HourmanLives/jla00315-1.jpg

And next we see him? This: http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a193/HourmanLives/jla00317-1.jpg

Then he gets surrounded by three members of the Hyperclan, and the rest is classic: http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a193/HourmanLives/jla00319-1.jpg

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a193/HourmanLives/jla00318-1.jpg

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a193/HourmanLives/jla00319-2.jpg

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a193/HourmanLives/jla00320-1.jpg

So, to recap. Batman, alone and with nothing but a lighter, takes out FOUR Martian Manhunter-level threats. Three of them at the same time. 'Nuff said. Erm, shown.

Greatest Hyperclan Story Ever Told: Terra Incognita - Mark Waid brought the Hyperclan back into the fray with the JLA, where the first order of business is to take out Batman and Martian Manhunter (they do). Of course, this time it takes the entire DCU to step in and fill his shows, and even then the Hyperclan almost claims victory. It's pretty great.

'''#73 - Cavalier First Appearance: Detective Comics #81 (Nov 1943)'''

''"The shall feel the steel of the Cavalier again!" ~Cavalier''

The Cavalier has always been a silly villain. The original inspiration for the oft-appearing Captain America villain Batroc, Cavalier's tangles with Batman usually involved grand fencing battles and ridiculous amounts of extraneous French-speak. However, instead of making him goofy, it set him apart, as his eccentric behavior was always a welcome reprieve from the darker stories in Batman. One of my favorite sillier stories in the Batman franchise involves Robin tricking Cavalier when Cavalier "forces" Robin to take Cavalier to Batman's lair. Robin actually leads him to a large predatory bird's nest, which leads the Cavalier to believe that Robin is actually a giant bird-mutant.

I mean, that's just fantastic.

While he was mostly a Silver Age villain, he has had several appearances over the years with other street-level heroes, notably the Question and Blue Beetle. It was revealed in Justice League of America that Cavalier was actually a closeted homosexual villain in a relationship with another flamboyantly silly villain, Captain Stingaree. Ultimately, Cavalier met his end shortly prior to the New 52 reboot alongside his lover, when the Secret Six took on an army of super-villains and Bane broke his back (he has a tendency to do that). A hero like Batman NEEDS the sillier villains, because grim and gritty can become monotonous, and the perfect antidote to a pervasively dark comic is an occasional injection of humor.

Greatest Cavalier Story Ever Told: Batman Family #15 - The aforementioned Robin trickery story; it also involves the Cavalier making a bet with Killer Moth; silly, classicly Silver Age stuff.

'''#72 - Clayface (Matt Hagen) First Appearance: Detective Comics #298 (Dec 1961)'''

''"Great Scott! His face.... It looks like... a lump of clay!" ~Batman''

Matt Hagen was a Silver Age Clayface that was very different from his Golden Age counterpart. Where Basil Karlo was forever trapped in his clay form, Hagen was able to turn back and forth from clay to human at will thanks to a serum he created. In that sense, he was less tragic than his predecessor, but even so he provided a lot of great entertainment. When creative minds like Neal Adams or Denny O'Neil got involved with the character, they proved that Hagen was a step up from the prior Clayface in terms of being a threat; Hagen had a mind for crime that was supplemented by a power that made him a truly versatile threat. Where villains like Clayface I or Marvel's Sandman were limited to essentially one type of from, Hagen was able to transmute his appearance into the features of anyone he desired, even being able to change the color of his body so it could appear as any type of clothes or hair color, etc. In fact, I believe his only limit was that he couldn't increase his mass, but even in that case, he was a truly unique threat.

You would think this Clayface's adventures would be all about creative fights, but Batman writers of the time really did a great job at using him in a more cerebral manner, leaving Batman to really work his detective skills when Clayface was able to frame people for crimes they didn't commit. I always prefer villains who use their brains over simply their brawn, and Hagen did that well. Too bad he was killed off in Crisis on Infinite Earths; the brave new world could've used him.

Greatest Matt Hagen Story Ever Told: Batman #159 - An interesting little tale, Matt Hagen has a brief feud with the Joker over who is the better villain; it's left unresolved as Batman and Robin step in and ruin the fun. When a villain has the balls to go toe-to-toe with the Joker, you know that they're either insane or have some serious heat to back them up. Hagen goes into the latter category.

'''#71 - The Club of Villains First Appearance: Batman #676 (Jun 2008)'''

''"Believe me, everything you've heard about the Black Glove is true." ~Dr. Simon Hurt''

Introduced as a Silver Age-inspired group of the darkest sort of villainy, the Black Glove's villainous extension known as the Club of Villains is meant to be a dark parody of Batman's goofy 50s team known as the Club of Heroes. I found this concept to be one of Morrison's better ones on his Batman run, despite the group as a whole only appearing together a few times. Each member seemed to have his or her own deeper significance to the Batman mythos, and the characters themselves all received some showcasing throughout the entirety of Morrison's run.

Characters like Scorpiana, El Sombrero, King Kraken... there were so many interesting characters leaking from Morrison's twisted, brilliant imagination. Each of them has remained active after Batman R.I.P. back in 2008, most of them showing up in Batman, Inc. either prior to or after the New 52 debuted. So many of them feel extremely deep with storied histories despite all being relatively newer characters. They also really fulfill Morrison's promise of Batman being more prominent on the world stage. Everyone from Pierrot to Scorpiana is a villain that hails from another part of the world, helping to define Batman's true significance as an inspiration for other vigilantes, as well as creating true adversarial conflicts amongst the Batman, Inc. franchise.

Greatest Club of Villains Story Ever Told: Batman, Inc. #3-5 - This story featured the two South American members of the Club of Villains, Scorpiana and El Sombrero, as they went toe-to-toe with Batman and his Argentinian counterpart, El Gaucho. The significance of threats of this level can't be underestimated; it forces Batman to utilize all of his skills (both mentally and physically), and leaves the reader with an entertaining and engrossing experience.

'''#70 - Cornelius Stirk First Appearance: Detective Comics #592 (Nov 1988)'''

''And now... a tiny taste of your friend's terror. ~Cornelius Stirk''

There are villains, there are terrifying villains, and then there's Cornelius Stirk. Stirk takes the Scarecrow's modus operandi and adds in a pinch of Hannibal Lecter with a side Jigsaw for a little more horrific flavoring, and the result is something that will haunt your dreams. A man with his face utterly and disgustingly deformed, he uses fear to raise his victim's norepinephrine levels, then kills them and eats their hearts. Yup, that's his schtick. He scares you, kills you and then eats you. So uh, yeah. That's um... really, really, freakingly, ridiculously awful and gruesome.

I have to say that when I think of Batman's most hardcore villains, this is the guy that tops the list. Conceptually I can't think of a villain that comes close to as, well, awful as Cornelius Stirk. Of course, he wouldn't be so bad if he wasn't so damn good at what he does. And that's where Batman comes in. Stirk is one of the villains that brings out the detective side of things for Batman, and his misadventures highlight the more cerebral side of horror that only a superhero franchise like horror can provide.

Greatest Cornelius Stirk Story Ever Told: Batman: Shadow of the Bat #46-47 - When your name is the title of the story, you know that it's your time to shine. In a two-parter simply titled "Cornelius Stirk", Stirk gives his finest, and one of his most frightening, performances as Batman tangles with both him and the Penguin.

'''#69 - Blockbuster (Mark Desmond) First Appearance: Detective Comics #345 (Nov 1965)'''

''"GRAAAAAAH!" ~Blockbuster''

It's amazing how important a character's first appearance can be. Mark Desmond was transformed into a monstrous bulk of creature after trying an experimental serum of his own creation. Now with diminished intelligence and no capability of spech, Mark relied on his brother to help him find a way to return to normal, committing crimes together in order to fund this goal. In Detective Comics #345, however, the inspiration for several major comic books in the years to come would be born, as Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino weaved the story that is considered by many to be the best Batman story of the early 60s, prior to the O'Neill and Adams era.

Blockbuster's loose resemblance on the Hulk is not accidental; while the Hulk sought solitude, so too would Blockbuster, and in fact writers like Peter David pointed to Blockbuster's monstrous figure wishing for serenity as part of the reason the Hulk has become so obsessed with being left alone. As both characters were developed in the early 60s, it's not hard to see why the concept would bleed between the two. In fact, Batman facing Blockbuster eventually became the basis for the more well-remembered storyline of Batman vs. The Incredible Hulk, a huge seller from years later. The original Blockbuster tale even led to the classic Spider-Man story "Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut," where Spider-Man must, like Batman, rely on brains rather than brawn to stop the unstoppable.

In the years since, Blockbuster was used quite often, most notably in major villain ensembles such as the Secret Society of Super-Villains and the Injustice League. However, in the first gathering of the Suicide Squad, Blockbuster met a fiery fate at the hand of an agent of Darkseid.

The Second Greatest Blockbuster Story Ever Told: Secret Society of Super-Villains #12-13 - The SSoSV is easily one of the greatest hidden gems in the DC library; despite only running 17 issues, it was chock full of amazing stories like this one, where a group of villains (including Blockbuster) take on the Crime Syndicate of America, the Justice League's reverse counterparts from Earth-3.... and win. That's seriously a huge testament for how awesome DC's villains are.

'''#68 - Lord Death Man First Appearance: Batman #180 (May 1966)'''

''I read somewhere that violent, antisocial crime's almost unheard of in Japan. How's about we take them to school? LORD DEATH MAN! I AM THE HEADMASTER! ~Lord Death Man''

It's really funny that there's been a lot of comments about Lord Death Man, because lo! and behold, here he is. When I originally put this list together, I was torn on where to put this guy, because on one hand, he's really only been relevant to Batman recently, and hasn't appeared hardly at all. But Lord Death Man has quickly developed a fanbase thanks to Grant Morrison's ridiculously hilarious and at the same time awesomely legitimate take on a one-shot villain from the 60s.

Batman, Inc. need a story to kick it off with a bang, and I think Lord Death Man provided it; instead of going with an established threat or something close to the Batman bailiwick, Morrison threw both Batman and a new young hero up against a brand new sort of threat. Lord Death Man established himself as the sort of chaotically arrogant villain that you'd expect in the 60s Batman show mixed with the grimmer designs of Neal Adams and topped with the brutal agenda of a Frank Miller style villain, and it works out fantastically. You'll be laughing just as much as you'll be dying to turn the page, and that's what a villain is all about.

Greatest Lord Death Man Story Ever Told: Batman: Leviathan Strikes! #1 - A small scene but utterly awesome, Lord Death Man blows up a giant satellite headquarters. It's awesome.

'''#67 - Killer Moth First Appearance: Batman #63 (Feb 1951)'''

''" The Bat watches over citizens, he does what cops can't do. What about the crooks? Who do they turn to in order to get the job done for them?" ~Killer Moth''

It's easy to be conflicted about Killer Moth, but it's hard to ignore the impact Killer Moth has had on Batman's career. After all, Killer Moth is the villain that brought Barbara Gordon into the mantle of Batgirl; you can't neglect that. Even so, Killer Moth is both likable and unlikable at the same time. His goofy-ass costume and ridiculous gear makes him a joke among villains, and not the kind readers like, either. At the same time, he just doesn't get it; he complains when he gets caught, as if that's somehow a personal affront against him and he's not, you know, committing a crime. I kind of love that in him.

Drury Walker was a low-level D-list villain for a longtime with no powers to speak of, so in only the way a comic book can do, after like 35 years of failing he sold his soul to a new Devil (the old one retired to Los Angeles... and you think I'm kidding, don't you?). In return the new Devil, Neron, gave him enhanced powers, turning him into Charaxes, a literal killer moth:

Such a 90s thing; now he ran around Gotham like Man-Bat as a creature out-of-control, except instead of just being a territorial creature, he ate people. Yup. So THAT happened. Eventually Superboy-Prime ripped his head off.

You know, it's characters with a history like that which make me love comics. Seriously; the more ridiculous and hilarious a character's life is, the better it gets. I love getting to make a write-up where the villain turns into a giant mutant thanks to the Devil and gets his head ripped off by an alternate Clark Kent. How much fun is that? It's what comics are made for; and Killer Moth wasn't a bad villain to begin with, so it's fun to see a nobody-failure of a villain just get put through the wringer with a corpse spat out on the other side.

Greatest Killer Moth Story Ever Told: Lego Batman - Say WHAH? Yup, Killer Moth's best story has got to be his scenes in the Lego Batman videogame, where they make him more like a literal moth, attracted to light bulbs and the like. It had me laughing pretty heartily.

'''#66 - Flamingo First Appearance: Batman #66 (Jul 2007)'''

''"Rrrrr!" ~Flamingo''

I don't give a **** what you all say. I couldn't give a **** that he only appeared in like 6 issues. I freakin' love the Flamingo. He's a professional assassin who wears all pink and rides a pink motorcycle, and he uses a whip to kill. His first appearance is in Batman #666! How cool is that? This guy is just a flat-out skilled psychotic killer, and sometimes that's all you need to make a cool comic. And you gotta remember, Grant Morrison knows how to make bizarre characters - Flamingo is one hell of a bizarre character. I loved his fights with Scarlet, Dick-Batman and Jason Todd, and now that he's appeared in the New 52, I hope we get to see more of him in the future.

I don't have much else to say about this guy, really. He's just bursting with potential, and I love this guy to death. Everyone has those obscure D-Listers that they have an irrational love for, and this guy is one of mine. More Flamingo!

Greatest Flamingo Story Ever Told:Batman & Robin #5-6 - Part of the Red Hood storyline; Flamingo rocks as the sort of monkey wrench you need to make a story wildly chaotic and exciting. Flamingo really brings some momentum to the comic.

'''#65 - The Key First Appearance: Justice League of America #41 (Dec 1965)'''

''"Didn't anyone tell you patience is the key to success?" ~The Key''

Here's an usual case of a JLA villain who has so often provided an excellent threat to Batman that I couldn't in good conscience leave him out of the running. Some of the JLA's battles with the Key have showcased some of Bruce Wayne's real dreams and fears in a way that you only can get from Scarecrow and maybe Hugo Strange in a Bat-title. The beauty of the Key is that he has telepathy a psychoactive drugs that have brought to light some of Batman's darkest secrets. In one of the inaugural storylines from Grant Morrison's run on JLA, there's an amazing sequence where Batman is trapped in his own hallucinated vision of the future - a world where he watches his successors take over his mantle, only to be overwhelmed by old antagonists. Its quite a bleak future and it looks to wear on Batman in the story significantly. During Infinite Crisis, a great Key vs. Batman story occurs when Batman is literally the last active member of the JLA, going after the Key in a world gone topsy-turvy - another story where the Key preys on the weaknesses of the mind.

All in all, the Key is a brilliant character that's been menacing Batman for years, even though it hasn't been within a Batman title. I don't think a Batman villain is necessarily grounded in the Batman mythos; I love to see them come from other franchises or escape into those same venues. As this list goes on, we'll see a couple from each side of that concept, as big villains just can't stay in Gotham, or stay out of it, and it gives readers some of the greatest Batman battles they could ask for.

Greatest Key Story Ever Told: JLA #5-6 - Batman is crumbling alongside the JLA in a nightmarish drug-induced fantasy... it's up to new Green Arrow Connor Hawke to save the day. One of my favorite JLA stories of all time, and it shines an unusual light on every character's subconcious hopes and fears. Great stuff.

'''#64 - Facade First Appearance: Detective Comics #821 (Sep 2006)'''

''"Gotham's elite are weak and hollow." ~Facade''

In one of the most unappreciated comic book runs ever, Paul Dini crafted several excellent one-shot stories that were really character-driven action-noir pieces, each centering around Batman tackling an allegorical representation of a social issue. Facade was a few years' ahead of his time, prophesying the Occupy Wall Street movement in his excellent one-off issue; Facade's goal is to expose the wealthy upper crust of Gotham for what they really are and bring them to their knees. Is this necessarily the wrong thing to do? How often do people lament the power that the obscenely rich seem to possess?

Facade is very interesting in that he is a completely faceless character. He represents the anonymous, nameless, faceless masses that cry out for justice and our denied. At the same time, his extremist actions are not wholly accepted by the group he represents, so he seems a cautionary example of the wrong way to institute social reform. It's a very deep, meaningful issue that I think highlights everything that's great about the potential in a Batman tale - strong villains, layered commentary on society, and a hero forced to utilize all of his skills to right the wrong.

Greatest Facade Story Ever Told: I just told you, dude. I mean, not that freakin' hard. Like, whatevs. Oh! The art's by J.H. Williams III, so anyone who like nerdgasmed at the fantastic Batwoman art should totally be like, "Damn, need me some Facade one-off story like now, girl."

'''#63 - Lock-Up First Appearance: Batman: The Animated Series S03E09 (Nov 1994)'''

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/20/LockUp.jpg/250px-LockUp.jpg

''"Gotham's been declared a disaster area - and even THEY won't keep you!" ~Lock-Up''

Lyle Bolton, well, jailed criminals. That's not so bad, right? Right? Well, let me tell you, mon ami, that when Lyle Bolton locks you up and throws away the key, he's essentially doomed you to a period of incarceration that makes Vader's torture room look like Club Med. Bolton's private imprisonment system involves building wickedly brutal deathtraps into his jails, and he pretty much just captures any criminal he wants. Which, I mean, didn't really matter when he captured Charaxes, but when you throw Two-Face into a room with live wires and leaky faucets, well, we just can't have good villains going to waste.

Bolton's shall we say eccentric mode of incarceration has been a piece of Batman's history for a while now, occasionally serving as a temporary measure for Batman when he has no one else to turn to. In that way he reminds me of the Penguin; every once and a while, Batman has to dig deep, suck it up and turn to one of his less-psychotic enemies for some information or help, and I always find these interactions to be some of the most unique and interesting ones Bats provides. It helps blur the line of justice and vigilantism, of whether Batman is a socially acceptable response to a flawed system or aberrant behavior spawning from a civilization's dying carcass. Lock-Up is almost an institutional presence, an uber-conservative extremist on the exact opposite end of the spectrum as Facade and Anarky, and when he shows up, it helps to paint some interesting social commentaries.

Greatest Lyle Bolton Story Ever Told: No Man's Land - Lyle Bolton is the ONLY jailor around in the forsaken ruins of Gotham, and Batman must turn to him to take over the remains of Blackgate Prison. However, when dark rumors begin to surface, Batman sends Nightwing in to investigate. One of my all-time favorite Nightwing stories, thanks to a great villain in a really unique situation.

'''#62 - Crime Doctor First Appearance: Detective Comics #77 (Jul 1943)'''

''"Everything's made up." ~Crime Doctor''

The Crime Doctor is one of those longtime villains that's sat in the backseat despite is longevity. He's one of the OG nutjobs in the Batman arsenal, being (if my memory serves me correctly), the first Batman villain to actually TORTURE someone on panel. Hell, that's half of his modus operandi. I really liked this villain because he used to show up often in a support capacity for a wide array of criminals, serving in several capacities, and his one condition was that he wouldn't kill anyone... because it would break the Hippocratic Oath.

That's right. This is guy is an actual doctor. So badass.

Crime Doctor used to consult everyone from the Penguin to the Riddler to Bane at one point, patching up wounds, or providing certain less-than-positive medical procedures to people who might be, ah, unwilling to participate if they could choose not to. Regardless, his role would always be the same: hire himself out, reap in a reward, and in the end, donate most if not all of his ill-gotten gains to charity. Because, you know, he's just in this for fun, not the rewards. You gotta love rich, bored idiots who just need to commit crimes for kicks, and that's exactly what Crime Doctor was all about. He was killed after Infinite Crisis, but he hasn't shown up in the New 52 yet, so there's still a chance to bring back this amazing and unique supporting character who is just as intriguing as many of the villains he would help.

Greatest Crime Doctor Story Ever Told: Detective Comics #579 - Two-Face is going in for a special operation at the underworld doctor of choice, and Batman must stop the Crime Doctor from saving a life?!?! An interesting, surprising one-off issue that really highlights the importance of the Crime Doctor to the Batman mythos.

'''#61 - King Snake First Appearance: Robin #1 (Jan 1991)'''

" The boy wonder. You always find me at a disadvantage. " ~King Snake

If Tim Drake has to have an archnemesis, I'd have to say it would be King Snake, one of the more intelligent and tactical villains in the Batman arsenal. King Snake's ploys are reminiscent of a long con, or a slow-burning chess strategy; at first, they appear weak or innocuous, but in the course of the story, it's always a brilliant turn of events that leads to King Snake nearly pulling off something amazing.

But he doesn't. He SHOULD, because he kicks ass and rocks it in the brains department, but no.

And that's why he rates in the 60s, because despite his best efforts, he always loses to Tim Drake. Of course, it's a privilege to lose to someone as cool as Drake - you could be losing to someone as awful as, say, Spoiler as Robin. That would suck. Girls should never be Robin, unless it's Carrie Kelly in which case it's completely cool because it's an alternate reality and it doesn't count. Because in the real world, Robin has to be a guy because we all know Batman would never accept a woman as his possible successor. Luckily Babs got shot in the spine and he dodged a bullet there, or well, didn't dodge a bullet because she was shot but dodged a more proverbial bullet... I digress.

King Snake is awesome and even though he got his ass handed to him by Lady Shiva, I still think of him as Tim Drake's Ra's al Ghul.

Greatest King Snake Story Ever Told: Robin vs. Shiva vs. King Snake - For a great three-parter prior to No Man's Land, King Snake lured both Shiva and Tim to eastern Europe with a brilliant elaborate plot that involved a lot of backstabbing and deception. Real A+ bad guy stuff. Of course, he screws up and gets killed.

'''#60 - Rupert Thorne First Appearance: Detective Comics #469 (May 1977)'''

''"You can't be real! YOU CAN'T!" ~Rupert Thorne''

Rupert Thorne is easily one of the most important crimebosses in Gotham; despite not having a ton of comic appearances like some of the more well-known mob lords that we've come to know at DC, Thorne has had the benefit of essentially getting two of the best possible appearances a normal guy without masks or powers could ask for. In what is considered by many to be one of the top three runs on Batman, Steve Englehart introduced Thorne as the new City Councilman with a plan to reap the benefits of a crime syndicate now in charge of local government, and he used everything at his disposal to take Batman out. Batman was turned into public enemy #1 thanks to Thorne, and everyone from Deadshot (who has his first appearance since the 50s) to the Penguin is given aid by Thorne to take Batman down. Ultimately, another Batman villain causes Thorne's downfall in one of the most unusual ways ever to appear in Batman book, and Thorne's reign as a crimelord ends with Steve Englehart's run. He serves as an excellent corrupt bureaucrat pulling all sorts of strings.

Thorne also is memorable for his longtime role on Batman: The Animated Series as essentially the only recurring crimelord in Gotham. Batman's quest to take him down is a highlight of several episodes, and thanks to Thorne, regular non-powered crime remains an intriguing and important part of BTAS' plot for several seasons. Good crimebosses are few and far between, but Thorne is definitely one of them.

Greatest Rupert Thorne Story Ever Told: "The Man Who Killed Batman" - One of the best episodes of the BTAS, a man believes that he's inadvertently murdered the Dark Knight, eventually leading to his confrontation with Boss Thorne. This scene is one of my personal favorites in the series, as it really captures just how imposing and menacing Thorne is, and how obsessed he is in his quest to steal Gotham from the Bat's grasp. Great stuff.

'''#59 - Jane Doe First Appearance: Arkham Asylum: Living Hell #1 (Jul 2003)'''

''" Jane is a cipher, she's incomplete, her life is empty, so she covets the lives of others. She takes their lives so she can have their lives." ~Jane Doe''

A brilliant creation from the longtime Spider-Man writer Dan Slott, Jane Doe is the quintessential serial killer: she observes her subjects, kills them, and then takes their lives over. I've always found the process creepy on a more existential level, and it certainly is a horrifying fate to consider. She can completely replace you and no one notices... it may seem absurd, but I wouldn't doubt. I mean, how well can you ever know somebody? Jane Doe is utter anonymity, but within that anonymity is an intriguing and frightening concept: it's impossible to ever truly know even those you love the most. What are they thinking? Can you ever trust anyone?

Jane Doe has had a short but relatively high profile career, getting involved quickly with other villains in the Battle with the Cowl, and having run-ins with most of the Batman family. She's the sort of hardcore villain I like, because her grim and violent modus operandi really lends itself to the detective aspect of Bat-family members. It requires that deductive mind to put clues together and figure out who is really the bad guy, because with Jane Doe, the last person you'd expect is always Jane Doe.

Greatest Jane Doe Story Ever Told: The Manhunter back-up series in Batman: Streets of Gotham - Throughout most of the Batman: Streets of Gotham series, underrated and excellent superhero Kate Spencer moves to Gotham City from California, where she takes over as the newest Gotham DA (honestly, I'm not sure they've even had one since Harvey Dent started trying on both sides of the bench). Jane Doe becomes her archnemesis in the storyline in a taut, suspenseful feature that truly was a high point in the Batman titles of the time. I wish they'd have more great backup features like this; sure, the extra pages increased the price by a buck, but getting characters like Jane Doe more screentime was worth it.

'''#58 - Sal Maroni First Appearance: Detective Comics #66 (Aug 1942)'''

''"You want a piece of me, but we both want a piece of Falcone." ~Sal Maroni''

Is there an automatic in for this list? Maybe, but if there was, Maroni is the sort of guy that qualifies for it. Looking at his record, he's been a part of a lot of the great early moments in Batman's career, whether it be the disfigurement of Two-Face, a key player in Batman: The Long Halloween, or one of the featured characters in The Dark Knight (played by the excellent Eric Roberts). And, of course, he's got that mob called the Monster Men which are pretty good early antagonists for an inexperienced Batman.

When it comes to the Gotham crimelords, Maroni may not be the most important or the greatest, but he's my personal favorite. He's just a real scumbag with the kind of Italian mafia meanstreak that makes someone go from bad to cruelly riveting. Let's face it: we don't watch The Godfather for Diane Keaton, we watch it for the bad guys going at it each other from all angles, leaving nothing sacred. It's fantastic, and Maroni is totally a part of this world. And, of course, when you're the guy who created the monumental Two-Face, then fuggeddabuddah! You've just won an instant in. If they exist.

Greatest Sal Maroni Story Ever Told: This panel, right here:



'''#57 - Music Meister First Appearance: Batman: The Brave and the Bold S01E24 (Oct 2009)'''

No quote, no explanation, just a song this time to sum up everything that's awesome about the villain I chose for spot #57:



'Nuff said.

'''#56 - Ratcatcher First Appearance: Detective Comics #585 (Apr 1988)'''

''"Just call me The Ratcatcher official as was -- unofficial as is!" ~Ratcatcher''

F*** the haters. Ratcatcher is a creepy, disgusting, pitiful creature, and that makes him perfect for the Batman rogue's gallery. For almost twenty years, Flannegan was a great little diversion from the more psychotic and immediate threats, living in the sewers and caring for his disease-ridden pets. I remember my first encounter with Ratcatcher was in Cataclysm, where he broke out of prison with several other villains, leaving them to go and protect his now-destroyed subway system haven. I remember that Batman let Ratcatcher up to his own devices during No Man's Land because, frankly, Otis was just about the least dangerous threat to the people of NML, and he wanted to stay away from them as much as they wanted to stay away from him. It made me sad that during the reopening of Gotham, he lost his home and seemed so violently territorial about it, as well as betrayed that the people of Gotham would so unfairly take away what he thought was rightfully he is. In many ways, he felt like a small child and I felt a lot of sympathy for him. Unfortunately, Otis was killed by OMACs in Infinite Crisis; an unfitting end for a complex and tragic character.

Ratcatcher fits into the category of villains like Blockbuster, Charaxes and Man-Bat who for the most part would prefer to just be left to their own devices. If only they could all learn to more peacefully coexist with others, they might just be able to get the isolation they want, but sadly all of them are monstrous, grotesque characters who frighten Gothamites, and where fear is bred so is hostility. Ratcatcher was a villain, yes, but a reactive villain. I never think of him as evil, just lost, and having a little empathy for a villain goes a long way to making them great.

Greatest Ratcatcher Story Ever Told: Detective Comics #679 - Dick Grayson's first tenure as Batman was extremely short, but he had some great adventures nonetheless, including this one involving both Two-Face and Ratcatcher. Otis comes across sufficiently strange and menacing and yet you once again can't help but feel that these fights with him are an unfair way to solve the "Vermin Problem" in Gotham.

'''#55 - Killer Croc First Appearance: Batman #357 (Mar 1983)'''

Croc. He's a perfect villain... for Spider-Man. But let's be real here: the mutant lizard folk go over to Marvel and the mutant gorillas and bats go to DC, and never the twain shall meet. Okay, that's not my real reason for rating Croc so low, but it's a start.

Croc is a great character when used in certain capacities: as comic relief, Croc is surprisingly effective; there are several great comic moments for Croc that people tend to overlook in favor of behemoth-looking overly-mutated Hush-style Jim Lee Croc. That's not what Croc should be. Croc needs SOME semblence of humanity. Just going "RAWR" and swinging at Batman isn't all that entertaining. When someone brings something fresh to the table, Croc can be truly entertaining, even if he is a little out-of-place in the Batverse. For example, I loved the storyline where Croc was feeding on Paretti family mobsters since they were starting to work in his "territory," so Nightwing and Tim had to take care of business. That's a great use for Croc, as it brings him into the more human element of Gotham's underbelly and juxtaposes just how far gone he is from society. Even criminals get Batman's aid when Croc's around.

The other excellent use for Croc is to frighten. He really can. His boss fight in Arkham Asylum can really make you jump out of fear if you play it late at night with the lights off. Croc himself is not frightening, but his actions and behavior and your anticipation of what he'll do can always supercede just his appearance. Croc lurking in dark shadows is frightening; making Croc look more buff and larger and giving him more teeth does NOT make him a better villain. It takes a good writer to utilize Croc properly, and unfortunately, most of them don't.

Greatest Killer Croc Story Ever Told: From one of my favorite Batman: The Animated Series episodes, four of Batman's main villains are trading their stories of how they each almost killed the Batman. Croc's is easily, EASILY the funniest moment in the entire series: