Batman has an excellent group of villains that are household names. However, only 10 of them could be on this countdown! Did your favorites make it? (Artwork by Jim Lee, Scott Williams and Alex Sinclair and property of DC Comics)
By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
As Halloween slowly approaches, it’s time once again for my annual Halloween Villains Countdown.
While I counted down the Top 50 Fictional Villains of All-Time last year, this time around I will focus on five different groups of antagonists that stand out as the elite of all evil.
The first spotlight is dedicated to the Caped Crusader. For almost 75 years, Batman’s Rogues Gallery has been threatening to take over either Gotham City or the world and have always made Batman’s adventures more interesting. These ten villains that I have selected have not only made an impact on the crime fighter’s career but are foes that fans love to hate…
(Artwork property of DC Entertainment)
10. Poison Ivy (Created by Robert Kaniger and Sheldon Modoff)
The infamous mad botanist and eco-terrorist kick off our Batman countdown. After premiering in Batman, Vol. 1 #181, Poison Ivy became one of Batman’s deadliest opponents by using toxins to either sway others to work with her or killing them. Recently in the comics, Poison Ivy’s abilities have increased as she shown being able to control plant life. During DC Comics’ companywide relaunch: The New 52, Ivy worked with the Birds of Prey and was featured in the Swamp Thing storyline: “Rotworld: The Green Kingdom.” Tragically, comic book industry websites such as Bleeding Cool and Newsarama speculated that Poison Ivy ‘died’ in Tom King and Clay Mann’s mini-series: Heroes in Crisis.
Despite being in the critically panned Batman and Robin, Uma Thurman’s portrayal of the seductive but deadly femme fatale was the only good part of the film. To watch this scene, click here: http://youtu.be/o1W7NkXPp7c
9. Penguin (Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger)
One of the key villains in the Gotham City Underworld is Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot also known as the Penguin. Since his debut in 1941’s Detective Comics, Vol. 1 #58, Gotham’s top Bird of Prey has evolved from a gimmick villain that used giant birds and deadly trick umbrellas to a fierce crime lord that has made multiple threats on the Caped Crusader and his allies’ lives.
Of all of the actors who portrayed or voiced Penguin, the late Burgess Meredith perfectly mastered playing the arch-villain during the 1966 Batman series. In this clip, Penguin brainwashed Alfred into working for him: http://youtu.be/XzI0OAWwLog
Professor Hugo Strange is Batman’s oldest foes. This master manipulator returned to the Batman world in the blockbuster video game “Batman: Arkham City.” (Artwork was done by Brian Bolland and property of DC Comics)
8. Professor Hugo Strange (Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane)
Hugo Strange was one of Batman’s first super villains that he encountered early on in his career. The psychiatrist has always had a fascination with the Caped Crusader that drove him to madness and tried to become Gotham’s new protector. However, what makes Professor Strange a deadly opponent is that he is only a small handful of villains that know that Bruce Wayne and Batman are the same person. During the early stages of DC Rebirth, Professor Strange returned to menace the Batman family in the crossover “Night of the Monster Men.”
Recently, Hugo Strange was one of main villains in Batman: Arkham City. His portrayer, Corey Burton, gave a chilling vocal performance that made Arkham City’s enforcer one of the most dangerous occupants of Arkham City. To watch a trailer that features Strange, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muCtJsy-d9w&feature=share&list=PL001EDEB15AA3795A
(Artwork property of DC Entertainment)
7. The Scarecrow (Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger)
One of Gotham City’s worst nightmares is Dr. Jonathan Crane, who is also known as the Scarecrow, the Master of Fear. Bullied throughout his schooling, Crane studied psychology and chemistry which eventually lead to him turning to crime as tortured and murdered his former tormentors and created chaos throughout Gotham City. Whether he is working solo or in a group, it takes the Dark Knight a lot longer to defeat him.
Cillian Murphy currently holds the record of being the only villain who has battle Batman three times in the Silver Screen. To watch his encounter with the Caped Crusader in “Batman Begins,” click here: http://youtu.be/tgV57vrkKuc
(Artwork property of DC Entertainment)
6. Hush (Created by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee)
Despite being created 15 years ago in the blockbuster comic book storyline, former childhood friend Dr. Thomas Elliot has generated a lot of chaos in the Dark Knight’s life all because the late Thomas Wayne let his mother live after a tragic accident that Elliot engineered as a kid. Since his debut, he masterminded a game of life-threatening game of cat and mouse using Batman’s greatest friends and foes, surgically removed Catwoman’s heart and masqueraded as Bruce Wayne to run his fortune to the ground. Earlier in 2018, DC Comics announced that Warner Bros. Animation would finally adapt “Batman: Hush” and transform the storyline into an animated film.
Hush made his first appearance in Batman-related media in an Easter Egg cut scene in Batman: Arkham City. To watch the confrontation, click here: http://youtu.be/gB7_54bqY2Q
5. Bane (Created by Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench & Graham Nolan)
Next year, the character known as the Man Who Broke the Bat will celebrate his 20th birthday! One of Bane’s vilest deeds can be seen in the classic Batman: Knightfall, where he arranged to break Batman’s deadliest foes out of Arkham Asylum and unleash them onto Gotham City. After encountering the likes of Mad Hatter, Poison Ivy, Firefly and the nightmarish team of the Joker and the Scarecrow, the exhausted Caped Crusader battled Bane, and the brutish villain broke his back. While Batman has since then recovered from the ordeal, Bane has been one of his most elusive opponents and rears his ugly head in when Batman leasts expect it. The brutish bodybuilder is the main villain for Tom King’s Batman run.
While Bane has made appearances in multiple Batman media, Tom Hardy played the brutish villain in this year’s summer blockbuster: “The Dark Knight Rises.” To watch Bane in action, click here: http://youtu.be/dZW5qyc2g6U
The demented doctor Simon Hurt has left quite an impression on fans as he was one of the closet adversaries to come close to defeat the Caped Crusader. (Artwork by Tony S. Daniel & Sandu Florea and property of DC Comics)
4. Dr. Simon Hurt (Created by Sheldon Molodoff & Charles Paris; Revised by Grant Morrison & Tony S. Daniel)
Even though he is one of the newest entries on this countdown, Dr. Simon Hurt was one of the very few villains to break down the Caped Crusader throughout seven years of Grant Morrison’s epic Batman run. He initially appeared as a scientist that tested Batman in an experiment for NASA. Years later, he reappeared on the scene and claimed to be Bruce Wayne’s late father, Thomas Wayne. Throughout Batman: R.I.P. and Batman and Robin, Hurt used psychological warfare tactics to bring chaos to Gotham City until an enraged Joker, who wanted the opportunity to kill Batman personally, stopped him.
Since he is so new to the DC Comics Universe, it is unknown if Simon Hurt will be featured in any forms of Batman-related media.
3. Two-Face (Created by Bob Kane)
Tragically, one of Batman’s greatest opponents was one of his closest allies during his formidable years. Harvey Dent was Gotham’s District Attorney, who collaborated with James Gordon and Batman on their quest to rid the mob’s control of the city. Unfortunately, when Harvey is disfigured due to a mobster throwing acid in his face, he goes insane and becomes one of the Dark Knight’s deadliest adversaries. Two-Face’s crimes include blackmailing Jim Gordon, the outing of Renee Montoya as a lesbian and countless murders.
While he was only Two-Face for a short time, Aaron Eckhart gave a memorable performance as the scarred criminal: http://youtu.be/dJma8pVAvH4
Finally free of her father’s influence and love for the Dark Knight, Talia is currently raging war against her former lover in the pages of “Batman, Incorporated.” (Artwork property of DC Comics)
2. The al Ghul Family (Ra’s-Created by Denny O’ Neil & Neil Adams; Talia-Created by O’Neil & Bob Brown)
For over 40 years, Ra’s and Talia al Ghul have been two of the Dark Knight’s deadliest opponents. What differentiates them between Batman’s regular villains is that this both father and daughter seeks to conquer the world. However, while Ra’s wants to cleanse the planet, Talia wants to control the population and humiliate the Dark Knight for taking their son, Daiman away from her.
Legendary British actor David Warner voiced the Demon’s Head in the 1990s Batman animated series. To watch the clip, click here: http://youtu.be/7xK4IixBTZA . Meanwhile, Stana Katic perfectly voiced Talia al Ghul during “Batman: Arkham City,” to watch this cut scene, click here: http://youtu.be/pNIVhJ13kgI
1. The Joker (Created by Jerry Robertson, Bob Kane & Bill Finger)
Who else did you think was going to take the top spot? The Joker has committed so many heinous crimes over his 72 years of existence. From crippling Barbara Gordon in the Killing Joke and murdering Jason Todd in A Death in the Family to killing Sarah Essen Gordon in the climax of No Man’s Land to his actions in Batman: R.I.P. and the upcoming storyline: Death of the Family, the Joker continues to be a menace to the Batman family and Gotham City.
There have only been three men who successfully brought the Joker to life on the big screen and in other forms of media: Jack Nicholson, Mark Hamill and the late Heath Ledger. Click on the links to see how all three men do playing in the Crown Prince of Crime.
Did I miss anyone? What do you think of this countdown?
