Alex Ross' Joker's Reckoning.

Batman's foes form one of the most distinctive rogues gallery in comic books. These villains range from the psychotic criminals locked in Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane, through Gotham City's mafia bosses, to world conquerors. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (532x756, 196 KB) Summary i got this from www. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (532x756, 196 KB) Summary i got this from www. ... Nelson Alexander Alex Ross (born January 22, 1970) is an American comic book painter, acclaimed for the photorealism of his work. ... Batman (originally referred to as the Bat-Man and still referred to at times as the Batman) is a DC Comics fictional superhero who first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in May 1939. ... Rogues gallery is a term in comics referring to a specific hero or superheros reoccuring and most notable enemies, as opposed to nameless thugs and mooks. ... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... Arkham Asylum as it appeared on Batman: The Animated Series. ... The Gotham skyline with the Bat-signal. ...

Throughout his existence, Batman's rogues gallery has been particularly distinctive because a large majority of its number are defined by a theme, often-times iconic or archetypical psychosis, compulsion, obsession, or a gimmick. Much has also been made in recent years of the psychological similarities between Batman and several of his more well-recognised and significant opponents, with several providing direct parallels to character traits of Batman himself (such as the Scarecrow's use of fear as a weapon and Two-Face's dual identity; see Grant Morrison's Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth and Alan Moore's The Killing Joke for significant explorations of this theme). Grant Morrison (born January 31, 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer and artist. ... Alan Moore (born November 18, 1953, in Northampton) is an English writer most famous for his influential work in comics, including the acclaimed graphic novels Watchmen, V for Vendetta and From Hell. ... Cover to Batman: The Killing Joke. ...

History

In early Batman stories, the character often fought mad scientists and gangsters, conventions carried over from the pulp magazines that had influenced his creation. Early recurring villains included Doctor Death, Professor Hugo Strange, and the vampiric Monk. Aside from Strange, none had any real staying power. Flynns Detective Fiction from 1941. ... Doctor Death is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, usually as an antagonist to Batman. ... Hugo Strange is a fictional character in DC Comics and a nemesis of Batman. ... The Monk is the name of a DC Comics supervillain and a villain to Batman. ...

Authors introduced many of the most familiar Batman villains in the 1940s. Golden Age Batman villains largely drew inspiration from the rogues gallery of Dick Tracy, whose villains were often grotesquely disfigured in order to highlight their evil nature to readers. The first issue of Batman, in 1940, marks the first appearance of Batmans's two most prominent adversaries: the Joker, Batman's archnemesis, and Catwoman, both a villain and love interest to the Dark Knight. Superman, the catalyst of the Golden Age, from Superman #14, January-February 1942. ... Dick Tracy is a long-run comic strip featuring a popular and familiar character in American pop culture. ... Batman #1 Spring 1940 Art by Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson. ... The Joker is a fictional character, a DC Comics supervillain widely considered to be Batmans archenemy. ... A nemesis is a seemingly unbeatable or unconquerable enemy, often used as a foil to the protagonist, where interaction between the hero and his antagonist forms the main conflict of the story. ... Catwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics Batman franchise and created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane. ...

The Penguin and Two-Face also premiered during the early 1940s in Detective Comics, appearing often since their introduction, especially the Penguin. The Riddler, originally debuting in 1948 in Detective Comics, vanished from the comic book until his appearance in the late 1960s in the television show saw his return to popularity. Other foes created in the same era, such as the Scarecrow and the Mad Hatter, appeared less frequently than some other villains, their mind-controlling skills and weapons that would later became their signatures, eventually made them classic recurring villains up until today. Deadshot and the original Clayface also debuted in the Golden Age. The Penguin (Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot), is a DC Comics supervillain and an enemy of Batman. ... Two-Face is a DC Comics supervillain, an enemy of Batman. ... Cover of Detective Comics #27 (May 1939). ... The Riddler, (Edward E. Nigma, also spelled Nygma by some writers), is a DC Comics supervillain and an enemy of Batman. ... The Scarecrow (Dr. Jonathan Crane) is a DC Comics supervillain, an enemy of Batman. ... The Mad Hatter is a supervillain in the Batman comics, published by DC Comics. ... Deadshot (real name Floyd Lawton), is a fictional character in the DC Universe. ... Clayface is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe, best known as an enemy of Batman. ...

By the 1950s, Batman's rogues gallery was largely ignored apart from the likes of the Joker (who appeared in virtually every Batman issue published), the Penguin, and Catwoman. With the growing emphasis on science fiction in the late 1950s Batman stories, even the Joker was shunted aside in favor of alien adversaries. Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ...

Villains with physical skills or super-powers slowly began to appear: these villains reflected a growing preoccupation with science fiction in Batman comics. Mr. Freeze and Killer Moth first appeared in the late 1950s, and the botanical scientist Poison Ivy in the 1960s, along with the debut of a new superpowered Clayface, a mud shape-shifter. Many older villains received a boost in popularity thanks to the 1960s Batman television series and consequently, after a long period of dormancy, again became fixtures in the comic books. Mister Freeze (Dr. Victor Fries) (Pronounced as Victor Freese or Freeze) is a DC Comics supervillain, an enemy of Batman. ... Killer Moth is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. ... Poison Ivy (Pamela Lillian Isley) is a fictional character, a DC Comics supervillain who is primarily an enemy of Batman. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

In the 1970s, new Batman villains adopted influences from horror, pulp and films. Man-Bat, a geneticist who turned himself into a humanoid bat, the murderous Clayface III, and Ra's Al Ghul all first appeared in this decade. Ra's al Ghul was different from most Batman foes, in that he was, unlike the typical mobster-stereotype, a centuries-old eco-terrorist who commands a large empire of loyal servants, as well as the League of Assassins, a ninja organization (probably inspired by the Martial Arts hype of the era). Ra's is an ideological mastermind in the tradition of Fu Manchu or the James Bond villains. His daughter Talia is one of Batman's best-known love interests. Ra's and Talia were the first villains to learn of Batman's secret identity. Man-Bat (real name Dr. Kirk Langström) is a fictional character in DC Comics universe who first appeared in Detective Comics #400, illustrated by Neal Adams. ... Ras al Ghul, sometimes written Rās al Ghūl (Arabic: رأس الغول), is a DC Comics supervillain and an enemy of Batman. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Hawaiian State Grappling Championships. ... This article is about the fictional literature character. ... Flemings commissioned image of James Bond to aid the Daily Express comic strip artists. ... Talia al Ghul is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe, the now-estranged daughter of the supervillain Ras al Ghul, and a love interest of Batman. ...

The 1980s introduced grim villains like crocodile mutant Killer Croc, self-amputated ex-Russian agent KGBeast, pullback insane Mafiosi leaders like Black Mask and the dissociative identies of the Ventriloquist's puppet, Scarface. This wave of brutal villains continued in the early 1990s with serial killer Victor Zsasz, and Bane, an assassin addicted to Venom steroids who deduced Batman's secret identity and broke his spine, temporarily putting him in forced retirement. Killer Croc is a fictional character in DC comics. ... KGBeast is a fictional character appearing in DC Comics, primarily as an opponent of Batman. ... The Mafia (also referred to as Cosa Nostra or the Mob), is a criminal secret society which first developed in the mid-19th century in Sicily. ... Black Mask is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. ... The Ventriloquist is a DC Comics villain, an enemy of Batman. ... Serial killers are individuals who have a history of multiple slayings of victims who were usually unknown to them beforehand. ... Victor Zsasz, or Mr. ... Bane is the DC Comics supervillain, and sometimes ally, best known for having broken Batmans back. ... Steroid skeleton of lanosterol. ... The vertebral column seen from the side Different regions (curvatures) of the vertebral column The vertebral column (backbone or spine) is a column of vertebrae situated in the dorsal aspect of the abdomen. ... Retirement is the point where a person stops employment. ...

New manipulative Bane-like enemies with personal relationships and hate issues with Batman's persona started to appear in recent times, including Hush, apparently one of Bruce Wayne's old friends, as well as assassin David Cain, the father and trainer of current Batgirl Cassandra Cain. Additionally, the long thought murdered second Robin Jason Todd recently returned as the Red Hood putting Batman to the test. Hush is a DC Comics supervillain and an enemy of Batman. ... David Cain is the name of a comic book character associated with the Batman mythos. ... Cassandra Cain, is a fictional character in the DC Universe, and the most recent Batgirl. ... Cover to Batman: Under The Hood (2005). ...

Villains introduced by the Animated Series

Joker's unbalanced lover, Harley Quinn, was first seen in 1992 in Batman: The Animated Series; the character was introduced to comics years later due to her popularity. Other characters were also created or revamped in the animated DC universe, with their changes carried over to other media, such as Lock-Up and the Clock King or Mr. Freeze, whose new origin was integrated into the comics. Harley Quinn (real name Dr. Harleen Quinzel) is a fictional character in the animated series Batman: The Animated Series, as well as the DC Comics Batman series and its spin-offs, and subsequently in various Batman-related comic books. ... The animated Batman shoots his grappling gun from a rooftop in a scene from the episode, On Leather Wings. ... An image of many of the DCAU heroes. ... Lock-Up is a DC Comics villain and an enemy of Batman, featured in one episode Batman: The Animated Series, in which he was voiced by Bruce Weitz. ... Clock King is a fictional supervillain in the DC Comics universe. ...

Escalation theory

Several writers have noted that the first appearance of real super-villains in Gotham City was just when Batman arrived to fight crime. Commissioner Gordon, in Batman: The Long Halloween, implies that these villains are somehow attracted to Batman's presence in the city. According to this theory, Batman is the catalyst for these villains' crimes (this is actually similar to one presented by pop psychiatrist Benjamin Wolper in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns). Gordon also implies this in the film Batman Begins. The "anti-villain" Anarky also suggests this theory during the Knightfall storyline. However, Paul Dini denounced this in the Batman: The Animated Series episode Trial, with the lawyer defending Batman saying that while the villains may have emulated Batman's theatrical style with costumes and gimmicks, fundamentally they caused their own problems, and would be terrorizing the city with or with out the Batman, which the Joker, who as acting as judge, agrees with. The Gotham skyline with the Bat-signal. ... James Worthington Jim Gordon is a supporting character in DC Comics Batman series. ... Popular psychology refers to concepts and theories about human mental life and behaviour that come from outside the technical study of psychology, but purport to go beyond everyday knowledge. ... Batman Begins is a 2005 superhero film based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman. ... Anarky is a fictional superhero character who was created by Alan Grant, and published by DC Comics. ... Paul Dini is an American television producer of animated cartoons. ... Trial is an episode of the Warner Bros. ...

Batman movie villains