Ranking Batman’s First 10 Villains by Legacy

Batman is one of the most influential superheroes of all time. He’s long stood as one of the faces of DC and is currently the most published superhero in the world. Of course, they say that a hero is only as good as their villain, and Batman has more than his fair share of incredible villains. From classics like the Joker to modern inclusions like the Court of Owls, Batman’s rogues gallery is packed to the brim with some of the most entertaining villains in comics. The Dark Knight’s villains all challenge him in strange and unique ways, but has it always been this way? We’re going to find out by taking a look at the first ten supervillains that Batman battled and ranking them based on their legacy.

Now, before we dive into this, we need to establish what we consider a supervillain. In the early days, Batman fought mostly common crooks and gangsters, but while they’re villains, they aren’t super, so we won’t be counting them. While the line between supervillain and regular criminal is dicey, we’re going to define this as someone with a theme. They have to have a central idea that goes beyond the scope of basic crime, such as mad science gadgets or an identity built around cats. Costumes aren’t required, but they help. With that said, let’s dissect Batman’s first ten supervillains.

10) Puppet Master

Debut: Batman (1940) #3

The Puppet Master was a criminal who led a gang of crooks, but he had a unique gimmick that put him on this list. He would have his men inject people with a Thought Serum that allowed him to mind-control them from a distance, and even managed to snare Batman with his power. Of course, Robin snapped Batman out of it, and the Dark Knight pounded the Puppet Master into prison. Unfortunately for the villain, this was his one and only appearance. He’s left no legacy beyond that story, so he has to take last on our list, despite his interesting powerset.

9) Painter of Death

Debut: Detective Comics (1937) #42

The Painter of Death was a banker named Wylie. He’d gotten into some serious debt, but discovered the unknown yet extremely talented artist Pierre Antal. Wylie convinced Pierre to paint Gotham’s socialites. Then, Wylie would don his Painter of Death outfit and murder the people Antal painted, hoping to foster a reputation for Antal predicting murders, thus making Wylie’s collection of his art worth a fortune. It’s no surprise that the Painter of Death only appeared once, given that this bit is way too specific to stick around, but he edges out Puppet Master for ninth place for inspiring a copycat murderer in Batman #38. So, technically, he did leave a legacy.

8) Three Devils

Debut: Detective Comics #50

The Three Devils were a group of former circus acrobats who dressed in devil costumes to steal jewels. They have the distinct honor of being the first trio of villains Batman fought, and the first on this list to appear as the villains in a second issue. They reappeared in the Silver Age in Batman #107, renamed the Daredevils, and fought Batman and Dick Grayson, who had been temporarily turned into an adult and went by Owlman. These villains didn’t leave much of an impact with their personalities, but their distinct look kept them in creators’ minds for at least a little while, as it were. 

7) Doctor Death

Debut: Detective Comics #29

Doctor Death was originally a villain who specialized in chemical weapons, which he used to blackmail the wealthy and elite for his own gain. He battled Batman a few times over the years, but was never a prominent villain. In the Prime Earth continuity, Doctor Death was reimagined as a mad scientist who enhanced himself with a bone-growth formula, becoming a horrific monster that towered over the Dark Knight. Doctor Death has never been a mainstay, but he’s shown up often enough that people vaguely remember him. He might only be a D-List villain, but hey, he’s on the tier list. 

6) The Mad Monk

Debut: Detective Comics #31

The Mad Monk was a vampire who once kidnapped Batman’s first love interest, Julie Madison. In fact, he was the villain of Batman’s first multi-part story. Although he’s only made relatively small appearances since then, the Mad Monk earns his spot on this list for how iconic he became. He is the face of this era of Batman, embodying how Batman was early in his career and dealing with a gothic, supernaturally inspired world. The sheer beauty of this cover definitely played a role, as it is one of Batman’s most iconic covers to date. The Mad Monk might not appear much on his own, but his legacy lives on as the face of this specific era for the Dark Knight.

5) Hugo Strange

Debut: Detective Comics #36

Now we reach some of Batman’s far more recognizable and iconic foes. Hugo Strange was a mad scientist and the world’s greatest criminal mastermind. Later, his origin was changed to being a master of psychology, which he weaponized to destroy his enemies. Today, Strange is Batman’s de facto enemy when it comes to psychological torture. He’s been able to push Batman to mental extremes that few could hope to replicate. He’s most famous for his Monster Men, who were gigantic men driven nearly mindless by Strange’s strength-enhancing formula. In the current canon, the Monster Men represent the first non-human villains Batman fought, marking his transition from street-crime to super-crime.

4) Clayface

Debut: Detective Comics #40

If this list defined legacy by the number of people who took up the villain’s name, then Clayface wins by a country mile. The original, Basil Karlo, is still one of Batman’s most enduring villains. During the early days of the Golden Age, he was easily the villain who showed up the most, right alongside the Joker. Beyond Basil, there have been four other criminals who used the Clayface title, each bringing something new to the table. Clayface has been reinvented more than almost any other Batman villain, but through all of his iterations, he’s stuck around as a consistent thorn in the Dark Knight’s side. When people mention Batman’s best villains, more often than not, they bring up Clayface.

3) Penguin

Debut: Detective Comics #58

While most of Batman’s villains focus on things like power, death, or fulfilling their twisted ideological framework, the Penguin remains the longest-standing classic gangster villain. In many ways, he is a remnant of Batman’s earliest enemies, echoing the mob elements while tying it together with a specific branding to elevate it into supervillain status. The Penguin is Batman’s “almost legit” villain, and there’s a beauty in his simple love of penguins, umbrellas, and money. He almost always shows up in Batman’s adaptations somewhere, and was even the star of his own live-action show. The Penguin is one of Batman’s most famous enemies for very good reasons.

2) Catwoman

Debut: Batman #1

Catwoman isn’t just a famous villain; she’s the genesis of an entire subgenre of villains. Selina Kyle is the archetypal cat-burglar who is in love with the superhero. From her incredible example, countless other villains and love interests have spawned, including fan-favorites like Marvel’s Black Cat. Selina has grown beyond just being a petty thief, becoming one of the most important characters in Batman’s mythos. Selina is a character who has shown she can stand on her own, even without Batman around, but always enhances the Caped Crusader’s stories when she shows up. She’s one of Batman’s main love interests, most iconic villains, and best-developed characters. This cat has got it all.

1) Joker

Debut: Batman #1

The Joker is probably the single most iconic supervillain of all time. He’s Batman’s archenemy, and always has been, literally debuting with two stories in a single issue. The Joker has been adapted in just about every form of media that Batman has, and is never far behind when the Dark Knight appears. He’s not just a villain, he’s a household name. The Joker is the star of some of Batman’s most iconic and beloved comics, from The Killing Joke to his major role in The Dark Knight Returns. He’s Batman’s number one enemy and will stop at nothing until he’s laughing over the Caped Crusader’s cowled corpse. He’s been here since Batman had his own comic, and he’ll be here until his last one publishes.

So there we have Batman’s first ten supervillains. Which of these first ten is your favorite, and what other villains do you think left a powerful legacy? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!

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