The 10 Strangest Batman Villains Ever
Guest writer James Robinson has joined the team of Detective Comics for a special story beginning [...]
Guest writer James Robinson has joined the team of Detective Comics for a special story beginning in the pages of #988. Getting back to the series roots, it promises a murder mystery that will lead "to a conspiracy among some of the Dark Knight's strangest foes." Batman's rogue's gallery is one of, if not the, most colorful in all of comics so applying the descriptor strangest to any of his villains takes some serious considerations. Even his most mainstream and popular antagonists work regularly put smiles on the faces of fish or spoil their own crimes with elaborate puns. So who might be party to this thrilling new conspiracy?
In order to help amateur comic book sleuths, and for our own enjoyment, we've begun to assemble a suspect list by seeking out the strangest Batman villains ever. These are the bad guys with gimmicks too wild to believe or ideas that never should have made it past a rough draft. Even in a place like Gotham City they stand out as absurdities, the sort of costumed ne'er-do-wells that make Penguin and Bane seem a bit more palatable.
So if you're curious as to who the strangest villains from across Batman's career may be, just keep reading.
Circus of Strange
Created by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely
First Appearance: Batman (vol. 1) #666
Few modern creators do strange better than Morrison and Quitely. They added plenty of notable villains while working on various Batman titles, but none provide the same level of diversity or color as the Circus of Strange. Each one of its members could make a case for their own spot on this list, starting with the horrifyingly masked Professor Pyg. Rather than sort them out, we'll keep this crew of carnies together and celebrate them as one of the strangest teams in all of superhero comics.
prevnextTen-Eyed Man
Created by Dick Giordano, Frank Robbins, and Irv Novick
First Appearance: Batman (vol. 1) #226
This man's "ten eyes" are actually his finger tips, providing him some surprising abilities when it comes to martial arts and thievery. While he began as another villain with an oddball gimmick, the Ten-Eyed Man has evolved and been through many interesting stories since his introduction. His shift in perspective has led him to some downright psychedelic endeavors that make him one of the consistently strangest adversaries in Batman's career.
prevnextLord Death Man
Created by Robert Kanigher and Sheldon Moldoff
First Appearance: Batman (vol. 1) #180
Lord Death Man found similarly inauspicious beginnings as a man with a skull mask and gimmick, but in the pages of "Batmanga" found a role as one of the most theatrically-inclined Bat-foes ever. His penchant for smoke and mirrors, along with a gratuitous number of fake-out deaths, is what still makes that particular manga adaptation so entertaining. It's a style that he returned to American comics with, making him a far more popular villain on two continents.
prevnextRatcatcher
Created by John Wagner, Alan Grant, and Norm Breyfogle
First Appearance: Detective Comics (vol. 1) #585
Anyone who has seen Willard (the original or the remake) knows just how creepy a man controlling rats for his own misdeeds can become. When you slap on a gasmask, it quickly becomes some of the most potent nightmare fuel in comics. Ratcatcher might be one of the most underutilized of these strange Batman villains. Each of his appearances is disturbing, but none of them have quite led Ratcatcher out of the sewers and into the limelight.
prevnextJohnny Karaoke
Created by John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake
First Appearance: Batman (vol. 1) #660
Johnny Karaoke is an example of a Batman villain with far more ambition than power or sense. While he has a gimmick with his singing (accompanied by the Geisha Grrls), Karaoke is most notably a business administration graduate who felt suited to work in the Yakuza. In spite of poor villain credentials, he still crafted a style and approach that set him apart from his peers and made him difficult to forget, even decades after his quick death.
prevnextThe Eraser
Created by John Broome
First Appearance: Batman (vol. 1) #188
The dead-eyed stare of The Eraser matches his equally lifeless form, crafted by a suit and mask to resemble a pencil like some sort of cheap, last-minute Halloween costume. It's this villain's dedication to a pun that really puts him over the top though, as he will comment that his helmet allows him to "rub out" evidence. While that is certainly a groaner, the combination of a terrible gimmick and off-putting appearance make The Eraser stand out no matter where he shows up.
prevnextThe Dollmaker
Created by Tony S. Daniel
First Appearance: Detective Comics (vol. 1) #1
Barton Mathis manages to give even creeps like Mr. Zsasz a run for their money when it comes to disturbing shticks in Gotham City. As the third DC Comics character to hold the name Dollmaker, Mathis collected victims in order to construct dolls from their corpses. It's every bit as terrible as it sounds, and his obsession with stitching can even be observed in his face. This is one bad guy who makes every moment uncomfortable, even when he's not working.
prevnextCondiment King
Created by Bruce Timm and Paul Dini
First Appearance: Batman: The Animated Series, "Make 'Em Laugh"
Harley Quinn may get all the attention, but Condiment King is another villain who made the leap from Batman cartoons to comic books. He was designed to be a truly ridiculous foe, and was so good in that role creators couldn't bear to let him go. He most recently appeared in the pages of Batman #54, robbing grocery stores in the background of a more poignant story. Even as white noise, it's impossible to forget about someone this odd.
prevnextDeacon Blackfire
Created by Jim Starlin and Bernie Wrightson
First Appearance: Batman: The Cult #1
Deacon Blackfire has received multiple explanations as to his origin across the years, but what's apparent now is that he's really a loudmouth with too big of an ego for his frame, even when you consider some potent supernatural powers. Watching this foe attempt to build himself into an A-list villain has only clarified his low place on the Batman villain totem pole, one that seems all the stranger given his previously large followings and complex schemes.
prevnextCrazy Quilt
Created by Jack Kirby
First Appearance: Boy Commandos (vol. 1) #1
This is one bad guy who didn't start fighting Batman, but who seems destined to call Gotham City home. Crazy Quilt has been given many alter-egos and power sets over the years, but he's always a colorful characters, literally and figuratively. His most recent appearance showed him to be a pitiful gag villain, but he has also been a mad scientist and bandit across the decades. With a name like this one, every iteration has been delightfully strange in nature.
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