Summary
Batman has one ofthe richest and creative rogues galleries,overflowing with beloved oddballs like the Joker, Harley Quinn, and The Penguin. Not every character can be as iconic as The Riddler or Poison Ivy, and Batman has had just as many strange villains as he has iconic ones over the years.
Batman writers also often have an amazing talent for making even the strangest character concepts work,lending darkness and depth to characters who might otherwise be dismissed as one-off jokes. Here are some ofthe weirdest Batman villains in DC Comics history.
10Professor Pyg
A Fleshy Nightmare Come To Life
Lazlo Valentin, a schizophrenic with an obsession with the pursuit of physical perfection, terrorizes Gothamites by performing grotesque surgeries on them, mutilating their bodies, and performing lobotomies to turn them into obedient ‘Dollotrons’.
The butcher of Gotham has been striking fear into the hearts of readers since his debut,and is an underutilized member of Batman’s rogues gallery. He has madegleeful appearances in the Arkham games as well as in the TV seriesGotham.
9James Gordon Jr
Batgirl’s Brother Strays Far From The Family Business Of Crime-Fighting
James ‘J.J.’ Gordon, son of Batman’s trusted companion Detective James Gordon, proves that sometimes the apple can fall far from the tree. J.J. is a self-proclaimed psychopath who was suspected of having committed several shocking crimes as a child, only to terrorize Gotham years later as a full-blown serial killer who has no empathy and has no qualms with committing crimes, including stabbing his paralyzed sister.
Not only is J.J. a great villain in his own right, buthe adds extra complexity to the charactersof his crime-fighting father and vigilante sister, Barbara.
8Dollhouse
A Demented Darling With A Love For Killing
Dollhouse is the alias of Matilda Mathis, daughter of The Dollmaker. Alongside her brother, the unfortunately-named Orifice,Matilda first appears during the saga in which her father removes The Joker’s face.Matilda is a sadistic killer who is just as demented as her father and grandfather before her.
Hiding her face behind a grafted-on doll mask, Dollhouse kidnaps unexpected victims to fuel her father’s illegal organ trade. This spoiled villainess likes to keep trophies of her victims, and would later face off against Catwoman and Duela Dent.
7The White Rabbit
An Interesting Character Largely Wasted In Favor Of Gratuitous Fan Service
The New 52 era of DC comics introduced fans to Jaina Hudson, The White Rabbit, a charming socialite who is able to create a replica of herself who has albinism. Fellow Alice in Wonderland-inspired villain The Mad Hatter also appears in the series, though Jaina’s risqué look more easily calls to mind a Playboy bunny than the classic children’s story.
Jaina’s story was left largely unfinished, andthough her unique ability and background have lots of potential, she was treated mostly as eye candy in the series.It’s unfortunate that DC didn’t do more to fulfill the potential of one of its only South Asian characters.
6Calendar Man
A Peculiar Concept Done Right
Julian Gregory Day, better known as the Calendar Man, isa criminal with a fixation on committing crimes on certain dates,often themed to holidays such as Halloween or Valentine’s Day.
While fans often see the character played for laughs, the unusual concept has often been used for great effect in darker portrayals of his character. He is a fantastic example of how a ‘joke’ villain can be given depth when allowed to be taken seriously, as he was inThe Long Halloween.
5Astrid Arkham
The Arkham Knight Of The Comics Is Very Different To Her 2015 Game Counterpart
Astrid Arkham, The Arkham Knight of the comics, was a young woman raised in Arkham Asylum who grew to love the patients and who saw Batman as a vigilante tyrant who was continually hurting those she loved, including her beloved ‘Uncle Joker’. As an adult,Astrid donned medieval-inspired armor to take vengeance on the caped crusader.
Astrid’s character has plenty of unexplored potential. After her confrontation with Batman, her reanimated corpse had a short run as a member ofTask Force Z,the undead version ofThe Suicide Squad.
4Kite Man
Hell Yeah!
When it comes to Charles Brown Sr’s villainous alter ego, it’s all in the name. With a pretty tiresome gimmick and a goofy green suit, Kite Man was seriously in need of a refresh.
Kite Man retained his geeky charm while gaining a new audience of fans after his appearance inThe War of Jokes and Riddlesand after becoming a supporting character in2019‘s Harley Quinn TV series adaptation,where he became a love interest for Poison Ivy.He even has his own spin-off series.
3Polkadot Man
A Colorful Maniac With A Glorious Gimmick
Polkadot Man, sometimes also known as Mister Polka-Dot, is the alias of Abner Krill, a colourful criminal who has been at the centre of several strange Batman adventures.
David Dastmalchian’s recent portrayal of the character in2021’sThe Suicide Squadelevated the character to new heights,saddling him with a whole host of mommy issues. This fun adaptation of such a niche character proved to fans that with a coat of polish, even Batman’s strangest adversaries can be compelling without toning down their wackiness.
2Crazy Quilt
A Vibrant Villain With A Muddled History
An even more colorful addition to Batman’s rogues gallery than Polkadot Man, Crazy Quilt is an artist gone mad, who uses a flashing light to hypnotize his victims.
The character has something of a confused history, with the first iteration of the character appearing as an enemy to the Boy Commandos in 1946. The second is a nemesis of Batman named Paul Dekker, who has a particular hatred for Robin, blaming him for the loss of his eyesight.He often appears in cameos,including as the textiles teacher inDC Super Hero Girls.
1The Condiment King
A Gloriously Campy Adversary For The Caped Crusader
A proud joke villain and a parody of some of the bizarre and campy villains Batman has fought over the years including Egghead, Mr. Camera and The Penny Plunderer, The Condiment King first appeared to delight fans in theBatman: The Animated SeriesepisodeMake Em Laugh.
A comedian who has found himself brainwashed by the Joker in an effort to make him embarrass himself,the villain uses condiments as weapons, mostly causing a nuisance rather than any actual harm with his sauce-based puns and a gloriously silly gimmick.
