Hello everybody and welcome to another installment of my Batman AU character lists. This time we'll be covering the main recurring villains of my Batman AU Rogues Gallery. The A-Listers, if you will. As per usual, all characters and locations are the property of DC, I own nothing. Enjoy.
III. Rogues Gallery Part 2.
A. Anarky: Some call him the White King, others the Anti-Batman, but no matter what you choose to call him remember this; Anarky is no joke. Unlike most criminals, he is not interested in anything logical like money or power; in fact his only goal in life seems to spreading as much chaos and destruction as humanly possible for his own amusement. No one knows who he really is or where he came from, but one thing is certain; if he has his way, Gotham will burn.
Notes: 1. In past encounters, Anarky has proven himself to be Batman's physical and mental equal. However, he has also proven himself to be extremely immature and emotionally unstable. 2. Anarky appears to have a bizarre fetish for the game of chess. Example: he has on more than one occasion referred to Batman as the "Black King". 3. Rather than cause chaos and destruction directly, Anarky prefers to orchestrate events from behind the scenes and let people destroy themselves. 4. Some people believe that Anarky is clairvoyant, however there is no evidence as of yet to support this theory.
B. Lazlo Valentin aka Professor Pyg: A descendant of British aristocracy, Lazlo Valentin grew up wanting for nothing. However, due to several bad investments on the part of his late father, Lazlo lost his entire family fortune before his 25th birthday. Now, after years of destitution and ridicule, Mr. Valentin is hell-bent on restoring his family's wealth and dignity, by any means necessary. Let the social elite of Gotham beware, for no one is safe from Professor Pyg, the Aristocrat of Crime.
Notes: 1. Prof. Pyg's clothes, weapons, and main mode of transport are all thematically modeled after such things in author Kenneth Grahame's book The Wind in the Willows, of which he is a fan. 2. The pig motif for his villainous persona was inspired by the boar that once adored his family's coat of arms. 3. In spite of his cartoonish appearance and stereotypically posh mannerisms, Professor Pyg is actually a very competent and intelligent criminal mastermind. 4. It should be noted that Professor Pyg is not actually a professor of anything. He was never able to finish his schooling, for obvious reasons.
1. Mr. Toad: Very little is known about Professor Pyg's amphibious mutant assistant/chauffer. However, based on his accent and fighting style, it is speculated that he was once a member of the German Army. In spite of the fact that he is technically a servant, Pyg treats Toad as an equal and a close friend.
Notes: 1. In a bizarre way, Pyg and Toad's relationship is eerily similar to that of Bruce and Alfred.
C. Humphrey Dumpler aka Humpty Dumpty: On the surface, Humphrey Dumpler seemed like just a normal, if overweight, owner of a small but successful toy store. Little did anyone suspect that beneath his friendly façade laid the mind of a mad genius. Blessed with an impressive intellect, Humphrey grew up thinking himself superior to everyone else in the world. So instead of using his intelligence to benefit others, he chooses to waste his gift by kidnapping people and placing them in elaborate deathtraps of his own wicked design. Although currently incarcerated in Arkham Asylum, Humpty Dumpty's mind is always at work, imagining new ways to torment the citizens of Gotham; especially the Batman.
Notes: 1. Because of a strange fixation he has, all of Humpty Dumpty's deathtraps are all modeled after toys, board games, and on rare occasions video games. 2. Originally Humpty chose all of his victims at random, simply to alleviate his boredom. However, since his first defeat at the hands of Batman, he has become obsessed with devising a scenario so ingenious that not even the Dark Knight can survive; proving once and for all that he is the greatest mind in Gotham. 3. Before being arrested, Humphrey paid the bills with his toy store, H. Dumpty's; an obvious inspiration for his supervillain name.
D. Margaret Sorrow aka Magpie: In a desperate attempt to cure her kleptomania, Margaret Sorrow admitted herself to Arkham Asylum and took part in an experiment conducted by Professor Hugo Strange. The idea was for Strange's device to permanently alter her brain chemistry in order to suppress her criminal impulses, however something went terribly wrong. Instead of suppressing her darker impulses, they were brought to the surface in the form of a second personality named Magpie. Now Margaret is cursed to forever share her body with a psychotic super-criminal. And to make matters worse, Magpie is growing stronger.
Notes: 1. Because of the nature of her origin, Margaret's Magpie is not fully formed. Meaning she is completely irrational, prone to sudden and violent mood swings, and obsessed solely with the acquisition of material goods and physical pleasure. 2. For reasons that are not fully understood yet, whenever Magpie takes over Margaret's body is totally impervious to pain. 3. Since their initial encounter, Magpie has developed a violent and lustful obsession with the Batman and has vowed to murder Batwomen out of jealousy.
E. Waylon Jones aka Killer Croc: Born and raised in southern Louisiana, Waylon Jones grew up as the star attraction of the Honey Island Carnival's Sideshow. However, after the carnival went bust Waylon moved up north and turned to a life of crime. Now based in Gotham City, Waylon Killer Croc Jones owns and operates an illegal fight club and gaming establishment aboard a refitted cruise liner he calls The Queen Mary. In the words of Croc himself, "Come for the Blackjack, Stay for the Blood."
Notes: 1. There is only one rule in Croc's ring: Two men walk in, but only one man walks out. Killing your opponent is not necessary to win, but it is highly encouraged. 2. Croc's diet consists mainly of large quantities of meat, which he prefers to eat raw. It is rumored that he is also a cannibal, but this has not yet been confirmed. 3. Because of his upbringing, Croc speaks with a thick Cajun accent.
1. Mary Dahl Jones aka Baby Doll: Another former sideshow attraction, Mary Jones is Croc's wife of 25 years. While her husband acts as the face of their operation, she handles all of the business aspects he has no patience for. In spite of their staggering size difference, Mary and Croc somehow maintain an active love life. How do they do it? You don't wanna know.
Notes: 1. It should be noted that Mary is a dwarf and not a midget. She gets very upset when people call her a midget, and so does her husband.
2. Matatoa: Claiming to be the reincarnation of an ancient Māori warrior, Matatoa is the reigning champion of Croc's fight club; 263 fights and 263 fatalities. So far only two men have ever been able to defeat him, the first was Croc and the second was Batman.
Notes: 1. In battle Matatoa uses a pair of machetes that he has modified to resemble traditional tribal weapons. 2. After killing an opponent, Matatoa always eats their heart, which he believes gives him their strength.
F. Tobias Whale: Referred to by some as the King of Gotham's Underworld, Tobias Whale is the most powerful and ruthless crime lord in all of Gotham City. From drug rings to protecton rackets and everything in-between, Whale has a hand in just about every organized criminal act in the city. However, thanks careful planning and a brilliant legal counsel, Whale has always managed to stay just out of reach of the GCPD. That is, until a certain Bat flew into town.
Notes: 1. Tobias Whale is an albino African American; bizarre but true. 2. In spite of his rather massive size and weight, Whale is capable of handling himself in a fight surprisingly well.
1. Milo Match aka Phosphorus Rex: Born and raised in Romania, Milo Match serves as Tobias Whale's legal counsel and chief enforcer. He seems to possess some form of pyrokinesis, though it is unknown if he was born with these powers or if he acquired them through some other means.
End Notes: Hope you all enjoyed this installment of my Batman AU lists. Next time we'll be looking at the B-List villains of this universe. Please remember to like and follow if you think I deserve it and give me some feedback because that's kind of the whole point of this thing. Anyway, see you all next time Later.