What're your top 5 favorite Batman Villains and why?
Ah geez, all of Batman's villains are just great. Filled with classic and unforgettable villains that have truly depicted the epitome of villainy, post your favorites, and if ya care to share, why they're your favorites, please do. Happy postings.
There's quite a few that couldn't make my list, but here they are:
1) Harley Quinn, oh my, she's ever so hot, she's clever and has a great sense of humor. her sick comedy always make me laugh.
2) The Scarecrow, no not the little gimped punk from Batman Begins and TDK, the actual Scarecrow Jonathan Crane. He's a favorite of mine for always messing with the Bat-Family with his fear toxin. I always loved how hallucinations would make everyone later doubt Batman/Bruce.
3) Bane, he's insanely cool and broke the Bat, oh my! The venom using, steriod machine has been able to physically beat the Batman down, something very few enemies have been able to do.
4) The Joker, althought not my top choice, his sick, vile mind is something that gives me kicks. He's a madman that has no addition abilities, he's basically a very sick individual and that takes balls. Dun Dun Dun!
5) Two-Face, although Azreal was tied for fifth spot for me, Azreal isn't all that well known to average Bat-Fans. So I'd have to go with Two-Face, I loved him in the animated series. He's one of those villains that has really lost it all and craves revenge.
1. Joker. Nothing needs to be said on why he should be in anyone's list on favorite batman villains. He is my favorite for one simple reason...,he gets the best writing. Writers obviously like exploring and playing with the Joker. Anytime he is apart of a series. The series has an incredible chance at being entertaining and memorable.
2. Bane. Even though Bane has become a mindless thug that is brushed off. At one time Bane's character was mysterious and fascinating. in the Knightfall series, he showed intelligence along with unstoppable strength. Bane makes my number 2 because no other villain broke batman in the way that Bane did. Bane not only broke his motherfcuking back, but also his will to live.
3 Blackmask. To me, Blackmask is everything that the penguin should have been. Blackmask is essentially a cool Penguin. For the most part he is a penguin/joker hybrid. He is insane, yet a criminal genius that likes to play mind games. I like the blackmask primarily because of his devotion of fcuking with Bruce Wayne. He is one of the only villains that hates Bruce Wayne more than Batman.
4. Scarecrow. In his many interpretations the Scarecrow, much like the joker, always ALWAYS offers the reader a good time. Where the Joker relies on chaos and chance for his scheme's. The scarecrow relies on precise planning and strategy. His intentions are also very sinister and cunning. The most interesting thing about the Scarecrow is his intelligence. It is not always obvious, but his intelligence and manipulation abilities are more frightening than his fear toxin. Also, seeing how the Scarecrow analyzes the criminal mind all the time is fascinating.
5. Mr Freeze. Mr freeze makes my top because he is one of the only, over the top batman villains that i enjoy. Like Two-face, Mr freeze has a good guy inside of him and i think his good/evil contrast has been handled better than Two-face in many ways. Two-face has no control over his darker and more evil ambitions. Two-face is psychologically insane and broken, his evil deeds come from a lost conscience. Mr Freeze, however, is fully aware of his actions and often justifies them in clear, coherent and convincing points. Mr Freeze has always been the most SANE and natural villain to me. He has a conscience and ideals. I will use a quote from the Scarecrow to describe Mr Freeze...,"through the eyes of evil, good is in the wrong, but through the eye's of the indifferent you're all crazy for believing in good and evil"
__________________ "If you tell the truth, you never have to remember anything" -Twain
(sig by Scythe)
Last edited by jinXed by JaNx on Aug 2nd, 2008 at 12:28 PM
1. The Joker. Because he's the most awesome villain ever period and he drives Batman insane to a further extent. He pushes Batman to his limit. I like that.
2. Two Face: I like the whole duality thing with him and how he absolves himself from guilt by placing all of his actions on the toss of a coin to decide whether he will make evil or good choices. I also love that he used to be a good guy and that he got driven insane trying to do the right thing.
3. Hush: he gets props from me period from being able to manipulate some of Batman's most amazing enemies and for being able to pull that whole storyline off in his series and I like that the connection he has to Bruce's childhood as well.
4. Mr. Freeze: From the the animated series his story is tragic and you can understand his pain and still root for Batman to catch him.
5. Harley Quinn: she's the Joker's side kick and does it all in the name of love, even if it is insane I dig it.
__________________ Bruce: You've got, sort of a dark side, don't you?
1. Two-Face: The most psychologically driven character in the Batman mythos... He was D.A., but was driven insane by the criminals he was fighting... He's a kool visual, and his story is tragic and interesting...
2. Joker: He's a classic... Although he's a member of the rotation, he's the most entertaining...
3. Reaper: The most interesting character outside the big 5... His story as Gotham's original vigilante is one that I'm always up for reading... It's just a great story and a great visual... He made Batman do the unthinkable (use a gun), and that gets major props from me...
4. Scarecrow: His fear gas is one of my favorite comic book weapons... He can mess with your mind, make you see things that aren't even there... That, and when artists go crazy with his look, he can be legitimately frightening at first glance...
5. Carmine Falcone: I like the stories where Batman is battling gangsters, and Falcone was the top dog (he also looked a little like Vito Corleone in the comics)
1.Catwoman.cause shes so sexy and hot.LOL
2.The Joker.Like someone else said,no need to list the reason why he is in my top 5.
3.The Riddler-He's really funny.
4.The Penguin.same reason.
5.Harley Quinn.-same reason you had.
1) The Joker, i don't think i need to give a reason, it's all been said before
2) Riddler, there's something very interesting about the Riddler, how can you not like a guy who gives out riddles every time he commits a crime......when Batman gets involved with Riddler it's usually a battle of the mind and of problem solving, something you don't see much of from super villains, he also had an awesome costume in the 90's TAS.
3) Mr. Freeze, while i am not a fan of his "Mr. Zero" days, i found a lot of new respect for him when the 90's TAS reinvented the character it gave him a new depth that he never had.
4) At first it would have been Killer Croc, but now that i think about it more i think for me Scarecrow is a much more interesting villain, for the fact that he uses psychology and fear to manipulate his foes, it's always interesting to see what he will do and how his fear gas will manipulate someone.
5) Two-Face, very interesting concept, he has a split personality and decides everything based off of a coin toss, tip it of with a parallel in Bruce Wayne and Batman, and how they are two separate personality's and there decisions also very and you have a close look at two-face you can see a connection, his origin is very interesting as well, how such a force of good, could fall to the bottom it's a very sad and moving tale.
Last edited by Neo Darkhalen on Aug 3rd, 2008 at 12:52 PM
1. The Joker of course, he's my favorite villain of all time.
2. Two Face, because he has a two in his name, just joking. He's a tragic villain with a great origin, and he's generally really interesting.
3. Bane, c'mon he broke Batman's back.
4. Black Mask, he's done his share of impressively bad things.
5. The Riddler, he earned alot of respect in Batman: Hush.
2. Two-Face - I like how he goes to being a Batman who abides by the law (in a way) to someone who feels that chance is all we have, and that every single thing should be judged by a flip of the coin. While being one of the best villains of all time, he's also one of the most tragic.
3. Harley Quinn - Not sure why...she's just recently become a big favorite. I guess it's mainly because no matter what, she never leaves the Joker. She has the most odd sense of loyalty.
4. Scarecrow - The guy uses fear as a weapon...our own fears to be exact. How cool is that? I also think the costume is pretty neat, and the fact that he loves to induce fear is interesting.
5. Ra's Al Ghul - I like how the guy wants to purify the world in his own way by whiping out every city he deems bad. The fact that he wants Batman by his side and as a surrogate son is also interesting. I loved how they played into his character in Begins and made him more of a mentor to Wayne, as well as a trainer.
__________________ You guys need to start taking things a little more seriously.
In all due respect i think everyone has given the same reason to why Joker is in the list, it's pretty hard to not put him on there, we all know he's the perfect foil for Batman.
1) The Joker. The only person who has consistently been able to get inside the mind of the Bat. He is either a super-psychotic criminal, or a super-brilliant criminal whose brilliance is misinterpreted as madness (that theory was once explored in a comic). Either way, he is brilliant enough to be the Bat's cerebral antagonist. In a way he represents the madness that drives Bruce Wayne, and in many ways the two share the same demons! It is just that Bruce is more organized and less chaotic, but they are both stark raving mad! No wonder they always gravitate towards each other.
2) Ras Al Ghul. A man that could easily be what Bruce Wayne will be in the future. He presents the constant temptation that the Bat has to face .....the ability to actually stop crime and solve things by using his great wealth and influence. Think of it, Ras wants to do good ....it is just that his good means killing most of Earth's human population in order to cleanse it. If Batman ever suffered a breakdown, he could easily become someone like Ras (which might be why Ras always admires the Bat and wants him to be his heir ....he recognizes the potential in the Bat). You also have to realize that Batman has been tempted by the Lazarus pits in the past, and currently has a Lazarus pit in the Bat cave. Imagine what will happen when a Batman who is 50 years old and not as fast as he was before looks at that pit ......and the temptation of being ever youthful comes. It is a slippery slope Batman will always face, and Ras is basically a Batman who went too far.
3) Hush. Another cerebral antagonist to the Bat protagonist. He is also what the Bat could become if he had taken another path after the demise of his parents. Rich, super-clever, and willing to do anything to achieve his objectives. Also able to use prep to weave a very intricate plan that comes together in the end. Shhhh .....
4) The Red Hood. Once again another representation of what the Bat could do if he stopped holding back. Imagine it, no need to take people to Arkham or Blackgate (only for them to escape a few weeks later, or get released by a corrupt legal system). Imagine never having to hold back ....which would make Batman into a Lady Shiva with gadgets! Imagine never having to worry about the ethics of taking over the financial system, or taking down the Government (think of what the Bat could have done when Lex was president ....the guy was infiltrating the White House like it was a joke). Batman holds back too much, and the Red Hood represents the temptation of finally NOT doing that. Of Batman deciding to really let go.
5) The criminal that shot his parents. Simply for the question on whether that perp created the Batman, or if the Batman always existed (some evil dark seed within the young Bruce Wayne) and he only awakened it. What would have happened if the parents had never been shot? Would Bruce have become a serial killer instead? His level of dedication (which is actually controlled madness and zealotry) means he would never have been 'normal.'
Maybe that criminal did the world a favor!
Imagine the evil potential of a Bruce Wayne without a dedicated goal?
Or, even if you believe Bruce would still have been good (I do not, I think Bruce is inherently evil ....it is just that, for now, he targets evil doers ...think of it ....the guy had a Sinestro ring choose him in the entire sector!!!!!! Why would a ring attracted to fear and evil select a HUMAN) .....anyways, even if you believe Bruce would still have been good, had the parents not died he would not have been Batman. Think about all the terrorist attacks and alien attacks and metahuman attacks that would have occured, without a Batman to stop them?
For one, Gotham city would have been destroyed many times over (imagine the No Man's Land event without a Batman)?
That makes the nameless faceless criminal (even though some writers have tried to hint it is so or so) the most important criminal on my list, even if he is at number 5.
That is because that criminal represents random potential and probable choice ....probability and self-questioning.
Don't tell me what to do, child. There was no ill intention in my post toward you, I was simply stating a reason. It's my reason as well. When I was growing up, the ice cream trucks used to sell these delicious iced popsicles, they had Batman, the Joker and Robin. Batman's tasted the worse since it was some sort of black ice mixture. Never tried Robin's and the Joker's was my favorite and it had the best gumball eyeballs.