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Batman 's foes form one of the most distinctive Rogues Gallery in Comic Book s. These villains range from the psychotic criminals locked in Arkham Asylum For The Criminally Insane , through Gotham City 's mafia bosses, to world conquerors.

Throughout his existence, Batman's rogues gallery has been particularly distinctive because a large majority of its number are defined by a theme, oftentimes iconic or archetypical psychosis, compulsion, obsession, or a gimmick. Much has also been made in recent years of the psychological similarities between Batman and several of his more well-recognised and significant opponents, with several providing direct parallels to character traits of Batman himself.


HISTORY


In early Batman stories, the Dark Knight often fought Mad Scientist s and gangsters, conventions carried over from the Pulp Magazine s that had influenced his creation. Early recurring villains included Doctor Death , Professor Hugo Strange , and the vampiric Monk . Aside from Strange, none had any real staying power.

Authors introduced many of the most familiar Batman villains in the 1940s. , Batman's Archnemesis , and Catwoman , both a villain and love interest to the Dark Knight.

The Penguin and Two-Face also premiered during the early 1940s in '' Detective Comics '', appearing often since their introduction, especially the Penguin. The Riddler , originally debuting in 1948 in ''Detective Comics'', vanished from the comic book until his appearance in the late 1960s in The ''Batman'' Television Show saw his return to popularity. Other foes created in the same era, such as the Scarecrow and the Mad Hatter , appeared less frequently than some other villains, their mind-controlling skills and weapons that would later became their signatures, eventually made them classic recurring villains up until today. Deadshot and the original Clayface also debuted in the Golden Age .

By the 1950s, Batman's rogues gallery was largely ignored apart from the likes of the Joker (who appeared in virtually every Batman issue published), the Penguin, and Catwoman. With the growing emphasis on Science Fiction in the late 1950s Batman stories, even the Joker was shunted aside in favor of alien adversaries.

Villains with physical skills or super-powers slowly began to appear: these villains reflected a growing preoccupation with science fiction in Batman comics. Mr. Freeze and Killer Moth first appeared in the late 1950s, and the botanical scientist Poison Ivy in the 1960s, along with the debut of a new superpowered Clayface, a mud shape-shifter. Many older villains received a boost in popularity thanks to the 1960s ''Batman'' television series and consequently, after a long period of dormancy, again became fixtures in the comic books.

In the 1970s, new Batman villains adopted influences from horror, pulp and films. Man-Bat , a Geneticist who turned himself into a humanoid bat, the murderous Clayface III, and Ra's Al Ghul all first appeared in this decade. Ra's al Ghul was different from most Batman foes, in that he was, unlike the typical mobster-stereotype, a centuries-old Eco-terrorist who commands a large empire of loyal servants, as well as the League Of Assassins , a Ninja organization. Ra's is an ideological mastermind in the tradition of Fu Manchu or the James Bond villains. His daughter Talia is one of Batman's best-known love interests. Ra's and Talia were the first villains to learn of Batman's Secret Identity .

The 1980s introduced grim villains like crocodile mutant Killer Croc , self-amputated ex- Soviet agent KGBeast , insane Mafiosi leaders like Black Mask and the Ventriloquist , whose Other Personality manifests in his puppet, Scarface. This wave of brutal villains continued in the early 1990s with Serial Killer Victor Zsasz , and Bane , an assassin addicted to ''Venom'' Steroid s who deduces Batman's secret identity and breaks his Spine , temporarily putting him in forced Retirement .

In recent years, ''Batman'' villains' back stories have included personal connections to both the Dark Knight ''and'' Bruce Wayne. Examples includes Hush , apparently one of Bruce Wayne's old friends, as well as assassin David Cain , the father and trainer of current Batgirl Cassandra Cain . Additionally, the long thought murdered second Robin, Jason Todd , recently returned as the Red Hood to put Batman to the test.


Villains introduced by the Animated Series

The Joker's unbalanced sidekick/lover, ''; the character was introduced to comics years later due to her popularity. Other characters were also created or revamped in the Animated DC Universe , with their changes carried over to other media, such as Lock-Up or Mr. Freeze, whose new origin was integrated into the comics.


ESCALATION THEORY

Several writers have noted that the first appearance of real super-villains in Gotham City was just when Batman arrived to fight crime. ", when the lawyer defending Batman says that the villains fundamentally they caused their own problems, and would be terrorizing the city with or without the Batman. The Joker, who is acting as judge, agrees with this.


COMMONALITIES

To complement Batman's lack of super powers, most of his villains are based on psychological problems rather than superhuman abilities. Disorders explored by various stories include Antisocial Personality Disorder (the Joker), Pedophilia (the Mad Hatter) and chlorophilia (Poison Ivy),

Additionally, several of Batmans villains have been portrayed as doctors of assorted fields, another suplement for their lack of powers. These include Poison Ivy (Dr. Pamela Isley, botanist), Harley Quinn (Dr. Harlene Quinzel, psychiatrist), Mr. Freeze (Dr. Victor Fries, cryogenesist), the Scarecrow (Dr. Jonathan Crane, psychologist) and Man-Bat (Dr. Dr. Kirk Langström, zoologist).


LIVE-ACTION BATMAN VILLAINS



: Jack Nicholson ('' Batman '')
: Heath Ledger ('' The Dark Knight '')


: Danny DeVito ('' Batman Returns '')


: Lee Meriwether ('' Batman '')
: Eartha Kitt ('' Batman (1960s TV Series) '')
: Michelle Pfeiffer ('' Batman Returns '')


: Tommy Lee Jones ('' Batman Forever '')
: Aaron Eckhart ('' The Dark Knight '')


: Frank Gorshin ('' Batman '')
: Jim Carrey ('' Batman Forever '')


: Otto Preminger ('' Batman (1960s TV Series) '')
: Eli Wallach ('' Batman (1960s TV Series) '')
: Arnold Schwarzenegger ('' Batman & Robin '')










: Ken Watanabe ('' Batman Begins '')






ANIMATED BATMAN MOVIE VILLAINS