Batman has some of the best villains of any superhero and some of the worst villains. The Joker made it to #2 on our list of best comic book villains, showing the popularity and ruthlessness of Batman’s arch nemesis. But hold the Batphone just one minute. Batman’s rogue gallery has its share of villains that he might not be to proud to mention when bragging to Superman. Here are the top 10 lamest and worst Batman villains of all time. So prepare yourself for the likes of Killer Moth and the “dangerous” Crazy Quilt.
10. Batzarro
1st Appearance: Superman #181 (April 2002)
Real Name: None
Superpowers: None
Abilities: Similar to Batman
Why He’s Lame: Like Bizarro (Superman’s evil doppleganger), Batzarro is a failed clone of Batman, with his symbol & utility belt upside-down. While a clone of a super-powered alien like Superman can work, a clone of Batman becomes groan-inducing lameness. At least he calls himself, “Batzarro, the world’s worst detective”. Image source.
9. Penguin
1st Appearance: Detective Comics #58 (December 1941)
Real Name: Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot
Superpowers: None
Abilities: Genius criminal intellect, deadly ‘trick’ umbrellas, underworld connections, martial arts: Judo
Why He’s Lame: He fancies himself the “gentleman of crime”, and always looks ridiculous in his tuxedos and umbrellas. While he’s had moments of brilliance in his long-standing criminal career, ultimately there are far better similar characters in comics, namely Lex Luthor (DC, Criminal genius) and Kingpin (Marvel, Crime Lord).
8. Cluemaster
1st Appearance: Detective Comics #351 (May 1966)
Real Name: Arthur Brown
Superpowers: None
Abilities: Glass capsules attached to his costume that can hold a blinding flare, smoke bombs, paralyzing gas or explosives
Why He’s Lame: He failed as a game show host, he failed as a villain by his compulsory nature to always leave clues about his crimes. Unlike the Riddler, his clues were never riddles. To his credit, his crimes paved the way for his daughter Stephanie to become the Spoiler, to foil his crimes.
7. Humpty Dumpty
1st Appearance: Detective Comics #140 (October 1948)
Real Name: Humphry Dumpler
Superpowers: None
Abilities: None
Why He’s Lame: As his namesake suggests, he’s obsessed with putting things back together again… even if he has to take them apart to begin with. He even “dismantled” his abusive grandmother in an effort to fix her when he sewed her together again.
6. Firefly
1st Appearance: Detective Comics #184 (June 1952)
Real Name: Garfield Lynns
Superpowers: None
Abilities: Flight suit, flamethrower, grenade launchers, expert in pyrotechnics
Why He’s Lame: Firefly is a professional arsonist and pyromaniac. Once the protégé of the Killer Moth, their alliance fell apart when Killer Moth realized Firefly’s madness and feared for his life. If someone as lame as the Killer Moth (see below) dumps you, what does that make you?
5. Killer Moth
1st Appearance: Batman #63 (February 1951)
Real Name: Cameron van Cleer / Drury Walker
Superpowers: Originally none, later given the proportionate abilities of a moth: flight, sharp claws, sticky cocoon mucus
Abilities: Flight suit, incapacitating cocoon gun, razor-sonar waves
Why He’s Lame: Beyond the obvious costume, he was created as the anti-Batman, to aid super villains the same way Batman aids police & civilians, except for profit. He even had his own moth mobile, a moth signal, and a steel-line to swing around the city on.
4. Calendar Man
1st Appearance: Detective Comics #259 (September 1958)
Real Name: Julian Day
Superpowers: None
Abilities: Inventor
Why He’s Lame: After looking at his costume, do you really need to know more? He’s obsessed with dates and his crimes always have some correlation with the date on which they are committed. He was even recruited by another on our list, Killer Moth, to join a rag-tag group called The Misfits.
3. Ten-Eyed Man
1st Appearance: Batman #226 (November 1970)
Real Name: Philip Reardon
Superpowers: None
Abilities: 360 degree view, superb fighter and marksman
Why He’s Lame: A blind Vietnam War Veteran who had his optic nerves reattached to his fingertips. Batman repeatedly defeated him by making him catch or touch something with his super-sensitive fingertips.
2. Kite Man
1st Appearance: Batman #133 (August 1960)
Real Name: Charles “Chuck” Brown
Superpowers: None
Abilities: Flying kite suit, kite-based weapons
Why He’s Lame: As I’m sure you guessed, he flies by way of a kite strapped to his back, and uses kite-based weapons for his crimes. And if that wasn’t bad enough, Deathstroke threw him off the top of Wayne Tower without his kite. He somehow managed to survive that, only to be eaten by Bruno “Ugly” Mannheim.
1. Crazy Quilt
1st Appearance: Boy Commandos #15 (May-June 1946)
Real Name: Unknown
Superpowers: None
Abilities: Mind-controlling helmet
Why He’s Lame: A painter and master thief loses his sight and an experimental procedure gives him the ability to see blinding colors, driving him insane. He actually hates Robin more than Batman because Robin unintentionally made him blind again.
written by Chris Alexander
97 Comments
You just displayed that you don’t understand Penguin’s character basically, he’s supposed to look the way he is to be deceiving and it adds to the character greatly. Penguin is one of Batman’s greatest foes second only to the Joker. He’s a great villain and has been a series staple for decades, not to mention how iconic he is.
Penguin should not be on this list in any way. In fact, he should probably be on the top ten of Batman villains. The “Gentlemen of Crime” is actually far popular because he in some ways represents and older mobster with a sense of class. Keep in mind that will most of these villains have fizzled out the Penguin hasn’t.
All this talk about lousy villains and no one mentioned “the Outsider?” At least someone besides me thought to point out that Eraserhead was just ludicrous. There was another villain whose name I can’t remember, but it may have been Hugo Strange. He wasn’t ridiculous so much as pointless. And let’s don’t forget the Signalman.
The Eraser and Dr. Double X should be on this list, instead of Penguin and Killer Moth.
Calendar man is in arkham asylum videogame and he’s actually cool because he’s a deranged lunatic that just keeps talking about days in the year.
This really wasn’t a great list. There are many, many crap Batman villains to choose from.
However, several of these villains are actually interesting and compelling characters.
Firefly is a genuine threat, he’s not an alien or a monster, but a guy who starts fires just to watch them burn. That’s scary and interesting in equal measure. Read ‘Knightfall’ and ‘Hush Money’ for more.
Humpty is also an interesting and unique character. He’s not evil, nor is he malevolent in any way. In fact he’s genteel, clumsy and rather charming. Its just that his obsessions can be lethal for those around him. His appearance in ‘Arkham Asylum: Living Hell’ showed his pathos and the brief part he plays in ‘Leviathan’ is genuinely heartbreaking.
Anyone who writes off Calendar Man clearly hasn’t read ‘The Long Halloween’ or its sequel ‘Dark Victory’ because he’s both creepy and effective in those stories.
And Penguin is an iconic character who has been selling books since the 1940’s. He’s actually a part of the American pop culture landscape. That hardly makes him lame. There are many, many great Penguin stories to choose from.
The truth is that a lot of these villains were created in the 50’s and 60’s, an era where comics were heavily censored and forced to rely on gimmicky villains and silly stories.
There was once a Woman who turned into an Orca for goodness’ sake. Start there.
Don’t think the Penguin deserves to be on this list. He’s been around a long time. There are much lamer ones. I personally can’t stand the Ventriloquist.
Firefly, Penguin, and Calendar Man are all excellent.
I can think of at least 10 other villains who should be on this list way before Humpty Dumpty, Firefly, & the Penguin. For one thing, the Penguin is iconic, & Firefly is awesome. >>
I agree with “JACK”. The Penguin DOES NOT belong on this list. I personally rate him #3 of MY favorite Batman villians. My favorite 5 villians are 1) JOKER, 2) CATWOMAN, 3) PENGUIN, 4) RIDDLER and 5) MR. FREEZE. Call me old-fashioned, but I have loved these characters since my childhood (the 1960’s) and yes, I liked the “Tim Burton / Joel Schumacher” films as much as the Nolan films (THE DARK KNIGHT being my favorite to date). So, I strongly DISAGREE with this list!!!
Penguin does not belong in a Worst list for Batman villains.
Y’know…it’s funny , in the Penguin diss , Lex Luthor & Kingpin are mentioned…do the math.. Penguin was first! ( If nothing else ,they are knock-offs of him! Especially given that Lex Luthor EVENTUALLY became all GQ . )
But seriously… no Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum? Alley Babble? Raven? Queen of Hearts? The Ventriloquist? Catman?
There’s a ton of 80’s-00’s villains that top out the lame-o-meter. ( The idiot in the Killer Whale costume comes to mind! )
The Penguin is not the greatest Bat-Villain but in the Valley of the Lame , he’s far from it.
How can you have a top ten list of lamest Batman villians and not include Cavalier?
And the Penguin is on the list? The only thing lame here is the author who came up with this list!
You think the penguin is lame? Hah, play Arkham City, he’s one of the baddest villains considering Arkham City is canon to the Batman series (it’s a comic too). He was remastered with an end of a glass bottle stabbed in his eye, being confused a monocle and a coat and suit that defeined bad ass. Penguin is a manipulative villain, he was made to be underestimated, Batman would never take the Penguin likely! And the Riddle is not lame and neither is mr. freeze! The riddler is a complete narcissistic villain who always tries to prove that he’s smarter or better than Batman by leaving clues of riddles at his crime scenes. And Mr.Freeze is driven by love and hatred that a lot of readers can sympathize and understand, the guy was cut from his research in order to cure his wife, got trashed and nearly killed in the process, and was turned into a frozen freak that no one wanted, only to be pushed to his wife who was suffering and couldn’t help. He’s the very definition of loneliness, only to resort to crime because he had to cure his wife. That’s true love! And Catwomen is not lame, she is darn sexy (especially in Batman Arkham City) and sometimes an ally to the Batman. Catwomen is the only sane villain in Batman!
His appearance in the animated series was awsome, he could predict everything batman coudl do casually.
Firefly is just awsome. A flamethrower and a sweet suit…. Not lame.
Penguin: A classy, if somewhat underated, villain. No idea why he is here.
Ventriloquist: Some versions of this guy were just awsome. And seeing a deranged insane man talking through a 50’s style gangster is epic.
I agree with the majority of this list. A few things though..
Clock King
Firefly
Penguin
Ventriloquist
These four have been brought up as lame.. I love Clock King (Except when he weres that stupid clock helmet).
Great list, with one major flaw.
Penguin, if written correctly, is one of Batman’s greatest villains. Easily in the top ten, and mostly likely in the top five.
This article is just plain wrong. Duck is right
No one’s defended Humpty Dumpty yet?
Arkham Asylum: Living Hell.
penguin is a total dusch, you cant be intimidating with the name penguin.
His name is not worse than “Joker”, Riddler, etc. Also he is not supposed to be intimidating, he is supposed to be a crime lord.
I LOVE CRAZY QUILT!!
Crazy quilt and a mind controlling helmet hahaha very poor indeed!
I like this list, except for a few things: Mainly the Penguin. He’s a little goofy, but he’s actually a hell of a villain, and poses a real threat to batman on a regular basis. Besides, when you look at The Mad Hatter, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, just about any incarnation of the Royal Flush Gang, all of them are far more annoying and lame than the Penguin. Firefly…. he’s got a flamethrower, but, he’s still kinda lame. Sorry, he is. And there’s always Owlman. I mean, seriously, why does anyone think evil versions of superheroes are cool? Owlman’s a friggin loser!
Why are Firefly and Penguin there?
Firefly is Awesome, Penguin is kinda silly but he’s okey
You kidding? Penguin's got a LOT more cred than guys like the Riddler. The Riddler was nothing more than a re-tooled Cluemaster who became more iconic despite bringing less to the table. For one thing, the Riddler had a compulsion to leave clues at the scene of the crime and couldn't really stop even when he tried. Then you have the fact that he got beaten up by a woman and honestly has never been able to hold his own. And, oh right, the guy almost NEVER uses any real weapons.
What about the Ventriloquist? Certainly he was hokey enough. Then you have the eternal joke that is Maxie Zeus, hated alike by fans and writers. King Tut is another classic, but he's too easy to pick on. Guess the same goes for The Lilac. All of these are FAR less impressive than Firefly, who actually has some bad-ass equipment and, unlike the Riddler, can actually pose a physical threat to Batman.
Cluemaster is lame. He lacks the sheer intellectual integrity of The Riddler.
Riddler came before Cluemaster.
Kso , I think Firefly is too good to be on this list . Hes pree badass.
WHAT
Penguin is the coolest villain of all time.
OF ALL TIME.
Clock King?
Maxie Zeus?
Penny Plunderer?
Mad Hatter?
Tweedledee and Tweedledum?
At least one of them should replace Firefly. The guy has a friggin' flamethrower!
Oh yeah, and Firefly is not lame. Read the first part of Knightfall, and you'll see what I mean.
As for Penguin, I always though he was lame, but I'm willing to change my opinion of him given a comic I've read of him.
And even so, I might put Penguin high on top 50 lamest Batman villians list, but why not someone like Batmite in his place. Just seeing his commentaries in Dark Knight Strikes Again made me want to drop kick him. (And don't read DKSA, not half as good as Dark Knight Returns)
Penguin is not lame. He is one of Batman’s mosz dangerous adversaries.
Maxie Zeus in original form is lame, but read Grant Morrison's Arkham Asylum- A Serious House on Serious Earth.
Like Calender Man in Long Halloween(who gets a Hannibal Lector type upgrade) Morrison's portrayel of Maxie Zeus is that of a man suffering delusions of grandeur addicted to electro-therapy. Between that and Dave McKean's unique, but beautiful artwork, I'd have to say that Maxie Zeus creeped me the hell out.
I'd replace Firefly with Maxie Zeus
penguin is a total dusch, you cant be intimidating with the name penguin. The only thing bad about the list is that fireflys is on it. He's cool
So I guess Tony "the Ant" Spilotro wasn't a badass or intimidating because his nickname was "the Ant." You know, the guy who Joe Pesci's character from CASINO was based on.
Besides the whole point of the Penguin is that he doesn't APPEAR dangerous but is. You need to understand subtlety and subtext to appreciate the Penguin.
DUDE! Penguin is not a lame villain. Where’s Clock King? Egghead? King Tut? Maxie Zeus? There’s so many to choose from!
penguin is a total duesch. you cant be bad ass with the name penguin. The only thing bad about the list is firefly, he's cool.
Wrong. Penguin is supposef to not look intimidating. People didn’t take him serious. That was his motivation to become Gotham’s greatest crimelord. He is a serious threat to Batman.
I agree that most of these characters would have to be rewritten to be threatening. Bruce Timm made wonders with the Clock King, Catman, Maxie Zeus and Calendar Girl. There are no bad characters, only poor writers and uncreative people.
But with the Penguin it's completely different. Whoever criticizes the character has to watch Birds of a Feather, Blind as A Bat, Batman Returns a bunch of Burgess Meredith episodes and specially, Joker's Asylum: The Penguin to understand the character. Firstly, yes, he's lame, as lame as it gets. So is Dick Chaney, it doesn't mean he's not a threat to the world. Think Eric Cartman, a fat, self-centered, egocentric, egotistic, greedy, lamo with a great deal of charisma manipulating everybody for the most shallow reasons. His manipulating skills give him an edge over feared public enemies like the Joker or the Scarecrow. In his best stories, he's a cunning, hyperactive, obsessive, neurotic and revengeful genius, that keeps going against his enemies until they are destroyed. Him being also short fat and ugly is just poetry at work.
The Penguin is similar to Scar-face, Rupert Thorne, Lex Luthor, the Kingpin, Tobias Whale and Black Mask, only more volatile, obsessive and insisting.
I agree that whenever he's written as phlegmatic the character loses his edge.
Julian Day got revamped, turned out pretty cool, read long halloween sometime.
is the only reason firefly is on here is because the killer moth dumped him? HE IS AWESOME!!!!!! and by the way don't make lists about lamest or worst or else you are gonna get a lot of no speakers so use words like weirdest batman villains and once again WHY IS FIRE FLY HERE!!!!!!!!!
HOW DARE YOU!!! How dare you put me the mighty PENGUIN on the list with BATZARRO!!! i beat the tar outta the jonas brothers and for the record the suits get me chicks, THATS why i wear em! Just because the BatFREAK wears a mask dosent mean his enemys should
the penguin!!! come on he beat the crap out of spiderman, and the jonas brothers! if we want to move to a brighter tomarrow we need vilians who arnt just freaks with some stupid power
Yeh your missing clock. But other than that this is a very cool collection. There are some great trivia about villains and super heroes at http://www.answerblip.com/faqabout/superheroes-an… that I found
Agreed that Batman has had his share of the lamest villains. This is a great collection.
I think that the only reason Penny Plunderer wasn’t on this list was because originally, it was from fighting him that Batman got the iconic giant penny in the Batcave.
Of course, they’ve retconned that to having come from a fight with Two-Face, so it’s kinda rendered moot.
And honestly, my mind boggles at why the hell Mad Hatter isn’t on here.
Penguin and Firefly should not be on this list
"Penguin Triumphant" is a great little graphic novel from 1992 that should make an instant Penguin fan out of anyone. Until I read it, I didn't really "get" the character either (not that I'd tried all that hard).
Exact quote from Bruce/Batman: "EVERYONE seems to consistently underestimate the Penguin — myself included. In point of fact, Cobblepot is ruthless, vindictive, calculating, inventive — and perhaps the most BRILLIANT man I've ever fought.
"He's smarter than I am."
. . . and this isn't a young Batman, either: Tim Drake is by his side as Robin, and Bruce is even drawn with a touch of gray in his hair. I thought it was pretty refreshing to see the Penguin portrayed not as an object of pity or comedic relief, but as a truly despicable but brilliant criminal, hatching schemes within schemes. John Ostrander's writing was definitely the best part of this one. (The pencilling has a lot going for it, but the inking and coloring pretty much sucks.)
Definitely recommended if you're feeling open-minded about the Penguin.
No way does he belong in the top ten of lameness, but I understand the desire to put SOME character on the list that's recognizable to most of the casual fans and the mainstream.
I bet calender man never could get a date. And this list is pretty lame, but there are some that really deserve to be here too. And I think Batzarro is deliberately lame. Besides, didn't he die?
Harlly Quin is lame
Wooooahhhhhhh, hold on. That’s dangerous waters my friend. Harley is one of the best female villains of all time, and shes just a sidekick! The twisted obsessed love she has for the Joker even though his feelings for her are hot and cold at best show her level of insanity. She is fast, strong, and has a complete lack of morals. Harley is the best!
the thing with modern penguin he isn't like the rest of the villains he runs a 'legitimate' business and is a source of info
I think that Mr Freeze, in all his incarnations, is a totally lame baddie.
At least in the Batman TV show, he was played variously by George Sanders, Otto Preminger, and Eli Wallach. Even those fine actors couldn't raise Mr Freeze from his lameness.
In Batman and Robin, Arnold Schwarzenegger played Mr F, and botched it nearly as badly as he has with California.
Speaking of Batman and Robin, we were "treated" to a free showing after the movie we came to see ended. Even for free, we couldn't abide wasting another moment of our lives on such lame fare, and we left mid-movie.
While I commend you for your Penguin defense, Thomas, I'm not sure if if putting the Penguin in updated clothes would help. I think there's something to the fact that he still wears tuxedos. Not just because it still keeps him having the look of a penguin, but it also speaks to his stubbornness to change himself. I mean, if he wanted to he could get liposuction and a nose job and no longer resemble a penguin too much physically.
I always liked that about him.
By the way, how in the word did the Penny Plunderer avoid this list?
Thanks for the compliments Baggabeetz and TopTenz Master.
Good point, Baggabeetz, about Penguin supposed to be underestimated. In fact, that was something I forgot to mention on my list of arguments in support of the Penguin. There is a reason the umbrella was chosen as his weapon. It also serves as a metaphor for the Penguin's character and nature. Like his umbrellas, the Penguin appears as something completely harmless and even mundane, but also like his umbrellas it actually conceals something very deadly that people completely underestimate.
If I can offer a suggestion to help make the Penguin relevant again, it would for him to lose the top hat and tuxedo. When he originally appeared that was the clothes of choice for a sophisticated gentleman going out on the town, but not anymore. He should be dressed in sartorial splendor by today's standards, wearing Armani and Brioni suits, with Seville Row shirts and an expensive Burberry coats, and replacing his cigarette holder for expensive cigars. I mean if Lex Luthor can get a makeover and not have to wear the lab coat or the grey smock he wore when he first appeared, why does the Penguin have to so fashionably out of date?
Good work, Thomas. I envy your attention to detail, sir!
One thing that bugs me about most contemporary writers' take on the Penguin is that he serves little purpose other than to be bullied around by Batman. As someone that was kicked around when he was a child because of a disability, it saddens me to see a heroic character like Batman satiating his readers' desire to bully the fat and/or rich kid on the playground.
Too often, fans forget that the Penguin's shtick is that you're SUPPOSED to underestimate him. You're SUPPOSED to be so underwhelmed by his clownish mannerisms that you never see it coming when he manages to emerge triumphant. Any comic writer that fails to use the Penguin correctly simply because "he looks goofy" would be among the first to fall for the Penguin's ruse. And, let's not forget that DeVito's characterization is often criticized for being too scary, so it's not like the Penguin's completely incapable of being frightening.
I would also argue that Firefly CAN be interesting, depending on the writer. Firefly's biggest hindrance is that fire-themed villains are a dime a dozen, but you have to admit that his obsessive pyromania makes him a worthy Arkhamite. I suggest Detective Comics #689 for anyone looking for an interesting take on Firefly.
Thomas, you have defended the Penguin as well as anyone could. Excellent work. If it makes you feel any better, I personally think the Joker is kind of lame. 😉
Now even the Joker? He is without any doubt Batmans foe Nr.1.
I will have to disagree with Penguin on the list. While the way he is written and depicted in the modern era might be lame, you can't say he was always lame. In fact I will go on the record and say before 1970, the Penguin was a cooler villain then Joker. Yep, that is right, cooler. Let me count the ways:
1) Penguin was the first villain to actually escape from Batman and out smart him. Joker got busted by Batman in his first appearance, not Penguin. Actually a running theme in all of Penguin's first stories was that he somehow managed to escape.
2) He was not nearly as cheesy as Joker was in the late 40's through the 60's. Sure he used trick umbrellas, but Joker was doing just as corny things, like having his own utility belt or trying to have a contest with Clay-Face.
3) While Joker was allowed to be updated and modernized, for some reason the Penguin has been forced to stay in same old character-mold when Burgess Meredith did him. That would be like letting the Caesar Romero interpretation of the Joker be the definitive one.
4) Sure he has a funny name and appearance, but who says criminal masterminds have to be scary looking? I mean, look at the history of the mob in the U.S and you'll see that most crime bosses had funny nicknames and were not that intimidating looking. Crossed them, however, and you'd be wearing concrete shoes at the bottom of Gotham Bay.
5) And finally, look at the fake 1940's Orson Welles' Batman trailer on youtube. How can you say he doesn't work as a Batman foe after looking at Edward G. Robinson's "version" of him.
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I pity the woman who ended up marrying the Crazy Quilt.
That implies anyone could love him unironically
"I laughed pretty hard at “Crazy Quilt”…wow. And this was back BEFORE writers had run out of ideas."
It's not possible to be so low on ideas that the crazy quilt is the only thing you can think of.
haha! Funny list, and I love the comments of people trying to defend the villains. I laughed pretty hard at "Crazy Quilt"…wow. And this was back BEFORE writers had run out of ideas. Ouch.
I agree on Penguin as well…I've always hated him, including the Tim Burton version (one of movies lamest death scenes as well).
Penguin is not lame. He is one of Batman’s most dangerous foes.
The Penguin is not lame!Nor firefly.
Where are:
1 – The Calculator
2 – The Eraser
????????????????????????
One word: Batmite
cKHAVIKk, so you're a Batzarro fan are you? People like you probably don't deserve to be reading the comic in the first place. Any comic with Batzarro shouldn't even be considered cannon.
crazy quilt is awsome
lol I love him for his ridiculousness. Killer Moth too.
Hey,Killer Moth,Firefly, and The Penguin are some of my favorite villains in Batman.And Clluemaster is The Spoiler's father.Take those off this list!
firefly is awesome
because he uses fire
You forgot to add The Riddler, Catwoman, and Man-Bat to this list…
Oh what the hell… go ahead and take Batzarro off because your opinion of him is wrong.
Some of the ones mentioned above, plus some others (ORCA!) were involved in a multi-part arc story in the full cast audio drama BATMAN: THE ACE OF DETECTIVES from Pendant Audio. http://www.pendantaudio.com/batman.php. Episodes 16 through 27. The Villain War!
Joker’s Asylum: The Penguin by Jason Aaron is a testament to Aaron, not the character. I agree that’s a superb story, but a great writer can make a great story about any character. Most of the time the Penguin is written pretty poorly.
And BTW, save your money, don’t buy the other Joker’s Asylum comics, the others are junk!
That writers don’t write the Penguin the way he was supposed to be doesn’t make the character lame but the writer.
I dunno, read Joker’s Asylum: The Penguin by Jason Aaron, and you’ll see he’s a pretty great character.
Very funny! And I totally agree that Penguin is lame.
I disagree, I don't think 'The Penguin' is lame. I don't think he is that strong either. He does have somethings though that make him a interesting villian.
I'm not saying that the Penguin ISN'T useless. I'm just saying that maybe a few more villains are moreso.
And in defense of his umbrella, it's a pretty great concealed weapon… unless you're well-known for, y'know, VILLAINY or something like that.
Oh, wait.
I have to say that it's an insult to Penguin fans around the globe to see him included in a list with the likes of Batzarro. Not every Batman villain has to be some lunatic who was disfigured by chemicals at some point in his life. Not every villain has to go around committing crimes due to some random psychotic obsession. It was refreshing to see a character who finally broke away from this pattern. The Penguin had the ability to make Batman act like this: http://video.aol.com/video-detail/batman-on-drugs…
I'm with you on this one, 'The Penguin' should not even be listed here. I wish there was more to know about Batzarro. Who the hell is he?
for BatZarro : See ? you dont even know anything / heard about him.. That's why he's useless… Nobody know him… ^_^ (Neither do I, who the hell is he?)
I completely agree how could one of Batman's Top 4 Arch Villains be considered one of the worst, what about Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum those two are just awful; come on there are worse villains than Penguin
Thanks, Anthony. I already had visited that site earlier and made a comment. Great top 10 list.
No, this is an alternative lifestyle. Lols.
Sweet list. I like that you have the balls to include Penguin. Eff Tim Burton.
I'm just wondering about your mention of Ten-Eyed Man. Wouldn't the ability to see 360 degrees be considered a superpower?
Apparently adding the Penguin has ruffled some feathers (sorry, I couldn't resist), but I hold to the fact he is a lame character. He is only #9, so he isn't the most lame Batman villain.
C'mon, his weapon is an umbrella. An umbrella, people! And he smokes a filtered cigarette. And he wears a tuxedo all the time. He borders on choosing an alternative lifestyle, if you know what I mean.
"Not that there is anything wrong with that."
The Penguin isn’t lame to begin with. He’s not a criminal mastermind but he’s not lame either.
I agree with you Jeff! Penguin is my #2 favorite Batman villian. I have four favorites (1. Joker, 2. Penguin, 3. Catwoman & 4. Riddler). If done right, with a good story-connection with the mob, they could have added him to the final Nolan Batman film!! I guess we will have to wait until they “reboot” the series again to see him on the big screen (sigh!!).
This was a pretty funny list, thought I would vote to replace Penguin with someone like the Allergist or Clock King myself. Maybe you should make a list of "Batman villains who were lame enough to die on their first mission."
Where is Clock King? He is certainly more useless than the Penguin. Granted, he was originally a Green Arrow villain, but he has made appearances in Batman's non-comic book media.
Clock King actually had one of the most successful reboots of any villain by the Animated Series. He’s a great addition to the rogues’ gallery now.
How about the Eraser? An old boyhood chum of Bruce Wayne, Jim Fiasco (nice name!), gets envious of Wayne, goes nuts and starts wearing a helmet shaped like the eraser end of a pencil. How lame is that?