Vicki Vale

As requested by a commenter a while back but I've been slow to get to, Vicki Vale is a recurring love interested from Silver Age Batman stories (which mostly read like the Adam West TV series, with some wacky science fiction mixed in). A reporter for the Gotham Gazette, Vale has a lot in common with Superman's Lois Lane. While dating Bruce Wayne and reporting on the activity of Batman, she often has suspicions that the two are one and the same, but by the end of the issue Batman has managed to fool her into thinking her theory can't be true.

Vicki Vale basically disappeared from the comics in the mid-1960s. However, in the 1989 Batman movie with Michael Keaton, Vicki Vale was written in as Batman/Bruce's main love interest, played by Kim Basinger. This resulted in a brief return to the comics, now as a TV talk show host.

She also appeared recently in Frank Miller and Jim Lee's All-Star Batman & Robin, The Boy Wonder (pictured above) as a reporter, though the appearance was somewhat controversial since she spent the bulk of her time on the page in her underwear.

Pros: It's never a bad idea to put a gorgeous redhead in a movie (there's a story -- I don't know if it's true -- that the original Vicki Vale was drawn with a then-unknown Marilyn Monroe in mind, which you can read about here). And as with every other female character I've mentioned, Batman will probably need a love interest of some sort for the next movie.

Cons: Most people associate Vicki Vale with the Tim Burton/Michael Keaton Batman movie, and the Christopher Nolan/Christian Bale movies seem to intentionally distance themselves from that franchise.

How I'd do it: We left off in The Dark Knight with Batman as public enemy #1, so in addition to the cops going after the Bat, the local media would be hot on his trail. Enter Vicki Vale, tough young reporter looking to make her name by breaking the Batman story wide open. She seems to be making more progress than anyone else, so to keep a closer eye on her, Bruce Wayne asks her out. Still heartbroken over the loss of Rachel Dawes, he thinks he won't get emotionally involved, but of course he does.

Casting Guesses: It'd be from the same pool of actresses as Poison Ivy. But while I'd insist on Christina Hendricks for Miss Isley, I think Amy Adams is the best choice for Vicki Vale.

Verdict: I think the connection to the earlier Batman movie makes Vicki Vale somewhat unlikely, but she's a decent enough character who doesn't need any tweaking to fit this universe.

Sasha Bordeaux

After an incident with Dr. Hugo Strange, Lucius Fox, who in the comics has no idea that Bruce Wayne is Batman, decides that Bruce Wayne needs protection. For obvious reasons, Bruce doesn't feel he needs it, but Lucius insists. So Sasha Bordeaux is hired to become Bruce's 24-hour bodyguard.

This makes things a little tricky, since the times Bruce wants to sneak out to become Batman are the exact times Sasha wants to stick closest to him. After a number of incidents where he disappears in the middle of the night, Sasha becomes suspicious and eventually does discover his identity. Because of some kind of bodyguard code, she keeps his identity secret, but insists that she must extend her protection duties to his time as Batman. So Bruce puts her through grueling training to get her in shape to take on the dangers he faces, and she starts accompanying him as a sidekick of sorts.

It's at this point that the Bruce Wayne - Murderer? story kicks off. Batman and Sasha return to Wayne Manor after a night of crimefighting to find the body of Vesper Fairchild, Bruce's ex-girlfriend. Their only alibi is Bruce's identity as Batman, but both refuse to say anything. Lacking any other explanation, Bruce and Sasha are arrested. Sasha appears to be killed in prison, but her death was faked as part of her recruitment into the secret government organization Checkmate.

Pros: She's a strong woman who can hold her own with Batman. Her role as Bruce's bodyguard made for some fun situations where Bruce had to improvise ways to change into his costume, or stop a villain without becoming Batman.

Cons: There would have to be a whole new introduction scenario, since the movie version of Lucius knows Bruce's identity. And even though Sasha was a pretty good character, she was mostly introduced, I think, to set up the Vesper Fairchild murder story.

How I'd do it: Instead of Lucius Fox doing it, have the FBI show up and send Agent Sasha Bordeaux to provide round the clock protection for Bruce.

Casting Guesses: Jessica Biel always look like she could kick my ass without breaking a sweat, which seems bodyguard-like.

Verdict: It's highly unlikely. Sasha's a relatively recent, relatively minor character, who's probably more associated with Checkmate than with Batman. But you never know, I guess if there's a story that works with a bodyguard, she'd work well.

Harold Allnut

Harold Allnut is a mute hunchback with a gift for building and repairing electronics, machines, and computers. He was never an incredibly important part of Batman's life or anything, but he had some nice moments along the way.

In his introduction to Batman's world, the Penguin discovered Harold's talent for technology, and forced him to build devices to aid in the Penguin's schemes. After taking care of the Penguin, Batman recognized Harold's genuis, and recruited him to work on Bat-gadgets. Harold took up residence in the Bat-Cave for many years, repairing and building all kinds of things. Though he basically never left the cave, he seemed happy to have a purpose in life.

In No Man's Land, a terrible earthquake destroys most of Gotham, and since Batman would not be using the cave for some time, Harold went out into Gotham for the first time in years. He was shocked to find the city falling apart, and went to work on anything in sight that needed fixing.

Later, in the Hush storyline, Hush repairs Harold's spine and his voice and Hush forces him to betray Batman. Harold confesses to Batman, but before he can reveal Hush's identity, Hush kills him. Until that point, no one knew Harold's last name, so Batman had to research his life to give him a proper headstone at his grave.

Pros: Although Wayne Enterprises supplies all of Batman's equipment in the movies, someone would have to do maintenance on the Batmobile, and I can't imagine Bruce just bringing it back for repairs. Having Harold around would at least explain how the repairs happen.

Cons: Harold's unexplained ability to work with technology doesn't make a whole lot of sense, and only works in comic books because those kinds of things always happen in comics. Also, I'm not sure if it's politically correct or whatever to have a mute hunchback servant guy.

How I'd do it: Have a guy named Harold who's an excellent mechanic blackmailed into working for a villain, Batman rescues him, and sets him up with a secret garage where he'll bring the Batmobile (or pod or whatever else) for repairs. I don't think he needs to be in the cave, know Batman's identity, be a mute with a spinal deformity, or any of that.

Casting Guesses: It could literally be anyone, so I'll say Luis Guzman, since he's great
at everything.

Verdict: The Batmobile didn't make it out of the Dark Knight in one piece, so it's possible there could be a Harold-type character.

Ace the Bat-Hound

As his name would suggest, Ace the Bat-Hound is Batman's dog. Well technically Ace is Bruce Wayne's dog, and the Bat-Hound is Batman's dog, but you get the idea.

Originally, Ace belonged to an engraver who was kidnapped by criminals hoping to use his skills for counterfeiting, and Batman used Ace's nose to help track his owner down. When the engraver was rescued, he took a new job which left him no time to care for Ace, and Bruce Wayne offered to adopt the dog. To keep Ace's distinguishing marks hidden when palling around with Batman, he gave Ace a Batman-style hood.

In modern comics, Ace has basically disappeared, since he's considered to be too campy for current readers.

Pros: A dog in a Batman mask is pretty awesome, in a Chris Sims sort of way.

Cons: A dog in a Batman mask is pretty silly, too. And I think that would earn protests from PETA.

How I'd do it: Give Bruce a dog, call him Ace. No mask.

Casting Guesses: Ace was a German Shepherd (and I'm pretty sure a ripoff of Ace the Wonder Dog), so... some German Shepherd.

Verdict: Possible, if it's just Ace the dog, but no chance for Ace the Bat-Hound.

Jason Bard

As the world's greatest detective, Batman doesn't always show much respect for other detectives. Although he occasionally consults with other detectives like The Elongated Man or Bobo the Detective Chimp, Jason Bard is the only detective I can think of that Batman has ever actually hired.

A former Gotham City cop who was wounded in the line of duty by Killer Moth. He quit the force and opened up his own business as a private investigator. Around the same time, he started dating his former boss's daughter, Barbara Gordon. They were pretty serious, but after Barbara was attacked by the Joker, she left him. He reappeared years later when Barbara was running the Birds of Prey, and he was actually temporarily blinded in an accident while helping out her team, but he wasn't able to rekindle his relationship with Barbara.

His relationship with Batman would begin after all this, when Batman was concerned that Harvey Dent, who had been reformed, had lost his way. Having been absent from Gotham, there wasn't enough time for Batman to chase all his leads, so he hired Jason to investigate the disappearance of Orca.


Pros: The movies have played up the physical and psychological aspects of Batman, but haven't paid much attention to his skills as a detective. Including Jason Bard in the third movie would certainly push the story in that direction.

Cons: Jason would take the focus away from Batman and whoever the central villain of the movie might be. Plus, it really wouldn't sell Batman's detective skills very well if the first time he really needed them in a movie, he had to hire someone else to assist.

How I'd do it: Nothing too fancy, just have something that needs investigating during daylight hours, maybe have a scene where Bruce Wayne tries to look into it, but he's too recognizable out of costume to accomplish anything, so he hires Bard.

Casting Guesses: James Marsden. He looks sorta like Jason Bard, and has the right personality too.

Verdict: I doubt it. But if there is a private eye somewhere in Batman 3, they might just name him Jason Bard to pander to fans, but I can't imagine much time spent on a Jason Bard character.

Dr. Leslie Thompkins

Skipping back to good guys for a bit, since I'm still running out of villains, let's talk Dr. Leslie Thompkins. Just as Alfred Pennyworth has been a father figure to Bruce Wayne, Leslie has traditionally been like a mother to Bruce. A friend and colleague of Dr. Thomas Wayne, she took an active role in helping to raise Bruce after his parents' murder. In some versions of the Batman origin story, Leslie is among the first to arrive at the scene of the murder.

Leslie eventually learns that Bruce has become Batman to fight crime in Gotham, but unlike Alfred, she does not approve. As a pacifist, she believes that Batman's vigilantism will only lead to more violence. Though she tolerates him and occasionally provides medical help, she takes every opportunity to try to talk him into hanging up the cape and cowl. Her most radical attempt was during War Games, when Black Mask tortured Spoiler nearly to death, Batman brought her to Leslie. Leslie allowed her to die, hoping her death would convince him to end his crusade against crime. Much later, it was revealed that she had only faked Spoiler's death, and that Batman had suspected as much, but their relationship seems to still be strained.

Pros: Although a few people have learned that Bruce is Batman, everyone seems to agree with his way of thinking. It would be nice to see someone challenge his reasoning and really try to convince him to stop.

Cons: She's a relatively late (1976) addition to the Batman mythology and it might not work to cram her back into the origin story with new flashbacks. Alfred seems to work fine as a single parent figure, so there's no real need for a "mother."

How I'd do it: I suppose you could skip any flashbacks, and just have Batman injured. Unable to summon the Batmobile and too wounded to make it back to the cave (or the basement thing, if he still hasn't moved back to Wayne Manor), he realizes he's near a free clinic run by an old friend. He stumbles into Leslie's office, she's briefly startled but he takes off his mask, and naturally she tends to his injuries, but when he wakes up the next day she scolds him for being reckless and ignoring everything she'd ever taught him about violence. That's basically how half of Leslie Thompkins' appearances in the comics have gone, but it's a formula that works, I think.

Casting Guesses: Diana Muldaur (Dr. Pulaski from Star Trek: The Next Generation) voiced Dr. Thompkins in the Batman animated series from the 1990s, and did a fine job, but it looks like she may have retired from acting. Most of these types of parts go to Judi Dench or Hellen Mirren, but I'd like to think there's someone else perfectly capable of it. Ellen Burstyn maybe?

Verdict: A definite possiblity. Considerably more likely that any of the Robins, at least.

The Reaper

The Reaper was the main villain in Batman: Year Two by Mike W. Barr and several artists. Gotham City's original costumed vigilante, predating Batman by many years, Judson Caspian took up crime fighting when his wife was murdered in a robbery. Unlike Batman, he took a more violent approach, often using lethal force.

In Year Two, one of my least favorite Batman stories ever (though some people do think highly of it), Bruce Wayne falls in love with Caspian's daughter while Batman tries to stop the Reaper, who's returned to the streets after a long absence. Inexplicably, Batman teams up with Joe Chill, the guy who killed Thomas and Martha Wayne, to stop the Reaper, and Batman even carries a gun for a decent portion of the series. So... not my favorite.

But as much as I didn't like the story, the Reaper wasn't a terrible character. And the folks behind the Batman animated series thought so as well, using parts of the Reaper character for their Mask of the Phantasm direct to video movie.

Pros: The introduction of the Reaper's daughter is an easy to way to bring in a love interest. The violent, Punisher-style vigilante forces Batman to examine the rationale of his non-lethal methods. Isn't there a point where you realize someone just won't be rehabilitated and you're just better off killing them? Or is the chance that you're wrong worth risking all those lives the villain will probably take in the future? Decent questions to center a movie around.

Cons: The scythes and the skull helmet and everything are kind of cool in a comic book way, but I think they'd look pretty silly on screen.

How I'd do it: Skip the Joe Chill element, and just have an old school vigilante come back to town, and have his daughter come as well.

Casting Guesses: An older guy, but still tough. Sam Shepard?

Verdict: It could happen. I'd prefer it didn't, because it would make me want to read Year Two again, which I would rather not do.

Oracle

The events of The Killing Joke left former Batgirl Barbara Gordon paralyzed, her time as a crime fighter seemingly over. But she turned her passion for justice and knowledge from her day job as a librarian into a gig helping out Batman, the Justice League, and eventually her own team, the Birds of Prey.

Hacker, researcher, and coordinator of group efforts, she provides research, intelligence, and status updates to superheroes by monitoring internet, phone, and radio traffic, hacking into various government and corporate databases, and having a small army of informants.

Pros: She's a tough lady, and is a rare comic book character who overcomes a disability and lives with it, rather than getting some kind of magical or superscience cure.

Cons: People would want to see her as Batgirl first. And if she's going to be Jim Gordon's daughter, at least 15 years would have to have elapsed from The Dark Knight, since Jim's daughter was just a little girl. Also, movie hackers rarely work as more than comic relief. As a computer nerd myself, that's always bothered me, but in a medium that relies on things like movement, someone sitting in front of a computer isn't very dynamic.

How I'd do it: If for some reason the plot of Batman 3 called for someone to break into a super secret computer or something, I'd just skip the Barbara Gordon part, and have a mysterious hacker using the name Oracle contact Batman (possibly through Lucius Fox, having connected Batman's equipment to Wayne Enterprises) and offer her assistance.

Casting Guesses: Bryce Dallas Howard. Technically she was already portrayed by Dina Meyer on the terrible WB TV series Birds of Prey, but I'd like to see what an actual decent actor could do with the part.

Verdict: Probably won't happen. But I won't say there's no chance, because dropping the Oracle name could count, even though it's little more than an easter egg for fans.

Nyssa Raatko

First appearing in Death and the Maidens, Nyssa Raatko is the daughter of Ra's al-Ghul and half sister of Talia. Born in 18th century Russia, Nyssa did not know her father as a child, but her mother told her stories of Ra's. Eventually, Nyssa set out to track her father down. When she eventually managed to find him, Ra's was so impressed with her that he gave her access to a Lazarus Pit to extend her life, hoping she would have a son who could be his heir. Learning alchemy from Ra's, she was able to reuse the pit.

However, during World War Two, Nyssa ended up in a concentration camp, where medical experiments left her infertile. She begged for Ra's to free her, but he abandoned her. Obviously angry, Nyssa hatches a plan to drive Talia insane through repeated deaths and resurrections by the Lazarus Pit, then assassinate both Superman and Ra's al-Ghul.

Pros: Ties back into the first movie. Gives a feminine presence without introducing a love interest, which might be an interesting way to go about things.

Cons: Her story relies heavily on Lazarus Pits, which the movie version of Ra's al-Ghul skipped entirely. Talia is the more popular al-Ghul daughter.

How I'd do it: If I was including Nyssa, I'd have Talia as well. Have Talia leading the League of Shadows, coming back to Gotham for revenge, while Nyssa is determined to take the League of Shadows (and her sister) down.

Casting Guesses: Depends on who you pick for Talia, since they'll have to look somewhat alike. Going by the comic, she sorta looks like Megan Fox (kinda nsfw-ish) a little. Or maybe not that much, but it gave me an excuse to hunt down those pictures.

Verdict: I guess there's an outside chance for a cameo type appearance if Talia's the main villain, but I wouldn't count on seeing her at all.

Deacon Blackfire

In 1988's The Cult, Gotham City's homeless population is disappearing. Batman investigates, and ends up finding an underground army of Gotham's poor and downtrodden, lead by Deacon Blackfire, a charismatic cult leader. Drugged and tortured, Batman is eventually brainwashed into becoming one of Blackfire's followers, even to the point of committing murder while under Deacon Blackfire's spell. Blackfire and his cult take over Gotham, hoping to purge the city of crime by keeping it under the rule of the homeless army. Eventually Batman is freed, and he gets in a Batmobile that looks a lot like a monster truck (see it here at the History of the Batmobile site), and takes down Blackfire and the cult.

Pros: Blackfire's a somewhat interesting villain, in that he appeals to Batman's sense of justice, but he takes it too far.

Cons: The Cult was a controversial story for its violence and gore (decapitated heads, Batman murdering someone, a badly scarred hooker). It's also out of print, I think, so Blackfire is not going to be all that well known. And the central element of his story is breaking down Batman until he's crying like a little girl, which is not exactly consistent with the badass Batman we know and love. The idea of Batman as a superhero to me is that he may not have a superhuman body like Superman, but he has a superhuman will, and seeing someone break that will just doesn't work for me.

How I'd do it: Eh, I don't think I would. But the basic premise of a cult leader recruiting the downtrodden to take back the city works. I just don't know about the brainwashing of Batman.

Casting Guesses: I could see Russell Crowe doing it.

Verdict: Personally, I hated The Cult. I hated Emo Batman, I hated the Bigfoot Batmobile. It tries really hard to be The Dark Knight Returns but it isn't. Not even close. However, lots of people disagree. Kirk at the Weekly Crisis listed it in his top 10 lesser known Batman stories, and IGN put it at #6 on their top 25 Batman stories ever. So some people don't hate it, which I guess makes it possible.

The Hangman

The identity of the Hangman is the central mystery of Dark Victory, the sequel to Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's earlier work The Long Halloween, so beware spoilers aplenty for both books.

The Hangman is a serial killer, targeting Gotham City cops, both clean and dirty. At each crime scene the victim is hung, with a game of Hangman (with some of the letters still missing) left behind. All signs point to Harvey Dent, but something doesn't quite add up.

While the serial killings go on, a gang war rages between the Falcones and the Maronis after Two-Face killed Carmine Falcone and Carmine's son Alberto confessed to the Holiday murders. The only major Falcone left is Sofia Falcone Gigante, daughter of Carmine, who was left paralyzed by the climactic battle in The Long Halloween.

In the end, it is revealed that Sofia was faking her paralysis to avoid suspicion, and that she was responsible for the murders. Out to avenge her father's murder, she first went after all the cops who helped make Harvey Dent's career. Batman is able to save Two-Face, her ultimate target, but Two-Face turns on Sofia and kills her.

Pros: Commenter A put it best:

Fits in the universe, easy to implement, Hanging theme is very dark. villain is very psychological. Could be entirely suspense / from the shadows, allowing the tension to become thicker and thicker to the point of exploding, especially since it's full of plot twists...

Cons: More from A:

Hanging theme might be hard to implement, especially if the crimes are pinned on the Bat. A villain who does not directly appear for the bulk of the movie runs the risk of being uninteresting. After The Joker, a straight serial killer might not cut the mustard.

I'd also add that the identity of the villain will leak, whoever it may end up being, and those that haven't read Dark Victory will be told that Sofia's faked her paralysis to commit the murders in the comics, so to preserve the mystery of the Hangman, they would have to change it around quite a bit.

How I'd do it: Parts of the setup don't work in the "Nolanverse." Two-Face is dead. Carmine Falcone, last we heard, was in Arkham. Sal Maroni was the mobster Two-Face took out. I think the best way to go about it would be to have Falcone's children targetted by someone looking to take hold of the Falcone crime family. They survive, barely, but know that if their father wasn't in Arkham, no one would have tried anything like that. They visit their father and he's still crazed, mumbling about the Scarecrow.

The initial attack gives you an excuse for the fake paralysis (either to follow the Dark Victory formula, or as a red herring), and have the Hangman target the Scarecrow, and the doctors, lawyers, and judges who helped his career.

Casting Guesses: Could be anyone, really, the Falcone family isn't as iconic as the regular villains. Sofia does look a bit like Drea Di Matteo, though, but with darker hair.

Verdict: I think there are just too many cons. And honestly, I didn't like Dark Victory all that much. But it's possible, I guess. I just hope not.

The Tally Man

The original Tally Man grew up poor. His father owed money to a loan shark and they struggled to pay their debts. When his father died, matters only got worse. When a collector threatened his mother, young Tally Man killed him, spending most of the rest of his youth in juvie. When he got out, the rest of his family was all dead and he lost it. He apparently had a talent for shooting, and ended up working for the mob, killing people who couldn't pay their debts. He was completely nuts though, becoming downright gleeful while killing his victims.

The second Tally Man appeared during the Face the Face storyline (spoilers to follow). Working for the Great White Shark (who I just realized I haven't covered here), he kills Orca, The Ventriloquist, KGBeast, and Magpie, framing Two-Face for the crimes. He was stopped pretty quickly after his first appearance, and I don't think he's shown up since.

Pros: Essentialy just an mob hitman, either Tally Man fits with the presence of organized crime through each of the first two movies.

Cons: I doubt the mob would go to someone as obviously crazy as the first Tally Man after their experience with the Joker. And the second is a minor, minor character.

How I'd do it: I'd go with the second Tally Man. Just have him be a hired gun, nothing more to it.

Casting Guesses: The second Tally Man kinda looks like Mos Def, but bigger. I might go with Common, just because he's impressed me in the few movies I've seen him in.

Verdict: Almost no chance. There are so many other assassins to choose from. The only possibility is for a tiny cameo, in a situation where the better known assassins aren't available (because DC/WB is saving them for non-Batman movies).

The Monk

One of Batman's oldest nemeses, The Monk is a good old fashioned vampire who wears a red cloak and red hood with a gold skull and crossbones on it. Among his powers: turning others into vampires, mind control, and just generally being hard to kill. He has a henchwoman of sorts in Dala, who isn't a vampire, but hopes that by serving the Monk, he will turn her into one.

Although he first appeared in 1939, the Monk hasn't been seen all that often. Most recently, he was featured in Matt Wagner's Batman and the Mad Monk.

Pros: He's a relative unknown, but has a very striking costume and loads of story possibilities.

Cons: He won't generate the same type of buzz as Catwoman or one of the other villains people remember from the earlier movies or the Adam West series. He's entirely supernatural, which is an element the movies have been avoiding.

Also, I'm not sure how the hood thing works in a live action movie. I have issues with certain masks and sometimes even heavy makeup in live action movies, where it removes the facial expressions that actors rely on to sell their performances. I hated the Green Goblin mask from Spider-man, every time Willem Dafoe put it on and spoke, I felt a total disconnect, like it was some guy in a suit while Willem Dafoe stood off camera saying his lines. And any time I'm thinking of the characters as actors on a set, I'm not all that engaged in the movie.

While these types of hoods are common in comics and cartoons (Yu-Ti, X the Eliminator), I don't think I've ever seen one in a live action movie. I suppose the G.I. Joe movie will be the test case for me there.

How I'd do it: No avoiding the supernatural here, so I'd just go right for it. GCPD finds a body and there's some circumstantial evidence pointing to a spooky house on the outskirts of Gotham. They can't get a warrant, but this one strikes Gordon as Batman's kind of case. Even though he's public enemy #1, they've worked out a way to discreetly communicate, and Batman heads to the house. It looks like something out of Dracula, but Batman confidently laughs it off, knowing that all he'll find inside is just a man. A crazy man, but just a man. Instead he faces a hooded vampire in a battle that he nearly loses. This shakes him up pretty badly, and forces him to realize that he's only prepared to fight men, not monsters, and heads off to study the supernatural (with Zatara? Zatanna? Probably can't use John Constantine, though), clearing the way for all kinds of craziness if they made a 4th movie.

Casting Guesses: With the hood, the look of the guy doesn't matter much. That means you have to have someone with a cool British accent. I'll say John Hurt.

Verdict: Normally I'd say no chance to anyone this inherently supernatural. But the Monk was one of the original supernatural Batman villains, so if you wanted to open the door to vampires and werewolves and magic, who could be better?

Doctor Death

Dr. Karl Hellfern was the first recurring villain and first real supervillain to face Batman in the comic books. In his first appearance (nice article about that here), he threatens Gotham City's wealthiest citizens with a toxic gas unless they pay him a hefty sum. He's been reinventied as a paraplegic with the same poison gas gimmick, and more recently as biological and chemical weapons expert for sale to the highest terrorist bidder.

Pros: He's a blank slate. Doctor Death is a name some comics fans know for his historical significance, but few have read much of anything featuring the character. So there's plenty of freedom to update or make changes to the character.

Cons: The name "Doctor Death" these days makes most people think of Jack Kevorkian. No matter what your opinion on doctor assisted suicide, I think you'll agree it's not a great thing for people to be thinking about during your blockbuster action movie.

How I'd do it: I might avoid the Doctor Death name, let people call him that in discussion on the internet and stuff, but I'm not sure you really have to use the name in the movie. I feel like this has been done before in a movie, but the closest example I can think of is that I'm pretty sure they never used the word "Bizarro" for the evil duplicate of Clark on Smallville. As for the story, I can't really expect him to be the main villain, but he could be a secondary guy. Maybe criminals in Gotham are sick of Dr. Crane's fear toxin, but do like the whole toxin idea, so they go to another crazy scientist? That's probably a stretch. But these movie writers are far more clever than I am.

Casting Guesses: The only depictions of Doctor Death I remember all have him as a balding guy with a beard. And I like the idea of a creepy old guy. So Joel Grey, or Ron Rifkin?

Verdict: Possible. Like many others, Doctor Death has little chance of being the main villain, but he's a perfectly decent character and could be used if the story calls for it.

Blockbuster

Mark Desmond was a scientist experimenting with steroids who turned himself into a giant, stupid, super-strong man/monster called Blockbuster. His brother Roland, an aspiring criminal, cared for Mark and manipulated him into criminal acts. Batman eventually stopped Blockbuster, who was recruited into Amanda Waller's Suicide Squad, and eventually died.

Later, Roland Desmond fell ill and took a steroid treatment not unlike his brother's and underwent the same transformation. Unhappy with his condition's effect on his mind, the new Blockbuster struck a deal with Neron, the DC Universe's version of the devil, and Roland gained the intellect to match his strength and ambition. He went to Bludhaven, the city protected by Nightwing (Dick Grayson, formerly Robin), and took over the criminal underworld there.

Eventually Roland Desmond died too, and a third Blockbuster emerged in the crossover series 52, but he wasn't even tangentialy a Batman enemy.

Pros: He's a big scary strong guy. And steroids are a significant cultural issue, so maybe there's some relevance to a story with Blockbuster. Roland Desmond, despite being a superstrong albino, is basically a mobster, which fits perfectly with the movies.

Cons: Mark Desmond isn't much more than Dr. Jeckyll permanently turning into Mr. Hyde. Roland Desmond's a more interesting character, but is more of a Nightwing enemy than a Batman one. And there are far more significant and more iconic big scary strong enemies for Batman to face.

How I'd do it: Personally, I'd probably use Roland Desmond to borrow good ideas from Spider-Man and Daredevil stories (like this) featuring the Kingpin. Ignore the steroids and the superhuman strength, and just make him a very large, very strong man in a fancy mobster suit.

Casting Guesses: Another one where a wrestler might be the best choice, and I don't follow wrestling.

Verdict: He won't be a featured villain, no chance there. The first Blockbuster was a pretty minor villain, and the second barely ever fought Batman. But naming some strong guy Blockbuster (or Desmond) is certainly a possibility. Heck, you could retroactively name Tiny Lister's Dark Knight character Blockbuster.

Killer Moth

Killer Moth is a strange, kinda goofy, but oddly popular second rate villain. Originally, he attempts to become the anti-Batman. He creats the Mothmobile and the Mothcave, and gives Gotham's crimnal underworld their own Moth-signal, with which they can summon his help (for a price). He even has his own millionaire philanthropist persona, Cameron Van Cleer, though this similarity to Bruce Wayne was purely by accident on his part (but clearly on purpose by the writers).

In more recent stories, Killer Moth has become a moth monster creature known as Charaxes, and is pretty much Killer Croc but moth-y instead of crocodile-y.

Pros: Killer Moth, in some circles, is a beloved villain. There's even a Killer Moth Appreciation and Preservation Society with a webpage and a blog (there's tons of Killer Moth info there, so if you're interested I highly recommend checking them out).

Cons: He's a guy in a moth suit. That worked for Arthur, but in a dark, semi-realistic Batman story, it doesn't work so well.

How I'd do it: I guess you could do Killer Moth like the imitation Batman in The Dark Knight, where it's another dangerous copycat, only moth-themed.

Casting Guesses: Old school Cameron van Cleer looks like a young Kirk Douglas. I'm not sure who fits that bill now though. The character could be played for laughs I guess, in the copycat mode, which would open the door to most any comedic actor. Or more likely a no-name.

Verdict: Sorry, Killer Moth Appreciators, but it's doubtful. But I'm not going to say it's impossible. Just highly unlikely.

Calculator

Noah Kuttler built an awesome suit with a calculator keypad on his chest. Punching a few buttons allowed the big light mounted on his head to do cool Green Lantern type things, making solid objects out of light. This qualified him as one of the goofiest villains ever, alongside guys like Crazy Quilt.

But a few years ago, Calculator was reinvented. The calculator keypad, head lamp thing, and general gimmickry are all gone, and instead Calculator is a computer genius, hacker, and information broker to all the supervillains. The anti-Oracle.

Pros: Someone evil might need some hard to find piece of information, and it would make perfect sense for him to ask Kuttler.

Cons: The Calculator suit version can't work for obvious reasons. And he can't really be the anti-Oracle because there aren't enough supervillains in the movie universe to need their own Oracle.

How I'd do it: Either just a cameo finding information for someone, or he could be Oracle to the Gotham City mob. Providing, for a price, up to the minute information on where Batman is, and allowing them to pull the kinds of crimes I think I read in Brian Michael Bendis' Daredevil, where they would have one group of criminals commit some noisy high profile crime to get Batman's attention on one side of the city, then shortly after, start a more discreet, but more profitable job.

Casting Guesses: The current Noah Kuttler is kind of a sleazy nerd, and I can't help but think he'd be played for some laughs if he was the Oracle of organized crime. So Joel Moore is the first name that comes to mind, but I'm sure there are others who could be just as good.

Verdict: Not likely to be a featured villain, but he could pop up in a supporting role or in a cameo.

Amygdala

Aaron Helzinger had some serious anger management issues, so a doctor removed his amygdala, a part of the brain that controls emotional responses. But the surgery resulted in him becoming easily manipulated, and just as prone to fits of rage. Until somewhat recently, when he became largely cured and an ally of Dick Grayson, nearly every one of Amygdala's appearances have involved another villain convincing Amygdala to attack Batman.

Pros: A medical treatment gone awry could work in the movie universe, realism-wise, and Batman really hasn't dealt with an opponent who was purely a physical threat yet.

Cons: He's kind of a poor man's Hulk. Childlike mind, anger issues, freakishly strong (though I've never been clear how strong Amygdala is, relative to Bane or Killer Croc or anything). And you certainly can't have a whole movie based around him as the villain, since he's just a strong, not very bright guy.

How I'd do it: You'd have to have another villain calling the shots.

Casting Guesses: Some huge wrestler? I have no idea. Or Dalip Sing, the huge guy from Get Smart and The Longest Yard remake, who I just learned is also a wrestler.

Verdict: I'm tempted to say no chance, but he's the kind of guy who could get a tiny background appearance like Zsasz had in the first movie.

Zeiss

Not only did Phil Zeiss's parents die when he was a boy, but so did any other relative that might take care of him. So a Sicilian mobster took him under his wing, and decided the boy was cut out to be a hitman for the mob. In addition to regular old training on how to kill people, Zeiss underwent surgery to have his nervous system enhanced with cybernetics. His reflexes and vision have been enhanced, and he wears special goggles wired into his brain that let him see the world as if it's in slow motion.

Zeiss's most notable personality trait is his obsession with being the best fighter in the world, which has proven problematic. On one occasion, he was hired as a bodyguard to protect an aging Gotham mobster. Zeiss spotted Batman, also there to protect the mobster, and engaged him in hand to hand combat in order to prove himself superior. With the two protectors occupied, Deadshot waltzed in and shot the guy.

Pros: With the exception of the cybernetics, his origin and his abilities fit with the realism levels. And Batman pissing off organized crime in the first two movies makes bringing in assassins very likely.

Cons: He's a lesser-known comics assassin, and much of his appeal (and design) is based around the goggles and enhanced reflexes.

How I'd do it: I guess just eliminate the cybernetics. And just to be sure he still looks like Zeiss, give him weird looking sunglasses.

Casting Guesses: Zeiss is Swiss. I don't know of any Swiss actors, but there might be some out there. By looks alone (and Zeiss has changed his look a few times, most recently with a shaved head), I might go with someone like Jason Statham, but I'm not sure he can sound like anything but a Londoner.

Verdict: It's possible, but there are lots of assassins to choose from, and Zeiss wouldn't be at the top of my list.

Holiday

The identity of the Holiday killer was the central mystery of The Long Halloween, so there are lots of spoilers ahead. And it's a good read, so don't spoil it for yourself if you haven't read it already.

Holiday was the name of a serial killer who struck only on holidays. Holday's targets were mobsters, at first members of the Falcone family, but later targeting the rival Maronis (you may remember Tom Wilkinson as Carmine Falcone in Batman Begins, or Eric Roberts as Sal Maroni in The Dark Knight). Holiday struck with a .22 caliber pistol, the serial number filed off, and a baby bottle's nipple used as a silencer. At each crime scene, Holiday would leave behind a holiday-appropriate item as a calling card (a jack-o-lantern on Halloween, a snow globe on Christmas, etc).

The initial suspects were all mobsters. Calendar Man was obviously questioned, since it's his kind of crime, but he was locked up in Arkham the whole time. Eventually, Alberto Falcone, the somewhat neglected son of Carmine who had been Holiday's New Year's Eve victim, reappeared, very much alive, and confessed to the crimes. But later, as Two-Face is being arrested for a separate crime, he says to Batman and Gordon, "You both know, don't you? There were two Holiday killers." Batman assumes it's a side effect of Two-Face's obsession with duality, but we're then shown a scene of Gilda, Harvey Dent's wife, disposing of evidence and confessing to the first three murders to herself. Harvey had told her once the Falcones were taken down, he would have time to start a family, so she'd decided to hurry that process along. When someone else started committing Holiday murders, she assumed Harvey had realized what she was up to and taken over, but in fact it was Alberto Falcone.

Or at least that's how I read it. This guy claims that Alberto was the killer the whole time, but I don't buy it.

Pros: The Long Halloween was a big influence on both of the first two movies, and Holiday targeting gangsters fits with the movies making everything mob-related.

Cons: There's no Gilda Dent in the movies. And the Holiday thing fits better in an episodic format (monthly comic books, a tv series, etc) than a single movie.

How I'd do it: You could have Alberto Falcone kill some people over the course of a year. Have Batman be the initial suspect. Call in The Riddler, private investigator, to figure out who did it. A fun time would be had by all, but it would be missing something, I think.

Casting Guesses: Alberto Falcone is kind of nerdy -- the kid who goes to Harvard is the black sheep in a family of gangsters -- but he's also angry and bitter. Ryan Phillipe could pull it off. Zachary Quinto too, but after playing Sylar, people might just automatically assume he's the murderer.

Verdict: I doubt it, but it's not impossible. There's been some talk about an animated adaptation of The Long Halloween, and doing that would present a more fun version of Holiday (see this and scroll way down for a mention of the animation possibilities).