10 DC Supervillains That Vanished Without A Trace
5. The Puppet Master
The Puppet Master debuted in Batman #3 in 1940, making him the oldest villain on this list and one of the first supervillains in comic book history. He is so obscure, he has never appeared in any medium (animated shows, video games, cartoons, etc.) except for his single appearance in comics.
Dmitri the Puppet Master invented a Thought Serum and used it on an atomic researcher called Dr. Craig. After consuming the Serum, Dr. Craig would automatically imitate any movement made by Dmitri's marionette doll for the next 48 hours. According to Dmitri, this is possible due to "thought waves". (It was the 1940s. It was the best explanation they could come up with.)
Dmitri intends to mind-control the doctor to give him his formula for creating an atomic weapon. When Batman intervenes, Dmitri infects him with the Thought Serum, forcing the Dark Knight to rob a jewellery store and beat up several police officers. Robin forces Batman to regain his senses by punching in the face (a typical remedy for mind control in comics).
Unsurprisingly, the story concludes with Batman capturing Dmitri and bringing him to the police.