They say that a hero is only as good as his villain. If that is the case, then the sheer number of interesting, complex and compelling villains within the Batman mythos can only speak to the characters brilliance and longevity. Batman has by far the most notorious, popular and arguably the greatest rogues gallery in the history of superhero comics. Yet even beyond their fame and notoriety, there is something distinct amongst Batmans many rogues. Often these criminally insane foes serve as foils to the potential inner-madness expressed within the dichotomy of the Batman/Bruce Wayne relationship. As Grant Morrison puts it in Supergods: Our World in the Age of Superheroes: Crime, madness, and the supernatural defined Batmans theatre of operation Batmans rogues gallery personified various psychiatric disorders to great effect (p 22; 24). Batmans rogues have always been themed around madness and were therefore prone sadistic, violent tendencies. Batman has more psychotic enemies than any other hero in the history of comics. Therefore, in light of the past 75 years of Batman history, this article takes a look at the 10 most sadistic foes Batman ever faced. Warning: the following pages are not for the faint at heart.
Since childhood, Bryant has been an avid fan of superheroes, and he has been reading comic books since 2006. His full name is "George Bryant Lucas"; however, after enduring countless Darth Vader jokes, he has chosen to go by his middle name. Born and raised in the United States, Bryant is currently living with his lovely wife in the country side of Wiltshire County, UK. Bryant does suffer from a mild case of dyslexia; misspellings and homonyms are to be expected on occasion.
