10 Times The Past Came Back To Haunt Batman
8. Karma - Detective Comics #983-986
In the On the Outside storyline, Batman faced a new foe called Karma. Even with the aid of the Bat Family, Karma defeated the superheroes with little effort. Because Karma is armed with a mask that allows him to read the minds of anyone in his proximity, he knows his enemies' every move, making him impossible to defeat in conventional combat.
When Batman researched the origin of this mask, he learned it was bought on the black market by a terrorist called Fleet Delmar. Fleet went on a rampage in Markovia years ago before Batman immobilised him with fear gas. As Fleet was left paralysed with fear, a swarm of bats ripped his face to shreds and tore his eyes out.
Fleet eventually tracked down an alien mask that not only allowed him to regain his sight but endowed him with psychic powers. Using this mask, he rebranded himself as Karma and vowed to dedicate his life to destroying the cowled vigilante.
When he arrived in Gotham, he kidnapped, tortured, and slaughtered dozens of civilians just to flush Batman out. Batman managed to defeat Karma but admitted he indirectly created him, meaning he must take some responsibility for how it all went down.