Gotham: 10 Ways To Introduce Batman's Greatest Villains

5. Victor Fries

Victor Fries is the character on the list who would most benefit from having a sympathetic portrayal. The Fries of Gotham could be the antithesis of what we would expect of a character destined to become Mr Freeze. He could be a warm and genial man, a cryogenics expert who liaises with the GCPD from time to time, and is lovingly devoted to his wife Nora. Getting to know the character gradually over the course of the series, would only intensify the expectancy of the suffering he later endures. Whether his accident and the loss of his wife is depicted or not, there will be a sense of tragic expectancy surrounding Fries, knowing that his life will soon be ripped apart, and he will be set on a course of vengeful criminality. Fries could also be pitched younger, though as he is usually portrayed as being older than Batman the character doesn't demand it. If they were to aim for youth, Fries could be a PhD research scientist, who is studying the application of cryogenics in criminology, and is doing a practice-based placement at GCPD's crime labs.