The 10 Lamest Batman Villains Of All Time

Image via Complex Original

The Penguin

Real Name: Oswald Cobblepot

First Appearance: Detective Comics #58


Shocked to see such a popular villain on the list? Don’t be. Let’s look at the facts. The Penguin is a “criminal mastermind” who has repeatedly tried to go toe-to-toe with Batman using umbrellas.

Think about it. Umbrellas. These umbrellas usually contain a secret weapon such as a machine gun or a blade hidden in the tip. The problem is that none of these weapons are intimidating when the maniac wielding them is less than five feet tall.

With the body of Paul Giamatti and the hand-to-hand combat skills of Helen Mirren, the Penguin has rarely, if ever, posed a real threat to Batman. The Penguin is even more proof that no one named Oswald can be taken seriously.

The Calendar Man

Real Name: Julian Day

First Appearance: Detective Comics #259


Julian Day, a.k.a. The Calendar Man, is obsessed with the dates on the calendar. So obsessed in fact that it has driven him insane and, of course, pointed him towards a life of crime.

All of his crimes follow a theme that corresponds with the day of the calendar. Day even crafted a garish costume complete with pages from a calendar pasted onto the shoulders and red spandex.

However, none of his schemes ever worked and he is now best known for his cameo in Batman: The Long Halloween, where he learns that someone else is using his calendar gimmick and actually succeeding with it. Trademark FAIL.

Composite Superman

Alter Ego: Joseph Meach

First Appearance: World’s Finest Comics #142


Another gem from DC’s Silver Age is the Composite Superman. Originally a janitor at a Metropolis museum, Joseph Meach was belted by mysterious radiation while at work and was randomly transformed into this hybrid of Batman and the Man of Steel.

Gifted with godlike physical abilities, but retaining the mind of a lowly janitor, the Composite Superman was easily defeated by the Caped Crusader in their first encounter. Lesson learned: Don’t infringe on the Dark Knight’s trademark tights.

The KGBeast

Alter Ego: Anatoll Knyazev

First Appearance: Batman #417


Comics and Communism go together like Jennifer Aniston and box office bombs. From the '50s to the '90s, comic books have birth to memorable Communist threats such as Egg Fu, Radioactive Man, and The Red Ghost and his Super Apes.

However none of those Commies were as laughable as The KGBeast. Sporting a cheap S&M outfit complete with leather gimp mask, he posed about as much of a threat to Batman as a basket of Marshmallow Peeps.

There were often whispers about how many people The KGBeast killed during his time in Russia, but we’re pretty certain he started those rumors himself. The KGBeast’s most notable moment came when Batman thwarted his attempt to assassinate then President Reagan.

The Ten-Eyed Man

Alter Ego: Philip Reardon

First Appearance: Batman #226


The Editors at DC were obviously out for a cigarette break when this little gem of a villain slipped through the cracks. The Ten-Eyed Man was basically a crazed Vietnam vet who lost his sight but had his optic nerves reconnected through his fingertips during an experimental procedure. That’s right, now he could see through his fingers!

This is convenient because whenever Batman was pounding on him, the Ten-Eyed Man could simultaneously cover up his face and see his own beat down clear as day. I don’t think a man who has gone up against Darkseid is going to be too intimidated by a supervillain who could be blinded by a pair of mittens.

Rat Catcher

Alter Ego: Otis Flannegan

First Appearance: Detective Comics #585


At least this crazy gimmick is legitimate; Otis Flannegan actually was a rat catcher. However, he was also endowed with the ability to communicate with rats. I guess spending all that time in the sewers was useful after all.

While most people would just ignore this “gift” and try to live a relatively rat-free life, Otis cherished it and used his rat powers to live a life of crime. After mildly inconveniencing Batman for an issue or two, Otis was quickly defeated and sent to Blackgate Prison. He’s so lame he doesn’t even go to Arkham.

And eventually, like all useless villains, Otis was used as cannon fodder during Infinite Crisis and killed by an OMAC (Observational Metahuman Activity Construct, or androids created to go after anyone with super powers). It's unlikely that Batman even noticed his was gone.

Kite Man

Alter Ego: Charles Brown

First Appearance: Batman #133


You should know that your criminal career is never going to take off when you name yourself Kite Man. Using various kites in order to commit crimes, Kite Man never really posed much of a threat to Batman, as his own kites were usually instrumental in his defeat.

Often something as simple as a gust of wind or a lucky bolt of lighting would ground him. After a while Batman stopped going after him and assumed mother nature would do the deed for him. Oh, and once he got caught in a tree while fighting Zatanna. Luckily for comic fans everywhere, Kite Man was recently killed off.

Ventriloquist and Scarface

Alter Ego: Arnold Wesker

First Appearance: Detective Comics #583


DC needs to be put on trial for some of the lameness that it has unleashed upon the comic book world. And when the evidence is presented, the Ventriloquist and Scarface deserve to be exhibit A and B.


Basically the Ventriloquist and Scarface are a bad twist on a Twilight Zone episode, as Arnold Wesker believes his dummy is alive and causing him to commit crimes. This headache-inducing pair has been featured in comics, cartoons, and video games.

Apparently some writers either really think these characters are interesting or they’re just sadists who enjoy torturing their audience.

Crazy Quilt

Alter Ego: Paul Dekker

First Appearance: Boy Commandos #15


After Dekker was blinded by a gunshot wound, an experimental procedure gave him his vision back. The downside: The operation made colors so bright and disorienting for him that it eventually drove him mad.

Armed with a mind control helmet, Dekker took the guise of Crazy Quilt and vowed to live a life of crime. Instead of finding success, he was permanently blinded by Robin and continuously captured by Batman, who very rarely broke a sweat doing so.

Perhaps Crazy Quilt’s greatest defeat came at the hands of the Monocle, one of the Flash’s villains, who ridiculed Quilt’s outfit in front of all of the other villains. Quilt just stood there and took it like a chump. Hey, you make your bed...

Killer Moth

Alter Ego: Cameron van Cleer

First Appearance: Batman #63


While in prison, Cameron van Cleer became obsessed with Batman and hatched a plan to become the exact opposite of the Dark Knight. Dressed as the Killer Moth, Cleer would help criminals in their pursuit of money and help them avoid the police.

His outfit was equipped with gadgets similar to those carried by Batman as he waged a war on justice. However, due to his ineptitude and his rainbow colored outfit, the Killer Moth never eluded Batman for too long and was always brought down pretty quickly.

The really disturbing thing is that the Killer Moth even had his own “moth signal” and “moth cave” in honor of Bats. Man crush much? We’re starting to wonder if the Killer Moth actually enjoyed being slapped around by Batman.