7 Worst Things DC Did To Iconic Batman Villains

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Batman’s enemies are, unsurprisingly, not good people. Villains like Two-Face and the Joker have spent years harming the people of Gotham, motivated by greed, a thirst for attention, a desire for power, or just plain cruelty. However, many of these villains weren’t always bad. A lot of them experienced difficult circumstances that significantly shaped who they became.

Many of Batman’s enemies have attempted to change their ways, whether by seeking forgiveness or simply trying a different path. Unfortunately, these attempts often led to further punishment or even a worse fate. Beyond that, some villains, like the Joker and Mr. Freeze, were negatively impacted by questionable choices made by the comic book writers. While they aren’t heroes, here are 7 Batman villains and the worst treatment they received from DC Comics.

7. Killing Ra’s al Ghul

It’s surprising how much Ra’s al Ghul mellowed out by the time the Infinite Frontier storyline began. He had a genuinely good relationship with his grandson, Damian Wayne, even acting as his mentor for a while. However, things went downhill during the “Shadow War” event when Ra’s was killed. This wasn’t just a normal death, though – he was completely vaporized, seemingly making it impossible to bring him back to life. Now, Ra’s exists as a ghost, linked to Damian’s girlfriend, Flatline, and it doesn’t look like he’ll ever be able to return to being alive.

6. Locking Two-Face’s Good Side Away

It’s difficult to watch Two-Face try to reform, especially after following his story for years. His latest effort was in the “All In” miniseries, where he used his legal skills to mediate disputes within the criminal world. However, Harvey Dent’s darker side, Two-Face, predictably took over, ultimately trapping Harvey and seemingly gaining permanent control. It’s heartbreaking to see someone who genuinely wants to be good constantly struggle against their inner demons.

5. Condemning Bane to Hell

As a film fan, I’ve always been fascinated by characters seeking redemption, but with Bane, it’s just not in the cards. I remember reading a storyline in Secret Six where he actually went to Hell on a mission, and the grim truth was revealed: he’s destined for eternal damnation. It’s pretty brutal! Even with his attempts at a personal code of honor, it wasn’t enough to change his fate. Knowing he’s ultimately going to Hell, it’s almost understandable why he’d just give up on trying to be a better person and embrace being a villain again. You can’t really blame a guy for losing hope, can you?

4. Giving Joker the ‘3 Jokers’ Problem

Before DC’s Rebirth event, the company surprisingly revealed that the Joker wasn’t a single person, but a trio. This confusing idea wasn’t fully explained until the comic Batman: Three Jokers, which showed the original Joker had created and transformed multiple replacements. While the book wasn’t a huge hit with fans, it offered the closest thing to a definitive explanation. However, that explanation was later changed again in the recent Batman run by Zdarsky, which presented the three Jokers as different facets of the Joker’s personality. This new take was much better received by fans, effectively resolving the previous confusion.

3. Undoing Riddler’s Redemption

As a long-time Riddler fan, I’ve always been disappointed by a particular storyline. Before the New 52 comics relaunch, the Riddler briefly changed his ways and became a private detective. While still arrogant and attention-seeking, this new role made him a surprisingly compelling ally who occasionally worked with Batman. Unfortunately, that all ended when he was seemingly killed in an explosion, and he reverted to his old villainous behavior. I still feel DC Comics wasted a great opportunity with that version of the Riddler.

2. Everything Harley Quinn Went Through

Harley Quinn experienced a truly awful relationship with the Joker. For years, she loved someone who didn’t love her back and who was both physically and emotionally abusive. It was incredibly difficult for her to finally escape that cycle, but she did. Even though she’s moved on and is no longer with the Joker, the abuse she endured remains one of the worst things to happen to any character in the DC universe.

1. Retconning Mister Freeze’s Marriage

It’s rare to see a comic book change spark as much anger as this one did. Most people are familiar with the heartbreaking story of Mister Freeze and his wife, Nora, who was gravely ill. However, in the New 52 series, DC Comics surprisingly changed things, revealing that Victor and Nora weren’t actually married. Instead, the story claimed Nora was a cryogenics patient from the 1940s, and Freeze had become fixated on her, falsely believing they had a loving relationship. Fortunately, DC listened to the strong negative reaction and quietly changed the story back, restoring Mister Freeze’s original, well-known origin story.

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2025-12-13 02:46